The Witcher 3: Bestiary Guide — All Monsters & Weaknesses

TL;DR

• There are 12 monster categories in Witcher 3, each with a matching blade oil that deals bonus damage.
• Always read bestiary entries before a fight — they reveal exact weaknesses and combat tactics.
• Most monsters require the silver sword. Only Beasts, Humans, and Nonhumans take steel.
• Oils give 10% bonus damage at basic tier, 25% at enhanced, and 50% at superior. Upgrade them.
• Signs are not optional tools — the right Sign at the right moment wins fights faster and safer.
• Golden Oriole potion is one of the most useful items in the game — it cures and grants immunity to poison, which dozens of monsters inflict.

One of the most important systems in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is not flashy. It does not show up in combat animations or skill trees. It sits quietly in the menu, and most players never give it the attention it deserves.

The bestiary is Geralt’s monster encyclopedia. Every creature you encounter or read about gets logged there. And more importantly, the bestiary tells you exactly what an enemy is weak to — which oil to use, which Signs work, which bombs help, and what to watch out for in the fight.

This guide covers all 12 monster categories, their weaknesses, recommended loadouts, and combat tips for every type you will face across the base game, Hearts of Stone, and Blood and Wine.

How the Bestiary Works

Every monster in Witcher 3 belongs to one of 12 categories. The category determines which blade oil deals bonus damage. Reading a bestiary entry before combat unlocks specific tactical information — sometimes including weak points or special attacks you would otherwise discover the hard way.

You unlock bestiary entries in several ways. Some are added automatically when you encounter a creature for the first time. Others unlock when you read books found in the world. Herbalists and booksellers across Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige sell books that fill in entries for creatures you may not have encountered yet. Buying them early is always worth it.

How oils work: Applying the right oil to your sword gives a flat bonus to damage against that monster category. Basic oil gives 10% extra damage. Enhanced oil gives 25%. Superior oil gives 50%. The difference between basic and superior is enormous — upgrading your oils is one of the most impactful things you can do to improve combat performance. You apply oils through the inventory or the quick-access radial menu.

Oils auto-restock during meditation as long as you have strong alcohol in your inventory. You never need to manually re-brew them. This makes oils essentially free to use throughout the game.

All 12 Monster Categories and Their Weaknesses

1. Beasts

Oil: Beast Oil (steel sword) | Sword: Steel

Beasts include wolves, dogs, bears, boars, and wild panthers. These are common early-game enemies found in packs or alone across Velen and Skellige. They are not particularly dangerous individually, but packs can surround Geralt quickly.

Examples: Wolf, Alpha Wolf, Bear, Wild Boar, Dog, Panther

Weaknesses and combat tips: Use Beast Oil on your steel sword. Aard staggers the whole group, giving you a window to attack. Igni keeps them at range and deals ongoing burn damage. Against packs, the Blizzard potion slows time and lets you pick off enemies cleanly. Against a large bear, Thunderbolt for extra damage output is useful. Unlock the camera when multiple enemies circle you — locked camera makes it nearly impossible to track pack movement.

the witcher 3 bestiary guide all monsters weaknesses

2. Cursed Ones

Oil: Cursed Oil | Sword: Silver

Cursed Ones are humans or creatures transformed by a curse. They include werewolves, botchlings, archespores, and ulfhedinn. Many have special abilities tied to their curse — regeneration is the most dangerous.

Examples: Werewolf, Botchling, Archespore, Ulfhedinn

Weaknesses and combat tips: Apply Cursed Oil to your silver sword before every fight with this category. Moon Dust bomb is essential against Werewolves — it stops their rapid health regeneration. Without Moon Dust or the Devil’s Puffball bomb, a Werewolf can outheal your damage entirely. Igni provides sustained pressure. Against Archespores, carry Golden Oriole to counter the heavy poison they inflict. Some Cursed Ones can have their curse lifted through quest choices — check the bestiary entry and quest text before deciding to fight.

