Road Map

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Overview:
- Estimated achievement difficulty: 6/10
- Offline: 52 [1000]
- Online: 0
- Approximate amount of time to 1000: 150 Hours+
- Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 1
- Missable achievements: 9 - "Card Collector", "Gwent Master", "Brawl Master", "Fast and Furious", "Fist of the South Star", "Even Odds", "Assassin of Kings", "Full Crew", "Woodland Spirit."
- Does difficulty affect achievements: Yes – See Roadmap.
- Unobtainable/glitched achievements: None
- Extra equipment needed: None

  • DLC: Hearts of Stone
    • Estimated achievement difficulty: 3/10
    • Time to 500: 14-18 hours
    • Missable: 4 - "Let the Good Times Roll," "Shopaholic," "Curator of Nightmares," and "When It’s Many Against One…"
  • DLC: Blood and Wine
    • Estimated achievement difficulty: 4/10
    • Time to 500: 20-30 Hours
    • Missable: 6 – "Last Action Hero", "Kling of the Clink", "A Knight to Remember", "Embodiment of the Five Virtues", "The Grapes of Wrath Stomped" & "David and Goylat"

Useful Links:


Introduction:
Welcome to the Northern Realms, a vast continent filled with quaint villages, bustling cities, troubled souls, and menacing monsters. In CD Projekt RED’s latest open-world RPG, players will once again assume the role of Geralt, a mighty witcher. One will soon find that Geralt’s journey in this game is personal, as he is tasked with facing the mysterious and otherworldly army known as the Wild Hunt in an attempt to find the his ward, the Child of Prophecy—Ciri. This game is brimming with content, from an expansive main storyline to dozens upon dozens of side quests and witcher contracts, and even smaller activities such as horse racing, fist fighting, and card playing. The game offers well over one hundred hours of content and fifty-two unique achievements that span quest completion, combat finesse, and other miscellaneous tasks. With every action and choice effecting the world, players will be able to craft a truly unique experience during their playthrough. Sit back, turn up the volume, and be prepared to be sucked into a beautifully realistic and violently intimate world.

Story Playthrough:
To begin, it’s worth mentioning that there are a few different difficulty options present within the game. While some players may find comfort beginning their journeys on one of the lower difficulties, it’s strongly recommended to crank it up to “Death March!” from the get-go. This game offers tons of content and doing two different playthroughs may end up being more overwhelming than just stacking difficulties from the outset. If taking this approach, completing the game on “Death March!” will in turn unlock "Passed the Trial." "Ran the Gauntlet" and "Walked the Path." There are also a number of secret achievements related to the main questline as well; seven to be exact. These will all come naturally during your playthrough. Lastly, another three of the secret achievements require fine attention, as they are subplots to the main storyline. These are "Kingmaker," "Assassin of Kings" (which is highly missable) and "Friends with Benefits".

Contracts & Side Quests:
During the course of your playthrough, make sure to check the notice boards in every city/village in order to obtain new side quests and contracts. As for the side quests, completing all fistfighting quests in the main regions (Velen, Novigrad, & Skellige) will unlock "Brawler" and "Brawl Master"(slightly missable) and completing all the horse racing quests in these main regions will unlock "Fast and Furious" (slightly missable). On top of this, completing every witcher contract in the game yields "Geralt: The Professional." Take caution when fulfilling contracts because "Even Odds" is considered missable. There are also a number of contracts that are tied to a specific achievement. Completing the contracts on the Shrieker, Sarasti, Woodland Spirit, Morvudd, Therazane, and Doppler will unlock "Shrieker," "Fearless Vampire Slayer," "Woodland Spirit," "Fiend or Foe?," "Ashes to Ashes" and "The Doppler Effect" respectively.

CAUTION: For the "Full Crew" achievement, you must recruit 7 allies in Act II during several "Brothers in Arms" quests. These allies are Kiera Metz, Vernon Roche, Vez, Zoltan Chivay, Triss Merigold, Hjalmar an Craite, & Ermion. Please refer to the guide below right now for this achievement because their recruitment have several missable prerequisites.

Combat and Signs:
Geralt is no stranger to combat, be it with sword or magic. As such, players can expect there to be a fine amount of achievements related to both styles of engagement. Primarily, you’ll need to kill fifty enemies with the environment, perform ten counterattacks in a row without getting hit, and use a burning opponent to ignite the gas of a Dragon’s Dream bomb (ten different times) in order to unlock "Environmentally Unfriendly," "Kaer Morhen Trained" and "That Is The Evilest Thing" respectively. There are also achievements for killing five enemies in a fight without getting hit or casting Quen ("Can't Touch This!") killing five enemies in under ten seconds ("Butcher of Blaviken"), and killing fifty enemies with crossbow headshots ("Master Marksmen"). Three of the more difficult combat-related achievements are "Overkill", "Triple Threat" and "What Was That." Be sure to refer to the guide below for specific details concerning these achievements.

As for the use of magic, or using appropriate terminology, Signs, "The Enemy of My Enemy" is earned for having twenty enemies under the effects of Axii kill their allies and "Humpty Dumpty" is earned for killing ten opponents by knocking them off a ledge with the Aard Sign. Finally, "Dendrologist" and "Mutant" will take some time to unlock, seeing as these two achievements require players to fully max out one ability tree and fill all four mutagen slots.

Miscellaneous:
If you’ve managed to complete the main storyline and mostly all of the achievements related to side quests, contracts, and combat, then there are only a handful of tasks lefts to do! As one could imagine, many of the remaining achievements are miscellaneous and progress towards a number of them may be gained naturally during your playthrough without much thought. If you still have a ways to go with them, fret not; they can be completed at any time. Gwent, the popular card playing game in the Northern Realms, has four achievements tied to it: "Card Collector" (which is highly missable), "Gwent Master" (which is also missable), "Geralt and Friends" and "All In." Make sure to refer to the guide below for each of these! There are also achievements for discovering one hundred fast travel points ("Globetrotter"), learning twelve potion formulas ("Let’s Cook!"), collecting six formulas for different bomb types ("Bombardier"), reading thirty books, journals, or documents ("Bookworm"), and finding/equipping all the elements of one set of witcher gear ("Armed and Dangerous"). These five achievements will require you to keep your eyes peeled throughout your journeys, so stay sharp!

The last five miscellaneous tasks are a little more involved, such as "Power Overwhelming" and "Fire in the Hole," which concern activating Places of Power and destroying monster nests with bombs. As for "Pest Control," this will most likely come naturally so long as you are destroying monster nests during your contracts/travels. "Fist of the South Star," which is related to fist fighting, isn't too bad either, though it poses some annoyance at times and can be missable. Finally, "Munchkin," an achievement earned for reaching character development Level 35, will come naturally over time, so don’t worry too much about that one so long as you’re completing all the side quests and contracts as well as partaking in different activities around the world.

Hearts of Stone DLC
(Full G&RM Found Here)

Introduction to Hearts of Stone:
The Northern Realms welcome you back, Witcher. The Witcher 3’s first paid expansion, Hearts of Stone, will embark players on a lengthy adventure throughout an expanded Novigrad as Geralt undertakes a contract for the mysterious Man of Glass. Along the way, you will meet familiar faces, new monsters, and have the chance to unravel a unique romance. This expansion’s first quest will be added to your journal upon loading up a previous save file. For regular playthroughs, it is recommended to be Level 30+ and for New Game+ playthroughs, Level 60 or higher. Hearts of Stone also offers thirteen achievements, two of which are story-related, alongside four missables and another seven that can be completed at your own leisure. Offering around fifteen to twenty hours worth of content depending on your playstyle, Hearts of Stone is sure to leave you satisfied with its overarching narrative, well-written characters, and new locales.

Story Playthrough:
Once the expansion is installed, Hearts of Stone’s first main quest, “Evil’s Soft First Touch,” will be automatically added to your journal. There are no difficulty-related achievements so you are free to play on whichever difficulty you desire. Should you choose to begin questing right away, you should take note that there are only two story-related achievements that cannot be missed; "I’m Not Kissing That," which is obtained for completing a contract during the first main quest, and "Pacta Sun Servanda," for completing the final main quest. During your playthrough, you’ll notice right away that the map of Novigrad has been expanded quite a bit with new locales and villages. Make sure to visit the village of Brunwich at some point and read all the notes on its notice board. This will in turn trigger all the undiscovered locations around the new region, which like the base game, act as Points of Interests. Although a miscellaneous task and unrelated main quests, it's worth mentioning here that eight of these POIs are Bandit Camps for the new Fallen Knights faction. Clearing out and looting all eight camps will earn you the "Wild Rose Dethorned" achievement. 

Missable Story-Related Activities: 
There are a total of four missable achievements in this expansion, all of which are tied to certain quests. While the actual quests themselves are not missable, these achievements require you to pay close attention to a particular activity or event within that quest. For example, "Let the Good Times Roll!" can be missed if you fail to participate in all ten activities at the wedding during the "Dead Man's Party" quest. As for "Shopaholic," this can only be obtained during the "Open Sesame!" quest by purchasing all three items during the auction. The final two missable achievements, "Curator of Nightmares" and "When It’s Many Against One…" are both obtainable during the "Scenes From a Marriage" quest provided you take caution with recreating the nightmares and then facing off against the final boss(es). Please refer to the guide below for more information on these achievements. 

Miscellaneous:
Five of the six remaining achievements can be earned at any time during your playthrough as they are not tied to any specific quest in the expansion. For instance, "Return to Sender" and "I Can Quit Anytime I Want" ask players to kill three enemies through arrow deflection and to put themselves under the influence of seven potions at once. Both of these achievements will require certain Combat and Alchemy skills though, so refer to the guide for more information. Moving on, "Killed It" can be earned by besting an opponent in a single round of Gwent with a score of 187 points or higher. With the right deck and strategy, this is a simple task despite its daunting description. Then there is "Moo-rderer," for killing a total of twenty cows, and "Rad Steez, Bro!," for sliding down a mountain uninterrupted for ten seconds, a feat that can be accomplished in An Skellig. Finally, "I Wore Ofieri Before It Was Cool" will require you to obtain a full set of Ofieri armor and horse gear, as well as one Ofieri sword. Fulfilling this task will see you completing a horse race and a small fetch quest for an Ofieri Merchant, and then purchasing all of his Ofieri-related items. 

Conclusion to Hearts of Stone:
Hearts of Stone is a thrilling experience. At such a reasonable price, the expansion adds a surprising amount of new content that enhances the game’s already tight gameplay mechanics and freedom of open-world exploration. With an expanded Novigrad to uncover while undertaking a series of extremely well-written quests for complex characters, Hearts of Stone pushes the bar to impressive heights for the genre and for paid content. Add to that a host of creative achievements and you have one kick-ass expansion worth checking out.

Blood and Wine DLC

Introduction:
Evil lurks in the shadows of Toussaint, Witcher, and you've been called upon to dispel the foul beast that preys on innocents in the night. Witcher 3's second expansion, Blood and Wine, will see Geralt of Rivia traveling to the duchy of Toussaint to take on his last great contact. A region untouched by war, Toussaint is unlike anything we've seen, with festivities that never end, chivalric knights, and a landscape both beautiful and pristine. The expansion's first quest will be added to your journal upon loading up previous save file so long as "A Poet Under Pressure" has been completed. For regular playthroughs, it's recommended to be Level 34+ and for New Game+ playthroughs, Level 64+ will work best. Blood and Wine boasts thirteen achievements this time around. Only one of these is truly story-related, while another six are missable and tied to both main and side quests alike. Set aside up to thirty hours and you should see the achievement list complete. Make no mistake, though, Toussaint has much, much more to offer past its thirteen achievements, with nearly fifty hours of content to experience.

Story Playthrough:
Once the expansion is installed, Blood and Wine’s first main quest, “Enoys, Wineboys,” will be automatically added to your journal if/when the "A Poet Under Pressure" quest is completed. There are no difficulty-related achievements so feel free to play on whichever difficulty you'd like. After completing this quest and arriving in Toussaint, you will unlock "The Witcher's Gone South." Following immediately, you will jump into your first boss fight against Goylat. Use your crossbow here to hit him in the face in order to unlock the missable achievement "David and Goylat." After this fight, Toussaint is yours – you can continue working on the main quest line, begin exploring at your own leisure, and everything in between. Make sure to visit the notice boards outside/within major cities and vineyards in order to add contracts, side quests, and Points of Interest to your map. One side quest in particular, “Turn and Face the Strange,” will yield "Weapon W" upon completion. You'll receive this quest early on in the expansion and it's recommended to complete it right away as it unlocks a new, powerful gameplay mechanic.

GLITCHED ACHIEVEMENTS NOTE: Since launch, many of the achievements in this expansion are glitchy and they will not unlock for some players even when the requirements are met. In order to fix this, some users have reported that uninstalling the game and all expansions and reinstalling everything will work. Others have suggested to make a manual save before meeting an achievement's requirement and either reloading the save if the achievement does not unlock, or returning to that save file at a later date once achievements have been fully patched.

