God Of War: The Leviathan’s Best Runic Attacks, Ranked

Highlights

• God of War 2018’s reboot brought a fresh combat system and revamped character, satisfying fans’ anticipation for Kratos’ return.
• The Leviathan Axe and a variety of Runic Attacks add depth to combat, allowing players to unleash powerful, satisfying moves.
• Runic Attacks like Njord’s Tempest and Mists of Helheim offer strategic advantages, essential for crowd control and tough battles.

God of War‘s reboot was a game awaited by many, with PlayStation gamers hotly anticipating a return to form for one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. 2018’s God of War definitely didn’t disappoint in this regard, featuring one of the biggest evolutions any franchise had ever seen. Suddenly, Kratos was back with a bang, and his character had been revamped to make it fit within the modern context of gaming and what fans wanted from their single-player adventures.

Of course, it would be impossible to talk about God of War without mentioning its stellar combat system. Each and every aspect of God of War‘s new combat system feels fresh and satisfying, with the Leviathan Axe serving as a great upgrade to Kratos’ arsenal. Players feel great as they use this axe to wallop their enemies to kingdom come while using its ranged capabilities to spice up combat a bit. To make things even more interesting, players can use a wealth of the Best God of War Runic Attacks to unleash special moves that send most enemies to kingdom come, although the strength and effectiveness of these Runic Attacks vary quite a bit depending on the situation.

Updated on February 21, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra:God of War is one of the greatest video game series of all time, with its reboot helping an angry, one-dimensional Kratos transition to the modern age of gaming in a seamless manner. It was inevitable that Kratos needed to mature to stand out as an enjoyable character, and Santa Monica Studios did a great job of developing his character without losing the furious edge that made him such a likable character in the first place. Throughout his journey across 2018’s God of War, players will unlock a wealth of Runic Attacks for Kratos’ new weapon, the Leviathan Axe, which are extremely satisfying to pull off against the myriad of enemies that players must battle in God of War.

16 Thiazi’s Talon

Heavy Runic Attack: Shoots Forth A Vertical Frost Wave To Damage Enemies

• How to Find: Found in a Legendary Chest in Alfheim

For a Heavy Runic Attack, Thiazi’s Talon lacks punch when compared to the rest of the options that the player can use. Sure, it might recharge quickly, but the damage output is just too pitiful for players to use it all the way till the late game. It’s only a matter of time until players unlock better and more powerful Runic Attacks to destroy enemies with ease.

For what it’s worth, the quick nature of this attack will definitely help players in fights against the Valkyries. After all, getting locked in an animation and becoming easy pickings for Sigrun and the rest of the Valkyries can be incredibly frustrating; consequently, perhaps it’s a good thing after players have access to Heavy Runic Attacks that aren’t too flashy and allow for a quick offensive output.

15 Charge Of The White Bear

Light Runic Attack: A Dash Attack That Imbues The Guardian Shield With Ice And Uses It As A Battering Ram

• How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in the Foothills

The Charge of the White Bear is one of the simpler attacks in Kratos’ arsenal. With this Runic Attack, the God of War can mow down enemies in his path and get some much-needed breathing room, which is quite welcome given how chaotic a battle in God of War can get. It might not be the flashiest technique around, but it’s still pretty effective regardless.

It’s a fun attack to play around with before players move on to more powerful alternatives, and watching Kratos fling his enemies like ragdolls reinforces his allure as the God of War. The Guardian Shield is pretty important to avoid damage, and this Runic Attack helps combine both defense and attack into a tantalizing package that’s safe and reliable… although mistiming this attack or using it in close quarters can lead to some unintentionally hilarious moments.

14 Leviathan’s Wake

Light Runic Attack: An Extremely Powerful Axe Throw That Hits For Serious Damage

• How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Veithurgard

Another simple Runic Attack in Kratos’ arsenal is the Leviathan’s Wake. It’s a simple yet effective attack to clear out enemies in front of Kratos, the benefit of which should be obvious for fans of the game who understand how tough it can be to clear out large mobs at times. After all, getting crowded in God of War is pretty much akin to a death sentence, especially early on when players have no idea how fragile Kratos really is.

Most people would argue that the utility of Leviathan’s Wake is quite woeful when compared to other attacks of the same caliber. However, the quick cooldown makes up for this attack’s offensive deficiencies. This may seem like a small benefit that doesn’t make up for the obvious drawbacks of Leviathan’s Wake, but players will understand just how valuable low cooldowns are in the game when they tackle tougher bosses like Valkyries.

