by In our God of War Ragnarok combat guide , you’ll learn:
- How to use the Leviathan Axe
- How the Chaos Blades work
- Tips on Atreus and his bow
- How to use the shield
- General tips for combat
God of War Ragnarök continues the combat system from the successful predecessor from 2018 and expands it in a few points. In this guide, we will introduce you to the combat system in detail and explain what has changed compared to its predecessor.
Basics of the combat system in God of War Ragnarok
Like its predecessor, Krato’s latest adventure is more of an action role-playing game than a classic hack ‘n’ slay. Combat needs to be approached more tactically, and your choice of armor and runes also matters. In addition to the Leviathan axe, the iconic Chaos Blades are available to you right from the start.
Important: In this guide we use the standard key assignment provided by the game . In the following paragraphs we will discuss both weapons and their peculiarities. We also explain how you use shields.
The Leviathan Axe
The ice-based Leviathan Axe does not differ in its handling from its predecessor – so veterans will find their way around quickly. If you need a refresher or haven’t played the predecessor, remember the two basic types of attacks:
- R1: Light but quick slashes
- R2 : Heavy but slower blows
If you hold Triangle, you activate Frostguard – the ax becomes imbued with ice and you deal Frost damage with the next hit .
You can also throw the ax at enemies and objects. Aim L2 and press R1 to perform an easy throw. If you press R2, Kratos will throw the ax with more force, freezing lighter enemies like Grimm or Draugr and staying there as long as the ax is stuck in them.
Click the Triangle button to recall the ax . Enemies that stand in your way take damage if the ax touches them on the way back to you.
Later you can unlock different combos and other attacks for the ax in exchange for experience points .
You’ll also find runes that you can use to perform special attacks, but they have a cooldown. You can find runes in chests, get them as a reward in boss fights or after completing main and side quests. You activate light rune attacks by pressing L1 and R1, heavy rune attacks with L1 and R2.
The Blades of Chaos
In Ragnarok, you can access the Blades of Chaos from the start of the game. Like God of War (2018) , they are fire-based and designed for fast attacks.
- R1: Fast attacks
- R2 : Heavy Attack
With L2 you go into target mode and can throw the blades at enemies and objects. But since they are chained to you, the range is limited in contrast to the axe. With R1 the blade gets stuck and you pull the opponent towards you. With R2 you trigger a burst of fire that travels to the enemy via the chains and then explodes.
Hold Triangle on your controller (rapidly tapping the button speeds up the process) to activate Flame Whiplash , which sees the blades engorged with fire. Pressing the R1 or R2 button during the Flame Whiplash will whip Kratos onto the ground, causing a small explosion. This attack is effective against larger groups of enemies or when you want to stagger an enemy.
You will later also unlock new combos and runes for the Chaos Blades .
Shields in God of War Ragnarok
Initially, you only have the Guardian Shield, but you can choose a new shield from Brok and Sindri for the first few hours of play . In our God of War Ragnarök tips guide, we tell you which shield you should choose.
Each shield has a special property and a unique attack that you unleash by double-clicking on L1 – the Stone Wall Shield, for example, knocks enemies over with a blast wave. Regardless of which shield you equip, each shield blocks all normal attacks. If you block at the right moment, you will stagger opponents.
Sometimes opponents perform special attacks where simply blocking isn’t enough. In the game , you can recognize these attacks by colored circles that light up around the opponent. In the following list we explain what you have to do with which colors:
- Yellow : You can parry the attack. Raise your shield just before it hits you, otherwise the enemy will knock your shield off and you’ll be stunned for a short time.
- Blue : Attack the enemy with your shield. To do this, press the L1 button twice.
- Red : Dodge this attack. Red attacks cannot be parried or blocked.
What role does Atreus play in battle?
Atreus will help you in most of the fights. He shoots arrows and distracts enemies from you. Press the square button to order Atreus to shoot. Initially, he can shoot up to three arrows, which then have to recharge.
The arrows do little damage but can disrupt enemy attacks . Shoot arrows at enemies just before they hit you – this window is the most likely to stagger them.
Later you can equip Atreus with Rune Summons. Hold down the square button to trigger it.
How do I activate and use Sparta’s Rage?
Kratos can go berserk and use his ancient Spartan powers in close combat. Sparta’s Rage is activated by pressing R3 and L3 at the same time. In God of War Ragnarök you can choose from three different types of Sparta’s Rage:
- Wrath : Kratos uses his fists to damage enemies. With L2 you throw a chunk. Hits give you health.
- Rage : Kratos consumes a portion of the rage bar and attacks enemies with his currently equipped weapon. These attacks deal high damage and if the enemy dies, you regain some health.
- Courage : You heal a large portion of your health.
Initially, only Fury is available to you, you unlock the other two as the story progresses . Basically, you should always use Sparta’s Rage when death is imminent. It’s best to save Sparta’s Rage until the last moment in boss fights, because the bosses are always the most aggressive in the final phase.
How do I stun opponents?
Enemies have a second bar under their health bar. This indicates how stunned an opponent is. When this bar fills up, you can either use R3 to steal a lot of health from the opponent with a strong attack or – if he is already low on health – execute a finisher .
You can stun enemies by hitting them with your fists . Press the down arrow key to make Kratos sheath the equipped weapon. Parrying will also increase the stun. In addition, Atreus gets the so-called Sonic Arrows early in the game – they help to maintain the stun.
Tips for fighting in God of War Ragnarok
Battles are similar to the previous one, but you will have to deal with more diverse enemy constellations and many unique bosses as well as mini-bosses. Above all, the variety of opponents in Ragnarök is much more extensive than in the predecessor. For tough enemies like Big Grimmothers, you should take the time to study the attack patterns – especially since mini-bosses like this keep cropping up throughout the game.
The combat areas in God of War Ragnarök offer significantly more verticality – and you should take advantage of that. Many arenas offer a second level that you can climb onto. Press either attack button while jumping down to unleash a devastating smash attack. With these attacks from above you cause a lot of damage and even simple opponents are thrown away.
Also, you can climb to higher levels to create some space between you and the enemies. Being surrounded by multiple enemies can save you from death. Throw the blade or ax at enemies who are climbing or jumping over you to make them fall or be knocked back.
Often you will also find auxiliary objects such as boulders or trees in the arenas. You can pick them up with the circle button and throw them at enemies. However, they are used up after one use. It is therefore best to use them against particularly strong opponents.
Basically, you should switch back and forth between the two weapons in combat as often as possible and try out different combos . For example, you can send an opponent airborne with a heavy ax blow, then switch to Chaos Blades and keep them airborne with more blows until their health is completely drained.
