Although a Witcher’s primary purpose is to defeat any supernatural being for a price. However, as we all know, even regular humans are sometimes worst than the foulest of demons and surely you will encounter many on your journey in Witcher 3. For this purpose, Geralt, like any other Witcher, carries a Steel Sword to cut these vile villains down a peg.
The Witcher 3 has many Steel Swords for you to mow down any harmful human standing in your way. Hence, we will look into some of the best Steel Swords you can find in Witcher 3 to make this task easier for you.
The 12 best Steel Swords in the Witcher 3 are:
- Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword
- Iris
- Legendary Viper Steel Sword
- Legendary Viper Venomous Steel Sword
- Feline Steel Sword
- Grandmaster Legendary Feline Steel Sword
- Manticore Steel Sword
- Ursine Steel Sword
- Grandmaster Legendary Ursine Steel Sword
- Belhaven Blade
- Hen Gaidth Steel Sword
- Vitis
Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword
Bonus Effects:
- +300 Armor piercing
- +30% Quen Sign intensity
- +100% Critical hit damage bonus
- +20% Critical hit chance
- +15% Chance of causing burning
This Steel Sword is by far the strongest out of all the swords in the category owing to its massive armor-piercing stat. On top of the power it delivers, this sword is easier to find than the rest too. It doesn’t require you to run around the game on a scavenger hunt and can be either looted off bodies or, for the best variant, can be crafted quite effortlessly.
The Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword’s diagram can be found in the central ruined tower of the Arthach Palace Ruins, on the upper floor.
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Iris
Bonus Effect:
- Weapon charges with energy during combat. When its color changes to red, a strong attack will release this energy in an extra powerful strike, at the cost of part of the attacker’s Vitality.
Iris has a very interesting effect that makes the blade flash red after landing three to four quick attacks in quick succession. Strikes that are blocked will still count toward the blade’s charge.
When fully charged, your next strong attack deals much more damage while draining 15% of Geralt’s health. This enhanced powerful blow has the same knockdown effect as the Aard Sign and will cut through an opponent’s block.
Iris also boasts a secret ability that causes all strong attacks to land two blows, regardless of whether the sword is charged or not.
Obtained at the end of the quest Whatsoever a Man Soweth if the player chooses to save Olgierd von Everec’s soul.
Legendary Viper Steel Sword
Bonus Effect:
- +5% Critical hit chance
- +15% Chance to poison
- +5% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans
This is one of the first Witcher gear Steel Swords you can find in the game or New Game+. It is great for start-game considering its Crit chance and the ability to chip health off your opponent by poisoning them.
This Weapon is the New Game + version of Viper Steel Sword. The Crafting Diagram for Legendary Viper Steel Sword can be found in the Amavet Fortress Ruins in White Orchard as part of the Scavenger Hunt: Viper School Gear quest.
Legendary Viper Venomous Steel Sword
Bonus Effect:
- +25% Aard Sign intensity
- +75% Critical hit damage bonus
- +10% Critical hit chance
- +15% Chance to poison
- +5% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans
This is the New Game Plus variant of the Viper Venomous Steel Sword. During the Open Sesame! the main quest, within the vault, you can get the crafting diagram for the legendary viper venomous steel sword. There is a chest with the diagram inside near the table where Maximilian Borsodi’s House quest item was.
It should be noted that if you don’t pick up this schematic during this quest, it may be missed and won’t otherwise be available to you.
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Feline Steel Sword
Bonus Effect (Mastercrafted):
- +10% Critical hit chance
- +15% Chance of causing bleeding
- +5% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans
If you prefer to be light on your feet while fighting then the whole Feline set is your go-to gear. Not only does this sword and the whole gear is lightweight, but you also will get the added advantage of crit chance, bleeding, and the bonus experience from human kills.
The Crafting Diagram for Feline Steel Sword can be found in Drahim Castle’s basement as part of the Scavenger Hunt: Cat School Gear quest.
Grandmaster Legendary Feline Steel Sword
Bonus Effect:
- +20% Aard Sign intensity
- +15% Critical hit chance
- +15% Chance of causing bleeding
- +10% Chance to dismember
- +5% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans
The ultimate upgrade to the Feline armor. It provides the most benefits to the whole set.
