God Of War Ragnarok Best Runic Attacks: Axe, Blades & Spear

• Runic attacks are the specials moves/skills of Kratos' weapons.
• Kratos can use one light & heavy runic attack per weapon.
• There are a total of 28 Light & Heavy runic attacks in God of War Ragnarok & equipping the best ones will get you out from tough spots.

Runic attacks are amazing to look at as Kratos goes into a frenzy and unleashes a short burst of high-damage attacks that deal massive damage to foes. We have listed some of the best Leviathan Axe, Chaos Blades, and Druapnir Spear runic attacks in God of War Ragnarok that not only pack a punch but are the best skills & useful in dynamic combat situations.   

Best Leviathan Axe Runic Attacks

While Leviathan Axe is an excellent close combat melee weapon of Kratos, there are certain runic attacks like Njord’s Tempest that give it a ranged weapon utility. 

Breath Of Thamur

Breath of Thamur is a returning heavy runic attack from God of War 2018, and it still feels punchy and overwhelming when unleashed on enemies in the sequel. When you trigger this runic attack, Kratos lifts the Leviathan Axe in the air, and a heavy gust of permafrost air or elemental wind flows in a circle around Kratos. The AoE is massive, and almost all enemies that are at a little to medium distance from Kratos in a circle get affected by this runic attack. 

The utility of Breath of Thamur is very high, especially in the last few story chapters of God of War Ragnarok. That is because you get stormed by all kinds of enemies at once, ranged, melee, brutes, and creatures. This makes Breath of Thamur the best heavy runic attack pick, one that will get you out of tight spots.  

How To Get

Breath of Thamur runic attack can be collected from a chest located under the Raven Tree in Niflheim. However, to open the chest, you must first kill at least 28 Odin’s Ravens. If you do not kill the required number of Ravens and you visit this location, the chest will remain locked & you will not be able to collect Breath of Thamur runic attack. 

Fog Of Fimbulwinter

When you trigger the Fog of Fimbulwinter, Kratos basically slams the Leviathan Axe into the ground and sends a frost wave in the direction he is facing. Besides being frozen by the ice wave, enemies are pushed back as well, giving you decent time to execute your next move. 

Our go-to moveset or combo was to initiate an encounter with Fog of Fimbulwinter and then switch to Chaos Blades or Draupnir Spear to attack the enemies that were frozen by the permafrost of Leviathan Axe. 

How To Get

In order to obtain Fog of Fimbulwinter, you will need to go to Svartalfheim realm. The runic attack item can be obtained by opening a chest that is blocked by vines. To reach this location, you will need to either take the train leading toward Myrkyr Tunnels or take the Mystic Gateway (if that is unlocked for you already). 

You need to look for a chamber where the daylight falls right under it. The chest can be seen on the far side of it, and it will be blocked by vines as well. You do not need fancy spells to break the vines; just ignite a barrel near it to set vines on fire and access the chest that lies at the far side of it. 

Njord’s Tempest

This runic attack is especially useful in a combat situation where Kratos is surrounded by at least 2-4 enemies. If you feel overwhelmed in combat, as you will in the later chapters of the game, just rely on Njord’s Tempest runic attack to clear away enemies, depleting at least 20-30% of their health. 

How To Get

Njord’s Tempest will require you a little grind as it is found in a legendary chest located somewhere in Althjof’s Rig. You need to start at starting location where you directly face the mining rig. Once you are there, you will find two barrels that can be destroyed using Atreus or Freya’s Sonic arrows. After that, access the area that barrels blocked, and you will find a chain to kick down that leads you to the next area. 

After that, go to the next area where you could break through the wall after swinging through a crane. You will find the legendary chest there containing Njord’s Tempest. 

Wrath Of The Frost Ancient

The best part about using this runic attack is that if you press and hold R1, you can potentially extend the duration of the frosty ice beam for a few seconds. This unique attribute is something that not a lot of runic attacks have. 

Wrath of the Frost Ancient deals higher physical damage and slightly less Frost damage, as you can see from the stats image shown above. Even if you level up the light runic attack to its max level, the stats scale accordingly (more damage and slightly less frost damage). 

This light runic attack has a lot of utility while fighting bosses or other field bosses that have a lot of health pool. The only downside that we think Wrath of the Frost Ancient has is that it does not stun a target at all. 

How To Get

This runic attack may be found in a legendary chest that can be found in The Southern Wilds. From the gateway to the region, continue forward until you reach a tunnel constructed of roots. When you get to a crossroads, stay to the left and continue traveling until you come to a tiny passageway. 

