The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Special - Geralt chooses who goes first at the start of a round.
The Scoia'tael is a flexible and really interesting deck that requires a great deal of skill to play properly. Where the Nilfgaard and the Realms are truly straightforward and the Monsters are pure brute force comprised of monsters, the Squirrels focus on combining debuffs that affect the enemy units like the Weather cards, along with a moderately strong assortment of units.
Overview
Units with Agility can be deployed in either the Close or Ranged combat rows, giving you tactical flexibility: Field a debuff against a strong enemy unit set, then counter with your own units in unaffected rows. Another advantage of the deck is that Geralt get to choose who plays first. While the AI usually chooses to be the first to play its cards, it's usually more advantageous to let the opponent play when you turn. You also have access to Muster-type cards like the Monsters but not just restricted to Melee, allowing for greater tactical flexibility.
In general the Scoia'tael does not have as much raw point strength as the other decks due to a lower number of high-point-value cards and a limited number of cards that multiply their own strength; they do have Muster-type cards for swarming but nowhere near as many as Monsters.
However, due to the Agility trait on a large number of their cards they can effectively dodge Weather effects in the Melee or Ranged rows and line up very large groups of units in one row to use Commander's Horn (gwent card), making them by far the most efficient at using the strength that they have. However, this also means that against an opponent that can hit both the Melee and Ranged rows with weather and follow up with a strong set of Siege units whose strength can be protected - particularly the Northern Realms deck - Scoia'tael will get resoundingly crushed.
Cards
| Icon | Name (no. of cards) | Type | Combat row | Strength | Special ability | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francesca Findabair: Pureblood Elf | Leader | n/a | n/a | Pureblood Elf | Pick a Biting Frost card from your deck and play it instantly. | Part of the base deck | |
| Francesca Findabair: Daisy of the Valley | Leader | n/a | n/a | Daisy of the Valley | Draw an extra card at the beginning of the battle | Purchase from the Innkeep at Cunny of the Goose | |
| Francesca Findabair: the Beautiful | Leader | n/a | n/a | The Beautiful | Doubles the strength of all your Ranged Combat units (unless a Commander's Horn is also present on that row). | Gwent: Big City Players, reward for completing the quest | |
| Francesca Findabair: Queen of Dol Blathanna | Leader | n/a | n/a | Queen of Dol Blathanna | Destroy your enemy's Close Combat unit(s) if the combined strength of all his or her Close Combat units is 10 or more. | Finneas during High Stakes | |
| Francesca Findabair: Hope of the Aen Seidhe | Leader | n/a | n/a | Hope of the Aen Seidhe | Move agile unites to whichever valid row maximizes their strength (don't move units already in optimal row). | Hearts of Stone: bought from Dulla kh'Amanni at Upper Mill | |
| Barclay Els | Unit |  |
6 |  |
Can be placed in either the Close combat or the Ranged combat row. Cannot be moved once placed | Purchase from the Innkeep at The Golden Sturgeon | |
| Ciaran aep Easnillien | Unit | |
3 | |
Can be placed in either the Close combat or the Ranged combat row. Cannot be moved once placed | Random, from playing a craftsman or merchant | |
| Dennis Cranmer | Unit |  |
6 | None | n/a | Random, from playing a craftsman or merchant | |
| Dol Blathanna Archer | Unit |  |
4 | None | n/a | Purchase from Marquise Serenity at the Passiflora | |
| Dol Blathanna Scout (3) | Unit | |
6 | |
Can be placed in either the Close combat or the Ranged combat row. Cannot be moved once placed | 1 purchased from The Golden Sturgeon innkeep 2 are won randomly, from playing a craftsman or merchant | |
| Dwarven Skirmisher (3) | Unit | |
3 |  |
Find any cards with the same name in your deck and play them instantly | 1 purchased from Stjepan at The Alchemy 2 are won randomly, from playing a craftsman or merchant | |
| Eithné | Hero | |
10 | Hero | Not affected by special cards, weather cards or abilities. | Gwent: Old Pals won from Zoltan (begins the quest) | |
| Elven Skirmisher (3) | Unit | |
2 | |
Find any cards with the same name in your deck and play them instantly | 2 are won randomly, from playing a craftsman or merchant 1 purchased from the Innkeep in Urialla harbor | |
| Filavandrel aen Fidhail | Unit | |
6 | |
Can be placed in either the Close combat or the Ranged combat row. Cannot be moved once placed | Random, from playing a craftsman or merchant | |
| Havekar Healer (3) | Unit | |
0 |  |
Choose one car from your discard pile and play it instantly (no Heroes or Special Cards). | 1 purchased from Olivier at The Kingfisher 1 purchased from the Cunny of the Goose innkeep 1 is won randomly, from playing a craftsman or merchant | |
| Havekar Smuggler (3) | Unit | |
5 | |
Find any cards with the same name in your deck and play them instantly | 1 purchased from Olivier at The Kingfisher 1 purchased from The Seven Cats innkeep 1 is won randomly, from playing a craftsman or merchant | |
| Ida Emean aep Sivney | Unit | |
6 | None | n/a | Random, from playing a craftsman or merchant | |
| Iorveth | Hero | |
10 | Hero | Not affected by special cards, weather cards or abilities. | after Shock Therapy, from the druid in Gedyneith | |
| Isengrim Faoiltiarna | Hero | |
10 |  |
Adds +1 strength to all units in the row, excluding itself. Not affected by special cards, weather cards or abilities. | A Dangerous Game, looted from Zed's house | |
| Mahakaman Defender (5) | Unit | |
5 | None | n/a | 1 purchased from Stjepan at The Alchemy 1 purchased from Marquise Serenity at the Passiflora 1 purchased from Olivier at The Kingfisher 1 purchased from The Golden Sturgeon innkeep 1 purchased from The Seven Cats innkeep | |
| Milva | Unit | |
10 | |
Adds +1 strength to all units in the row, excluding itself. | during A Matter of Life and Death, win a match at the masquerade ball at the Vegelbud Estate | |
| Riordain | Unit | |
1 | None | n/a | Random, from playing a craftsman or merchant | |
| Schirru | Unit |  |
8 |  |
Destroys your enemy's strongest siege card | Hearts of Stone: won from the caravan troupe merchant northwest of Carsten | |
| Saesenthessis | Hero | |
10 | Hero | Not affected by special cards, weather cards or abilities. | Gwent: Old Pals won from Vernon Roche | |
| Toruviel | Unit | |
2 | None | n/a | Random, from playing a craftsman or merchant | |
| Vrihedd Brigade Recruit | Unit | |
4 | None | n/a | Random, from playing a craftsman or merchant | |
| Vrihedd Brigade Veteran (2) | Unit | |
5 | |
Can be placed in either the Close combat or the Ranged combat row. Cannot be moved once placed | 1 purchased from Stjepan at The Alchemy 1 purchased from Olivier at The Kingfisher | |
| Yaevinn | Unit | |
6 | |
Can be placed in either the Close combat or the Ranged combat row. Cannot be moved once placed | Gwent: Skellige Style, won from Sjusta in Kaer Trolde harbor |
