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An Entry Guide to GWENT for Beginners and Returning Players

By Lagrange

Welcome! This is a collection of the resources you will need to understand how GWENT (post Homecoming) works and how you should approach this Strategy CCG. This is a redefined game compared to the Gwent found in The Witcher 3 made for a deeper, more competitive multiplayer experience.

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Created by

Lagrange
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Category: Gameplay Basics

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

20 May, 2020 @ 4:03am

8 Jul, 2021 @ 2:49pm

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Guide Index

Overview

TL;DR

The To-Do List

Closing Remarks

Comments

TL;DR

Choose one faction and one archetype from the Meta and PlayGwent decklists (Tier 1 or a viable Budget Deck)
Win substantially to increase your stash of utilities
After understanding how the mechanics of the game works, build your own decks reflecting your strategies and ideas
Explore and move on to a faction and archetype of your choice

Feel free to use my referral link if you would like to start playing the game![www.playgwent.com]

Message me anytime if you have questions.

The complete guide follows the TL;DR below.

The To-Do List

1. You do not have to read and memorize every article in one go before playing the game, but I recommend reading up the Glossaries in order to familiarize yourself with the Keywords. The definition of the words are present in-game as well, so its exposure over time that will help you learn them all. Here is Aretuza's Glossary list[teamaretuza.com] and here is TLG's[teamleviathangaming.com]. Do not stress over topics like "Economies" and "Advanced Strategies" and force yourself to read them. Instead, spend time on the Crafting Screen in the game to identify the different archetypes associated with different factions and design a deck based on these understandings. The Meta list (given in Points 4 and 5) should give you an idea of the different strategies used by different factions.

2. The in-game tutorial is brief and the best way to learn is to play, play and play again. Your foes are by far your best teachers, as they bring never-before-seen decks to the board and open your mind to possibilities. Follow this link to view a database with all the cards and their functions[gwent.one]

3. In the beginning, the dearth of cards may stand as an issue on the way to making your ultimate deck, but not to worry as GWENT is very generous when it comes to drops, awards and progressions. If you put in the time, you will definitely get it all back in the form of in-game utilities using which you can build a deck without having to inescapably shell out real-world currency to do the same. Keep an eye out on your Prestige Level [imgur.com].

4. Absolutely check out PlayGwent[www.playgwent.com], the Official Website to view decks built by other players and make your own to share it with the community. Join Gwent's Official Discord Server[discord.gg] to clarify doubts, discuss strategies or simply chat with other Gwent players. Don't forget to link your Twitch and Gwent accounts for Drops to earn in-game rewards [www.playgwent.com]

5. In order to progress till you get a feel of how the game works, I highly recommend following the top meta decks as published by Aretuza[teamaretuza.com], Team Leviathan[teamleviathangaming.com] or Team Elderblood[www.teamelderblood.com] (subject to change as seasons and updates come by) and glance at the Articles published by TeamBanditGang[teambanditgang.com].

6. Here's a list of Gwent Streamers[www.twitchmetrics.net] you must follow. Check 'em out and choose your favorite. If you cannot watch streams, almost all content creators have a YouTube channel they post viable and fun decks to.

7. If ever you see acronyms describe the various Factions in a community hub or chat room, this is what the acronyms stand for:
a) NG --> Nilfgaard
b) ST --> Scoia'tael
c) SY --> Syndicate
d) SK --> Skellige
e) NR --> Northern Realm
f) MO --> Monster

8. Play the Standard mode to get paired up with players of your rank. The Training mode will bring you players at random including pros that may hinder your progress and overall experience in addition to providing lesser XP per game. Use the Training mode to try out new decks and spam cards for quest completion instead.

Closing Remarks

I will keep amending the list as and when changes occur within the links mentioned above or post-patches, updates and expansions.

Feel free to ask me any question you have regarding the guide or the game. The forum is open to queries as well with many GWENT players clarifying doubts.

Feedback is more than welcome down in the comment section below.

Feel free to use my referral link if you would like to start playing the game![www.playgwent.com]

See You On The Battlefield!

16 Comments

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+Ac3N0ob+ 20 Oct, 2023 @ 6:39am

Thanks!!!!

