Gwent is the card game inside The Witcher 3: two players take turns placing cards on three rows, and whoever wins two rounds with the higher total strength takes the match. Early on, the Northern Realms starter deck is your best bet, especially with the cards sold in White Orchard. More cards come from merchants, opponents and quests – two Novigrad side quests have to be finished in time.
- A deck needs at least 22 unit cards and at most 10 special cards; you draw ten.
- Play the Northern Realms and buy Catapult, Crinfrid Reavers and Foltest – Lord Commander of the North in White Orchard.
- Beating a Gwent-playing merchant once earns a random card; 22 fixed opponents hold unique cards.
- Missable: the cards from “A Dangerous Game” and “A Matter of Life and Death”.
- Card Collector only counts base-game cards.
How Gwent works: the rules
You open with ten cards and may redraw up to two. Players then alternate, placing one card or passing. Once both have passed, the higher total strength takes the round and the loser gives up a Life Gem – lose both and the match is over. The board is cleared after each round; your hand does not refill.
- Rows: Close Combat, Ranged or Siege; Agile cards may go into Close Combat or Ranged.
- Leader: its ability can be used once per match.
- Heroes are immune to special cards and abilities.
- Weather: Biting Frost (Close Combat), Impenetrable Fog (Ranged) and Torrential Rain (Siege) set a row to 1 strength for both players. Clear Weather lifts them.
The in-game explanations are under Tutorials: Gwent.
Abilities worth knowing
| Ability | Effect | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Spy | Counts for your opponent, you draw two cards | Prince Stennis |
| Medic | Replays a unit from your discard pile (no Heroes) | Dun Banner Medic |
| Tight Bond | Same-name cards side by side double their strength | Catapult |
| Muster | Plays same-name cards from your deck instantly | Arachas |
| Commander’s Horn | Doubles a row | Commander’s Horn |
| Decoy | Returns a card from the battlefield to your hand | Decoy |
| Scorch | Kills the strongest card(s) – yours too | Scorch |
Factions and their perks
| Faction | Perk | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Realms | Draw a card after each round you win | Tight Bond |
| Nilfgaardian Empire | Wins every draw | three Spies, four Medics |
| Scoia'tael | Decides who goes first | Agile units, Muster |
| Monsters | One random unit stays after each round | 18 Muster cards |
| Skellige | Two random graveyard cards return at the start of round three | Berserkers, Mardroeme |
The key tactic: card advantage
With only ten cards, whoever keeps more of them for the final round usually wins – not the deck with the biggest numbers.
- Take round one cheaply – or concede it if your opponent must spend a lot. Once ahead, pass.
- Play Spies early. If your opponent drops a Spy on your side, pick it up with Decoy and send it back.
- Save Heroes and Horn for the deciding round, and Scorch for your opponent’s strongest card.
- Weather pays off against packed rows. Monsters lean on Close Combat, so Biting Frost hits them hard.
The strongest deck for the early game
You start with the Northern Realms and Foltest – King of Temeria, who fetches Impenetrable Fog from your deck. Ballista and Trebuchet (6 each), Prince Stennis, the Dun Banner Medic and every weather card are already in. For the other factions you only own a Leader at first.
Go shopping with the Innkeep and the Merchant in White Orchard:
- Catapult – 8, Siege, Tight Bond, base price 50 crowns; a second one at the Passiflora, among others.
- Crinfrid Reavers Dragon Hunter – 5, Ranged, Tight Bond; more from the merchants in Claywich and Midcopse.
- Blue Stripes Commando – 4, Close Combat, Tight Bond.
- Foltest – Lord Commander of the North – clears all weather. The Innkeep also sells Decoy.
Heroes follow quickly: Vernon Roche from Haddy of Midcopse and the Spy Sigismund Dijkstra from the Bloody Baron in Velen, then Esterad Thyssen from Dijkstra and Geralt of Rivia (15) from Thaler in Novigrad.
Sample deck after Velen and Novigrad
| Row | Cards |
|---|---|
| Siege (7) | 2× Catapult, 2× Ballista, 2× Trebuchet, Dun Banner Medic |
| Ranged (7) | 3× Crinfrid Reavers Dragon Hunter, Dethmold, Keira Metz, Síle de Tansarville, Sabrina Glevissig |
| Close Combat (8) | Vernon Roche, Esterad Thyssen, Geralt of Rivia, Prince Stennis, Sigismund Dijkstra, Siegfried of Denesle, Ves, Blue Stripes Commando |
| Special (5) | Clear Weather, Biting Frost, Decoy, Commander’s Horn, Scorch |
| Leader | Foltest – Lord Commander of the North |
Your Heroes ignore Biting Frost, which mostly hurts your opponent. Get the Horn at the Passiflora or the Inn at the Crossroads and Scorch at the Cunny of the Goose. The All In achievement comes for free.
