Summary
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’sGod of Wardefinitely 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 aboutGod of Warwithout mentioning its stellar combat system. Each and every aspect ofGod of War’s new combat system feels fresh and satisfying, withthe Leviathan Axeserving asa 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 theBestGod of WarRunic Attacksto 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 June 12, 2025, 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.
A rapid, spinning melee attack that moves forward
Unleashes a frost shockwave with a swing of the axe
Tyr’s Revenge
The axe is thrown and spins like a buzz saw before slamming to the ground and coming back
An extremely powerful axe throw that hits for serious damage
Charge of the White Bear
A dash attack that imbues the Guardian Shield with ice and uses it as a battering ram
Wrath of the Frost Ancient
Unleashes an ice beam that damages enemies and slows them down
Strike of the Utgard
Attacks enemies with a horizontal wave of frost
Hel’s Touch
Quickly unleashes a blast of energy around Kratos to knock back enemies
Shoots forth a vertical wave of frost to damage enemies
A frosty AoE attack that hits for serious damage
Mists of Helheim
Kratos smashes his axe into the ground, creating a lingering AoE effect that damages enemies
Frost Giant’s Frenzy
The Leviathan Axe is repeatedly smashed on the ground for some serious damage
Blessings of the Frost
Buffs the Leviathan Axe to deal more damage and unleash waves of frost with each attack
The River of Knives
Sends forth a line of ice shards that launches any enemy in the air that comes in contact with it
A homing attack that hits multiple enemies
Breath of Thamur
Summons a violent, massive storm that deals damage in a wide area
16Thiazi’s Talon
Heavy Runic Attack: Shoots Forth A Vertical Frost Wave To Damage Enemies
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, butthe 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.
15Charge Of The White Bear
Light Runic Attack: A Dash Attack That Imbues The Guardian Shield With Ice And Uses It As A Battering Ram
The Charge of the White Bear is one of the simpler attacks in Kratos' arsenal. With this Runic Attack, the God of War canmow down enemies in his path and get some much-needed breathing room, which is quite welcome given how chaotic a battle inGod of Warcan 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, andwatching Kratos fling his enemies like ragdollsreinforces 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.
14Leviathan’s Wake
Light Runic Attack: An Extremely Powerful Axe Throw That Hits For Serious Damage
Anothersimple Runic Attack in Kratos' arsenalis the Leviathan’s Wake. It’s a simple yet effective attack toclear 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 inGod of Waris 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.
13Mists Of Helheim
Heavy Runic Attack: Kratos Smashes His Axe Into The Ground, Creating A Lingering AoE Effect That Damages Enemies
More often than not, Kratos will be mobbed by numerous enemies inGod 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.
12Njord’s Tempest
Light Runic Attack: A Rapid, Spinning Melee Attack That Moves Forward
One ofthe first-ever Runic Attacks that Kratos getsis 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.
11Tyr’s Revenge
Light Runic Attack: The Axe Is Thrown And Spins Like A Buzzsaw Before Slamming To The Ground And Coming Back
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 fightswith high-level Valkyries, who willdart 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.
10Strike Of The Utgard
Light Runic Attack: Attacks Enemies With A Horizontal Wave Of Frost
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 inGod 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.
9Fury Of The Ice Troll
Light Runic Attack: Unleashes A Frost Shockwave With A Swing Of The Axe
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.
8Hel’s Touch
Light Runic Attack: Quickly Unleashes A Blast Of Energy Around Kratos To Knock Back Enemies
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 thatthe 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 tothe very end ofGod of War. It’s effective against most enemies and recharges quickly, meaning that players always have the option offalling 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.
7The 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
One of the most powerful techniques in the entire game, The River of Knives fulfills the valuable function ofkeeping 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 stationarybefore 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 inGod of Warthan watching a powerful Runic Attack completely miss its target.