Missable Story/Side Quest Activities:
There are a total of five additional missable achievements in this expansion, all of which are tied to certain quests. While the quests themselves are not missable, these achievements will require you to pay close attention to a particular dialogue choice or objective within that quest. For instance, "Last Action Hero" and "Kling of the Clink" are unlocked for receiving the "good" and "bad" endings of the expansion. Their diverging paths take place during "The Night of Long Fangs" and then into the "Beyond Hill and Dale..." quest. Please refer to the guide below for more detailed information. Additionally, "A Knight to Remember" can only be done by winning all four/five competitions in the tourney during “The Warble of a Smitten Knight” quest. There is also "Embodiment of the Five Virtues," which is tied to a side quest that will track your chivalric deeds throughout the expansion. Lastly, you can obtain "The Grapes of Wrath Stomped" by completing the “Wine Wars” questline, a subplot which sees you uniting two warring factions for a common good.

Collectibles & Miscellaneous:
Of the remaining five achievements, one of them is tied to combat, another tied to your new vineyard, and the last three are collectible-based. As such, "Hasta la Vista" will unlock after you’ve killed a frozen enemy with a crossbow bolt. This can be done at any time and all you need is a Northern Wind bomb and a Crossbow. Meanwhile, "Playing House" requires you to buy all the upgrades for your vineyard, Corvo Bianco, which costs 14,000 coin. You can start working on this after “The Beast of Toussaint” quest. As for "Turned Every Stone" and "I Have a Gwent Problem," these are obtained for collecting all the Grandmaster Witcher School diagrams and collecting all the cards in the new Skellige Gwent deck. The diagrams can be tracked via the five Scavenger Hunt quests you will get from the Grandmaster Smith in Beauclair, while the Skellige cards can be tracked via a quest you initiate once you win your first card against any Merchant/Innkeeper. Finally, "Dressed to Kill" can be earned by crafting a single Grandmaster Witcher gear set and wearing all six pieces at once.

Conclusion:
Blood and Wine is undoubtedly a masterpiece. It's beautiful, expansive, immersive, and entirely satisfying. The region of Toussaint, its characters, and its stories are worth the experience at entry fee. Add to that a host of new gameplay mechanics, monsters, equipment, three different endings, and thirteen creatively engaging achievements, and Blood and Wine shines through and through as a fitting end to the tale of the White Wolf. CDPR has outdone themselves yet again. Bravo, CDPR, and thank you.

Conclusion:
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is massive. There’s no doubting that CD Projekt RED’s final story involving Geralt of Rivia is one that explores an epic and fantastical journey. The Northern Realms offer brilliantly realized landscapes that offer plenty of enjoyable quests, combat scenarios, and activities to both casual and dedicated players of the series for hours on end. While the game’s achievement list may seem daunting, it’s all very manageable with enough persistence and preparation. In short, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is easily one of the most beautiful and impressive games ever crafted. Enjoy your time with it—even if that means investing over two hundred hours in Geralt’s final adventures.

[XBA would like to thank BiggD for this Roadmap]

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Achievement Guide

Printable Guide
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There are 78 achievements with a total of 2000 points

  • Passed the Trial

     

    15

    Finish the game on any difficulty.

    (2) 

    Please refer below to "Walked the Path" for more information.

  • Ran the Gauntlet

     

    30

    Finish the game on the "Blood and Broken Bones!" or "Death March!" difficulty levels.

    (8) 

    Please refer below to "Walked the Path" for more information.

  • Walked the Path

     

    65

    Finish the game on the "Death March!" difficulty level.

    (34) 

    Within The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the "Death March!" difficulty level (otherwise known as the "Dark" difficulty from previous games) is the highest and hardest difficulty available. As one could imagine, enemies on "Dearth March!" will have increased health and deal more damage with every hit they land on Geralt. On top of this, as one of the most significant gameplay changes, Geralt's Vitality (or Health) does not regenerate on its own (unless a potion or consumable [water, milk, chicken, etc.] is used) like it would on lower difficulties.

    While gameplay style and combat will vary from player to player, there is no "set way" in explaining how to undertake a playthrough on the "Death March!" difficulty. Despite that, here are five general tips to keep in mind that will help throughout the Prologue and Act I, up until about Level 9-10:

    • Invest 1 skill point in the General Tree's "Sun and Stars" skill
      • This will slowly regenerate Vitality during the day outside of combat
      • It will also slowly regenerate Stamina at night during combat
    • Invest 1 skill point in the General Tree's "Survival Instinct" skill
      • This will grant Geralt 500 extra points of Vitality
    • Loot EVERYTHING!
      • This includes plants, consumables (i.e. water, milk, etc.), monster remains, and more
    • Go out of your way to locate all of the Places of Power in White Orchard and Velen as a soon as possible
      • Each Place of Power will grant an additional skill point
    • Visit a Blacksmith or Armorer often to repair your armor and weapons, or buy repair kits when available

    Once you reach Level 11-12, and are venturing through and around the Novigrad region, locate the Merchant near the St. Gregory's Bridge fast travel point (northern Novigrad) and purchase a Potion of Clearance. Upon consuming this potion, your skill points will reset and you can reallocate them; at this point, the previously mentioned skills are not necessary whatsoever.

    As further aid, here are a few more character-build tips that are sure to help during your playthrough:

    • In the Combat Tree, grab and max out Fast Attack's "Muscle Memory" and "Precise Blows" skills
    • In the Combat Tree, grab and max out Strong Attack's "Strength Training" and "Crushing Blows" skills
    • In the Sign Tree, grab and max out Quen's "Exploding Shield" and "Active Shield" skills
    • In the Sign Tree, grab and max out Axii's "Delusion" and "Puppet" skills
    • In the Alchemy Tree, grab and max out Oil Preparation's "Poisoned Blades" skill
    • In the General Tree, grab the "Cat/Griffen/Bear School Technique" skills
      • Change these skills up from time to time depending on which Witcher Gear Set you're wearing
    • Refer to the "Useful Links" section of the roadmap above and visit PowerPyx's video guide playlist for the Witcher Gear Sets
      • These unique sets of armor and weapons are the most powerful gear in the game
    • Focus on using Thunderbolt, Swallow, and Blizzard (and their upgrades) as your main potions
    • Focus on using Dancing Star, Samum, and Northern Wind (and their upgrades) as your main bombs
    • Don't forget to consult the Bestiary and apply oil to your swords before facing monsters

    With all of these tips in mind, players will find that "Death March!" begins to feel quite manageable at around Level 12 or so, and then very easy at around Level 15-16. Just remember to save often, keep multiple save files as backup in case you fail a quest, and collect those Witcher Gear Sets as early as you can!

    Upon completing the final main quest in the game, "Something Ends, Something Begins," this achievement will finally unlock.

  • Geralt: The Professional

     

    15

    Complete all witcher contracts.

    (12)

    In total, there are 26 witcher contracts to complete for this achievement. There is 1 in White Orchard, 11 in Velen (but one is only accessible when you’re already attempting the side quest “Master Armorers”), 8 in Novigrad, and 6 in Skellige. Take a look at the checklist below for each contract’s name and location.

    White Orchard

    • Contract: Devil by the Well

    Velen (No Man’s Land)

    • Contract: The Griffin from the Highlands
    • Contract: Jenny O’ the Woods
    • Contract: The Merry Widow
    • Contract: Missing Brother
    • Contract: Mysterious Tracks
    • Contract: The Mystery of the Byways Murders
    • Contract: Patrol Gone Missing
    • Contract: Phantom of the Trade Route
    • Contract: Shrieker
    • Contract: Swamp Thing
    • Contract: Woodland Beast

    Novigrad

    • Contract: The Apiarian Phantom
    • Contract: The Creature from the Oxenfurt Forest
    • Contract: Deadly Delights
    • Contract: Doors Slamming Shut
    • Contract: An Elusive Thief
    • Contract: Lord of the Wood
    • Contract: The Oxenfurt Drunk
    • Contract: The White Lady

    Skellige

    • Contract: Dragon
    • Contract: Here Comes the Groom
    • Contract: Missing Son
    • Contract: Muire D’yaeblen
    • Contract: The Phantom of Eldberg
    • Contract: Strange Beast

    Generally, these witcher contracts involve stumbling upon evidence of a monster’s activity (its lair, prints, or evidence of bloodshed and combat), or by reading the city/village notice boards requesting your help in exchange for some monetary funds. Take note that the monsters you will be hunting down in these contracts are tougher versions of the same enemies you naturally meet during your travels. Despite this difference, they are still susceptible to the same exploits (oils, potions, bombs, and Signs). Make sure you check the suggested level in each contract’s quest menu and consult the Bestiary to ensure you’re built and ready for the fight.

    Because these contracts are very involved, you can follow THIS LINK for a briefly detailed guide on all 26 witcher contracts in the game. Once all the contracts have all been completed during your playthrough, this achievement will finally be yours.

  • Dendrologist

     

    15

    Acquire all the Abilities in one tree.

    (7)

    Like most RPGS, leveling up will grant Geralt skill points (1 skill point per level). You will also gain additional skill points for each of the Places of Power in the game. All in all, there are a total of four unique skill trees: Combat (20 skills), Signs (20 skills), Alchemy (20 skills), and General (10 skills). The Combat tree deals with Geralt’s sword and crossbow attacks as well as his overall defense in combat. Similarly, the Signs tree revolves around enhancing the intensity and effects of Geralt’s five Signs. Lastly, the Alchemy tree works in the way of increasing the toxicity of potions and bombs while the General tree increases a variety of different skills unrelated to the previous trees.

    It’s worth noting that some skills in each tree have up to five tiers. For the purposes of this achievement however, you will only need to grab the first tier of a skill. One of the easiest ways to snag this achievement is to wait until you're Level 10+ and then buy a Potion of Clearance from the Merchant in Novigrad closest to the St. Gregory's Bridge fast travel point. Once you have the potion, create a manual save and drink the potion; it will reset all your skill points. Now invest 10 points in the General tree and the achievement will be yours. Make sure to reload your previous save if you desire in order to continue on with your playthrough!

  • The Enemy of My Enemy

     

    15

    Use the Axii Sign to force one opponent to kill another. Do this 20 times.

    (2)

    Before you can attempt this, you must first unlock the "Puppet" skill from the Axii skill tree (and preferably max it out). When using Puppet, make sure there's at least two or more enemies present in combat. As such, groups of humans/bandits, nekkers, drowners and ghouls work well when going for this achievement.

    First, weaken one enemy so that they have very little health left. Now cast Axii's alternate Sign mode, Puppet, on another enemy in the group and he/it will quickly dispose of the weakened enemy. It might be easier to work on this if you're only facing two opponents at a time rather than a larger group. Either way, once an Axii-possessed enemy has killed another enemy 20 times, this achievement will unlock.

  • Humpty Dumpty

     

    15

    Kill 10 opponents by knocking them off somewhere high with the Aard Sign.

    (6)

    One of the best locations to work on this achievement is in the Bandit Camp at the Devil's Pit fast travel point in Velen. As soon as you enter the camp, there are some stairs that act as a great ledge to push enemies off to their death. To do this, lure some bandits near the stairs, preferably the one shown in the video below, block their attacks as you bait them to the ledge, then cast Aard to knock them off backwards.

    If you see enemies with two-handed weapons or axes, kill them with your sword since they're too strong to counter and bait. After you clear out the camp, fast travel out of the region (such as to the Royal Palace of Vizima), and return to the Devil's Pit. All the bandits will have respawned and you can continue working on this. Take note that you don't need any Aard upgrades for this achievement and you should be able to get 3-4 Aard kills per run.

  • Environmentally Unfriendly

     

    15

    Kill 50 opponents using the environment (e.g. swamp gas, insects or objects).

    (3)

    There are a few ways to get this achievement. You can kill an enemy by igniting swamp gas with Igni, shoot a crossbow bolt at an explosive barrel and hope it kills your opponent, or you can even cast Aard on your opponent and then move in for an insta-kill with your sword as they lay on their back. Before attempting any of these methods, just remember that it would be wise to whittle down your opponent's health before using the environmental objects to finish them off. Additionally, this achievement may not necessarily come naturally during your playthrough, but you can always return to areas where environmental objects/effects appear frequently, such as the Crookback Bog swamp.

    NOTE: Several community members, including myself, have ran into a beneficial glitch for this achievement. When fast traveling to the Harpy Feeding Grounds in northwest Velen, some Harpies will randomly die mid-flight and fall out of the sky. Even though only 2-5 Harpies will submit to this "random death," the achievement will unlock. Try this method out soon in case it gets patched!

  • Kaer Morhen Trained

     

    15

    Perform 10 effective counterattacks in a row without getting hit or parrying.

