The Witcher 3 Remastered: Best Nilfgaardian Empire Gwent Deck

• TL;DR: The Nilfgaardian Empire is the best control faction in Witcher 3 Gwent — it wins by outsmarting opponents, not just overpowering them.
• Its exclusive faction perk: Nilfgaard wins any round that ends in a draw — a massive passive advantage.
• The deck has the most Spy cards in the game, letting you draw far more cards than your opponent.
• Key strategy: use Spies to fill your hand, Medics to recycle powerful cards, and Biting Frost to punish opponents without hurting your own units.
• Best leader card: Emhyr var Emreis: The Relentless — lets you steal a card from your opponent’s discard pile.
• Must-have cards: Mysterious Elf, Menno Coehoorn, Stefan Skellen, Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen, Letho of Gulet.
• Several key cards are missable — you must win them during specific quests before the window closes.

Gwent is one of the most rewarding side activities in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Remastered. Of all five factions, the Nilfgaardian Empire deck rewards the most strategic play. It does not rely on a single overpowered trick. Instead, it layers advantages — drawing more cards than the enemy, recycling strong units, and exploiting the tie-win perk to take rounds without fully committing. This guide covers the best deck build, key card locations, the right leader card, and how to use the faction’s strengths to win consistently.

What Makes the Nilfgaardian Empire Deck Special

Every faction in Gwent has a unique passive ability. For Nilfgaard, that ability is: Nilfgaard wins any round that ends in a draw.

This sounds minor but it is one of the most powerful perks in the game. It means you never truly lose a tied round. Your opponent has to beat you outright. You can bait them into overcommitting cards in an early round, let the round end in a tie, bank the win, and then cruise to victory in the later rounds with your hand still full.

Beyond the tie perk, Nilfgaard has the most and best Spy cards of any faction. Spies are cards you place on your opponent’s battlefield — they count toward the opponent’s score, but they let you draw two cards from your own deck. The more Spies you play, the more cards you have in hand while your opponent struggles with a smaller pool. Over three rounds, this card advantage compounds into a decisive edge.

Nilfgaard also has strong Medic cards. Medics let you bring back one unit card from your discard pile and play it instantly. Combine Spies and Medics and you get a deck that never runs out of resources — you draw more, and you reuse what you already played.

The Witcher 3 Remastered Best Nilfgaardian Empire Gwent Deck

Best Leader Card for Nilfgaardian Empire

There are five Emhyr var Emreis leader cards for the Nilfgaardian deck. Each has a different ability. Here is a breakdown of all five and which to use:

Emhyr var Emreis: The Relentless — Best Choice

Ability: Draw a card from your opponent’s discard pile.

This is the strongest leader card for the deck. You can use it to pull back one of your own Spy cards that ended up in the opponent’s discard after you played it — effectively recycling it for another draw. Alternatively, steal a powerful neutral hero or a strong opponent unit. The flexibility is unmatched. How to get it: Win the High Stakes Gwent quest by defeating Sasha in Novigrad.

Emhyr var Emreis: The White Flame

Ability: Cancel your opponent’s Leader Ability.

A strong counter card. If you know your opponent relies heavily on their leader — like the Monster deck’s weather immunity or Northern Realms’ siege boost — this shuts them down completely. It is situationally excellent but less universally useful than The Relentless. How to get it: Complete the Gwent: Skellige Style quest.

Emhyr var Emreis: Emperor of Nilfgaard

Ability: Look at 3 random cards from your opponent’s hand.

Good for information. Knowing what your opponent holds lets you plan your own plays more accurately. However, this is a passive advantage rather than an active one. It is best for very experienced Gwent players who can use the information effectively. How to get it: Purchase from the Innkeeper at Inn at the Crossroads in Velen, or from the Lindenvale Innkeeper.

Emhyr var Emreis: His Imperial Majesty

Ability: Pick a Torrential Rain card from your deck and play it instantly.

This is the starting leader card included in the base deck. Torrential Rain reduces all Ranged and Siege combat units to 1 strength. It can be useful but it also affects your own Ranged units. Skip this once you acquire a better leader. How to get it: Part of the base Nilfgaard deck from the start.

