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Bears are an omnivore mammal encountered in the Continent that are natural inhabitants of the world, meaning they didn't arrive during the Conjunction of the Spheres.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt[]

Bears are generally found far from human habitation, either in the high mountains or in the deep woods. The opposite of dogs and wolves, bears are solitary creatures, which is probably for the best considering how strong a killing machine they are. It is simple enough a thing to avoid fighting a bear, but that is not always the case. A bear may be clumsy but they run at high speeds despite their bulky sizes, so running away may not always be an option, especially if you have already angered the bear.[1]

Its bestiary entry can be obtained by reading Fauna of the Northern Realms, Volume 2, which however (while existing in the base game files) cannot be obtained before the Blood and Wine expansion.

Bestiary entry[]

Know that ditty about the bear "climbing the mountain, to see what he could see?" Biggest load of rubbish I've ever heard. When a bear climbs a mountain, it's not to see. It's to hunt. To kill.
– Jahne Oldak, royal huntsman
Bears are omnivores – meaning men find a place in their diet beside berries, roots and salmon. When they snack on humans, they most frequently partake of the meat of travelers unwittingly trespassing on their territory, or else that of hunters for whom besting such a creature is a lifelong ambition.
There are several subspecies of bears – black bears, polar bears and cave bears – which differ from one another in coloring as well as in size and strength. All share one trait in common, however: a near-unmatched ability to kill.
Unobtainable without reading the book:
Bears are found far from human habitation, in high mountains or deep woods. They are solitary creatures - and a good thing they are, for defeating a single bear is challenge to anyone, experienced witchers included. Fighting a bear should be avoided, but if it cannot, one should not try to run away – these seemingly clumsy animals can run at an astonishingly high speed, especially if angered.

Combat tactics[]

Bears and berserkers are admirable foes, they possess great vitality, amazing strength and are quick to anger if you find yourself within their territory. It is best to avoid a head on attack with a bear, try and dodge the swipes of their claws and cut at their flanks. Since bears are not magical, a steel sword should be used against them.

The signs Igni and Yrden are not necessarily weaknesses, however they do have their uses when going up against a bear. Igni can be used to light the bear on fire, which will temporarily stun it and allow you to move in for flanking strikes. Yrden can be used to slow the bear down just enough to make it easier on you to evade their paws.

Axii is a perfect choice against a bear since bears are almost always found alone. One cast and it's stunned, letting you get in a couple of good hits before it counterattacks (usually 3fast attacks) and then you can dodge backwards out of range. Then wait until your stamina recharges and repeat until dead.

While fighting a bear, if it stands up on its hind legs, it is about to smash to the ground with its fore-paws. When doing this they can come down with such force, that even a veteran witcher can be knocked to their backside. Ultimately bears are very territorial, just stepping inside their domain can and will incite aggression, but if you spot the bear early enough it can be fairly easy to avoid a fight.'

The Witcher Adventure Game[]

Bear in TWAG

Bears can occur while you're traveling the lands.

To defeat them you need:

  • Swords: 3
  • Shields: 2

Successful Sword: Remove 1 Heart from your hero sheet. Failed Shield: Suffer 1 Heart.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. The official Prima game guide

External links[]

  • Gwent icon See the GWENT standalone game version card: Bear
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