The Witcher combat

Attacking is one of the main things Geralt does in the game. Whether he is defending the honour of a damsel in distress, or just defending himself from monsters, it's a good thing his swords are on his back at all times. He is usually called upon with no notice to draw steel, or silver, on his daily Path.

Basics
First, draw your sword, unless it's a fistfight. If you have a choice and are dealing with humans, use your steel sword. Otherwise, use your silver sword. Both are deadly.
 * Left-click on an enemy to attack
 * Select a sign, then right-click to use it
 * When no sign is selected, right-click to parry
 * In a fistfight, right-click to dodge

Evading enemies
Geralt's evasive maneuvers are fun to do, even if only to see what he can do. He's quite the acrobat, doing flips and somersaults whenever necessary. In isometric camera modes
 * double left-click on the ground to perform an evasive maneuver

Active Pause
During combat, this is an especially useful option. Use the active pause to switch between combat styles when fighting a group of opponents. As the fight progresses and Geralt works his witcherly magic with the sword, the group of opponents gets whittled down to two sorry fighters, and then finally just one. When he is down to just two opponents, it becomes less and less useful to use the Group Style. It can still be effective, but only if the two bad guys are optimally placed in relation to him. Focusing on more adverary-specific combat styles, like Fast or Strong Style, makes more sense and it is at this point that active pause comes in very handy.

It is also extremely useful to simply pause the game at (almost) any point. Cut scenes are an obvious exception as are some predetermined parts of some conversations with NPCs.
 * Press the space bar to toggle active pause mode.

Chaining Attacks
Chained attacks kill enemies more efficiently, it's just a fact. Make sure that you maximize your efficiency in combat by using as many skills as you have at your disposal. As Geralt goes up in levels, new and more complex chains of attack are observed.


 * Left-click only when the cursor changes into a flaming sword.

Tip: Chaining attacks requires precise timing. Clicking too soon will disrupt an attack, and clicking too late will restart the attack sequence.

Combat Styles
Different adversaries require different approaches.
 * Fast Style
 * Group Style
 * Strong Style

Coups de Gr&acirc;ce
You have just stunned your opponent.


 * Left-click to finish him off.

A coup de gr&acirc;ce is a great way of finishing off an opponent and getting a show all at the same time. As Geralt acquires more talents, he also acquires more finishing moves. These can be quite entertaining to watch.

Tip: Attacks can cause critical effects like Stun, Bleeding and Pain.

Related information

 * Endurance
 * Signs
 * Toxicity
 * Vitality