Witcher 3 Guide to the Best Runestones

The weapon buff system in Witcher 3 is really complex and at times confusing — especially to new players. There are ten runestones in the game with different buff options that may be applied to the three available slots in your weapons.

If you know which runestones are the best, then you will always have an advantage over your enemies. In this guide, you will find a few suggestions on the top-tier runestones in Witcher 3.

Best Runestones for Swords in Witcher 3

The art of combining runestones is something that comes only with experience. It very much depends on your build and the weapons you’re using. You will find that the combination of attack power and armor piercing works great for melee builds, while stun/stagger/freeze effects work best in sign builds.

Alternatively, you could focus on one runestone and buff your weapon with only that one, which either compliments your weapon’s stats or adds something new to it. In any case, below you will find the most universally acknowledged runestones in Witcher 3.

Tier 1: Chernobog Runestone

This runestone is practically universal, as it buffs the attack power of your swords. Any type of sword would want at least one slot dedicated to Chernobog, as some enemies may be immune to poison, freeze, and even stun effects. But no enemy will stand the sheer force of the attack power!

Of course, it is best applied to swords with an already effective damage, such as the new silver sword from Blood and Wine DLC — Aerondight.

Tier 2: Triglav and Devana Runestones

Triglav gives your weapon a chance to stun an enemy, while Devana inflicts bleeding. Stun is much better than stagger or freeze effects, as usually it lasts longer and will give you more time to finish off your opponents.

Devana is super useful against hard-to-kill monsters that possess a lot of health points. It will make them bleed, and thus lose life more hastily.

Tier 3: Svarog Runestone

The monsters are not the only enemies you will face in Witcher 3 — there are also human enemies to be dealt with. Most of them wear some sort of armor, so having a Svarog runestone in your steel sword will be especially effective against them, as it enhances the armor piercing of your weapons.

Honorable Mentions

Since many bosses in the game are immune to stun, then having a freeze buff of the Zoria runestone would be more useful. If you’re using the greater one, then the effect may last even longer than that of the stun.

Lastly, if you like to use your spell signs often, then having the sign intensity Veles runestone on both of your silver and steel swords would be a great idea. Remember that you will get the bonus for your signs only when you’re using the appropriate weapon, and that is why putting Veles in both of your swords is the way to go.

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Hopefully, this short advice will help you choose the best runestones for your particular build. And make sure to check out many other Witcher 3 guides here at GameSkinny:

• Guide to Runestones, Runestone Diagrams, and Crafting
• Complete Guide to Glyphs, Glyph Diagrams, and Crafting
• Complete Guide to Mutagens