Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
39 Achievements
35-40h
Burn After Reading
Read all spymaster letters.
18.6%
How to unlock the Burn After Reading achievement in Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales - Definitive Guide
(I was playing on the hardest difficulty, but I don't think it matters)
First of all, I got the achievement upon receveing a report during the epilogue, after a battle.
I'm not sure what actually qualifies as "spymaster letters", but reports also count, since I got the achievement after receveing one.
So, for the achievent:
* Do everything in every map, every question mark, every puzzle, every item, every golden chest and so on. Many of the battles lead to you receveing reports/letters afterwards, and many items also have letters within them.
To make this easier, be sure to buy the watchtower upgrade and send scouts (-50g) to reveal interest points on the map.
* Always read everything upon receiving, just to be sure.
* Choices don't matter. As far as I could tell there are missable letters/reports, I missed one in Mahakam
As long as you resolve everything on your map before finishing each chapter, it should be fine.
That's basically what I did in my first playthrough and managed to unlock the achievement without much effort.
If you finished the game, reload the last location, win the 2 small battles and go to your tent :)
Every map has a point of no return location. When you hit it, go back to your tent and scroll through all letters and notes.
Buy the watchtower upgrade as soon as you can, this can reveal points on the map that you would have missed. This is very important for the second tip.
Some of the hand icons on the map, the ones you might avoid because you think they are resources, are actually letters and notes within the game. You need to read these, especially when you return to Rivia.
In the Dwarven map, while exploring the location where
When you return to Rivia, there are propaganda posters of you in the first half of the map, you need to find and read all of these before you get to the printing press. Choose your own propaganda posters and then read all of those that you find in the rest of the map. I am unsure if this is actually important for the achievement, but I did it anyways to be safe.
The most important thing that seems to get a lot of players is the
Lyria
Letter from Davograd
Report: Strays of Spalla
Report: Niflgaardian Movements
Niflgaardian Ultimatum
Scoia'tel Propaganda
Report: Niflgaardian Offensive
Aedirn
Letter from Captain Tobias, 1
Report: Eldain's Commando
Report: Situation in Aedirn
Appeal to Folk of Lyria and Rivia
King Demavend's Orders
Niflgaardian Letter
Letter Found on Eldain
Hawker Correspondence
Mahakam
Guest Rulebook
Letter from Captain Tobias, 2
Report: Mahakam
Intercepted Letter
Warning from Clan Council
Niflgaardian Document
Signed Parchment
Angren
Letter from Captain Tobias, 3
Letter from Aep Dahy
Report: Angren
Letter from Brouver Hoog
Sodden Parchment
Gerwin's Code
Report: Niflgaardian Reinforcements
Orders for "Xavier"
Rivia
Report: Desertion of Geralt of Rivia
Report: Rivia
Letter from Captain Tobias, 4
Quarry Foreman's Notes
Letter from General Aep Dahy
Epilogue
Report: Captain Tobias
Report: Aedirn
Report: Battle of Brenna
Letter from Commando Leader
Lyria
I didn't have Nilfgaardian Ultimatum
Aedirn
I also had:
Letter to Fableson
Warning
Mahakam
I also had:
Call to Arms
Angren
No difference.
Rivia
I also had:
Letter from Caldwell
MISSABLE
As you progress through the game, you’ll receive letters through story-related quests. At the end of the game in the Aldersberg region, when you’ve completed the Elf battle, the last letter will be received. Go into your menu and read all the letters, under reports, you've collected throughout your journey.
As long as you explore each region and partake in all the battles, puzzles, etc., you should have no issues gathering all of the letters. It is possible they are all obtained through story objectives.
The spymaster letters are given to you throughout the game by your allies, NPCs that you interact with, and enemies you defeat. There is no real way to guide you through collecting because they willl differ based on decisions you make throughout your playthrough. The best way to guarantee that you do not miss this is to, as with many of the achievements in this game, complete everything in every chapter. Speak to everyone and loot everything before moving onto the next chapter, using the 'Scouting' ability to be sure you didn't miss anything on the map.
Also, be sure to open your camp and go to Meve's tent, or else press from free-roam to go straight there and read any letters you receive. You will know when you receive a new letter as there will be a green notification on your camp icon on the left of the screen.
1) In Lyria, attack the ambassador and then execute him and take with you the elf whom the inhabitants want to kill.
2) In Aedirn, attack the Gavencar caravan, and spare Falbeson and go to the feast that he arranged.
3) In Mahakam, attack the Nilfgaardian caravan and help the dwarves in Drektag find youth. I had Rayla, she will kill all the prisoners after the battle. I don't know if this affects the receipt of the desired letter.
4) In Angren, accept Gervin's invitation, then kill him and go after the blue light and take things there.
5) In Rivia, attack the son of Earl Caldwell and the camp of slave drivers.
6) In the epilogue, do not let the elves go.
There may be more choices for receiving letters.