Combat Sign Hybrid build

Combat Sign Hybrid build - Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

By zanuffas
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This post will cover the best Combat Sign Hybrid build in Witcher 3. If you are looking for a mix of Combat and Sign usage this build is perfect. With this setup, you will be able to overwhelm any type of enemy as you will have a counter to any offense.

Combat Sign Hybrid build

The build's idea is to use Adrenaline points to cast Signs and empower them with a bonus of 300% sign intensity. We use melee combat to empower Sing abilities with all upgrades. So the whole idea is to use swords and potions to pump up your Adrenaline. Once we reach 3 points, Flood of Anger will allow casting the top tier Sign by using them up. The great thing is that if you are missing stamina Rage Management will use those adrenaline points instead of stamina.

witcher 3 combat sign build

This is an amazing build. If you are low on HP you can either use potions. However, a better approach is to pump up the adrenaline with close-quarter combat and use Quen's alternative mode for healing.

So what happens with this build, we use stamina for Rend or Whirl and Adrenaline Points for casting Signs.

Another build that you may be interested in Spellsword build which can always use Signs at maximum effectiveness

The Build is tested on New Game+ and Deathmarch difficulty.

Skills allocation

This section covers skills for the Combat Sign build. Be sure to reset skills to be able to allocate skill points as suggested

Before using the build you may want to reset your skills. Witcher 3 allows you to reset skill points with Potion of Clearance. During Blood and Wine DLC, you will get special mutations. You can reset mutations using Potion of Restoration.

combat sign build skills witcher 3

We do not use any Sign skills. However, you will empower signs to the highest tier and bonus 300% sign intensity using Flood of Anger

Alchemy Skills

Name Description
acquired tolerance witcher 3Acquired Tolerance This alchemy skill will allow increasing total toxicity by 0.5 for each alchemy recipe that you find. It will help to drink more potions and late in the game even using one decoction.
delayed recovery witcher 3Delayed Recovery Another important skill for this build. Potion effects will not wear off until potion toxicity (light green bar) reaches 55%.
synergy icon witcher 3Synergy Increases the mutagen effectiveness by 50%. This will result in greatly improved Attack Power for the build
killing spree witcher 3Killing Spree Because the Combat Sign build will always have some toxicity, we can use this to increase critical hit chance by 30% for each killed enemy.

General Skills

Name Description
rage management witcher 3Rage Management Whoa, this is the ability that makes this build come together, by allowing us to use of Signs with Adrenaline points. You will be able to mix this together with Flood of Anger and use those 3 adrenaline points to upgrade cast it (no need for any stamina)
adrenaline burst witcher 3Adrenaline Burst We want to maximize adrenaline generation so this is useful, moreover, now when casting the sign you will get back a little bit of adrenaline.
metabolic control witcher 3Metabolic Control This ability will increase maximum toxicity. Used together with Euphoria, we can use more potions, increase attack power and sign intensity.

Combat Skills

combat sign build combat skills witcher 3

Name Description
resolve witcher 3Resolve This serves two purposes - progression and negating any adrenaline loss from damage. As adrenaline is Combat Sing build fuel, we do not want to waste it
fleet footed witcher 3Fleet Footed I love this ability. It greatly increases iframes of dodging. This allows for avoiding some large attacks without rolling. Moreover, using dodge does not stop Stamina regeneration
razor focus witcher 3Razor Focus An important skill that increases adrenaline point generation and instantly gives 1 point at the start of the combat.
flood of anger witcher 3Flood of Anger The cornerstone of this build. It will allow using up 3 Adrenaline Points to cast Signs with all upgrades from the Sign skill tree. Moreover, it will boost Sign Intensity by a whopping 300%

For this build, I suggest picking one of three melee combat approaches.

Strong Attacks

Name Effect
strength training witcher 3Strength Training Strong Attack damage increased by 30%
crushing blows witcher 3Crushing Blows Increases strong attack critical chance and critical damage
rend witcher 3Rend The alternative mode of strong attack uses stamina to unleash a deadly single strike. Have in mind, that it will also use up Adrenaline points.
bear school techniques witcher 3Bear School Techniques Because this variation relies on strong attacks taking this general skill will improve their damage. You can also take Cat School Techniques as Rend will result in a Critical hit most of the time and a 100% critical damage bonus is also high.

Fast Attacks

Name Effect
muscle memory witcher 3Muscle Memory Improves fast attack damage
precise blows witcher 3Precise Blows Improves fast attack critical chance and critical damage.
whirl witcher 3Whirl Very powerful upgrade that allows to spin the sword around and hit enemies in a 360-degree arc. The ability consumes stamina and adrenaline points after that. However, it is not as powerful without Severance runeword.
cat school techniques witcher 3Cat School Techniques This is an extremely strong general skill as it improves critical damage and fast attacks for each light armor. Because the build uses Ursine armor we will need Levity glyphword for this to work. However, if you wish to use other Glyphwords, that improve your signs just skip this skill

Mixed - strong and fast attacks. My recommended option for this Combat Sign build. It will allow free use of strong and fast attacks based on the situation.

