You’re riding through the mud of Velen, minding your own business, and suddenly you're caught in the middle of a suicide mission. That’s basically how An Eye for an Eye Witcher 3 feels the first time you stumble into it. It’s a secondary quest, sure, but it carries the weight of a main storyline because it involves Vernon Roche and Ves—two of the most stubborn, recognizable characters from the previous game.
Most players just want to help their old pal Roche. He’s the guy who stood by you when the world thought you were a kingslayer. But this quest? It’s a total headache if you aren't prepared. You aren't just fighting Nilfgaardian soldiers; you're fighting Ves’s own reckless impulsivity.
Why This Quest Actually Matters
It starts with a conversation at the Temerian partisan camp. Roche is fuming. Ves has gone rogue, disobeying direct orders to attack a Nilfgaardian unit that’s raiding a village called Mulbrydale. If you've played The Witcher 2, you know Ves isn't exactly the type to sit on her hands while civilians get slaughtered. She’s got a heart, but in the brutal world of the Northern War, a heart can get you hanged.
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Geralt’s role here is simple: stop her from getting herself killed.
The political stakes are quietly massive. Roche is trying to play a long game, negotiating with Dijkstra and keeping his guerrilla force intact for the eventual push against Radovid or Nilfgaard. Ves, on the other hand, is focused on the immediate suffering of the peasantry. It’s a classic "big picture vs. individual lives" conflict that CD Projekt Red loves to throw at us.
The Race to Mulbrydale
Once you agree to help, you meet Roche near the village. This is where things get sweaty. As soon as the cutscene ends, you’re in a combat scenario where a health bar appears for Ves.
Pro tip: If that bar hits zero, she’s dead. Permanently.
There is no "oops, let's try again" unless you’ve got a recent save file. I’ve seen countless players lose her because they spent too much time looting a random crate or trying to parry a shieldman while three Nilfgaardians were poking Ves full of holes. You need to move fast. Use Aard to knock enemies back or Igni to cause panic. Basically, do anything to get the heat off her immediately.
The enemies aren't particularly high-level, but they are numerous. You’re looking at a mix of light infantry and a few tougher soldiers. The real danger is the archers. They’ll sit on the periphery and chip away at Ves while you’re busy swinging your silver sword at the guys in front of you.
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Dealing with the Nilfgaardian Captain
After the initial skirmish, you’re faced with a choice. There’s a surviving Nilfgaardian captain. Ves, fueled by pure adrenaline and rage over the villagers' deaths, wants him dead. Roche, being the pragmatic (and somewhat cold) commander, is willing to let him go or at least follows Geralt’s lead.
Honestly, this is one of those choices that doesn't have a "golden" outcome for the world, but it has huge implications for Geralt’s relationship with these two.
- If you kill the captain: Ves feels vindicated. The threat is gone. Roche is annoyed but accepts it.
- If you spare him: You’re technically following the "Witcher neutral" path, but Ves will resent it. More importantly, the captain notes your face.
I’ve always found it interesting how the game treats Geralt’s neutrality here. Siding with Ves feels like the "human" choice, but Roche is right—killing prisoners of war just invites more brutality from the Nilfgaardian army later on. It’s a cycle of violence that An Eye for an Eye Witcher 3 captures perfectly.
The Hidden Consequences for the Battle of Kaer Morhen
Here is the part where most people mess up. They think this quest is just about some XP and a "thanks, Geralt."
Wrong.
The fate of Ves and your participation in this quest directly dictates who shows up to help you when the Wild Hunt finally knocks on your door. If you fail to save Ves, or if you never complete this quest, Roche will not come to Kaer Morhen.
Think about that.
You’re facing Eredin and his generals. You need every sword you can get. If you snub Roche or let his best lieutenant die, he’s going to stay in the woods of Velen. Completing this quest successfully is the prerequisite for the "Brothers In Arms: Novigrad" segment later in the game. You want Roche and Ves at your back. Ves, in particular, is a crack shot with a crossbow and provides essential ranged support during the siege.
Common Glitches and How to Avoid Them
Let's talk about the technical side because The Witcher 3, while a masterpiece, can be a bit janky. There’s a known bug where Roche just... stops walking. You’ll be heading to the meeting point near Mulbrydale, and he’ll just stand there staring at a tree.
If this happens, try meditating for an hour. If that fails, fast travel away and come back. The game usually resets his pathing. Also, make sure you don't start the quest "Reason of State" before finishing this one. The quest hierarchy in the final act is delicate, and "An Eye for an Eye" can fail automatically if you progress too far into the Dijkstra/Roche assassination plot.
Technical Combat Strategies for High Difficulty
If you’re playing on Death March, you can't just barge in. Ves has the durability of wet tissue paper on higher difficulties.
- Superior Northern Wind: Throw this bomb immediately. It freezes the group surrounding Ves, giving you 5-10 seconds of free hits to thin the crowd.
- Quen Alt-Mode: If you have the shield that heals you, use it, but don't play defensively. You need to be the aggressor.
- The "Puppet" Axii Sign: Turning one of the Nilfgaardians against his friends is a great way to distract the archers while you focus on the captain.
The fight is short. It’s a sprint, not a marathon. Usually, if you can survive the first 30 seconds without Ves taking a major hit, you’re home free.
The Moral Weight of Mulbrydale
What gets me about this quest isn't the combat; it's the dialogue afterward. If you let the captain live, Roche mentions that "mercy is a luxury we can't always afford." It highlights the desperation of the Temerian resistance. They aren't an army; they're a ghost.
On the flip side, if you kill him, Geralt is once again becoming a political tool. The game constantly tests your resolve to stay "out of it." But as we see in An Eye for an Eye Witcher 3, staying out of it often means letting your friends die. That’s not something Geralt of Rivia does.
Final Steps for a Perfect Run
To ensure you get the best possible outcome for your endgame, follow these steps precisely:
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- Manual Save: Always save before talking to Roche at the camp. The "Ves dying" fail state happens incredibly fast.
- Check Your Map: The meeting point is just outside Mulbrydale. Don't go into the village until you talk to Roche, or you might trigger the combat without him, making it much harder.
- Loot After, Not During: The Nilfgaardians carry decent mid-game gear, but ignore the glowing bags until the "Quest Completed" notification pops up.
- Talk to Roche Immediately After: Don't just run away once the fighting stops. Ensure the dialogue tree finishes to properly lock in the "Brothers in Arms" flag.
Once you’ve cleared this, Roche and Ves are locked in as allies. You’ve secured two of the best fighters in the game for the final showdown, and you’ve kept a small piece of Temeria’s heart beating for another day. It’s a gritty, fast-paced reminder that in the Witcher's world, sometimes the smallest skirmishes have the loudest echoes.