Combat Basics & Tips | God of War Ragnarök

The journey continues on for Kratos and Arteus as they fend off Asgardian Gods and attempt to stop the prophesized Ragnarök. Along the way, you’ll find yourself with various weapons and combos. Deal icy damage with Kratos’ Leviathan Axe and wide-ranged fire-infused sweeping attacks with Blades of Chaos. Learn about Runic Attacks and Spartan Rage in our guide to aid you in your journey to stop Ragnarök.

In combat, there’s 3 things you need to master: weapons, Runic Attacks and Spartan Rage.

Leviathan Axe

The Leviathan Axe can be used to deal powerful frost-infused attacks to your opponents. Apart from the normal and heavy attacks, you can also swing out your Leviathan Axe for some ranged damage. It can be tossed while holding L2 to aim and R1 or R2 to throw at your target (and Triangle to return it quickly to your hand), kinda like Thor’s Mjolnir.

Blades of Chaos

The Blades of Chaos is Kratos’ chained blade which can deal fast and wide sweeping fire-infused damage. The Blades of Chaos can also be used like a hook for Kratos to pull enemies towards him or detonate them with flames.

Shield

Let’s not forget Kratos’ handy shield. While you can block most attacks with a shield, but attacks with a yellow circle indicator will break your guard and stagger you, and red circle indicators cannot be blocked, a feature that was recently added to the game. Depending on the shield you use, you can parry an incoming attack right before it hits by tapping L1 instead of holding it (which still works against yellow attacks). When timed right, your shield may be charged with energy that can be redirected with another shield bash (double tapping L1, or L1+R1 or R2 depending on the shield). Parries can even reflect ranged attacks back at opponents. Timing is key here.

Runic Attacks

The Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos each has their own unique Runic Attacks that can be equipped for powerful light and heavy activated moves which can deal a lot of damage. Although these moves don’t consume mana, but they do have a very long cooldown, be sure to use them wisely. These Runic Attacks are mostly locked behind boss fights and you can only get them after defeating a certain boss or in a hidden chest, so be sure to keep an eye out and explore more in your adventures.

Spartan Rage

Lastly, Kratos’ signature move – Spartan Rage. The Spartan Rage is the red meter which can been seen below your health, which fills up as you receive and deal damage. The Spartan Rage can be a life-saver as it puts you into a temporary invulnerable state, allows you to unleash massive damage over a short period – and even regain some health in the process. If you find yourself stuck in a rut, try activating the Spartan Rage.

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