The Continent's favourite card game — and a genuinely great one. Beat every innkeep and merchant to build the ultimate deck.
The Rules in 30 Seconds
- Best of 3 rounds; whoever has the higher total card strength wins the round.
- You keep your hand across all rounds and never draw back to full — so card advantage is everything. Sometimes pass to bait the enemy into overspending.
- Three rows: Close, Ranged, Siege. Weather cards nuke a whole row; Commander's Horn doubles a row.
- Spy cards go on the enemy side but let you draw 2 — the single best mechanic in the game.
The Five Decks
| Deck | Playstyle |
|---|---|
| Northern Realms | Best starter — Spies + card draw + double Siege with the Horn |
| Nilfgaard | Spies, medics and win-condition control |
| Scoia'tael | Flexible row placement & special cards; strong with heroes |
| Monsters | Keeps one random card each round + Muster swarms & weather |
| Skellige (Hearts of Stone) | Damage & resurrection tricks |
Get the Best Cards
Buy cards from innkeeps & merchants in every region, win them from named players, and complete the Gwent quests: "Playing Innkeeps," "Old Pals," "Big City Players" and the collection quest "Collect 'Em All." Prioritise Hero cards (immune to weather & effects) and Spies.
Golden rule
Never spend more cards than you must to win a round. Lose round 1 cheaply to bleed the AI dry, then sweep rounds 2 and 3.
💬 Community Strategies & Discussion
Did you find a hidden chest? Struggling with a boss? Share your tips and questions with other mercenaries below!