Name Effect
muscle memory witcher 3Muscle Memory Improves fast attack damage
strength training witcher 3Strength Training Strong Attack damage increased by 30%
precise blows witcher 3Precise Blows Improves fast attack critical chance and critical damage.
crushing blows witcher 3Crushing Blows Increases strong attack critical chance and critical damage

Mutations

Name Description
euphoria witcher 3Euphoria The main mutation for this build. Thanks to it, we will be able to increase base Sign Intensity and Attack Power. We will always have high toxicity due to Delayed recovery and this mutation complements it well.

Detailed Skill Progression

This covers detailed progression for the build as many players will not be high level to have 50+ skill points. So follow the abilities as you progress for maximum effectiveness.

If you are below level 11, I suggest following early game build guides

Order Skill Description
1 muscle memory witcher 3Muscle Memory
or
strength training witcher 3Strength Training
The first goal early in the game is to get decent combat abilities. This will make everything easier.

Unfortunately, until you get more alchemy recipes, alchemy tree is useless and does not bring much benefit for this build
2 resolve witcher 3Resolve
3 precise blows witcher 3Precise Blows
or
crushing blows witcher 3Crushing Blows
4 fleet footed witcher 3Fleet Footed
5 2 combat skill points spent
7 whirl witcher 3Whirl
or
rend witcher 3Rend
8 razor focus witcher 3Razor Focus With these three abilities, we unlock the last tier of combat skills and can start using 3 adrenaline points to upgrade and cast signs without stamina.
9 rage management witcher 3Rage Management
10 flood of anger witcher 3Flood of Anger
11 acquired tolerance witcher 3Acquired Tolerance These alchemy skills will allow drinking multiple potions and their effects won't wear off while Toxicity is above 55%
12 9 alchemy skill points
13 delayed recovery witcher 3Delayed Recovery
14 synergy icon witcher 3Synergy Based on what type of attacks you choose, pick one:
  • Fast attacks - Cat School Techniques
  • Strong Attacks - Bear School Techniques
  • Mix - Cat School Techniques
15 bear school techniques witcher 3Bear School Techniques
or
cat school techniques witcher 3Cat School Techniques

At this point, I recommend having all of the places of power collected. You will need a lot of skill points to fully progress through the build and unlock other skill slots.

Order Skill Description
15 toxic blood witcher 3Toxic Blood This will unlock Euphoria, the main mutation of the build
16 euphoria witcher 3Euphoria
17 adrenaline burst witcher 3Adrenaline Burst Progress by unlocking new mutations and further improving the combat sign build
18 2 Mutations
19 metabolic control witcher 3Metabolic Control
20 4 mutations
21 killing spree witcher 3Killing Spree
22 4 mutations
23 Free Slot There are multiple options that you could take:
  • Attack is the Best Defense - for additional adrenaline generation
  • Undying - for additional survivability

Tactics

In this section, I would like to share some tips on how to best play Combat Sign Hybrid build in Witcher 3

Charge Adrenaline Points fast

The main idea of this build is to charge up 3 adrenaline points and then use them to cast Signs thanks to Flood of Anger. So you should keep these things in mind when in combat:

  • Use Superior Maribor Forest to increase adrenaline generation effectiveness and instantly get one point
  • Fighting multiple enemies allows for faster adrenaline generation. So this build is the weakest against single enemies
  • Having full Urinse gear will further improve Adrenaline point generation

combat sign build elation adrenaline point generation witcher 3

With all of these, it is extremely easy to get 3 adrenaline points.

Equipment

Here is my suggested gear for the Combat Sign build in Witcher 3

Weapons

Steel Swords

Item Description
grandmaster ursine steel sword witcher 3Grandmaster Ursine steel sword Although not the strongest sword, it complements this build well. The Ursine weapons generate additional adrenaline and will also allow getting 6 piece armor set bonus empowering Quen Sign.
Toussaint knights steel sword witcher 3Toussaint Knight's Steel Sword This is the most powerful steel sword in the game. Iris may compare to it in terms of damage, however, this has no confusing mechanics and pure high-damage stats
iris steel sword witcher 3Iris The perfect sword for this build if using Strong attacks. You can easily utilize the sword's unique effects. Moreover, you can easily negate its HP drain with Superior Swallow

Silver Swords

Item Description
grandmaster ursine silver sword witcher 3Grandmaster Ursine silver sword Although not the strongest sword, it complements this build well. The Ursine weapons generate additional adrenaline and will also allow getting 6 piece armor set bonus empowering Quen Sign.
aerondight witcher 3Aerondight This is the most powerful sword in the game. Each attack raises its charge, resulting in higher damage. However, it requires some grinding for it to be at peak effectiveness. Moreover, to add a rune or runeword to it you will need to add sockets at runewright
gesheft witcher 3Gesheft A mighty silver sword that gives a +100% Critical hit damage bonus and a +15 Critical hit chance.

