Swordsman Build

[evilbunz]

Swordsman Build

I am about to start my first playthrough today on normal. I finished Witcher 1 and have been reading through the Prima guide in my spare time before I start the game. I want to know what is the best swordsman build in the game. The guide lists a pure generic one with all points in that tree, but also mentions I can change it by getting quen in magic tree and some from alchemy but it doesn't give you a proper build.

Does anyone know what a good build would be for a first time player (mainly focused around swordsman tree)?

 

[kickserve]

If you want sheer effectiveness, tech to the group finishers and max out the roll, (although this can get old after a while). Also, be sure to fill in the ones that allow Geralt not to take 200% damage in the back.

 

[GuyNwah]

On the Swordsmanship tree, there are three ways to climb the tree early on.

One way goes through Violence and Whirl, another through Schemer and Tough Guy, another through Guard and Tough Guy.

The way through Violence and Whirl is the best. Especially at harder difficulty levels, your ability to do a lot of damage quickly, especially to multiple opponents, is very important. Whirl is more effective than any other swordsmanship skill at this.

 

[evilbunz]

Can you explain it in detail like I haven't played the game before so idk what any of that means. Is there a link to a full build guide that I can use including where I put training tree points.

 

[GuyNwah]

Costin Moroianu did an excellent Insane mode build here: http://en.thewitcher.com/forum/index.php?/topic/30367-insane-skill-and-potion-guide/

In general, this game isn't that heavily dependent on your character build. It's more dependent on how well you play your character in preparation for battle and in action. Know your enemies, know their strengths and weaknesses as well as you know your own, and know and use the grounds on which you do battle. An unprepared Witcher is soon a dead Witcher.

Remember, you have to take your first six points in the Training tree. Costin explains this very well; read and understand what he wrote. The main objectives in the Training tree are the ability to parry and that third Vigor point. Small increases in Vitality aren't very useful, especially on higher difficulties, where enemies that you allow to get the better of you will one-hit you into Game Over. Dagger throwing and deflecting arrows aren't as useful as you might think they'd be.

After that, you want to spend talents in two ways:

* To reach the top of one skill tree (for example, Swordsmanship) quickly.

* To acquire important low-level skills in all of the trees.

For example, if I'm developing a swordsman, I won't put all my talents in the Swordsmanship tree; I'll use 3 to 5 of them to get both levels of Enhanced Aard, one or both levels of Alchemist (enhances bombs and traps), and maybe a level of Enhanced Quen.

And in the Swordsmanship tree, I'll start with the three basic skills (at least one level each of Position, Riposte, and Footwork), then climb the tree in the order Violence, Whirl, Hardy, Finesse, Invincible, Combat Acumen, Whirlwind.

 

[Zhijn]

This my build (level 16, hard mode ACT 2), purely sword.
Iv only spend one point on each skill atm to reach the max level faster.

Now it just a matter of picking what skill to upgrade to 2/2, after that ill be heading into the magic tree. I certainly wont bother with Quen (nerfed!) so might max Aard/Yrden or just go straight for the heliotrope sign, ah choices choices!.

I didnt bother with roll tbh.

 

[lucashf3]

I played the game 2 times so far when I played on easy I developed the magic path, on medium the swordmanship and now I'm playing it on hard trying to see the berserker mode xD but an advise is that if you develope the swordmanship spend a few talents on the enhance quen sign that is truly usefull
Ps: I apologise for my english but I'm from argentina and I'm learning xD

 

[evilbunz]

Costin Moroianu did an excellent Insane mode build here: http://en.thewitcher.com/forum/index.php?/topic/30367-insane-skill-and-potion-guide/

In general, this game isn't that heavily dependent on your character build. It's more dependent on how well you play your character in preparation for battle and in action. Know your enemies, know their strengths and weaknesses as well as you know your own, and know and use the grounds on which you do battle. An unprepared Witcher is soon a dead Witcher.

Remember, you have to take your first six points in the Training tree. Costin explains this very well; read and understand what he wrote. The main objectives in the Training tree are the ability to parry and that third Vigor point. Small increases in Vitality aren't very useful, especially on higher difficulties, where enemies that you allow to get the better of you will one-hit you into Game Over. Dagger throwing and deflecting arrows aren't as useful as you might think they'd be.

After that, you want to spend talents in two ways:

* To reach the top of one skill tree (for example, Swordsmanship) quickly.

* To acquire important low-level skills in all of the trees.

For example, if I'm developing a swordsman, I won't put all my talents in the Swordsmanship tree; I'll use 3 to 5 of them to get both levels of Enhanced Aard, one or both levels of Alchemist (enhances bombs and traps), and maybe a level of Enhanced Quen.

And in the Swordsmanship tree, I'll start with the three basic skills (at least one level each of Position, Riposte, and Footwork), then climb the tree in the order Violence, Whirl, Hardy, Finesse, Invincible, Combat Acumen, Whirlwind.

this guide was perfect..... I just don't like him putting so many points in alchemy can I choose to replace them with more in swordsman tree?? I will be playing on normal so it won't make it harder for me to beat the game if i do that?

 

[GuyNwah]

this guide was perfect..... I just don't like him putting so many points in alchemy can I choose to replace them with more in swordsman tree?? I will be playing on normal so it won't make it harder for me to beat the game if i do that?

Sure. You can play just fine as a pure swordsman on Normal, without much difficulty. You have to note that his build is for Insane mode. You can't be a purist in Insane mode; it's better to be a bats**t-crazy killing machine to survive, and high-level Alchemy talents such as Metathesis give huge bonuses to firepower.