In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Geralt wields many types of steel swords that can be obtained either as loot or as a reward for finishing a quest. There are many good swords that can benefit the user one way or another, depending on how they would like to play. However, this vast selection can sometimes be confusing to select from, thus worrying players. To help you, this guide will make the job of selecting the best steel swords in Witcher 3 for all types of gameplay easier.
There is a wide range of swords, some available initially while others are available later in the game. Some may not be possible to find after a certain point, so be aware of that. Here is our list of best Witcher 3 Steel Swords if you will play the game in 2024 and beyond.
Mourner
Starting with a basic steel sword, Mourner, which has a good damage range along with effects for armor piercing, Yrden and critical hit damage. This one proves to be a useful investment for early game fights in Witcher 3, battles with humans or non-humans, as it helps a lot in inflicting considerable damage.
To get this blade, you would’ve to depend on looking for bandits present on the bridge to Lindenvale. They can be easily spotted looting the soldiers’ corpses. Defeat them all and one of them would have the Mourner Sword on him. You’ll also get a lot of loot other than swords if you choose to fight. If not, you can buy it from them for a little over 525 crowns.
Make sure you reach the bridge from Lindenvale’s side, as only then will the cutscene start with the bandits. If you come from Mulbrydale’s side, you won’t find the bandits.
| Required Level | Console Command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight | Effects |
| 4 | additem(‘Mourner’) | 3 | Relic | 62-76 | 2.51 | +1 – 20 Armor piercing +4 – 10% Yrden Sign intensity +5 – 22% Critical hit damage bonus +1 – 2% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans |
Ard’aenye
If you want to go for a fire or Igni based build, this steel sword can complement your build at different levels. It increases the effect of Igni attack, a spell used by the Witcher that casts a flame. This aids in combat for damaging the enemy, potentially burning them if lucky.
Ard’aenye sword is found in Yustianna’s Grotto, a cave containing various types of loot. Inside here, you’ll come across some bandits guarding the chest. Defeat them and get the sword from the chest. Another location for this sword may be on the guarded Treasure on the small island in the lake in No Man’s Land.
| Required Level | Console Command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 10,18, 23 | additem(‘Ardaenye’) | 3 | Relic | 106-130 163-199194-238 | 2.21 |
Feline Steel Sword
If you prefer a light and fast gameplay with weapons that can attack fast, then Feline Steel Sword may be the one for you. It may not be the lightest by weight but can inflict fast attacks with plenty of room to act fast. Pair this with increased chances of bleed and high damage, it can be considered a good pick.
The Feline Steel Sword is part of a full armor named Cat School Gear. It contains the diagram of the steel sword along with other items during the Scavenger Hunt quest. Go to the ruins of Drahim Castle and find all the diagram pieces inside with Prince Adrien’s journal. Take the diagram to the blacksmith and have him craft the sword with the following materials:
- Leather straps x1
- Iron ingot x4
- Ruby dust x1
- Monster saliva x1
| Required Level | Console Command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 17 | additem(‘Lynx School steel sword 1’) | 1 | Witcher gear | 162-198 | 3.16 |
Ursine Steel Sword
Ursine Steel Sword is part of a full gear called Ursine gear. It is considered by many players as one of the best beginner level steel swords of Witcher 3. Although its starts are not very impressive, if you have no other option, this sword can work just as well whether you use it with its full gear or on its own.
Go inside the Ruined Inn near Fyresdal present towards the shore. Some Wraiths would be present down there so be prepared to defeat them. Once free, go towards the room beside the straits and open the chest inside. You’ll find the diagram for Ursine steel sword. nOw get the following ingredients and get it crafted:
- Leather straps x2
- Steel ingot x1
- Monster essence x1
- Monster tongue x1
| Required Level | Console command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 20 | additem(‘Bear School steel sword’) | 1 | Witcher gear | 184-224 | 2.31 |
Hjalmar’s Steel Sword
Some players like to depend on critical hits that can make the job of killing enemies easier, thus giving them much more time to explore. If you prefer to get a sword like this, the Hjalmar’s Steel sword may be the one for you. It has a high damage range which, paired with a critical damage chance of 20%, can be very useful and effective.
