The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Remastered: Best Scoia’tael Gwent Deck

TL;DR

• Scoia’tael is the most flexible and tactical Gwent faction in Witcher 3.
• Their unique faction ability lets you choose who goes first every round.
• Agile units can be placed in either Close Combat or Ranged rows, giving you more control over weather threats.
• Muster cards auto-summon all copies of themselves from your deck in one play — great for big turns.
• The best leader is Francesca: Daisy of the Valley, which draws you one extra starting card.
• Keep your deck at 22 units. Strip out all filler and low-value cards.
• Most key cards come from Novigrad quests and Skellige opponents.

Scoia’tael is one of the most interesting Gwent factions in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It is not the easiest deck to build. And it is not the most powerful faction in the game by raw numbers. But when played right, it is one of the hardest decks to counter.

The Scoia’tael — the non-human freedom fighters made up of elves and dwarves — bring flexibility to the table. Their units can dodge weather. Their Muster cards create big point swings in a single play. And their unique faction ability means you always decide who starts each round.

This guide covers the best deck build, which cards to include, where to find them, and how to play them to win.

Why Play Scoia’tael in Gwent?

Scoia’tael has three things that set it apart from every other faction.

• You control the first turn. Scoia’tael’s faction bonus lets you choose who goes first each round. This sounds small. It is not. Going second means you can react to your opponent’s plays. Going first means you can force them to respond. Knowing when to do each is how you win close matches.
• Agile units. Many Scoia’tael cards can be placed in either the Close Combat or Ranged row when you play them. This lets you dodge weather cards after you see what your opponent plays. If they drop Biting Frost to wreck your melee row, put your Agile units in Ranged instead.
• Muster combos. Muster cards automatically call all other cards with the same name from your deck to the board the moment you play one of them. This can dump 15 or more points onto the board in a single move with zero extra card plays.

These three tools together make Scoia’tael the most reactive and tricky faction to play against. If you enjoy outsmarting your opponent rather than just out-pointing them, this is the deck for you.

If you are also building a Northern Realms deck to compare, see our Witcher 3: Best Northern Realms Gwent Deck guide. And for finding all the cards you need, check our Witcher 3 Remastered: How to Get Every Gwent Card guide.

Best Scoia’tael Gwent Deck Build

The goal of this deck is simple. You use Muster cards to flood the board cheaply. You use Agile units to stay safe from weather. You use Havekar Healers to recycle your best cards. And you use your faction ability to react rather than react blindly.

Stick to exactly 22 unit cards. Every extra card you add makes it harder to draw your key Muster and Medic cards when you need them.

Leader Card: Francesca Findabair — Daisy of the Valley

This is the best Francesca variant for most matchups. She draws you one extra card at the start of the match. That is a free card advantage before a single unit is played.

Starting with 11 cards instead of 10 sounds minor. But in Gwent, where every card matters, this gives you a better chance of drawing your Muster cards and Healers early.

The other Francesca variants are situational. Francesca: The Beautiful doubles your Ranged unit strength if no Commander’s Horn is in that row — powerful in theory but hard to protect in practice. Francesca: Queen of Dol Blathanna destroys the opponent’s strongest Close Combat unit if their total Close Combat strength hits 10 or more — useful against Northern Realms. Francesca: Pureblood Elf plays a Biting Frost from your deck instantly, which is only good if you build around weather cards. Daisy of the Valley remains the safest and most consistent choice.

Hero Cards (Immune to Weather and Special Abilities)

Hero cards cannot be reduced by weather, Scorch, or Commander’s Horn. They always count at face value. These are your reliable backbone.

• Eithné — 10 strength, Ranged, Hero
• Iorveth — 10 strength, Ranged, Hero
• Isengrim Faoiltiarna — 10 strength, Close Combat, Hero, Morale Boost (adds +1 to all other units in the same row)
• Saesenthessis — 10 strength, Ranged, Hero
• Filavandrel ael Fidhail — 6 strength, Ranged, Hero
• Ida Emean aep Sivney — 6 strength, Ranged, Hero
• Milva — 7 strength, Ranged, Hero

Isengrim is particularly valuable. His Morale Boost gives every other unit in his row a +1 bonus. Put him in a row full of Muster cards after they land and you squeeze extra points out of the whole group.

Muster Cards (Your Main Combo Engine)

When you play a Muster card, all copies of that same card are automatically pulled from your deck and placed on the board at the same time. You get multiple units for the cost of one play. This is where Scoia’tael scores its biggest rounds.

• Havekar Smuggler (x3) — 5 strength each, Close Combat, Muster. Play one and all three land together for 15 total points. Easy, consistent, and hard to counter.
• Dwarven Skirmisher (x3) — 3 strength each, Close Combat, Muster. A smaller Muster combo totalling 9 points. Useful for padding a round without spending more cards.
• Elven Skirmisher (x3) — 2 strength each, Ranged, Muster. The weakest Muster group. You can include them early in your deck-building but replace them with stronger cards as you collect more.

