Best The Witcher 3 Death March Build

You will want to know a Witcher 3 Death March build if you plan on playing on the highest difficulty, as it will test all your knowledge of the game's mechanics, along with your prowess in combat. The Witcher 3 isn't considered a particularly hard game, but the Death March difficulty takes things up a notch and forces players to think carefully about their playstyle. If you want the most faithful Witcher experience where you need to consult the bestiary, drink concoctions, and oil your weapons, then the hardest difficulty is for you, so check out our Witcher 3 Death March build. 

• We also cover how to start The Witcher 3 new quest which was introduced in the next-gen update. 

The Witcher 3 Death March Build

For our Witcher 3 Death March build, we'll cover what weapons, items, armour, and abilities you will need. It's also worth noting that for players doing a completely new game, it will take a long time before you can get all this gear, so this guide is focused more toward New Game + players who can potentially follow this build from the very beginning. Regardless, you can still follow this and set yourself up to be super powerful for the late-game portion. 

• Wanting to bring honour to a dead warrior? Check out how to complete The Witcher 3 Master of the Arena quest. 

The Witcher 3 Death March Build: Gear

• Grandmaster Wolven Steel Sword - Part of the Wolf School gear you can craft.
• Aerondight - Received by completing There Can Be Only One in the Blood and Wine expansion.
• Feline Crossbow - Part of the Cat School gear you can craft. Found on an island south-west of the Lighthouse fast travel post north of Novigrad.  
• Grandmaster Feline Armour - Part of the Cat School gear you can craft. All Feline armour can be in a cave below Temple Isle in Novigrad, by dropping down to a path and entering a secret cave. 
• Grandmaster Feline Gauntlets - Part of the Cat School gear you can craft.
• Grandmaster Feline Boots - Part of the Cat School gear you can craft.
• Grandmaster Feline Trousers - Part of the Cat School gear you can craft.
• Ekimmara Decoction - Dealing damage regenerates health. Obtained by reading My Evening with a Vampire, which is found in Triss' house in Hierarch Square, or at the house of the Orphans of Crookback Bog.  
• Ekhidna Decoction - Consuming stamina regenerates health. Found in a random chest. 
• Water Hag Decoction - Increases damage when at full health. Purchased from the Herbalist vendor in White Orchard.
• Superior Northern Wind - Freezes enemies. Found in a chest in the Ancient Crypt in Ard Skellig, in a cave on Undvik, behind a breakable wall in the von Everec family crypt, or in the Arnskrone Castle Ruins. 
• Superior Grapeshot - Shrapnel damage. Found in a random chest. 

The Witcher 3 Death March Build: Abilities

• Muscle Memory - Increases fast attack damage.
• Strength Training - Strong attack damage increased. 
• Precise Blows - Increases chance of critical hits from fast attacks. 
• Crushing Blows - Increases chance of critical hits from strong attacks.
• Whirl - Large AoE spinning attack.
• Rend - Deals additional damage in proportion to stamina consumed, ignores enemy defence, and increases critical hit chance.
• Counterattack - After a successful counter, the next attack deals additional damage is a critical hit. 
• Razor Focus - Instantly gain an adrenaline point when entering combat, and adrenaline point generation is increased. 
• Crippling Strikes - Fast attacks apply a bleed status. 
• Sunder Armour - Reduces enemy damage resistance.
• Delusion - Reduces Axii casting time and failed attempts stagger enemies. 
• Heightened Tolerance - Increases potion overdose threshold and potion duration. 
• Acquired Tolerance - Increases maximum toxicity and potion duration. 
• Cat School Techniques - Each piece of light armour increases critical hit damage and fast attack damage. 
• Euphoria Mutation - Each point of toxicity increases damage dealt by swords. 

The Witcher 3 Death March Build Explained

All of the gear and abilities highlighted in this build are designed to complement each other, giving you a powerful build for dealing high fast attack damage, high critical damage, and sustaining your health.

While your defence will be a bit lower due to the light armour and less focus on defensive abilities, the three potions will work together to ensure you can keep earning HP while doing tonnes of damage. It's also worth noting that you should try to master the dodge and parry techniques, as you will want to avoid being hit even more than usual.

That's all for our explainer of The Witcher 3 Death March build, and now you know what gear and abilities you need to create a powerful build. 

You may also need a walkthrough for the end-game quest, The Witcher 3 Where the Cat and Wolf Play.