Let’s be honest. Half the joy of playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is opening your inventory and realising you are carrying something absurdly overpowered.
Swords in The Witcher 3 are not just stat sticks. They shape your build, your rhythm in combat, and sometimes your entire late game strategy. Whether you are leaning into signs, alchemy, or just want to spin through Novigrad like an angry Beyblade, the right blade makes a difference.
Below is a breakdown of the best swords in every major category, chosen for raw performance, synergy, and long term usefulness.
Best Early Game Sword: Viper Steel and Silver Swords
If you know, you know.
The Viper School swords are available very early in White Orchard and they absolutely shred compared to standard loot.
Why they matter:
- Strong early damage scaling
- Bonus chance to poison
- Craftable before level 5
- Easy diagrams if you explore thoroughly
They carry you through the brutal early hours where Geralt still feels slightly underpaid and underarmoured. The poison effect is especially helpful before you have a refined build online.
They will not last forever, but in terms of early value, nothing else competes.
Best Steel Sword Overall: Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword
This is where things get serious.
The Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword from the Blood and Wine expansion is arguably the strongest steel sword in the game when fully optimised.
Why it dominates:
- Massive critical hit damage bonus
- Increases damage with each hit
- Scales beautifully with late game builds
- Strong synergy with Euphoria mutation
With the right alchemy setup, this sword hits absurd damage thresholds. It rewards aggressive play and consistent combos. Pair it with high crit chance gear and suddenly human enemies disappear before they finish their voice lines.
If you enjoy min maxing, this is your steel endgame.
Best Silver Sword Overall: Aerondight
Let’s not pretend this is controversial.
Aerondight is the silver sword. It scales with you. It rewards clean play. It never truly becomes obsolete.
Why Aerondight is unmatched:
- Increases damage permanently as you level
- Charges with successive hits
- Guaranteed critical hit at full charge
- Infinite scaling potential
It turns monster fights into a skill check. If you can maintain momentum without taking hits, your damage climbs to silly levels.
It also feels legendary. Which matters more than spreadsheets.
Best Witcher School Sword Set: Feline Swords
The Feline School gear is designed for fast attacks and crit builds, and the swords reflect that philosophy perfectly.
Strengths:
- Increased fast attack damage
- High critical hit chance
- Ideal for aggressive playstyles
If your combat style revolves around dodging rather than tanking, these swords amplify that approach. They pair especially well with light armour bonuses and Whirl builds.
You feel fast. You hit hard. Enemies regret existing.
Best Heavy Damage Option: Ursine Swords
If the Feline gear is speed, the Ursine set is blunt force trauma.
The Ursine swords complement a tankier build, particularly when combined with strong Quen usage and high vitality.
Why choose Ursine:
- Strong base damage
- Excellent synergy with defensive builds
- Works well with adrenaline focused setups
You trade a bit of finesse for consistency. It feels weighty and deliberate. There is something satisfying about absorbing a hit and replying with one devastating counter.
Best Sign Build Sword: Griffin School Silver Sword
For sign focused players, raw physical scaling is not everything.
The Griffin School swords boost sign intensity and support hybrid damage builds.
Ideal for:
- Igni burn builds
- Yrden trap control
- Balanced sword and sign play
If you enjoy setting things on fire before finishing them off, Griffin gear keeps your magic relevant deep into the game.
Best Relic Wild Card: Iris
Iris from the Hearts of Stone expansion deserves respect.
This steel sword has a unique charged attack mechanic that stores energy and releases it in a devastating strike.
It is not as consistently powerful as Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword, but in the right hands it creates some of the most dramatic moments in combat.
There is style here. Drama. A bit of risk.
Sometimes that matters more than raw DPS.
Best Looking Sword: Aerondight
Yes, it wins twice.
It has clean lines, a mythic feel, and it glows with earned power. Fashion matters in Toussaint. If you are going to dismantle a Bruxa, you may as well look elegant doing it.
Final Thoughts: Which Sword Should You Use?
It depends on how you play.
If you want scaling perfection and monster dominance, Aerondight is the clear silver choice.
If you want steel damage that borders on unfair, Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword is your answer.
If you love fast attacks and crit explosions, Feline swords will feel like home.
If you prefer resilience and heavy hits, Ursine rewards patience.
The beauty of The Witcher 3 is that multiple paths are viable. The best sword is not only about numbers. It is about synergy, momentum, and how you want Geralt to feel in combat.
Personally, I always come back to Aerondight. There is something addictive about watching the damage ramp up because you played clean.
And honestly, in a world full of drowners, that feels earned.
