Crafting Guide | The Witcher 3

The best equipment in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is only obtainable through crafting. To craft weapons and armor, you’ll need to find a diagram, the required components, and a craftsman skilled enough to make the desired item. In this guide, we’re going to show you how The Witcher 3 crafting works, where to find skilled artisans and how to get good diagrams.

Crafting Diagrams

The first thing you need in order to craft an item is a crafting diagram. It’s a blueprint that acts as a recipe, showing you the stats of the item, the necessary components and the required level of the craftsman who is going to make it. Some diagrams can be bought from shops and merchants, but the best ones are obtained in two other ways:

• Quest rewards
• Loot from special locations

Sometimes you’ll get a diagram as a rewards for, let’s say, finding the arsonist who burned the blacksmith’s forge. Most of the time, you’ll have to explore bandit hideouts, monster nests, caves and other points of interest on the map.

Crafting Components

Once you have the diagram, you’ll know exactly which components you need. Depending on the quality of the item, getting them may not be as easy as it seems. The low level crafting components can be purchased from merchants, but higher level ones can only be found while roaming, or even crafted themselves. For instance, an iron plate is made from several iron ingots. Be sure to always make room for crafting materials in your backpack.

Blacksmiths And Armorers

When you have the diagram and the components, it’s time to find someone who can turn them into the item you want. Blacksmiths are the ones who make weapons, and they’re marked on the mini-map with a grindstone and sword. Armorers craft armor – you can find them by looking for an anvil icon on the map.

Sadly, legendary gear can’t be crafted by any old craftsman. The diagram will inform you of the level the artisan has to have in order to make your equipment. Finally, there’s the matter of payment – don’t expect these guys to work for free. You’ll need to pay them a certain sum of money to get them to make your stuff for you.

When you pass near a blacksmith’s or armorer’s shop, it will show up on a map. There are other ways to discover them, though:

• Visit notice boards – Many of them hold quests given by the craftsmen you’re looking for, or just have information about them.
• Repopulate villages – When you rid an abandoned village of monsters or bandits, the villagers will return to it. At least one craftsmen is bound to appear.