This guide will explain where to find Master Armorer in The Witcher 3, and how to start and complete the quest to unlock Yoana’s shop, where you can craft Mastercrafted tier Armor gear!
This guide is up-to-date for The Witcher 3 Next-Gen version (Update 4.04)
Table of contents
- How to Unlock the Master Armorer
- How to start “Master Armorers” quest
- Talk to Fergus at Crow’s Perch
- How to find the Clan Tordarroch Forge
- Defeat the Ice Troll
- Bring the Tolls to Fergus
- Pick up the Contract on the Archgriffin
- Where to find and how to take down the Archgriffin
- Help Yoana test the new armor
- What reward do you get from Master Armorers
How to Unlock the Master Armorer
The Master Armorer is the only crafter that can create Mastercrafted tier armor gear in The Witcher 3. This is the highest tier of armor in the base game.
The Mastercrafted witcher sets are for high-level players, around 34 or so, but you can unlock the quest and complete it to have the Master Armorer ready. There are also a few other more immediate benefits, explained and shown at the end of the guide, in the rewards section.
There is only one Master Armorer in the game – her name is Yoana. You can unlock her shop at Crow’s Perch after completing a secondary quest called “Master Armorers”.
Yoana’s Master Armorer shop is unlocked by completing a secondary quest called “Master Armorers”, recommended for level 24 players.
How to start “Master Armorers” quest
There are two options for obtaining this quest. The easiest one is to speak to the dwarf Journeyman Armorer Fergus Graem.
He is near the notice board at Crow’s Perch in the heart of Velen. You can start and complete it at any point later. There is no danger or failing it by delaying it.
You will visit this place while doing one of the main quest chains in The Witcher 3 – the Bloody Baron questline. You can stop and talk to Yoana and Fergus at any point while at Crow’s Perch. This will start the quest “Master Armorers” for you.
Alternatively, you can skip this dialogue option and instead ask another Armorer about Mastercrafted gear. There is a Journeyman Armorer at the western end of the Hierarch’s Square in Novigrad. If you ask him about Mastercrafted gear, he will refer you to Fergus and also start the quest for you.
For the quest progression, it doesn’t matter how you approach it. There’s a bit of a unique journal entry if you don’t talk to Fergus directly, but it has no impact on the story.
Talk to Fergus at Crow’s Perch
Go to Crow’s Perch and talk to Fergus. His shop is located near the notice board in the inner yard, right next to the Quartermaster. Tell him you are looking for a master armorer.
This will trigger a conversation between Geralt and Fergus. Geralt will request new armor, light and durable. Fergus will tell him this isn’t possible and armor can only be one of these two things. Then Yoana will intervene, mentioning high-quality crafter tools.
How to find the Clan Tordarroch Forge
Agreeing to Fergus’s terms, you will now have to go to Skellige. On the southwesternmost island, Undvik, you have to find the Old Clan Tordarroch Forge where Yoana told you t find and get for her a set of high-quality blacksmith’s tools.
You have another secondary quest that takes place in this area called “The Lord of Undvik”. I won’t go into details of what and how to do to complete it in this guide. I’ll just mention that to start it, you need to first progress the main quest in Skellige, meet Yennefer and attend the feast in Kaer Trolde.
If you have been to this island earlier, you may have a few Fast Travel points unlocked already. If not, you need to either swim, take a boat or purchase a map to unlock the Marlin Coast Fast Travel to get to Undvik.
There is a roaming merchant on the main Skellige island, who sells maps to Fast Travels to all of the islands of the Skellige archipelago. I have instructions on how to find him in my guide to important Merchants in The Witcher 3 you should visit early.
The Legendary Forge is in a cave. Below is one possible way to reach it from Marlin Coast Fast Travel. This path aligns with the path you’d take to progress and complete The Lord of Undvik Quest.
The image above shows the entrance to the cave. The Forge is on the other end of the Cave. Shortly after you enter, you will arrive at a high edge and a water pool below. Jump down from the edge. Explore the cave for a bit of extra loot and to progress the other quest if you are doing both of them.
When you arrive at the glowing tree with the many Harpy around it, turn north and stand with your back to the tree and you will see a wooden ladder. Climb it.
After a short one-way tunnel with a few Devourers in it, you will arrive at the other end of the cave. You will also unlock the Clan Tordarroch Forge Fast Travel point.
Defeat the Ice Troll
Inside the Forge, you will find a level 26 Ice Troll that you have to defeat. Use Ogroid Oil on your silver sword and protect yourself with the Quen sign. The troll will aggro on your before you can open the chest where the blacksmith tools are.
Bring the Tolls to Fergus
Head back to Crow’s Perch in Velen and talk to Fergus. The conversation will reveal that it is in fact Yoana, who has been crafting the high quality gear for Fergus and he’s just the facade.
During the conversation, a Nilfgaardian Lieutenant General called Harmon aep Groenekan will appear with a demand for Fergus to craft him a heavy and sturdy armor.
While Fergus talks to the soldier, Yoana will ask you to help her craft another set of armor, which she claims will be of much higher quality than what Fergus can do. You have to agree to help her by finding the Archgriffin prowling the nearby areas and get some acid that she would use on the new armor.