The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Remastered Best Scoia’tael Gwent Deck

Medic Cards (Keep Your Best Units Coming Back)

Medic cards let you revive one non-hero unit card directly from your discard pile. In Scoia’tael, you use this to bring back Havekar Smugglers for another Muster trigger, or to replay Agile units that were already used in an earlier round.

• Havekar Healer (x3) — 0 strength, Ranged, Medic. Three copies is the key here. A zero-strength card sounds useless. But their Medic ability means each one pulls a unit back from the graveyard. Revive a Havekar Smuggler and you trigger Muster again, bringing its clones back too. This is one of the most powerful combos in the Scoia’tael kit.
• Yennefer of Vengerberg — 7 strength, Ranged, Medic, Hero. A neutral card that can go in any deck. She functions as a fourth Medic and brings 7 solid strength to your Ranged row. Include her if you have the card.

Agile Units (Row-Flexible, Weather-Resistant)

Agile cards can be placed in either Close Combat or Ranged when played. You choose the row when you put the card down. Once placed, they cannot move. Use Agile units to route around weather cards your opponent plays.

• Vrihedd Brigade Veteran — 5 strength, Agile
• Dol Blathanna Scout — 6 strength, Agile
• Barclay Els — 6 strength, Agile
• Ciaran aep Easnillien — 3 strength, Agile
• Yaevinn — 6 strength, Agile

Dol Blathanna Scout and Barclay Els are the best of these. Both sit at 6 strength and can move to whichever row is safer after seeing what weather cards your opponent plays.

Other Strong Unit Cards

• Dennis Cranmer — 6 strength, Close Combat, Morale Boost. Adds +1 to all other Close Combat units in his row. A solid support card for your melee side.
• Mahakaman Defender — 5 strength, Close Combat. A straightforward high-value unit. No abilities, but reliable strength.
• Dol Blathanna Archer — 4 strength, Ranged. Another steady ranged filler card.

Special Cards

• Decoy (x3) — Return any unit card from the board to your hand and play it again. Use this on a Havekar Healer to trigger Medic twice in one round. Use it on a Havekar Smuggler to retrigger Muster after it was already played. Three Decoys make Scoia’tael’s combos loop in ways that are very hard to stop.
• Commander’s Horn (x1) — Doubles all non-hero units in one row. Drop this on a row filled with Havekar Smugglers after Muster triggers for a massive point gain.
• Clear Weather (x1) — Unlike Northern Realms, Scoia’tael has no free weather clear built into the leader. One Clear Weather card is worth including for protection.
• Biting Frost (x1, optional) — Drops all Close Combat units to 1 strength. Useful against Northern Realms if you have Agile units already in the Ranged row. Do not include this if you run many Close Combat units yourself.

Full Scoia’tael Deck Card List

Here is the complete recommended deck at a glance.

• Francesca Findabair: Daisy of the Valley (Leader)
• Eithné — Hero, 10 strength, Ranged
• Iorveth — Hero, 10 strength, Ranged
• Isengrim Faoiltiarna — Hero, 10 strength, Close Combat, Morale Boost
• Saesenthessis — Hero, 10 strength, Ranged
• Milva — Hero, 7 strength, Ranged
• Filavandrel ael Fidhail — Hero, 6 strength, Ranged
• Ida Emean aep Sivney — Hero, 6 strength, Ranged
• Havekar Smuggler x3 — Muster, 5 strength, Close Combat
• Dwarven Skirmisher x3 — Muster, 3 strength, Close Combat
• Havekar Healer x3 — Medic, 0 strength, Ranged
• Dol Blathanna Scout — Agile, 6 strength
• Barclay Els — Agile, 6 strength
• Vrihedd Brigade Veteran — Agile, 5 strength
• Dennis Cranmer — Morale Boost, 6 strength, Close Combat
• Mahakaman Defender — 5 strength, Close Combat
• Decoy x3 — Special
• Commander’s Horn x1 — Special
• Clear Weather x1 — Special

Where to Find Every Key Scoia’tael Card

Unlike Northern Realms, you cannot start building this deck in White Orchard. Most of the important Scoia’tael cards come from Novigrad quests and a few Skellige opponents. Plan your collection route accordingly.

Novigrad — Gwent: Old Pals Quest

This quest chain gives you several of the most important Scoia’tael Hero cards. You start it by beating Zoltan Chivay at the Rosemary and Thyme inn in Novigrad.

• Eithné — Win from Zoltan Chivay at the Rosemary and Thyme. Start here.
• Saesenthessis — Win from Vernon Roche at the Temerian Partisan Camp. Play him after Zoltan.

Novigrad — Secondary Quest: A Dangerous Game

• Isengrim Faoiltiarna — Found in Zed’s House in Novigrad as part of this secondary quest. Cannot be won in a match. It is a quest reward, so do not miss it.

Novigrad — Secondary Quest: A Matter of Life and Death

• Milva — Won by playing Gwent during the masquerade ball at Vegelbud Estate as part of this quest. Time-sensitive. Make sure you play Gwent before the quest moves on.

Novigrad — Gwent: Old Friends Quest / Gwent: Big City Players

• Filavandrel ael Fidhail — Won from the Scoia’tael Trader in Novigrad Forest during the Gwent: Big City Players quest chain.

