Highlights
- God of War (2018) is considered one of the greatest action-adventure titles, with a Norse setting that freshens things up.
- Kratos goes through trials and tribulations in his quest to scatter his wife's ashes, making for a genuinely enjoyable gameplay experience.
- The Blades of Chaos' Runic Attacks, like Wrath of Artemis and Spartan Charge, are impressive moves that add excitement to combat in God of War.
The reboot of God of War is considered by many to be one of the greatest action-adventure titles of all time. Kratos has never looked better, with the switch to a Norse setting aiding the franchise in freshening things up immensely. The trials and tribulations he goes through in his quest to scatter the ashes of his recently deceased wife from the peaks of Jotunheim are genuinely a blast to play through.
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During Kratos' journey through Midgard, he'll be assaulted by a whole host of enemies — enemies that can be taken care of with a whole host of impressive moves including Kratos' Runic Attacks. Each of these attacks packs a wallop, with the Blades of Chaos becoming all the more entertaining to use with these Runic Attacks in God of War.
Updated on December 28, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra: God of War (2018) was a massive success, paving the way for Santa Monica Studios to go all out in the sequel, God of War Ragnarok, that expanded upon Kratos' journey in new and meaningful ways. The story of Kratos and Atreus, as they went to scatter their mother's ashes, was a treat to witness, and fans loved how their beloved God of War had become more mature after his bloodthirsty rampage to decimate all the gods who wronged him in Greece. Players don't even get the Blades of Chaos until a fair way into their playthrough, with this weapon serving them quite well during their adventure.
15 Wrath Of Artemis
A Damaging Criss-Cross Attack
- How to Find: A reward for defeating Daudi Munr
- Cooldown: 45 seconds
- Type: Light Runic Attack
Most of the Blades of Chaos' Runic Attacks reference the various combos that Kratos could pull off in the original God of War series. The Wrath of Artemis is no exception, being a classic move that is a ton of fun to use in the game. While this move is pretty cool to pull off, it doesn't have any major benefits otherwise.
That being said, it's still a great Runic Attack to clear out enemies in front of Kratos, with its short cooldown time making its use pretty frequent in the combat of God of War if the player allows it to be. The most anyone can say about this Runic Attack is that it's reliable, which isn't a massive endorsem*nt since many other moves accomplish a ton of functions aside from just reliability.
14 Spartan Charge
An Augmented Shield Strike
- How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Helheim
- Cooldown: 91 seconds
- Type: Light Runic Attack
This Runic Attack is great for players who want to charge into the fray of combat. Along with this, it can also help players gain some ground if they're being pinned back, which is always a plus in the frenetic battles of God of War. The closeness of the camera pretty much means that a player's blind spot will be vulnerable at all times, and a move that allows Kratos to be quick helps him tremendously in this context.
Upgrading this attack unlocks an additional shield slam too to clear out enemies. While it might not be the flashiest move around, the Spartan Charge's utility can't be argued against, making it a decent move for players to use if they want Runic Attacks with shorter cooldowns. However, in terms of sheer fun factor, this weapon is arguably the worst of the bunch.
13 Prometheus Flame
Summon A Massive Fire Pillar
- How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Konunsgard
- Cooldown: 152 seconds
- Type: Heavy Runic Attack
Players who want to keep some range between themselves and their enemies can utilize the Prometheus Flame attack to great effect. It's a powerful Heavy Runic Attack that blasts enemies from below in a stylish fashion, making the God of War look incredibly powerful in the process.
It might take a while to set up, but the Prometheus Flame is extremely powerful when it lands. Just try using it less against some of the swifter enemies in the game. Otherwise, Kratos will turn into a punching machine while setting up this damaging attack, which is quite irritating indeed.
12 Rage Of The Titans
A Devastating Combo Where The Last Hit Launches Players Into The Air
- How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Buri's Storeroom
- Cooldown: 91 seconds
- Type: Light Runic Attack
Players who want to destroy enemies one at a time will love using Rage of the Titans. Watching Kratos leap into action and slice any enemy in his way shows why he's such a powerful God of War and one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. The move might not be great to hit multiple enemies but is great in one-on-one combat.