13 Mists Of Helheim

Heavy Runic Attack: Kratos Smashes His Axe Into The Ground, Creating A Lingering AoE Effect That Damages Enemies

• How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in the Iron Cove

More often than not, Kratos will be mobbed by numerous enemies in God of War, which is not an ideal situation in the slightest. This makes it important to find and use a powerful AoE attack that can clear out foes around the God of War with ease. The Mists of Helheim is an especially useful attack in this context, summoning a mist that inflicts damage over time to enemies in the vicinity.

This move isn’t particularly potent when in a one-on-one battle, which is why it’s not the greatest attack around. However, in the context of sheer crowd control, there aren’t many abilities as effective as Mists of Helheim. It’s not all that challenging to switch around Runic Attacks when tackling powerful solitary enemies anyway, making this Runic Attack a great backup for Kratos he’s stuck in a pinch and needs a quick reprieve.

12 Njord’s Tempest

Light Runic Attack: A Rapid, Spinning Melee Attack That Moves Forward

• How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Alfheim. Alternatively, can also be purchased at a shop for 30,000 Hacksilver and 20 Aegir’s Gold

One of the first-ever Runic Attacks that Kratos gets is also one of the most powerful and effective ones. Njord’s Tempest is a reliable Runic Attack that always helps Kratos out of a tight spot without locking him into an overly long animation with no hope of escape at all. By upgrading this attack, Kratos can spin for longer and hit for greater damage.

Players can genuinely use a fully upgraded Njord’s Tempest for the entirety of the game since it can dish out major damage and punish any enemy who becomes greedy in their quest to hurt the God of War! It’s a great move that shows Kratos’ powerful capabilities with the Leviathan Axe, and the fact that it stays relevant till the endgame is a testament to how simple and effective this move is, helping the player out in a wide variety of situations.

11 Tyr’s Revenge

Light Runic Attack: The Axe Is Thrown And Spins Like A Buzzsaw Before Slamming To The Ground And Coming Back

• How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in The Mountain

Tyr’s Revenge has one of the highest damage potentials of any Runic Attack in the game. However, a big problem with this Runic Attack stems from its static nature, which can turn it into a useless attack in the blink of an eye. Thankfully, this is a pretty specific situation, and players who understand the drawbacks of this Runic Attack can adjust their strategy accordingly to make the most of this power.

While this attack might deal a ton of damage if it lands all its blows, chances are that some fast foes will just move out of the way after taking a few hits. This is especially true in fights with high-level Valkyries, who will dart away from this attack after getting hit a few times. So, players should never rely on this attack for every combat encounter since they’ll be punished heavily for not diversifying their strategies in combat.

10 Strike Of The Utgard

Light Runic Attack: Attacks Enemies With A Horizontal Wave Of Frost

• How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Alfheim

At a glance, Strike of the Utgard might seem like one of the more basic and forgettable Runic Attacks. While players can definitely opt for better moves, the true potential of Strike of the Utgard comes when the move is fully upgraded. Of course, this statement applies to almost every Runic Attack in God of Wa, but there’s just something different about Strike of the Utgard that places it in a class of its own.

Suddenly, Strike of the Utgard doesn’t just give the player some breathing room when getting mobbed by enemies; it also ends up being a massive damage dealer that can be useful against either single or multiple opponents, making it one of the more versatile moves in the game. The swift nature of this move is what makes it perfect in a wide variety of situations and gives Kratos some much-needed breathing room if he’s stuck in a tight spot.

9 Fury Of The Ice Troll

Light Runic Attack: Unleashes A Frost Shockwave With A Swing Of The Axe

• How to Find: Inside a Chest in the Volunder Mines

One of the best moves in the game for pure AoE damage, the Fury of the Ice Troll, is a must-have for players who struggle while fighting mobs. A single use of this move will allow the player to quickly get some much-needed breathing room during these claustrophobic encounters. Pairing this move with a great Heavy Runic attack will allow players to become a force to be reckoned with in battle.

That said, it’s important to keep in mind that there are better Runic Attacks that players can use to target solitary enemies, although not many of them are as viscerally cool as Fury of the Ice Troll. The shockwave unleashed by this move punishes enemies for becoming too overzealous in their attacks to damage the God of War.

8 Hel’s Touch

Light Runic Attack: Quickly Unleashes A Blast Of Energy Around Kratos To Knock Back Enemies

• How to Find: Inside the first Legendary Chest in the game

Given that Hel’s Touch is one of the first powers that Kratos gets in the game and doesn’t even deal any damage, players might feel that this move is only a placeholder until they unlock better Runic Attacks. However, over time, players will soon realize that the best way to deal damage to enemies is by stunning them before absolutely wailing at them.

