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The top 10 Gwent cards you need in your deck
What should you be spending your hard earned scrap on to get the biggest return in Gwent: The Witcher Card Game?
As it moves into open beta, Gwent is steadily establishing itself in a crowded CCG market. Even in this early stage, pro players are dedicating themselves to the game and CD Projekt RED are providing major tournaments for them to compete in.
While in this state, though, cards are still being retweaked and reworked on a fairly regular basis, which means those that seem powerful now may slip down the rankings over the coming months. It’s why devastating weather effects such as Ragh Nar Roog and everyone’s favourite Prize-Winning Cow have lost spots on this list – though perhaps for the greater good. Nevertheless, here are the top 10 Gwent cards in their own right, or when used in some of the game’s most powerful decks.
Philippa Eilhart
You look at the single point of power of Philippa Eilhart and it’s easy to be worried. Yet, her strength lies in the staggering amount of removal she can provide, especially if you manipulate your opponent’s board to get the most out of it. Beginning by knocking off five power from one card, she proceeds to do one less each time over the next four hits, stopping at one damage. The catch is that the same enemy cannot be hit consecutively, so played carelessly into a large board the damage is spread, but chain it between only two or three enemies and the power removal is immense.
Caretaker
Resurrect is a powerful ability.
© CD Projekt RED
Caretaker has undoubtedly been one of the strongest Monster cards in Gwent for a while, even though he only provided the simple service of resurrecting a unit from your opponent’s graveyard. CD Projekt RED saw just how powerful the Relict proved to be and cut his power down to four. While that hurts, it hasn’t made the card unplayable. Stealing one of your opponent’s dead units is not only good from a raw power value, it can also disrupt some of their plans if you choose to dig up specific cards. Add to that it’s a Gold card, so remains immune to removal effects.
King of Beggars
In a game full of unique effects, King of Beggars stands out as one of the most interesting. When played he will increase his power to force a tie with your opponent, up to a maximum of 15. It’s a niche pick, though his power is undeniable for an emergency catch up mechanic. The other exciting possibilities come from his inclusion in decks with resurrection cards as King of Beggars maintains whatever power level he was increased to while in the graveyard. That means you might be able to orchestrate a round in which you revive a full 15 power to surprise your foe.
Geralt: Igni
Not just for lighting torches.
© CD Projekt RED
A host of changes have been made to balance the power of Geralt’s fire-flinging abilities and now it feels likes it’s in a reasonable place. Still strong, Geralt: Igni can burn through an entire row of your opponent’s units if they’re not careful with positioning and managing their power levels. The cut to his own power and the increase in the power level needed for him to activate were probably necessary to keep the flames under control, but this is still a scorching hot card in so many decks.
Ithlinne
Ithlinne is another card that’s seen a recent nerf but still maintains a high level of play in Scoia’tael due to her powerful Deploy ability. The option to play a Bronze special card from your deck and then instantly duplicate it sets up a number of strong combos. Run with Thunderbolt Potion to give yourself a 24 point power boost. Or you can take more of a utility approach by combining her with First Light to clear away any adverse weather effects before dipping into your deck to play another minion.
Ciri
Nerfs cannot stop her.
© CD Projekt RED
The newbie Witcher has unfortunately been at the receiving end of a nerf recently which has lessened her power a little, but she’s still a solid all-round card. Ciri’s ability to return back to your hand if you lose the round puts your opponent in a very difficult position. Either they decide to give up the fight in this battle in order to remove her from play, or they emerge victorious only to find themselves down on cards in the next round. Even with the reduction to five power, that potential to generate card advantage – something so important in Gwent – is what keeps her on this list.
Ermion
There’s no worse feeling in a card game than being stuck with a terrible hand. Staring at a disjointed mess of units and events that are missing those few key pieces that would make it all come together is so disheartening. Luckily, Gwent players have the Druid, Ermion. He’s a solid seven power body, but also allows you to draw two cards from your deck and then discard two you don’t want to help get out of those rough spots. He also pairs up perfectly with the discard synergy of some Skellige deck archetypes.
Roach
Classic Roach.
© CD Projekt RED
The potential tempo swing of a card like Roach is where the power of the mighty steed lies. Having him bound onto the board from your deck whenever you play a Gold unit brings a sharp boost in power that can catch your opponent off-guard. Perhaps the only small downside is that Roach lives up to his reputation as the most unpredictable and uncoordinated mode of transport in the Witcher universe by charging onto a random lane when summoned.
Caranthir
The Navigator of the Wild Hunt is vital for weather heavy Monster decks to take advantage of the bonuses from applying Frost to your opponent’s board. The power to shift enemy units to a row of your choice also ensures you can get the most value out of the effect if your opponent is unlucky enough to not have a Clear Skies available. All that utility, and he’s a nine power body, make Caranthir a key Monster card.
Vattier de Rideaux
A powerful spymaster.
© CD Projekt RED
A fundamental part of Nilfgaardian reveal decks, Vattier de Rideaux squeezes an incredible amount of value out of a single card. The ability to see up to two cards in your opponent’s hand is a nice effect by itself, but it’s the potential synergy with other faction cards where you truly see its strength. Choose Daerlan Foot Soldiers as the cards to reveal and they’ll get played on the field immediately, allowing you to draw two more cards. Got a Spotter or two in the deck? They’ll be boosted by one for each revealed card. That’s value.
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