The Witcher 3

Combat Tips and Guides

Looking to get more ability points? See the locations for all Places of Power here:
Place of Power Locations
Trying to make more coin as quickly as possible? See our Money Making Guide!
How to Make Money Fast
Want to know the best early game builds and skills to invest in? We've got you covered!
Best Early Game Skills and Builds

Banner Combat
This is a guide to combat in The Witcher 3. If you want to know the best way to fight and defeat enemies in The Witcher 3, as well as learn about different techniques available in combat, please read on.

Combat Tips and Guides

Quick Attacks

Fast Attack.jpg
Fast Attacks are low damaging attacks, but their quick animation sometimes causes the enemy to stagger and give you more time to strike again or step back. This will be the attack that you will be using most of the time to deal damage. Putting ability points into the skill Muscle Memory early in the game is a good idea as it will make your basic combat actions even stronger.

Strong Heavy Blows

Heavy Attack.jpg
Strong Attacks are high damaging attacks, but they can easily be punished due to the slow animation. Use this attack if you are sure that the enemy is going to be vulnerable for a few seconds. You can increase the power of these attacks early on by investing points into the skill Strength Training.

Parry and Counterattacks

Shield and Parry.jpg
Parries are used to block enemy attacks, so use parry if you are sure that the enemy will attack. Parrying right before the enemy strikes will grant you a counterattack, which can be followed with another attack to tack on even more damage. Once you understand the animation of the enemy's attacks, try to perfectly time your counter attacks to deal damage while preventing any damage taken for an easier combat. However, note that not every enemy's attacks can be parried!

Dodging and Rolling

Dodge and Roll.jpg
Dodging is extremely useful to quickly make the enemy miss their attack, giving you the opportunity to strike back. Rolls are useful in creating some distance between you and the enemy to plan your next move. Make use of both Dodges and Rolling to give your stamina time to regerate, allowing you to cast a sign.

Casting Signs

Combat - Signs-min.jpg
Each of the 5 signs has its own unique effect in battle and using your signs against enemies greatly helps you in combat. Some signs are more effective than the other depending on the situation, these signs can be upgraded by using the skill points inside the Character Menu. One effective technique to combat is to make frequent use of the Quen Sign, which is especially useful at protecting you from otherwise deadly attacks if you invest points into the ability Exploding Shield.

Using Crossbows

Combat - Crossbow-min.jpg
The crossbow is mainly used to bring down flying enemies that you cannot reach with your sword. However, you can also use it to deal damage to far away enemies and to lure them towards you to get the advantage for the given terrain. When you are presented with several enemies in a group and you do not feel like attacking them head on and engaging in combat with multiple foes, picking a couple of them off with the crossbow, or lowering their HP so they can be taken out more easily is a very useful method.

Checking Enemy Weaknesses

Combat - Enemy Weaknesses-min.jpg
Most enemies have some kind of weakness to an item or sign. If you already killed an enemy once, you can easily check its weakness in the Bestiary. Here you will be able to see what type of items and signs it is weak against, making your next fight against it easier. You can check the Bestiary by accessing the Glossary inside the Game Menu. In addition, you can find monster weaknesses in our wiki section on Monsters.

Enemy Priority

Enemy Priority-min.jpg

Prioritizing the wrong enemy can make fighting more difficult than it should be, especially when fighting against a large group of enemies with different weapons. When fighting against Bandits, try to focus on killing the archers first. This can be fairly quick, due to their weak defense and long reload time. The next ones you should focus are the melee attackers who are not carrying a shield. They are more vulnerable to your attacks than the ones who are carrying a shield.

Keep in mind that properly positioning yourself when fighting enemies is the most important thing to remember, especially when fighting against shielded enemies. The same thing goes when fighting against a group of monsters – always try to aim for the weaker, defenseless monsters to cut down their numbers, making the fight easier as it goes on.

The Witcher 3 Related Links

Beginner
See All Beginner Tips & Guides

Completing the Story
Controls and Techniques Difficulty Level Differences
Does Dialogue Matter? How to Fast Travel
Most Important Side Quests for the Story Romance Guide
List of Endings and How to Get the Best Ending What is Enemy Upscaling?
Things to Know Before Starting Witcher 3 What is New Game+?
Should You Simulate a Witcher 2 Save File? Which Version to Buy?
Fighting Like a Pro
Combat Guide and Tips Sign Tier List
Healing During Battle & Meditation Is Repairing Weapons and Armor Worth It?
What are Adrenaline Points? How to Fight on Horseback
How to Fight Underwater What is Toxicity?
What are Mutations What are Mutagens
Leveling Up & Getting Beefy
How to Level Up Fast Place of Power Locations
Best Character Builds Best Early Game Skills and Builds
Skills Ranking and Tier List Top Five Best and Most Useful Skills
How to Get Magic Acorn How to Reset Ability Points
Best Death March Build and Tips for Survival Max Level and Level Cap for Geralt
Obtaining Weapons & Armor
Best Early Game Weapons and Armor The Best Weapons, Armor and Equipment Sets
How to Upgrade Weapons and Armor Most Rewarding Side Quests and Contracts
Witcher Gear Locations Where to Find Blacksmiths and Armorers?
Which Trophy is the Best? Best Crossbow and Bolts
Managing Money & Items
Managing Your Inventory Best and Worst Items to Sell
Where to Sell Junk Where to Find Ingredients and Crafting Materials
Should You Loot Everything? How to Dismantle Items
How to Make Money Fast Can You Cook Food?
What Items to Buy From Shops -
Just for Fun
List of Hairstyles Best Looking Armor for Geralt
How to Get Paintings How to Win Horse Races

Author

    Walkthrough Menu

    All rights reserved