Geralt can cast five different magic signs: Yrden, Quen, Igni, Aard, and Axii. Each has specific uses before and during combat. Casting a Sign requires a full bar of Stamina, so it’s important to know when to cast a Sign and why.
All Signs can be upgraded in the Character Ability trees. These not only provide enhanced effectiveness, but even offer alternate Sign modes that change how they work in battle.
Yrden
Cast this Sign and a circle of Yrden symbols appears around Geralt. Most foes that wander into that ring are significantly slowed, though some monsters are unaffected by it. This circle is one of the best tools at your disposal to control multiple enemies in melee range. Yrden is invaluable against noonwraiths and nightwraiths, who remain incorporeal most of the time unless caught within an Yrden circle.
Yrden’s ability to slow opponents increases with Sign Intensity.
Quen
This Sign can be the difference between life and death. Quen’s basic ability is to cover Geralt in a protective shield that absorbs a limited amount of damage. Usually, this means a single hit against most equal level foes, but that doesn’t mean Quen isn’t useful. If you’re using Light Armor, your Stamina regeneration can be so swift that you can cast Quen multiple times in a fight, keeping you safe from damage. Investing in Quen can make it capable of sustaining several hits before breaking. This scales with Sign Intensity.
Igni
The fiery Igni Sign allows Geralt to spread a wave of embers at his foes. It can also be used for something more subtle, such as lighting a torch or campfire. Igni is incredibly effective against foes that are weak to fire. It can light enemies on fire and do damage over time. In some cases, this effect causes the enemy to panic. Additionally, any flammable gasses in the air can be ignited to cause powerful explosions that can hurt and stun your enemies. Damage for Igni scales with Sign Intensity.
Aard
This Sign casts a directed wave of telekinetic energy that can stagger or knock down opponents, leaving them open for attack. Aard can also blow out any existing fires, blast open poorly secured doors, or punch through cracked or damaged walls.
Do not underestimate how useful this skill can be. Some enemies that are knocked over can even be finished off with an immediate execution technique. Flying enemies may also be blasted out of the sky and brought down into the reach of your blades. Aard’s chances to knock enemies down increase with higher Sign Intensity.
Axii
This Sign muddles the mind of an opponent, making it possible to take them out of the fight temporarily. It’s most effective against humans, but can also work on certain monsters. Target an enemy that looks to be especially troublesome, then cast Axii to keep them out of the fight until you’re ready to deal with them.
Axii can also be used in conversations with other characters in some cases, though some people are strong willed and can resist it. Avoid this by investing Ability Points in the Delusion ability (see the Signs branch of Character Abilities for more details). This opens new options and possibly resolves a matter more peacefully, if not just making the ensuing fight easier with one threat temporarily removed.
Axii can even be used to calm your mount or tame wild horses for transportation. Axii’s ability to confuse enemies increases in power and duration with greater Sign Intensity.
Alternate Sign Modes
Invest in the Signs Character Abilities tree to unlock alternate Sign modes that change how a Sign operates. To use these modes, you must first Activate the Ability by placing it in an Ability Slot. Then, instead of just a brief press of the Sign button, hold it down to unleash the Alternate Sign. You can read about these alternate sign modes in our Character Abilities section.