    (9)

    While this achievement may come naturally to some players over the course of their playthrough, there’s an easy method to follow in obtaining this. The best isolated location to quickly get this done is by the river docks in White Orchard, north of the Woesong Bridge fast travel point. Here, you’ll spot a friendly archer near the docks. Begin to attack him and he’ll draw his sword and start fighting back; at which point you can start working on the achievement.

    To perform an effective counterattack, you will need to hold the left trigger (block) just before your opponent swings their swords and hits you. Your timing of the block will need to be very precise. If you mess up the fight with him, allow him to drain your health. Instead of killing you, he’ll knock you out and you’ll respawn right in front of him.

    NOTE: One may opt to get this achievement during the game’s tutorial. When practicing with Vesemir, he will begin to attack you frequently after the Quen and Igni Sign demonstrations. Use this time to score ten easy counterattacks in a row.

  • Can't Touch This!

     

    15

    Kill 5 foes in a fight without taking damage (except for Toxicity) and without using the Quen Sign.

    (14)

    Please refer below to "Butcher of Blaviken" for more information.

  • That Is the Evilest Thing

     

    15

    Ignite the gas produced by a Dragon's Dream bomb using a burning opponent. Do this 10 times.

    (4)

    Before you can attempt this achievement, you must first buy the formula for the Dragon’s Dream Bomb from the herbalist on the eastern approach of Novigrad (check the video guide below for this location). After buying the formula, purchase the necessary ingredients as well: Saltpeter (1) & Phosphorus (2). Now craft the bomb in question, go out into the wild, and look for human enemies or monsters without armor.

    When you have an enemy group in your sights, cast the Igni Sign, and if it begins to burn then, immediately throw a Dragon’s Dream Bomb on the burning enemy. This combination will ignite the gas produced by the bomb and cause a decent sized explosion. Now do this nine more times throughout your playthrough and the achievement will be yours.

  • Butcher of Blaviken

     

    30

    Kill at least 5 opponents in under 10 seconds.

    (5)

    One of the earliest/best opportunities that you’ll have to attempt this achievement, as well as "Can’t Touch This", will be at the Hanged Man’s Tree fast travel point in Velen. Near this fast travel point, there's a pack of Level 1 wolves nearby in the fields. Go ahead and approach the pack while blocking their attacks. Remember that holding down the block button will render their attacks useless since you can’t take damage.

    Once the entire group is in front of you, cast Igni to kill as many wolves as possible, then wipe the remaining wolves out with some quick swings of your sword. If you managed to kill all five to six wolves within ten seconds while remaining unscathed, both achievements will unlock right away. Keep in mind that the wolves will respawn here all the time, so if you fail your attempt, you can always return to this spot later on in your playthrough.

  • Brawler

     

    30

    Defeat Olaf, the Skellige champion of unarmed combat.

    (3)

    Before you can actually face off against Olaf, you must first complete the other three fistfights in Skellige through the "Fists of Fury: Skellige" side quest, which is triggered by reading a "fist fights" note on a notice board in any of the towns/villages of the isles. The first of these fights is located in Kaer Trolde Harbor, the large town on the northwestern front of Ard Skellig. The second of these fights is located in Arinbjorn, the village on the southwestern front of Ard Skellig. The third fistfight is located in Harviken, the small island in the southeast of the world map.

    Once those have all been completed, you can then find Olaf on Urialla Harbor, the small island in the north of the region. Head over to the arena here and talk to the bookie in order to start the fight. When the bout begins, dodge Olaf’s attacks (dodge, not block), and then throw 1-2 heavy punches at him before you dodge again. Keep repeating this tactic until Olaf has been defeated. The achievement will unlock when you finish speaking to the bookie after the fight and collect your reward.

  • Overkill

     

    30

    Make an opponent suffer from bleeding, poisoning and burning simultaneously. Do this 10 times.

    (6)

    One of the best ways to get this achievement is to arm yourself with the following equipment: Broadhead Bolts (bleeding), Devil's Puffball Bombs (poisoning), and Dancing Star Bombs (burning).

    The Broadhead Bolts are available at most Blacksmiths around Velen and Novigrad. Each bolt has a 100% bleeding chance and the effect will last for 15 seconds. The Devil's Puffball Bomb creates a poison cloud upon detonation, guaranteeing a 100% chance poisoning effect on any enemy within the cloud's radius. Lastly, the Dancing Star Bomb's main effect is to cause burning damage upon detonation; it has a 100% chance of burning enemies when compared to Igni.

    If you're in need for both bomb types for the method detailed above, their formulae can be bought at the Herbalist's Hut in northeast Novigrad. Now that you're stocked with the proper equipment, head on over to the Devil's Pit Bandit Camp in Velen. It would be wise to set the difficulty to "Death March" if you're not already playing on this difficulty setting since enemies will die too quickly on the lower difficulties.

    Start off by shooting a Broadhead Bolt at an enemy, then follow up with a Devil's Puffball Bomb and Dancing Star Bomb. Make sure to stay close to your enemy so they don't run outside of the poison cloud. If done correctly, all three effects should hit them at once. Now repeat this a few more times on different enemies within the Bandit Camp and because it will be necessary, leave the camp, meditate to replenish your supplies (bombs), fast travel to another region (i.e. Vizima), and then return to the camp so that the enemies can respawn and the grind can continue. Once you've pulled off the "overkill" combo ten times, this achievement will be yours.

  • Master Marksman

     

    15

    Kill 50 human and nonhuman opponents by striking them in the head with a crossbow bolt.

    (29)

    The crossbow is unlocked in Geralt's arsenal towards the end of the Prologue's main story mission entitled, "Lilacs and Gooseberries." As for killing 50 opponents with headshots, remember you can aim the crossbow manually by holding the right bumper. Also, despite the achievement's description stating nonhumans count towards the total, these foes (Dwarves, Elves, etc.) are not commonly present in the game. Thus, you will have to focus on killing 50 human enemies with crossbow headshots.

    An excellent "grinding" method for this achievement takes place at the Devil's Pit Bandit Camp in Velen. So long as you do not loot the valuables in the chests around the camp, you can kill all the humans in the area, leave and fast travel to another region (Vizima or Skellige), and then return to the Bandit Camp. This will make it so that all the bandits have respawned.

    Take note that headshot detection can be shoddy at times, but when your controller vibrates aggressively and the screen shakes, you'll know you landed a headshot kill. Additionally, it's worth investing skill points and maxing out the Combat Tree's "Lighting Reflexes" and "Anatomical Knowledge" skills, as well as the General Tree's "Steady Shot" skill when working on this task. Once you've amassed a total of 50 headshot kills on human enemies, this achievement will unlock.

  • Globetrotter

     

    15

    Discover 100 fast travel points.

    This achievement is relatively straightforward and will unlock naturally during your playthrough as you explore the open world of White Orchard, Velen, Novigrad, Skellige, and Kaer Morhen.

    As you pass through villages, cities, crossroads, and other general checkpoints, you will unlock signposts which act as fast travel points. Once they have been unlocked, they will remain marked on your world map with a green signpost icon. Discovering 100 of these will definitely take some time but you should have no problem unlocking this achievement mid-to-late game.

  • Pest Control

     

    30

    Destroy all monster nests in the Velen / Novigrad region, or in Skellige.

    (3)

    Though you will most likely be destroying all the monster nests you encounter across the Northern Realms for XP, this achievement can be knocked out of the way quickly by focusing your attention on the nests in Skellige once you arrive on the island. This is mainly due to the reason that Skellige has the fewest monster nests, while Velen/Novigrad have well over twenty nests. Monster nests appear on the mini-map and world map as a "dragon head" icon and must be destroyed via direct interaction, where Geralt will then place a bomb on the nest to eliminate it (only Grapeshot, Samum, or Dancing Star bombs work).

    Four of the Skellige monster nests are located on the main island (Ard Skellig) and the fifth monster nest is located on the northern island (An Skellig). Make sure you're stocked with the appropriate bombs when working on this; it'll even net progress towards the "Fire in the Hole!" achievement. Go ahead and refer to the video guide below for the location of all five nests in Skellige.

  • Card Collector

     

    15

    Acquire all gwent cards available in the base version of the game.

    (29)

    In total, there are 195 gwent cards in the base version of the game, but because some cards have duplicates (75 in total), you only have to collect the standard 120 gwent cards. Before you start your search for all the gwent cards, take the following tips into consideration in regards to collecting all the cards.

    Base Deck

    • You begin the game with a fair amount of cards.

    Purchased

    • Some cards can be purchased from a trader (merchant/innkeeper).

    Won

    • Some cards must be won from a merchant, innkeeper, or trader.

    Gwent Quests

    • Some cards are acquired during specific Gwent Quests.

    Side Quests

    • Some cards will need to be acquired during a few side quests.

    With all of this in mind, there are a total of 5 Gwent Quests, all of which net a few unique gwent cards. All of these Gwent Quests can be triggered by reading "gwent notes" on the notice boards across various cities, town, and villages in Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige. Further, the few gwent cards that are tied to side quests can be entirely missed if caution is not taken when entering the quest!

    Because this is the game’s most tasking achievement, and because you'll want to know exactly how to snag those missable gwent cards, you can refer to THIS GUIDE for a dedicated, detailed guide on how to obtain all 120 gwent cards in the game. Once they have all been obtained during your playthrough, this achievement will finally be yours.

  • Gwent Master

     

    15

    Defeat Tybalt and win the gwent tournament held at the Passiflora.

    (3)

    This achievement is tied to the "High Stakes" side quest, which can be triggered by reading a notice board in Novigrad (such as the one close to St. Gregory's Bridge) that posts a "High Stakes Gwent Tournament!" note.

    This side quest is essentially a fancy Gwent tournament that Count Tybalt is hosting at the Passiflora Brothel in Novigrad. Before heading there and taking part in the tournament, keep the following in mind:

    • There is an entrance fee of 1000 Crowns
    • You must have an "above-average" Gwent deck (refer below for more information)

    What constitutes an "above-average" Gwent deck? There's a hidden in-game system that tracks the "tournament value" of every card in your collection. It would be far too complicated to list every card's value, so it's strongly advised to simply wait until entering the tournament and completing this quest until you've made significant progress towards your "Card Collector" achievement.

    As always though, you can check below for a solid foundation of a valid "above-average" Northern Realms Gwent deck. Make sure to utilize THIS GUIDE for the locations of any cards you might be missing.

    • 2x Decoy
    • 3x Commander's Horn
    • 1x Clear Weather
    • 1x Geralt of Rivia
    • 1x Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon
    • 1x Yennefer of Vengerberg
    • 1x Triss Merrigold
    • 1x Villentretenmerth
    • 1x Vesemir
    • 1x Zoltan Chivay
    • 1x Ves
    • 1x Dandelion
    • 1x Mysterious Elf (Avallac'h)
    • 1x Vernon Roche
    • 1x John Natalis
    • 1x Esterad Thyssen
    • 2x Catapult
    • 2x Trebuchet
    • 1x Ballista
    • 1x Siege Tower
    • 1x Prince Stennis
    • 1x Phillippa Eilhart
    • 2x Crinfrid Reavers Dragon Hunter
    • 1x Dun Banner Medic
    • 1x Sigismund Dijkstra
    • 3x Blue Stripes Commando
    • 1x Thaler

    If you've met the aforementioned requirements, head inside the brothel and begin the quest/tournament. There will be 4 opponents that you'll need to beat (Bernard Tulle, Madame Sasha, Finneas, & Count Tybalt) and you'll soon find out that they're no pushovers. If you lose a match to any of these individuals, you WILL FAIL THE QUEST and miss out on the achievement! In order to prevent that, create a manual save before every match as a back-up in the event that you fail to win. Once you've successfully defeated Count Tybalt in the final round, this achievement will finally be yours. Continue on with the side quest for a rather surprising ending though!

    If further assistance is needed in locating any of the cards in the deck present above, or if any other general aid for this achievement/side quest is required, please refer to the video below.

  • Let's Cook!

     

    15

    Learn 12 potion formulae.

    (1)

    Throughout your playthrough, you will find that different potion formulas can be obtained in three distinct ways:

    • Purchased from city and village merchants
    • Found as loot in chests
    • Awarded via side quest completion

    With this in mind, there are countless formulas to find throughout the Nothern Realms and this achievement will most likely come naturally within the first five to or so hours of your playthrough. Keep in mind that for the purposes of this achievement, formulas for decoctions and oils also count, meaning you can obtain the achievement if you’ve found four potion formulas, four decotion formulas, and four oil formulas. Once you've amassed 12 potion formulas, this achievement will be yours.

  • Bombardier

     

    15

    Collect the formulae for 6 different bomb types.

    (3)

    Much like the potions formula achievement above, there are different ways bomb formulas can be found in the game.

    • Purchased from city and village merchants
    • Found as loot in chests
    • Awarded via side quest completion

    Since bomb formulas are not as common as potion formulas however, there's an easy method in knocking this out early. The quickest way is to buy 6 bomb formulas from an herbalist; specifically the herbalist at the Herbalist Hut fast travel point in northeast Novigrad. This herbalist has 8 bomb formulas for sale, and buying at least 6 of them will cost about 2000 crowns. If you don’t want to waste all that money at once, you can create a save file, buy the necessary formulas for the achievement, and then reload your save once the achievement unlocks. Be sure to check the video below for the location of this herbalist.