To get this amazing steel sword, you’ll need to win this from Hjalmar himself. During the King’s Gambit quest, after you witness the argument, you’ll get the prompt to report to Crach. Don’t follow it, and instead, go towards the two men fist-fighting in the corner. After you interrupted them, Hjalmar would ask you to fight his opponent, Vildkaarl, and if you won, he’d give you his sword. Win against this fellow and talk to Hjalmar to get this mighty sword.
| Required Level | Console command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 21 | additem(‘Hjalmar_Short_Steel_Sword’) | 1 | Relic | 734-938 | 2.16 |
Winter’s Blade
Winter’s Blade is best known for its high critical damage rate, which can benefit the players a lot in heavy combat. In addition to critical damage and Armor piercing, it remains true to its name and can freeze the enemy upon contact. This makes the Winter’s blade, a legendary sword, a compatible steel sword for most of the game.
The best part, you don’t need to put any extra effort in getting this sword. During Brothers in Arms: Skellige quest, King Crach an Craite hands it over to Geralt himself.
| Required Level | Console command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 22 23 24 | additem(‘q402 Skellige sword 3’) | 2 | Relic | 188-241 198-242 203-249 | 2.56 |
Teigr
The Teigr sword has a specific effect that allows this sword to automatically scales according to the current level of Geralt, making it useful at all stages of the game. Additionally, the increased effects of Aard sign, critical hit, and bleed are also present which elevates its damage factor a lot. Add a few runes and make it your ultimate sword for a long while.
To obtain the Teigr Sword, start the Where the Cat and Wolf Play… quest. During this quest, Geralt will meet another Witcher from Feline School, Gaeten. In this quest, the player can decide to either kill or spare Geaton due to his actions and both would not affect the next part. After the decision, go and find his stash, kill the bandits and get the sword.
| Required Level | Console command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 26 28 | additem(‘mq1058_cat_school_sword’) | 3 | Witcher gear | 222-272 241-295 | 1.61 |
Gwestog
Gwestog is a stable and reliable steel sword that can accompany Geralt for simple exploration and quests. It can handle a lot of early-game enemies. The effects include increased Quen sign intensity, chance of freezing, and dismemberment. Even though both are in low percentage, the effect is good enough to attack and defend through your journey.
There are two ways to get a Gwestog Steel sword in the Witcher 3 base game. You can either loot it from the Witch Hunters in the village near Velen. This happens during the Now or Never Quest. If not, get it by defeating Olaf the bear during the Fists of Fury: Skellige side quest and obtain it as a reward.
| Required Level | Console command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 15 20 30 | additem(‘Gwestog’) | 3 | Relic | 140-172 177-217 244-298 | 2.68 |
Longclaw (Crafted)
Longclaw steel sword is best for increasing the Yrden sign intensity, which increases your chances of using it to trap and inflict damage or block them from approaching. It is best used during combats against large numbers of enemies, thus a very useful spell. Make sure you get the diagram and craft this sword as its other variants are much less useful.
The diagram for Longclaw can be found in Freya’s Garden. Go to the very back of this garden and inside the right door. Open the chest inside to get the diagram. The ingredients needed are:
- Monster feather x1
- Dark steel ingot x1
- Monster claw x1
- Monster brain x1
- Amethyst x1
| Required Level | Console command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 37 | additem(‘Longclaw_crafted’) | 3 | Relic | 297-363 | 1.74 |
Iris
Although Iris may not look like a good addition to this list of best steel swords, its main use can be quite good if used correctly. The effect of the Iris sword is that it charges up during combat and then changes its color to red once it’s fully charged. This then lands very powerful strikes that can take down pretty much every enemy in one of a few strikes. Even if it’s not useful as it does strip Geralt off the 15% vitality, the end result is satisfyingly powerful, to say the least.
