Gwent is a card game from the Witcher universe that became a playable game mode in Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. The game became so popular, that CD Projekt Red actually developed a standalone card game, Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, which was finally released on mobile earlier this year.

Gwent is a unique, free to play card game that changes many of the conventional mechanics of other games in the genre. Each player can only play one card per turn, and games are won by having more points than the opponent for two out of three rounds. The battle mechanics are relatively easy to learn but have plenty of depth in other areas such as deckbuilding. This guide will explain everything players will need to know to get started on Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, including game modes, which cards to get, the reward system, and Factions.

Game Modes in Gwent

  • Classic - Classic is the standard, ranked game mode in Gwent. Players start from Rank 30 and work their way to Rank 1, and then after that, players can get Pro Rank. Within each rank or mosaic, there are five tiers that players will need to progress through. While ranked matches might seem scary to new players, it really shouldn’t be. Players are matched with others of similar rank, so more often than not, they will play people of comparable skill. Seasonal - The Seasonal game modes change along with the Seasons in Gwent, which is monthly. These game modes change Gwent gameplay in many ways, such as having 8-second turns, playing special cards twice, and altering power levels. Sometimes rewards are tied to these game modes, so players will want to at least play them during those times. Casual - Casual mode is for players to play others in unranked gameplay without consequences. This mode is generally used to test decks before heading into Classic mode, so newer players can sometimes be matched with players of higher skill. Arena - In Arena, players don’t play with traditionally constructed decks. Instead, they build decks by selecting cards from various random pools of cards and try to win nine games before they lose three. The arena isn’t recommended for new players since there will encounter a lot of cards they won’t know, but it is a fast way to learn a variety of cards. Training - Training mode is a great place for new players to learn the game. There’s no timer for turns, so players have all the time in the world to learn the user interface and read every card.

General Mechanics and Gameplay of Gwent

This section will go over the general rules and some key terms that players will need to know before they play the game. A game of Gwent has up to three rounds, and the winner of the match is whoever wins two out of the three. In order to win a round, players will need to have more points than their opponent, and each card has a point value.

  • Value - All cards have a base power or value that can be enhanced through boosts or lowered from damage. Status - Cards can add a status effect to friendly or enemy cards. Some include Shield or Poison. Leader - Leaders are unique to Factions, and they will impact the archetype of players’ decks. Their abilities function as bonus plays that can be used anytime a card is played on the turn. Provision Cost - Provision costs don’t really affect gameplay, but they do affect deck building. These vary by leader, and when constructing their decks, players need to make sure they stay at or below the leader’s provision level while having at least 25 cards in the deck. Card Groups - Each card is either Bronze or Gold, signified by the color of their border. Some card abilities only affect cards of certain borders, so new players need to make sure they keep these abilities in mind.

Factions in Gwent

There are a total of six Factions that come from the world of Witcher, and each Faction has some game mechanics or archetypes that are more prevalent than in the others. This guide will outline a general archetype that each Faction is known for, but we will be releasing another guide detailing the strengths and weaknesses of each of them shortly. Except for Syndicate, all of the Factions are friendly to newer players, and they should just use whichever Faction seems most appealing to them.

  • Monsters (Red) - Monsters can use ‘swarm’ decks which is a card game strategy that involves creating multiple weaker creatures to overwhelm the opponent. The weaker units are often called ’tokens’ in the card game genre. Scoia’Tael (Green) - This Faction uses Ambush cards to create traps around the game for opponents to work their way around. Ambush cards are also considered Artifacts which creates additional synergy for these decks. Nilfgaard (Black) - While not entirely necessary, Niflgaard has a lot of Soldier type cards and Soldier type support, so Nilfgaard decks can often focus their strategy on using Soldiers. Skellige (Purple) - Skellige cards are quite focused on resurrection cards. While this mechanic is not exclusive to them, they use it more than the other Factions. Resurrection refers to playing cards from the graveyard or cards that interact with it. Northern Realms (Blue) - While there aren’t many Specters in the game, most of them are a part of the Northern Realms Factions, and some very powerful interactions are used by Specter type cards. Syndicate (Orange) - The newest Faction, Syndicate uses Coins, which can give players carry-over points between rounds. This Faction is not recommended for new players because while strong, these cards can be a bit complex.