Emhyr var Emreis: Invader of the North

Ability: Abilities that restore a unit to the battlefield restore a randomly chosen unit instead.

This disrupts enemy Medic plays by forcing them to revive a random card instead of their best one. However, it also affects your own Medics, which is a significant downside. Avoid this one entirely. How to get it: Part of the base deck.

Recommendation: Use Emhyr var Emreis: The Relentless as your leader in most matches. It gives the best ongoing value and synergizes perfectly with the Spy-heavy strategy.

Best Nilfgaardian Empire Gwent Deck Build

Below is the recommended deck for the Nilfgaardian Empire faction. You will not have all of these cards at the start. Build toward this list as you progress through the game’s Gwent quests and buy from merchants.

Leader Card

• Emhyr var Emreis: The Relentless

Neutral Hero Cards

• Geralt of Rivia — 15 strength, Close Combat. The single highest-value card in the game.
• Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon (Ciri) — 15 strength, Close Combat. Equal to Geralt and immune to abilities.
• Yennefer of Vengerberg — 7 strength, Ranged, Medic. Revives any unit from the discard pile.
• Villentretenmerth — 7 strength, Close Combat. Destroys all the highest-strength non-Hero units on the board when played.
• Mysterious Elf — 0 strength, Close Combat, Hero Spy. Draws 2 cards and cannot be affected by Special Cards. The best Spy in the game.

Nilfgaard Hero Cards

• Letho of Gulet — 10 strength, Close Combat Hero.
• Menno Coehoorn — 10 strength, Close Combat Hero, Medic. Revives any non-Hero, non-Special card from your discard pile.
• Morvran Voorhis — 10 strength, Siege Hero.
• Tibor Eggebracht — 10 strength, Ranged Hero.

Spy Cards

• Stefan Skellen — 9 strength, Close Combat, Spy. Draws 2 cards.
• Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen — 7 strength, Close Combat, Spy. Draws 2 cards.
• Vattier de Rideaux — 4 strength, Close Combat, Spy. Draws 2 cards.

Strong Unit Cards

• Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach — 6 strength, Ranged
• Fringilla Vigo — 6 strength, Ranged
• Assire var Anahid — 6 strength, Ranged
• Heavy Zerrikanian Fire Scorpion — 10 strength, Siege
• Impera Brigade x3 — 3 strength each, Close Combat, Tight Bond (doubles strength when next to each other)
• Black Infantry Archer x2 — 10 strength combined, Ranged, Tight Bond
• Etolian Auxiliary Archers x2 — 1 strength, Ranged, Medic
• Siege Technician — 0 strength, Siege, Medic

Special Cards

• Biting Frost x2 — Weather card that reduces all Close Combat units to 1 strength. Safe to use since most of your unit cards are Ranged or Siege.
• Commander’s Horn x1 — Doubles all unit cards in one combat row.
• Decoy x2 — Swap a card on the battlefield back into your hand. Excellent for recycling Spy cards.

Keep your deck at or close to 22 unit cards. Going over this reduces your draw consistency. You want to see your best cards every game, not bury them under a pile of weak filler.

How to Play the Nilfgaardian Empire Deck

Round 1 — Draw Cards and Control the Tempo

Start Round 1 by playing your Spy cards as early as possible. Each Spy you play adds points to your opponent’s side but puts two cards into your hand. Your goal is to end Round 1 with more cards remaining than your opponent.

Do not try to win Round 1 with your best cards. Instead, play some mid-value units and use Spies. If the round is heading toward a tie, let it happen. Remember — you win ties. Your opponent needs to outspend you to take the round, and if they do, they have wasted premium cards heading into Round 2.

If your opponent passes early in Round 1, you can pass too and bank the tie win. Do not keep playing cards when passing is the better move.

Round 2 — Recycle with Medics

In Round 2, deploy Menno Coehoorn or Yennefer to bring back a high-value unit from your discard pile. If you played Stefan Skellen or a strong unit in Round 1, this is where you get them back. The Etolian Auxiliary Archers (Medic ability) can also be used for cheaper units.

Use your leader ability in Round 2 if possible. Pull back a Spy card from the discard pile and play it for another two-card draw, giving yourself even more hand size advantage.

