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[Updated on August 15, 2024, to revise outdated formatting and improve readability.]
In God of War (2018), Runic Attacks are equippable skills you can give to Kratos to make him deadlier throughout the game’s story. In total, there are 30 moves you can find for both Leviathan Axe and Blade of Chaos. To help you choose which moves you should equip, since you can only equip one Light and Heavy Runic Attack, below is a list of the best Runic Attacks in GoW 2018.
The Best Leviathan Axe Runic Attacks
1. Leviathan’s Wake
- Light Runic Attack.
- Found in a Legendary Chest in Veithurgard.
This Runic Attack is pretty simple to use and in effect, but Leviathan’s Wake is an extremely effective way to clear out enemies. The quick cooldown makes it very popular among players when they have to deal with large mobs.
2. Hel’s Touch
- Light Runic Attack.
- Found in the first Legendary Chest, unmissable.
Sure, this is the very first Runic Attack you get in God of War 2018, and the damage it deals is very weak compared to the ones you get later. But do not underestimate its utility. Hel’s Touch quickly interrupts and knocks back all nearby enemies, making them susceptible to any follow-up attacks in your arsenal. And considering other, more powerful Runic Attacks might need stationary enemies to pull off, Hel’s Touch could be your best friend on the battlefield.
3. Ivaldi’s Anvil
- Heavy Runic Attack.
- Defeat Brenna Daudi in the River Pass.
Another early Runic Attack that you can count on. Ivaldi’s Anvil is a reliable tool for dispatching enemies thanks to its quick wind-up, deals huge damage, and can be upgraded to add additional follow-up explosions.
4. Breath of Thamur
- Heavy Runic Attack.
- Purchased in the Shop for 100x Smouldering Ember, 10x Crest of Flame, 5x Greater Crest of Flame, and 1x Crest of Surtr.
Sure, you will need to waste time farming to unlock it. But once you do, you’ll gain access to one of the best AOE (area-of-effect) Runic Attacks in GOW 2018. However, because of the unlocking requirement and the long cooldown, I won’t particularly recommend it myself.
5. Glaive Storm
- Light Runic Attack.
- Found in a Legendary Chest in Buri’s Storeroom.
(Arguably) the coolest mob clearer attack in the game. Watching the Leviathan Axe fly and decimating every enemy around Kratos will never be boring. Nevertheless, it’s more suited as a crowd-control, which means you’ll have to use other skills when dealing with solo bosses.
6. Frost Giant’s Frenzy
- Heavy Runic Attack.
- Found in a Legendary Chest in Alfheim.
There are quite a number of slam-style Runic AOE attacks in God of War, and one you should use is Frost Giant’s Frenzy. With upgrades, you can multiply the number of slams and make the shockwaves more deadly against both mobs or solo enemies.
7. Blessings of The Frost
- Heavy Runic Attack.
- Found in a Legendary Chest in Thamur’s Corpse.
Despite “only” giving you passive buffs, Blessings of the Frost can be a powerful tool on the battlefield by helping you stun-lock foes. Of course, you will need to pair it with other, more practical Runic Attacks to utilize its full potential.
8. Wrath of The Frost Ancient
- Light Runic Attack.
- Found in a Legendary Chest in Fafnir’s Storeroom.
It makes the Leviathan Axe shoots ice laser beam; what else do you need? To make the most of it, get proper stat buffs, fully upgrade the skill, and line up your enemies since Kratos can’t move while performing this Runic Attack and will be an easy target if you’re not careful.
The Best Blade of Chaos Runic Attacks
1. Blast Of Hephaestus
- Light Runic Attack.
- Found in a Legendary Chest in the Foothills.
Simply put, Blast of Hephaestus is a really quick and practical move that can last you for the whole game. Lobbing fireballs that have a decent blast radius everywhere is an effective tactic when you need to conserve health.
2. Fire Of Ares
- Heavy Runic Attack.
- Complete the “Hail to the King” Dwarven Favor side quest.
At the start, you might feel like Fire of Ares is kind of weak. But fully upgrading it from one straight blast to three is definitely worth the investment since it can burn enemies and deplete their health fast.
3. Meteoric Slam
- Heavy Runic Attack.
- Purchased in the Shop for 100x Smouldering Ember, 10x Crest of Flame, 5x Greater Crest of Flame, and 1x Crest of Surtr.
Having meteors rain down while slamming foes, what’s not to like? Just like Breath of Tamur, this is definitely one of the best Runic AOE attacks for the Blade of Chaos — but you will also need to farm the items to unlock it.
4. Hyperion Slam
- Heavy Runic Attack.
- Found in a Legendary Chest in The Mountain.
Another AOE attack that you should consider is the Hyperion Slam. Thanks to its big damage and simplicity of use, you can rely on this Heavy Runic Attack for most of the game.
5. Rampage Of The Furies
- Light Runic Attack.
- Found in a Legendary Chest in the Witch’s Cave.
AOE attacks are useful for clearing out mobs, but we can’t disregard solo targeting moves either. For tougher solo bosses such as the Valkyries, you can use this brutal multi-hit combo to deal massive damage on a single enemy. But make sure to hit your target, though, because the animation is pretty long.
6. Tartarus Rage
- Heavy Runic Attack.
- Defeat Grendel of the Ashes.
Fans of the series would want this move for a glimpse of Kratos of the older games. When using this attack, Kratos will inflict massive damage by slamming his Blade of Chaos at enemies like the good old days. Thankfully it’s also extremely effective against mobs and single targets as well.
7. Nemean Crush
- Light Runic Attack.
- Defeat Death Eater on the beach beside the entrance to Mason’s Channel.
Nemean Crush is pretty much considered to be the best crowd-control Light Runic Attack by most GOW 2018 players, thanks to its high damage and fast cooldown.
8. Hyperion Grapple
- Heavy Runic Attack.
- Found in a Legendary Chest in Tyr’s Temple.
If we’re talking about damage, then Hyperion Grapple has got to be the best Runic Attack in GOW 2018. However, keep in mind that you have to hit it against a stationary target. Try pairing up with something like Hel’s Touch.