Weapon upgrades

Upgrade Description
elation witcher 3Elation The most recommended runeword for Combat Sign build. With it you can get 3 adrenaline points in a few seconds if fighting multiple non-boss enemies.
severance witcher 3Severance Increases the reach of Rend and Whirl. Makes combat much easier, especially with Whirl. However, with this build, you would sacrifice bonus adrenaline generation which is extremely important.
greater perun runestone witcher 3Greater Perun runestone Increases adrenaline point generation. A good option before obtaining runewords
greater veles runestone witcher 3Greater Veles Runestone Increases the Sign Intensity for stronger signs. A good option before obtaining runewords

Armors

Item Effects
grandmaster ursine armor witcher 3Grandmaster Ursine Armor +22% Adrenaline Point gain
+26% Resistance to piercing damage
+25% Resistance to bludgeoning damage
+32% Resistance to slashing damage
+46% Resistance to damage from monsters
grandmaster ursine gauntlets witcher 3Grandmaster Ursine Gauntlets +11% Adrenaline Point gain
+6% Resistance to piercing damage
+6% Resistance to slashing damage
+6% Resistance to damage from monsters
+6% Resistance to elemental damage
grandmaster ursine trousers witcher 3Grandmaster Ursine Trousers +11% Adrenaline Point gain
+6% Resistance to piercing damage
+11% Resistance to slashing damage
+16% Resistance to damage from monsters
+25% Resistance to elemental damage
grandmaster ursine boots witcher 3Grandmaster Ursine Boots +11% Adrenaline Point gain
+6% Resistance to piercing damage
+5% Resistance to bludgeoning damage
+6% Resistance to slashing damage
+6% Resistance to damage from monsters

Armor upgrades - there are multiple options here as it depends on your playstyle

Upgrade Description
levity witcher 3Levity If using Cat School Techniques, this glyphword is mandatory as it will make all armor pieces light. However, if you are interested in empowering Signs check the glyphwords below
rotation witcher 3Rotation Amazing glyphword that makes Igni hit in 360 degree arc. Makes fighting multiple enemies easy
eruption witcher 3Eruption An improved version of Igni, that makes dying enemies explode. Take this for higher overall damage.
Your preferred Glyph for signs Go for the Glyphs related to the signs you use. I personally use Quen most of the time with this build so adding Greater Glyph of Quen is the way to go.

Potions and tonics

The Combat Sign Hybrid build uses Delayed Recovery, meaning potions and decoctions will work indefinitely as long as potion (light green toxicity bar) toxicity is above 55%. This allows using multiple potions. Here are my recommendations.

Item Effects
superior blizzard witcher 3Superior Blizzard This potion is mandatory for the build. You will easily generate three adrenaline points for infinite stamina. Delayed recovery will ensure that you have slowed time permanently. More or less you can become invincible with this setup
superior thunderbolt witcher 3Superior Thunderbolt This is the most recommended potion to use. It will improve attack power and grant 100% critical chance during storms.
superior tawny oil icon witcher 3Superior Tawny Owl As Rend and Whirl rely on Stamina, this is another potion that will improve Geralt's combat prowess by allowing him to use those attacks more often
superior white raffards decoction witcher 3Superior White Raffard's Decoction I recommend having this potion in the quick slot. It instantly restores 100% HP and grants immunity to damage for a short period of time
superior swallow witcher 3Superior Swallow Increases HP regeneration. Use it as an alternative to Troll Decoction when dealing with high Toxicity. Moreover, this potion is much more effective compared to the decoction
superior maribor forest witcher 3Superior Maribor Forest Increases adrenaline generation and grants one adrenaline point when used.
superior black blood witcher 3Superior Black Blood I recommend drinking this potion when fighting vampires and necrophages. It is made specifically for these encounters

Decoctions

Item Effects
ekimmara decoction witcher 3Ekimmara Decoction This decoction is the main one for survivability. It will allow you to regenerate HP every time Geralt hits an enemy.
katakan decoction witcher 3Katakan Decoction Thanks to this decoction you will raise Geralt's critical hit chance by 10%. This will greatly improve overall DPS.
alghoul decoction witcher 3Alghoul Decoction Increases adrenaline generation until the first enemy hit. Take this decoction if you think that you are good enough to avoid hits
succubus decoction witcher 3Succubus Decoction Attack power grows during the fight by up to 30%. Very useful in prolonged encounters or boss fights. However, could be useless if you take out enemies with a few hits

Conclusion

Thank you for reading the post on the best Combat Sign build in Witcher 3. I covered all essential parts to be effective - skills progression, recommended gear, tactics, and general tips.

If you have any questions or suggestions leave a comment below

Discussion

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Post author zanuffas avatar zanuffas
Gamestegy Founder. I have been writing game guides and builds for 4 years. I like to push myself to create something wonderful for the readers!