The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has no shortage of equipment for Geralt of Rivia to acquire throughout his journey. When it comes to armor and weaponry, the sheer variety on display can get downright overwhelming. While the game does its best to inform Geralt of everything it has to offer, certain aspects of The Witcher 3 deserve to be explored in more depth.
Nothing illustrates this fact as perfectly as witcher gear. Pieces of this powerful equipment can be discovered the moment Geralt arrives in White Orchard, through to his days in sun-drenched Toussaint. Despite this fact, the game does not do much to impart just how useful witcher gear can be.
What Is Witcher Gear?
Witcher Gear is a category of extremely rare equipment that is specifically designed for those in the witcher trade. Individual pieces are nearly always part of custom sets that include both armor and weapons. These sets are deeply connected to the famous witcher schools that feature prominently in the lore of the games and books. Witcher gear can be found in all three weight classes and, just as all gear is graded by a color system, witcher gear is distinguished by its green color coding.
The Witcher Schools and Their Gear
Each set of witcher gear is tied to a specific school, acting as a sort of de facto uniform for the witchers who train there. The design of these sets reflect the distinct training style practiced and taught at each school. For example, witchers from the School of the Cat are known to favor extremely light armor that aids in their 'strike quietly, strike quickly' mentality. Gaetan, a witcher from this infamous school, can be seen wearing the basic Cat School armor in "Where the Cat and Wolf Play."
Geralt, despite being a well-known member of the School of the Wolf, plays by his own rules. The following sets are available to him throughout his journey (Follow the links for full location and upgrade information).
The School of the Wolf
The School of the Wolf houses Geralt, Vesemir, Lambert and Eskel. While not perfect, the Wolf School witchers are good men. Like them, the medium armor and weapons of their school represent a solid, sturdy, and reliable choice for well-rounded witchers.
The School of the Griffin
The Griffin School gear will be the first complete set that Geralt can acquire in the base game. This medium set rides straight down the middle, offering decent protection while still being a solid choice for offensive minded witchers.
The School of the Cat: 
The light armor set from the Cat School is all about speed and agility. The high stamina regeneration allows Geralt to get in close and use multiple signs in quick succession. Perfect for witchers who get the kill before an enemy has a chance to strike.
The School of the Bear:
The Bear School gear is essentially made to turn Geralt into a tank. Designed for methodical, sword-based attacks. Perfect for the witcher that doesn't mind soaking up hits while clearing a room.
The School of the Viper:
The Viper School gear is not acquired in the same way as the previous four schools. Two Viper School sword diagrams can be found and crafted during the game's opening section in White Orchard. The truly coveted pieces from the School of the Viper will become available in Hearts of Stone. The steel sword and medium armor set diagrams can be purchased from Countess Mignole during "Open Sesame!" The final piece of this gear, the Viper Venomous Silver Sword, can only be obtained by agreeing to help Olgierd Von Everic during "Whatsoever a Man Soweth."
The School of the Manitcore:
The Manitcore gear was added to The Witcher 3 as part of the Blood & Wine expansion. It represents a new upgrade level known as Grandmaster Gear. The actual armor set is perfect for witchers who like to keep their distance, using bombs and potions to augment their martial prowess. The Manitcore weapons and full medium armor set diagrams are found in Toussaint as a part of Lazare Lafargue's series of quests.
How to Acquire and Craft Witcher Gear
Diagrams
Unlike the majority of in-game loot, almost all witcher gear is found in diagram form and therefore must be crafted. These diagrams can be acquired in several ways, the most common being through a series of missions known as 'scavenger hunts.' These deceptively simple quests task Geralt with following several clues to the location of a diagram, which are often found in remote caves or on the bodies of long-dead witchers.
Crafting Witcher Gear
For the most part, witcher gear is crafted in much the same way as any other item. So long as Geralt has access to the appropriate level craftsmen, the required materials, and the cash, then crafting is as easy as approaching an armorer or blacksmith.
Specialty Witcher Gear
Though it is exceptionally rare, there is a very small number of pre-fabricated pieces of witcher gear found in the world of The Witcher 3 and its expansions. An example of this is found in "Where the Cat and Wold Play," where Geralt can acquire Teigr from the witcher Gaetan. There is no other way to acquire this sword, and if missed, can only be acquired on subsequent playthroughs.
How to Upgrade Witcher Gear
Unlike regular weapons and armor found in The Witcher 3, witcher gear has the unique ability to be upgraded. There are four upgrade tiers available for the Wolf, Griffin, Cat, and Bear sets. Viper and Manticore are both at the highest possible level when acquired, and are therefore not eligible for upgrades. The four tiers are:
- Enhanced - Journeyman Armorer/Blacksmith
- Superior - Journeyman Armorer/Blacksmith
- Mastercrafted - Master Armorer/Blacksmith
- Grandmaster - Only Lazare Lafargue, Grandmaster of Toussaint!
A Note on Grandmaster Gear and Set Bonuses
Grandmaster gear quests can be initiated by speaking with Lazare Lafargue at his shop in Toussaint. It is important to note that set bonuses only apply to gear that has reached the Grandmaster level. These powerful boons are applied twice per set, once when three items are equipped, and again when all items of a set are equipped.
How to Dye Witcher Gear
The final unique quality of witcher gear is its ability to be customized with colored dyes. Large quantities of dye can be found in Toussaint and a general playthrough will result in most players building up a collection of several colors. If players desire specific colors, dye recipes can be found through exploration.
Witcher gear is without a doubt the most powerful equipment in the game. With this information, players can experiment with each set, deciding on which school works best with their play style!
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.