Introduction

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

allows players to deeply engage with the game's complex narrative and political landscape, shaping both the outcomes of key factions and the destiny of its main characters, particularly the mysterious and enigmatic Ciri. In a recent playthrough, I achieved a victory for Nilfgard and ensured Ciri became a witcher instead of an empress. This unique combination of desired outcomes required a well-thought-out strategy and a series of careful decisions. In this article, I will outline the steps one can take to achieve this:

Steps to Achieve This Outcome

Support Nilfgaard:

To ensure Nilfgaard’s victory, you need to make choices that align with their cause throughout the game. This involves: Supporting the Nilfgaardian cause in conversations and decisions. Opting for actions that weaken the Northern kingdoms and their alliances.

Ciri’s Fate:

To have Ciri become a witcher, you should: During the quest “The Battle of Kaer Morhen,” make choices that encourage Ciri to follow her own path. Specifically, when you have the option to suggest she can be a witcher, affirm her choice. In the final quest, make key decisions that solidify Ciri’s journey towards a life as a witcher.

Key Decisions

Dialogue Choices:

Be mindful of your dialogue choices throughout the game. Avoid choices that directly support Ciri becoming an empress. Instead, nurture her independence and make choices that affirm her decisions.

Ending Choices:

At the very end, you need to choose options that lead to Ciri being recognized as a witcher rather than an empress. This involves guiding the game's ending towards this outcome through your decisions.

Conclusion

While it is possible to achieve both a Nilfgardian victory and for Ciri to become a witcher, the complex interplay of choices in the game makes this outcome somewhat challenging. The game's narrative reflects the consequences of your decisions, so some compromises may be necessary. If you are looking for a specific outcome, consider replaying key missions to guide Ciri's fate and the political landscape effectively.

In my playthrough, I completed the quest “Reasons of State,” killed Radovid, and ensured Ciri was as independent and aligned with her own path as possible to achieve a good ending where she became a witcher. Simply helping the Temerians kill Radovid and not bringing Ciri to visit Emhyr was another key step.

By following these steps and remaining mindful of your choices, you too can achieve a unique and rewarding experience in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Related Keywords: The Witcher 3, Nilfgardian Victory, Ciri as a Witcher