[BlavikensButcher]

How do you guys use these, and when are they useful? I didn't find much use for them on my previous playthrough.

[slimgrin]

Used lvl 1 a lot to help isolate enemies. Rarely upgraded though because it was a waste. Unless I'm missing something, you set 2-3 traps like a trip wire, but they all vanish after one hit. Aard, Axxi and Ignii are more useful.

[dragonbird]

OK. Some suggestions (I think you'll get more).

Those boring traps you pick up in the forest at Flotsam are absolutely wonderful for saturation-trapping an area where you know there's going to be a monster soon. Lay 15-20 of them out before attracting the Endrega Queens, or before the Harpy Queen, and these become really easy battles. They're also reusable, which is convenient, and if you lay them yourself, you don't trigger them when you run through them.

The stronger one-time-only traps like Conflagration and Biter are good for situations where you can kite an enemy. I rarely make them, but use the ones I have in inventory against Dmitri if I'm still fairly weak when going for him.

Fury is good against multiple wraiths and gargoyles, especially if you want to conserve vigor or don't really have time to cast axii. I use them for that first fight against the two wraiths on Claws of Madness if I'm still weak, the wraith fight in Melitele's Heart, and the Operator's gargoyles. (Rage bombs are an alternative against the gargoyles, and are a bit less hassle to make)

[Guy N'wah]

Surprisingly, the snare traps are tremendously effective against wraiths. Mining the anticipated battleground before the Melitele's Heart ritual or lifting Henselt's curse dramatically reduces the work Geralt has to do with his sword.

Big monsters like the Endrega Queens are cinder-block stupid and will run straight at Geralt the entire length of a line of snares. This makes them easy to demolish without even lifting a sword.

[VonStreff]

Yes, definitely use them for the Harpy Queen.. one of the most difficult fights in the game, on Dark difficulty. Only the dragon beats that!

[BlavikensButcher]

Are traps like conflagration and clawer any good?

[Guy N'wah]

BlavikensButcher said:

Are traps like conflagration and clawer any good? ›››

I've heard Clawer is bugged, doesn't do the damage it's supposed to. Or maybe it's Biter that is bugged.

Conflagration is good, especially if you favor "kill it with fire" tactics. Two or three Conflagration traps will incinerate a whole army of Harpies; just lay them down as you retreat.

I also like Talgar Winter. Anything that makes enemies unable to hit back is useful.

[slimgrin]

Yeah Talgar winter is good and so is conflagration. Clawer is supposed to be much more powerful than biter I think, but maybe you need to combine it with other attacks to be useful. Really, bombs are more effective overall imo.

[dragonbird]

You do need to be careful of the AoE ones like Conflagration and Talgar Winter though, as you get friendly fire from them. They're useful if you know you won't be close, but can be risky for kiting. Rage is the only AoE one that doesn't affect you, as far as I can recall.

I think that it's Clawer that's bugged. I'm fairly sure I used Biter effectively in my last playthrough.

Regarding bombs vs traps, both have their uses. With the exception of the snare traps that you get free in large numbers, the fact that you need to get a craftsman to make traps makes them a bit more of a hassle to make, but traps are good when you're in a situation where you can plan ahead as it frees you to do something else while they're working. Bombs are good when you're taken by surprise, or for the really large hordes like some of the nekker battles, or for ranged enemies that you can't kite, like mages.

Neither of them really take over from sword and magic, unless you're on an alchemy run, but they're good to have available when you need them.