Runic attacks are back from God of War 2018, and they’re more varied and potent than ever. These special moves are unique to each weapon in the game and offer various forms of attack that deal different amounts of damage, stun, and elemental afflictions. You can equip two per weapon — one light and one heavy — and each one can be upgraded using XP to make them even stronger. You’ll need that extra edge in combat, especially when facing off against the tougher bosses in God of War Ragnarok.
You will naturally pick up a lot of Runic attacks as you make your way through the main story in God of War Ragnarokand while they are easy to manage at first, you will eventually need to make some tough choices. Not only will you need to pick which ones are best, but also which are worth investing upgrades in. With Ragnarok fast approaching, don’t waste any time with the weaker Runic attacks in God of War Ragnarok. Here are the best ones for each weapon.
Note: There will be a spoiler for a new weapon you get in God of War Ragnarok. You pick this weapon up about halfway through the game, so don’t look beyond the Blades of Chaos if you wish to remain unspoiled.
Further reading
Best Leviathan Axe Runic attacks
Light Runic attack — Wrath of the Frost Ancient
For your Light Runic slot, we love the Wrath of the Frost Ancient move. This attack shoots out a freezing beam that deals insane damage and frost status that can absolutely shred enemies at a distance. The more you hold down R1 after triggering it, the farther it reaches. When leveled up to its highest tier, it maxes out on damage and frost stats but has absolutely no stun. Still, when it deals this much damage, who needs stun? The only real downside is the long cooldown of 97 seconds.
Heavy Runic attack — Fog of Fimbulwinter
On the Heavy Runic attack side for your ax, Fog of Fimbulwinter is as deadly as it is cool to look at. When used, Kratos will use the ax to create a wave of frost that hits in an AoE ahead of him, making it great for crowd control. Each tier you upgrade it increases how long the effect lasts, plus the damage and frost. Much like the Wrath of the Frost Ancient, when you max this attack’s level, it will have medium damage, high frost, and no stun.
Best Blades of Chaos Runic attacks
Light Runic attack — Rampage of the Furies
Moving on to Kratos’ old reliable blades, the Rampage of the Furies takes full advantage of what makes swinging these things around so satisfying. When used, you unleash a series of crisscrossing slashes that can hit as many enemies as can fit around you. This is the most powerful Light Runic attack the Blades of Chaos can get, maxing out the stat when fully leveled, plus applying a good amount of burn as well. It doesn’t take too long to cool down, either, at 65 seconds, so you could potentially use it multiple times in combat.
Heavy Runic attack — Meteoric Slam
With a name like Meteoric Slam, you’d expect this move to be the best. This move creates a torrent of fire over an area after slamming your blades down into it. Anything in that area will take tons of damage, good burn, and a bit of stun, too, after being upgraded. Even before the stun is added, the attack itself is strong enough to interrupt and lock down enemies getting hit by it. Obviously, a move this good needs a downside, which is where the cooldown comes in to ruin the fun. You will need to wait a long 162 seconds between uses.
Best Draupnir Spear Runic attacks
Light Runic attack — Huldra Charge
Kratos’ newest tool of destruction comes with a brand new set of Runic Attacks that are quite unique. Huldra Charge is perhaps the best example, as it is a lunging attack that sucks out an enemy’s element. While you wouldn’t expect it, Huldra Charge also has a decent AoE, especially after you upgrade it. At level two, it adds in a wind drill that hits multiple times, and level three creates a protective shell around Kratos while performing the move. With a mere 65-second cooldown, this is an easy attack to pull out.
Heavy Runic attack — The Finger of Ruin
Finally, to fill out your last Heavy Runic attack slot, we pick The Finger of Ruin. This move might actually give Meteoric Slam a run for its money in terms of spectacle, despite a far less impressive name. This move creates a tornado that sucks up and damages all enemies caught in its range. While you can’t control where the tornado goes, upgrading it makes it bigger and last longer, as well as deal more damage, force, and stun to enemies. While that is a bit of a letdown, the real reason some may not enjoy this move is the 211-second cooldown. For our money, though, you should only need to use it once per battle to be satisfied.
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