A sword to decide who is right, and who is dead...

What makes a Witcher? Is it a series of grueling mutations undergone at an early age? Is it years of training and studying to kill the beasts that roam the continent? Is it a near-complete inability to turn down a game of Gwent even when the fate of the world is hanging from a thread? I mean, yeah, but also... Swords. 

Sure, as a Witcher you might be the ultimate living weapon, but you are still going to need swords of the not-living variety if you want to stand a chance against the Wild Hunt and the Nilfgaardian Empire. Hell, there’s even a whole book that’s just about Geralt going shopping for a nice sword.

Well, forget all about dealing with Lyta Neyd and unruly elves, because if what you’re looking for is a trusty blade for your Witcher 3 playthrough then I have you covered, with a list of the 5 best steel swords in the game and how to get them. 

5. Vitis.

Absolutely dashing, if I might say so myself.

There’s a lot of games out there that let you fight bad guys with cool swords. But how many of them allow you to spice up your combat using magic? What was that? Also a lot?

That may be so, but still, There’s something unique about the way that signs complement the combat in TW3, and as you level up, your signs become powerful strategic aides unique to your fighting style.

So, how about a sword that applies a powerful 20% buff to every single sign? And sure, 20 might not sound like much. But just you wait until your Aard is knocking every single bandit around you and your Quen restores half your total vitality every time an enemy so-much-as looks at you funny. 

Why Vitis is great:

• The sword has a great visual design, reminiscent of the classic musketeer rapier.
• A 20% buff to every sign means you’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
• Great overall damage stats.

How to get Vitis: 

Warning: Spoilers for the Blood & Wine DLC.

Vitis is a unique sword not only because of its effects, but also its rarity. You will only be able to get it if you choose to search for Syanna in the land of a thousand fables. 

During the “Beyond Hill and Dale...” quest, approach totally-not-goldilocks’ (Longlocks) tower. 

In the perimeter of the tower, there should be a small pond with a Will o' the wisp hovering over it. When you approach, it will start moving. Follow it until you get to the body of a fallen knight. 

Vitis should be amongst the loot. Take the armor too while you’re at it. It will at the very least look pretty when displayed in Corvo Bianco. 

Vitis details: https://witcher.fandom.com/wiki/Vitis 

4. Tesham-Mutna/Hen Gaidth.

A sword to go bumpin’ the night

The Tesham-Mutna and Hen Gaidth swords take the same spot on the list because they’re functionally identical. Only making a difference if you’re not wearing the matching ensemble. 

A pair of powerful vampire-crafted swords, these two have enough DPS and armor-piercing to place high on any weapon list.

But what truly sets them apart is their effect when combined with their respective armor sets, restoring a small amount of vitality for every opponent killed.

Why the Tesham-Mutna and Hen Gaidth swords are great:

• The 150% boost to armor-piercing will have you carving enemies like butter.
• Impressive damage output.
• These vampire swords restore your health with each enemy that you kill, and that’s honestly pretty hardcore. 
• Did you not hear me when I said VAMPIRE-CRAFTED SWORDS?!

How to get the Tesham-Mutna steel sword:

You will only be able to get this sword during the “La Cage au Fou” quest.

When you enter the Tesham Mutna Ruins, make sure to search every corner of the ruins for loot using your Witcher senses. The entire Tesham-Mutna set will be there. Including the steel sword. 

How to get the Hen Gaidth steel sword:

This sword is only available if you choose to follow Regis into the unseen elder’s lair. Once in the lair. Make sure to exhaust every possible path. 

There are six pieces of the Hen Gaidth set, including the steel sword.

Tesham-Mutna steel sword details: https://witcher.fandom.com/wiki/Tesham_Mutna_steel_sword 

Hen Gaidth steel sword details: https://witcher.fandom.com/wiki/Hen_Gaidth_steel_sword 

3. Iris.

What a lovely, lovely sword 

Warning: Spoilers for Hearts of Stone.

Is this the best sword in the game? Probably not. Did I refuse to use any other steel sword for the duration of my playthrough after getting it? Of course I did. 

Iris is a cool sword. There are no two ways about it. It looks great, it handles great, it has a unique effect no other weapon in the game has, and most of all, it has character. 

Iris’ damage output is good enough for pretty much the entirety of the game, but two things set it apart from any other weapon.

The first one is its charging mechanic, which allows you to release a tremendously powerful strong attack at the expense of some of your health, after charging it by landing fast attacks.

The second is the sheer emotional value this sword has. 

Being Olgierd von Everec’s parting gift for saving his soul from damnation. The sword is named after his late wife, and by keeping it, Geralt ensures he’ll keep his promise to remember her... and I’m getting teary-eyed just by writing this so let's just jump to the bullet points—

Why Iris is great:

• Any strong attacks made with this sword hit twice. Even if the sword is uncharged.
• The aforementioned charge attack can turn the fate of any fight if used correctly.
• The sword is beautiful to look at. 

