Faithful Friend

Faithful Friend is a craftable relic steel sword from Blood and Wine. It is a close cousin of the Belhaven Blade: a level lower (44) and slightly weaker, but with the same mix of bonuses. It gives +28% Aard intensity, +95% critical hit damage, +12% critical hit chance, a 15% chance to poison and +5% bonus experience from humans and nonhumans.

The diagram is found during Knight for Hire. One of the knight errant in distress encounters lies west of Mont Crane Castle, and the Faithful Friend diagram is there together with a set of Beauclair saddlebags. Take it to a master blacksmith along with leather scraps, enriched dimeritium ingots, emerald dust and powdered monster tissue.

Because Belhaven is only one level higher and a little stronger, most players will end up using that one. Faithful Friend is still a fine pick if you find its diagram first, and it suits the same Aard-and-crits playstyle. It has three upgrade slots. Not to be confused with the White Orchard side quest of the same name.

Stats & effects

+28% Aard Sign intensity
+95% Critical hit damage bonus
+12% Critical hit chance
+15% Chance to poison
+5% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans

Dismantle result

1 × Leather scraps
1-4 × Leather straps
1-2 × Dimeritium ore
1-2 × Glowing ore
1-2 × Sapphire dust

Crafting materials

2 × Leather scraps
2 × Enriched dimeritium ingot
1 × Emerald dust
1 × Powdered monster tissue

How to obtain

Craft

Crafted by a master blacksmith from the Faithful Friend diagram. It requires character level 44.

In the books & earlier games

Diagram location

West of Mont Crane Castle in Toussaint, at one of the knight errant in distress encounters tied to Knight for Hire. Beauclair saddlebags are found at the same spot.