Reward System in Gwent

Gwent has one of the best reward models for a free to play card game currently on the market. There are a lot of ways for players to earn cards, and the game has several types of currency for players to use. Also, Gwent has a Reward Book that gives players the agency of unlocking cards and a sense of progression because players can choose what cards they earn.

  • Ore - The main currency of the game, Ore is used to buy Kegs (card packs) in the store. Ore is earned by winning rounds and doing Daily Quests. Reward Points - Earned by completing different objectives, Reward Points unlock cards in the Reward Book. Mirror Shards - These are passes for Arena that can be earned by winning matches, playing Arena, complete Daily Quests, and through the Reward Book. Scraps - These are used to craft cards and can be earned by playing games, milling cards (destroying cards in the collection), and through the Reward Book. Meteorite Powder - This currency is used for cosmetic items. Newer players shouldn’t be too concerned with Meteorite Powder in the beginning.

The fastest way to earn Ore is to win games, complete Daily Quests, and progress through the Reward Book. Players can also earn daily bonuses by winning rounds.

Cards to Get for Beginners in Gwent

Starter Deck 

The starter decks in Gwent are actually pretty good for new players. It’s recommended that players simply choose the deck from the Faction that appeals to them most. However, if players still can’t decide, the Scoia’tael Starter Deck is a popular choice because it generates a lot of points, and it only takes a few changes to make it a decent deck.

Cards to Craft

Here are some cards players can craft for relatively cheap. They can also be used in different types of decks as well.

  • Royal Decree - 800 scraps, Gold. Effect: Play a unit from your deck. This card can be used to pull the most important cards from the deck, while also thinning it out. Portal - 200 scraps, Gold. Effect: Summons 2 random 4 provision units (one of each side of the artifact). This card can be used to swarm the enemy or put out two units that are hard for them to deal with, like engines. One-Eyed Betsy - 200 scraps, Gold. Effect: Damage an enemy unit by 4 or damage an enemy unit by 6 if it has armor. A great unit to use to defeat armored enemies. Novigradian Justice - 800 scraps, Gold. Effect: Play a bronze unit from your deck. If it was a Dwarf, Spawn a copy of it and Summon it to the same row. One of the best cards in the game, but it can only be used in two Factions.

Tips and Terms for Beginners in Gwent

One of the most important tips new players should follow is to focus on only one Faction at the start. This way, players learn the mechanics and game without being overwhelmed by all of the different cards in every faction. Each Faction has exclusive cards as well, so players will be able to get a stronger deck and if they focus their resources into getting cards for a single Faction. The only time players should use other Factions is to complete Daily Quests. The daily win bonus, Daily Quests, and Reward Books are the most efficient ways to earn cards.

Terms to Help Beginners in Gwent

  • Engines - Cards that take at least one additional turn to gain their full value. Card Advantage - Whenever a player starts a round with more cards than the opponent. Tempo - The effective total of points a card is worth if both players pass their next turn without playing a card. Proactive - Cards that don’t require the opponent to have anything on the board to get their full value (i.e. cards without abilities) Reactive - Cards that require the opponent to have something on the board to get their full value (i.e. cards that deal damage)

These terms are important for every Gwent player to understand. When building their deck, players need to know these terms because some decks will use them more than others. There are some decks that focus on proactive, tempo decks that use efficient cards to put pressure on the opponent. There are also decks that are played reactively to use up the opponent’s resources and push card advantage to gain points in later in the rounds.

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Gwent: The Witcher Card Game is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and iOS.