The Blood and Wine expansion added a lot to Witcher 3, including mutations. Here is every mutation ranked.
The Blood and Wine expansion added a lot to The Witcher 3, including new characters, the Skellige Gwent deck, and one of the most beautiful locations in the game, Toussaint. Another excellent addition, though, was the mutations. These powerful new abilities became the focal point of every The Witcher 3 character build going forward, and it’s easy to see why most players barrel through the DLC until the moment they unlock this quest.
There are 12 mutations in total, which all have their own distinct ways of improving the player. But they are not created equal. Some of them are far more useful than others. And as players can only equip one at a time, it’s important to know which are the best mutations in The Witcher 3, but players shouldn’t feel pressured into choosing the outright best mutations they can get their hands on. Some builds are meant to be fun instead of efficient, and players should mold Geralt in their image instead of letting other people sway their decisions.
Updated September 3, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine is one of the greatest expansion packs in gaming history for many reasons. Along with adding a brand-new region and numerous quests for players to pursue, the DLC also lets players engage with a gameplay system that helps strengthen Geralt’s build. Such is the case with the various mutations that players can mess around with after completing the quest that unlocks these new passive buffs for Geralt. Each mutation feels unique and goes a long way in helping Geralt take out the tough threats in this DLC. The Witcher 3’s best mutations are a treat to explore, as long as players have the mutagens to spare.
Strengthened Synapses is a mutation that improves as Geralt researches the active mutations. As such, it is not comparable to the other ones, even though it is arguably the most important in the grand scheme of things. Strengthened Synapses allows Geralt to equip more abilities, although they would need to be of the same type (color) as the equipped active mutation:
Green
Alchemy
Blue
Signs
Red
Combat
Some mutations have a mix of colors, allowing a wider range of abilities to be equipped. If Second Life or Metamorphosis is active, any ability can be chosen. 12 Adrenaline Rush
Type
Combat & Signs
Ability Points Required
5
Mutagens Required
3 Greater Blue
2 Greater Red
Mutations That Must Be Unlocked
Piercing Cold
Bloodbath
The main issue with Adrenaline Rush is how long it takes to unlock. Players need to have Piercing Cold and Bloodbath simply to get their hands on this one. Many feel it’s not worth the effort, especially given the mutagens and ability points it costs. Unless players want to blitz through every encounter, they should think twice before opting for this expensive mutation.
The mutation increases the player’s attack power and sign intensity by 30% per enemy. So, if they’re taking on five foes, their damage will be boosted by 150%. But the catch is that it only lasts 30 seconds. After that, it becomes a hindrance, as players’ damage drops by 10% per foe instead. 11 Mutated Skin
Type
Combat & Alchemy
Ability Points Required
5
Mutagens Required
3 Greater Green
2 Greater Red
Mutations That Must Be Unlocked
Euphoria
With Mutated Skin, each adrenaline point decreases damage received by 15%. So, in total, players can improve their defense by 45%. This makes it one of The Witcher 3’s best mutations, even if there are multiple basic skills that players can pick up to increase their survivability.
