Here's the thing: each monster has its own weakness and if you know what that is, it becomes a lot easier to defeat. You know that little journal that keeps tabs of all the monsters you discover as you wander the world of The Witcher 3? Most players don't bother looking at that bestiary, which means they're probably clueless as how to best fight monsters and are wondering why their fire spells aren't working or why they can't seem to beat down a simple level 1 wolf. It's as simple as remember this: steel kills humans and silver kills monsters. Usually, the game automatically chooses the right sword for the task, but as you can easily switch out weapons during gameplay, it's best to make sure you've got the right weapon equipped for the job. The steel weapon works well against bandits and the like, but when it comes to fighting things like griffins, you'll want your weapon made of silver. In case you missed the brief tutorial at the beginning of the game, you'll notice you have two weapons (you generally start out with two swords): one for fighting humans and the other for fighting monsters.

Here are five of the most important tips for combat to remember as you make your way across the massive world of The Witcher 3.