Pass through the narrow opening, then continue down the meandering road until you reach the remains. Defeat a couple of the creatures that are assaulting you, and then go to the left. A crawlspace will be concealed next to the roots, and the legendary loot chest can be seen on the opposite side of the passageway. Open this chest, and you will get Wrath of the Frost Ancient runic attack. 

Leviathan’s Roar

When you trigger the Leviathan’s Roar heavy runic attack, Kratos throws the axe towards enemies and shields up. The axe returns furiously and strikes the shield, creating a shockwave that instantly stuns most enemies standing near Kratos. 

The best part of using Leviathan’s Roar is that this heavy runic attack has by far the lowest cooldown from the get-go. If you use some of the best Kratos Armor sets in God of War Ragnarok that reduce the cooldown of runic attacks, you can potentially spam Leviathan’s Roar without waiting much. 

How To Get

This runic assault may be found in a legendary chest that is situated in Freyr’s Camp. Take the route that leads to the right when you are standing on the rock that overlooks the area where a large blue floral ring is dangling from a cluster of vines. 

You must first descend to the bottom on your left, then climb the barrier on your right to return to the starting point. To enter the hole, you will need to swing over a dangling anchor point that is direct to your right and then continue the trail.

Once you have reached the opposite side, you should enter the building that is direct across from where the hole exit is located. You need to descend into some more land and then continue walking along the route that is direct to your left.

Climb much higher into the ruins, and you will eventually come to a zipline. Simply ignore it. Instead, take a left turn and bridge the gap to reach the wooden building. You will find the legendary chest after climbing at your right.

Best Chaos Blades Runic Attacks

Chaos Blades is best utilized at close to medium-range distances, and you can pretty much control a crowd using this weapon without breaking a sweat. 

Tame The Beast

Just trigger this heavy runic attack, and Kratos will repeatedly slam the Chaos Blades a little further than his location and apply a burn status effect as well on its targets. Most of the damage that Tame The Beast heavy runic attack does is in the area in front of Kratos. 

I have had the luxury of using this runic attack from the moment I unlocked it till the endgame chapters. It just never disappointed me whether I was engaged in combat with boss fights or armored Einherjar that usually start fighting Kratos near the endgame. If you have not tried Tame The Beast heavy runic attack still, then consider picking it up and using it.

How To Get

You can find Tame The Beast runic attack you’re looking for in a legendary chest in Helheim. After you have seen Garm, you must defend yourself from the oncoming creatures. The next step is to follow the route to your right and glance toward the wall that is close. 

The Draupnir Spear should be thrown into it, and then the player should turn around and utilize the spear to bridge the gap. Once you have jumped across, you will find the legendary chest containing Tame The Beast runic attack. 

Atlas Eruption

Triggering this heavy runic attack will allow Kratos to slam Chaos Blades into the ground, and flammable explosions start erupting in a small AoE, inflicting burn damage to all foes caught inside the zone. If you press the R2 button a couple more times after triggering the Atlas Eruption heavy runic attack, Kratos will slam both blades a little longer than usual. 

The utility of Atlas Eruption is excellent, and in many cases, we prefer using this heavy runic attack more than Tame The Beast or any other for that matter. However, the catch here is that if you use this attack on frost enemies, then you will get the most damage possible as it deals massive burn damage. However, if you use it on Draugrs or other enemies that already wield fire elements, then the damage is insignificant compared to the situation we just mentioned. 

Either way, Kratos slamming Chaos Blades into the ground and applying a burn status effect to nearby enemies is something that never gets boring. Use Atlas Eruption heavy runic attack if you love blasting enemies away. 

How To Get

The Atlas Eruption legendary chest containing this runic assault can be found in The Forge. After opening the massive gates that take you to The Forge, then continue down the path that is to your right. 

After that, continue heading right, and after passing under a bridge, make a turn by going under the structure that is to your right. Climb the way to the top, then use the ice to stop the geyser’s flow in order to access an elevator hidden in the structure. 

Take the elevator to the upper floor, and then turn left to traverse the next bridge. To locate the legendary chest that contains Atlas Eruption runic attack, ascend an additional ledge and take a further right turn.

Rampage Of The Furies

When you trigger Rampage of the Furies light runic attack, Kratos slashes foes in front of him with robust flurry attacks. The ultimate combo ends with a powerful cross-slash that stretches at the far end and throws the enemy away. 

The best part of using this light runic attack is that it comes with 88 seconds cooldown, which can potentially be further reduced if you equip armor sets that lower cooldown times.

How To Get

The Rampe of the Furies runic attack is in a legendary chest that can be found in the Vanir Shrine. Following the lowering of the connecting bridge, proceed along the passage until you reach a chamber that is full of foes. 

