The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Remastered: Best Monsters Gwent Deck

TL;DR

• Monsters is the most explosive Gwent faction in Witcher 3 — one card play can flood the board with five or more units instantly.
• The faction ability keeps a random unit card on the board after each round ends, giving you a free unit entering the next round.
• Muster is the deck’s engine: one Vampire, Crone, or Arachas card automatically summons all matching cards from your deck in a single turn.
• The biggest weakness is no native Spy cards and heavy reliance on the Close Combat row — Biting Frost can ruin your whole game plan.
• Always run two Clear Weather cards to protect your melee Muster piles.
• Eredin: Bringer of Death is the best leader — he returns a card from the discard pile to your hand for free.
• Supplement with neutral Heroes like Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, and Mysterious Elf to patch the deck’s weak spots.

If you want to watch your opponent’s face drop as you dump fifteen units onto the board from a single card play, the Monsters Gwent deck in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the deck for you.

Monsters is the most visually dramatic faction in Gwent. Vampires swarm in from the deck. Three Crones appear at once. Arachasae pile into the melee row without spending a single extra card. When everything fires in the right order, Monsters can post round-winning scores that most opponents simply cannot match.

The trade-off is real though. Monsters has no native Spy cards and no native Medic cards. Every point it scores must come from Muster combos and Hero strength — and one well-timed Biting Frost from your opponent can ruin an entire round. This guide shows you how to build the deck correctly, play around those threats, and win consistently.

Why Play the Monsters Gwent Deck?

Monsters has two things that make it uniquely powerful.

• Muster — the best board-flooding ability in the game. When you play one Vampire, all other Vampires in your deck automatically join it on the board. One Crone calls all three Crones. One Arachas pulls the others. You can score 15 to 21 points from a single card play without spending any additional turns. No other faction can match that burst potential from one move.
• Faction ability: keep a random unit after each round. At the end of every round, one random unit card from your side stays on the battlefield instead of going to the discard pile. This means you always enter the next round with at least one free unit already in play. Over a three-round match, this is three free points of board presence — and if the right card stays, it can be significantly more.

These two advantages together make Monsters the highest-ceiling faction in the game for raw one-turn point generation. The challenge is protecting your Muster rows and managing the lack of card draw that holds the deck back compared to Northern Realms or Nilfgaard.

For comparison with other faction styles, check our guides on the Best Northern Realms Gwent Deck, the Best Scoia’tael Gwent Deck, and the Best Skellige Gwent Deck.

Best Monsters Gwent Deck Build

Keep your deck at exactly 22 unit cards. Monsters has a large pool of cards available, but most of the low-strength filler weakens your draw quality. You want to pull your Muster starters, Heroes, and Mysterious Elf as reliably as possible. Every extra card you include makes that harder.

Leader Card: Eredin — Bringer of Death

This is the best Eredin variant for consistent play. His ability returns one card from your discard pile directly to your hand. Use this to bring back a Vampire after it was already played via Muster, a Crone starter for a second trigger, or Yennefer for another Medic activation.

The other Eredin variants are more situational. Eredin: King of the Wild Hunt doubles the strength of all your Close Combat units — powerful on paper, but it does nothing when your opponent drops Biting Frost first. Eredin: Commander of the Red Riders pulls a weather card from your deck and plays it instantly — useful if you build around Impenetrable Fog or Biting Frost, but that requires a different deck construction. Eredin: Destroyer of Worlds discards 2 cards and lets you search 1 card of your choice — risky because it costs you cards. Bringer of Death gives you a free card without any cost. Use him.

Muster Cards — The Core of the Deck

Muster is what makes Monsters special. When you play any card with the Muster ability, every other card that shares its name is automatically pulled from your deck and placed on the board at the same time. You play one card and get many. Here are the three Muster groups worth building around.

Vampire Group (5 cards — strongest Muster package)

Playing any single Vampire card calls all other Vampires in your deck to the board simultaneously. All five Vampire cards together total 21 base strength from one move. This is the most efficient Muster group in the game by raw point output.

• Vampire: Katakan — 5 strength, Agile, Muster. The strongest individual Vampire. Goes in Close Combat or Ranged row.
• Vampire: Bruxa — 4 strength, Agile, Muster
• Vampire: Fleder — 4 strength, Agile, Muster
• Vampire: Garkain — 4 strength, Agile, Muster
• Vampire: Ekimmara — 4 strength, Agile, Muster

All five Vampires have the Agile ability, meaning they can be placed in either Close Combat or Ranged when they land. This is extremely important. It means a Biting Frost on the melee row does not automatically destroy your entire Vampire pile — you can split them between rows when the group enters play. This makes the Vampire Muster group significantly more weather-resistant than Crones or Nekkers.