Novigrad — Vendors

• Havekar Smuggler, Mahakaman Defender, Vrihedd Brigade Veteran, Havekar Healer — All four can be bought from Olivier, the innkeeper at the Kingfisher Inn in Novigrad after defeating him in a Gwent match.

Skellige — Shock Therapy Quest

• Iorveth — Win from the druid in Gedyneith on Ard Skellig after completing the Shock Therapy secondary quest.

Skellige — Echoes of Gwent Quest

• Yaevinn — Win from Sjusta the tailor at Kaer Trolde Harbor in Skellige during this Gwent quest.

For a full breakdown of missable cards you must not skip, see our Witcher 3: All Missable Gwent Cards guide. If you also have the DLCs, check our Witcher 3: How to Get All DLC Gwent Cards guide for Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine additions to the Scoia’tael pool.

How to Play the Scoia’tael Deck

Scoia’tael rewards patience and reading your opponent. The goal is never to brute-force every round. It is to win the right rounds with the fewest cards spent.

Round 1: Muster and Pass

Open Round 1 with your Muster cards. Play one Havekar Smuggler and all three land on the board immediately for 15 points. Play one Dwarven Skirmisher and all three auto-summon for 9 points. You have just scored 24 points from two plays.

Now pass early. Your opponent has spent more cards trying to catch up. You have a full hand left going into Round 2. This is the correct Scoia’tael game plan. Winning Round 1 is a bonus, not the main goal. What matters is having more cards when it counts.

Round 2: Use Your Faction Ability

Scoia’tael lets you choose who goes first every round. Use this in Round 2 to make your opponent move first. React to what they play. If they drop weather, place your Agile units in the unaffected row. If they play a big Hero, hold your Scorch or Commander’s Horn for later.

This is the core of Scoia’tael’s power. You are never blindly committing. You are always responding.

Round 3: Healers and Decoys

Round 3 is where Havekar Healers shine. Use them to revive Havekar Smugglers from your graveyard. This triggers Muster again, pulling the copies back onto the board. Combine with Decoy to replay a Healer for a second revival. Combined with Commander’s Horn on the right row, this can produce some of the biggest point totals in the entire game.

Drop your Hero cards last if you need reliable high-value plays that cannot be touched by weather or Scorch.

Key Tips for Winning

• Never put all your Agile units in one row before seeing weather cards. Spread them between Close Combat and Ranged initially so you can adapt to whatever weather your opponent plays.
• Always use Decoy on a Havekar Healer if you have a Smuggler in the graveyard. This combo draws more points per card spent than almost anything else in the game.
• Use your go-first ability to go second in Round 3. Seeing your opponent’s last card before you play yours is a massive advantage when the scores are close.
• Do not fill your deck with weak elves just to hit 22 units. Cards like Riordain (1 strength) and Vrihedd Brigade Recruit (4 strength with no ability) water down your draw and reduce your chances of hitting Muster cards when you need them.

What Not to Include in Your Deck

Scoia’tael has a lot of cards. Most of them are not worth running in a competitive build.

• Elven Skirmisher (x3) — The weakest Muster group at only 2 strength each. Replace with Dwarven Skirmishers or Havekar Smugglers as soon as you have them.
• Vrihedd Brigade Recruit — 4 strength with no abilities. There are better options available at the same strength value.
• Riordain — 1 strength. Not worth a deck slot at any point.
• Toruviel — 2 strength, Ranged. Too weak compared to your other Ranged options.
• Multiple weather cards — One Clear Weather is enough. Stacking Biting Frost can hurt you if your opponent forces you into a melee-heavy position.
• More than 22 units — Same rule as every other faction. More cards means a less consistent draw.

Scoia’tael vs Other Factions

Understanding matchups helps you decide when to go first versus second and which weather cards to include.

• vs Northern Realms — They rely on Tight Bond combos in set rows. Drop Biting Frost to wreck their Close Combat Tight Bond group before it fires. Go second so you can react to their spy plays. Our Northern Realms guide breaks down exactly how they play, so you know what to expect.
• vs Nilfgaard — Nilfgaard wins draws automatically. Do not let rounds end tied. Always push for a clear win or take an intentional loss with minimal cards spent. Check our Nilfgaardian Empire Gwent Deck guide to understand their tactics.
• vs Monsters — Monsters keep a random unit on the board after each round. Play your own Muster first and pass early to force them to play more cards than you.

Scoia’tael in Witcher 3 Remastered

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered on Nintendo Switch 2 and other platforms keeps the full Gwent card game intact. All Scoia’tael cards, faction abilities, and strategies from this guide apply directly to the Remastered version.

If you are pushing for full completion, our Witcher 3 Remastered: Ultimate Achievement Guide covers everything Gwent-related you need for 100%. For the DLC card additions to your Scoia’tael pool including Schirru from Hearts of Stone, see our DLC Gwent Cards guide.

Want to take a break from cards and explore the rest of the game? See our Witcher 3: All Quests in Order guide, our Best Builds guide, and our Skill Tree guide to get the most out of your time with the game.

Frequently Asked Questions