The first expansion of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, titled Heart of Stone, is all about a complex character named Olgierd von Everec. For most of the expansion Geralt runs around performing three tasks for Olgierd, but on one occasion the two can end up fighting.
Olgierd is infamous for being a hard foe to beat. Not only does he dodge most signs, he also blocks most attacks and a single combo attack can knock Geralt from full health to dead in a matter of seconds. Fortunately, the strategy for beating him is surprisingly simple and relies on a single game mechanic most players are familiar with.
The Setup
During The Witcher 3 mission "Evil's Soft First Touches," Geralt will return to the manor where he first met Olgierd von Everec. However, the main building is on fire and Olgierd's cronies are about to execute someone. The player then has a few dialog choices.
Options 1 and 3 avoid the fight, but option 2, "Let him go or face my wrath," will cause Olgierd to emerge and challenge Geralt to a duel. The stakes are the honor of his followers and the life of the person being executed.
Battle Strategies
- The best way to beat Olgierd is by parrying. Geralt can parry all of his normal attacks and all of his special attacks, and when parried Olgierd will stagger and be open to attack.
- After a normal parry, Olgierd is open to one attack. After a special parry, Olgierd is open to three attacks. It doesn't matter if the attacks are strong or quick, so players should always hit Olgierd with strong attacks.
- After a three-hit combo, Olgierd will always respond by throwing dirt. This will stagger Geralt, so players should always dodge or roll away after the third strike.
- Olgierd is fast and mobile, so don't use his movement to time a special parry. Instead, wait for his sword to glow red and then hit the block button. This will guarantee a parry.
- If the player blocks too early, Olgierd's special attack will break Geralt's defense. If this happens, the player should roll away to avoid Olgierd's followup combo.
- Olgierd will automatically dodge Aard, Igni, and Axii. Yrden works, but doesn't have much effect. As such, the best sign for this fight is Quen.
- As a human, Olgierd is vulnerable to Hanged Man's Venom.
- Bombs work on Olgierd, but he doesn't spend much time at range. Because of this, any bomb Geralt throws is likely to hit himself as well.
Later in the expansion Geralt encounters a boss battle very similar to Olgierd, and this one isn't optional. However, all the same strategies apply, and overall the mandatory fight is easier than the duel with Olgierd.
The Heart of Stone expansion to The Witcher 3 is full of tough fights. But while the fight against Olgierd is definitely on that list, a few well-timed parries can end the battle quickly and easily.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions launch on December 14.