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Utilized by Geralt of Rivia throughout The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, each Sign has its own use in combat against monsters and men alike. Casters must perform a complex finger motion to create the desired effect. Considered a simple casting by the more powerful sorcerers, Signs are incredibly useful for the less adept Witchers. From the fiery Igni to the protective Quen, these Signs have an important role in a Witcher’s daily life. But which is the best Witcher Sign?
Updated January 10, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: The Witcher 3 is considered by many to be one of the greatest open-world RPGs ever made, and for good reason. CD Projekt Red truly threw everything but the kitchen sink into the production of this title, and it shows in each and every facet of its wonderful open-world, action-packed story, and fun combat. There aren’t many games like The Witcher 3 out there, and any fan of fantasy open-world titles should definitely check it out. A big part of The Witcher 3’s gameplay is the various Signs that Geralt can use in battle. There are five signs present in The Witcher 3 that Geralt can whip out in a battle to absolutely obliterate his enemies. While their effectiveness in-game can vary quite a bit, there’s no denying that each of these Signs can be quite fun to use in their own right if the player casts them at appropriate times in The Witcher 3.
5 Quen
Possibly overlooked by many, Quen provides the best protection out of all the Witcher Signs. The Sign is recognizable by its yellow glow and geometric backward nine symbol. In its base version, a quick application of Quen covers Geralt in a protective layer of magic. Quen can stop a single hit or more as it is upgraded.
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The best version of the Sign however is the Active Shield upgrade. This allows Geralt to have a constant bubble shield around him. While the shield is active Geralt can move and attacks against him are blocked, returning vitality to him with each hit. As the bubble takes damage it drains stamina, but its protective nature allows for great survivability in any combat situation.
All Quen Upgrades
4 Aard
Aard is a strong telekinetic blast that can stumble and knockdown enemies. A light blue triangle bursting from Geralt’s hand can stop an enemy in their tracks. A quick blast can stop a sword swing before it hits. Or it can create a small opening in the middle of battle.
Upgrading Aard further can make it extremely useful against humans and smaller monsters. Aard is the Witcher Sign that is the best at knocking an enemy down and allowing for a quick finisher. It can get a little tricky though as Aard will extinguish any torches and hilariously throw any loose items across the room.
All Aard Upgrades
3 Yrden
Yrden is the best Sign for any Witcher fighting a specter. Yrden features a purple glow and an hourglass symbol. Yrden is placed on the ground surrounding Geralt. Any enemy who steps inside is slowed. With future upgrades, Yrden can damage enemies and destroy projectiles as they enter. The important aspect of Yrden is the vulnerability it gives to specters.
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Attacking specters outside of Yrden yields little damage, but specters inside take more damage as they become material. While Yrden is a decent Sign, it is not the best. Its main use is against specters, an enemy type that doesn’t come up all the time. When specters do arrive, a single casting of Yrden is enough to take care of most if not all of them.
All Yrden Upgrades
2 Igni
Probably the most recognizable Sign of the five, Igni allows Witchers to send out a spout of flame and is the best Sign for dealing damage. Great for crowd control, however, this Sign is a bit underwhelming at lower levels. The flames are nice, able to set enemies aflame, but the overall damage isn’t much against larger targets. Applying some upgrades makes Igni a lot better.
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The Melt Armor upgrade path allows Igni to permanently decrease an enemy’s armor. A highly armored enemy such as a troll or giant can be made less threatening with a few quick applications of Igni. Their damage may still be high, but the ability to quickly break their defense is great in battle. This also applies to human enemies.
All Igni Upgrades
1 Axii
Mainly a conversational Sign, Axii excels outside of combat as well. This Sign is recognized by its light green color and upside-down triangle. During combat, Axii is used to confuse a target, opening them up for an attack. Alternatively, it can be used to calm Geralt’s horse. It’s particularly useful while fighting alghouls, as the spines across their back can be nullified by using Axii on them.
The best use of the Axii Witcher Sign is as a way to convince NPCs to help you in some way. Upgrading Axii will increase the likelihood of the Sign working properly. It can be used to lower a price while shopping, convince soldiers to leave you alone, or for getting information out of an unwilling witness. Axii is not only useful for letting Geralt get what he wants but it also rewards a decent amount of experience points when the Sign works.
All Axii Upgrades
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and Nintendo Switch.
