[gravelcords]

I've been having quite a time with the Wraiths in Hunting the Wild Hunt.  Looking up their weaknesses, Specter Oil is mentioned.  Why don't I have the formula for this?  Checking the forum reveals that I was supposed to get this way back in Act I from Abigail !  No clue as to why I didn't, but Is there any way to get this now,  in Act IV?  The wraiths I've dealt with up until now have yielded to some Argentia on the blade, and my enhanced Igni, but not these guys.

Or can someone suggest another oil or enhancement that worked for them here?  Thanks!

[Corylea]

Abigail does sell the formula for Specter Oil, but buying it is voluntary, and if you were low on funds then, you might not have realized that you'd need it later.

Geralt can put any ingredients together that he wants -- he doesn't have to have the formula.  So you can look up the formula on the wiki and have Geralt make it, anyway, unless that feels too much like cheating.  The wiki entry for Specter Oil is here: http://witcher.wikia...iki/Specter_Oil

The wiki contains a wealth of information, and I recommend that you bookmark it in your browser.  Lots of people have made it the fabulous resource that it is, especially Game Widow, and it's there for you anytime you need it.

The oil is made by mixing ingredients providing one measure each of Vitriol, Aether and Rebis.  You can use any grease as a base: goose fat, suet, dog tallow, bear fat, etc.

[ST_Ghost]

Argentia and Specter oil is what you want. Outside of these, diamond dust and temporary runes work as well.
Igni kills them after 3 blasts too at silver level.

Note that you cannot hurt/kill the King of the Wild Hunt at this point though, so focus on the individual wraiths and use the root to keep the King at bay if need be. Usually you can run around quite nicely and lure them out too.

[game widow]

It's not technically true that you *can't* hurt or kill the King of the Wild Hunt at that point in Act IV. It is certainly not *meant* to happen but at least one player killed him during this quest. It think it may even have been M.R. but i  could be mistaken.

Narratively speaking, of course ST_Ghost is corrrect and also with the strategy ;)

[Corylea]

Quote

It's not technically true that you *can't* hurt or kill the King of the Wild Hunt at that point in Act IV. It is certainly not *meant* to happen but at least one player killed him during this quest. It think it may even have been M.R. but i  could be mistaken.

Did he still show up later in, ah, the place where he usually shows up?

[game widow]

that you would have to ask M.R, but i think probably not

[ST_Ghost]

I'd like to know how, because I had Igni at Gold level and it didn't affect him and fast silver with +attack% runes (and talents) couldn't hit him either.
Oh, and he ignored my Yrden and health damaging Quen as well.

[game widow]

I may still have the wrong player here ... but regardless, that player said explicitly that it seemed like a total fluke. I am positive it was never meant to actually happen, but apparently the chance is not exactly zero :)

[Silver_Gryphon]

Maybe I've got a bug in this bit, but the King of the Wild Hunt never showed his face, the cowardly  :whistle: I killed all his little wraith buddies, but he never rocked up. I can't remember using any mandrake root either (I'd used it in me potions, I think, wondering why I had it, there seemed to be no point for it), so was it because I was playing on easy, or because he just didn't bother to show?  ??? As for the specter oil, is there another place you can get it if you don't buy it from Abigail? I was a little skint back in Act 1  ;)

[game widow]

I don't think it's a bug, i think you followed the instructions that the hermit gave you which was to keep adding mandrake root to the Druids' lantern. This act keeps the King of the Wild Hunt away so that you *only* have to fight his wraiths. If you fail to add the mandrake, believe me, he shows up without delay and is none to happy about it :)

and just brew the Specter oil like any other potion or oil. You can experiment to get the recipe, or use this recipe

[gravelcords]

Thanks everybody!

I'm running with some Specter Oil in my bag now, and will get back to these characters.

[Mike Danger]

Please, Game Widow. I'm having trouble here as well. When you say keep adding mandrake root to the druids lantern, just how does that go? I have 5 mandrake roots, but what sequence or process am I supposed to follow here?

[ST_Ghost]

When you first approach the 3 wraiths, kill them. Then immediately afterwards, light the lantern (your cursor changes to the use style) and put the mandrake root inside (put 5, it will only take 1) That causes the king to disappear until the next round.
At most you need to use 2 roots, at best, none.

[game widow]

I do it slightly differently, so you can see that many approaches work.

I usually cast quen and then make a bee-line for the lantern, ignoring the 3 wraiths that are waiting. Add the mandrake to the lantern (1 at a time). Kill the first 3 wraiths.

Add another mandrake to the lantern, kill the next 3
more mandrake, kill the last 3

voilà!

that's all i do (then i go sell my 2 excess mandrake roots)

[Mike Danger]

That's a big help. Thank you both very much.

[Tobariah]

Quote

Abigail does sell the formula for Specter Oil, but buying it is voluntary, and if you were low on funds then, you might not have realized that you'd need it later.