In that regard, Hel’s Touch ends up being a valuable Runic Attack that can last them all the way to the very end of God of War. It’s effective against most enemies and recharges quickly, meaning that players always have the option of falling back on this Runic Attack if the going gets too tough. It may not be the most visually exciting power in Kratos’ arsenal, but that shouldn’t take away from how helpful this Runic Attack is in the heat of battle.

7 The River Of Knives

Heavy Runic Attack: Sends Forth A Line Of Ice Shards, Launching Any Enemy In The Air That Comes In Contact With It

• How to Find: A reward for defeating Jarn Fotr

One of the most powerful techniques in the entire game, The River of Knives fulfills the valuable function of keeping some distance between Kratos and his enemy while still dealing substantial damage. It’s easily one of the most reliable attacks in the entire game due to its high damage output as well.

Players just need to ensure that their enemy is stationary before unleashing this ice attack. As effective as the River of Knives might be, it’s completely useless if the player uses this move without any tact. After all, nothing hurts more in God of War than watching a powerful Runic Attack completely miss its target.

6 Ivaldi’s Anvil

Heavy Runic Attack: A Frosty AoE Attack That Hits For Serious Damage

• How to Find: A reward for defeating Brenna Daudi in the River Pass

It was only a given that this list would feature multiple slam attacks, and Ivaldi’s Anvil is no exception. A Runic Attack that players get early on in their adventures, Ivaldi’s Anvil ends up being one of the best Runic Attacks due to its quick wind-up and devastating damage.

If that wasn’t good enough as is, this move can be upgraded to unleash a follow-up blast as well. All in all, Ivaldi’s Anvil is a reliable and powerful move that players can use throughout their run due to its simple yet powerful utility.

5 Frost Giant’s Frenzy

Heavy Runic Attack: The Leviathan Axe Is Repeatedly Smashed On The Ground For Some Serious Damage

• How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Alfheim

Slam attacks are the bread and butter of Kratos’ repertoire in God of War. In that regard, the Frost Giant’s Frenzy ends up being extremely useful as a brutal AoE move that can absolutely decimate enemies before they even have time to react!

The best part of this move is that players can multiply the number of slams Kratos does with a few upgrades. This turns Frost Giant’s Frenzy into one of the best moves in the game, with its damage-dealing capabilities being perfect for both populated mobs and solo foes.

4 Breath Of Thamur

Heavy Runic Attack: Summons A Violent, Massive Storm That Deals Damage In A Wide Area

• How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Thamur’s Corpse

A move so powerful that it requires way too much grinding to unlock — the Breath of Thamur easily takes the cake as one of the most powerful Runic Attacks in the game. It’s just a shame that the efforts required to unlock this move can be so overbearing that most people won’t even have the opportunity to unlock it.

However, players who do go through the grind required to unlock Breath of Thamur will find themselves enjoying one of the best AoE moves in the entire game. Players just need to be mindful of the cooldown time for this attack, which can be somewhat excessive.

3 Glaive Storm

Heavy Runic Attack: A Homing Attack That Hits Multiple Enemies

• How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Buri’s Storeroom

An absolutely incredible Heavy Runic Attack that decimates mobs with the greatest of ease, the Glaive Storm is arguably one of the coolest attacks in the game. Mobs of enemies can be whittled down with ease after this Runic Attack is unleashed upon them.

Watching the Leviathan fly around the battlefield and destroy any foes in Kratos’ path is quite a blast to witness. Ultimately, a fully upgraded Glaive Storm can destroy most mobs in the game, although players should still think of different Runic Attacks when fighting other powerful solo foes, such as Valkyries.

2 Blessings Of The Frost

Heavy Runic Attack: Buffs The Leviathan Axe To Deal More Damage And Unleash Waves Of Frost With Each Attack

• How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Thamur’s Corpse

At a glance, Blessings of the Frost might not seem all that special. Given the flashy nature of most other Runic Attacks in the game, the idea of applying a passive buff sounds extremely unimpressive in the game.

However, what makes Blessings of the Frost such a useful attack stems from its massive utility. It’s the perfect passive buff to tackle a whole host of enemies in the game and can stun-lock most foes to oblivion. Coupling this move with another Runic Attack allows for wanton destruction of the highest order.

1 Wrath Of The Frost Ancient

Light Runic Attack: Unleashes An Ice Beam That Damages Enemies And Slows Them Down

• How to Find: Inside a Legendary Chest in Fafnir’s Storeroom

With the correct buffs and upgrades, Wrath of the Frost Ancient can become an extremely powerful move in Kratos’ arsenal. Watching this beam cut through enemies like butter is easily one of the most satisfying moments in God of War.

Of course, players do need to be somewhat careful while using this Runic Attack. A lack of proper positioning and aim can turn Kratos into a sitting duck during this move, which can pretty much guarantee his demise against some of the more powerful foes in the game.