Patch the Wall or Clear the Armory in Witcher 3: A Tactical Decision

The moment arrives during The Battle of Kaer Morhen. Faced with imminent attack, you must decide: patch the wall or clear the armory? The short answer, based on overall gameplay impact, is: Clear the armory. While both choices offer temporary benefits, the armory provides a more lasting advantage in the form of improved weapons for your allies, leading to a more manageable battle. However, understanding the nuances of each choice is critical for making an informed decision based on your play style and priorities.

Breaking Down the Choices

Let’s examine each option in detail:

Clearing the Armory

• Immediate Benefit: Grants Geralt the Rose of Shaerrawed, a decent silver sword. More importantly, it enhances the weapons of your allies, improving their damage output against the Wild Hunt.
• Long-Term Impact: While the Rose of Shaerrawed will eventually be outclassed by other swords found throughout the game, the increased damage dealt by your allies throughout the battle will have a more sustained positive impact. This lessens the burden on Geralt, making the overall encounter easier to manage.
• Strategic Significance: Encourages a collaborative fighting style, allowing you to capitalize on the strengths of your allies. This can be especially helpful for players who prefer a more tactical approach to combat.

Patching the Wall

• Immediate Benefit: Reduces the number of waves of the Wild Hunt assaulting Kaer Morhen. This means fewer enemies to face in the initial stages of the battle.
• Long-Term Impact: The benefit is purely temporary. The number of enemy waves is reduced, but the overall difficulty of those remaining waves is not affected.
• Strategic Significance: Provides a short-term advantage by streamlining the beginning of the battle. This might be preferable for players who struggle with the initial onslaught or want a quicker start.

Why the Armory Is the Better Choice

While fewer enemy waves sounds appealing, the benefit is quickly diminished as the battle progresses. The improved weapons from the armory provide a constant advantage throughout the entire encounter. Your allies contribute significantly more to the fight, weakening enemies and providing crucial support. Furthermore, it’s often a more engaging experience to fight alongside enhanced allies than to simply face slightly fewer enemies. The gameplay feels more dynamic.

Ultimately, patching the wall is a tactical shortcut that trades a temporary advantage for a more prolonged and beneficial upgrade to your allied Witchers and combatants.

FAQs: Deep Diving into the Battle of Kaer Morhen

Here are some frequently asked questions to provide a more complete understanding of The Battle of Kaer Morhen and its related elements:

1. What are the best quests to complete before going to Kaer Morhen?

Focus on key plot lines. Essential quests include:

• Lambert’s ‘Following the Thread’.
• Yennefer’s ‘Last Wish’.
• ‘The King’s Gambit’ (Hjalmar and Cerys’ Skellige questline).

These choices affect the outcome of the game and contribute to a more satisfying experience.

2. What is the best armor for the Battle of Kaer Morhen?

The Wolven Armor, resembling Eskel’s attire, is generally favored, especially for Adrenaline builds. The Kaer Morhen Armor itself is also a viable option, as it’s upgradeable.

3. Can the Kaer Morhen Armor be upgraded?

Yes, the Kaer Morhen Armor is a piece of Witcher Gear and can be upgraded through Crafting. Crucially, don’t sell or dismantle it!

4. How early can you get to Kaer Morhen?

You can only reach Kaer Morhen by progressing through the main story. There’s no way to access it prematurely.

5. Should I let Keira Metz go to Kaer Morhen?

Absolutely, convince Keira Metz to join you. If she doesn’t, the “Brothers In Arms: Velen” quest will automatically fail. This also unlocks her questline, with its own ending.

6. Is The Battle of Kaer Morhen the end of the game?

No. The Battle of Kaer Morhen marks roughly the 80% completion point. While you’ll be locked into story quests immediately afterward, free-roam exploration will become available again.

7. Will Dijkstra help at Kaer Morhen?

Unfortunately, Dijkstra never agrees to help directly in the battle. Even retrieving his treasure only yields money, not his support.

8. Who dies during the Battle of Kaer Morhen?

Tragically, Vesemir sacrifices himself to protect Ciri during the battle. This event is a pivotal moment in the game’s narrative.

9. How do I achieve the best ending in The Witcher 3?

Several choices influence the ending:

• Take Ciri to Velen instead of Emhyr in Blood on the Battlefield.
• Don’t push Ciri to make decisions or demand particular outcomes in Blood on the Battlefield.
• Refuse Emhry’s payment for Ciri (if choosing to see Emhyr).
• Ensure Nilfgaard loses the war (if choosing to see Emhyr).
• Let Ciri trash Avallac’h’s lab.
• Visit Skjall’s grave with Ciri.
• Play Snowball Fight With Ciri.

These small acts will significantly change the game and the outcome for Ciri’s ending in particular.

10. Can you save Vesemir?

No, Vesemir’s death is a fixed event in the storyline. However, completing Berengar’s Blade quest beforehand provides additional context.

11. Does romancing Keira Metz affect the ending?

No, a brief encounter with Keira Metz has no impact on the main romance options or the game’s overall ending.

12. How many people can you recruit for the Battle of Kaer Morhen?

You can recruit up to 7 allies for the Full Crew achievement. These recruitment opportunities arise during the “Brothers in Arms” quests leading up to the battle.

13. How many witchers were killed at Kaer Morhen historically?

Before Geralt’s time, a mob stormed Kaer Morhen, massacring 23 witchers, 40 students (including children), and the mages overseeing the mutation process.

14. What are the rarest armors in The Witcher 3?

Some of the rarest armor sets include the Tesham Mutna Armor, Hen Gaidth Armor, and Toussaint Armor.

15. What are the rarest weapons in The Witcher 3?

Notable rare weapons include Aerondight (arguably the best sword), the Ofieri Saber Sword, and various relic swords.

Gaming offers rich learning experiences. One element of the game includes role playing. Role playing provides players with the opportunity to learn by trying on various roles. For more insight into game-based learning, visit the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Ultimately, the choice between patching the wall and clearing the armory depends on your individual play style. However, the long-term benefits of improved ally damage make clearing the armory the strategically superior choice for most players. Prepare well, gather your allies, and face the Wild Hunt with confidence!