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In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the creature’s individual Bestiary entry is the final authority on how to fight it. Check that entry before a contract, read its vulnerabilities and immunities, match the oil and sword to the health-bar cue, then equip the listed Sign, bomb, or potion. Class rules are useful defaults, but named monsters can break them.
How to read a monster’s weaknesses
The Bestiary is more useful than a generic list of monster types because it describes the exact creature Geralt is about to face. Open the entry from the pause menu and look for three things: vulnerabilities, immunities, and the recommended tools. A class-level rule can point you in the right direction, but the named entry takes priority whenever the two conflict.
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Start with the health-bar sword cue
A grey health bar normally means the target is a monster and calls for a silver sword. A red health bar normally means a human or wild animal and calls for steel. Treat this as a fast in-combat check, not an unbreakable law: the Bestiary can identify exceptions, and one notable example is the Beast of Beauclair, which uses a silver-sword exception despite belonging to the beast family.
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Most monsters can be prepared for through their class. Beasts generally use steel and Beast Oil, while nearly every other monster class uses silver and the oil associated with that class. The entry may then add a more important instruction, such as a bomb that stops regeneration, a Sign that reveals an ethereal body, or a potion that counters poison. When a class suggestion and an individual entry disagree, follow the entry.
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Steel or silver: choosing the right sword
Geralt carries two swords because the game divides his opponents into broad categories. Use the health-bar color to make the initial choice, then confirm it against the entry if the creature is unusual. Selecting the wrong blade lowers the value of every other preparation, because the correct oil and sword are intended to work together.
| Combat cue | Normal sword | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Grey health bar | Silver | Monster entry and any named exception |
| Red health bar | Steel | Whether the target is a human, wild animal, or an unusual encounter |
Do not infer the sword only from appearance. A cursed or magically altered creature may look humanoid while still requiring the monster setup. The health bar and Bestiary entry are more reliable than visual guesses.
Oils: the class-based starting point
Apply the oil before contact whenever possible. The class oil is an efficient default because it narrows preparation to the creature family, but it is not a substitute for reading the entry. The table below combines the default sword and oil with the most useful counters identified for each class.
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|---|---|---|
| Beasts | Usually steel and Beast Oil | Bears list Quen; wolves and dogs mainly need steel and oil; the Beast of Beauclair is a silver-sword exception. |
| Cursed Ones | Silver and Cursed Oil | Moon Dust suppresses werewolf regeneration. Devil’s Puffball and Igni recur against werewolves and Ulfhedinn. |
| Draconids | Silver and Draconid Oil | Aard can ground flyers; Grapeshot is common; Golden Oriole helps against poison spitters such as basilisks and wyverns. |
| Elementa | Silver and Elementa Oil | Dimeritium is the recurring counter for elementals and golems. Northern Wind, Quen, Igni, or Axii vary by entry. |
| Hybrids | Silver and Hybrid Oil | Grapeshot is common. Aard grounds griffins and many flyers; sirens and melusines also list Igni. |
| Insectoids | Silver and Insectoid Oil | Golden Oriole is common against poisonous spiders and endregas. Yrden helps against giant centipedes and pale widows; kikimores list White Honey and Igni. |
| Necrophages | Silver and Necrophage Oil | Igni helps against drowners and some wights; Moon Dust helps foglets; Black Blood appears against grave hags. Rotfiends explode near death. |
| Ogroids | Silver and Ogroid Oil | Quen absorbs heavy blows from trolls and giants. Northern Wind appears against nekkers and Hagubman; Dancing Star and Igni appear for Cloud Giant. |
| Relicts | Silver and Relict Oil | Devil’s Puffball is listed for chorts and fiends. Dimeritium plus Igni recurs against leshens, spriggans, and woodland spirits; Aard and Samum help shaelmaars. |
| Specters | Silver and Specter Oil | Yrden is the core tool for materializing wraiths; Moon Dust keeps many specters visible. Ethereal lists Blizzard, and hymns list Igni. |
| Vampires | Silver and Vampire Oil | Moon Dust and Yrden pin phasing vampires. Black Blood punishes bites; Igni appears against higher vampires and some ekimmaras. |
Signs that matter most against monsters
Signs are situational rather than universal damage buttons. The Bestiary’s listed Sign should determine your first choice, while the following priorities provide a practical fallback when several enemies are active.
Quen for safe openings
Quen is the safest general defensive Sign. Cast it before entering a group, especially when a monster can stagger Geralt or land a heavy single hit. Bears, trolls, giants, and other hard-hitting opponents make the shield particularly valuable. Recast it after the shield breaks instead of trying to trade repeated blows.
Igni for fire-vulnerable targets
Igni pressures enemies whose entries list fire. It appears repeatedly for werewolves, sirens, melusines, drowners, wights, kikimores, higher vampires, ekimmaras, leshens, and other creatures depending on the individual entry. Fire is not a blanket solution: immunities can make it ineffective, so check the entry before relying on it.
Yrden for speed and phasing
Yrden slows fast enemies and makes ethereal enemies tangible. It is the defining tool against wraiths and remains important against specters and phasing vampires. Place the trap where the enemy must cross it, then fight inside its area instead of chasing a target that can disappear or reposition.
Aard and Axii for control
Aard can ground flyers, making it valuable against griffins, wyverns, basilisks, and other airborne threats. Axii can create a stun opening when the entry lists it or when a target is vulnerable to a brief control effect. Neither Sign should override an immunity listed for the specific creature.