Pick up the Contract on the Archgriffin
After you agree to help her, Yoana will tell you that there is a contract for an Archgriffin, who has been spotted nearby. This contract becomes available for pick up at the nearby notice board in Crow’s Perch only after you have progressed in the “Master Armorers” quest up to the point where Yoana asks you for the acid. The quest is named “Contract: Grifin in the Highlands”.
To be honest with you, I have never tried this without picking up the contract, but I assume the Archgriffin will be at the same spot anyway. It’s worth picking up the Contract. It’s “free” XP and a monetary reward for completing it. Two things with one shot as Geralt says in the conversation with Yoana.
Where to find and how to take down the Archgriffin
When you arrive at the marked location for the archgriffin contract, you will pick up the griffin’s trail, leading up to the hill to the north.
As you probably remember from fighting the Royal Griffin in White Orchard, Griffins belong to the Hybrids group. So, use Hybrid Oil on your silver sword. Grapeshot bombs and the Aard sign also help in this fight.
This one spits poison, but it’s very easy to avoid by just staying on the move and/or rolling away when you see it coming.
This is a high level monster than recommended for the “Master Armorers” quest, but it’s easy to defeat when you know the proper tactics. I also have done a guide explaining how to beat the lvl 48 Archgriffin. Read it if you need more tips.
After you defeat the Griffin, bring the acid gland back to Yoana, but before that get your reward for the monster by bringing the archgriffin trophy to the Quartermaster at Crow’s Perch. His shop is right next to Yoana and Fergus’s shop.
Help Yoana test the new armor
When you return to Yoana, the Nilfgaardian armor collector Lt. General will appear again. He will demand that the two armors be tested. You have to agree to wear the armor Yoana made, while a random villager will be selected to wear Fergus’s armor. If you decline to participate in the test, you will fail the quest. All you have to do is sit and wait for the NPC to shoot a bold at you.
As the truth is revealed, Fergus will say his farewell and attempt to go pack his things and leave. Yoana will stop him, offering him to remain at her side. The two of them will continue their work together, but without the lie. Yoana is the Master Armorer and Fergus is her assistant.
How to unlock the Master Armorer Yoana in The Witcher 3
This is a quick step-by-step walkthrough showing how to start the quest "Master Armorer" to unlock Master Armorer Yoana in The Witcher 3, how to complete the quest with the best outcome, and what rewards you get.
Instructions
- Option 1 to start the quest: Talk to the Armorer in Kaer Trolde or Novigrad and ask about Master Armorer. They will point you to Fergus in Velen.
- Option 2 to start the quest: Go to Crow's Perch and talk directly to the Journeyman Armorer Fergus Graem and ask him about Mastercrafted armor.
- Agree to find blacksmith's tools for Fergus from Unmdvik, one of the Skellige islands.
- Go to Undvik and look for the old Clan Tordarroch Forge. Marlin Coast Fast Travel on Undvik can be unlocked by purchasing the map from a local merchant.
- Enter the cave. The forge is on the other side of the cave. Jump in the pool when you reach the edge.
- At the glowing tree, you can avoid fighting the many Harpy. Look for a wooden ladder to your left, before the tree. Climb up.
- Defeat the Devours in the tunnel and exit to discover the Clan Tordarroch Forge Fast Travel point.
- Enter the forge, which will be on the left-hand side as you exited the big cave.
- Defeat the Ice Troll. It will aggro on you before you can reach the chest where the blacksmith's tools are.
- Get the tools from the chest and bring them back to Fergus at Crow's Perch in Velen.
- In the following conversation, agree to help Yoana with her armor.
- Go to the nearby notice board at Crow's Perch and pick up the "Griffin in the Highlands" contract.
- Track the archgriffin and defeat it. Then loot its body.
- Bring the acid gland back to Yoana.
- Agree to help her test the new armor she has just crafted for the Nilfgaardian Lt. General.
- After the cinematic ends and Yoana accepts Fergus to remain as her assistant (their roles have now reversed), wait more than one day. Meditate two full days, to be sure.
- Visit Yoana again to pick up your new armor, gift from her. The armor is for level 27 and is a medium Witch Hunter's Armor.
Notes
The quest is for level 24, but the reward is for level 21. I recommend you complete it in one run without getting distracted. The only way to fail this quest without a way to resume or restart it is if you run away from the last fight. Don't do that. Hattori is the only Master Blacksmith in the whole base game, al the way up to Toussaint, which is part of the Blood and Wine expansion.
What reward do you get from Master Armorers
Upon completing the “Master Armorers” quest, you will have to wait one day or meditate for more than 24 hours and get back to Yoana. She will have brand new armor for you.
What I find strange is that, first, the armor is a Witch Hunter armor; and second, it requires level 27 to wear while the quest was for level 24. This Medium Relic rarity armor provides decent protection and has two empty slots for runes.
From this point going forward you will have two armorer NPCs in Crow’s Perch. What’s cool is that they have their own store offerings each and they both can buy trash gear you loot on your journeys.
If you need Mastercrafted tier armor gear, you will have to talk to Yoana. Fergus will remain a Journeyman tier armorer.
It costs you less to craft your gear at the Master smith, because she is grateful for your aid in opening her shop, so you get something like a discount. Yoana is also rich merchant and will be able to buy more junk that you loot while you venture into the wild.
If you are up for more, read the guide on how to unlock Master Blacksmith in The Witcher 3. It will help you start and complete the quest to unlock Hattori in Novigrad as the one and only Master Armorer in the game (until the Blood and Wine expansion).
