Thanks to developer CD Projekt Red revitalizing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for the 2020s with the recently released next-gen update, players are diving in for another lengthy venture of swordplay against The Continent’s human enemies and monsters alike. And in terms of equipment, swords are among the types of gear with the most depth in the game.
There are lots of swords to be found, each with its own pros and cons, largely thanks to these weapons coming in either steel or silver. From the various Witcher Schools’ weapons such as the Feline and Manticore Swords to the DLC-exclusive and revered Aerondight, there are certain swords most worthy of a player’s attention.
10 Viper Swords
While the Viper Armor Set in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is locked behind the Hearts of Stone DLC expansion, players can start building toward the full set rather early on. In the early goings of the game’s story, players can equip the famed Butcher of Blaviken with both Viper Steel and Silver Swords.
It’s a great deal to be able to have such well-rounded power as soon as White Orchard, especially for the additional stat buffs they provide. The Viper Swords easily have more raw attack power than what Geralt will get elsewhere at this point in the story, along with a chance to inflict Poison on enemies.
9 Griffin Swords
Part of one of the best overall medium armor sets in The Witcher 3, the Griffin Steel and Silver Swords are both solid choices and points of progression. They could each be seen as a natural stepping stone from the Viper duo, with the Griffin swords offering great raw damage output on top of additional bonuses.
The Griffin swords, especially when upgraded to Grandmaster status, offer exceptional Sign Intensity and Critical strike buffs. Using these weapons will be great for players that want to build Geralt toward a build that caters to a balance of physical swordplay and Sign magic.
8 Feline Swords
Feline armor is an exceptional set that can simultaneously be seen as something of a gamble that only veteran gamers playing on The Witcher 3’s highest difficulties should consider, but the swords can be appreciated on their own by all.
They’re powerful early- and mid-game sets of swords, with a fitting affinity towards speedy strikes and status afflictions. Both the Steel and Silver variants focus on increased odds of landing Critical strikes, dismemberment, and chances to inflict Bleed, while the latter sword also throws in a welcome bonus toward the Aard Sign’s potency.
7 Ursine Swords
As for the overall Ursine gear set, it’s an ideal choice for players that want a physically bulky build for Geralt, so it makes sense that the corresponding swords are admirable weapons of choice. Similar to the Manticore pair of Steel and Silver Swords, the Ursine duo is great for physically punishing enemies with each attack.
They focus on dismemberment and Critical-strike-associated buffs, as well as boosting the rate of Adrenaline Point gains in combat. Just as well, the Steel variant offers bonus XP for defeating humans/non-humans, while the Silver variant offers the same for slaying monsters.
6 Manticore Swords
The Witcher 3 has some of the most widely acclaimed gaming DLC of the last decade, which is a reasonable added incentive to continue playing considering that Blood and Wine has some of the best swords in the game. The Manticore pair of swords are easily among them, easily establishing themselves as some of the strongest when it comes to sheer strength.
Of course, swords don’t amount to enough if they don’t have potent buffs on the side, and the Manticore duo has them in spades, especially since they’re only available as Grandmaster weapons. These are excellent for brute-forcing enemies, as they lean on increased Critical strike damage, higher odds of landing a Critical strike, as well as immense Armor Piercing values.
5 Iris (Steel Sword)
As part of the most compelling and tense questlines in The Witcher 3, players can equip Geralt with Iris/Olgierd’s Steel Sword. Naturally, this means that it can only be obtained through the similarly well-received DLC expansion Hearts of Stone. It’s one of the top options in the game when it comes to Steel swords specifically.
Iris is an expectedly powerful weapon when it comes to outright power, but its biggest selling point is in its unconventional ability. It doesn’t have buffs and effects in the same way most swords do, but after dealing enough damage with Iris, Geralt can unleash a pushback attack that’s even stronger than his Aard (at the cost of a portion of his health).
4 Toussaint Steel Sword
Another steel sword sectioned off in the Blood and Wine DLC expansion is the Toussaint Steel Sword, named after the titular country. In terms of its physical presence, the Toussaint Steel Sword combines the best of both worlds: overwhelming power and fantastic additional attributes.
It has an incredible Armor Piercing stat, as well as running the gamut of Critical-strike buffs. But it doesn’t stop there, as the Toussaint Steel Sword also throws in decent odds of inflicting Burning or Bleeding on Geralt’s humanoid enemies.
3 Bloodsword (Silver Sword)
The Bloodsword is among the strongest Silver weapons to use once players have seasoned Geralt enough through the story, as this sword is crafted by completing quests in Skellige and Velen. And as the name suggests, this sword leans heavily into dealing overwhelming damage, whether through raw strikes or bonus attributes.
The Bloodsword’s largest area of expertise is boosting damage out of Critical attacks, followed by increased odds of inflicting Bleed, landing Critical hits, and dismembering monsters.
2 Gesheft (Silver Sword)
Ranking in the upper echelons of the Silver Sword category is the Gesheft. It should be noted that this sword comes in two variants, but both as Silver. One version is obtained through completing a quest in Blood and Wine called “Beyond Hill and Dale…,” while the other can be crafted (but still while playing through the aforementioned DLC).
Aside from the damage output, each version has unique attributes. The former provides an astonishing 20% boost to the intensity of each of Geralt’s Signs, while the latter gives a 30% boost to just Aard, Critical attack buffs, a chance to inflict Poison, and bonus XP from killing monsters. It’s truly a unique sword for different character builds.
1 Aerondight (Silver Sword)
The Aerondight makes a case for being the strongest Silver Sword in The Witcher 3. Exclusive once again to Blood and Wine, this sword offers bonuses akin to the aforementioned Iris that Olgierd can give Geralt during the Hearts of Stone expansion. Although, it’s even more overpowered.
On top of the already daunting damage output it possesses, the Aerondight features a charged attribute that makes each successful strike deal 10% more damage than the last, and when the charge reaches the maximum, Geralt lands a Critical strike with every attack. Even more shocking, Aerondight receives a permanent damage increase if Geralt kills an opponent with the sword fully charged.