Summary
The key to success inThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntis grabbing powerful mutagens to buff Geralt’s abilities and build. The better the mutagen, the better the buff. The problem is, particularly forred mutagens, getting powerful versions is rare, and there’s an element of luck involved with how powerful a mutagen is.
Luckily, for players looking to figure out an aggressive red mutagen build, there are a couple of brilliant ways to get mutagens fast. Usually, these involve specific monster farms, but there are a few areas and best practices to bear in mind, too.
1Nekkers
Little Goblin Guys
Nekkers are one of the most annoying monsters in the game. On their own, they’re easy, but a big group of them can make life miserable, particularly with their jumping attacks. However, they’re worth hunting because they’re a great source of red mutagens in the early game, and they make forsome of the easier monster nests to deal with.
Nekkers can be found all over Velen, White Orchard, Skellige, Toussaint, and even Kaer Morhen valley, so they’re easily the most readily available source. If hunting red mutagens is the name of the game, then hop off Roach anytime nekkers are spotted on the road to get started farming.
2Arachas
Flower Crab Spiders
In the early game, arachasae are some of the biggest threats with tough shields and resistances to many basic signs,requiring some specific strategies to succeed. However, that toughness comes with proportionally great rewards, including red mutagens as one of the main drops.
The best place to find an Arachas farm is just east of Heddel, near the very east side of the main map, beside a hidden treasure. Simply kill the three arachas, pick up the drops, meditate for about a day, then return to continue the farming.
3Cockatrice
Temu Dragon
The great thing aboutThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntis the variety of monsters. Where most games would settle for a garden variety dragon, there’s a whole range of flying beasties to take down, with the cockatrice being one of the strangest, but most fierce.
There are also some reliable spawn points for Cockatrices that every red mutagen farmer should know. Just north-east of Novigrad, west of Yantra, is one of the most reliable spawns in the game. Kill the beast, get lost, and continue the cycle until players have as many red mutagens as they need.
4Giant Centipede
Creepy Crawly
Giant centipedes are really annoying inThe Witcher 3. Their burrowing attacks make them entirely immune to damage, and if Geralt can’t close in fast, they’ll just escape again. For some time, players thought this monster from the originalThe Witcherwouldn’t return, but theBlood & WineDLC saw it make a comeback.
Though they’re annoying to fight, they’re also excellent sources of red mutagensand acid extract. Hunt out monster nests throughout Toussaint to find loads of the creepy crawlies, and cut them down to get a fairly reliable source of red mutagens.
5Prioritize Time In Toussaint
Dip In The French Quarter
Not only is Toussaint drop-dead stunning, but it’s the best place to go for higher-level loot, considering it’s meant predominantly for the end-game. By this point, builds might already be set up, but if a player’s looking for more red mutagens, Toussaint is a great place to go.
That’s not only because it plays host to great red mutagen droppers like giant centipedes, but also because the higher-level enemies simply mean bigger, beefier drops. To get the best variants of red mutagens, players should spend as much time as possible in this idyllic French-inspired paradise.
Dangerous Drowners
Not only are the Dead Drowned some of the most common enemies in the game, but they’re also one of the best sources for general alchemical ingredients. They drop plenty of monster parts, general riff-raff, and most importantly of all, red mutagens.
It’s easy to farm them, too. One of the best places is around the coast of Skellige, particularly the coast between Whale Graveyard and Redgill. Run down the coast, killing everything in sight, then meditate to reset the monster spawns. Works like a charm, every time. If players don’t want to farm, they also appearin a lot of side quests.
7Craft Red Mutagens
Artificial Solutions
WhenThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntwas first released, the only method ofgetting very useful mutagenswas finding them in drops, which could get pretty frustrating, particularly with red mutagens, which have a notoriously low drop rate.
Luckily, after the release of theBlood and WineDLC, there’s a merchant in Hauteville that sells recipes for making mutagens on the fly. While they need some rare ingredients, it’s so much easier than farming, so this should be a top priority as soon as the hunt for red mutagens begins.