3. Necrophages

Oil: Necrophage Oil | Sword: Silver

Necrophages are undead scavengers — creatures that feed on the dead. They are among the most common enemies in the game, especially in Velen. Many are active at night and become more passive during daylight.

Examples: Drowner, Ghoul, Alghoul, Foglet, Grave Hag, Rotfiend, Water Hag, Devourer, Drowned Dead

Weaknesses and combat tips: Necrophage Oil on your silver sword applies to the entire category. Igni is effective across almost all Necrophages — most of them have low fire resistance. Drowners are best fought on land, not in water where they regenerate faster. Foglets are dangerous because they turn invisible — Moon Dust bomb forces them visible and leaves them vulnerable. Alghouls go berserk when provoked; Axii Sign keeps them calm and gives you free attack windows. Rotfiends explode on death — back away before they die or you take splash damage.

4. Spectres

Oil: Specter Oil | Sword: Silver

Spectres are ghost-like entities — spirits tied to unfinished business or trapped by magic. Many phase in and out of visibility, making them tricky to hit consistently.

Examples: Wraith, Noonwraith, Nightwraith, Foglet (specter variant), Hym, Barghest

Weaknesses and combat tips: Apply Specter Oil before every fight with this category. Yrden is the most important Sign against all Spectres — placing a Yrden trap forces them into a physical state where they can be hit normally. Without Yrden, many Spectres phase out every time you attack. Moon Dust bomb also grounds and reveals them temporarily. Quen is a reliable safety net since Spectres often attack through your guard. Some Spectres like the Hym can only be encountered through specific quests and cannot be defeated through conventional combat alone — their bestiary entries reveal the required approach.

5. Vampires

Oil: Vampire Oil | Sword: Silver

Vampires are fast, aggressive, and some of the hardest enemies in the game. Lower vampires like Ekimmaras and Bruxas are dangerous enough on their own. Higher Vampires found in Blood and Wine are among the toughest boss encounters in the entire game.

Examples: Ekimmara, Bruxa, Katakan, Fleder, Alp, Higher Vampire (Blood and Wine)

Weaknesses and combat tips: Vampire Oil is your primary tool. Moon Dust bomb forces them into a physical state — essential against Bruxas that frequently turn into bats and become unhittable. Black Blood potion is a powerful counter: when a Vampire bites or feeds on Geralt after he has taken it, the potion deals damage directly back to the Vampire. Yrden Sign slows their movement. Fast attack chains work better than heavy attacks because heavy attacks leave you vulnerable to their quick counter-strikes. Against Higher Vampires in Blood and Wine, patience and reading their attack patterns matters far more than oil tier.

6. Hybrids

Oil: Hybrid Oil | Sword: Silver

Hybrids are creatures that combine traits of different animal species or of humans and animals. Many are flying enemies, which makes grounding them the first priority in any fight.

Examples: Griffin, Archgriffin, Harpy, Erynia, Siren, Succubus, Ekhidna

Weaknesses and combat tips: Apply Hybrid Oil before combat. Against airborne enemies, Aard knocked them out of the sky — one well-timed Aard brings a flying Griffin down and opens a major damage window. Grapeshot bomb is also excellent for grounding flying enemies. Your crossbow forces flying enemies to land when hit mid-air. A grounded flyer is where you deal all your real damage — do not trade hits while they are still airborne. Golden Oriole is worth carrying since many Hybrids deal poison. Note that the Succubus is a Hybrid — if you want to spare her, the bestiary entry hints at a peaceful resolution option.

7. Draconids

Oil: Draconid Oil | Sword: Silver

Draconids are dragon-kin — scaled flying or semi-flying creatures that often inflict poison or fire damage. They are some of the most dangerous enemies for mid-game players due to their mobility and burst damage.

Examples: Basilisk, Cockatrice, Forktail, Wyvern, Slyzard, Archgriffin (Draconid variant)

Weaknesses and combat tips: Draconid Oil on the silver sword. Aard and Grapeshot bomb both ground airborne Draconids, giving you a solid damage window before they take off again. When a Draconid stays airborne and will not come down, use your crossbow — it forces a landing. Golden Oriole is strongly recommended since many Draconids inflict heavy poison. Dodge rolls sideways work better than backward dodges against their diving attacks, which track forward movement.

