God of War Ragnarok's combat is significantly more complex than the 2018 game's. For all of the weapons you have at your disposal, the runic attacks are vital elements of your arsenal when taking on tougher enemies. If you're wondering which to use, we'll break down the God of War Ragnarok best runic attacks for you to try out.
You will have access to a light runic attack (L1 + R1) and a heavy runic attack (L1 + L2) for each of Kratos' weapons. They take a little while to cool down, with their effects being improved as you use XP to level them up.
For more God of War Ragnarok guides, we also have tips on how to fast travel, how to parry successfully, and who all the voice actors in the game are.
God of War Ragnarok best runic attacks
Do note, before we get into it, that there will be some spoilers for which weapons you're able to use in the sequel. Don't read on if you want to avoid all spoilers.
Below, we'll detail the best runic attacks we've used in God of War Ragnarok, what they do, and why we think they're good. There may be others we haven't used yet that are good and we'll update this piece with any additional suggestions when we need to.
You'll unlock more as you progress through the story and complete quests, so keep an out for what you unlock.
Best Blades of Chaos runic attacks
- Light runic attack - Nemean Crush
- Heavy runic attack - Helios Flare
Both Nemean Crush and Helios Flare deal Damage, Burn, and Stun on enemies you hit, with that increasing as you level them up.
Nemean Crush sees Kratos create "a massive fiery shockwave attack that sends enemies flying back" which is great for getting out of tight situations when you're backed into a corner, or for taking on lots of enemies at once if you're surrounded.
Helios Flare is one for the more precise players out there. Slowing down time, Kratos creates "a long range fire bolt that inflicts a moderate amount of Burn damage." It's good for doing a decent amount of damage quickly to a stationary enemy.
Best Leviathan Axe runic attacks
- Light runic attack - Winter's Bite
- Heavy runic attack - Fog of Fimbulwinter
Winter's Bite deals Damage, Frost, and Stun on any enemies it hits. Kratos will "form a mass of ice around the Leviathan Axe and run up to strike a target with incredible force," which is very useful against powerful enemies, such as bosses.
The best heavy runic attack for Kratos' axe is Fog of Fimbulwinter, which creates "a massive ice wave that inflicts Frost damage and freezes enemies in its path." It's great for hitting a large groups of enemies at once, and pushing them back to give you time to heal up or regain your composure.
Best Draupnir Spear runic attacks
- Light runic attack - Thrust of a thousand soldiers
- Heavy runic attack - Vindsvalr’s Windstorm or Artillery of the Ancients
Some of the runic attacks you get for the Draupnir Spear, which you unlock later in Ragnarok, are the best in the game.
Thrust of a Thousand Soldiers, which is a light runic attack, is great for dealing quick damage and interrupting enemy attacks, even those which cannot be blocked or parried. You "perform a flurry of stabs with Draupnir which embed Spears into the enemy. Press R1 for extra stabs."
For the best runic attack when it comes to heavy options for the Draupnir Spear, you have two options: Vindsvalr’s Windstorm or Artillery of the Ancients.
The former creates "an array of chaotic cyclones that rampages through the field, damaging all enemies in their paths" and is great because it stops enemies attacking for a while, allowing you to heal, reposition, or go in for additional attacks.
The second option is great because it goes a lot of damage in a large area of effect. Kratos will "hurl Draupnir to the sky, raining down in multiplying spears."
Both of those options deal a mix of damage, force, and stun when hitting successfully.
That's it for our choices for the best runic attacks in God of War Ragnarok. We'll update you with any more as we discover better ones.