  • Bookworm

     

    15

    Read 30 books, journals or other documents.

    (1)

    Again, much like potion and bomb formulas, books, journals, and other smaller documents can be found scattered throughout the world in abandoned houses, populated cities and villages, and even sometimes in lootable chests. This achievement is relatively straightforward, so don't worry about needing to get it done quickly in a specific spot.

    So long as you are completing both main story quests and side quests, as well as exploring the vast open world and looting for resources, you should have no problem in picking up thirty books, journals, or documents. For the purposes of this achievement, just make sure you open your inventory and actually read the books, journals, and documents so it counts towards the total!

  • Armed and Dangerous

     

    30

    Find and equip all the elements of one set of witcher gear.

    (8)

    For this achievement, you will need to complete 1 of the 3 Witcher School Scavenger Hunts (Griffin, Cat, or Bear) in the game and then craft and equip their items. These quests are completely unmarked and have very limited hints and objectives, so it's extremely hard to find their trigger point for quest activation. For this achievement, you only need to complete 1 set, so this guide will focus on the Griffin School Gear, since it's the earliest scavenger hunt in the game. Please take note that the Viper School gear collected in White Orchard will not count towards this achievement.

    All the items for the Griffin Witcher Gear Set can be found in Velen. Upon finding the first item, it will activate the side quest entitled, "Scavenger Hunt: Griffin School Gear," where you'll be required to find the diagrams for all the pieces of armor in the gear set. This set consists of 6 pieces: Steel Sword, Silver Sword, Armor, Trousers, Boots, and Gauntlets. A text-based solution detailing the location for all 6 pieces would be very messy, so please refer to the video guide below.

    It's worth mentioning here that once you have all 6 diagrams, you should visit the Armorer and Blacksmith in Oxenfurt (the large town southeast of Novigrad). These craftsmen have the appropriate levels to craft your gear provided you have the ingredients/items necessary. After crafting and equipping all 6 pieces of the Griffin Witcher Gear Set, the achievement will unlock.

    If you want to work on the other three scavenger hunts during your playthrough, and even find their enhanced, superior, and mastercrafted variants, don't hesitate in visiting THIS VIDEO PLAYLIST, courtesy of PowerPyx.

  • Power Overwhelming

     

    15

    Have all possible Place of Power bonuses active at the same time.

    (8)

    In the Northern Realms, Places of Power are stone monuments marked with one of the Signs used by Geralt. Drawing magic from these stones offers an intensity boost to the Sign marked on the monument for 30 minutes. What's more, each Place of Power also grands an additional skill point. Like all undiscovered areas in the world, you'll have to uncover the question marks on the world map to find these stone monuments.

    There are fifteen main Places of Power in the game (plus a few extras that are found through main quests) and they are spread out evenly (5 per region) across White Orchard, Velen/Novigrad, and the Skellige Isles. For this achievement, you only have to activate all 5 stones in one region (i.e. one stone per Sign), so it's best to get this done during the Prologue in White Orchard. Be sure to check out the video below for the location of all five Places of Power in White Orchard.

  • Brawl Master

     

    15

    Complete all fistfighting quests in Velen, Skellige and Novigrad.

    (4)

    In total, there are exactly 13 fistfights in the Northern Realms that must be completed for this achievement. There are 4 in Velen, another 4 in Novigrad, and 5 in Skellige. Refer to the checklist below for the general area of each fistfight.

    Velen

    • Inn at the Crossroads
    • Lindenvale
    • Blackbough
    • Crow’s Perch

    Novigrad

    • Hierarch Square
    • Oxenfurt Gate
    • Novigrad Docks
    • Glory Gate

    Skellige

    • Kaer Trolde Harbor
    • Arinbjorn
    • Harviken
    • Urialla Harbor
    • Hov [Champion of Champions Fight]

    In order for the fights in the aforementioned towns/villages to spawn, you will need to pick up a note on a notice board in that region that mentions "Fist Fights." This will then activate the "Fists of Fury" side quest for that region. Make sure to set this as your active quest as a means of tracking your opponents/fights on the world map.

    Be aware that the fourth fight of each region (Championship Fight) will only be available once all prior fights in that region have been completed. Also, you’ll notice that the fights will increase in difficulty, so keep basic combat tactics in mind: counter/dodge the incoming attack, then perform 2-3 fast punches (or 1-2 strong punches), then repeat until your opponent has been defeated. If you happen to lose during a fight, you can enter the brawl again by speaking with the bookie or reloading a previous save file if you want to save your crowns.

    The fights in each region will be available at any time during your playthrough, so you can begin working on this achievement as early or as late as you wish. After the 12th fight, you will need to complete a side quest called "Master of the Arena" for the arena guards in Hov (Skellige) before unlocking the Champions of Champions fight. Once this side quest has been completed, return to the guards in the watchtower near the arena in Hov and the final fight will unlock. Defeating the Champion of Champions here will then finally unlock the achievement. If you die against the Champion of Champions, you must reload your previous save file (or previous auto-save checkpoint) and try again since the fight cannot be repeated.

  • Fast and Furious

     

    15

    Win all the horse races in the game.

    (4)

    In total, there are 11 horse races in the Northerm Realms. Winning each of the horse races will net "upgrades" to your horse, Roach. Such upgrades include saddlebags that allow you to carry up to 100lbs of extra weight in your inventory, racing saddles that will give Roach more stamina, and blinders so Roach won't get frightened by monsters so quickly.

    The first 3 races are located in Velen and their side quest can be triggered by visiting the notice board in Crow's Perch and reading the note that mentions "Horse Races." The 4 races in Novigrad are split between two locations, but their side quest can be triggered by visiting Hierarch Square (Novigrad) and picking up the Memorial Derby flyer from a Merchant after completing the main story quest entitled "Get Junior." After winning the third race, one of Cleaver's guards will invite you to an exclusive race. If you lose this race, you must reload your previous save file (or previous auto-save checkpoint) and try again since it cannot be repeated. The remaining 4 races are located in Skellige, and their side quest, "Heroes' Pursuits," can be triggered by entering the first race just outside the quaint village of Rannvaig on Ard Skellig.

    All in all, some of the races have an entry fee and some of them don't, so be prepared with some crowns before traveling to these races and expecting to enter right away. Also, make sure to keep Roach in the center of the road at all times during the races, watching for dips and obstacles where he might leap. Once all 11 races have been completed, the achievement will finally be yours. Go ahead and utilize the video guide below for the locations of all 11 races across Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige.

  • Munchkin

     

    65

    Reach character development level 35.

    (3)

    In order to reach character development level 35, you will need to amass a total of 54,000XP. Geralt will earn experience by slaying opponents, completing quests, accomplishing special tasks during quests, or by making certain conversational choices. Additionally, visiting Points on Interests (indicated by a question mark on the world map) and resolving the tasks that await there earn some experience. If you want to level up quickly during your playthrough, then be ready to jump at every chance you can take, regardless of the task's level of importance.

    In regards to combat XP, experience gained from fighting changes depending on the level of the enemy relative to Geralt's. If the opponent's level is white, you gain reduced XP. If their level is green (meaning they're close to your level), you gain a standard amount of XP. If you're facing a red-leveled or "skull-leveled" opponent, chances are you might die, but defeating them yields increased amounts of XP.

    Take into account that from levels 1-10, it takes 1000XP to level up each time; from levels 11-20, it takes 1500XP; and from levels 21-70, the highest level in the game, it takes 2000XP. The difficulty you are playing on will not effect the amount of XP you gain, so just complete any and all tasks that come your way and this achievement should be yours at the very end of your playthrough.

    NOTE: After completing nearly all of the content in your playthrough, you may still need to gain one or two levels to reach Level 35. If this is the case for you, you can farm XP from a Level 30 Cyclops on the east coast of Ard Skellig (near the Place of Power and Mastercrafted Griffin Gear Diagrams). The Cyclops nets 51XP per kill and will constantly respawn after meditating for two hours.

  • Fire in the Hole

     

    15

    Destroy 10 monster nests using bombs.

    (1)

    Although monster nests are not directly labeled on the world map, you can find them by visiting the various question marks that appear in a region after checking notice boards in cities, towns, and villages of that specific region. Once a question mark hiding a monster nest is discovered, the nest will be indicated on the mini-map and world map as a "dragon head" icon. More than likely, you will have no problem finding at least 10 monster nests, especially since the video guide for "Pest Control" already covers the location of the 5 nests in Skellige. For reference, there are around 23 more nests in Velen/Novigrad and another 3 in White Orchard.

    The Grapeshot Bomb is your go-to explosive when destroying these monster nests. You can craft it in your alchemy menu at any time during your playthrough and replenish your supply with alcohol while you meditate. All in all, the monster nests must be interacted with directly so that Geralt can place the bomb near the mound to destroy it for good. Once 10 monster nests have been destroyed via bombs, this achievement will unlock.

  • Fist of the South Star

     

    15

    Defeat an opponent in a fistfight without taking any damage.

    (7)

    This achievement can be obtained early in the game while in Velen. If you head on over to the Inn at the Crossroads fast travel point, there will be a fistfight tournament going on inside the Inn (provided you triggered the "Fist Fights: Velen" side quest).

    When you enter the building, make your way to left where a crowd will be cheering and fighting. Talk to the orator here and choose to enter the fight against Smithy. As soon as the fight begins, hold down the block button immediately as this will counter Smithy’s first punch and disorient him. Before he can recover, use a strong swing to break his defense and quickly take him out. Two strong hits should see Smithy defeated and the achievement unlocked.

  • Geralt and Friends

     

    15

    Win a round of gwent using only neutral cards.

    (2)

    To get a good sense of which cards are deemed as "Neutral Gwent Cards," head over to THIS THREAD right now. It's also worth stating here that Decoys, Commander Horns, Weather Cards, and Hero Cards won through Gwent Quests are all deemed as Neutral Cards. Even the "Zoltan Chivay" card that is won against the Scholar in the White Orchard Tavern during the Prologue is a Neutral Card!

    For this achievement, you don't need to win the entire match; only the round in which you play only neutral cards. Remember that your opponent is more likely to let you win the second round by passing his/her turn nearly right away if they already won the first round. Take advantage of this AI behavior!

    For the sake of keeping this solution concise and keeping in tact the methods used by other community members, you may refer to THIS POST, THIS POST, and even THIS POST for more information and tips regarding this task. Once you've won the round with only neutral cards, the achievement will unlock right away.

  • All In

     

    15

    Play three hero cards in one round of gwent and win the match.

    (2)

    Before attempting this achievement, it is strongly recommended to complete the following Gwent Quests: "Velen Players," "Playing Innkeeps," & "Big City Players." After completing all three of these quests, you will in turn be rewarded with five hero cards; Yennefer of Vengerberg from the Neutral Deck, and Letho of Gulet, Menno Coehoorn, Morvan Voorhis, and Tibor Eggebracht of the Nilfgaard Deck.

    Once you have all of these cards, access your "Gwent Deck" in the Pause Manu and build your Nilfgaard Deck to include all five heroes. Avoid putting special cards into your deck and only place enough non-hero cards to make your deck valid for play. Now go out and look for a Trader, Innkeeper, or Merchant to verse and be sure to forfeit the match right away if you begin with fewer than three heroes in your hand. If you do have three or more heroes in your hand, play out the match as you normally would while trying to score the overall win and playing three heroes in one round! If you're successful in pulling this off, the achievement will be yours at the post-match victory screen.

  • Even Odds

     

    30

    Kill 2 monsters you have a contract on without using Signs, potions, mutagens, oils or bombs.

    (19)

    Make sure to read through THIS THREAD and choose monsters that seem the weakest to you. Personally, I believe that the grave hag in "The Merry Widow" Contract and the water hag in the "Muire D'yaeblen" Contract are the easiest enemies to kill when going for this achievement. Other players may decide to take a different route and that's absolutely fine.

    Just remember, when you're facing the contracted monster, you can only use your swords (Silver Sword). You won't be able to drink potions mid-battle, throw bombs, cast any Signs, coat your blades in oil, or have any mutagens equip! If you do, it will void progress towards the achievement. If there are smaller monsters/enemies around the contracted monster during the fight, you are allowed to use more than just the swords on them. Keep in mind that there are 26 contracts in the game, so this achievement is technically missable.

  • Mutant

     

    15

    Fill all mutagen slots.

    In order to actually unlock all mutagen slots, you will need to reach Level 28. Once you are of this level, you'll unlock the fourth mutagen slot and can finally fill it with a mutagen of your choosing. For those unfamiliar, mutagens are rare organic ingredients that be obtained from the remains of defeated monsters. These mutagens can then be equipped in the Character Panel to increase attack power (red mutagen), Sign intensity (blue mutagen), and even Vitality (green mutagen).

