Updated Title Publisher
Updated Title Publisher
Updated Title
Published Title Score Editor's Choice
Published Title Score

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Final Preparations Quest Order & Best Choice Explained

By
Nathan Garvin

Final Preparations is one of the spider web main story quests, which you’ll have likely worked through by this point. It culminates other quests, such as Blindingly Obvious, Payback, Through Time and Space, and the Great Escape, all of which lead up to nearly completing the game.

Here is a closer look at the Final Preparations main story quest, the order you can do it in, and the best choice you can make.

Final Preparations Quest Order

Note that there’s no particular order you need to do these quests in. Feel free to do them as you see fit. But, we reckon this Final Preparation quest order is better, largely thanks to the additional side content you can do.

  1. Payback
  2. Blindingly Obvious
  3. Great Escape
  4. Through Time and Space (this is something you get later on anyway)

The first three give the player additional side quests to do. You will want to wrap these up, and any other side quest such as the Reason of State side quest too. The Reason of State side quest is something you may or may not have, depending on your options and other assassination side quests throughout the game. This also can impact the game’s ending too, which is something worth considering, especially since Final Preparations has a key decision to make as well. You’ll also want as much XP and dosh before completing this main story so you have as much XP advantages as possible before taking on the higher level enemies in the final part of the game.

The final quest is through time and space. However, you can get your hands on this quest and complete this after dealing with Ciri and the Mage’s coven meeting.

Final Preparations Walkthrough

You’ve seen to everybody’s needs, and perhaps helped reshape the balance of power in the north, so you should be ready to proceed, right? Head to Dandelion’s tavern and make your way to the second level, where you’ll find Ciri fretting over an imminent meeting with Phillipa and Margarita. Here is another chance to influence Ciri’s confidence, and hence, the end of the game.

Pick the dialogue option “Going with you.” to accompany Ciri to the meeting. The conversation that occurs therein - including your responses - don’t matter. Simply being there undermines Ciri’s authority, and hence sows doubt. Alternatively, if you pick “You’ll do fine on your own.” Ciri’s confidence will grow.

In any event, if you romanced both Triss (you got a romance scene after “Now or Never” ) and Yennefer (you got a romance scene after “The Last Wish” ) both will come to you after Ciri’s meeting with Phillipa and promise you unearthly delights. The holy grail of sorceress lovin’. The greatest thing that’s probably ever happened to Geralt (and certainly better than anything that’s happened to most of us)… a magical ménage à trois. This starts the quest “It Takes Three to Tango” . Might as well get this over with if you have it, otherwise skip to the heading “Talking to Avallac’h”.

Objective Reward
For reforming the Lodge of Sorceresses 1,000 XP

It Takes Three to Tango

Head to the Kingfisher and make your way to the second level, then knock on the door to begin the festivities. Then… well… yeah. How did you think this would end? Oh well, chin up. The only thing that they hurt was your pride, and you kind of had it coming. Two-timing jerk. After that, fighting the Wild Hunt doesn’t seem so bad.

Talking to Avallach

Return to Dandelion’s tavern (if necessary) and head to the top floor and enter Avallac’h’s suite, where you’ll find him poring over some risque drawing. Talk to Avallac’h and - after enduring some teasing - he’ll tell you about some dissent in the ranks of the Wild Hunt… and some means by which you might exploit it. Get all the details you can, then head off with Avallac’h, if you’re ready. This begins the quest “Through Time and Space” .

Final Preparations Best Choice?

Okay, so this section of the guide will discuss the impact this has on the story, and therefore the ending of the game. We’ve spoiler blocked what this means for Ciri and the potential game endings you get. If you want to read about the implications of the the potential endings, then feel free to press the spoiler block and explore the best choice for this quest.

Ciri ending possibilitiesShow Spoiler

So, we mentioned that the option you make has a part in the end-game storyline. This is probably the player’s most defining decision to make to Ciri’s confidence. Choosing to walk with her will completely undermine her character and confidence, and she will not be able to stand up for herself. This drastically lowers her self-confidence, and a Ciri with low confidence may result in an ending where Ciri disappears, or worse, implies she died. However, a confident Ciri may define her own destiny, helping her become a Witcher that sticks around, or even an Empress if you go down the Empress ending route. Other decisions that you make around Reason of State also has an impact on how bad endings or good endings may be interpreted too.

No Comments
Guide Information
  • Publisher
    CD Projekt
  • Platforms,
    PC, PS4, Switch, XB One
  • Genre
    RPG
  • Guide Release
    24 June 2015
  • Last Updated
    2 January 2023
    Version History
  • Guide Author
    Nathan Garvin (Haeravon)

Share this free guide:

You are Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster-hunter known as a Witcher. You’ve fully regained your memories since your miraculous revival and escape from the Wild Hunt, and have cleared your name of the false accusations of regicide. In the wake of the assassination of Foltest, king of Temeria, the north have been rent by warfare as Nilfgaard launches its third major invasion, and the northlands have been united under the insane king Radovid. Overshadowing these petty politics is the mysterious return of Ciri - Geralt’s adopted daughter, who is now being pursued by the Wild Hunt.

The guide offers the following:

  • A full walkthrough that’s more than just a listing of quests-it’s an “ideal chronological order” that will get you through the whole game and allow you to see and do everything the game has to offer.

  • Side quests, including monster contracts and treasure hunts for obtaining powerful Witcher sets.

  • Descriptions of decisions, quests, and events that influence the various endings of the game.

  • Crafting and Alchemy information.

  • General strategies on how to take down foes large and small, monstrous and humanoid, boss or mundane.

  • Information on how to complete all the Gwent quests and obtain all the Gwent cards, including detailed Gwent strategies.

  • Trophy/Achievement information.

MASSIVE UPDATE: 7th September 2016 ongoing

  • Added DLC quests “Fool’s Gold” and “Scavenger Hunt: Wolf School Gear”.
  • Organisational changes in the Velen section of the walkthrough to reflect the increased level of Griffin School Gear.
  • Organisational changes throughout the walkthrough to provide a “no skulls” path through the game.
  • Added Death March difficulty tips and commentary throughout the guide.
  • More XP reward numbers included.
  • Walkthrough now includes additional information based on patch changes.
  • Various typo and grammar fixes.
  • Added DLC pages for Blood & Wine, Heart of Stone
  • Lots more quality of life improvements

Get a Gamer Guides Premium account: