Wild boar

Wild Boars of the Northern Kingdoms (Elder Speech: Tirth), also known as wild swine, are quite dangerous natural beasts appearing in the Northern Realms. The wild boar features prominently in Skellige and Nordling cultures, many of which saw the animal as embodying warrior virtues.

Actual attacks on humans are rare, but can be serious, resulting in multiple piercing injuries to the lower part of the body. Regardless, the animal is not considered dangerous enough for a witcher to be called; folks usually manage to hunt down the beast or pay crowns to a hunter for removal. The domesticated breed is called a pig.

Hearts of Stone expansion

Wild boar

Bestiary entry

How doth the little wild boar
Improve his shining tusks,
And rut them 'gainst the forest floor,
And on the trees' rough husks!

How cheerfully he seems to grin
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little lasses in,
With gently smiling jaws!
Louis of Charolle, mathematician, author and poet

These woodland beasts are as "wild" – untamed, nasty and aggressive – as their name indicates. To this day, many peasants in outlying Kaedweni villages believe wild boars persist on a diet of young maids, though in truth they most often slate their hunger with roots and acorns. Do not think this vegetarian diet makes them harmless, however. In fact, these animals' stout build and sharp teeth render them veritable fur-covered combat machines. Mother Nature has additionally equipped them with dual pairs of tusks - upper "pipes" and lower "sabres" - and this weaponry's sum effect is to make the beasts the terrors of the woods, a threat to all who venture or dwell there, human, humanoid and otherwise. Boars also have hard, club-like snouts, which some peasants call their "whistles," though no boar has ever been heard to make such a noise. Instead, they emit a characteristic grunt, which sounds to some like the snoring of an extremely overweight man. Another peasant belief claims boars have extremely prickly natures, and, if offended, will vent their anger by knocking down fences and gobbling up potatoes. Though they sometimes live alone, boars usually appear in small groups of 3 to 5 specimens.

Combat tactics

Wild boars can appear in groups or alone, depending on the circumstances. They are only found deep within Redanian territory (Northeastern part of the Velen-Novigrad-Redania map) and the wilds of Toussaint.

They will circle around Geralt at hight speed and charge straight at him occasionally, although unlike wolves, they do not slow down or pause after lunging, thus simple dodge and attack tactics are much less effective.

To fight efficiently, players will have to find a way to slow them down or stop them on their tracks altogether. One can try Yrden to hinder their movements or stun them with Igni or Northern Wind.

Their charges can be countered, this will result in Geralt shoving the Wild Boar sideways quickly before giving a staggering blow, forcing the animal to briefly stop running around.

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Year of the Wild Boar reward tree

This event allows to unlock the lore on wild boars, a wild boar avatar, and a wild-boar themed board.

Scroll 1: The boar is a woodland creature, and an ornery, aggressive one at that. On the outskirts of Kaedwen, a rumor circulates that the beasts have a taste for virgin blood... Of course, the truth is much simpler: boars are perfectly content with vegetables – even just a few earthy carrots.

Scroll 2: Mother nature endowed the boar with two pairs of sharp, protruding tusks – the upper and lower canines. Truly, a formidable beast. Woe betide any who encounters a wild boar in the forest and has difficulty climbing trees.

Scroll 3: Boars have a firm, elongated snout that somewhat resembles a flute, though of course, sadly, cannot be used as such. Folk often claim it's as if boars hold a grudge against nature's cruel irony – that's what drives them to overturn fences and ransack their potato patches.

Scroll 4: The boar differs from the pig not only in the thickness of its bristles, but also in its disposition. Pigs are timid, easily spooked, whereas boars readily stand their ground. Even their grunts sound more hostile, as if to say, "Find your own potatoes, arsehole."

Chest 1: The combative, warrior-like nature of boars makes them a popular choice in heraldry. They appear most infamously on the von Everec coat of arms from which Olgierd, the leader of the Redanian Free Company, is descended. And contrary to what some landlocked folk on the Continent would have you believe, the Wild Boar of the Sea is the moniker given to Skelligan jarl Crach an Craite and his longship. There are no known varieties of boar indigenous to the waters of the Great Sea.

Notes

• Crach an Craite is called by Nilfgaardian soldiers Tirth ys Muire ("Sea Boar") for his deeds. Also when you pass around some islanders in Kaer Trolde harbor in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt you can hear that three new prepared ships will bear the names Hemdall, Kambi, and Crach's private ship, Wild Boar of the Sea.
• Wild boars are native to the realms and did not cross during the Conjunction.

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The Witcher 3- Boar ambush

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