Parts of the game you didn't find yourself using.

[RageGT]

i never used axii for the alghouls to hide their spikes, it's a very very interesting use for this sign, i just did not need it,
this can be further developed in the expansion, new monster that need to be fought using axii

Well, in DM those spikes reflect damage and stagger Geralt! It's so much easier with axii on them! Also, some new monsters in HoS are almost made to be axii'ed!

Spoiler

stupid black spiders - hit and run but when I get them axii'ed, long enough for 1 hit, then they can't run anymore! =)

 

[cyberpunkforever]

never used axii to control anemies as puppets

 

[WolfsbaneDK]

I find myself using Quen almost exclusively. Aard only for doors, axii only for alghouls on DM.
Everyone loves Igni, and yes it looks cool, I just forget to use it lol.

For my first playthrough I used Ursine armor so I only ever had stamina for Quen, so not really any other signs being used.

Now that I play on DM, I use a few more: axii for alghouls, Yrden for wraiths if there are a lot of them (I find these REALLY hard on DM, don't know why, I just suck lol).

Crossbow only for underwater, occasionally for flying monsters, especially sirens and harpies (damn I hate those).

Counterattack I use occasionally with humans.

I NEVER DODGE. I just roll. Don't ask why. I guess the space bar is just more easily accessed and feels more natural. I only EVER dogde in fist fights, and I only completed them to get the Steam achievments on my first playthrough.
On all other playthroughs I didn't fist fight because I actually just don't like it, I don't find it fun, just frustrating.
Other than that, no dodging.

Never used decoctions - then I started playing on DM! Yup, I need them now haha. Doing an alchemy build and they are extremely powerfull, it's a lot of fun playing with decoctions actually. I'm glad I tried it out, after not using a single one during first playthrough.

Oils I use religiously. It's just a cool feature and free damage.

 

[KoalafiedKiller]

I use pretty much everything, but there's only a very limited number of decoctions I actually use. I like noon wraith (no blind, stun, hypnosis, and quick recovery from knock down), chort (can block monster attacks), katakan (helps with fast/Feline builds), and arachas (again, helps for Feline builds). I hardly touch the other ones. And I rarely use Black Blood.

I like the crossbow with broad head bolts because it stops monster health regen (like werewolves) and causes some damage at the same time (versus moon dust which only stops the regen).

Horse combat isn't that useful in vanilla but becomes very useful with some difficulty mods put in place. Fighting on Roach was the only way I could kill the Crones' fiend.

 

[WolvenGear]

Fistfighting contests really are the worst. Just pointless. Horse races too.

Maybe it would be better if they mixed it up a bit. Those horse-races could be interesting if they added them into the missions like they do with Ciri/baron.

 

[pithikos]

Well, in DM those spikes reflect damage and stagger Geralt! It's so much easier with axii on them! Also, some new monsters in HoS are almost made to be axii'ed!

Spoiler

stupid black spiders - hit and run but when I get them axii'ed, long enough for 1 hit, then they can't run anymore! =)

Yrden is more effective vs those fast ones. Cast it and let them catch you in their web they will then rush you but as soon as they try to hit you inside yrden they will be paralysed (they are the only monsters that I encountered that get fully paralysed instead of slowed down when caught in standard yrden

 

[ThatBoy]

I find Yrden rather unnecessary. I find that it almost prolongs combat that could be over sooner.

Igni is probably the best I reckon

 

[essenthy]

ther's some stuff, but not because they where badly designed, but because the game is rather too easy and render them useless, alchemy and runes for examples ( and even gear upgrade at some extent ) are utterly useless, at no point i felt necessary to use any of that , i even finished my first rune of the game withe KM starting armor set, the higher stats on the other gear wasnt even worthwhile ( ironically it look better than 80% of higher end gear too )

some would argue that one could play at higher difficulty, but i think that doing that just to make big parts of the game mechanic " usable " is broken , i shouldn't need to play at higher difficulty to use alchemy, somehow they gave us too much freedom, doing whatever we want whenever we want wherever we want

i wish i was forced a little bit to use alchemy and runes and stuff like that, even gear upgrade, the mechanics are good but badly introduced or not at all to the player experience

 

[Cs__sz__r]

I'm guilty of rarely touching decoctions. I've used a handful at most while having crafted a lot of them.

