The Witcher 3is a special game for many reasons, among them being that the game features another game within the world that’s just as popular, if not more so, than the rest of the RPG. Gwent is the in-game card game that Geralt can play with various NPCs throughout the world, and is such a popular feature that it spawned its own spin-off online trading card game.
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The game’s many factions and groups are portrayed as different decks, each withits own particular synergiesand tactics. The Nilfgaardian Empire Deck is a great middle-of-the-road deck that can work well in just about any situation, but it’s also got a few powerful hitters every Nilfgaardian player should strive to acquire.
10Emhyr Var Emreis: The Relentless
Emhyr Var Emreis is theEmperor of the Nilgaardian Empirein-game, and he is featured on several leader cards in the Nilfgaardian deck. One of these many forms is The Relentless, which gives him the leader ability to draw a card from the opponent’s discard pile.
It’s a powerful leader card that keeps your hand full and your deck large. Emhyr Var Emreis: The Relentless can be found by playing and winning a round of Gwent with Sasha, one of the players in the High Stakes Gwent quest.
9Emhyr Var Emreis: Emperor of Nilfgaard
Emhyr Var Emreis: Emperor of Nilfgaard is another one of the five leader cards representing the Emperor of Nilfgaard. This card, though, lets the controlling player look at three cards from their opponent’s hand.
The card is excellent for planning around enemy plays inwinning the information game. It can be found at The Crossroads by winning a round of Gwent with the innkeeper.
8Etolian Auxiliary Archers
Etolian Auxiliary Archers is a one-strength ranged card that has the Medic special ability. This ability lets you choose one card from your own discard pile and put it straight onto the playing field.
The card is weak when played early, but can quickly overwhelm an opponent later on if they’ve already used their powerful cards againstyour strong early plays. It can be bought off of merchants at Claywich or Lindenvale.
7Impera Brigade Guard
Impera Brigade Guard is a three-strength combat card with the Tight Bond ability. Tight Bond doubles the strength of two cards with the same name if they are next to each other, and four can be found in-game in total.
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Three are bought from innkeepers at Cunny of the Goose near the Eternal Fire Chapel, the Seven Cats Inn in Novigrad, and the Crossroads. Another can be bought from the trader at Crow’s Perch.
6Tibor Eggebracht
Tibor Eggebracht is a 10 strength ranged Hero card. Tibor Eggebracht was a historical figure in Nilfgaard, and while he isnot present in the story, the player can meet his cousin Tavar Eggebracht in-game.
As a Hero card, Tibor Eggebracht cannot be affected by special abilities. Pick this one up from Olivier at The Kingfisher in Novigrad, or you’re able to literally just pick it up in the back bar area at the inn when Olivier is gone.
5Young Emissary
Young Emissary is a 5 strength combat card with the Tight Bond ability which, like the Impera Brigade Guard, doubles two cards' strength if they have the same name and are placed next to each other.
The Tight Bond ability is relatively rare in the Nilfgaardian deck, but you can only find two of these in-game. Both are bought from innkeepers at the Cunny of the Goose and the Seven Cats Inn in Novigrad.
4Letho of Gulet
Letho of Gulet is a 10 strength Hero card in the close combat range. The Hero type means it cannot be affected by special cards or abilities, but what it lacks in synergy with the rest of your team it makes up for in brute strength.
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Letho is, of course, one of the Witchers Geralt meets in-game in an optional quest and was the assassin who killed King Foltest inThe Witcher2. His card is won from a man in Oreton during a Gwent quest in Velen.
3Menno Coehoorn
Menno Coehoorn is another Hero card in the Nilfgaardian deck, coming in at 10 strength and in the close combat section of the play area. However, while it does have the Hero type, it also has the Medic ability.
The Medic ability lets you play one card from your own discard pile to place on the battlefield at the same time as playing this card. Menno Coehoorn can be won from the Innkeeper at The Crossroads.
2Morvran Voorhis
Morvran Voorhis is a 10 strength Hero card at Siege range, one of the few heavy hitters at Siege range in the Nilfgaardian deck. It’s a powerful card that gives a massiveboost to your totals, but it can’t be used in conjunction with the Medic ability on many Nilfgaardian cards.
Morvran Voorhis can be won from Merquise Serenity, the head of the Passiflora brothel in Novigrad, after completing several earlier Gwent-related questlines.
1Mysterious Elf
The Mysterious Elf is a zero-strength combat card with the Hero and Spy attributes. While the Hero type means the character can’t be affected by special cards or abilities, the Spy ability gives its player the chance to draw two cards on play.
Most Spy cardsare a bit of a gamble, as they give your opponent strength. The Mysterious Elf, though, hasnostrength, making it essentially just a Draw Two card. It can be won from Gremist while playing Gwent players in Skellige.