Kill them, then use Blazing Surge to demolish the vines that are impeding your progress by targeting the enormous center blossom of each vine. If you are unsure of where you are, you may locate the target by clutching the edge of a wall on the right side of the room.

After passing through, continue down the road until you reach a new chamber and unlock the gate there. Before you go inside it, you need first use another Blazing Surge to clear away the bush directly to your right and then gaze through the space where the brush used to be. 

You need to look for a fracture in the wall that has a breakable target attached to it. Destroy it, and then go back to the chamber where you were fighting the attackers when you’ve finished. The chest that contains the Rampage of the Furies runic attack will be located on your left, and it will be guarded by a single foe.

Cyclone Of Chaos

This light runic attack is good for dealing massive stun damage to enemies that have already surrounded you or approached you from all directions. You will not be dealing crazy high physical and burn damage, but that is not the reason why you should be using Cyclone of Chaos in the first place.

Cyclone of Chaos light runic attack of Chaos Blades is an excellent attack for crowd control as well. Most of the small-sized enemies are likely to get stunned after you have perfectly hit them with the complete attack. It gives you room to do the finishers and wipe out one more enemy from the field. 

The downside that we think Cyclone of Chaos light runic attack has is that it comes with 125 seconds cooldown time. While more than 2 minutes cooldown is fine, it is usually the ideal downtime for heavy runic attacks in God of War Ragnarok, not the light ones. 

However, if you wear armor set pieces that offer cooldown reduction, then this light runic attack will prove to be the best one for Chaos Blades. 

How To Get

This Cyclone of Chaos runic attack may be found in the legendary chest that is located in the Raider Stronghold of Midgard realm. Once you are there with Atreus of Freya, you must clear the enemies and then make your way to the south exit of the chamber. You will find this location as the exit is blocked by snow, and besides the collapsed snow, you will find the Legendary Chest containing the Cyclone of Chaos runic attack. 

Meteoric Slam

This heavy runic attack not only looks cool, but it also does massive physical damage, a little less than that burn damage and no stun damage. However, if you upgrade the attack to its max level, the Meteoric Slam will also do stun damage and a crazy high physical one as well.

Considering all these reasons, we think Meteoric Slam is the best runic attack of Chaos Blades in God of War Ragnarok. If you want to deal with massive damage, apply the burn status effect and stun enemies as well.

The only downside that we can think of at the moment is 185 seconds cooldown time of the Meteoric Slam heavy runic attack. Other than that, this is a solid runic attack that will clear waves and help you out in tough spots. 

How To Get

The Meteoric Slam is found in the same location where you can also get Breath of Thamur. This runic attack is locked in a Legendary Chest that can only be opened if you kill at least 38 Odin’s Ravens. If you have already done that, then go to The Raven Tree located in the Niflheim Realm, and you will find the Legendary Chest waiting to be opening and containing the Meteoric Slam runic attack.

Best Druapnir Spear Runic Attacks

Draupnir Spear has massive utility and damage output, but the baseline is that this is an excellent ranged weapon. The spear throw is fast, and it is also excellent for pinning down a target in one-versus-one scenarios. 

Artillery Of The Ancients

This heavy runic attack shines the best when you upgrade it fully to level 3. Once you have done that, you will be dealing massive physical damage and moderate Force, plus stun damage to enemies when the spears rain down and strike them. 

Another aspect that makes Artillery of the Ancients one of the best runic attacks is that it comes with a 97-second cooldown. For a heavy runic attack, the lowered cooldown time is uncommon, and there aren’t many heavy runic attacks in God of War Ragnarok that have less than 100 seconds of cooldown time.

We have used this heavy runic attack in the game from the moment we got it till the end game. It helped a lot, especially during Heimdal’s & Thor’s boss fights. 

How To Get

The Artillery Of The Ancients runic attack is not missable as you can obtain this after killing two Dreki bosses that appear during the main story mission called Creatures of Prophecy. After you have defeated both bosses, you will be able to collect the dropped loot, one of which will be the Artillery of The Ancients runic attack. 

Vindsvalr’s Windstorm

When you upgrade this heavy runic attack to its level 3 or max out, it creates an additional cyclone in the field, and the overall duration of the runic attack is also increased. All enemies that come in contact with these cyclones will get hit. 

When you use the Vindsvalr’s Windstorm after maxing out the upgrades, you get devastating impacts, and most of the small-sized enemies that you will have on the field will be stunned completely. 

The only downside or tradeoff right now that we can think of is the higher cooldown time. While 162 seconds is not the highest cooldown time for a runic attack in God of War Ragnarok, it is still high than most ones. 