Round 3 — Close Out with Heroes

By Round 3 you should have a larger hand than your opponent thanks to the Spy advantage. Play your Hero cards — Letho, Tibor, Morvran, Geralt, Ciri — and let their raw strength close out the round. Your opponent is typically running low on cards at this point while you still have options.

Use Biting Frost in Round 3 if your opponent has stacked units in the Close Combat row. Since most of your own units are in the Ranged and Siege rows, this hurts the opponent while leaving your cards unaffected.

Use Commander’s Horn on your Ranged row where Tibor Eggebracht anchors with 10 strength. Doubling that row can put you out of reach instantly.

The Tight Bond Combo

If you include three Impera Brigade cards, place them all in the Close Combat row together. Each card is 3 strength on its own. When all three are on the same row, the Tight Bond ability doubles each of them — resulting in 18 total strength from three otherwise modest cards. This is a strong surprise finish in Round 3 when your opponent is not expecting it.

Using Decoy Cards

Decoy cards let you retrieve a played unit back into your hand. The best use is to pull back a Spy card you have already played and use it again for another draw. Stefan Skellen (9 strength Spy) is the ideal target — playing him, then Decoying him, then replaying him means you drew four cards at the cost of his 9 strength sitting on your opponent’s board. The card advantage is enormous.

You can also use Decoy to save a key Hero card from Villentretenmerth’s Scorch ability before it fires.

Where to Find Every Key Nilfgaard Gwent Card

Emhyr var Emreis: The Relentless (Leader)

Win the High Stakes Gwent quest in Novigrad by defeating Lady Sasha. This quest becomes available after completing enough Gwent quests in Novigrad. It is a long questline that ends in a high-value card tournament. Winning it also rewards you with all the cards wagered by the other players.

Letho of Gulet (10 Strength, Close Combat Hero)

Won from the Boatwright in Oreton, Velen during the Gwent: Velen Players quest. Oreton is a small coastal village southeast of Crow’s Perch. There is only one copy in the game and it cannot be bought or found randomly. Do not miss this quest.

Menno Coehoorn (10 Strength, Hero, Medic)

Won from the Innkeeper at Inn at the Crossroads, Velen during the Gwent: Playing Innkeeps quest. The Inn at the Crossroads is one of the earliest locations you visit in Velen. Beating the Innkeeper here is part of the Innkeeps questline and rewards this excellent Hero Medic card.

Morvran Voorhis (10 Strength, Siege Hero)

Won from Marquise Serenity at the Passiflora brothel in Novigrad during the Gwent: Big City Players quest. The Passiflora is located near the center of Novigrad and this match is part of the Big City Players chain.

Tibor Eggebracht (10 Strength, Ranged Hero)

Won from Olivier at The Kingfisher Inn in Novigrad during the Gwent: Playing Innkeeps quest. The Kingfisher is in northern Novigrad near Hierarch Square. This is another card in the Innkeeps chain alongside Menno Coehoorn.

Stefan Skellen (9 Strength, Spy)

Won as a random reward from Gwent players throughout the game. The Merchant at Downwarren in Velen is a confirmed source. Keep playing Gwent against craftsmen and merchants in Velen to increase your chances of getting this card. One copy can also be won from the Innkeeper at The Nowhere Inn.

Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen (7 Strength, Spy)

Won as a random reward from Gwent players. The Blacksmith at Blackbough in Velen and the Merchant at Fergus Graem, Crow’s Perch are known sources. Like Stefan Skellen, this is a random drop rather than a guaranteed quest reward — so keep playing Gwent in Velen.

Mysterious Elf (0 Strength, Hero Spy — Neutral Card)

Won from Gremist at Gedyneith on Ard Skellig during the Gwent: Skellige Style quest. Gremist is the druid involved in the Practicum in Advanced Alchemy quest. You must complete the Skellige Gwent quest chain to reach him. This is a late-game card but one of the most powerful in any deck. It is a Hero card so it cannot be targeted by special abilities or weather cards, and it draws two cards when played — essentially a free card advantage engine.

