3 years since my last attempt, I finally beat the hardest boss in The Witcher 3 and realized I'd been doing it all wrong

Feb. 22, 2024

Now Playing | I thought Dettlaff was my nemesis, but maybe it was me all along

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Skill tree issue

The Witcher 3 is among thebest RPGsever.

The fight against Dettlaff feels almost like a Soulslike for how punishing it is. Playing The Witcher 3 on regular mode had never posed too great (or little) a challenge up until the late-game stages of Blood and Wine, where I found myself feeling totally terrible at a game I thought I enjoyed. As a result, I never did get to see Geralt retire to his quiet life at Corvo Blanco with Yennefer – and that fact has haunted me ever since.

Following hours of trial, error, andYouTubevideos, I formulate a plan for each of Dettlaff’s three stages. First, I make sure to swig both a Leshen and Griffin decoction as well as a Tawny Owl potion. I also make sure I have Enhanced Black Blood at my fingertips, just in case. When it comes to the build, I opt for something very sign-heavy. Igni, Yrden, and Quen will be key for me in each respective stage of the fight, so Supercharged Glyphs and Quen Intensity are mandatory. I also activate the Euphoria mutation to increase my sword damage in line with each point of toxicity – and given all the witcher potions he’s ingested, Geralt is looking pretty toxic. Pair all this with the best (and least-broken) sword in my inventory and that Manticore Armor set, and I’m actually feeling half okay about my chances against Dettlaff three years later.

Maybe Dettlaff wasn’t the problem, and my terrible build was.

With the power of Igni, I dance through the first round by dodging Dettlaff’s attacks and chucking fire in his eyes. I seize the opportunity to get a few healthy stabs in while he’s grumbling about his burning peepers. This stage was never the issue for me though, if I recall correctly; it was all about the second.

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

As Dettlaff transforms into some fleshy bat-monster thing, I back myself right up and quickly switch my sign to Yrden. From here, I need to think fast: Dettlaff has a three-part attack pattern, usually kicking off with his extremely tricky to avoid barrage of bats. It tends to knock about 60% off my health every time and I absolutely hate it. He then follows this up with either a rush attack or an aerial one that seems to stake you with a pillar of blood.

Yrden is my absolute savior here. Thanks to Supercharged Glyphs, I am able to quickly chuck down a protective warding right before Dettlaff rushes me, knocking him to the side and causing him to lose extra health while I chip away at him with my sword. The bats are by far the hardest to dodge, and to get the timing right, I find myself having to count out loud. But between the Yrden strategy and these carefully timed dodge-stab-dodge patterns, something incredible is happening: a cutscene. A merciful cutscene, signifying the start of Dettlaff’s third battle stage. My heart is in my throat, and I can feel my hands getting shaky. I’ve never been so close to defeating this bastard of a vampire. Now, victory is in sight.

The first time I reach Dettlaff’s third stage, I die in one hit. Typical, but understandable, since I’d forgotten to swap over to Quen. I take a more aggressive approach in this round compared to the last two, focusing my attacks on the three pulsating hearts while ignoring the bloody visage of Dettlaff that follows me around. My Quen shield lets me tank it through his powerful blows, and I can just recast it again and again as needed. Amazingly, this actually works. I spam Quen and keep wailing on the hearts, angling myself so that my sword strikes might also hit Dettlaff as well as my main targets. This goes smoother than I’d expected it to, and within a minute, it’s all over.

Defeating Dettlaff was a dizzying experience after all these years, especially after being confronted with my unspeakably bad build. Even more fulfilling, though, was the chance to see Geralt finally get a happy ending. I’d never gotten to see the true ending of Blood and Wine before, and yes, I managed to get the good endings for both the royal sisters and Geralt himself. I too feel ready to resign myself to a vintner’s life in Toussaint after all the emotional, mental, and psychic damage that Dettlaff has dealt me over the years, but at the same time, I’m struck by an emptiness. What is life without the challenge of a great foe lingering overhead, after all? I guess I’ll have to set my sights on a new unbeatable nemesis. Malenia, you’re probably next.

Playing adrunken Geralt in The Witcher 3 is actually OP? Apparently so.

Baldur’s Gate 3 actor behind beloved companion Shadowheart says she’s “open” to returning for another RPG - if it doesn’t turn the character into “a cartoon version of her”

The Witcher 4 may not have Geralt after all: his actor was “slapped by CD Projekt” for accidentally sharing a rumor that he’d be in it, just not as the protagonist

Everybody loves Jeff the Land Shark, Marvel Rivals' standout star, except the people who have to play against him