Crone Group (3 cards — second best Muster package)

All three Crone cards share the Muster ability. Play one and all three appear in the Siege row together for 18 total base strength from a single play. The Siege row is generally safer from Biting Frost — but Torrential Rain can hit it instead, so keep a Clear Weather ready.

• Crone: Brewess — 6 strength, Close Combat, Muster (calls Weavess and Whispess)
• Crone: Weavess — 6 strength, Close Combat, Muster (calls Brewess and Whispess)
• Crone: Whispess — 6 strength, Close Combat, Muster (calls Brewess and Weavess)

Important: All three Crones actually land in the Close Combat row, not Siege, despite some sources listing them differently. This means they are fully vulnerable to Biting Frost. If your opponent has Biting Frost, play your Vampires first as the primary Muster group — and save Crones for rounds when you know that threat is gone.

Arachas Group (3–4 cards)

The Arachas Behemoth sits in the Siege row and triggers Muster to pull all standard Arachas cards from your deck into the melee row. Together they produce 18 additional strength from one Behemoth play.

• Arachas Behemoth — 6 strength, Siege, Muster (triggers Arachas cards)
• Arachas (x3) — 4 strength each, Agile, Muster. All three land together for 12 total points when Behemoth is played.

The Behemoth in Siege and the three Arachasae in melee or ranged (they are Agile) means this combo spreads across two rows, making it harder for a single weather card to neutralize the whole group at once.

Hero Cards (Monsters Faction)

These are immune to weather, Scorch, and Commander’s Horn effects. They always score at face value and anchor your deck when Muster combos are not firing.

• Draug — 10 strength, Close Combat, Hero
• Imlerith — 10 strength, Close Combat, Hero
• Leshen — 10 strength, Ranged, Hero
• Kayran — 8 strength, Agile, Hero, Morale Boost. The Morale Boost adds +1 to every other card in the same row when Kayran is played. Put him in your biggest Muster row for an automatic bonus on all units already there.

Neutral Hero Cards (Essential Additions)

These are not Monsters-only cards but they fill two critical gaps the faction cannot cover on its own — Spy card draw and Medic recovery.

• Geralt of Rivia — 15 strength, Close Combat, Hero. The highest raw strength card available. A guaranteed 15 points no matter what your opponent does.
• Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon (Ciri) — 15 strength, Close Combat, Hero. Same value as Geralt. Run both.
• Yennefer of Vengerberg — 7 strength, Ranged, Hero, Medic. Her Medic ability revives one non-hero card from your discard pile when played. Use her to bring back a Vampire card after Muster was already triggered — it will not retrigger Muster since the group is gone, but 4–5 extra strength for free is still valuable. Combine with Eredin’s leader ability for two graveyard pulls per match.
• Mysterious Elf (Avallac’h) — 0 strength, Hero, Spy. This is the only Spy card available to the Monsters deck. He adds 0 strength to your opponent’s side while you draw two extra cards. He is the single biggest card draw tool available to this faction. Including him is not optional — he is essential for keeping your hand full enough to play the full Muster sequence.

Utility Cards

• Villentretenmerth (Neutral) — 7 strength, Close Combat, Scorch for the melee row. Destroys the highest-strength unit in the Close Combat row when played. Use this to remove a threat before you drop your own Muster group — or bait your opponent into stacking their melee units, then fire this to wipe them out.
• Dandelion (Neutral) — 2 strength, Close Combat. Acts as a Commander’s Horn for the melee row, doubling all non-hero units in that row. After a Vampire Muster fills the melee row with 21 points of base strength, Dandelion can double the entire pile. This is a finishing move that opponents almost never see coming.

Special Cards

• Clear Weather (x2) — This is the most important special card in the Monsters deck. Biting Frost is the number one hard counter to everything you are doing. Two Clear Weather cards give you redundancy. The moment an opponent drops Biting Frost on your melee row, counter it immediately before your Muster units lose all their value.
• Decoy (x2) — Return a played card to your hand and play it again. Use Decoy to take back an opposing Spy card your opponent placed on your side — this denies them the two card draws while returning their unit off your board. Also use Decoy to replay Yennefer for a second Medic trigger, or to replay Villentretenmerth for a second Scorch.
• Commander’s Horn (x1) — Doubles all non-hero units in one row. Use this on the row where your Vampires or Crones landed if Dandelion is not available. Do not use it on a row already containing Dandelion — the effects do not stack, and one will be wasted.

Full Monsters Deck Card List

Here is the complete recommended deck at a glance.

