Exploring The Witcher 2: Signs

May 22, 2011

Swinging a sword is all well and good, but not every battle can be won with steel or silver. Signs offer Geralt an array of new offensive and defensive tactical options which can literally turn the tide in an otherwise doomed battle. Join us as we take a look at the basics of using Signs in The Witcher 2.

Backed against a corner? Fighting too many opponents at once? Use Geralt’s Aard Sign to retake control of the battlefield by knocking enemies back or stunning dangerous opponents. Aard is quick to cast and affects most monsters and humanoids , making it a great “go-to” spell to use when adventuring. Upgrading Aard by investing skill points in Geralt’s Magic skill tree can augment the spell’s potency or increase its range, making it even more effective against groups of opponents.

Geralt blasts an enemy with Aard, while another guardsman is trapped by Yrden

Out of combat, Aard is extremely useful for breaking down barriers, including barricades, rubble and weaker stone walls. When exploring dungeons, pay close attention to your area map for clues about sealed-off rooms which can be breached using the Aard Sign.

Igni is great at burning away enemy health or distracting foes. Few creatures are immune to fire, so Igni is a great all-purpose Sign to use against monsters and humanoids alike. Upgrading Igni bestows a chance to incinerate opponents, granting a more powerful flame debuff and often causing enemies to panic while on fire. While Igni won’t always knock creatures back like Aard, some monsters will collapse in pain once incinerated, giving Geralt time to make a killing blow.

As a magical trap Sign, Yrden requires a bit more planning than other Signs, but is extremely effective when luring creatures into an ambush. Use Yrden to hold choke points and force the enemy to attack you one at a time. Yrden can also buy you some time when investigating an area – enemies who wander into the trap will be held immobile and unable to attack for a few seconds while you plan your next move. Casting Yrden in the middle of combat is usually asking for trouble however: the Sign takes a bit longer to affect its targets, so you may want to switch to a fast-cast Sign like Aard or Igni to keep your enemies at bay. In later levels, Geralt can learn a Sign upgrade which laces Yrden traps together, making it harder for enemies to avoid them.

Quen, the magical shield Sign, is one of Geralt’s best defensive abilities, providing a strong barrier against all incoming damage for the duration of the spell. Quen is a great Sign to activate in group combat: it can absorb enemy backstabs and arrow attacks, leaving Geralt free to take down his opponents in safety. However, Quen is less effective when fighting bosses or hard-hitting monsters. Pay attention to the Sign’s timer to take evasive action if the fight goes south. And remember: while Quen is active, Geralt’s vigor will not regenerate. If you’re planning on casting a lot of Signs in a row, you may wish to make Quen the last Sign in your rotation, to minimize the effects of vigor dampening. Upgrading this Sign can increase its damage absorption or grant Geralt the ability to reflect damage back on his attackers while Quen is active.

If your enemies are resistant to force or fire damage, or you want a different way to use your opponents’ strengths against them, try casting Axii to mind-control your enemies into fighting on your side. Compared to the other Signs in Geralt’s arsenal, Axii is perhaps the most difficult to use, requiring both a “charge up” phase to build Sign power, and a success check against the enemy Geralt is trying to charm. Undead like drowners and ghouls are resistant if not completely immune to the Sign. For best results, hold down your Sign button (Q on PC) until the Sign finishes casting. And bear in mind that Geralt won’t gain experience from any targets killed by the charmed enemy. However, should Axii be successful, then Geralt may be able to distract other enemies into attacking the charmed monster, giving him time to ready a powerful killing blow, or even slip away from battle if his health is low. Upgrading Axii can grant charmed targets increased health and strength for the duration of the spell, or allow Geralt to charm multiple targets at once.

Axii is also used out of combat to coerce or charm NPCs into giving Geralt information or assistance. As in the combat version of the Sign, characters will make a resistance check to shrug off the spell’s effect. The stronger Geralt’s Axii Sign is, the more successful he will be at charming the local townsfolk.

Tips for using Signs in combat:

When the Wolf Howls: When exploring the wilderness, pay special attention to your Witcher amulet. Activating the amulet near sources of magic may reveal Places of Power, which can augment Sign strength or provide other combat buffs.

Budget Your Vigor: If you’re planning on making Geralt a hybrid spellcaster, then especially early on in the game you may not have many points to put into vigor. Geralt can only cast one Sign per point of vigor, and vigor takes time to regenerate during combat. Keep an eye on your vigor pool, to make sure you have enough energy to cast a Sign when you need it most.

Move Your Feet! Nothing is harder than trying to cast a Sign in the middle of a melee. Whenever possible, pivot, dodge and roll away from enemy attacks before using Signs.

Plan Ahead: While exploring out in the open, you’ll usually be able to see enemies approaching long before they get into range. Use this time to your advantage to set up some magical traps with Yrden, or bolster Geralt’s defenses with Quen. Casting a few spells before the enemy has closed range can give Geralt the upper hand against powerful opponents.