How To Get

Vindsvalr’s Windstorm is another Draupnir Spear’s runic attack that is not missable. Players can obtain this while defeating the Flame Phantom boss that appears during the main story mission called The Summoning.

After you have defeated the boss, do not forget to collect the loot that you see on the ground. Vindsvalr’s Windstorm will be one of the dropped loot items that you can see after killing the boss in Muspelheim.

Thrust Of A Thousand Soldiers

Thrust of a Thousand Soldiers shines the best when you upgrade this light runic attack to level 3. Once you do that, you get an excellent runic attack that has the highest physical damage output with a 65 seconds cooldown. You can potentially lower this cooldown further if you equip certain armor set pieces that have a chance to reset a runic attack usage upon triggering or cooldown reduction stats. 

When you trigger Thrust of a Thousand Soldiers, Kratos dashes toward a target and implies it with the spear repeatedly. If you keep pressing the R1 button after triggering the ability, Kratos will do more spear stabs. All stabs leave a spear impaled in the body of an enemy, and you can press the Triangle button to detonate them all at once. 

How To Get

There are two methods to obtain Thrust Of A Thousand Soldiers. The first one is during story progression and is missable. However, if you do not get this runic attack the first time, then you can purchase it from the Blacksmith’s Shop after you have completed the story. 

The Thrust of A Thousand Soldiers is inside a Legendary Chest that can be found in Helheim. After you have finished battling the Hel-Traveller, you will move to an area where you have to use the wheel or freeze it to open the gate.

Once the gate is open, continue moving on, and after facing a few waves of enemies, you must follow the route to the right. After that, you will see a golden crack in the wall. Use the Draupnir Spear and break the wall. After that, turn left to look for a hiding spot. You will see the Legendary Chest containing Thrust of A Thousand Soldiers in it.

Honour The Fallen

If you have it unlocked, then unleash this onto enemies if they are near a cliff; all of them will be thrown away after Kratos comes crashing from a devastating leaping attack.

Upgrading the heavy runic attack to its max level will also allow Kratos to do even a massive attack by doing a powerful leap. This is only possible by pressing and holding the R2 so that Kratos charges his attack and then leaps onto targets and land with the spear. Also, this charged attack only becomes accessible if you upgrade Honour The Fallen heavy runic attack to its max potential.

Using this heavy runic attack on Einherjar or Aesir soldiers that are armored proves useful. Most of these enemy types are very hard to stagger or stun, and that is where using Honour The Fallen heavy runic attack shines the best. 

How To Get

The legendary chest containing Honour The Fallen runic attack may be found in the Plains region of Vanaheim realm. Once you are there, look besides the Mystic Gateway and you will find first golden crack in a wall to hurl the spear into. After that, climb down close to the red chest and hurl another two spears in the direction of the glowing golden rocks that are in front of you. 

Then, simultaneously explode each of the three vulnerable cracks and it will give you access to another area. After that, if you look behind it, you will uncover two collectibles and one of which will contain Honour The Fallen runic attack.

Mountain Splitter

Mountain Splitter light runic attack is best for keeping enemies at a distance for a while. When you trigger this attack, Kratos hurls long-ranged wind slices that stagger the enemies when they connect. Once you have maxed out the upgrades of this runic attack, you can potentially launch an extra wave of that slashes for enhanced damage on enemies. 

Using Mountain Splitter gives the best results if you see enemies right in front of you. This is because this light runic attack is not an AoE Draupnir RNC attack, and Kratos hurls long-ranged slashes in the direction he is facing. 

That is why the best approach to use this RNC attack in God of War Ragnarok will be to align as many enemies as possible in front of you and only then trigger the Mountain Splitter.

How To Get

Acquiring Mountain Splitter is not difficult, as you are only required to complete a Favor called Spirit of Rebellion. Once you have done this side quest, you will get 3000 Kratos XP, 750 Freya XP, 30 Whispering Slab, Rebel Leader, and Mountain Splitter runic attack for the Draupnir Spear. 

This runic attack is not missable, and you can collect it even after completing the main story of God Of War Ragnarok. 

Summary

It is important to have the top-tier runic attacks in God of War Ragnarok, besides unlocking the best armor sets, Freya, Atreus, and Kratos skills. While you can pretty much unlock all runic attacks as you progress the main and side quests, the deciding factor for the best runic attacks boils down to the usability of RNC attacks in combat. We believe our list contains easy to get, remember and execute RNC attacks in GOW Ragnarok and you will find them pretty useful as well in your playthrough.   

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