If Gwent isn't one of the best mini-games inside another game, it's not clear what would be. This war-like battle game between your cards and an opponent's is exciting, thrilling, strategic, and best of all, fun. But, it can take some practice to master. Trying to defeat tougher opponents in the early game can be difficult.
If you're looking to contend with the best, you'll have to search the world of the Witcher 3 high and low to find these super-strong cards and master the game of Gwent once and for all. Here are some of the best cards that can take your deck from good to great.
Updated on December 6th, 2020 by Patrick Mocella: The Witcher 3 exploded the franchise into popularity back in 2015 and is showing no signs of slowing down. Netflix's The Witcher season 2 is set to release next year and there is just one question on everyone's mind: will Geralt challenge anybody to a sporting game of Gwent? The answer is likely no, which means that if fans want their fix of playing Gwent matches as Geralt, they will have to play the 2015 Game Of The Year. Whether they are powerful Hero cards or splashable cards which can help any deck they're added to, here are some more essential cards you need to track down in The Witcher 3.
15 Scorch
Just like in real life, fire can be a great help and a potential disaster if used incorrectly. Thankfully when it is used properly in Gwent, the card Scorch is a great addition to nearly any deck.
Scorch destroys the highest attack card on the entire field. What gets better is that if there's a tie, it destroys all of them. If your opponent is stacking their field with multiple strong cards with the same attack, you can take them out in one shot. Be careful, however, as you can destroy your own cards with Scorch.
14 Commander's Horn
There are times when playing Gwent that a player looks at their impressively assembled row and say to themselves that they want to make it even stronger. If ever a player has that thought, Commander's Horn is the card you want.
Simply put, this card doubles the strength of your entire row and this can be placed in any row. This card makes sense to put in any deck and is essential to winning against the hardest Gwent opponents.
13 Yennefer of Vengerberg
While the great Yennefer/Triss debate will never die amongst fans of The Witcher 3, one thing for certain is that Yennefer's Gwent card easily outclasses Triss'.
Unlike Triss who is a 7 strength hero with no ability, Yennefer is also a 7 strength hero but with a medic ability as well. With her immunity to special cards, her medic ability, and solid 7 strength, Yennefer is the superior love interest, at least when it comes to Gwent.
12 Geralt Of Rivia/Cirilla Fiona Elen Rianno
There's a term in card games called a "beatstick." Essentially, these are cards that don't have any special effects on their own but are very powerful in terms of stats. That would perfectly describe the duo of Ciri and Geralt.
Not only do these two have the regular immunity from any weather, special, or ability cards, but they have an astounding 15 strength. While they don't necessarily help any combo plays, players should never be upset with drawing either of these two.
11 Thaler
Generally, in card games, any card that allows you to draw more cards from your deck is an amazing tool to have. This is especially true when there's little penalty for doing so like is the case with the Thaler.
Aside from the Mysterious Elf card, Thaler is the weakest spy in the game with only a strength of 1. Drawing 2 cards and only having to give your opponent a 1 strength siege unit for it is a great deal.
10 Villentretenmerth
Any players who have used this card strategically know there are few better feelings in a game of Gwent. This is one of the few cards that can Scorch your opponent, removing his strongest close combat cards if the row's total is over ten.
If your opponent has played several cards of the same value, you can sometimes get really lucky and knock out a ton of their cards at once. Use this card against a person playing the Monster's deck, and you can eliminate more than ten cards at once in the right situation. Throw in some Decoys, and you can use Villentretenmerth multiple times.
9 Isengrim Faoiltiarna
Different abilities can make or break your game of Gwent, and often your chance at victory can come down to which ability you choose between two. Take, for example, the Morale Boost, which offers plus-one attack to every non-Hero card in its row. It can often be better to choose this over a Hero card, which would offer untouchable attack power.
Isengrim Faoiltiarna lets you do both of these things. It's a Hero card, offering ten attack with no fear of removal. But, it also offers a Morale Boost to your close combat row. You won't have to choose which is better, as this card provides both abilities.