Strengths
- Playable from the start, key cards cheap
- Tight Bond turns few cards into big numbers
- Extra card per round won
Weaknesses
- Rain and Fog cripple Siege and Ranged
- Bonded Catapults invite Scorch
- Just one Medic at the start
Switching later: Nilfgaard or Monsters
Nilfgaard can mostly be bought in Velen: the Heavy Zerrikanian Fire Scorpion (10) from the Merchant in Lindenvale, the Black Infantry Archer (10) in Lindenvale and Claywich, Emhyr var Emreis – Emperor of Nilfgaard at the Inn at the Crossroads. Its innkeep loses the Medic Hero Menno Coehoorn to you; Nilfgaard’s Spies are random prizes only. Monsters rely on Muster: one Arachas pulls the rest from your deck.
Where to get Gwent cards
Merchants and craftsmen
Some merchants stock cards. Your first win against a merchant or craftsman grants a random card from a pool of 51, such as Philippa Eilhart – each merchant gives up only one. The merchant list shows more than 60 Gwent players, and the world map has its own Gwent layer.
Opponents with unique cards
22 fixed opponents hand over a unique card on your first win; their decks, which scale with difficulty, are under Gwent opponents.
| Quest | Opponent → card |
|---|---|
| Gwent: Velen Players | Haddy of Midcopse → Vernon Roche · The Bloody Baron → Sigismund Dijkstra · Man in Oreton → Letho of Gulet · Soothsayer → Crone: Weavess |
| Gwent: Big City Players | Dijkstra → Esterad Thyssen · Marquise Serenity → Morvran Voorhis · Vimme Vivaldi → Vesemir · Member of the Scoia'tael band → Cirilla |
| Gwent: Skellige Style | Ermion → Leshen · Crach an Craite → Draug · Gremist → Mysterious Elf · Sjusta → Yaevinn · Madman Lugos → Vampire: Katakan |
| Gwent: Playing Innkeeps | Stjepan → Yennefer of Vengerberg · Innkeep at the Inn at the Crossroads → Menno Coehoorn · Olivier → Tibor Eggebracht |
| Gwent: Old Pals | Vernon Roche → Saesenthessis · Lambert → Triss Merigold · Thaler → Geralt of Rivia · Zoltan Chivay → Eithné |
| Hearts of Stone | Shani → Olgierd von Everec · Olgierd von Everec → Toad |
Leaders from the first three quests: Eredin – Bringer of Death, Francesca Findabair – The Beautiful, Emhyr var Emreis – The White Flame.
Quests and tournaments
- High Stakes (Novigrad, suggested level 26): a tournament at the Passiflora with a 1,000-crown entry fee and four Leaders as rewards. Beat Count Tybalt and win it for the Gwent Master achievement.
- Shock Therapy on Skellige rewards Iorveth.
- Blood and Wine: in Gwent: To Everything - Turn, Turn, Tournament! Count Monnier gives you a basic Skellige deck; the rest is won from players across Toussaint (Gwent: Never Fear, Skellige's Here).
Which Gwent cards are missable?
For some opponents the quests name a second route to the card – Roche’s hideout, Kaer Morhen for Lambert, separate finds for Thaler, Lugos and Olivier. Still, challenge every new opponent right away. All deadlines: missable quests.
Getting every card for Card Collector
Card Collector asks for every Gwent card available in the base game – Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine cards are not required. The route:
- Finish both missable quests before the Isle of Mists.
- Complete the five Gwent quests in the table above.
- Beat every Gwent-playing merchant once, buy their stock and win High Stakes.
- Tick off what you own in the Gwent collection – “Missing cards only” lists the rest with sources.
In the game, the book A Miraculous Guide to Gwent shows how many cards are missing. The Skellige cards have their own achievement, I Have a Gwent Problem.
FAQ
How many cards does a Gwent deck need in The Witcher 3?
At least 22 unit cards plus up to 10 special cards. More units are allowed but dilute your best cards.
What is the best early Gwent deck in The Witcher 3?
The Northern Realms: you own it from the start, and with the White Orchard cards plus Vernon Roche it beats most early opponents. Nilfgaard is a strong later option.
Where can I buy Gwent cards?
From Gwent-playing merchants and innkeeps – first in White Orchard, then at the Inn at the Crossroads, Lindenvale, Claywich, Midcopse and Novigrad.
Which Gwent cards are missable?
The six cards from A Dangerous Game and A Matter of Life and Death, including John Natalis and Milva.
Do DLC cards count for Card Collector?
No, only base-game cards count. Skellige cards from Blood and Wine belong to I Have a Gwent Problem.