Geralt can put any ingredients together that he wants -- he doesn't have to have the formula.  So you can look up the formula on the wiki and have Geralt make it, anyway, unless that feels too much like cheating.  The wiki entry for Specter Oil is here: http://witcher.wikia...iki/Specter_Oil

   <REPLY-EDIT :: the actual 'spoiler' formula has been edited out of the QUOTE .. it's still in the original post :) >

     For the "point" of my post, I'd like to refer all our collective memories back to when Kalkstien <spelling?> is first talking our ears off about the "scientific basis" for Alchemy, and then encourages you to experiment from known recipes..!    ;D   I was so delighted and impressed that I basically dropped questing for a level or two's worth of XP while I cleared all the critters which guarded the (limited!) variety of herbs that I recognized and could gather.  Then I tried various 'logical' (to -me-, anywhoo) combinations and modifications of existing formulae that I already had. 

     I -think- I only discovered ONE actual "keeper" formula (Tawny Owl?  .. proabably not Blizzard..) recipe early during that first "bloom" of exploring the logic and 'pseudo-scientific' magical rules behind how potions mix.  I also should have realized what 'color-matching' could do for you, as I had a couple of 'Negrido-dominant potions by accident, but I didn't realize what that MEANT until late in Chapter Three, I think.  That 'light-bulb moment' is what led me to realize what "side-effect BUFFS" you can create with a bit of experimentation, and how you can use those (especially the Albedo 'side effect', which allows you to "stack" more potion effects at once), and combine that with the "Ritual of Cleansing" to pump Geralt up even more with MORE potions.. and..    :peace:

     All in all, I'm more impressed with how potions were implimented in The Witcher than with ANY other aspect of the gameplay.   I would -like- to maaaybe see some minor interface tweaks, like the ability to SAVE a new variation on an existing potion .. with certain "components" locked in to either "whichever COLOR I have most OF", whichever I have LEAST of .. whitchever is WITHOUT 'sub-colors' (for bombs and oils, primarily..)..  ETC.

     I'd love to be able to select from a "potion family tree" .. kinda like WoW does thier "skill/talent allocation 'tree' ", except The Witcher version would relate to potions, based on 'core ingredients' and 'genus', 'family', etc..;  Taxological -drawn terminology might be one choice in an 'improve attempt' at describing the kinds of relationships that have been laid out by the Dev Team for us 'frustrated college/internet backyard hobbyist chemists' to play around with.  Thanks again, Dev Team!   

 /ME raises a toast with a shotglass of "White Gull" mixed 50/50 with Mandrake Liqeur from the Druids' private stock   ::O

[Tobariah]

Quote

I do it slightly differently, so you can see that many approaches work.
.. <clip> ..
Add another mandrake to the lantern, kill the next 3
more mandrake, kill the last 3

voilà!

That's all i do (then i go sell my 2 excess mandrake roots).

    And -I- was the curious sort, and had already bought some mandrake from a Druid somewhere to use in potions when I first encountered the Circle.  So .. I clicked on it, and looking at the 'give' screen that came up, I noticed that the leftover Mandrake root I had was the only item "highlighted".  So .. I dropped in one root, and .. nothing happened.  So I shrugged and left the area (this occurred during daylight).  A few minor hunt-and-help-Scoia'tel quests later, I'm on my way through the area again (still haven't gotten the Quest from the hermit), and I run into the first group of three Wraiths .. no "Huntsman" visible (didn't even know he was -supposed- to be there).  I try to kill the Wraiths, get the first three, get ambushed by the next three while I'm looking at the lantern again (and NOT adding more Mandrake, I think .. because I only had one or two left).  I die, reload, try killing them again, die, reload, try, die, and give up and resume my 'current' quest.

    Later on, I talk to the Hermit, get the general idea, go BACK to the circle, add mandrake during daylight, meditate at the fire nearby 'til midnight,  load up on Potions and Signs (I'm .. two or three levels HIGHER by now, as well), and just wade in and take down all three waves one after another, no sign of the Huntsman at all.  I clean up, go grab some armor bit from a nearby crypt, run back to the Hermit, and .. voila!    :D

[game widow]

basically that's the ticket, use the mandrake as the hermit says ... i always talk to everyone before doing stuff, so i've never been in the situation you describe, but the mandrake specifically keeps the king of the wild hunt away so you can deal with the wraiths  :peace:

[jariff]

As I understand it there are two ways to it. The easy way is to use mandrake during daytime, wait until night and the kotwh doesnt show. Kill the spectres, quest finished. The hard way is to apply the mandrake between waves as described above. The very hard way is to kill the King (I havent seen it done, if anybody can do it and get the fabled vapors at this point, I would love a youtube, not to say I dont believe it, I just would love to see it)

[game widow]

one guy has done it, but i don't think there's a vid of the battle :)