8 Ermion
Skellige is a fantastic part of The Witcher 3. It's a shame it doesn't have its own Gwent deck, seeing as it really should. This was a common feeling before the Blood & Wine expansion, in which a Skellige deck is added to the game after long last.
With it came many powerful cards. One of these is Ermion, who adds a nice eight attack with the Hero ability. But, it also offers the Mardroeme ability, which will trigger all Berserker abilities on the same row. Those cards will then turn from a two-attack card to a beautiful eight attack. With three ranged Young Berserkers available, it's nothing to take lightly.
7 Kambi
To the amateur Gwent player, this card seems like it's terrible. Zero attack power and no extra bonus? But, that's the beauty of Kambi. It's not just a simple waste of a play. Rather, it hides something a little extra up its sleeve.
This card, when removed from the field, will summon a powerful entity. That entity is Hemdall, a massive 11-attack Hero that will hopefully catch your opponent off guard. This means you'll go into the next round with an immediate 11-attack power.
6 Hemdall
What could be better than playing a zero-attack card that will summon a powerful monster if you manage to remove it from the field, which can be difficult if not being removed at the end of the round? Well, just playing that monster directly, of course.
Hemdall is a great card, and using Kambi to summon it can be incredibly strategic. But, nothing is stopping you from just playing Hemdall directly to the field. Throw this hero down, and you'll be on your way to victory.
5 Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon
Hero cards are great. They can't be affected by other abilities, so you can add some massive attack to your field without fear of it being ripped away from you by your opponent.
But, most Hero cards max out at 10 attack power (sometimes it's even lower). Ciri, on the other hand, offers an almost unmatched 15 attack. This is more than some rounds are won with, making it a very valuable card. Geralt's Gwent card is the same attack and ability, but Ciri's art is cooler, so it'll take this spot.
4 Menno Coehoorn
Sometimes you've played a great card in a previous round, and you might be able to turn the tides of battle if you just had access to its ability a second time. Luckily, cards with the Medic ability allow you to retrieve something from your discard pile and play it immediately. It's a valuable ability that can really help you out in a pinch.
Often those Medic cards provide very little attack, and when they do they can be knocked out by your opponents Scorch cards (or other nasty attacks). This is what makes Menno Coehoorn so great. He's a Medic, but also a Hero card. He can't be hit by enemy attacks, and his ability puts him a league ahead of the other Hero cards, which usually just offer large attack power.
3 Decoy
Since Gwent is often a game of resource management, you need every chance possible to play some of your best cards. This means playing cards that ruin your opponent's field (like Villentretenmerth), cards that let you revive fallen comrades, and of course, spies.
These great cards can be ramped up into unstoppable forces of Gwent domination with one thing: the Decoy. This little guy lets you pick up any non-hero card and play it again, meaning you can use powerful abilities several times with only one card.
2 Mysterious Elf
For many types of playstyles, spies are essential. The ability to add two cards to your hand for the price of giving your opponent a couple of measly attack points is critical in many cases. Winning a round of Gwent often comes down to how many cards you have in your hand, so employing your spies is extremely important.
The downside to these cards, however, is that your opponent can then use a Decoy to pick them up and play them against you. The Mysterious Elf is the perfect solution to this. Not only does it provide zero attack power to your opponent, but it also has a hero ability, making it impossible to remove from the board (and subsequently impossible to play in return against you).
1 Cerys an Craite
This queen of Skellige (if you side with her during the right quest) is a force to be reckoned with in a good game of Gwent. Her card is as cool as her, offering a fantastic 10 attack power, plus its hero ability, preventing it from being removed or affected by other cards.
But, this is not what makes Cerys special. That privilege goes to her ability, which summons up to four shieldmaidens to the field, each with four attack. This card is going to add a potential 22 attack to your side of the game and can be increased to a whopping 34 with a commander's horn. Cerys is truly the best card to add to your deck if you want to win quickly and efficiently.