This Weapon is the New Game + version of Grandmaster Feline Steel Sword. The Crafting Diagram for Grandmaster Legendary Feline Steel Sword can be found in the Pits of Bume northwest of the Trading Post in Toussaint, as part of the Scavenger Hunt: Grandmaster Feline Gear quest.
Manticore Steel Sword
Bonus Effect:
- +250 Armor piercing
- +50% Critical hit damage bonus
- +5% Critical hit chance
- +10% Chance to cause bleeding
- +5% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans
An all-around good physical damage Witcher weapon. The Manticore has the closest armor piercing to the best sword in this list along with both crit damage and chance boost effect.
This Weapon is the New Game + version of the Manticore Steel Sword. The Crafting Diagram for Legendary Manticore Steel Sword can be found in the Bastoy Prison Ruins in Toussaint as part of the Scavenger Hunt: Grandmaster Manticore Gear quest.
Ursine Steel Sword
Bonus Effect (Mastercrafted):
- +20% Adrenaline Point gain
- +75% Critical hit damage bonus
- +5% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans
The Ursine Witcher gear set is the heaviest of the bunch and the good thing about its Steel sword is that it regenerates Adrenaline points faster which counters the heavy armor drawbacks. And as an added advantage, this weapon has one of the largest crit damage bonuses from the rest.
The Crafting Diagram for Ursine Steel Sword can be found in the Ruined Inn along the southern shore of Ard Skellig. It is part of the Scavenger Hunt: Bear School Gear quest.
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Grandmaster Legendary Ursine Steel Sword
Bonus Effect:
- +25% Adrenaline Point gain
- +100% Critical hit damage bonus
- +5% Critical hit chance
- +14% Chance to dismember
- +5% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans
Another pinnacle of Witcher gear. Not only does it build up on the bonuses of the base gear but also adds the chance to dismember for instant kills. Not to mention, double crit damage as well. This whole gear will turn you into a heavy-hitting tank.
This Weapon is the New Game + version of Grandmaster Ursine Steel Sword. The Crafting Diagram for Grandmaster Legendary Ursine Steel Sword can be found at the end of the Owl Eye Grottos in eastern Toussaint, as part of the Scavenger Hunt: Grandmaster Ursine Gear quest.
Belhaven Blade
Bonus Effect:
- +30% Aard Sign intensity
- +100% Critical hit damage bonus
- +15% Critical hit chance
- +15% Chance to poison
- +5% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans
Aard Sign intensity boost: check. Inflict poison: check. Crit damage and chance boost: check. What else do you want from a non-Witcher gear weapon?
The Crafting Diagram for Belhaven Blade is obtained from the chest at the end of Waiting for Goe and Doh.
Hen Gaidth Steel Sword
Bonus Effect:
- +150 Armor piercing
- +75% Critical hit damage bonus
- +15% Critical hit chance
- +15% Chance to cause bleeding
- +15% Chance to stun
With moderate armor piercing, what sets it apart is the combination of the crit hit damage and chance bonuses that add to the previously mentioned bonus making it quite a deadly weapon. And staying true to its blood-red armor theme, this sword also causes bleeding.
Obtained during the What Lies Unseen quest. At the part where you fight a Fleder, note that there are 3 parts out of the room. Look for the one with a ledge, and perform a running jump to get up to it to find a chest containing the sword.
Note that this chest can be missed and become otherwise unobtainable if you do not loot it during this quest.
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Vitis
Bonus Effect:
- +20% Aard Sign intensity
- +20% Igni Sign intensity
- +20% Quen Sign intensity
- +20% Yrden Sign intensity
- +20% Axii Sign intensity
This Steel Sword is the perfect companion of yours if you are going for an all-Witcher-sign build. It does lose out on many physical damage traits but makes up for it with pure sign casting. The use case for this weapon is quite narrow but it does a great job of what it is good for.
Obtained in the Land of a Thousand Fables during the quest Beyond Hill and Dale. To find it, look for a Will o’ the Wisp hovering over one of the ponds and follow it to a knight’s body.
In The Witcher 3, having a good Steel Sword in your arsenal is always an essential thing as you don’t know when the next pesky person becomes a problem to deal with.
The swords that belong to a Witcher gear set are better overall as the gear itself provides amazing bonuses when you have it fully equipped. However, some of the other swords on this list are just as amazing on their own.