Guide on how to defeat Archgriffin lvl 48 in the Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. Tactics, preparations, build details, and tips for Death March are included!
This guide will give you useful tips and mechanics to use if you want to know how to kill the ArchGriffin on Skellige (Death March Difficulty) easily!
Where to find the level 48 Archgriffin
The highest level Archgriffin in Witcher 3 Wild Hunt that I found in the normal game (as in before starting New Game +) is the one located on the most northern Skellige island. The location is marked on the map as a treasure chest exploration quest.
It’s for lvl 48 and involves scouting the area after you click a corpse inside the nest, but the real challenge is to kill the ArchGriffin first.
There are probably a number of ways to do it. The movements and mechanics of each and all Archgriffin monsters are the same. They always have the same amount and set of skills.
Preparations and buffs
First, prepare your gear and pick an appropriate build. On Death March Difficulty this monster will easily take 70-80% of your HP with a single hit, even if you are wearing Heavy Armor.
I used the Mastercrafted Bear School Ursine set. My build allowed me to use 2 decoctions and 2 potions without reaching dangerous toxicity levels. I have discovered and learned a lot of alchemy formulas and that surely helps a lot.
My Hearts of Stone Runewords allowed me to have constant Armor and Weapon buffs. Not that I needed them for longer than their usual duration (15 min).
As you probably remember from fighting the Royal Griffin in White Orchard at the start of the game, the best available to you Hybrid oil would be best against this beast.
I had my favorite Ekimmara decoction and Katakan decoction, but just for the sake of mentioning it (because of the Bestiary, again!) best is probably to use the Archgriffin decoction.
Archgriffin fight mechanics
Use Crossbow to make the beast land more often. Aard does a great job too. If it is boosted to slow time during casting, it becomes a very powerful too to use while the Archgriffin is heading towards Geralt.
Landing more than 2 hits on the beast in any moment and condition is not a good idea. Due to its wings having a very long span, it is best to roll away, not dodge. If the ArchGriffin is about to spit, this is a note that next it will land. Even while on the ground, it is still dangerous to approach it frontal.
Having Quen on at all times is vital, else Geralt may lose upto ~80% of his HP from 1 single hit. If you get poisoned, Quen can be used to remove the long poisonous DoT. The Tawny Owl is a great advantage to use during the fight and make sure you do that in night time, because the potion does not expire then.