    There are two types of mutagens in the game: lesser and greater. The Lesser mutagens can be found most commonly on any monster of the wild; this includes Nekkers, Hags, Wraiths, Harpies, and more. The greater mutagens are found on more unique monsters in the game however, such as contracted monsters. With this in mind, just be sure to always loot your enemies/opponents and more often than not, you'll be lucky enough to find a mutagen on their corpse. Whether you equip lesser or greater mutagens in the four slots of the Character Panel, this achievement will unlock once all four slots are filled.

 

Secret achievements

  • Lilac and Gooseberries

     

    15

    Find Yennefer of Vengerberg.

    (5)

    Story-related, cannot be missed.

    This achievement will unlock after successfully completing the main quest entitled "Lilac and Gooseberries" during the Prologue.

  • A Friend in Need

     

    15

    Find and free Dandelion.

    (4)

    Story-related, cannot be missed.

    This achievement will unlock after successfully completing the main quest entitled "A Poet Under Pressure" during Act I.

  • Necromancer

     

    15

    Help Yennefer extract information from Skjall's body.

    (3)

    Story-related, cannot be missed.

    This achievement will unlock after successfully completing the main quest entitled "Nameless" during Act I.

  • Family Counselor

     

    15

    Find the baron's wife and daughter.

    (2)

    Story-related, cannot be missed.

    This achievement will unlock after successfully completing the main quest entitled "Family Matters" during Act I.

  • Something More

     

    15

    Find Ciri.

    (3)

    Story-related, cannot be missed.

    This achievement will unlock after successfully completing the main quest entitled "Isles of the Mist" during Act II.

  • Xenonaut

     

    15

    Visit Tir n

    (1)

    Story-related, cannot be missed.

    This achievement will unlock after successfully completing the main quest entitled "Through Time and Space" during Act III.

  • The King is Dead

     

    30

    Defeat Eredin.

    Story-related, cannot be missed.

    This achievement will unlock after successfully completing the main quest entitled "On Thin Ice" during Act III.

  • Kingmaker

     

    15

    Complete the subplot about choosing Skellige's ruler.

    (4)

    In order to complete this subplot, you must first complete the following main story quest: "The King is Dead - Long Live the King!" Take note that this is the first main quest available on The Skellige Isles. After completing this quest, you will automatically receive two side quests entitled "Possession" and "The Lord of Undvik." At this point, the achievement's subplot opens, so complete the following four side quests as soon as you can:

    • Possession
    • The Lord of Undvik
    • King's Gambit
    • Coronation

    As always, be sure to set a quest as your active quest so you can track its objectives. Please take note that during the "King's Gambit" quest, you will be required to decide (during a dialogue) who you want to choose to be ruler of Skellige; Cerys or Hjalmar. It doesn't matter who you choose, but you NEED to choose one of them! If you ignore this part of the side quest (by saying they can figure it out on their own), you'll miss out on an ally for the "Full Crew" achievement!

    After completing all four side quests listed above, the achievement will unlock. Refer to the detailed video guide below for aid in any of the quests involved with this achievement.

  • Assassin of Kings

     

    15

    Take part in the assassination of King Radovid.

    (2)

    Before the solution for this achievement is presented, it must be stated right now that this is a HIGHLY MISSABLE achievement.

    During your playthrough, you will need to complete a number of side quests throughout Act I in order to trigger the "Reason of State" side quest towards the very end of the game in Act III. During this aforementioned quest, you will then automatically assassinate King Radovid as part of the quest's objective. If you miss one of the required side quests in Act I before sailing to the Isle of Mists, you will not be able to trigger "Reason of State" and you'll miss this achievement. Further, if you speak out and make the wrong dialogue choice during the main quest entitled "Blindingly Obvious," you will miss triggering the side quest. To prevent that, make sure you choose the FIRST dialogue option every time it's Geralt's turn to speak when talking to Dijkstra and Philippa inside the Bathhouse.

    As mentioned, there are five side quests and one main quest that must be completed in order to trigger "Reason of State." Check below:

    • An Eye for an Eye
    • Redania's Most Wanted
    • A Matter of Life and Death
    • Now or Never
    • A Deadly Plot
    • Blindingly Obvious [Main Quest - Remember to choose the FIRST dialogue option each time Geralt speaks]

    With this in mind, make sure to complete these side quests as soon as they're available. If you require assistance in figuring out the requirements to trigger each quest, please refer to the video below. Once "Reason of State" has been completed, and Radovid has been slain, this achievement will finally be yours.

  • Friends With Benefits

     

    15

    Complete the subplot involving Keira Metz.

    (4)

    In order to complete this subplot, you must first complete the following two main story quests: "Hunting a Witch" and "Wandering in the Dark;" and the following side quest: "Magic Lamp." After completing the third of these quests, Kiera will ask that you come see her at her hut soon, thus triggering a side quest entitled, “An Invitation from Keira Metz.” Once you have this quest, head over to her hut in the woods of Velen to start this optional subplot.

    Once you’re finished speaking with Keira at her hut, you will obtain the following smaller side quests:

    • An Invitation from Kiera Metz
    • A Towerful of Mice
    • A Favor for a Friend
    • For the Advancement of Learning

    As always, be sure to set a quest as your active quest so you can track its objectives. Please take note that it's absolutely VITAL that you send Keira to Kaer Morhen at the end of this subplot since it is REQUIRED for the "Full Crew" achievement. In order to do this, you must tell her the plan she's concocted is suicide and that an alternative way of leaving the marshes is by going to Kaer Morhen.

    After completing all four of these side quests, the achievement will unlock. Refer to the detailed video guide below for aid in any of the quests involved with this achievement.

  • Full Crew

     

    15

    Bring all possible allies to Kaer Morhen for the battle against the Hunt.

    (15)

    Before the solution for this achievement is presented, it must be stated right now that this is a HIGHLY MISSABLE achievement.

    During Act II, you will receive four main quests entitled "Brothers in Arms [Nilfgaard, Velen, Novigrad, & Skellige]" after the main story quest entitled "Va Fail, Elaine" has been completed and you are about to set sail for the Isle of Mists. It is at this point where you're asked to recruit allies for the upcoming battle against The Wild Hunt in Act III. You must complete a series of lengthy side quests and subplots to recruit everyone needed, which is probably going to take several hours. On top of this, Keira Metz and Triss Merigold can be recruited before reaching this point in the game and both sorceresses are the easiest of the seven allies to miss.

    There are a few prerequisites when assembling your party of allies, some of which you may already have already completed, or failed. A list of all possible allies and their prerequisites can be found below.

    Kiera Metz

    • Return to Kiera's Hut in No Man's Land, and speak with her. She's happy to provide magical support in the forthcoming battle, providing you have helped her. Complete the following:
      • Side Quest: An Invitation from Kiera Metz/A Towerful of Mice
      • Side Quest: A Favor for a Friend
      • Side Quest: For the Advancement of Learning
        • At the end of this quest, be sure to convince Kiera to go to Kaer Morhen

    Vernon Roche & Ves

    • Locate Roche's hideout northeast of Oxenfurt. He is always willing to help, but he (and Ves) can only make the journey to Kaer Morhen once you finish the following:
      • Side Quest: An Eye for an Eye
        • Once finished, Roche agrees to help you, and both him and Ves will appear in Kaer Morhen.

    Zoltan Chivay

    • Zoltan is eager to aid the cause and agrees to help you. All you have to do is ask, so head to his location at the Rosemary and Thyme (Novigrad).

    Triss Merigold

    • Triss would love to help, but she cannot leave Novigrad until all the mages are evacuated. You must have already completed the following:
      • Main Quest: Now or Never, and the mages escape
        • If you forgot this quest, you can't reach Triss.
        • If you completed this quest properly, Triss is already at Kaer Morhen, and doesn't need to be asked at all, even when she leaves at the end of the quest.

    Hjalmar an Craite

    • Speak with Hjalmar in Kaer Trolde or at the Coronation. If he rules Skellige, he will aid your cause, and will arrive at Kaer Morhen without question. If Cerys was made ruler instead, she agrees to send him as a representative. To ensure he or his sister becomes ruler, you must complete the following:
      • Side Quest: The Lord of Undvik
      • Side Quest: King's Gambit
      • Side Quest: Coronation

    Ermion

    • Like Zoltan, Ermion immediately agrees to help defeat The Wild Hunt. Head over to Gedyneith in Ard Skellig to ask him, (he'll stay here after the "Coronation" side quest has concluded).

    There are a few other allies that you can try convincing during the "Brothers in Arms" quests, but they're not necessary for this achievement. Thus, feel free to ignore seeking them out since you only need the seven allies listed above.

    Here are a few other tips to keep in mind when working on this achievement:

    • You could end up killing Keira Metz if you make the wrong dialogue choices at the end of her subplot
      • To prevent that, refer to the video above for the "Friends With Benefits" achievement
    • Despite the information in video guide below, Triss DOES NOT need to be romanced nor asked to stay at the end of her side quest entitled, "Now or Never"
      • Although the game plays out as though Triss boards the ship to Kovir and will never return again, she appears at Kaer Morhen anyways (thanks to Yennefer) so long as you completed both of her side quests
    • If you choose the "third" dialogue choice during the "King's Gambit" side quest of the Kingmaker subplot and ignore helping Hjalmar or Cerys, you will walk away and neither of them will become ruler; thus meaning Hjalmar cannot be recruited at all
    • You could end up ignoring the "Brothers in Arms" quests entirely and go directly to the Isle of Mists, thus missing all possible allies

    This is a lot to soak in, but just remember the only allies needed for this achievement are the seven detailed above. Once they've all been recruited, the achievement will unlock before setting sail to the Isle of Mists. Refer to PowerPyx's video below for even more information if necessary!

  • Triple Threat

     

    15

    Kill 3 opponents in one fight using 3 different methods (swords, bombs, crossbow, Signs, etc.).

    (5)

    One of the easiest areas in which you’ll be able to grab this will be at the Hanged Man’s Tree fast travel point in Velen. Near this fast travel point, there's a pack of five to six Level 1 wolves in the fields nearby. Equip the crossbow and your Ingi Sign in the inventory menu. Head on over to the pack of wolves and cast Igni right away to kill at least one or two of the animals. After that, use your crossbow to kill at least one more and then finally use your sword to kill the rest. There are plenty of other areas to get this done, but this one of the earliest encounters in which you can snag it.

  • What Was That?

     

    15

    Attack, counter, cast a Sign and throw a bomb (in any order) in under 4 seconds.

    (3)

    This can be obtained at any point during your playthrough, though it can be earned early on while traveling through White Orchard. This is mainly due to the reason that the ingredients to craft one of your first bombs can be purchased from the herbalists in White Orchard. With that said, travel to the herbalist’s hut in this area and purchase the following ingredients from her: Celandine (2) & Saltpeter (1). Now open up the Alchemy tab while shopping and you should be able to craft a Samum Bomb. Make sure to equip the bomb in your inventory and then head out.

    There’s no set area to grab this achievement, though hanging around the shores of White Orchard seems to be like a decent spot for roaming drowners. Once you spot an enemy, engage them head on and perform all four combat maneuvers as quickly as you can.

    NOTE: One may opt to get this achievement during the game’s tutorial. After practicing bomb aiming, continue to practice with Vesemir. Block one of his attacks, swing back and cast Aard, and then quickly throw a bomb at him.

  • Shrieker

     

    15

    Complete the contract on the shrieker.

    (5)

    This contract can be found on the notice board in Crow’s Perch in Velen. Once you accept it, make sure it’s set as your active quest so you’ll be updated on where to go for your objectives. To begin, you’ll want to head over to the contract issuer in the village of Crow's Perch, speak with him, and then make your way behind his house to speak with the young boy who's father was involved with the monster attack.

    Speak with the boy here and then head to the monster’s targeted area. Once you arrive at the site, investigate the grounds using Geralt’s witcher senses and then follow the blood trail into a nearby cave. You’ll want to throw a bomb at the monster’s nest to lure it out. After it escapes the cave, run outside and you can finally take on the Shrieker in combat. After slaying the beast, take a “trophy” from its corpse, head back to the contract issuer in Crow’s Perch, and talk with him in order to receive your reward and unlock the achievement.

  • Fearless Vampire Slayer

     

    15

    Complete the contract on Sarasti.

    (4)

    In order to unlock this achievement, you must complete the contract entitled "The Mystery of the Byways Murders." You'll be able to trigger this specific contract by reading the "Contract: Missing Soldiers" note on the notice board in Oreton, a village on the western front of Velen. It is recommended to wait until you are a Level 22+ to work on this contract.

