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Defending Kaer Morhen: Prologue Kaer Morhen
The Witcher

Defending Kaer Morhen: Prologue Kaer Morhen

Learn how to defend Kaer Morhen in The Witcher! This guide covers the Prologue, from Geralt's arrival to fighting bandits and learning combat basics.

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Learn how to defend Kaer Morhen in The Witcher! This guide covers the Prologue, from Geralt's arrival to fighting bandits and learning combat basics.

Alright, so Geralt's had a rough time, right? He collapses after being chased and gets carted off to Kaer Morhen. It's a bit of a rough intro, but it's where you'll meet everyone: Vesemir, Lambert, Eskel, Leo (who's training to be a Witcher), and Triss the sorceress. Things get real quickly, though, because some bandits, the Salamandra, decide to attack.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    First things first, grab the Rusty Sword from the training dummy. It's not fancy, but it'll do for now. You'll fight some Salamandra Bandits, and don't worry too much about being perfect – your allies will help you out. Once they're down, more dialogue happens.
  2. 2
    Follow your companions to a gate. Turns out these aren't just any bandits; they've got a mage named Savolla and a Frightener monster. While your friends handle them, you're sent to the upper courtyard to secure passage.
  3. 3
    Now for the combat tutorial! Follow the enemies and take them down. The game will introduce you to the combo system – when your attack icon turns into a flaming sword, that's your cue to attack again. This keeps enemies off balance and deals more damage later on. You'll also learn about coup-de-graces, which let you finish off stunned or downed enemies. You'll mostly get these with the Aard sign later, but they're pretty common now.
  4. 4
    Keep moving and fighting. You've got about 250 Vitality, so these bandits aren't too threatening. The game will teach you about combat styles: use Strong Style for heavily armored foes and Fast Style for agile ones. If an enemy is dodging or parrying a lot, switch to Fast Style.
  5. 5
    You'll reach the battlements with enemies using ranged weapons. Just run past them to the stairs. After a cutscene, you'll be back in control. Fight your way through the upper courtyard. Ignore the 'Siege Cauldrons' and 'Bells' for now, but definitely loot the barrels along the walls.
  6. 6
    Head down to the gate opposite the citadel doors. Kill all the Salamandra Bandits there and activate the 'Winch'.
  7. 7
    After another cutscene, you'll have a new mission: explore the citadel and stop the Salamandra from getting the Witcher's mutagens. You'll go with Leo while the main Witchers and Triss hold the courtyard. You get two potions: Thunderbolt (boosts damage but stops dodges/parries) and Swallow (regenerates Vitality). Swallow is always useful; Thunderbolt is situational. Talk to everyone for background info if you want. Drink your potions and head into the citadel.
  8. 8
    Inside, Leo will chat a bit. Keep fighting the Salamandra Bandits. The game will show you how to dodge, though it's not super crucial yet. You'll face a big group of bandits, and the game will prompt you to use the Group Style – this is super important for crowd control with your sword. Loot any fallen enemies and a barrel near the kitchen before following Leo upstairs.
Tips
  • Don't stress too much about combat perfection early on; your allies have your back.
  • Pay attention to the combat style prompts – switching between Strong and Fast styles is key to dealing with different enemy types.
  • Loot everything you can, especially barrels, as they often contain useful items.
  • Swallow potion is a lifesaver for keeping your Vitality up.
  • Access to the next part of the story.
  • Learning basic combat mechanics and potion usage.

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