Fringilla Vigo (6 Strength, Ranged)

Acquired during the A Dangerous Game quest in Novigrad. During this quest, you must choose between taking cards or gold as a reward. Always choose the cards. Fringilla Vigo is one of the three cards available and cannot be obtained any other way. This is a missable card — if you take gold or skip the quest, it is gone forever.

Heavy Zerrikanian Fire Scorpion (10 Strength, Siege)

Purchased for around 50 Crowns from the trader at Midcopse, Spitfire Bluff in Velen. This is your highest-strength Siege unit and one of the few 10-strength non-Hero cards in the deck.

Impera Brigade (3 Strength each, Tight Bond)

Multiple copies can be bought from traders in Crow’s Perch, the Inn at the Crossroads, and the Seven Cats Inn near Novigrad for around 20 Crowns each. Buy all three as early as you can — the Tight Bond combo makes these cards worth far more than their individual values suggest.

Etolian Auxiliary Archers (1 Strength, Medic)

Buy two copies from the Shopkeeper in Claywich, Velen. These are cheap Medic units useful for reviving lower-strength cards from the discard pile in early rounds.

Cards to Avoid in the Nilfgaard Deck

Not every Nilfgaard card earns a place in the final build. Here are some to cut or leave out:

• Vreemde (2 Strength) — Too weak to justify a slot. Cut it.
• Rotten Mangonel (3 Strength, Siege) — A 3-strength Siege card is almost never worth playing when you have the Heavy Zerrikanian Fire Scorpion available.
• Albrich (2 Strength) — Similarly weak. Skip it.
• Morteisen (3 Strength) — Low value. Only include if you are still building the deck early on.
• Renuald aep Matsen (5 Strength) — Borderline. Include early in the game but replace with stronger cards as you progress.
• Emhyr: Invader of the North (Leader) — Never use this leader. It disrupts your own Medic plays as much as the opponent’s.

Missable Nilfgaard Cards — Do Not Skip These

Several key Nilfgaard cards have a limited window to obtain. If you miss them, they are gone for the rest of your playthrough:

• Fringilla Vigo — Choose the cards reward during A Dangerous Game quest. Always pick cards over gold.
• Stefan Skellen from the Bloody Baron — The Bloody Baron at Crow’s Perch can reward this 9-strength Spy card, but only if you play him before his questline concludes. Once the Baron’s story ends and he leaves Crow’s Perch, his card is permanently unavailable.
• Emhyr var Emreis: The Relentless — This requires completing the High Stakes quest. Make sure to build up enough Gwent wins first to qualify.

Always check if a character you are interacting with for a main or side quest can also play Gwent. Challenge them before finishing their quest line, not after.

For more on questing through the game efficiently alongside Gwent hunting, see our Witcher 3 all quests in order complete main quest list. And if you want to understand how long it takes to collect everything including all Gwent cards, read our Witcher 3 how long to beat all DLCs guide.

Nilfgaard vs. Other Factions — How It Compares

Understanding how Nilfgaard matches up against the other factions helps you know when to lean into each strategy:

• vs. Northern Realms — Northern Realms uses Tight Bond siege weapons and many Spy cards of its own. Counter their Medic plays by using Villentretenmerth to Scorch their strongest units before they recycle them. The tie perk is critical here as both decks are balanced for long rounds.
• vs. Monsters — The Monster deck leans on weather cards and Muster abilities. Monsters have no Spy cards, so your hand will always outgrow theirs. Use Biting Frost to neutralize their Close Combat row and win by pure card advantage.
• vs. Scoia’tael — Scoia’tael can go first or second at will using their faction ability. They play unpredictably. Use Emhyr: The White Flame leader in this matchup to cancel their tempo disruption, or stick with The Relentless if you are comfortable reacting to their plays.
• vs. Skellige — Skellige revives cards from the discard pile automatically. Do not play Villentretenmerth until after they have committed their strongest resurrect targets, otherwise they will just bring them back. Let the round stabilize before using Scorch effects.

For information on how Gwent and the broader game changes in the Remastered version, visit the official Witcher 3 website and the Nintendo Switch 2 product page. For more Remastered guides, check our Witcher 3 Remastered Patch 5.0 all changes explained, our best builds guide, and our skill tree guide.

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