    Now talk to the marked commander in the village and then travel to Byways, which is further south in Velen. Here, you must kill around 5 ghouls which is ironically the hardest part of the quest. After they are all dead, talk to the villagers in the nearby hut, then follow a few clues that will lead you to the catacombs below the village. In these catacombs, you will square off against the Sarasti, a Vampire-like creature. It's a pretty easy fight, but remember its weaknesses to Devil's Puffball Bombs, Vampire Oil, and the Igni Sign. Once the monster has been slain, don't forget to loot a trophy from its corpse before returning to the village and talking to the old villager you met earlier. At this point, he'll give you a handsome reward and you'll also unlock the achievement.

  • Woodland Spirit

     

    15

    Complete the contract on the Woodland Spirit.

    (8)

    This contract is actually a side quest and can be triggered by visiting the village crowd in the woods behind Farylund, a small village on the main island of Skellige (Ard Skellig). When you arrive, you’ll learn of a monster terrorizing the village and you’ll be required to inquire some clues in the wooded area ahead. This will trigger the “In the Heart of the Woods” side quest. It is recommended to wait until you are a Level 22+ to work on this contract.

    After using Geralt’s witcher senses in the wooded area to learn more about the monster, complete your next objective with by reading about the Leshen in the Bestiary, where you'll learn that the monster in question is vulnerable to Dimeritium Bombs, Reltic Oil, and the Igni Sign. After closing the journal, your quest will update, telling you to talk to either Harald or Sven. You MUST talk to Sven at this point.

    Continue on with your objectives as normal, following Sven’s side of the quest. It is important that you completely ignore Harald throughout the duration of the quest. Once you destroy the monster’s totems and travel deep into the woods, you’ll finally square off against the Woodland Spirit. This Leshen is one of the toughest opponents in the game because of its unique combat tactics and ability to kill Geralt in 1-2 hits. As such, make sure to cast the Quen Sign when facing the monster to protect yourself from damage. The Spirit is slow, so after it makes its move, attack it quickly before it teleports away. As a suggestion, it’s worth having a high-damage silver sword coated relict oil before the fight.

    The achievement will unlock as soon as the Woodland Spirit is killed. Don’t forget to take a trophy from its corpse and head back to Sven in order to complete the quest and collect your reward.

    NOTE: If you take Harald's offer, you won't be able fight the Woodland Spirit and will miss this achievement. To avoid that, make sure you side with Sven instead!

  • Fiend or Foe?

     

    15

    Complete the contract on Morvudd.

    (1)

    This achievement is obtained for completing the contract entitled “Missing Son,” which can be found on the notice board in Rannvaig, a village on the main island of Skellige (Ard Skellig). It is recommended to hold off on this contract until you are a Level 29 or higher.

    Though the quest itself is rather straightforward, the monster in question for this contract is definitely one of the toughest you’ll have to fight. Like the Woodland Spirit, it has an incredibly high damage threshold and can kill Geralt in 1-2 hits. With this in mind, combat against the Morvudd should look like this: dodge the monster’s attacks to the left every single time, then use one (no more than one) strong attack and repeat. Also, keep in mind that you should use Relic Oil on your silver sword, stock up on Samum Bombs, and constantly cast the Quen Sign when facing off against the Morvudd.

    Once the monster has been slain during the “second” encounter, collect a trophy from its corpse, check out its lair nearby for the contract issuer's "missing son," and then return to Rannvaig to collect your reward and unlock the achievement.

  • Ashes to Ashes

     

    15

    Complete the contract on Therazane.

    (2)

    In order to unlock this achievement, you must complete the contract entitled "Doors Slamming Shut." You'll be able to find this contract on the notice board in Hierarch Square in Novigrad. Pick up the note that says "Contract: Haunted House," and the aforementioned contract will be activated. It is recommended to wait until you are a Level 24+ to work on this, though.

    Now visit the Kingfisher Inn near the notice board and speak with the Duke seated at the table on the second floor. He will send you to a mansion on the eastern front of Novigrad. Head there and make your way into the basement/cellar, where you'll encounter the Therazane. This creature is an extremely unique elemental monster. Like most contracted beasts, it can kill Geralt in 1-2 hits and has an extremely high damage threshold. On top of this, it's resistant to almost every type of bomb effect and Sign. You'll still be able to defeat the Therazane with basic combat maneuvers: cast Quen, dodge its attacks, follow up with 1-2 strong attacks, then repeat.

    This beast is a very slow-moving monster so the dodge/rolls shouldn't be too hard to pull off when avoiding its strikes. Just be aware that if and when you attack too many times in a row, it will morph itself into a defensive state. Do not attack the Elemental at this point; wait until it morphs out of its defense! After you've defeated the Therazane, loot your trophy from its corpse and return to the Duke in Hierarch Square to conclude the quest, receive your pay, and unlock the achievement.

  • The Doppler Effect

     

    15

    Resolve the doppler problem in Novigrad.

    (2)

    In order to unlock this achievement, you will need to complete the contract entitled “An Elusive Thief.” This contract can be triggered by picking up the "Contract: Imp" note on the notice board in Hierarch Square in Novigrad.

    Once the contract is open, head over to the market area in Hierarch Square during the day and talk to the contract issuer. After speaking with him, use Geralt’s witcher senses to follow the red footprints on the ground and you will eventually reach a house where you will be required to pick up a letter. Read this letter and continue to follow the clues in this quest until you meet the Doppler. You'll have to fight him one-on-one and then you’ll have the option of killing him or letting him go. If you let him go (which is the recommended path) he will give you a fair amount of coins and a diagram for a Gnomish Gwyhyr. Now return to the market square and talk to the merchant to conclude the contract, receive reduced pay, and unlock this achievement.

DLC: Hearts of Stone (Store Link)

There are 13 achievements with a total of 500 points

  • Return to Sender

     

    35

    Kill 3 opponents with their own arrows.

    (4)

    Before attempting this achievement, it is necessary that you grab all three ranks of Defense’s “Arrow Deflection” perk in the Combat skill tree and apply it to an empty slot in your active skill set. If you don’t have any skill points available to do this, you’ll have to purchase and consume a Potion of Clearance. This perk, as the description states, will allow you to reflect back arrows and deal double damage to the attacker if you pull off a perfectly timed parry. 

    Once engaged in combat with a bowman, put some serious distance between the two of you. The further away you are, the easier it is to spot an arrow soaring through the air. Now wait until the enemy begins to draw the bow (or crossbow), and then parry (hold the left trigger) just when the arrow is near. If timed perfectly, this will cause Geralt to parry the arrow with his steel sword, automatically causing the projectile to fly right back at the attacker. It will usually take four-five reflected attacks (or more depending on the aggressor’s level) to kill the bowman you’re engaging. 

    Once you get the hang of pulling off well-timed parries after your first successful attack, repeat this process twice more throughout your playthrough to unlock the achievement.

  • Can Quit Anytime I Want

     

    35

    Be under the influence of seven potions or decoctions at the same time.

    (3)

    First thing’s first, you will definitely need to grab all three ranks of Mutation’s “Acquired Tolerance” perk in the Alchemy skill tree and apply it to an empty slot in your active skill set. If you don’t have any skill points available to do this, you’ll have to purchase and consume a Potion of Clearance. This perk, as the description states, will increase your maximum Toxicity by 1 point for every known alchemy formula. By the time you’re playing this expansion, you’ll most likely have learned all the Superior variants for every bomb, oil, potion, as well as uncovered most if not all of the basic alchemy ingredients in the game. If that holds true, and it’s entirely necessary you do to an extent, your Toxicity will now be capped at or around 230 (or higher) rather than 100. 

    Now to get this achievement, simply open your Inventory menu and consume seven different potions, all one right after another. Since each potion only has a Toxicity level of either 20 or 25, and sometimes 15, you won’t have to worry about exceeding the safe threshold after drinking all of them. For reference, these are the potions I used for this achievement:

    • Superior Golden Oriole – 20 Toxicity
    • Superior Tawny Owl – 20 Toxicitiy
    • Superior Black Blood – 20 Toxicity
    • Superior Blizzard – 25 Toxicity
    • Superior Cat – 15 Toxicity
    • Superior Petri’s Philter – 25 Toxicity
    • Superior Full Moon – 25 Toxicity

    As you can see, drinking these seven potions will meet the requirements for the achievement, while only raising your Toxicity by 150 points, which is still within the safe threshold. Make no mistake though…you will absolutely need to acquire all three ranks of “Acquired Tolerance” and already know several of the Superior variants to bombs, oils, and potions in order to increase the cap of your maximum Toxicity a significant amount when going for this achievement.

  • Wild Rose Dethorned

     

    35

    Defeat all the fallen knights and loot their campsites.

    (3)

    Start off by visiting the new village settlement at Brunwich and reading all the notes on the notice board. This will reveal all of the undiscovered locations on the world map in Novigrad, represented by question marks. Like the base game, these question marks will, once uncovered, reveal Abandoned Sites, Monster Nests, Bandit Camps, and more.

    In total, there are 8 Bandit Camps that you must clear out for this achievement. The opposition in each encampment will vary, but be prepared to go up against 5-8 enemies on average. Once all the Knights have been slain (check the camps thoroughly), make sure to use your Witcher Senses to locate the red-marked chest so you can loot its belongings. While it’s suggested to work on this achievement at your own pace as you progress through the narrative, you can refer to the checklist below for all 8 locations directly as a means of getting this done before you begin questing. 

    Fallen Knights Campsites

    • Question mark deep within the woods, northeast of Garin Estate
    • Question mark deep within the woods, northwest of Garin Estate
    • Question mark northeast of Brunwich village, along the vertical river
    • Question mark in Buckholt hills, northwest of the Sarrasin Grange fast travel point
    • Question mark southeast of the Upper Hill fast travel point, inside the Zuetzer Castle Ruins
    • Question mark further southeast of the previous Bandit Camp, within the Kilkerinn Ruins
    • Question mark slightly southeast of the Est Tayiar fast travel point (or directly west of the Heddel fast travel point)
    • Question mark slightly northeast of the Vikk Watchtower fast travel point (or directly west of the Erde fast travel point)

    Once all 8 campsites have been cleared out and looted, this achievement will unlock.

  • I Wore Ofieri Before It Was Cool

     

    50

    Collect all available Ofieri armor and horse gear, and at least one Ofieri sword.

    (13)

    You can begin making progress on this achievement by speaking with the Ofieri Merchant located at the Upper Hill fast travel point in eastern Novigrad. Ask to take a peek at the man’s wares, and proceed to purchase the following items (the Tunic and Crossbow are not needed):

    • Decorated Saber - ~2500 crowns
    • Ofieri Blinders - 233 crowns
    • Ofieri Saddlebags - 233 crowns

    Back out of his inventory menu and comment on his horse. This will spark conversation and lead to the opportunity of racing the Merchant. Do so, and if you win you will receive an Ofieri Saddle. Now speak with the Merchant again and exhaust all of the dialogue options until Geralt mentions that he can recover the Merchant’s lost diagram pages. This will initiate the “From Ofier’s Distant Shores” quest. Tackle this quest however you’d like (take note that three of the four diagrams are located at campsites that you will be looting for the "Wild Rose Dethorned" achievement) and once you have collected all four diagrams, return to the Merchant, meditate for 24 hours, and then collect your reward: translated diagrams for Ofieri Boots, Gauntles, a Tunic, and Trousers. 

    Now you will need to collect the necessary crafting materials before heading out to the Armorer in Crow's Perch to craft your four-piece gear set. Once it’s crafted, the achievement should unlock provided you have all 8 pieces of Ofieri Gear in the game.

  • Killed It

     

    50

    Win a round of gwent with a total strength of at least 187.

    (2)

    Winning a round of Gwent with such a massive strength may seem challenging, but it is more luck-based than difficult. There are undoubtedly several different strategies that can be taken when attempting this achievement, though this solution will focus on utilizing a specific 22 Unit card Northern Realms deck. Yes, 22 Unit cards is the absolute minimum amount to start a match of Gwent, but with this deck you will be want as few cards to draw from as possible as a means of increasing your chances in drawing the recommended starting hand. 

    As such, check below for the deck involved in this strategy, then proceed to build yours the same way. Make sure to refer to THIS GUIDE for the locations of any Gwent cards you might need.

    • 2x Commander's Horn
    • 1x Clear Weather
    • 1x Geralt of Rivia
    • 1x Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon
    • 1x Villentretenmerth
    • 1x Dandelion
    • 1x Mysterious Elf (Avallac'h)
    • 1x Vernon Roche
    • 2x Catapult
    • 2x Trebuchet
    • 1x Ballista
    • 1x Siege Tower
    • 1x Prince Stennis
    • 3x Crinfrid Reavers Dragon Hunter
    • 1x Dun Banner Medic
    • 1x Sigismund Dijkstra
    • 3x Blue Stripes Commando
    • 1x Thaler

    It is also important that you set your Leader card to “Foltest, The Siegemaster.” Now that your deck is set, go out in the world and look for an Innkeeper, Merchant, or Trader to verse in Gwent. Once the match begins and you draw your 10-card starting hand, make sure to deliberately forfeit (even if that takes multiple forfeits) until you get the following hand:

    • 1x Clear Weather
    • 1x Spy (any will do)
    • 1x Commander Horn
    • 2x Catapults
    • 3x Crinfrid Reavers
    • 2x Units (any Unit card will do)

    It may seem very unreasonable to suggest that you draw such a specific hand, but this particular solution relies heavily on the aforementioned cards. 

