7 Thronebreaker Tips To Help You Play Your Cards Right

Starting out as just a side activity from The Witcher 3, Gwent has since blossomed into a thriving competitive card game. And now, Thronebreaker is its very own standalone campaign, boasting 30+ hours of gameplay that delves even deeper into the monster-infested world of The Witcher.

If you’re just starting Thronebreaker, new to Gwent, or just want a heads up on how to stay one step ahead of those nefarious Nilfgaardians, here are seven super cool Thronebreaker tips that the Witchers definitely don’t want you to know about.

 

1. Look out for tips

A tip to look out for tips, huh? Before every puzzle, there’s an information menu which sometimes lists a subtle suggestion as to how to tackle the upcoming scenario. It seems obvious but these tips are actually pretty useful. As every puzzle features unique cards and win conditions, looking out for these Thronebreaker tips is the quickest way to figure out how to tackle each challenge.

 

2. Spam that leader ability

You can use your leader ability as often as its cooldown timer permits. In standard battles, the AI will take advantage of this, so make sure you do too. Those of us who were familiar with Gwent before the Homecoming update will be used to leader cards having just a single use, so don’t worry if it takes a bit of time to get used to.

 

3. Treat ‘em mean to keep ‘em keen

For those of us who aspire to be a kind and gracious ruler, you will often be faced with a problem where you can’t avoid upsetting someone. Sometimes the option which seems to be cruellest might actually be for the best.

Upon coming across a rowdy village, you might figure a few lashes would be preferred over a mass execution. But, alas, you’ve only managed to piss off the rest of the villagers for being too lenient. Or, perhaps you’ve come across a wagon filled with slaves and upon setting them free they ask to join your army. If you don’t take them in they’ll surely die. It’s the right thing to do, but then what about all those extra mouths to feed? Don’t be afraid to be a bit of a bastard every now and again. Wars are expensive, after all.

 

4. Get your loot crates

Sometimes after entering certain cutscenes or battles, your character might jump a little way ahead from where you were when it triggered. Make sure you double back on yourself to clear that area of loot and resources. And just generally always grab loot where you see it. Starting out it might seem like you’ve got stacks of gold, but upgrades quickly become expensive.

Also, if you can’t find all of the golden chests and aren’t too fussed about feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment, don’t worry. The chests mostly consist of cosmetics or cards exclusive to the multiplayer, which you can always come back for later.

 

5. Quality over quantity

As with the majority of card games, keeping your deck size down to a minimum is recommended to ensure you’re more likely to draw the cards that you need. With Gwent in particular, it’s fairly unlikely that you’ll ever go through 25 cards in a match anyway. Avoid the temptation to fill your deck with loads of cards just because you can.

It’s worth noting that the powerful trinket cards will always start in your opening hand and they don’t take up a recruit resource. To get as many of these included in your deck as you can, make sure to upgrade the Royal Treasury in your workshop.

 

6. Keep an eye on your hand

The hand limit is ten cards and at the start of every round, you draw an extra three. Don’t pass the round while your hand has more than seven cards in it else you’ll risk burning off cards once your hand is full.

Always play until you’re at least down to seven before passing, particularly if you’re ahead, to make your opponent commit more of their own resources. But with that said, burning cards from your deck can also be a useful tool if you’ve got an ability which can resurrect them from your graveyard.

 

7. Make the right move

The order and position that you play your cards is super impactful to the game. Playing cards with the “Order” ability allows players to manually activate an effect during their turn. This adds even more strategy into how you construct your turn. Playing your cards and activating their abilities in the correct sequence is a vital part of the majority of the puzzles.

Card advantage also plays a major role in Thronebreaker and Gwent. Any cards which allow you to draw from your deck are generally worth including since they immediately recover the resource you spent in playing it.