Apart from magical signs and swords, potions would be another ace in the hole for a witcher. They’re a lot more underrated compared to the more direct steel and silver or the more flashy signs but when used right, they can make Geralt an invincible killing machine. In fact, lots of Geralt builds rely on certain potions.
At the same time, certain potions in the witcher’s arsenal can appear rather impractical. They only serve to make the user interface more confusing and the inventory more cluttered. Here are five examples of such potions and five more practical potions that stand out better because of them. For the sake of inclusivity, the overpowered monster decoctions are excluded.
10 MOST USEFUL: SWALLOW
When one hears the word potion, the default assumption is that they’re for healing. The Swallow potion pretty much adheres to this fantasy stereotype. It gives Geralt or any other witcher some advantageous regeneration.
A lot of players will tend to use them defensively after incurring some heavy health loss. Since it doesn’t heal instantly, players will also be forced to slow down. Thankfully, it stacks with food and can make jumping back into the offensive quicker.
9 NEVER USE: WHITE HONEY
White Honey is an odd outlier in witcher potions since its main and only purpose is to cancel out other potion’s effects and cure Geralt’s toxicity level. It sounds handy and even true to the lore except there’s a better alternative.
That would be meditating. It practically does the same effect in clearing toxicity and canceling out other potions but arguably better since meditating can also automatically replenishes potion stock if alcohol is present in the inventory. It makes White Honey obsolete.
8 MOST USEFUL: THUNDERBOLT
Sure it sounds nice to take advantage of other combat mechanics like stamina or adrenaline but nothing really beats good old-fashioned beatdowns. Thunderbolt, for that matter, would be the go-to for players looking to end encounters with speed.
It straight up increases the damage that Geralt can deal, regardless of the enemy type. It’s awesome for boss fights and complements an aggressive fighting style. Pair it with a beefed-up Quen sign and the right oil and have Geralt swing with reckless abandon.
7 NEVER USE: CAT
Being able to see in complete darkness is one of the signature mutant attributes of a witcher. However, they sometimes need a potion to do it and that potion is Cat. The problem is, it’s really no better than a torch.
For some reason, the game allows Geralt to wield a torch while fighting with a sword, making the Cat somewhat obsolete. Moreover, the visual effects tied to the Cat potion are subjectively annoying as it turns the whole screen monochromatic.
6 MOST USEFUL: WHITE RAFFARD’S DECOCTION
Turns out Swallow isn’t the stereotypical fantasy health potion. That title belongs to White Raffard’s Decoction. It’s an instant heal potion which, at its most potent tier, heals Geralt for 100 percent of his health.
Moreover, the superior version not only heals health back to full but also grants damage immunity for a short duration. It’s the best panic button Geralt can have apart from the brittle Quen.
5 NEVER USE: BEAR PHEROMONES
The potion most players never knew existed in Geralt’s inventory. Bear Pheromones assumes bears are either blind or are not threatened by other creatures that smell like a bear. Because it makes bears friendly to Geralt.
Oddly enough, there aren’t even many bears in the game. They’re certainly not as prevalent as Nekkers or Drowners to warrant their own pheromone potion. Neither are bears dangerous enough to avoid, might as well kill them for their skin.
4 MOST USEFUL: KILLER WHALE
A big part of treasure hunting in The Witcher III: Wild Hunt involves diving down lakes, seas, and rivers in order to find some sunken chests or shipwrecks. Geralt apparently didn’t mutate gills so he requires either a strong decoction or a Killer Whale potion.
The latter increases Geralt’s breath meter significantly and makes diving for treasure as well as swimming for pathfinding more tolerable and painless. It’s a handy potion to have especially since some of the more precious swords and witcher gear are located underwater.
3 NEVER USE: WOLVEN HOUR
Another odd potion that Geralt likes to keep around in his pockets is the Wolven Hour. It’s a potion that lowers all the level requirements of all items by two. It allows Geralt to use a slightly higher-level sword or armor he finds in advance.
Not many players will use this potion as finding items that are higher-leveled than Geralt is rare in the game. On top of that, gaining levels in The Witcher 3 is easy enough anyway– even just two levels and it also yields more benefits.
2 MOST USEFUL: POTION OF CLEARANCE
Customizing Geralt to be a specific witcher leaning to a specific playstyle such as mage, alchemist, or warrior archetypes is one of the most entertaining aspects of the game. Luckily, the game lets players roll back their decisions.
This comes in the form of the Potion of Clearance. It’s only sold by shops or herbalists and Geralt can’t craft it. It’s also a bit pricey at 1,000 coins but it’s worth every coin spent. Otherwise, building Geralt’s stats and perks would be a pain.
1 NEVER USE: GOLDEN ORIOLE
Witchers are famed for being immune to a lot of human afflictions such as diseases, ageing, or fertility. However, it seems Geralt isn’t entirely immune to poison as he requires the Golden Oriole potion to stave off poisonous damage.
It sounds convenient except there really aren’t many enemies in-game that use poison or venom. Moreover, Geralt can easily out-regenerate poison with Swallow or by munching on a ton of food or drinking water in the middle of combat. It just works.
NEXT: The Witcher: 10 Most Shameless Things Geralt Did In The Games
