The Witcher 3: How to defeat the Shaelmaar

This guide will offer several tips to help players defeat the Shaelmaar boss in The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine DLC. This creature is encountered early on in the expansion, and can be tricky for those who aren’t prepared for its moves.

That said, there are a few tips and tricks that'll help you bring down the Shaelmaar in no time at all, and your decisions at the very end of the fight can also tie in with acquiring the Aerondight sword, if you've made it that far... Without further ado, here's how to defeat the Shaelmaar in The Witcher 3 and emerge as the arena victor.

The Witcher 3: How to defeat the Shaelmaar

During The Beast of Toussaint quest in The Witcher 3, you'll find yourself in an arena battle where you must fight the Shaelmaar alongside another knight errant named Palmerin. He will deal a bit of damage to the creature, but ultimately you will need to do most of the work. Don't worry if Palmerin falls during battle. He'll be fine.

The Shaelmaar is blind, and thus can only sense you through vibrations. The key to the Shaelmaar fight is to try to attract the creature toward you by making noise. You will need to use signs or bombs to direct the creature’s attention. The Shaelmaar is also vulnerable to the following oils, signs, and bombs:

• Oil: Relict
• Bombs: Samum
• Sign: Aard

The Shaelmaar has a pretty thick shell and will turtle-up into a defensive position when being attacked directly. To deal any significant damage, you must find a way to have the creature expose its soft underside. Aard will briefly stun the creature, but you still won’t be able to do much to the Shaelmaar even while it’s stunned.

The Shaelmaar’s primary move set consists of a rolling attack and a ground strike that sends out a shock wave in a straight line. When the Shaelmaar does the ground strike, it usually will smack the ground three times in a row, and you'll need to dodge to the side to avoid each shock wave. Your best time to attack is right after it finishes off its moves.

This is because the Shaelmaar’s rolling attack can actually be used to your advantage. If you see the creature curl into a ball, back up toward the arena wall and be ready to quickly dodge as it rolls toward you. It will only stop rolling once it hits something, so you want that thing to be the wall and not you. When the Shaelmaar hits the arena wall, it will fall on the ground belly-up for a few moments. This is your time to strike. Use Aard or toss a bomb to divert its attention toward the wall, and be ready to attack while it writhes on its back.

When the Shaelmaar reaches about half health, it will incorporate a new move that involves digging into the ground and emitting a damaging wave. Move away from the creature when this happens in order to avoid its area of effect. Continue to trick the Shaelmaar into crashing on the wall, and the critter will fall in no time.

Should you kill the Shaelmaar or let it live in The Witcher 3?

Once you defeat the Shaelmaar, you must decide whether to kill it or spare its life. Go with your gut on this one, though, it's worth noting that your decision can help you get your hands on the Aerondight sword, if you're trying to achieve the five chivalric virtues needed to acquire it. Afterward, the Beast of Toussaint quest will continue.

If you’re in need of some Grandmaster quality Witcher Gear for the journey ahead, we suggest checking out our guide on how to find the Manticore Gear set or the Grandmaster Wolf Gear in the Witcher 3. For any additional help, be sure to take a look at our The Witcher 3 walkthrough, full of tips and guides to aid you with your adventure.