• Eredin: Bringer of Death (Leader)
• Vampire: Katakan — Agile Muster, 5 strength
• Vampire: Bruxa — Agile Muster, 4 strength
• Vampire: Fleder — Agile Muster, 4 strength
• Vampire: Garkain — Agile Muster, 4 strength
• Vampire: Ekimmara — Agile Muster, 4 strength
• Crone: Brewess — Close Combat Muster, 6 strength
• Crone: Weavess — Close Combat Muster, 6 strength
• Crone: Whispess — Close Combat Muster, 6 strength
• Arachas Behemoth — Siege Muster, 6 strength
• Arachas x3 — Agile Muster, 4 strength each
• Draug — Monsters Hero, 10 strength, Close Combat
• Imlerith — Monsters Hero, 10 strength, Close Combat
• Leshen — Monsters Hero, 10 strength, Ranged
• Kayran — Monsters Hero, 8 strength, Agile, Morale Boost
• Geralt of Rivia — Neutral Hero, 15 strength, Close Combat
• Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon — Neutral Hero, 15 strength, Close Combat
• Yennefer of Vengerberg — Neutral Hero/Medic, 7 strength, Ranged
• Mysterious Elf — Neutral Hero/Spy, 0 strength
• Villentretenmerth — Neutral Scorch (melee), 7 strength
• Dandelion — Neutral melee multiplier, 2 strength
• Clear Weather x2 — Special
• Decoy x2 — Special
• Commander’s Horn x1 — Special

The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Remastered Best Monsters Gwent Deck

Where to Find Every Key Monsters Card

Monsters cards are spread across Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige. Most of the Muster units are bought from vendors, while Hero cards require winning specific Gwent quest matches.

Vampire Cards

• Vampire: Ekimmara — Buy from the innkeeper in Svorlag, Spikeroog (Skellige)
• Vampire: Katakan — Win from Madman Lugos during the Gwent: Skellige Style quest in Skellige
• Vampire: Bruxa, Fleder, Garkain — Won randomly from merchants and crafters across Velen and Novigrad. Check vendors repeatedly and play as many Gwent opponents as possible to collect all three.

Crone Cards

• Crone: Brewess, Weavess, Whispess — All three are won randomly from merchants and crafters. They are not sold by specific vendors, so you need to play Gwent players across the game map and get lucky with drops. Prioritize completing the Gwent: Collect ’em All quest to face as many random opponents as possible.

Arachas Cards

• Arachas — Buy from the innkeeper in Svorlag, Spikeroog (Skellige). Multiple copies are available for purchase.
• Arachas Behemoth — Won randomly from merchants and crafters. Check vendors across Velen and Novigrad.

Monsters Hero Cards

• Draug — Win from Crach an Craite at Kaer Trolde during the Gwent: Skellige Style quest
• Leshen — Win from Ermion at Gedyneith on Ard Skellig during the Gwent: Skellige Style quest
• Vampire: Katakan — Win from Madman Lugos during Gwent: Skellige Style (also listed above)
• Imlerith — Won randomly from a merchant or crafter. Not tied to a specific quest opponent.
• Kayran — Won randomly from a merchant or crafter.

Leader Card: Eredin — Bringer of Death

• Win from the Marquise Serenity at the Passiflora in Novigrad during the Gwent: Big City Players quest.

Neutral Cards

• Mysterious Elf — Win from Gremist the druid at Gedyneith on Ard Skellig during the Gwent: Skellige Style quest
• Geralt of Rivia — Win from Thaler at the Seven Cats Inn during the Gwent: Old Friends quest in Novigrad
• Yennefer of Vengerberg — Win from Stjepan at The Alchemy Inn in Oxenfurt during Gwent: Playing Innkeeps
• Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon — Win from the Scoia’tael Trader in Novigrad Forest during Gwent: Big City Players
• Villentretenmerth — Won randomly from merchants or crafters
• Dandelion — Neutral card won randomly from opponents or bought from vendors

For a complete breakdown of every card that can be permanently missed, see our Witcher 3: All Missable Gwent Cards guide. For Hearts of Stone DLC additions, our DLC Gwent Cards guide covers the Toad card added to the Monsters pool. And for collecting every single card in the game, our full How to Get Every Gwent Card guide has everything you need.

How to Play the Monsters Deck

Monsters plays differently from every other faction. You are not trying to out-draw your opponent like Northern Realms. You are not trying to react to their plays like Scoia’tael. You are trying to fire your Muster combo at the exact moment it cannot be countered and score more points in one turn than your opponent can answer.

Round 1: Probe and Protect

Do not immediately drop your full Vampire Muster in Round 1. You need information first. What special cards does your opponent have? Have they played Biting Frost or Scorch yet?

Start Round 1 with Mysterious Elf if you have him. The two card draws he gives you are critical for finding your Clear Weather and your Muster starters early. Then play a few mid-range Hero cards — Leshen, Draug, or Kayran. These are safe plays that cannot be destroyed by weather and accumulate solid points without committing your Muster groups.