    So with that, use your first three turns to place out the Catapults and your Leader card. That will net you 64 points alone. After that, use the following four turns to place out all three Reavers and the Commander’s Horn on the Ranged Units. This will give you another 90 points, thus putting you at a total of 154 points. 

    At this time you’ll have four cards left in your hand, and you’ll only need to score another 33+ points and win the round in order to snag the achievement. Regardless of what your 2 leftover Unit cards may be, place them out. Let’s assume one was a Trebuchet and the other a Blue Stripe Commando. That would give you 12 and 4 points respectively for a total of 170 points. 

    Now play your Spy and you will draw two more cards from your deck. The best thing about this strategy is that almost – not everything, but almost – anything you pull from your deck at this point will give you the remaining 17 points of strength needed for the score requirement. Look at it on a one-card basis then apply the same thought to the two-card draw. If you pull another Trebuchet or Ballista, or even the Dun Banner Medic, that would give you another 12 or 10 points. If you pull a Blue Stripes Commando, that would give you another 12 points. If you pull Dandelion’s card, that would give you an additional 6 points. If you pull a Hero, that would either give you 10 or 15 points. If you pull but another Spy, that’s another two cards you can add to your hand. In short, whatever combination of two cards you pull is going to help you achieve 17+ points easily. 

    It should be noted that the very last card you play out of your hand should be the Clear Weather card. You’ll want to hold onto this one for the final play just in case your opponent used any weather effect cards against you earlier. If they did, don’t panic and play Clear Weather right away! Make sure it’s the last card you play in case they have another weather effect up their sleeve. 

    Now there are a few things that could go wrong with this method, but only one that is worth mentioning. Your opponent may use a Scorch card and destroy your Catapults or Reavers at any time, so you’ll need to be extremely lucky that they don’t have the card in their hand. Another thing to keep in mind is to avoid NPCs who use a Monster deck. This is because the Crones’ and Vampires’ “Muster” ability will seriously hinder your chances to win. Because remember, it’s not just about reaching a strength of 187+ points but you also have to go on to WIN the round in order to unlock the achievement! So with that in mind, feel free to follow this detailed solution and test your luck in Gwent. 

    As mentioned, there are countless other strategies involving other decks and other card combinations, and there are even a few unsaid nuances that may hinder your match due to the game’s AI, but I found this method to be extremely effectively and it was very consistent to pull off when playing. Be patient, play smart, and you’ll have the achievement in no time.

 

Secret achievements

  • I'm Not Kissing That

     

    35

    Kill the prince cursed into a toad.

    (1)

    Story-related, cannot be missed. 

    This achievement will unlock after slaying the monster during the main quest entitled "Evil’s Soft First Touches." 

  • Let the Good Times Roll!

     

    35

    Participate in all the activities at the wedding.

    (2)

    This achievement is obtainable during the quest entitled "Dead's Man Party" and is highly missable.

    Upon reaching the outskirts of the village of Brunwich, you'll meet up with Shani. Together, you'll enter the village and she'll introduce you to the newlyweds. After speaking with the bride and groom, you're now free to roam around and partake in the festivities. There are exactly 10 activities that you'll want to partake in for this achievement. The 4 mandatory activities are indicated by standard, circular objective markers, while the 6 optional activities are represented by a yellow exclamation mark on the mini-map. Make sure to engage in all of the optional activities first, as they are missable if you try to do them after the mandatory events! 

    The first optional activity can be found inside the open barn. Simply stand in front of the stage and Geralt will begin to dance for a bit. The second is also located inside the barn, within an enclosed tent right behind you. Approach the men seated at the table within the tent and interact with the drinks. Now head towards the back of the barn, pass through the open doorway on your left, then climb the ladder to your right. On the second landing, interact with the pillow seats to spark a conversation with Shani. Then head back outside by taking the ladder, and to your right you'll be able to flirt with a woman wearing a purple dress. After she storms off, hitch a left and take a drink at the small table surrounded by two women. Finally, turn around and make your way across the village where you can flirt with another woman seated by the giant oak tree. 

    After you've participated in the 6 optional activities, go ahead and partake in the remaining festivities around the village. These include a mini-quest for the bride's parents, a Gwent match, a little game of "Slip In for a Slipper," and a hog-herding task. These 4 activities are much more involved than the previous batch, but none of them are missable. 

    Once you've experienced all 10 activities, speak with the Man of Glass inside the barn and after a few cutscenes, specifically once Vlodimir has been banished and you are advised to "go have fun with Shani," the achievement will finally unlock. 

  • Shopaholic

     

    35

    Buy all the items put on the block at the Borsodis' Auction House.

    This achievement is obtainable during the quest entitled "Open Sesame!" and is slightly missable. Make sure you have at least 1000 crowns on hand before starting this quest. 

    Upon arriving to the Borsodis' Auction House, you'll meet up with Vimme Vivaldi and head inside the manor. Make an extra save inside the manor right away. Now travel upstairs with the banker, speak with all three of his acquaintances, and then wait for the auction to finally begin. While seated, Vivaldi will ask you if you plan on bidding for items. Respond affirmatively! If you tell him that you'd rather wait in the back, you'll miss this achievement. 

    During each item's auction, you will be on a short timer to raise the bid or back out, allowing your opponents to win the item and thus missing this achievement. Always raise the bid against the other buyers! The first item being auctioned is a Brass Eagle figurine. This will set you back 350 crowns. The second item, a portrait of Starry Night Over the Pontar, will only cost 60 crowns. The third and final item in the auction is a rather stylish pair of spectacles that will go for 350 crowns. After winning all three items, the achievement will unlock. If you messed up along the way, make sure to reload the extra save file that you made earlier.

  • Curator of Nightmares

     

    35

    Recreate all of Iris' nightmares in the Painted World.

    (2)

    This achievement is obtainable during the quest entitled "Scenes From a Marriage" and is highly missable.

    After entering the Painted World (via a cutscene), you will be required to restore all of Iris von Everec's memories in order to progress with the quest. This is done by approaching the still memory and using your Witcher Senses to find clues on how to recreate the scene (such as picking up and placing a misplaced item in a specific spot).

    There are a total of 7 story-related memories that need to be restored (the fountain, the dinner table, the bedroom, the painting studio, Olgierd's study, the estate's cellar, and the dining room). There is also 1 optional, MISSABLEmemory in the courtyard gazebo of the Painted World. 

    The gazebo is located directly ahead of you once you enter the World, so make sure to head there and recreate its memory! Other than that, the remaining 7 memories are all mandatory/story-related and cannot be missed. Once the dining room memory has been restored, this achievement will unlock. 

  • Pacta Sunt Servanda

     

    35

    Finish the "Hearts of Stone" expansion.

    Story-related, cannot be missed. 

    This achievement will unlock after successfully completing the main quest entitled "Whatsoever a Man Soweth..."

  • When It's Many Against One…

     

    50

    Provoke all Iris von Everec's Nightmares into fighting you at the same time and defeat them.

    (7)

    This achievement is obtainable during the quest entitled "Scenes From a Marriage" and is highly missable. 

    Once you restore the final memory inside the estate's dining room, meditate to replenish your supplies and make an extra save file. Now adhere to the spirit's advice and proceed into the parlor. Interact with the note on the table and you'll soon find yourself in a large, fireplace-lit arena, facing off against Iris' greatest fear. You'll notice that there's only one nightmare here to fight, as the other five are in a "dormant state." 

    For the purposes of this achievement, you need to agitate the other five nightmares by casting Igni of them (or striking them). This will "wake them up," forcing you to face off against all six nightmares at once. This can be an incredibly difficulty feat if playing on "Broken Bones" or "Death March!" since the nightmare's are relentless with their whirl-like attack patterns. As a humble recommendation, do not be ashamed to lower the difficulty if you find yourself struggling too much. In terms of the actual fight, it goes without saying that you should prioritize Quen when your stamina allows it, as well as rolling away from your aggressor's attacks and using Thunderbolt Potions, Tawny Owl Potions, and a mixture of both Swallow and White Raffard as well. 

    Once all the nightmares have been slain, you will be transported back to the parlor and the achievement will unlock. If you failed to provoke the additional five nightmares during the fight, make use of that extra save file you made earlier! 

  • Moo-rderer

     

    35

    Kill 20 cows.

    (9)

    This evil task can be accomplished at anytime during your playthrough in Novigrad. Start by heading to Martin Feuille’s Farmsteadin in the Grassy Knolls of Novigrad. From there, head out slightly northeast and you should pass a grange with numerous cows roaming about. There are exactly 16 beautiful, precious cows here that you can kill with ease. 

    After you’ve killed all the cows, go ahead and meditate for 3-4 hours. When you regain control Geralt, all of the cows will have respawned, ready to taste your steel for another time. Slaughter the squadron of cows again and after your 20th moo-der, the achievement will finally unlock. 

    For a visual aid of where this cow infested grange is located, refer to the video guide below. 

  • Rad Steez, Bro!

     

    35

    Slide downhill uninterrupted for at least 10 seconds.

    (8)

    This achievement can be earned in An Skellig. Specifically, you’ll want to travel up to the Place of Power (Quen) on the northwestern tip of the island. If you’ve already been there however, you can use the Yngvar’s Fang fast travel point to reach your destination quickly. 

    Once you’re on the landing of the mountain, turn slightly to your right and you should notice a small walkway, built with stonewalls on either side. Continue down this walkway and the steps along the dirt path will cut off into a steep slope. Move off the path and onto the slope, causing Geralt to slide down the face of the mountainside for approximately 10.1 seconds. When you reach the bottom of the slope, you should be facing the open mouth of a cave and the achievement will unlock.

DLC: Blood and Wine (Store Link)

There are 13 achievements with a total of 500 points

  • The Witcher's Gone South

     

    35

    Travel to the Duchy of Toussaint.

    Story-related, cannot be missed.

    This achievement will unlock after arriving in Toussaint and meeting Goylat the Giant during the main quest entitled "Envoys, Wineboys."

  • Last Action Hero

     

    35

    Be decorated with the Order of Vitis Vinifera.

    Please refer to "Kling of the Clink" for more information.

  • Kling of the Clink

     

    35

    Serve time in Toussaint.

    This achievement, as well as "Last Action Hero," are both missable since they deal with obtaining the different endings of the expansion. Your choice for these diverging paths will begin during "The Night of Long Fangs" and carry on into the "Beyond Hill and Dale..." quest.

    After slaying the Bruxa in "The Night of Long Fangs," you must choose the dialogue choice that reads: "Considering freeing Syanna. Let's talk to Damien." From then on, complete the quests's remaining objectives, making sure to read every single diary entry in the nanny's journal, and you will eventually trigger the "Beyond Hill and Dale..." quest.

    Once in the "fairytale land" during this quest, defeat the Wicked Witch and move on to speak with Joss. After this, you will need to speak with various other fables in order to find three magic beans. Carry on with these objectives but do not speak to the Flint Girl! Make a manual save once the Flint Girl is the sole remaining objective.

    To get "Kling of the Clink," complete the quest without speaking to the Little Flint Girl. This will eventually net the "bad" ending, and the aforementioned achievement. Reload your previous save file whenever you please to work towards the next ending.

    To get "Last Action Hero," speak with the Flint Girl and obtain the Ribbon from her. This can be obtained by winning a match of Gwent or buying it for 500 coins. Now go on to complete the quest and you will in turn receive the "good" ending and this achievement.

    NOTE: There is a second way to obtain the "Last Action Hero" achievement. This is done by choosing to visit the Unseen Elder in "The Night on Long Fangs" rather than choosing to help Syanna. It's an interesting narrative arc and it offers a slightly different ending, however following the method outlined in the guide above ensures you do not have to run a second playthrough for the "bad" ending.

  • A Knight to Remember

     

    35

    Obtain a flawless victory in all the competitions during the knights' tourney.

    (3)

    This achievement is obtained through the lengthy side quest entitled “The Warble of a Smitten Knight” and is slightly missable. It must be done before the main quest entitled "Capture the Castle," or else it will instantly fail.

    “The Warble of a Smitten Knight” will automatically be added to your journal upon completing the main quest, “The Beast of Toussaint.” In it, you will help Guillaume uncover the mystery behind Vivienne all while taking part in the Knights’ Tournament. There are four core competitions in this tourney, a few of which are followed by a short interim for story purposes. Should you choose to enter as Geralt of Rivia, there will be an additional bout - a jousting duel - which acts as the third competition. You must choose to accept this challenge and defeat the Prince to stay on track with the achievement.

    Make sure to create a backup save during the interims. You can use them to fall back should you lose any competitions during the quest. As an added tip, you can choose to practice each of the bouts with Guillaume before signing up so that you know what you’ll be going up against when the time comes.