Lagrange [author] 15 Aug, 2022 @ 8:18am

Na it still holds up. You're getting paired with "better" decks because people who have not played in a long time are making a come-back, which means they'll bullet forward quite quickly. It should not take long to build a solid, meta deck to compete in the upper echelons, the real difficulty is learning to play the meta. Focus on one faction, take a look at what the Tier 1 decks and build accordingly. Its not going to be a breeze, but its not impossible. Its not mandatory, but even one premium Journey will take you a long way in terms of resources. Use the keys on the progression map to get cards and kegs.

LaskaMan 13 Aug, 2022 @ 6:39pm

I have a feeling things have changed since this was written. I started a little over a month ago and I am constantly being paired with people who have much stronger decks.
I suspect that their are not enough newer players for someone newer to have fair pairings.
I am working hard through the various contracts, quests, etc but I
am not sure how long I will continue.

six_peas 8 Dec, 2020 @ 6:50pm

your included 'links' are a Great help, and make this 'guide' an excellent guide !

uber.dmg 27 Jun, 2020 @ 6:44am

About reward trees, it's very simple. Aim for Scrolls(cost 5) and chests(cost 5), and choose routes that are shortest. For example, from second map(year of Boar), top right corner hero - Dana Meadbh - her tree is superfast to gain all of these. Just find the best trees similar to hers. I hope, I'm helpful guys.

uber.dmg 27 Jun, 2020 @ 6:44am

Well, I have shared my experience to help everyone progress fast and efficiently. I also did play HS for like 5 years so I know card games well. I did not mean to somehow undermine your content - it's great - I wanted to add few important things that got me to pro level quickly. You must know ALL cards, and yes, you will learn more during the gameplay, but that is just obvious. I kept notes about cards that got me wrecked or were very interesting in various terms. I had my tables to make synergies and that is how I built my own decks without going online. Sometimes I tend to stare at my collection for an hour just to swap few cards around - each change usually got me higher rankwise. Yes, you will craft cards that you will most likely never use again, but that happens to all of us.

Lagrange [author] 26 Jun, 2020 @ 9:56pm

Reward Trees is a different matter I did not want to include and overburden the guide with. I have the skeletal material for it and need to flesh it out, but if you would like to write one, do so by all means. Thank you for your input.

Lagrange [author] 26 Jun, 2020 @ 9:56pm

You can absolutely try out new decks in practice rounds to simply see how they synergize with each other, whether tutors are sufficient or too much, whether you're missing some cards out since cards that seem okay during deck building may not be when testing out the deck. Casual and even the AI is a good place to test interactions within the deck out. You may have reached pro rank by yourself, happy for you, but others like myself may need a starting point and that is what this guide strives to provide.
I mentioned the best way to learn the game is to play again and learn from the opponent's plays and strategies. I certainly did mention it. I wouldn't "check ALL cards" independently due to how overwhelming it can get. Its best to realize cards within the context of a game or when you seek to explore a new archetype. Playing the game will expose you to more cards that the player will learn subconsciously and is the best way to learn rather than sitting and treating it like school-work.

uber.dmg 26 Jun, 2020 @ 11:50am

And rewards trees? Check all of them and find those that have the easiest/cheapest routs to cost 5 scroll that give you more gold with each upgrade. Buy barrels for only faction you are currently playing and smartly mill extras to craft new legendaries. If you think card is playable, leave at least 1 of copierrs in your collection - or you will end up re-crafting them later. That happened to me in few cases.

uber.dmg 26 Jun, 2020 @ 11:47am

Do not test your new decks in unranked. You will not know if it's good or not cause you have no idea what type of a player you are playing against. I'd keep unranked only for some quick quests. I always played my own decks, never pro sites for tips and yet I got myself to rank 1 with own made decks that I tried and tested in ranked mode,m cause that gives me a scope of a level my deck can play at.

One thing you certainly forgot to add here, is taking notes of new cards you havent seen before. This is how I improved my decks and I knew what I will craft next to perform better. Do your research, check ALL card, write down interesting synergies and keep doing that until you get a grasp of most of the cards in the game. You will learn and improve in that way much faster, for many reasons.

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