If your opponent does not drop Biting Frost by mid-Round 1, consider firing the Arachas Behemoth combo. It splits across Siege and melee, making it harder to counter with a single weather card. Save the Vampire and Crone Musters for rounds where you know weather threats are cleared.

Round 2: Clear Weather Then Strike

If you lose Round 1 on purpose — which is a valid approach when you want to preserve your combo for later — Round 2 is where you start spending your power plays.

Drop a Clear Weather first if any weather effect is active. Then play your Vampire Muster. All five land on the board for 21 base strength. If the melee row is clean, follow immediately with Dandelion to double the whole pile. A Dandelion on a full Vampire row produces over 40 points in that row alone. Add Kayran’s Morale Boost and a Commander’s Horn and this single round can score 70 or more points.

Your opponent will almost certainly pass after this. You win Round 2. The faction ability keeps one random unit on the board heading into Round 3.

Round 3: Mop Up With Remaining Musters

By Round 3 your opponent is usually out of cards or out of high-value plays. You still have Crones and potentially a revived Vampire from Eredin’s leader ability or Yennefer’s Medic. Play them cleanly and close the match.

If your opponent is still holding strong cards, save Villentretenmerth for this round. Drop him to Scorch their highest melee unit right before you play your own Crones — clearing the threat and then scoring your combo in the same sequence.

Key Tips for Winning

• Always have a Clear Weather in hand before you play Vampires into the Close Combat row. Even one Biting Frost in response wipes out 21 points instantly. Two Clear Weather cards are in the recommended build for this reason.
• Split Vampires across rows when possible. Since all five Vampires are Agile, you can choose where each one lands. Spread them between Close Combat and Ranged so a single weather card cannot kill the whole group at once.
• Use Decoy on opposing Spy cards immediately. If your opponent plays a Spy on your side, use Decoy on it. This sends the Spy back to their hand and they lose both the card and their two draw bonus. This is the single most effective counter to opponent Spy decks.
• Play Kayran before your Muster group, not after. His Morale Boost adds +1 to all other units in his row when he enters. If you play him after the Vampires already land, they do not get the boost. Play Kayran first, then trigger Muster for the full benefit.
• Never drop Crones if Biting Frost is still active. Unlike Vampires, Crones land in the Close Combat row and are not Agile. A single Biting Frost turns 18 strength into 3. Clear weather first — always.

What Not to Include in Your Deck

The Monsters card pool is large and many cards look appealing on paper but do not belong in a competitive build.

• Nekker (x3) — Only 2 strength each. Three together total 6 points. Even with Muster, that is the weakest return in the game. Skip entirely once you have Vampires and Crones.
• Ghoul (x3) — Only 1 strength each. Three together total 3 points from Muster. One of the worst cards in the game. Never include in a finished deck.
• Foglet (x3) — 2 strength each with a bonus only when Impenetrable Fog is active. Building around weather dependency adds too many dead card scenarios. Skip.
• Earth Elemental, Fire Elemental, Gargoyle, Cockatrice — Filler cards with no abilities and low to mid strength values. Replace every one with a stronger unit from the above list.
• Botchling — 4 strength, no ability beyond a very situational upgrade. Not worth the slot.
• More than 22 units — As with all factions, a bloated deck reduces the chance of drawing Mysterious Elf, Clear Weather, and your Muster starters at the right time. Trim ruthlessly.

Monsters vs Other Factions

Knowing how your deck interacts with each faction helps you plan your weather usage and passing timing.

• vs Northern Realms — They use Spy cards to draw and Tight Bond combos to score. Use Decoy to steal their Spy cards and deny the draw bonus. Fire your Vampires in an uncontested round and they struggle to catch up. See our Northern Realms guide to understand what they will throw at you.
• vs Nilfgaard — They win draws automatically. Always push for a clear win margin — never let a round finish tied. Their spy and Medic engine can be disrupted with Decoy on their Spy cards.
• vs Scoia’tael — They also use Muster but smaller groups. Their Agile units dodge weather. Play your Biting Frost or Commander’s Horn after their Muster fires to cap the damage. See our Scoia’tael guide for how their deck works.
• vs Skellige — They get two free cards at the start of Round 3. Make sure you either win Round 3 decisively with full Muster or close out before it reaches that point. Their Skellige Cerys combo can score huge if you let them get there.

Monsters Gwent Deck in Witcher 3 Remastered

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered on Nintendo Switch 2 and other platforms keeps the full Gwent system intact. Every card, ability, and strategy in this guide applies directly to the Remastered version. Nothing has changed from the original Gwent rules.

For full game coverage, our Ultimate Achievement Guide covers Gwent completion for trophies. Our Best Builds guide and Skill Tree guide cover combat builds to pair with your Gwent journey. And if you need help with other parts of the game, our All Quests in Order guide keeps your playthrough on track.

Frequently Asked Questions