God Of War Ragnarok features a phenomenal narrative and stunning environments, but one of the most fun and rewarding parts of the game has to be the combat. While many players resort to button-bashing their way through hordes of enemies, God Of War Ragnarok has an array of mechanics that you can use at your disposal. Such is the case with the game’s Status Effects, unique states that each have their own effects on those they are inflicted upon.
Status Effects are built up by performing frequent and consecutive hits with weapons or attacks that deal the corresponding type of damage. For example, to build up the Frost status effect on your opponents, you will have to perform attacks that dish out Frost damage. The first hit dealt will trigger a bar to appear just beneath an enemy’s health bar (which tracks the build-up of a status effect), and subsequent hits will build up the status effect of the type of damage you are dishing out. Now that you know how to build up status effects in God Of War Ragnarok, let’s dive into each individual status condition.
Frost
Frost damage can be dealt with by using Kratos’ trusty Leviathan Axe. The Frost state only has one effect, and that is to slow down enemy movements. Frost can come in handy when dealing with a single opponent. However, it is much less effective when battling with groups of enemies and is ineffective against enemies that are immune to Frost damage. Some of the best ways to build up Frost are through the use of skills such as Frost Awaken and Glacial Rake.
A good skill to utilize with the Frost status is Vaporize Frost (available for the Blades of Chaos), which increases the damage dealt against frosted enemies with blade attacks. With this skill, start off by building up the Frost state on enemies with the Leviathan Axe. Once the state is in effect, switch to the Blades of Chaos for an increased damage boost.
Burn
Burn damage is dealt by the Blades of Chaos. As you’d expect, the Burn state will light enemies ablaze and deal damage over time. Unlike Frost, Burn can easily be applied to multiple enemies due to the reach of the attacks performed with the Blades of Chaos. The best way to build up Burn is through the use of skills such as the Flame Whiplash, followed up with attacks like Scorched Earth and Scorched Sweep. However, Burn can be ineffective against a select few enemies.
A good skill to utilize with the Burn is Extinguish Flames (available for the Leviathan Axe), which increases the damage dealt against burning enemies with axe melee attacks. With this skill, start off by applying Burn damage to your enemies with your blades before switching to the Leviathan Axe to make short work of foes.
Sonic
The Sonic status effect is applied by Atreus’ Sonic Arrows, which are obtained during The Quest For Tyr. When built up fully, enemies afflicted by Sonic will emit concussive waves that can stagger and damage other enemies. These waves can also build up Stun and Sonic through the Sonic Echoes and Sonic Resonance skills. A secondary effect of the Sonic status is freezing enemies in the air whilst they are airborne, which can be useful for putting opponents out of action while you focus on other enemies.
Hex
The Hex status is yet another status effect in God Of War Ragnarok and is applied to enemies by using Freya’s Sigil Arrows. Unlike other status effects, Hex has no inherent abilities on its own, but can be combined with other status effects like Frost, Burn, and Poison. The first use of the Hex state is to increase the effects of other states. To do this, first build up Hex on your enemies, following up by building another state like Burn.
Hex can also propagate other status effects. Such is the case with the Burn state. When Burn is in effect, you can follow up with Hex to trigger an explosion for massive damage on enemies. This explosion can also transfer Burn onto other enemies.
Poison
Poison is quite different from the previous state conditions in the sense that is commonly used against you by specific enemies. However, you can afflict Poison in one of two ways. The first is by equipping the Lundar Lost Curiass chest armor, which gives the player a high chance of afflicting Poison onto enemies through blocking, parrying, and performing bare-handed attacks. The second is to siphon Poison off of enemies with the Elemental Siphon skill on the Draupnir Spear.
Poison’s only effect is to lower the power level of either yourself or your enemies, making attacks deal less damage for a short duration. Enemies that are afflicted with Poison will have a green cloud around them, as well as a green health bar.
Bifrost
Bifrost is another state effect that is often used against Kratos throughout God Of War Ragnarok. However, like Poison, Bifrost can be siphoned from enemies and used against them with the Elemental Siphon skill on the Draupnir Spear. Bifrost has the effect of turning a portion of the player’s or enemy’s health purple, and this portion of health will progressively heal over time. However, any subsequent hits to those afflicted by Bifrost will cause massive damage.
Shock
Again, Shock is a state effect that is usually dealt out by specific types of enemies, meaning you will often be trying to avoid it instead of making use of it. Much like Poison and Bifrost, you can use Shock against enemies by siphoning Shock with the Elemental Siphon skill on the Draupnir Spear. It can also be afflicted to enemies with the Hilt of Ridill Relic. Those afflicted by Shock will be electrocuted, freezing them in place for a short duration. Shock can be a valuable status for immobilizing enemies, making it easier to build up other status effects such as Burn and Frost.
Daze
Daze is a valuable status effect of making use of during your various battles. Enemies afflicted with Daze will become dizzy, making them unable to move during this period. Inflicting this status on enemies is a great way to stop enemy movements, allowing you to easily build up other status effects for extra damage. The best way to Daze enemies is to successfully parry attacks.
