Introduction
The protagonist of the Witcher series makes his appearance as one of the most well-rounded characters in the game, with many players joking that he plays more honest Calibur than the actual Calibur characters. Geralt has a short movelist, but it features very usable standard pokes with great range. Bolstering his options are his magic signs, which allow him special attacks at the cost of meter. His kit-defining magic sign is Yrden, an aGI parry that catches all standard attacks and freezes the enemy in place, leading to a combo with huge ring out potential. He also uses his special monster-fighting silver sword to gain meter and trigger powerful lethal hits against an enemy in Soul Charge. His anti-SC lethal hits and special lethal hit versus enemies with full meter restricts enemy Soul Charge usage and encourages the use of CE. However, outside of his great pokes and whiff punishment he struggles at rushing down enemies and fares badly versus long range attacks and other characters who are content to let Geralt come to them.
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Unique Mechanics
Witcher Signs
As part of their monster-slaying tactics, Witchers employ simple magic spells which they call 'signs'. Geralt maintains his access to his Witcher signs in Soulcalibur VI, which represent a suite of tools that are simple but effective when utilized properly.
His signs can both be done raw and are found in strings, the difference being that doing them raw usually costs meter.
Aard is a telekinetic thrust used to repel enemies. Aard Push (8A+B) is a metered option that allows him to cast the sign at the staggering speed of i10, making it an amazing move to use as an interruption. It also pushes the opponent back on hit, returning Geralt to a range where he is more comfortable.
Igni is a pyrokinetic stream of flame, used to ignite and stagger a foe. Igni Burn (6B.B) is a string that ends in a casting of the Igni sign, which can be meter burned by instead inputting 6B[B]. This will cause the opponent to be stunned and crumpled, allowing for a simple combo extension at the cost of some meter.
Ydren is a defensive sign that slows and weakens its victims. Yrden Glyph (4A+B) is one of Geralt's most iconic tools which makes him a foe to be reckoned with when he's on the defensive. An all-encompassing aGI, Yrden will parry any incoming normal attack and leave the opponent wide open to a followup, even giving Geralt enough time to reposition himself to find an angle for a ringout combo.
Quen is another defensive sign, though instead of weakening opponents, it strengthens the user. Quen Strike (6A+B) and its followups grant him a way to get in while stuffing the opponent's counterattacks. He rushes forward while casting this sign, granting himself armor that will soak up incoming attacks, then counterattacks with a handful of followups, allowing him some mixup potential.
Axii is a hypnotic sign that allows him to influence an opponent's mind. Axii Glyph (A+K) allows him to call out an opponent's movement in a way no other character can. When used at the same time an opponent is attempting to backstep, Axii Glyph allows Geralt to catch them from a long distance and even force them to move in a direction of his choice - including towards him, towards a wall, or even off the edge of the stage for a humiliating defeat.
A few of Geralt's lethal hits depend on landing a certain number of unique signs:
- 66B.B after three signs
- 1B after four signs
- 3B after all five signs
Note that Geralt uses both Igni and Axii during his Critical Edge and Yrden during his Soul Attack, which count towards the total number of unique signs used for these Lethal Hits. Axii in particular can be difficult to land, so its presence in his Critical Edge animation allows for easier access to the five-sign lethal hit in 3B.
Silver Sword
Attacks using Geralt's offhand silver sword, made specifically for slaying monsters born of magic, has the unique property of powering up when used against enemies in Soul Charge.
His silver sword is usually kept sheathed on his back, and its use is signified by blue trails rather than the usual orange. The main benefit of using silver sword attacks against an opponent in Soul Charge tends to be increased meter gain, but the benefits also include different on-hit properties and even Lethal Hits, allowing for extended combo opportunities. Diligent uses of Geralt's silver sword will often make his opponents think twice about using Soul Charge to get out of sticky situations, instead reserving their meter for other uses. Paired with his Lethal Hit attacks that trigger against an opponent who has full meter, Geralt forces his opponents to use meter in a manner unique to his matchup.
See Strategy for a full strategy breakdown.