Aragorn vs Geralt of Rivia in a tracking competition

Who would win in such tourney? Who first would track down hidden man who tries to escape them in the huge, giant wild forest?

- No knowledge about that man or where he's hiding. The man is an expert survivalist.

- No knowledge about the forest

- Composite feats for both

Geralt. Geralt is a literal mutant with special senses and magical powers. Its his profession to track monsters which are more dangerous than people and he's also kind of an expert medieval detective if you've played the Witcher Trilogy. Geralt can track powerful higher vampires which is one hell of a feat and can get to the bottom of even the most complex curse and track down Ciri who could travel between space and time.

Aragorn hasn't been showcased using his tracking skills as much or as prominently as Geralt.

Geralt stomps.

Aragorn.

@ursaber: Geralt never tracked down true Higher Vampire. Regis himself stated that Geralt can't track down Dettalff and when Geralt tried to do it, after whole week of tracking he failed. That dude in Novigrad said he's higher vampire but there's no actual proof that he was Higher Vampire like Regis or Dettalff. He looks way different than other Higher Vampires and never used any Higher Vampire ability.

@xerolot: True, but just the same Geralt is the better tracker. The supposed Higher Vampire he found in the side quest pre Blood and Wine could've been an early version of what Higher Vampires were stated to be. The vampire was certainly not an alp, a bruxae or those other subspecies of vampires. He was a centuries old being who could transform into what looked like a garkain or an ekimana. But it isn't clearly stated if Higher Vampires' transformation is different. Regis could turn into the monster that Dettlaf became but in his own form and shape. Its highly probable that all Higher Vampires can transform into physically distinct vampiric beasts.

There are 'Higher Vampires' and Higher Vampires. Bruxa, Mulas etc. can be considered Higher Vampires by certain definitions, but they aren't true Higher Vampires like Regis and Detlaff. True Higher Vampires can't be tracked, pretty sure Regis says as much in B&W.

Aragorn can hear riders from fifteen miles away, there's just no comparison in my opinion, Aragorn's senses utterly dwarf Geralt's and he has been a Ranger for decades. just as Geralt has been a Witcher.

@ursaber:

He was a centuries old being who could transform into what looked like a garkain or an ekimana

He was a Katakan. If you read the entry on Katakans, they are technically classified as higher vampires but they are not "True Higher Vampires" such as Regis.

Right, apologies for not stating the correct vampire subspecies. Even though its still a mean feat. Vampires could very well be the apex predator of the Witcher universe along the Aen Elle elves like the Wild Hunt and dragonkind.

@ursaber: Yeah that's still a good feat. Vampires truly are apex predators, definitely the Unseen Elders ones. I would put Elders > HigherVampires > Golden Dragons >>>> Aen Elle elves as a top4.

@rogueshadow What do you think about this

@xerolot: I don't think it was ever explicitly stated, but I always felt the idea was that the Elders were just older versions of Higher Vampires rather than a distinct species/race, hence the title. It's a pretty common trope in fiction that vampires grow more powerful with age. So in five hundred or a thousand years, Regis will probably be as powerful as the Unseen Elder. No solid evidence, just how I took it.

What's scary is that we've only seen the Unseen Elder from Blood and Wine and there are more of them in different forms and powers. Higher Vampires are pretty much Elders but less powerful as they don't have their responsibility nor are probably as old as them and we did see the Unseen Elder own Regis. Golden Dragons are plain awesome. I love that they can polymorph into anyone. Kinda sad Borg Three Jackdaws never made it into the Witcher games. He and Geralt are sorta friends though it was cool to see Saskia. Would've loved to see Saskia and Iorveth with Geralt in the Battle of Kaer Morhen against the Wild Hunt and the trouble with Roche and Letho.

@rogueshadow: Yeah maybe. That actually good explanation Elder abilities. Regis can charm you or put you to sleep by looking at you (works like Axii, propably on weak minds only) and Elder can put Regis, extremely educated and smart person, to sleep/paralize with one word.

@ursaber I would love to see Regis during Kear Morhen siege. He would won that battle alone

Propably Geralt thanks to experience against vide variety of opponents he tracked

Regis, Iorveth, Saskia, Siegfried, Olgierd von Everec. To see them all in Battle of Kaer Morhen would so awesome.

bump

Aragorn

Geralt. Saying Aragorn can hear riders from miles away isn't as impressive as it's being made to sound. Given the number of horses their weight+riders, geography and weather conditions, it wouldn't be that difficult. Only that most regular people might mistake it for thunder in the distance.

Should be noted that Aragorn still gets surprised by enemies, so clearly his hearing isn't so good that that elves and even some orcs can't sneak up on him and the group. Geralt, on the other hand, not only knew he was being surrounded by Scoia'tael, but could tell one of them was sick just by the way he was breathing, despite not being close to Geralt.