Best Character Builds

This is a guide to the best character builds you can make for Geralt in the game The Witcher 3. Read on to learn more information on which skills, glyphs, and runestones you should equip to make each build stronger and more effective.

Best Character Build

Pure DPS (Critical) Build

Pure DPS (Critical) Build mainly relies on increasing your raw damage and critical hit damage when using fast attacks to hit with enemies with maximum damage.

Skills

Cat School Techniques	Branch: Combat Cat School of Techniques drastically increases the damage of your critical hits.
Fleet Footed	Branch: Combat Main defensive tool, making you invulnerable to attacks when dodging and also increases your Adrenaline Point gain.
Precise Blows	Branch: Combat Increases both your fast attack critical chance and fast attack critical damage.
Muscle Memory	Branch: Combat Strengthens the damage of your fast attacks and Adrenaline Point gain.
Deadly Precision	Branch: Combat Works well fast attacks because of its multiple hits in a short period of time giving Deadly Precision more chance to activate and instantly kill the enemy.
Whirl	Branch: Combat Gives you more Adrenaline Point gain and also gives you a strong attack where you can spend all your stamina.
Undying	Branch: Combat Drastically increases the survivability of the build specially against enemies that can kill you with one hit.
Battle Frenzy	Branch: General Alternative way of increasing your critical chance without sacrificing weapon damage for critical chance.

Skills Ranking and Tier List for Pure DPS Build

Recommended Runes & Glyphs

Runestones
Greater Chernobog runestone	Increases your raw attack power, dealing massive damage to enemies while building your Adrenaline Points to Increase your critical chance.
Greater Svarog runestone	Increase the Armor Piercing of your sword attacks making your critical hits deal more damage.

Glyphs
Greater Glyph of Aard	Increasing your Aard Intensity increases the chances of your Aard Sign to knock down surrounding enemies. This makes them vulnerable to your sword attacks and critical hits.

Pure Sign Build

Pure Sign Build focuses on using signs and building up sign intensity during combat. Each Sign casted are more effective with its bonus effect, while raising stamina regeneration and consumption.

Skills

Delusion	Branch: Sign Gives you more options to choose from during dialogues. Usually gives the best outcome to obtain more crowns and experience.
Melt Armor	Branch: Sign Permanently weakens the enemy armor making your attacks more effective during combat.
Puppet	Branch: Sign Allows you to control enemies to attack each other giving you the fighting chance even against high level enemies.
Rage Management	Branch: General Gives you more flexibility during combat even if you run out of stamina.
Aard Sweep	Branch: Sign Guarantees your Aard Sign to hit enemies and knocking them down for you to position yourself better or strike them Igni during combat.
Pyromaniac	Branch: Sign Makes your Igni more effective by increasing the chances of applying Burning on enemies when hit, to deal damage every few seconds for a short duration.
Igni Intensity	Branch: Sign Increases the intensity of your Igni Sign, which is your main tool in dealing damage to enemies.
Aard Intensity	Branch: Sign Increases the intensity of your Aard Sign making it more effective for combat.

Skills Ranking and Tier List for Pure Sign Build

Recommended Runes & Glyphs

Runestones
Greater Veles runestone	This Runestone increases your Sign Intensity in general, making your offensive and defensive signs more effective.

Glyphs
Greater Glyph of Igni	This Glyph will drastically increase the effectiveness of your primary tool in dealing damage to enemies.
Greater Glyph of Axii	Boosts your Axii Intensity and increases the duration of your Axii making it more effective during fights.

Combat and Alchemy Hybrid Build

This build focuses on using heavy armor for increased survivability and maxing the effectiveness of potions for more health and increased damage.

Skills

Strength Training	Branch: Combat Strengthens your primary tool when fighting and gives you more Adrenaline Point gain.
Synergy	Branch: Alchemy Makes the equipped Mutagens more effective and increases the duration of Potions.
Bear School Techniques	Branch: General Boosts your vitality while making your strong attack damage more effective.
Heightened Tolerance	Branch: Alchemy Allows you to use more Potions without having to worry about overdose. This ability also increases the duration of Potions.
Acquired Tolerance	Branch: Alchemy Drastically boosts your Maximum toxicity to use more potions and decoctions for combat.
Refreshment	Branch: Alchemy Increases the effectiveness of your Potions, giving you more healing for more survivability.
Crushing Blows	Branch: Combat Increases the chances of your strong attack to land a critical hit with increased damage. This ability also inreases your Adrenaline Point gain.
Undying	Branch: Combat Gives you more survivability making you extremely difficult to kill even when spamming slow strong attacks.

Skills Ranking and Tier List for Combat and Alchemy Hybrid Build

Recommended Runes & Glyphs

Runestones
Greater Triglav runestone	Stunning the enemy will give you the opportunity to start dealing massive damage with your strong attacks without being punished.
Greater Zoria runestone	Freezing the enemy and slowing them down will give you more time to start winding up your slow devastating attacks.

Glyphs
Greater Glyph of Quen	Boosts your defense preventing you from being vulnerable as soon as you start to winding up your slow strong attacks.

Combat and Signs Hybrid Build

This Hybrid Build of Combat and Signs utilizes Adrenaline Points to increase the damage of both your Signs and your sword to combat enemies.

Skills

Flood of Anger	Branch: Combat Using Signs with full Adrenaline Points unlocks all the bonuses of the used Sign with a large boost on your Sign Intensity.
Razor Focus	Branch: Combat Generates Adrenaline Points as soon as you enter combat, giving you a huge damage boost.
Focus	Branch: General Allows your Signs to also benefit from the Adrenaline Points damage boost on combat.
Resolve	Branch: Combat Prevents you from losing Adrenaline Points even when you take damage. This also increases your Adrenaline Point gain when you land your attacks.
Adrenaline Burst	Branch: General To give your Signs the ability to generate Adrenaline Points everytime it is used.
Griffin School Techniques	Branch: General Works well with Griffin Witcher Armors with set bonus to increase the effectiveness of your Signs.
Undying	Branch:Combat Increases your chance surviving enemies that can kill you with a single blow without Quen. This ability also increases your Adrenaline Point gain.
Melt Armor	Branch: Signs Permanently weakens the armor of enemies, making them more vulnerable to your sword attacks and signs.

Skills Ranking and Tier List for Combat and Signs Hybrid Build

Recommended Runes & Glyphs

Runestones
Greater Perun runestone	Increases the Adrenaline Point gain, which is the main focus of this build, to stack up on damage for long fights.
Greater Chernobog runestone	Increases your attack power in general making your hits deal more damage.

Glyphs
Greater Glyph of Igni	Increases the overall damage of your Igni Sign.
Greater Glyph of Quen	Gives you an additional defensive tool in combat while generating more Adrenaline Points.

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