Combat is one of the core aspects of gameplay in The Witcher 3. After all, Geralt is a Witcher, a no-nonsense monster hunter. The game does a great job of giving depth and complexity to combat, but over time players become grossly overpowered and even the toughest fights become more manageable.
To combat this, players have created a variety of combat mods that tweak various aspects of gameplay. Everything from making potion toxicity a viable threat to improving the AI of enemies. Here are some of the best combat mods for players who want more of a challenge on their next playthrough.
Updated January 2, 2022 by Mark Hospodar: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a hard game to put down. The combat, however, isn't nearly as hard, especially for veteran players. Revisiting a game for the umpteenth time can sometimes be boring. Luckily, mods help immensely in this department.
This list already contains a selection of stellar combat mods that make The Witcher 3's gameplay more challenging and immersive. It's been updated with even more excellent mods for players to experiment with to satiate fans' desire for ever-greater challenges.
15 The Witcher 3 Redux
Gameplay overhaul mods are typically a surefire way to increase the challenge of the combat. For that, players should consider The Witcher 3 Redux mod. According to the mod authors, Redux institutes a host of significant changes that serves to make the gameplay feel more realistic and lore-friendly.
For example, the lore establishes that Witchers prepare extensively for battle. Now, the player will have to do the same. Adrenaline management is more intuitive, toxicity levels tweaked, and enemy AI is rendered a bit more intelligent. For a nice all-in-one mod, The Witcher 3 Redux comes highly recommended.
14 School Of The Roach
Speaking of excellent all-in-one gameplay overhauls, the School of the Roach mod is definitely worth some attention. First and foremost, the mod is massive, implementing changes of one degree or another to practically every aspect of the game. Combat, of course, is included in the list of changes.
Like the other mods on this list, School of the Roach rebalances the combat from the ground up. Certain enemies are now significantly more dangerous when in their elements, such as vampires and werewolves. Swordsmanship mechanics have also been improved, offering a suitably more balanced experience compared to vanilla.
13 Speed Force
Speed Force is a nifty little mod best used in conjunction with other add-ons that tweak the game's combat. As its name implies, Speed Force alters the speed of particular NPC animations. Some are slowed, while others are increased. Now, at least from a lore perspective, enemies behave a bit more accurately, thereby heightening the difficulty in certain encounters.
12 Stamina Regen Nerf
Stamina management is an important feature in The Witcher 3. However, experienced players soon find that managing Stamina in combat becomes less of an issue as time goes on. To up the ante in regards to difficulty, fans may want to consider the Stamina Regen Nerf mod.
The main idea behind this mod is to make it more difficult for players to spam Signs one after another. The mod also institutes a Stamina cost to blocking, rendering Geralt more open to successive fast attacks from enemies. It's a small mod that can add a bit more challenge to both large and small battles.
11 No Inventory Access During Combat
It's common in video games for protagonists to magically switch weapons and/or use items amid hectic combat. For an added challenge, why not negate that advantage? With the No Inventory Access During Combat mod, players must use what they have already equipped or quick-slotted for the duration of a fight. It's a small, yet immersive mod that ups the difficulty of the game.
10 Better Combat Enhanced
The Better Combat Enhanced mod has made appearances in previous titles in the series and appears again in The Witcher 3. The main difference is that spamming signs is no longer a viable strategy. To survive in combat players will need to mix signs and swordplay to synergize with each other.
Sword aren’t enough and signs don’t pack the punch they used to. But staggering an enemy before slicing has more impact. Players who tackle this mod on the Death March difficulty are in for a brutal game that requires skill, strategy, and cleverness not seen in the vanilla game.
9 Enhanced Edition
The Enhanced Edition mod was designed to make the game more realistic according to its own lore. Armor now has more meaning, resulting in golem’s feeling like the impenetrable foes they were meant to be. Casting signs gets tiring and drinking too many potions results in toxicity that can cripple or kill the player.
On top of these kinds of changes is an overhaul of the combat controls. Moving the camera during attacks can actually change how swings perform and how the enemy is targeted. It results in a much more skill-based style of play that feels like the actual fight would in real-life.
8 Ghost Mode
Ghost Mode is a mod that looks to balance out combat more while resolving many of the issues with the vanilla game. Armor is broken into light, medium, and heavy categories that behave realistically. Attacks cost stamina and some signs have a cooldown.
Even wearing heavy armor comes with penalties to stamina, forcing the player to be more judicial in how they use their limited stamina. The overall effect is to make combat a more strategic and complicated dance than just spamming the same action over and over again.
7 Skilled Humans
The Skilled Humans mod is meant to make human enemies a little more intelligent in combat. It introduces a few subtle tweaks to their behavior that can result in more interesting and engaging fights moving forward.
For instance, enemies will attempt to counter-punch if they manage to block two consecutive hits from the player. They also receive increased attack speeds, are more likely to dodge, and approach more cautiously from a distance.
6 MEID – Mortal Enemies Increased Difficulty
The MEID mod was born from the idea that Death March vanilla was too easy. This mod gives enemies more realistic damage capabilities. A wolf can successfully maul the player within three strikes and bosses can obliterate the player in all but the best gear.
Even with full Grandmaster sets players aren’t impervious to damage and must be careful and tactical with each battle they enter into. The mod gives greater weight to being properly armored and using the right potions for each encounter.
5 Free Combat
Free Combat is a simple mod that makes a few tweaks to combat that can have interesting effects over the course of play. Enemies can now deal randomized damage multipliers that make sense to their level and gear.
It also allows enemies to be encountered on higher or lower levels to the player. The player will similarly find their own attacks governed by chance that can make the damage higher or lower. At times the player will feel very powerful and other times the player will be ill-prepared for the fight they just got into.
4 ESR Overhaul
The ESR Overhaul mod looks to add more immersion and realism to various parts of the game, including combat. It introduces a leveling/scaling system where enemies match both Geralt’s level and gear to provide an adequate challenge.
The mod also introduces a number of combat mechanical tweaks. Monsters feel more distinct with their own unique abilities, resistances, and attacks. This makes each battle a unique puzzle to solve requiring different potions, swords, signs, and gear to win.
3 Total Immersion
The Total Immersion mod does what it says on the tin. With this mod installed the game becomes much more difficult. Potions now have greater toxicity with negative consequences for becoming too intoxicated.
Enemies behave differently in combat, monsters are harder to detect when unseen and more likely to ambush the player, and combat becomes more skill-based, requiring better timing and attack synergy. It’s a complete overhaul of how enemies and Geralt behave in combat.
2 No Levels
No Levels is a simple concept that creates a tremendous challenge. Instead of having enemies scale up with Geralt’s level the enemies will see adjustments made to their stats instead. The same applies to Geralt as well.
Power comes through gear and abilities rather than an arbitrary level of power. End game bosses are no longer damage sponges, but they hit hard and Geralt can only take so many hits. Players will feel more powerful as they obtain better gear and become more skilled in combat.
1 Better Combat Evolved
The Better Combat Evolved mod is all about improving the game’s combat by adjusting it from the ground up. Toxicity of potions has more impact, armor is less effective, every action costs stamina, and blocking now delays stamina regeneration when used.
Enemies have seen similar changes with better stats and increased stamina. Foes will also behave differently depending on their numbers, with groups acting more ferociously, and flanking with lone individuals being more cautious. Heavy armored enemies block more while light armored enemies tend to dodge. Nearly every aspect related to fighting is more challenging, more skill-based, and according to many players, much more rewarding.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.