Summary
The reboot ofGod of Waris considered by many to be one of the greatest action-adventure titles of all time. Kratos has never looked better, withthe switch to a Norse settingaiding 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.
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 inGod of War.
Updated on June 22, 2025 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.
15Wrath Of Artemis
A Damaging Criss-Cross Attack
Most of the Blades of Chaos' Runic Attacks reference the various combos that Kratos could pull off in the originalGod of Warseries. 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 inthe combat ofGod of Warif 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 endorsement since many other moves accomplish a ton of functions aside from just reliability.
14Spartan Charge
An Augmented Shield Strike
This Runic Attack is great for players who want to chargeinto 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 ofGod 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.
13Prometheus Flame
Summon A Massive Fire Pillar
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 powerfulin 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.
12Rage Of The Titans
A Devastating Combo Where The Last Hit Launches Players Into The Air
Players who want to destroy enemies one at a time will love using Rage of the Titans.Watching Kratos leap into actionand 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.
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.
11Icarus Storm
A Powerful Spinning Attack That Decimates Everything In Its Path
Icarus Storm is one of the most satisfying Runic Attacks in the game.Watching Kratosspin 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 inGod 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 inGod of War.
10Gift Of Apollo
Gives The Blades Of Chaos A Healing Effect
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 survivabilityduring a battle against foes like Sigrunwould 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.
9Cyclone Of Chaos
A Circular Attack That Hits Enemies In A Wide Radius
It was inevitable that this classic technique fromtheGod of Warserieswas 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.
8Fire Of Ares
A Wave Of Fire That Is Unleashed After Stabbing The Blades Of Chaos Into The Ground
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.
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.
7Blast Of Hephaestus
A Quick, Fiery Blast
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 toblast enemies in front of Kratoswithout 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.
6Nemean Crush
A Shockwave Attack That Sends Enemies Flying
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 withGod 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.
