While the combat is certainly polished and more challenging than ever, you can get away by learning some of the best skills for the Leviathan Axe and Blades Of Chaos in God Of War Ragnarok, which are two of Krato’s main weapons that you will be using in the game.
- By holding the R1 button, players can execute the Glacial Rake with the Leviathan Axe.
- It hurls shards of ice toward the enemies, builds up frostbite, and is a fantastic choice for crowd control.
- Extinguish Flames is a passive skill that allows your Leviathan Axe to deal extra damage to burning enemies.
- Frozen Ascent, executed by pressing R2 during Frost Awakening, does a slash that will launch all light enemies into the air and inflicts heavy frostbite.
- Frost Awakening can be triggered by holding Triangle.
- Serpent’s Snare, done by holding R2, executes a charged attack that grabs weaker enemies and throws them. The grabbed enemies will explode on contact and inflict frostbite.
- Vengeful Sickle can be done by holding R1 while you are aiming your Leviathan Axe. Kratos will throw the axe and it will spin, dealing damage to enemies.
Blades of Chaos Skills
- Chaotic Rampage executes a flurry of close-range slashes that deal heavy burn damage. It is great against bosses however lacks utility against multiple enemies.
- Vaporize Frost is a passive skill that allows your Blades of Chaos to deal extra damage to frosted enemies.
- Rising Chaos is one of Kratos’ main combo setups. By holding R2, Kratos launches enemies into the air with a swing.
- While holding Triangle, press R1 to execute Scorched Sweep. It is great for crowd control and can be timed to enemy attacks as a pseudo-parry.
- Hyperion Grapple hurls Kratos toward enemies. It is executed by doing Hyperion Pull and then holding R1. It is one of his best skills as it grants invincibility.
The new skills tree also includes the “Skill Labor” mechanic, where players can work on specific skills and consistently use them during battle to unlock their mod customization, which we will mention in detail in its section of the guide. So without further delay, let’s discuss the five Best skills in God Of War Ragnarok for both the Leviathan Axe and the Blades Of Chaos.
The Best Leviathan Axe Skills
The Leviathan Axe is a weapon that is a stranger to no one who has used it previously in God Of War 2018 as it gracefully makes its return with the sequel. The weapon can be imbued with ice attacks in order to dish out the frost element status on your enemies, which slows them down and can even be combined with the Blades of Chao to apply elemental reactions.
Not to mention the Axe can now be charged up into Frost Awaken mode by pressing and holding the Triangle button, allowing it to deal with frost attacks and new moves. You will need to charge it up each time.
The Leviathan Axe has been adjusted since the first game and now offers a plethora of new skills and mechanics in its arsenal so let’s discuss the best ones that you should get as soon as possible within the beginning hours of GOW Ragnarok.
Glacial Rake
The Glacial Rake in God of War Ragnarok is easily one of the best skills that you should immediately pick up for the Leviathan axe. Holding the R1 button while attacking an enemy will allow Kratos to sweep the Axe on the ground and deal an icicle AoE attack which can provide a high Frost buildup on your foes. The skill is especially helpful considering the fact that all elements as a whole play a pivotal role in the game now.
The skill is a great application to apply frost in a matter of seconds because as long as you hold R1 during an open window of attack on an enemy or boss, you will easily be able to apply the element. So we recommend making it the first skill that you pick while playing the game for the first time.
Extinguish Flames
While on the subject of elements, it is a no-brainer to pick up Extinguish Flames as your next skill, or even the first skill, for that matter, alongside Glacial Rake. As shown in the image above, the ability of the skill grants you the power to deal bonus damage against enemies who are inflicted by the burn status element, which can be applied from the Blades of Chaos or any other source, such as flame pots scattered around the arenas.
We will explain more about how you can apply the Burn effect from the blades in its section but simply keep in mind that weapon switching and applying elements is the key to winning against challenging mini-bosses and large foes, so picking up Extinguish Flames should become your first priority just like Glacial Rake.
Frozen Ascent
The Frost awakening skill we mentioned previously adds a whole new layer to the Leviathan Axe, as it allows you to deal with a plethora of new attacks which can trivialize foes in a heartbeat. The move can be activated while your Axe is in Frost Awakening skill as Kratos is able to launch weak foes upwards into the air for a combo, plus he can apply high frost damage onto them with ease.
The skill is pretty efficient if you’re looking to deal a strong blow to a mini-boss and additionally dish out Frost buildup. Furthermore, if multiple enemies are grouped together, you are able to launch them into the air at the same time, providing a strong crowd-clearing artillery for the Leviathan Axe.
Serpent’s Snare
Looking to throw enemies around the arena like a madman and secure easy kills? Look no further than the Serpent’s Snare skill which provides one of the best abilities for the Leviathan Axe in GOW Ragnarok. As shown in the image above, you are able to thrust the axe into your enemies and send them flying in whichever direction you wish. Weaker enemies in battle, when thrown, will explode on impact, dealing frost damage to foes around it.
You can further maximize the potential of the skill, as we stated before, as during the wind-up animation of the attack, you are able to steer the camera and launch enemies in any direction. So by doing this, you can essentially throw enemies off the map, killing them in an instant if they’re annoying you too much. We especially enjoyed doing it to the Grim, the aquatic monster-like enemies that you will meet in the realm of Svartalfheim.
Vengeful Sickle 1
There is without any question that the Leviathan Axe feels satisfying in its every move, whether it’s Kratos chopping down the enemy into two halves or using it to launch enemies into the air via an uppercut. The Vengeful sickle provides another opportunity for satisfaction as Kratos is able to throw the Axe by holding down the R1 button while aiming like a boomerang into the enemy, which can continuously deal frost damage.
