Dwarves are creatures not known for subtlety, preferring direct, physical means of resolving problems as a matter of course. In this, Cleaver is their perfect representative in the criminal underworld, and in the wake of Whoreson Junior’s assassination attempt the dwarven mobster’s response is unsurprisingly straightforward and violent. Assuming a certain Witcher has both common cause and shares a disdain for subterfuge Cleaver suggests the two work towards a common, bloody goal. This page will provide a walkthrough for the secondary quest Gangs of Novigrad in The Witcher 3.

Quest Objectives¶

Starting Gangs of Novigrad¶

Gangs of Novigrad is one of those rare secondary quests that is unmissable - it’ll begin during the main quest Get Junior, after you meet with Sigi Reuven in his bathhouse near the start of the quest you’ll be attacked by some of Whoreson Junior’s thugs. Fend them off and afterwards a justifiably incense Cleaver will swear revenge, inviting you to meet with him when you’re ready to take the fight to Whoreson Junior. This starts Gangs of Novigrad, a quest that runs in tandem with the middle half of the aforementioned Get Junior. In fact, Gangs of Novigrad is more of an accessory to Get Junior than a proper standalone quest

How to Not Fail Gangs of Novigrad¶

Gangs of Novigrad can’t be missed, but to get it started in earnest you’ll need to visit Cleaver at his headquarters west of Hierarch Square. Talk to Cleaver after a scene and all you’ll do is accept to lead Cleaver’s goons in raids on Whoreson Junior’s casino and arena - two objectives you need to search during Get Junior anyways. If you prefer a direct approach and want to just butcher your way to answers, this is a solid deal - Cleaver is effectively giving you extra muscle to raid Whoreson Junior’s businesses with and paying you for it! On the other hand, if you want to explore these locations without kicking down the door and massacring everybody in sight, this quest can be a bit annoying. You don’t have to accept Cleaver’s offer, and even if you do accept, you don’t have to use his muscle if you don’t want. But declining Cleaver’s help essentially involves ignoring - and consequently failing - Gangs of Novigrad.

Accept Cleaver’s offer and a squad of henchdwarves will appear near the casino and arena. Talk to their leader and you can pick a dialog option that will incite them to attack. This locks you into the violent route for each location, which is a viable option, but if you wanted to talk, snoop around, or otherwise mitigate bloodshed, that’s no longer possible. If you ignore the henchdwarves and enter the location, you can play things out normally, so you’re not locked into the violent route just by agreeing to help Cleaver - you have to confirm with each squad. It’s also worth noting that you can use the henchdwarves for one location, but not the other, if you wish. If you clear both locations using Cleaver’s henchdwarves he’ll reward you with 50 EXP and 300 Crowns, while if you only use Cleaver’s minions for one location you’ll get half the reward - 50 EXP and 150 Crowns.

If you never talk to Cleaver or refuse to use any of his henchdwarves on either location you’ll fail this quest upon advancing [Get Junior] further. So if you really, really hate failed quests, you’ll want to complete this quest, effectively locking you out of the more subtle ways of dealing with the casino and arena.

Attack the Casino With Cleaver’s Men¶

After talking to Cleaver you can choose to go to the casino or the arena, as you prefer. Head to the marked location northeast of Hierarch Square to find a gang of henchdwarves waiting for you and talk to them, picking the option “Let’s go.” when you’re ready to raid the casino. If you want to get some extra EXP, consider talking to the bouncers outside of the casino, first, and using Axii to gain admittance, then return to the henchdwwarves to start the attack.

Head over to the casino and kill the two aforementioned Bouncers (Lv12) then clear the ground floor, which consists of several of Whoreson’s Henchmen (Lv11) and a Dealer (Lv11) who is appreciably more durable and competent than the rest of Whoreson’s goons on this floor. On the second floor await another pair of Whoreson’s Henchmen (Lv11-12), including one wielding a two-handed weapon. Finally, on the third floor are two Bandits (Lv11), notable due to their armor, which makes them hardier than the other foes in this establishment. Enter the room on the third floor, talk to the halfling, Rico, and free him (pick the dialog option “Run.” when it pops up) to start the quest Honor Among Thieves then loot the place and leave. One down, one to go. If you don’t abandon them, some of Cleaver’s Henchdwarves might just survive the raid… not that it matters, but you shouldn’t count of them for too much - a lesson the arena raid will make abundantly clear.

Attack the Arena With Cleaver’s Men¶

Cleaver’s henchdwarves proved moderately useful in the casino, but the arena is a whole other story. Follow the quest marker to where they’re congregating and talk to them to start the raid - just like the casino, you can use Axii on two Bouncers (Lv12) to get inside, earning yourself a bit of extra EXP before unleashing the dwarves.

Unfortunately for Cleaver’s henchdwarves, there are far, far more enemies in the arena, including the odd sword and board bearer and archers. There’s a slim chance any of the dwarves will survive the raid - or even make it to the final encounter. This doesn’t affect your reward any, but it does mean you’ll likely be facing a mob of diverse enemies all by yourself, making this route appreciably more difficult than trying to infiltrate the casino without the henchdwarves would have been. On the other hand, you’ve got to fight either way, so you’ll have to weigh the extra work with the 150 Crowns Cleaver is offering - it’s not a bad deal, all things considered.

Enter the arena and make your way through the linear chambers connected by tunnels, dispatching two groups of Whoreson’s Henchmen x4 (Lv10-12) until you reach a chamber with a wooden platform where Igor (Lv12) holds court. He’s accompanied by a Guard Dog (Lv12) and nine or so Guards and Whoreson’s Henchmen (Lv12). In the first two battles, seek out archers first - their crossbows can two-shot you on Death March! difficulty, even if you’re somewhat overleveled, then use Axii to lower the defenses of shield-bearing foes. Igor himself is armed with a two-handed weapon, and the standard strong attack/dodge combo will suffice to bring him down. Don’t be afraid to engage in a tactical retreat after aggroing Igor’s goons - some will follow you, allowing you to pick them off piecemeal.

Once Igor and his goons are dead, you’re functionally done with this quest and can go talk to Cleaver to get your reward. Cleaver was only really interested in the violent aspects of things and doesn’t care about the investigative bits, which is covered in more detail in the quest Get Junior, but to clear the arena properly pick up Igor’s Key and use it to unlock a small chest near his throne, wherein you’ll find a Message from Igor. Backtrack west and go through a gate door to the north, then follow the tunnel down to the east, ultimately turning south and going through another gate door. Turn east again and activate your Witcher senses to find the outline of a secret door on the brick wall and a scrape mark on the floor nearby. Activate the nearby torch on the wall to open the secret door and loot the chest to the east to find a Mysterious Letter.

Now that you’ve fully cleared the casino and arena, freed Rico and obtained Whoreson’s correspondence, return to Cleaver for your reward. As mentioned earlier, if you used his henchdwarves to clear one location you’ll get 50 EXP and 150 Crowns, and if you used them for both locations you’ll get 50 EXP and 300 Crowns. This quest will end and you’ll now be able to advance Get Junior without a dwarf-shaped anchor weighing you down.