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The Witcher 3 is a special game for many reasons, among them being that the game features another game within the world that's just as popular, if not more so, than the rest of the RPG. Gwent is the in-game card game that Geralt can play with various NPCs throughout the world, and is such a popular feature that it spawned its own spin-off online trading card game.

RELATED: The Witcher 3: 10 Pro Tips To Help You Win At Gwent

The game's many factions and groups are portrayed as different decks, each with its own particular synergies and tactics. The Nilfgaardian Empire Deck is a great middle-of-the-road deck that can work well in just about any situation, but it's also got a few powerful hitters every Nilfgaardian player should strive to acquire.

10 Emhyr Var Emreis: The Relentless

Emhyr Var Emreis Relentless Nilfgaard Deck Witcher 3

Emhyr Var Emreis is the Emperor of the Nilgaardian Empire in-game, and he is featured on several leader cards in the Nilfgaardian deck. One of these many forms is The Relentless, which gives him the leader ability to draw a card from the opponent's discard pile.

It's a powerful leader card that keeps your hand full and your deck large. Emhyr Var Emreis: The Relentless can be found by playing and winning a round of Gwent with Sasha, one of the players in the High Stakes Gwent quest.

9 Emhyr Var Emreis: Emperor of Nilfgaard

Emhyr Var Emreis Emperor of Nilfgaard Deck

Emhyr Var Emreis: Emperor of Nilfgaard is another one of the five leader cards representing the Emperor of Nilfgaard. This card, though, lets the controlling player look at three cards from their opponent's hand.

The card is excellent for planning around enemy plays in winning the information game. It can be found at The Crossroads by winning a round of Gwent with the innkeeper.

8 Etolian Auxiliary Archers

Etolian Auxiliary Archers Nilfgaard Deck Witcher 3

Etolian Auxiliary Archers is a one-strength ranged card that has the Medic special ability. This ability lets you choose one card from your own discard pile and put it straight onto the playing field.

The card is weak when played early, but can quickly overwhelm an opponent later on if they've already used their powerful cards against your strong early plays. It can be bought off of merchants at Claywich or Lindenvale.

7 Impera Brigade Guard

Impera Brigade Guard Nilfgaard Deck Witcher 3

Impera Brigade Guard is a three-strength combat card with the Tight Bond ability. Tight Bond doubles the strength of two cards with the same name if they are next to each other, and four can be found in-game in total.

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Three are bought from innkeepers at Cunny of the Goose near the Eternal Fire Chapel, the Seven Cats Inn in Novigrad, and the Crossroads. Another can be bought from the trader at Crow's Perch.

6 Tibor Eggebracht

Tibor Eggebracht Nilfgaard Deck Witcher 3

Tibor Eggebracht is a 10 strength ranged Hero card. Tibor Eggebracht was a historical figure in Nilfgaard, and while he is not present in the story, the player can meet his cousin Tavar Eggebracht in-game.

As a Hero card, Tibor Eggebracht cannot be affected by special abilities. Pick this one up from Olivier at The Kingfisher in Novigrad, or you can literally just pick it up in the back bar area at the inn when Olivier is gone.

5 Young Emissary

Young Emissary Nilfgaard Deck Witcher 3

Young Emissary is a 5 strength combat card with the Tight Bond ability which, like the Impera Brigade Guard, doubles two cards' strength if they have the same name and are placed next to each other.

The Tight Bond ability is relatively rare in the Nilfgaardian deck, but you can only find two of these in-game. Both are bought from innkeepers at the Cunny of the Goose and the Seven Cats Inn in Novigrad.

4 Letho of Gulet

Letho Nilfgaard Deck Witcher 3

Letho of Gulet is a 10 strength Hero card in the close combat range. The Hero type means it cannot be affected by special cards or abilities, but what it lacks in synergy with the rest of your team it makes up for in brute strength.

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Letho is, of course, one of the Witchers Geralt meets in-game in an optional quest and was the assassin who killed King Foltest in The Witcher 2. His card is won from a man in Oreton during a Gwent quest in Velen.

3 Menno Coehoorn

Menno Coehoorn Nilfgaard Deck Witcher 3

Menno Coehoorn is another Hero card in the Nilfgaardian deck, coming in at 10 strength and in the close combat section of the play area. However, while it does have the Hero type, it also has the Medic ability.

The Medic ability lets you play one card from your own discard pile to place on the battlefield at the same time as playing this card. Menno Coehoorn can be won from the Innkeeper at The Crossroads.

2 Morvran Voorhis

Morvran Voorhis Nilfgaard Deck Witcher 3

Morvran Voorhis is a 10 strength Hero card at Siege range, one of the few heavy hitters at Siege range in the Nilfgaardian deck. It's a powerful card that gives a massive boost to your totals, but it can't be used in conjunction with the Medic ability on many Nilfgaardian cards.

Morvran Voorhis can be won from Merquise Serenity, the head of the Passiflora brothel in Novigrad, after completing several earlier Gwent-related questlines.

1 Mysterious Elf

Mysterious Elf Nilfgaard Deck Witcher 3

The Mysterious Elf is a zero-strength combat card with the Hero and Spy attributes. While the Hero type means the character can't be affected by special cards or abilities, the Spy ability gives its player the chance to draw two cards on play.

Most Spy cards are a bit of a gamble, as they give your opponent strength. The Mysterious Elf, though, has no strength, making it essentially just a Draw Two card. It can be won from Gremist while playing Gwent players in Skellige.

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