The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine has six Grandmaster Manticore Gear locations that you can find with this guide, as each piece is obscured and well-hidden. The Manticore armor is Geralt's classic armor from The Witcher 1, and if you're looking for something new to wear, you're going to want to learn how to get this armor, what materials you need to craft it, and what the stats are to see if it's any good!
Scavenger Hunt: Grandmaster Manticore Gear Locations
Manticore Steel Sword Diagram Location
Your first location is in the Bastoy Prison Ruins, which is south of Fort Astre Ruins (marked on the map above). Be careful in this region, as there is a deadly vampire Alp lurking nearby. To get the Manticore Steel Sword Diagram, look up at the ruins of the tower and climb it. At the top, you'll find a brick in the wall that you can interact with to get the Diagram and the Prisoner's Journal, which you must read to get the next Diagram location.
Manticore Armor Diagram Location
You now need to head to a cave in the southeast of Gelenser Farm. At the entrance to the cave, you will find panthers, and inside, you will find notes scattered across the walls. You need to interact with the notes to find and read Merten's Prayer, which also has the Armor Diagram, which is at the south wall.
Manticore Trousers & Boots Diagrams Location
You now need to access Lebioda's Temple, which is found below the fountain at the Prophet Lebioda Statue. Enter the temple, and you'll find a wall you can destroy with Aard in the center, but be warned: the Great Beggar's Ghost will begin to fight you. With the specter defeated, loot the container by the table near the stairs opposite the entrance to find the Manticore Trousers & Boots Diagram and The Great Beggar's Journal, which must be read to proceed to the next location.
Manticore Silver Sword Diagram Location
Head south of the Palace Gardens to find the Murky Delve cave, which you can swim into. Entering this cave begins a trial where you will start to see hallucinations, so navigate the linear path of the cave and watch out for each trial:
The first trial has naked women. Simply avoid them as you pass through the cave, or else you will have to fight Bruxa.
The second trial requires you to give 10 Crowns to each of the 5 beggars; failing that, an Archespore will attack.
The third trial requires you to fight 3 Kikimore Workers and save the man. Ignore the fake pile of gold, or more Kikimore will spawn.
The fourth trial is blocked by a wall you need to hit with Aard, and once you reach the top, you can interact with the praying man to loot a container next to him containing the Manticore Silver Sword Diagram and Merten's Notes, which must be read.
Manticore Gauntlets Diagram Location
Head to the Lake of Cleansing, northeast of Basane Farm. There's three bandits here that you need to kill. With them dead, dive into the lake and swim to the bottom while using Witcher Senses, and you'll see a red-highlighted chest containing the Manticore Gauntlets Diagram and Merten's Last Letter, which completes the quest.
How to Craft All Grandmaster Manticore Gear in The Witcher 3
Head to Beauclair, where you can visit the Grandmaster Smith, Lazare Lafargue. Speak with him and access his crafting inventory to craft the Grandmaster Manticore gear, which will cost the following materials and has the following stats:
Grandmaster Manticore Armor
x2 Cured Draconid Leather
+19% Resistance to piercing damage
+24% Resistance to slashing damage
+28% Resistance to damage from monsters
+25% Critical hit damage bonus
Grandmaster Manticore Gauntlets
x1 Cured Draconid Leather
x1 Meteorite Silver Plate
+5% Resistance to piercing damage
+6% Resistance to slashing damage
+12% Resistance to elemental damage
+5% Critical hit damage bonus
Grandmaster Manticore Trousers
+9% Resistance to slashing damage
+8% Resistance to damage from monsters
+33% Resistance to elemental damage
Grandmaster Manticore Boots
+4% Resistance to damage from monsters
Grandmaster Manticore Silver Sword
+50% Critical hit damage bonus
+10% Chance to cause bleeding
+5% Bonus experience from monsters
Grandmaster Manticore Steel Sword
+5% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans
Wearing the Grandmaster Manticore Gear provides these buffs if you're wearing half a set or a full set:
3 Piece Bonus: Critical hit chance and critical hit damage apply to bombs, and bombs can be thrown without delay.
6 Piece Bonus: The maximum number of charges for each alchemy item is increased by 1.
Despite being Grandmaster armor, this set is just called "Manticore". There's no reason to upgrade it to Enhanced and Mastercrafted, as it's already at the Grandmaster level; it's just not called that.