The recently released location-based mobile game The Witcher: Monster Slayer brings a light RPG system to the popular GPS gaming formula. Throughout the player's travels across the real world, they will gather materials, items, and gold. Gold can be earned a few ways (or bought with real money) and is used primarily to purchase better equipment in the shop.
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Three types of equipable gear are currently available in The Witcher: Monster Slayer, being Steel Swords, Silver Swords, and Witcher School Armor. There are a total of 16 swords available between the Steel and Silver varieties, and though they don't have upgraded base stats like in the main games, their unique player bonuses set them apart from one another.
Steel Swords in The Witcher series have long been associated with non-monster enemies and tend to have a longer blade and a flat crossguard. They are particularly effective against Humans and Non-Humans (which is a different category than Monsters) and the player starts with one automatically.
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There are only a few differences between the bonuses granted by Steel Swords and their counterpart Silver Swords of the same Witcher School. However, it's usually best to choose different bonuses on each type that go along with one's preferred playstyle. The exception to this are Experience-boosting swords, which every player should try to acquire first to speed up leveling significantly.
- Cost: Only acquirable through special The Witcher: Monster Slayer events
- Bonus: Monster slaying Experience increased by 10%
The Kaer Morhen Steel Sword is, unfortunately, no longer acquirable in-game. It was given to players for free during the first week of The Witcher: Monster Slayer's release, and it's not known whether it will be coming back. The 10% boost to Monster kill Experience is a pretty good starting buff and one that plenty of early players take advantage of.
- Cost: 3200 Gold
- Bonus: Cooldown on casting Signs is decreased by 30%
The Manticore Steel Sword is a very powerful weapon against agile and Fire-weak enemies thanks to its 30% reduction of Sign cooldown. When used with Igni, this leads to much more rapid spellcasting (and thus higher damage output), but the Aard and Quen signs can also be used more often for their interrupting and defensive effects, too.
- Cost: 3200 Gold
- Bonus: The Critical Hit Meter charge rate is increased by 10%
The Wolven Steel Sword increases the rate that the Critical Hit Meter charges with each hit. It's a small buff, but significant enough that a player can get to the all-important Critical Hit phase a swing or two faster than normal.
- Cost: 3200 Gold
- Bonus: Effectiveness of Signs is increased by 30%
The Griffin Steel Sword is a weapon similar to the Manticore Steel Sword, in that it buffs the player's ability to cast Signs. However, instead of a reduced cooldown, this sword simply increases the effectiveness of signs. Igni deals more damage, Aard interrupts longer, and Quen becomes a nearly-impenetrable self-buff.
- Cost: 6400 Gold
- Bonus: Increases Critical Hit damage by 50%
The Steel Sword category in The Witcher: Monster Slayer only houses one named sword: Caerme. Caerme is one of the most expensive items in the game, and its 50% bonus to all Critical Hit damage is equally huge. Just be prepared to farm Gold for a few weeks (or buy some Gold with real money).
Silver Swords in The Witcher series are typically associated with higher damage against Monsters and generally have an iconic forward-facing crossguard. If it doesn't look human or humanoid, one can safely bet that a Silver Sword will get the job done.
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Unfortunately, the player does not start out with a Silver Sword right away – even the Kaer Morhen variety given to players initially for free is a Steel sword. However, it doesn't take too much regular play to amass enough Gold to buy a Monster-slaying sword, and one can also be picked up in the Starter Bundle available for $4.99 in-game.
- Cost: 3600 Gold
- Bonus: Effectiveness of Signs is increased by 30%
The Griffin Silver Sword is equivalent to the Steel Sword variety of the same Witcher School. It increases the effectiveness of Signs by 30%, which is particularly useful against Monsters as many are weak to Fire damage. It is 400 Gold more expensive than its counterpart, though.
- Cost: 1800 Gold
- Bonus: Increases Fast Attack damage by 15%
The Feline Silver Sword's bonus is a simple one that slightly increases damage output with Fast Attacks (rapid, untimed swipes). It might seem like such a minor buff that it doesn't matter all; however, when one considers that it reduces time in combat by 15% because it means fewer swings to down a Monster, its self-survival benefits become apparent.
- Cost: 1800 Gold
- Bonus: Increases Strong Attack damage by 15%
Similar to the Feline Silver Sword, the Ursine Silver Sword gives a small damage bonus to the player, this time for Strong Attacks. If a player happens to have both of these swords available, they should always make sure to equip the one associated with a damage type that their foe is weak against before beginning combat.
- Cost: 7200 Gold
- Bonus: Gives every attack a 15% chance to add Fire damage
The Silver Sword category is home to two named weapons. Melltith is the second most expensive weapon in The Witcher: Monster Slayer, and it gives a pretty good bonus to every attack, no matter if it is Fast or Strong. The chance to inflict Fire damage is small, but considering how many swings it takes to down some Monsters, it's almost guaranteed to proc at least a few times.
- Cost: 12000 Gold
- Bonus: Increases all Experience for killing monsters by 50%
A'Baeth is both the most expensive item in The Witcher: Monster Slayer and the sword with the best bonus. This Silver Sword gives a 50% boost to all Experience for killing monsters. It's a far cry from the puny 10% granted by the Kaer Morhen Steel Sword, and it's well worth the investment (if players can stick through the Gold farming required to even buy it).