8. Elementa

Oil: Elementa Oil | Sword: Silver

Elementa are magical constructs or entities formed from elemental energy. They are slow but hit extremely hard and often resist conventional Signs. They are resistant to many offensive spells, which makes straightforward Sign spam less effective here than with other enemy types.

Examples: Golem, Earth Elemental, Fire Elemental, Gargoyle, Ice Elemental, Hound of the Wild Hunt

Weaknesses and combat tips: Elementa Oil is required. Dimeritium bomb is the most important tool against this category — it cancels their magic abilities and makes them significantly less dangerous. After throwing Dimeritium, flank and attack while their powers are suppressed. Avoid standing in front of them as most have devastating frontal sweeping attacks. Tawny Owl potion helps sustain Quen against their heavy hits. Note that many Elementa resist or ignore offensive Signs like Igni entirely — do not rely on fire against a Fire Elemental.

9. Insectoids

Oil: Insectoid Oil | Sword: Silver

Insectoids are giant insect-like creatures with armored exoskeletons, webs, burrowing abilities, or heavy poison. They are dangerous in enclosed spaces where dodging is limited.

Examples: Arachas, Armored Arachas, Venomous Arachas, Endrega Drone, Endrega Warrior, Endrega Worker, Kikimore Warrior, Kikimore Worker, Giant Centipede, Arachnomorph

Weaknesses and combat tips: Insectoid Oil applies to the whole category. Golden Oriole is practically mandatory against Arachas and Venomous Arachas variants — they inflict devastating poison. Aard staggers most Insectoids and gives you a brief attack window. Yrden slows enemies that try to web or pin Geralt. Northern Wind bomb freezes groups of Endregas effectively. Against Armored Arachas, their frontal armor deflects most attacks — aim for the sides and rear. Burrowing enemies use Yrden to slow them when they emerge.

10. Ogroids

Oil: Ogroid Oil | Sword: Silver

Ogroids are large, powerful humanoid creatures with massive strength and reach. They hit hard but are often slow enough to dodge with proper timing. Their sheer size means a single hit from them removes a significant portion of Geralt’s health, especially at lower levels.

Examples: Cyclops, Troll (Rock Troll, Cave Troll, Ice Troll), Giant, Ice Giant, Nekker, Nekker Warrior, Golyat

Weaknesses and combat tips: Ogroid Oil on your silver sword. Axii Sign stuns Ogroids temporarily and is consistently effective across the category. Against Cyclopses, Northern Wind bomb freezes them in place — follow with a fully charged Rend attack from behind for massive damage. Trolls are a special case: some can be talked to or spared through dialogue choices — check before fighting. Quen is essential early on since Ogroids often one-shot or two-shot Geralt at low health. Against Giants and Ice Giants, Igni and fire bombs strip their frost armor and deal bonus damage. Nekkers are weak individually but swarm in large groups — Igni or area bombs clear clusters fast.

11. Relicts

Oil: Relict Oil | Sword: Silver

Relicts are ancient mystical creatures — beings that predate human civilization and exist outside the normal natural order. They are often intelligent and are associated with the power of nature or forgotten magic. Relicts include some of the most visually impressive enemies in the game.

Examples: Leshen, Ancient Leshen, Fiend, Chort, Spriggan, Doppler, Sylvan, Godling (in specific contexts)

Weaknesses and combat tips: Relict Oil on your silver sword for all encounters in this category. Igni is the most universally effective Sign here — Leshens, Spriggans, and Chorts all have notable fire vulnerability. Dragon’s Dream bomb combined with Igni ignites the gas cloud and creates massive area-of-effect fire damage, which is extremely effective against Leshens and Ancient Leshens. Dimeritium bomb stops a Leshen from teleporting and summoning ravens or wolves — use it first before attacking. Leshens in particular require Igni sustained across the fight; do not stop burning them until they fall. Dopplers and Sylvans sometimes offer non-combat resolutions — read their bestiary entries and quest context before committing to a fight.