Bombs and potions: match the problem, not the class name
The most useful consumable is the one that answers the monster’s special behavior. Several classes share a bomb, but for different reasons.
- Moon Dust: suppresses werewolf regeneration, keeps many specters visible, and helps pin phasing vampires.
- Devil’s Puffball: recurs against werewolves, Ulfhedinn, chorts, and fiends.
- Grapeshot: commonly appears for draconids and hybrids, including flying targets.
- Dimeritium: is the recurring counter for elementals and golems and appears against leshens, spriggans, and woodland spirits.
- Golden Oriole: helps against poison spitters, poisonous spiders, and endregas.
- Black Blood: punishes bites from vampires and appears against grave hags.
- Northern Wind: is listed against nekkers and Hagubman and can create control opportunities in the right encounter.
- White Honey: appears in kikimore preparation, alongside Igni.
- Samum: helps against shaelmaars, together with Aard.
- Dancing Star: appears in the Cloud Giant setup, alongside Igni.
Do not throw a bomb simply because it belongs to the monster’s class. Read whether the entry wants damage, visibility, regeneration suppression, poison protection, or crowd control, then carry that item into the fight.
How to prepare for a contract
- Open the Bestiary entry. Read the creature’s vulnerabilities and immunities before leaving for the fight.
- Confirm the sword. Use the grey-versus-red health-bar cue, then check the entry for an exception such as the Beast of Beauclair.
- Apply the class oil. Start with Beast, Cursed, Draconid, Elementa, Hybrid, Insectoid, Necrophage, Ogroid, Relict, Specter, or Vampire Oil as appropriate.
- Override the default only with a reason. A named creature’s entry can make a specific Sign, bomb, or potion more important than the generic class setup.
- Equip the listed tools. Put the recommended Sign and bomb on the quick-access slots and drink the relevant potion before engagement when the encounter allows it.
- Choose the battlefield. Avoid starting in a doorway, against a wall, or in the middle of unrelated enemies. Leave room to dodge and to place Yrden or Quen.
- Recheck after the first exchange. If the monster ignores a supposed weakness or an immunity is apparent, stop spending charges and return to the entry rather than repeating the same attack.
Combat tactics that work across monster types
Strike briefly, then reset
Monsters are less suited to parry-focused play than human opponents. Land a short sequence, then dodge or roll out before the creature’s counterattack. Keeping enemies in front of Geralt prevents a second monster from hitting during a recovery animation.
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Use space against groups
When several creatures surround Geralt, Quen buys time to reposition. Move toward open ground, place Yrden where a fast or ethereal enemy must pass, and avoid pursuing a target into the rest of the group. A controlled retreat is safer than repeated trades.
Ground flyers before chasing them
Aard is more valuable against a flying draconid or hybrid when it creates a grounded target than when it is cast merely for chip damage. Once the creature lands, use the oil and bomb listed in its entry, then return to dodging rather than standing underneath a takeoff animation.
Respect death effects
Rotfiends explode near death. Stop attacking when the creature reaches that phase, retreat beyond the blast, and resume only after the detonation. The same principle applies to any entry that warns of a special death or transformation behavior: the final few hits can be more dangerous than the opening exchange.
Specific answers for common monsters
Wraiths and other specters
Use silver and Specter Oil. Cast Yrden to make an ethereal wraith tangible, and use Moon Dust when the entry lists it to keep a specter visible. The entry for ethereal creatures lists Blizzard, while hymns list Igni, so do not assume one Sign or bomb covers every specter.
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Use silver and Cursed Oil. Moon Dust is the key anti-regeneration tool; Devil’s Puffball and Igni also recur in their preparation. If regeneration resumes, stop trading sword blows and reapply the listed counter before continuing.
Griffins, sirens, and melusines
These are hybrids, so start with silver, Hybrid Oil, and Grapeshot when listed. Aard can ground griffins and other flyers. Sirens and melusines also list Igni, making fire pressure useful after they are brought within reach.
Elementals and golems
Use silver and Elementa Oil, then prepare Dimeritium. The individual entry may add Northern Wind, Quen, Igni, or Axii. Because their attacks are heavy, keep Quen available and avoid standing still for a long attack string.
Vampires
Use silver and Vampire Oil. Moon Dust and Yrden address phasing, while Black Blood punishes bites. Igni appears for higher vampires and some ekimmaras; follow the named entry rather than assuming every vampire shares the same fire weakness.
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Resistances, immunities, and exceptions
A listed weakness is an invitation to use a tool, not a promise that every hit will stagger or burn the target. Immunities explain why a familiar Sign or bomb may appear to do nothing. The Bestiary also accounts for named encounters that violate class expectations, such as a beast requiring silver. If a setup fails, verify the creature’s exact name, not just its visual category.
Keep a distinction between resistance and immunity in practical terms. Resistance means the tool may still contribute but is less efficient; immunity means you should stop spending time and charges on it. The entry’s wording is the deciding evidence, and the health-bar cue remains the fastest way to catch a sword mistake during combat.
“The key to success in monster hunting is preparation, and knowing your enemy will make all the difference.”
PlayStation beginner guide, quoted by iTechGuides Team (2026)
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A compact decision checklist
- Have I opened the exact Bestiary entry?
- Does the health bar call for silver or steel?
- Which class oil applies, and does the named entry override it?
- Is the target vulnerable to Quen, Igni, Yrden, Aard, or Axii?
- Does it regenerate, phase, fly, spit poison, bite, or explode?
- Which bomb or potion directly answers that behavior?
- Where can I dodge, and how will I keep every enemy in front of Geralt?
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