How to get Iris:

At the very end of Hearts of Stone, you’ll face a choice: you can either save Olgierd’s soul or let Gaunter O'Dimm take it. If you choose to save him and successfully defeat O’Dimm, Olgierd will give you his sword as a show of gratitude.   

Iris’ details: https://witcher.fandom.com/wiki/Iris_(sword) 

2. Grandmaster Witcher Swords. 

A master of his craft deserves nothing less than a masterful sword

The crème de la crème. The crown jewels. The grandmaster-level Witcher swords. 

If we were talking just about the base game, I could fill this list with every single mastercrafted sword and be done with it. 

Not only do these swords have some of the best damage outputs in the game, their effects when combined with the rest of the armor sets make them an absolute must-have if you want to have any chance of defeating the toughest enemies around. 

And that’s before upgrading them to their even-more-outrageous grandmaster versions in the Blood and Wine expansion. 

So, why list them all together? 

Well, the first and simpler reason is that this would be a very boring list if I just told you to get the very-much-not-hidden swords the game itself tells you to get. 

The other is that I truly don’t believe there’s any way to rank them, as their effectiveness depends entirely on your style of play. 

Hitting often and hitting fast is your thing? Feline steel sword. Big and powerful blows that tear armor apart? Ursine. Do you for some god-forsaken reason enjoy wandering into the forest and picking fights with bears? Wolven sword with superior beast oil.

What really makes these swords great is the fact that they are designed for you to make them your own.

Why the grandmaster Witcher swords are great:

• One for every style of play. Ensuring a hand-tailored experience when playing TW3.
• They’re upgradable, which means that there’s always at least one version of these swords that will serve you from beginning to end.
• They provide amazing bonuses when paired with their respective armor sets.

How to get the grandmaster Witcher swords:

When you start the game, you should encounter your first scavenger hunt fairly quickly. The diagram for every single Witcher sword, except for the viper one, will be found as a part of these scavenger hunts.

To get the grandmaster version of any sword, you must first craft the regular, enhanced, superior, and mastercrafted versions. 

You will also have to complete the quests ``Of Swords and Dumplings'' and “Master Master Master Master!” if you want to craft the master and grandmaster versions, respectively.

The fastest way to start the scavenger hunts is to buy the various maps offered by different vendors. And get ready, because there’s a lot of maps.

The maps you will need for each sword are:

Ursine: You will find all four of Ibrahim Savi's maps with the armorer at  Kaer Trolde.

Griffin: You will find Edwin Greloff's first and second maps with the armorer at Midcopse. The third can be found with the armorer at Hierarch Square, and the fourth with Hattori.

Wolven: The “Slightly torn notes by Hieronymus on the witcher Elgar” are available through the blacksmith in Lindenvale. The “well-preserved” and the “worn-out and faded” notes will be available with Hattori. The “damp, moldy notes” and the “notes on parchment” are for sale with the armorer at Kaer Trolde. And the “heavily faded” notes will be with the armorer at Hierarch Square.

Cat: Adalbert Kermith's first and second maps are for sale in Blackbough. The third is in Crow’s Perch, and the fourth and final one is in Lindenvale.

There’s no map for the Viper venomous steel sword. The diagram can only be found during the quest “Open Sesame!” inside of the vault. 

For every grandmaster diagram, including the Manticore set, you will need to complete the quest “Master Master Master Master!”. 

Witcher gear details: https://witcher.fandom.com/wiki/The_Witcher_3_witcher_gear 

1. Crafted Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword. 

Knight's to meet you… 

Okay. That was a handful, wasn’t it? But once you’ve found the right Witcher school for you, and upgraded accordingly, there’s only one sword that could possibly compete with the work of a grandmaster. 

And it’s Dandelion’s wooden sword.

I’m kidding! The only sword that could actually compete with a maxed-out Witcher set is the Crafted Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword. 

The sword looks and handles great. But what gives it its spot on the very top of this list is its considerable damage output and its ludicrous 300 points of armor-piercing. Let me repeat that:  three-hundred-points, with a steel sword. Piercing armor is pretty much all that you’re going to be doing with it.

Why the crafted Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword is great:

• Relatively easy to get, and who needs all the hassle, honestly?
• Amazing armor-piercing and extra effects that render you nearly unstoppable.
• A beautiful sword with 3 rune slots and a huge damage output. What’s not to love?  

How to get the crafted Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword:

Yet another reason why this is a wonderful sword; there’s no complicated quest or hard moral choice associated with this sword! 

Simply head to the Arthach Palace Ruins, climb to the top of the central tower, and loot every chest you can find. It’s that simple! (You might also have to kill every bandit that’s waiting for you at the palace). 

And you will have to craft it, it’s in the title. But even the ingredients are relatively easy to find.  

Crafted Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword details: https://witcher-games.gamepedia.com/Toussaint_knight%27s_steel_sword_(crafted) 

And there you have it. The absolute best steel swords available throughout the game. 

With these swords in your hand. You will ensure that you become the most efficient killing machine in the continent, the most powerful foe, and the best ally anyone could ever hope for. 

At least until CD Projekt Red reads my fan mail and they finally give Geralt a gun. Which, honestly? should happen any day now. 

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