12. Humanoids (Humans and Nonhumans)

Oil: Hanged Man’s Venom (steel sword) | Sword: Steel

Humans and Nonhumans are the bandits, soldiers, pirates, deserters, Scoia’tael elves, and dwarves Geralt fights throughout the game. They follow combat logic closer to human sword-fighting than monster encounters.

Examples: Bandits, Deserters, Pirates, Nilfgaardian Soldiers, Scoia’tael Elves, Wild Hunt Warriors (for some variants)

Weaknesses and combat tips: Hanged Man’s Venom is the poison oil for the steel sword — it deals sustained poison damage to human enemies. Prioritize targets in the right order: eliminate archers and crossbowmen first, then one-handed weapon users, then shielded enemies and two-handed weapon users last. Aard staggers groups and knocks enemies down. Axii is extremely effective for briefly disabling one target while you focus another. Samum bomb blinds and staggers groups. Shield-carrying enemies need their shield destroyed first — use strong attacks or the Aard Sign to knock them back and strip the shield. Against named human boss enemies, watch their specific attack patterns rather than applying generic tactics.

Blade Oil Quick Reference

Here is every oil and which monster category it matches at a glance.

• Beast Oil — Beasts (steel sword)
• Hanged Man’s Venom — Humans and Nonhumans (steel sword)
• Cursed Oil — Cursed Ones (silver sword)
• Necrophage Oil — Necrophages (silver sword)
• Specter Oil — Spectres (silver sword)
• Vampire Oil — Vampires (silver sword)
• Hybrid Oil — Hybrids (silver sword)
• Draconid Oil — Draconids (silver sword)
• Elementa Oil — Elementa (silver sword)
• Insectoid Oil — Insectoids (silver sword)
• Ogroid Oil — Ogroids (silver sword)
• Relict Oil — Relicts (silver sword)

Signs — When to Use Each One

Every Sign has specific uses against particular monster types. Using the wrong Sign wastes stamina and often leaves Geralt open to a counter-attack. Here is when each Sign actually matters.

• Igni — Most effective against Relicts, Necrophages, Cursed Ones, and any enemy with a stated fire weakness. Also excellent at clearing light obstacles and lighting fires. The upgraded Igni cone deals substantial area damage.
• Aard — Best used to interrupt flying enemies, knock back or stagger large groups, destroy enemy shields, and break the ice armor on Ice Giants and Ice Elementals. Also works on Beasts to create space in packs.
• Yrden — Essential against Spectres. Without Yrden, many wraith-type enemies phase out constantly and cannot be damaged efficiently. Also slows Insectoid burrowers and pins fast-moving enemies near traps.
• Axii — Most effective against Alghouls (keeps them calm), Ogroids (stuns them), and human enemies (briefly removes one opponent from the fight). Also upgradable for conversation use, which can unlock peaceful outcomes in many quests.
• Quen — Not specific to a monster type but universally important. Active Quen absorbs one hit from anything, including high-damage boss attacks. Against Ogroids and Elementa that hit extremely hard, keeping Quen up is the difference between surviving a fight and reloading a save.

Most Useful Potions and Bombs by Situation

These items complement your oil and Sign setup and solve specific combat problems that oil alone cannot address.

