The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the best roleplaying games and dark fantasy adventures in all of gaming and storytelling in general. The franchise is epic because it offers such expansive exploration, in-depth storytelling, and a wide array of magical creatures.

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However, some of the fights in The Witcher 3 can be extremely difficult. You'll encounter many enemies in the game, both humans and creatures. The following list ranks the most difficult creatures you'll fight against in the entire game, including both of the DLCs, Heart of Stone and Blood and Wine.

10 The Level 48 Archgriffin

If you're a completionist, you're going to want to defeat every monster and pillage every question mark in the game. This will bring you to an encounter with a level 48 Archgriffin located on the northernmost point of Skellige.

While he's an optional fight, it's also an extremely difficult one, especially if you're playing on a higher difficulty setting. To prepare to fight against this guy, you'll want to be skilled with the crossbow, it'll make your life easier if you can force him to land more often. The Aard sign is also particularly useful in this fight, too.

9 The Gargoyle

You'll encounter a massive Gargoyle during the "Wandering in the Dark" quest and it can be quite difficult to beat him if you're not prepared. That said, killing him isn't as hard as it seems at first, but it does require patience.

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The worst thing about the Gargoyle is his stomp attack which will wipe out a lot of Geralt's HP in addition to stunning him. The good thing is, you get to fight alongside Keira Metz (if you didn't kill her) which will help a little bit. The Quen sign will be your best friend during this fight.

8 Wicked Witch

The Wicked Witch, based on the infamous witch from Hansel and Gretel, is a boss fight you will encounter in the Land of a Thousand Fables. Fighting her can be a little tricky, especially because she is able to fly around on a broomstick.

She will also shower Geralt in a poisonous soup while airborne and she uses a magical bubble as a shield. You can't do anything to her in the bubble, unfortunately, so you'll have to wait for the moments when it dissipates. When it's not around her, you can use crossbows and signs to get her onto the ground and attack.

7 Eredin

Eredin is known as the King of the Wild Hunt and one of the major end game boss battles. However, despite his legendary status, he isn't quite as tough as Imlerith or some of the other creatures you'll face off against in the game.

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Once you know how to defeat his comrades, it shouldn't take you very long to figure out how to battle Eredin, his strategy is pretty similar to Imlertih and Caranthir, he's rather slow-moving and breaking down his frost shield is easy.

6 Caranthir

Caranthir is another vital member of The Wild Hunt and the navigator of the army. He is a very difficult opponent, especially as you will have to fight as both Geralt and Ciri. The Geralt part of the fight is a little trickier than Ciri's.

Ciri won't be able to break through his ice armor but Geralt will with the Igni sign, which can make him vulnerable. However, Ciri has the teleportation ability which makes her faster and easier to move around the field. Caranthir can also teleport, so you'll need to be extra cautious to keep an eye on when he moves.

5 Imlerith

Imlerith is one of the warriors of The Wild Hunt and a general of Eredin's army. You won't encounter him until close to the end of the game and it will be a tough fight, especially as he comes out clad in really intense armor including a giant shield and mace.

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He basically serves as a brick wall and appears immune to the majority of Geralt's attacks. The easiest way to damage him is to wait for him to attack and then dodge, once you get his backside, immediately hit him a few times and then run away again. In phase two, he can teleport around and things get even trickier.

4 The Toad Prince

The Toad Prince is the first official boss battle you'll encounter in the Hearts of Stone expansion pack. He is a pain to beat especially as he can employ several different ranged attacks.

Plus, it doesn't help that you have to fight him in such a confined space down in the sewers. The best strategy to defeating him is to load up on Cursed Oil and Northern Winds bombs if you can. Keep yourself moving. There's not a lot you can do to speed up the fight, it's going to be a long one regardless.

3 The Caretaker

Witcher 3 Hearts Of Stone Screenshot Of Caretaker

The Caretaker is the third boss fight in the Hearts of Stone expansion pack and you'll be forced to fight him in the "Scenes From a Marriage" quest. He's tricky to beat, especially because he can heal himself every time he manages to hurt you, which is extremely frustrating.

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That said, his moves are pretty slow and once you understand them they're easy to predict. The main thing is to avoid his hits and slowly whittle him down until he's dead. One of the most annoying parts of the fight will happen when he summons spirits that can also heal him, make sure you get rid of them fast.

2 Detlaff

Depending on the choices you make in Blood and Wine, you might find yourself face-to-face with the Elder Vampire, Detlaff. You'll be embroiled in his storyline regardless, but you can decide to walk away from the fight if you so choose (to various consequences).

But if you do decide to fight the vampire, be prepared for a tough battle. The first half isn't quite as hard but once he transforms into a bat and releases hordes of them toward you it becomes quite daunting. Keep on the defensive, load up on Vampire Oil, and employ Yrden often.

1 The Crones

During the quest "Bald Mountain," Ciri has to fight against the wicked crones you first meet back in Velen. To make things even trickier, it's one of the toughest battles in the game and you're playing as Ciri, meaning you won't have your full arsenal and abilities that you normally have while playing as Geralt.

The best strategy is to try and beat them one at a time rather than engaging them all at once. It's best if you focus on Brewess first, as she's the largest of the crones and very slow-moving.

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