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Just keep in mind that Kratos is locked in this animation for a while and can be hit by attacks during this Runic Attack, so using this Runic Attack strategically is key to dishing out a ton of damage while putting the defense on the back burner. One thing that hurts this attack is its lack of viability against the Valkyries, especially Sigrun. These powerful bosses will barely get staggered by this attack before treating Kratos like a mythical punching bag.
11 Icarus Storm
A Powerful Spinning Attack That Decimates Everything In Its Path
- How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Helheim
- Cooldown: 61 seconds
- Type: Light Runic Attack
Icarus Storm is one of the most satisfying Runic Attacks in the game. Watching Kratos spin around and deal massive damage to enemies around him never gets old, and makes it one of the most popular special attacks that players love to use in God of War.
It's a great move for both group and one-on-one encounters, making it a viable Runic Attack to stick to throughout the playthrough. The best part about this Runic Attack is that it can help players turn the tide of battle if they're surrounded. To top this all off, the cooldown of this move isn't all that high either, which makes a world of difference against tougher foes in God of War.
10 Gift Of Apollo
Gives The Blades Of Chaos A Healing Effect
- How to Find: A reward for completing a Realm Tear in Niflheim
- Cooldown: 197 seconds
- Type: Heavy Runic Attack
Unlike the other entries on this list, the Gift of Apollo doesn't boast an increase in damage or anything else along the same lines. Instead, it performs the extremely helpful task of allowing players to regenerate their health with each hit from the Blades of Chaos.
This can prove to be a godsend in challenging fights, with the most obvious example being the Valkyries. Players who don't mind sacrificing a bit of damage to ensure survivability during a battle against foes like Sigrun would benefit from this support rune. Of course, some players who just want an all-out offense can drop this move without any issues... but discarding this move altogether isn't the greatest move either.
9 Cyclone Of Chaos
A Circular Attack That Hits Enemies In A Wide Radius
- How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Helheim
- Cooldown: 150 seconds
- Type: Light Runic Attack
It was inevitable that this classic technique from the God of War series was bound to make its way into the reboot. The Cyclone of Chaos is a powerful AoE move that allows Kratos to escape from a tight spot at a moment's notice. To top this off, the attack doesn't even have all that high a cooldown either!
It might not be the most damaging move around, but it almost certainly will give the player some breathing room when surrounded by enemies. That being said, there are certainly other AoE moves that the player can use instead of the Cyclone of Chaos — its place in the list comes more from its legendary status in the series as opposed to its overall utility.
8 Fire Of Ares
A Wave Of Fire That Is Unleashed After Stabbing The Blades Of Chaos Into The Ground
- How to Find: A reward for completing the "Hail to the King" sidequest for Brok and Sindri
- Cooldown: 325 seconds
- Type: Heavy Runic Attack
The Fire of Ares might not be all that powerful without upgrades, with a single paltry blast being serviceable at best. However, it's when players end up upgrading this Runic Attack that ends up being a powerful move in combat.
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Three blasts are better than one, and the Fire of Ares can decimate enemies when fully upgraded. Players just need to bear its uselessness early on before they can utilize its fullest potential, which can take some time but is ultimately worth the investment. It's the initial ineffectiveness of the Fire of Ares that leads to it dropping places on this list, but that's a small price to pay for the destruction that is afforded later on.
7 Blast Of Hephaestus
A Quick, Fiery Blast
- How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in the Foothills
- Cooldown: 61 seconds
- Type: Light Runic Attack
The Blast of Hephaestus is a move that players would love mainly due to how quick it is. The usefulness of throwing a ranged fireball without wasting any time is the primary reason why most people would opt for this particular Runic Attack over others.
This Runic Attack ends up doing severe damage as well, along with a significant explosive radius to boot. These two factors make it a perfect move to blast enemies in front of Kratos without putting themselves in the line of fire. The safety of this Runic Attack is undoubtedly its most valuable quality, although some people would prefer jumping into the fray instead of controlling the flow of battle from a distance.
6 Nemean Crush
A Shockwave Attack That Sends Enemies Flying
- How to Find: A reward for defeating Death Eater
- Cooldown: 150 seconds
- Type: Light Runic Attack
Another quick Runic Attack that allows players to clear out foes in front of them without any worries, the Nemean Crush is a personal favorite of many players who are well-versed with God of War's combat system. Clearing out crowds becomes a non-issue with the use of this Runic Attack.