    Keep in mind that if you lose any of the four/five competitions during the tourney you will fail the achievement’s requirement. On top of that, you must make a specific dialogue choice when speaking to Guillaume in the tent after the "yellow bird" sequence. The choice you’re looking for is: “Wanna finish the tourney." If you don't say this, you'll be kicked out of the tournament.

    Don’t worry about the achievement’s wording on getting a “flawless” or “perfect” victory in each of the four/five competitions. You’ll be fine so long as you win each of them. If guidance is needed for any of the bouts, feel free to utilize PowerPyx’s video guide below.

    The achievement will unlock after the final competition: a 1v1 duel with a large, tank-like Knight.

  • Embodiment of the Five Virtues

     

    35

    Be given Aerondight by the Lady of the Lake.

    This achievement is obtained by completing the side quest entitled “There Can Be Only One” and is highly missable. The quest is triggered by reading the “Test Yourself with the Trials of the Virtues” note on any of the notice boards within the city of Beauclair.

    Once the quest is active, head over to the isle on Lac Celavy and speak with the Hermit. You will learn that in order to gain access to Aerondight you must first display the five chivalric virtues during your stay in Toussaint: Compassion, Generosity, Honor, Valor, and Wisdom.

    Depending on when you choose to tackle this quest, you may have already completed some of the tasks and/or quests that would have already displayed such virtue. There are about three or four instances for each virtue, most of which are usually masked by time and/or ambiguous dialogue choices you must make during certain quests. Make sure to read the inscriptions on the stones near the Hermit in order to get some clues for the virtues you might be missing.

    Please see below for a checklist of the earliest tasks and/or quests you will come across in Toussaint that display each virtue. To view the later, additional opportunities, visit THIS POST.

    Trial of Compassion

    • Main Quest: The Beast of Toussaint
      • After fighting the Shalemaar in the arena, you must decide to spare its life.

    Trial of Generosity

    • Miscellaneous Task: Beauclair
      • After completing "Blood Run," enter the Main Square of Beauclair and a child will deliver a letter to you. Give him 5 crowns for his trouble.

    Trial of Honor

    • Side Quest: The Warble of a Smitten Knight
      • After the horse race, choose to accept the mounted duel against the Rivian Prince and defeat him.

    Trial of Valor

    • Side Quest: The Warble of a Smitten Knight
      • After following the Oriole (yellow bird) into the woods and returning to camp, you must decide to finish the tourney and go on to win.

    Trial of Wisdom

    • Main Quest: La Cage Au Fou
      • Thoroughly explore the Wight's Lair and when hiding in the closet, try to lift the curse instead of attacking the creature.

    As mentioned, there are a few more instances to display each virtue throughout the expansion, but the ones listed above are those in which you will come across the earliest. Once all the trials have been completed, return to the Hermit on Lac Celavy. To reclaim the coveted sword you must first defeat the Hermit in a duel. Afterwards, the Lady of the Lake will appear and award you Aerondight, thus unlocking the achievement.

  • Playing House

     

    35

    Use all available options for developing Corvo Bianco.

    After slaying the Shaelmaar during “The Beast of Toussaint," there will be a lengthy cutscene between Geralt and the Duchess. During this time you will be granted the deed to Corvo Bianco. You can now choose to press on with the subsequent quest (which is quite urgent) or return to Corvo Bianco at once.

    Whenever you decide to revisit the estate, you will trigger a cutscene with your Majordomo, Barnabas-Basil, in the courtyard. This will start the “No Place Like Home” quest. At the end of the vineyard tour Basil will offer his services in renovating the estate. You can now engage in dialogue with him to begin renovations. You will need 14,000 coins total for this achievement.

    Start with the first option: upgrading the house. This will cost 5,000 coins. Next, upgrade the grounds via a grindstone and armorer’s table; each will cost 1,000 coins. Now you will need to meditate three full days in order to see these three upgrades complete.

    Speak with Basil once the primary renovations are complete and you can now purchase the following inner-house and courtyard upgrades:

    • Bed – 1000 coins
    • Weapon Rack – 500 coins
    • Armor Stand – 500 coins
    • Guest Room – 1000 coins
    • Stable – 2000 coins
    • Herb Garden – 2000 coins

    You will need to wait another two full days to see these renovations complete. Once they’re done the achievement will unlock as Corvo Bianco is restored to its former glory.

  • Turned Every Stone

     

    50

    Find all grandmaster diagrams for each witcher school.

     

    This achievement requires you to find all six Grandmaster diagrams to each of the Witcher Schools in the game: Feline, Griffin, Ursine, Wolf, and the brand new Manticore School. You do not need to craft all of these pieces of gear; collecting the diagrams and completing their specific Scavenger Hunts will suffice.

    To trigger each School’s individual Scavenger Hunt, you must speak to the Grandmaster Smith in Beauclair. His shop, Lazare Lafargue’s Workshop, can be found in the southern district of the city, south of The Gran’Palace fast travel signpost and north of the Metinna Gate fast travel signpost. Speaking with him will unveil details on where each School’s Grandmaster diagrams can be found in Toussaint.

    It's worth mentioning that if you actually do desire to craft these Grandmaster gear sets, only Lazare Lafargue will be able to do so at his shop. He is the only merchant in the entire game with the skill level necessary to craft such exquisite gear.

  • I Have a Gwent Problem

     

    50

    Collect all the cards in the Skellige deck.

    (3) 

    In total, there are 43 Gwent cards in the brand new Skellige deck (2 Leaders, 3 Heroes, 32 Units, and 6 Neutrals). Like the base game, Gwent cards can be won by defeating Toussaint Merchants, Traders, and Innkeepers in a match of Gwent. The very first opportunity you'll have to grab a Skellige card is during the quest entitled “The Beast of Toussaint.” After a lengthy cutscene inside the Cockatrice Inn, take a few minutes to play Gwent against the Innkeeper.

    After winning his card, it will trigger a quest entitled "Gwent: Never Fear, Skellige's Here." This quest will help you track 18 more cards because it places persistent objective markers over every possible Merchant/Innkeeper you can win a card from across Toussaint.

    In addition to this, the quest’s secondary objective will bring you to Beauclair, specifically Count Monnier, the creator of the Skellige faction deck. Speak with him about his Gwent Tournament and refuse his offer to enter the tourney for now. He will hand over a base Skellige deck with 24 cards. You can return to him at anytime in order to enter his tourney, though take note only Skellige decks are allowed so it’s best to hold off on entering until your deck is complete.

    All in all, once the entire “Gwent: Never Fear, Skellige's Here” quest has been completed, this achievement will unlock.

  • Dressed to Kill

     

    35

    Unlock the bonus for equipping all the witcher gear elements from one School.

    New to Blood and Wine is the mechanic of "Witcher Gear Elements." These bonuses are passive buffs obtained in one of two ways. To gain a lesser bonus element, you must equip at least three pieces of a single Witcher gear set. However, if all six pieces of one gear set are equipped, you will receive a second, more powerful bonus element.

    These element bonuses can only be obtained with the Grandmaster variants of each School - Feline, Griffin, Manticore, Ursine, and Wolf. On top of this, you must be a Level 40 in order to equip Grandmaster gear, and remember, only the Grandmaster Smith in Beauclair can craft this gear.

    Take a look below for each School's lesser and greater bonuses. Once you equip a full Grandmaster set, this achievement will unlock.

    Feline Set

    • Three: Strong Attacks increase Fast Attacks for 5 seconds by 10% for each piece of the set.
    • Six: Rear attacks deal 50% more damage, and also stun opponents at the cost of 1 Adrenaline Point(s).

    Griffin Set

    • Three: After using Stamina to cast a Sign in its standard mode, the next Sign cast within 3 seconds will be cast in Standard mode without using Stamina
    • Six: The size of Yrden traps is increased by 40%. While you are within a Yrden trap, Stamina regeneration is increase by 5/s and Sign Intensity by 100%, and damage is reduced by 20%.

    Manticore Set

    • Three: Critical hit chance and critical hit damage also apply to bombs.
    • Six: The maximum number of charges for each alchemy item is increased by 1.

    Ursine Set

    • Three: When a Quen shield shatters, there is a chance a new one will be cast at no Stamina cost. The bonus increased by 5% for each piece of the set.
    • Six: Damage dealt by Abilities involving the Quen Sign is increased by 200%.

    Wolven Set

    • Three: Up to three different oils can be applied to a sword at a time.
    • Six: Bombs are thrown without any delay.

    Once all six pieces to one Grandmaster Witcher gear set are equipped, the achievement will unlock.

  • Weapon "W"

     

    35

    Develop a mutation.

    Development of mutations can only begin once you have completed the side quest entitled "Turn and Face the Strange." This side quest occurs early on in the expansion once the main quest "Blood Run" has been completed. After said quest, on your way through Beauclair, a messenger boy will approach you with a letter. Read the letter to find there was once a scientist in Toussaint researching Witcher Mutations, thus triggering "Turn and Face the Strange."

    At the end of this quest, you will receive a short tutorial on how mutations can be developed and used. In short, mutations are researched by using unspent Ability Points and Greater Mutagens. There are 12 in total, the most basic of which require 2 Ability Points and 2 Greater Mutagens (the Mutagen color depends on the Mutations being researched). The more advanced, hybrid mutations will require a greater amount of Ability Points and Mutagens.

    Once you have researched at least one mutation, this achievement will unlock.

 

Secret achievements

  • The Grapes of Wrath Stomped

     

    35

    Help unite the warring vineyards and have a wine named in your honor.

    (1)

    This achievement is quite involved and is highly missable. You can begin working towards it once you read the “Wine Wars” note on the notice board outside the Cockatrice Inn. This will trigger the “Wine Wars: Belgaard” quest. Follow the objective to the auction house near Plegmund’s Bridge and it will trigger a cutscene with Liam Coronata and Matilda Vermentino.

    Liam will give you the “Wine Wars: Coronata” quest and Matilda will give you the “Wine Wars: Vementino” quest. Start with Matilda’s quest and when you reach the objective that contains the elegant letter guarded by Archespores, kill the beasts, read the letter, and then halt progress on this quest immediately.

    Switch your quest to “Wine Wars: Coronata” and work through the objectives until you reach another letter. Read it and a new quest will trigger; it's called “Wine Wars: The Deus in the Machina.” Switch over to this quest right away and begin working on it. If you progress any further with either of the previous Wine Wars quests, you will miss the achievement (see note below).

    After completing the main objective of “Wine Wars: The Deus in the Machina,” return to Liam and Matilda and they will give you a new quest: “Wine Wars: Consorting.” Complete this quest and return to Liam and Matilda once you’re done to receive the next quest: “Wine Wars: Belgraad.” Complete this quest as you normally would and once the five objectives have been completed, meditate for three full days and then go see Liam and Matilda in their new estate.

    When you return, they will reward you generously (they name a wine after you - take your pick as to its name) and the achievement will finally unlock.

    NOTE: This achievement is missable because if you fully complete either Liam’s or Matilda’s individual Wine Wars quest, only one of them receive Belgraad vineyard and you won’t have a wine named after you. Thus, make sure to stop progress on both “Wine Wars: Coronata” and “Wine Wars: Vermentino” after reading the letter in each quest.

  • Hasta la Vista™

     

    50

    Kill a frozen opponent with a crossbow bolt.

    (4)

    Before attempting this achievement, you will need to prep yourself with all the right equipment. That includes both Northern Wind bombs (of any variant) and a crossbow and bolts of any type. Additionally, this is best done against a human enemy, preferably one that is on his own rather than part of a mob.

    To start, equip the Northern Wind bomb and use it against your foe in combat. Their health should be considerably low before you attempt to freeze them with the bomb. Once they're stuck in the ice, switch over to your crossbow and manually aim the crosshair over their head. You’ll need a single bolt to deal the finishing blow because if the bolt does not kill them, they will thaw from the ice.

    This achievement can be done against any enemy in the game, from those in Toussaint to Velen and Skellige, but try focusing on an isolated human enemy, or even low level wolves in White Orchard, for the best success. The lower the enemy’s level, the easier it will be since you won't have to take their health down with your swords.

  • David and Golyat

     

    35

    Kill Golyat with a crossbow bolt to his eye.

    (6)

    After arriving in Toussaint, you will immediately run into your first boss of the expansion, Golyat. This giant has a wooden barrel over his head/face for protection and a large hammer-like weapon that he swings violently around the field. Treat him as you would any other large foe: dodge and roll away from his attacks, which are much like that of a Golem/Elemental.

    Once you can position yourself at a distance, you will need to use your crossbow to score a shot at the small opening in the front of his wooden mask-helmet. If aimed correctly it will instantly kill the giant, regardless of how much health he has remaining. While not necessary, the "Lightening Reflexes" skill in the Combat tree may help in this setup as it slows down time by 45% when aiming the crossbow.

    If Golyat happens to die from your allies or by any other means, be sure to reload your latest autosave to try again.

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