The Iris sword is given to Geralt by Olgierd von Everec after the end of the Hearts of Stone questline, depending on your choices. As this sword is part of the DLC, there is no way to unlock it other than getting the extended Hearts of Stone DLC (NG+).
| Required Level | Console Command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 37 | Olgierd Sabre | 3 | Relic | 327-399 | 4.01 |
Hen Gaidth Steel Sword
If you’ve gotten your hands on the Blood and Wine DLC for Witcher 3, you can get the Hen Gaidth Steel Sword easily. This sword is an amazing choice for a player who wants to have all the characteristics in one sword. The Hen Gaidth sword has the critical hit damage chance and bonus, along with an armor-piercing of 150. It can also cause bleeding and burning, making it an effective weapon against multiple enemies.
During the What Lies Unseen quest, go inside the cave and follow the path as it goes. Once you see a ledge on your right, climb up. Then, keep going and look for another ledge. This will take you to a damp area. Look for a chest on the right side, and you’ll find the sword inside along with some gauntlets.
| Required Level | Console command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 40 | additem(‘q704 vampire steel sword’) | 3 | Relic | 404-494 | 2.98 |
Belhaven Blade
Another sword that came with the Blood and Wine DLC expansion is the Belhaven Blade. The staggering 100% critical hit damage paired with poison makes it an absolute beast compared to others. Attack some valuable runestones and you’ve got yourself easily the best steel sword for offense/attack build.
Cross over towards the south side of the Casteldaccia Estate on the Toussaint map and look for a small camp by the shore. Get the paper from the stool near the fire and open it to reveal a quest mark in the Sansretour River. Dive in, and you’ll find a chest on the river bed. Open it to the diagram for the Belhaven sword. Go to the blacksmith and provide the following items to have it crafted.
- Leather scraps x2
- Enriched dimeritium ingot x2
- Acid extract x1
- Sapphire x1
| Required Level | Console command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 45 | additem(‘Serpent Steel Sword 3’) | 3 | Relic | 364-444 | 2.45 |
Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword (Crafted)
The most preferred steel sword is the Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword in its crafted form. This sword provides 750+ damage from the start and aids in burning and Quen Sign. Along with the damage, it also has the characteristic of 100% critical damage bonus. Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword is known as the best steel sword for the whole Witcher 3 game but is only for players who have the Blood and Wine DLC or NG+.
The diagram for this word can be looted from the top of the Hanse Base Tower. This is present north of the Arthach Palace Ruins in north Toussaint. You can find a blacksmith on this tower if you want to craft it here. Make sure you have the following items:
- Leather straps x3
- Dark steel ingot x2
- Ruby x1
- Amber x1
- Monster saliva x2
| Required Level | Console command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 48 | additem(‘Knights steel sword 3’) | 3 | Relic | 745-911 | 2.48 |
Blave
If you want to play with a magic based build but still want some offensive aspects, Blave can prove to be an amazing sword. It provides 15% sign intensity for all five signs and an additional effect of critical hit damage and chance.
Blave sword can be won as a reward for beating Hamal ogn Dangbahli in the tournament of Gwent. This task comes up during the Gwent: To Everything – Turn, Turn, Tournament! Side quest. This is a risky task as if you lose, the sword is forever gone.
| Required Level | Console Command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 49 | additem(‘Gwent steel sword 1’) | 1 | Relic | 390-476 | 3.16 |
Vitis
Similar to Blave, Vitis sword also provides an increased intensity of Aard, Igni, Quen, Yrden, and Axii by 20%, which is more than Blave. It also has a high damage of 400+ along with 3 relic spots, which can add to its present effect. This makes it the best steel sword for mage users who don’t want to stick to one type of gameplay and can tackle other aspects but focus more on magic.
To get the Vitis sword, look for a dead Toussaint soldier by the shore during the Beyond Hill and Dale… quest. Loot his body to find full armor along with this sword.
| Required Level | Console command | Slots | Type | Damage | Weight |
| 51 | additem(‘Unique steel sword’) | 3 | Relic | 404-494 | 3.21 |