The usefulness of this attack is further bolstered by the fact that it recharges pretty quickly. This, coupled with its high damage, makes the Nemean Crush one of the best Runic Attacks in the game for crowd control. Of course, when it comes to pure fun, there are other Runic Attacks that feel slightly better to use, albeit not by much.
5 Meteoric Slam
Rains Down Fire On Enemies With A Resounding Slam
- How to Find: Purchased in the shop for 100 Smouldering Ember, 10 Crest of Flame, 5 Greater Crest of Flame, and 1 Crest of Surtr
- Cooldown: 250 seconds
- Type: Heavy Runic Attack
It would be impossible to talk about Runic Attacks that specialize in crowd control without mentioning one of the flashiest Runic Attacks in the game. The Meteoric Slam is a powerful attack that allows players to launch a wide AoE attack that stuns enemies around them.
One can argue that this Runic Attack is the best technique for crowd control in the game, allowing players to bash enemies while meteors rain down on them. It might have a pretty major cooldown time, but it's worth it just to see Kratos absolutely decimate enemies with this amazing Runic Attack. That being said, be wary of this lengthy cooldown while going into boss fights, otherwise, players might just be making these climatic encounters harder than they need to be.
4 Hyperion Slam
An Explosive Slam That Deals Heavy Damage
- How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in The Mountain
- Cooldown: 91 seconds
- Type: Heavy Runic Attack
A powerful slam that causes a destructive explosion upon impact, the Hyperion Slam is easily one of the best Heavy Runic attacks in the game. The simplicity of this move, coupled with its amazing damage, makes it a great Runic Attack to use near the endgame.
The sheer amount of damage it can land with a hit makes it an incredibly useful technique that will serve Kratos well in his travels. It certainly helps that this attack looks extremely cool as well when pulled off properly. It's a complete package, and there aren't many Runic Attacks that are better than it.
3 Tartarus Rage
Two Blade Slams That Inflict Serious Damage
- How to Find: A reward for defeating Grendel of the Ashes
- Cooldown: 150 seconds
- Type: Heavy Runic Attack
With Tartarus Rage, Kratos unleashes two damaging blade slams that end up destroying any foe that is unlucky enough to be caught in this flurry. This move ends up being one of the best Heavy Runic attacks in the game due to its damage and versatility.
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Tartarus Rage is one of the few moves in the game that's equally effective against both groups and individuals. This makes it a perfect jack-of-all-trades that the player can rely on throughout the entire game and a worthy addition to the God of War's hefty arsenal. The icing on the cake is its low cooldown time, which is infinitely valuable in the late game.
2 Rampage Of The Furies
A Deadly Flurry Of Blades That Eviscerate Most Enemies
- How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in the Witch's Cave
- Cooldown: 100 seconds
- Type: Light Runic Attack
While AoE attacks are certainly quite useful for obvious reasons, any God of War veteran will attest to the fact that the toughest enemies in the game fight solo. This is why some of the best Runic Attacks in the game target specific individuals. Here's where Rampage of the Furies comes into the picture. A flurry rush that utilizes the Blades of Chaos in a brutal multi-hit combo, Rampage of the Furies can dish some major damage if timed correctly.
Unfortunately, a big part of what makes this move so risky is that Kratos is pretty much locked into the attack animation, and any enemy that manages to dodge this move can wail at him indiscriminately until he finishes his move. This is especially a huge problem against Sigrun, who might flinch for a few hits before moving away and starting an attack before the player even has any time to react!
1 Hyperion Grapple
Uses The Blade Like A Grapple Hook To Wallop Enemies
- How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Tyr's Temple
- Cooldown: 61 seconds
- Type: Heavy Runic Attack
The strongest single-enemy Runic Attack in the game is the Hyperion Grapple by a country mile. The damage this move does is so immense that it can easily one-shot weaker enemies at a moment's notice.
Nailing this move leads to massive damage and makes some of the tougher enemies in the game an absolute breeze to defeat. The only thing to keep in mind regarding this move is its timing since the Hyperion Grapple is completely useless if the player doesn't have the time to aim at a stationary target, but the relatively short cooldown time mitigates the frustration upon a missed attack.
God of War (2018)
- Platform(s)
- PS4 , PC
- Released
- April 20, 2018
- Developer(s)
- Santa Monica Studio
- Genre(s)
- Action , Adventure
