4Game

Gwent mechanics aside, in the world of the Witcher, I want to know which faction would come out on top in total war; including leaders and special cards, no duplicates. I think we have to leave neutrals out, because Geralt is too OP, and would tip the scales too hard in his direction (or more likely, NR's, cuz Dandelion). The WOTW expansion throws a lot of guess work into it, as we don't know how strong someone like Erland or Arnaghad was in relation to 'modern' witchers. But this does mean we have all of the witchers that are in Gwent, as well as their witcher schools (locations). A somewhat brief case for each faction:

Monsters– At cursory glance, it might seem like a stomp for MO, given how powerful Dettlaf, Elder, Viy, and the Wild Hunt are. But we have to consider characters like Vilgefortz, who vaporized Regis. Add the new schools of Witchers, and the field seems considerably more leveled. Add to that the lack of organization, outside the wild hunt. Maybe Unseen Elder should be removed from the equation for fairness? Can anyone hope to stop him? Or would it matter, considering how few higher vampires there are in the witcherverse? Their very presence would put a massive target on their backs, with no defensible positions. And drinking too much blood got Regis drunk and dismembered by peasants. The reason witchers are rare in Geralt's time, is because monsters are dwindling. Common folk largely agree they don't need witchers anymore.

Skellige– Seems like a weaker faction at first, but their location means a lot. Given their fleets and Dracoturtle, I don't know if any faction other than the Wild Hunt can even reach the Isles. NG and NR might stand a chance, but would risk exposing themselves to attack from other factions. Throw in Hemdall, bear witchers, and Svalblod as ground defenders, plus an already war-like population in general, and they could potentially outlast the world. But would they? It's not exactly in their nature.

Northern Realms– I would argue that NR is a top contender for sheer power. Besides the unified north being many standing armies and fleets, a *semi-*immortal army of revenants, plus the most unified and 'knightly' witcher school are a big deal. But they would have to resist trying to blitz NG on day one, which doesn't seem likely, especially if Meve has as much say as I'm sure she would. But Radovid would likely have the biggest impact on strategy. Add that the blue stripes and mages are actually on his side, and that's a huge difference.

Syndicate– Okay, I can't argue that they would actually win. But the Salamandra are quite powerful. They would have exterminated the wolf school, if Geralt hadn't been around. Plus the presence of more witchers means an endless supply of mutagens and experimentation. If they can keep a low-profile long enough (likely, considering the influence of other SY leaders, like the brilliant Dijkstra, and the much more obvious threats that exist), they could be a huge factor in the war. The wealth of Novigrad means a lot too, considering how many swords for hire exist in the witcher.

Scoia'tael- A weird one, given that the faction is dryads+dwarves+elves(who can't belong to NG, I assume) unified, which is not the case in the witcher universe. BUT vampires aren't exactly best friends with the Wild Hunt, either. Brokilon seems like a big factor, until we consider that Viraxas nearly wiped them out with just Kerack. Mahakam, however, is arguably the most defensible position, with, in-arguably, the best weapons. Saskia being the only faction-specific dragon adds huge offensive power, next to the actual Scoia'tael guerillas and cat witchers. Plus Dana Meadbh is a literal God.

Nilfgaard– The largest empire in the world and, maybe more importantly, the foremost exporter of shenanigans. It's hard to weigh the real impact of their tactics, given that Letho was able to assassinate so many monarchs with just a handful of viper remnants. Add the entire viper school pre-usurper, and you've got unlimited shenanigans. But would the other witcher schools be able to counter them? Or would they be too busy fighting vampires and ogres because of their honor? Emhyr may have lost to Radovid once, but he's not distracted by searching for Ciri this time.

What do you think? What important factors have I not considered? If we throw neutrals in, is it a stomp for NR, or does the existence of Gaunter throw everything into question? Is he too chaotic-neutral to matter? Or does none of it matter because Unseen Elder is too strong? Does he just get yoinked by Yen'vo? Why is chort a neutral card? These questions may not have real answers, but they're fun to consider.

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