Nithral is the first member of the Wild Hunt that you will get to take on in The Witcher 3.
This encounter will be part of the main quest where you reach some old elven ruins in search of Ciri. However, the Wild Hunt is also there.
Geralt cannot possibly take on all of the members at once, but an opportunity will present itself where you find Nithral alone.
The following guide will tell you how to defeat Nithral in the most efficient way in The Witcher 3.
Where to find Nithral
You will encounter Nithral at the end of the elven ruins during the “Wandering in the Dark” questline. This will be when Eredin and Caranthir leave behind Nithral to stop Geralt from pursuing them.
The encounter is on rails, meaning that the game will lead you to fight Nithral.
How to defeat Nithral
This is a relatively shorter fight compared to the other members of the Wild Hunt. You will be aided by Keira Metz who is going to be an excellent distraction. Secondly, make sure to use your silver sword against Nithral. The steel sword does little damage.
Lastly, you can drink a Thunderbolt potion to increase your damage. That is not a requirement though. You can easily defeat Nithral without it.
| Potion | Effect | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt | +30% attack power | 1x Dwarven Spirit, 2x Cortinarius, 1x Endrega Embryo |
| Enhanced Thunderbolt | +30% attack power for a longer duration | 1x Thunderbolt, 1x Alcohest, 2x Cortinarius, 1x Fool’s Parsley Leaves, 2x Endrega Embryo |
| Superior Thunderbolt | +35% attack power, +100% critical chance during storms | 1x Enhanced Thunderbolt, 1x White Gull, 4x Cortinarius, 4x Fool’s Parsley Leaves, 1x Verbena, 1x Bryonia, 1x Quebrith |
Phase 1
Nithral will attack with his axe in two to three swings followed by a rest. This will be the perfect time to attack him with heavy blows. Dodge his attacks and then unleash your attacks on him. Get in as many strikes as you can but don’t be greedy.
The idea is to let him attack first, dodge away, and deliver your own strikes before rolling away. Furthermore, Keira’s magic helps a ton in winning this fight – if you utilize it right!
Get some Elementa Oil for your sword. You will need it to quickly dispatch Wild Hunt Hounds which Nithral will summon to help him out. The first phase of the fight will come to an end when the first chunk of his health bar is fully depleted.
Phase 2
In the next phase of the fight, Nithral will go into the bubble that will protect him from all incoming attacks. Any attempt to attack the bubble will damage Geralt instead so it is useless.
Soon after the start of the second phase, Nithral will summon several Hounds of the Wild Hunt that will attack Geralt. Your priority would be to first attack and finish off the minions using the combination of Yrden and Igni signs.
The more time you take to slay the minions, the more Nithral will heal his health back. So, it’s best to take care of them as early as possible. After the minions are taken care of, Nithral will pop out of his bubble and engage you once again.
Bring Nithral health down by dodging and waiting for the perfect opening for an attack.
A similar strategy to Phase 1 will do just fine. The second phase of the fight will end when the second part of the health is depleted.
Phase 3
In the third phase, Nithral will go back inside his bubble again for the second time. Then the second round of minions will appear. Simply kill the minions once more and force Nithral to come out of his protective bubble. The quicker the minions die, the less health Nithral willl recover.
This will be the final phase of the fight as Nithral can’t go back into the bubble again. You can end Nithral once and for all now and finish the fight.
Nithral rewards and loot
- Wild Hunt warrior’s sword (common)
- Angrenian cuirass (diagram)
- Crafting materials