I also didn't think I'd use signs as much just because I went into the last two games with a W1 mentality: Signs are useless except the occasional aard.

I've slowly acclamated myself to use them all sparingly now.

Also never touch counter attacks except by accident.

And never the crossbow unless I'm in an underwater section that basically requires it. Meaning I have to go to my storage and then go back.

 

[M4xw0lf]

I'm guilty of rarely touching decoctions. I've used a handful at most while having crafted a lot of them.

I also didn't think I'd use signs as much just because I went into the last two games with a W1 mentality: Signs are useless except the occasional aard.

I've slowly acclamated myself to use them all sparingly now.

Also never touch counter attacks except by accident.

And never the crossbow unless I'm in an underwater section that basically requires it. Meaning I have to go to my storage and then go back.

On what difficulty? Especially the signs and counter attacks are pretty much obligatory on death march... and decoctions make your life certainly easier. I use all that stuff.

 

[Sunsibar]

On what difficulty? Especially the signs and counter attacks are pretty much obligatory on death march... and decoctions make your life certainly easier. I use all that stuff.

I think I never used counters in my death march tour (or any other tour), rarely even block ??? But without signs and decotions it can be quite impossible

 

[M4xw0lf]

I think I never used counters in my death march tour (or any other tour), rarely even block ???

But those annoying shield bearers... overheating their shields with igni firestream takes quite long and leaves you exposed to attacks. Counter attacking often knocks them down, giving you the opportunity to insta-finish them.

 

[Sunsibar]

But those annoying shield bearers... overheating their shields with igni firestream takes quite long and leaves you exposed to attacks. Counter attacking often knocks them down, giving you the opportunity to insta-finish them.

I just used axii on them, or made them fight against other enemies But yes, they were annoying.

 

[arkhenon]

overheating their shields with igni firestream takes quite long

But it's glorious to deep-fry idiots who think that they can take on a Witcher, no? Or am I just a pyromaniac?..

 

[M4xw0lf]

But it's glorious to deep-fry idiots who think that they can take on a Witcher, no? Or am I just a pyromaniac?..

But it's less glorious to be clubbed to death by two or three other thugs, while trying to deep-fry one.

 

[Garrison72]

I'm guilty of rarely touching decoctions. I've used a handful at most while having crafted a lot of them.

I also didn't think I'd use signs as much just because I went into the last two games with a W1 mentality: Signs are useless except the occasional aard.

I've slowly acclamated myself to use them all sparingly now.

Also never touch counter attacks except by accident.

And never the crossbow unless I'm in an underwater section that basically requires it. Meaning I have to go to my storage and then go back.

Decoctions can be crazy powerful and fun to play with. Some have very practical effects like the Werewolf one that gives you unlimited stamina. They're the only long term alchemy buffs as well, which make them seem like a design element inspired by the previous games.

 

[pithikos]

But those annoying shield bearers... overheating their shields with igni firestream takes quite long and leaves you exposed to attacks. Counter attacking often knocks them down, giving you the opportunity to insta-finish them.

lock aim them and throw a grapeshot it ll make drop their shield instantly

 

[M4xw0lf]

lock aim them and throw a grapeshot it ll make drop their shield instantly

Aha, there we are: I hardly use bombs in combat. ^^

 

[Cs__sz__r]

On what difficulty? Especially the signs and counter attacks are pretty much obligatory on death march... and decoctions make your life certainly easier. I use all that stuff.

Death march. I didn't realise how great axii is until I did new game plus death march. I parry at least.

So what you're saying is, is that I'm amazing at the game?

@Garrison72 I've messed around them some, I definitely know they're useful, I just never bother I suppose.

 

[M4xw0lf]

So what you're saying is, is that I'm amazing at the game?

Obviously But also that you're missing lots of fun stuff to mess around with.