Is There Grandmaster Viper Armor in The Witcher 3?
No, unfortunately there is currently no Grandmaster version of the Viper witcher gear set available in The Witcher 3 or its expansions. But why not? As a hardcore fan myself, I‘ve done some digging to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Understanding Witcher Gear Tiers
To understand why there‘s no Grandmaster Viper armor, first we need to understand how the witcher gear tier system works in The Witcher 3:
- Basic – Starting gear
- Enhanced – 1st upgrade
- Superior – 2nd upgrade
- Mastercrafted – 3rd upgrade
- Grandmaster – Final upgrade, Blood and Wine only
This tiered system applies to the original witcher gear sets that have been in the game since launch:
- Bear School (Ursine)
- Cat School (Feline)
- Griffin School
- Wolf School (Wolven)
Other newer witcher gear sets introduced in the DLCs, like Manticore, Viper and Lepidoptera, only go up to the Mastercrafted or Legendary tiers.
Viper School Gear Overview
The Viper School Gear was first introduced in the Hearts of Stone expansion. It‘s a medium armor set focused on poison damage and alchemy.
- Light Armor – Favours stamina regen and damage
- Set Bonus – 30% poison damage bonus
- Swords – Chance to poison enemies
- Gear Level – Grandmaster (max), Legendary (max)
So while Viper gear provides some great poison bonuses, it‘s capped at the Legendary tier and can‘t reach Grandmaster status.
How Does Viper Gear Compare to Grandmaster Sets?
Based on stats alone, even the Legendary Viper gear can‘t quite compete with a fully upgraded Grandmaster set:
| Gear Set | Armor Rating | Damage Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Grandmaster Feline | 237 – 342 | +250 attack power |
| Grandmaster Ursine | 932 – 1081 | Up to 60% resistance |
| Legendary Viper | 550 | 30% poison damage |
Grandmaster sets also have superior set bonuses. For example, the Grandmaster Feline gear triggers a lethal momentum ability that deals bonus damage after dodging.
So while Viper gear has its poison-infused niche, the Grandmaster gear is clearly on another level.
Theories on Why There‘s No Grandmaster Viper Gear
This leaves the question – why hasn‘t CD Projekt Red added a Grandmaster version of Viper gear? Here are some of my theories and speculation:
Time Constraints
- Hearts of Stone was already packed with new content and gear sets. Development time was likely limited.
Reward for Original Gear
- Having only the original gear go to Grandmaster encourages upgrading those classic Witcher 3 sets
- Provides a reward for long-time players invested in those gear sets
Balance Concerns
- Potentially OP poison bonuses from Grandmaster Viper gear
- Would undermine existing Grandmaster gear
Let me know your own thoughts in the comments below! I hope this provided some helpful insight into the lack of Grandmaster Viper school gear. Now to take this Legendary Viper set out on another round of toxic monster hunting!