• Golden Oriole — Cures poison and grants temporary poison immunity. Carry this for every fight against Insectoids, Draconids, Venomous Arachas, and any Blood and Wine Vampire encounter. Poison damage over time kills Geralt faster than most direct attacks.
• Moon Dust bomb — Forces Vampires, Foglets, and Werewolves into a physical, visible state. The most targeted counter to enemies that frequently go invisible or regenerate. One of the highest-value bombs in the game.
• Devil’s Puffball bomb — Creates a poison cloud. Particularly effective when combined with Yrden to keep enemies standing in the cloud. Stops Werewolf regeneration.
• Dimeritium bomb — Cancels magic abilities. Essential against Leshens (stops teleportation and summoning), Elementa (suppresses their magical attacks), and Wild Hunt Warriors (stops their frost aura).
• Grapeshot bomb — Deals physical damage to a wide area. The best bomb for forcing Hybrids and Draconids out of the sky. One throw to a flying enemy often brings them down immediately.
• Northern Wind bomb — Freezes enemies in place. Excellent against Ogroids, Nekker swarms, and Endrega groups. After a freeze, a fully charged heavy attack or Rend from behind deals massive damage.
• Dragon’s Dream bomb — Creates a highly flammable gas cloud. Combine with Igni for enormous fire damage. The primary Leshen and Relict opener.
• Black Blood potion — Makes Geralt’s blood toxic to Vampires. Any Vampire that bites or feeds on him takes direct damage. Pairs extremely well with letting lower Vampires get close.
• Blizzard potion — Slows time when Geralt dodges. Best used against fast-moving packs of Beasts or groups of human enemies where tracking multiple targets at once is difficult.
• Thunderbolt potion — Boosts critical hit chance and attack power. Best used before large single-target fights like Bears, Boss Ogroids, or named contract monsters.

General Bestiary Combat Tips

These rules apply across all monster categories and make every fight in the game easier to manage.

• Always read the bestiary entry before a boss or contract fight. The game gives you this information for a reason. A five-second check before a fight tells you which oil to apply, which Sign to open with, and what the enemy’s most dangerous ability is.
• Upgrade your oils as soon as possible. Basic oil at 10% bonus damage is useful. Superior oil at 50% bonus damage is transformative. The materials needed for enhanced and superior versions are available early in the game. Prioritize Necrophage Oil and Specter Oil first since those categories are the most common enemies you will face.
• Silver sword for almost everything. Only Beasts and Humans take steel. Every other category takes silver. Using the wrong sword does noticeably less damage. Get in the habit of switching instantly when combat starts.
• Contract monsters are always harder than regular versions. A contract Werewolf or contract Griffin is scaled stronger than the same enemy you encounter randomly. Prepare properly — higher oil tier, relevant bombs, the right potion.
• Some enemies have peaceful resolutions. Trolls, Dopplers, Sylvans, Succubi, and some other Relicts can be talked to or spared. The bestiary entry usually hints at this. Sparing instead of killing sometimes gives better rewards or unlocks quest outcomes you would not otherwise see.

How to Unlock Bestiary Entries

Not all entries unlock automatically. Here is how to fill in your bestiary completely.

• Combat encounters — Most entries unlock the first time you fight or encounter a creature. You do not need to kill it — seeing it in the world is usually enough.
• Books and documents — Many entries only unlock after reading a specific book. Books are sold by herbalists and booksellers across the map, or found in chests and bookshelves throughout the world. Buying every book available at each merchant is the fastest way to complete your bestiary.
• Herbalists — The Herbalist in White Orchard, the one near the Crossroads in Velen, and the herbalists in Novigrad and Skellige all carry bestiary-unlocking books.
• The activateAllGlossaryBeastiary console command — If you are on PC and want to unlock all bestiary entries instantly, this command fills everything in immediately. See our Witcher 3: All Console Commands guide for how to enable and use the debug console.

For more on how to prepare for combat, see our Best Builds guide and our Skill Tree guide. For healing in combat without potions, our How to Heal guide covers every method available. And for full quest context on where you will encounter most of these monsters, see our All Quests in Order guide.

Bestiary in Witcher 3 Remastered

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered includes the complete bestiary from the base game, Hearts of Stone, and Blood and Wine with no changes to monster categories, weaknesses, or oil types. Everything in this guide applies directly to the Remastered version on all platforms. Blood and Wine adds Higher Vampires and additional Relict variants to your bestiary as you progress through Toussaint — those categories are covered above under Vampires and Relicts.

For everything else in the Remastered version, see our Crown Farming guide, our Meditation guide for restocking oils and potions, and our Gear Reforging guide for keeping your equipment strong enough to face higher-level enemies.

Frequently Asked Questions