While you do have the option of selecting either Freezing Throw, which uses R2 instead and explodes on impact, we found that ‘Vengeful Sickle’ is instead a great option because it will constantly damage enemies once you throw it, making it an excellent ranged option, but ultimately the choice comes down to you.
The Best Blades Of Chaos Skills
The iconic Blades of Chaos were the signature weapons of Kratos in his prime days as the Ghost Of Sparta and they made a comeback during the mid to late-game events of GOW 2018. The Blades remain just as good as in their old days as you can whip them and slash enemies to pieces with its sweeping attacks. You are also able to magnify their power as Kratos can apply flaming attacks to the weapon and burn his foes to smithereens.
The Blades provide additional maneuverability, too, as they can be used to propel enemies to Kratos or vice versa. Speaking of which, the blades can now be used as a Grappling hook to get out of harm’s way or to take down enemies by going from one side of the arena to the other in mere seconds. For now, let’s look at the best abilities you will want to pick up for the Blades of Chaos in God Of War Ragnarok.
Chaotic Rampage 1
Activating the Chaotic Rampage skill will allow Kratos to dish out a flurry of unrelenting slash attacks on a single target using the Blades of Chaos, which will apply a high burn status effect on the foe. If you are looking to deal burn status on a mini-boss quickly, then consider picking this skill up as soon as possible.
Just be careful because the skill can leave you open for error at any time during hectic fights, so it is best used if you want to deal against a lone boss battle or large foe.
Vaporize Frost
As you can already guess by the name of the skill, it will allow the Blades Of Chaos to work in conjunction with the Leviathan Axe, as you can deal bonus damage against frosted enemies. So it is advised that you pick the following skill up as soon as possible so that you can constantly use the Leviathan Axe for Frost damage and use the Blades of Chaos on the main lines for extra DPS on a boss battle or challenging enemy.
Rising Chaos
The original God of War Games had a stellar combat system that had you perform godly combos using the Blades of Chaos as Kratos tore through his enemies both on the ground and in the air. While GOW 2018 and Ragnarok can’t provide that exact same feeling, there is no better way to relive the nostalgia again than by using Rising Chaos right off the bat, as you can use it to launch enemies into the air by pressing the R2 button.
Launch enemies off the ground using the skill and continue to mash away at them at your leisure while they’re dangling helplessly like ragdolls. If you’re someone who loves weapon switching, then consider using the Leviathan Axe immediately after activating the skill for some style points too.
Scorched Sweep 1
You can activate the Flame Whiplash skill for the Blades of Chaos by pressing and holding down the Triangle button. This will allow Kratos to spin the Blades in a perpendicular motion, and after a couple of seconds, the blades will be engulfed with flames, allowing you to dish out scorching moves to ignite your foes.
The Scorched Sweep skill is available in Flame Whiplash mode as you can deal moderate burn status on the enemy, or if you have the blades fully charged in flames, by pressing R1, Kratos will be able to scorch the ground in front of him with flames. Therefore, any enemy caught within will be engulfed in flames. The Blades are already an excellent crowd-clearing weapon, and scorched sweep is another great skill to do that job perfectly.
Hyperion Grapple 1
Using the Hyperion Grapple, Kratos is able to aim and swing the blades at his enemies and use them to launch himself toward them like a cannonball, dealing high stun damage.
Furthermore, if you use the skill while aiming at an airborne enemy, Kratos will instead slam the enemy into the ground. It is worth noting that the ability of the skill may only work on weaker or nimble enemies, so mini-bosses or other challenging foes are out of the equation.
How Skill System Works In God Of War Ragnarok
In God Of War Ragnarok, you can use different types of skills during combat on enemies to work towards unlocking tiers for them. Each skill needs to be used a set number of times in order to reach three different thresholds; Bronze, Silver, and Gold. At the gold stage, the skill will be unlocked for Mod Token customization, and it is here where you can further enhance your favorite skills with additional benefits.
The buffs or mods will be a little different for each skill but rest assured you can swap between them freely once you purchase them for 1000 XP. Some ways you can boost the skills include applying the Element Mod token on the Glacial Rake skill, as shown in the image above, which will allow you to do extra Frost buildup.
We highly encourage taking a look at the Skills tree every once in a while to see where each of your favorite skills is at in terms of labor progression. Once you reach a new threshold, the game will notify you of it during combat, making it easier to keep track of each ability or skill’s progress.
It incentivizes you to use these skills in combat, and Santa Monica deserves credit for making this feature stand out so much for fans who adore the subtle Action RPG elements.
The Wrap-Up
God Of War Ragnarok was one of the most highly anticipated sequels of the video game industry, and it is safe to say that Santa Monica Studios has delivered way more than anyone could chew. The game is on the rise of becoming the best-selling first-party title from Playstation Studios, which is honestly an accolade that almost every other Playstation exclusive has under its belt due to the sheer quality of their gameplay and presentation.
Kratos can be equipped with tons of brilliant skills that can elevate his weaponry in combat. You can further enhance his capabilities and perfect your playstyle by going over the Best Relics to use in the game as well as the Best Armor Sets to fortify his overall stats.
Furthermore, it may prove beneficial to hunt down special equipment such as the Draupnir Spear, which can help you unlock hidden secrets and pathways around the world. Lastly, we hope our guide to the best skills in God Of War Ragnarok helps you out in any way possible; consider checking out more guides of the game down below and if you have any questions related to the guide, then feel free to let us know in the comments section below!
Next:
- The BEST Settings In God Of War Ragnarok
- Secret Ending In GOW Ragnarok
- Combat Tips
- How To Unlock The Nidavellir Armor Set
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