God of War Ragnarok sees the return of Kratos and Atreus three years into Fimbulwinter with a lot of training under their belts. Their journey thus far has seen them face down some intimidating characters, traverse beautiful locations, and encounter mythical creatures. Garm is one of those incredible monsters you’ll face, and he makes for a wild opponent after Atreus sets him free.
With most of the realms now in danger because of Garm’s ability to tear open rifts in reality, Kratos and Atreus return to Helheim in order to set things right — even if it means killing the enormous soulless beast. If you’re having a tough time with this fight and are looking for some tips and tricks to defeat the fearsome Garm, you’ve come to the right place.
Phase One: Strike At The Right Moment
Garm is extremely tough and has a lot of health, but the good news is that many of his attacks leave him open to counterattacks. When his face is near the ground, you want to use that opportunity to put down some punishment. Use runic attacks, build status effect (especially fire), and make the most of every opportunity. When Garm hangs back, it’s almost impossible to catch up to him for attacks — focus on blocking and dodging during these moments. It’s right after he attacks that he is most open to being damaged.
Yellow Ringed Attacks
Garm has several yellow ringed attacks. Remember that these attacks, if blocked, will knock your shield aside and potentially leave you vulnerable. However, a well-timed parry can block any damage, and in the case of Garm’s yellow ringed bite, stagger Garm so you can get in some hits.
In addition to the bite, Garm will occasionally slam his front paws on the ground creating a frost wave that you should either dodge or parry. He will also swing around the chain on his neck to attack Kratos. If he’s swinging the chain from side to side, you’ll see the accompanying yellow ring. If he goes to slam down the chain, you’ll see a red ring and need to evade the attack.
Red Ringed Attacks
Garm has a few attacks with the dreaded red ring to look out for. One of these attacks is a ball of ice he shoots out from his mouth. These deal a pretty decent amount of damage, so you definitely want to dodge of out their way.
Once you’ve gotten Garm down to about a third of his health, he will retreat to the edge of the arena and use the ranged attack in rapid succession. He will follow those attacks with a pounce. The ground where he’s going to land will be highlighted with red light, and you want to get out of the area before he jumps down and deals some serious damage.
The attack you need to watch out for the most is Garm’s chain slam that also leaves his chain sitting on the ground. Not only do you want to avoid this attack and its damage, it provides the best opportunity for a counterattack, which the next section will detail.
Grabbing The Chain
Once Garm’s chain is on the ground in front of you, you want to use the Leviathan Axe to freeze it in place. Once frozen, you can run up to the chain and will be prompted to grab it. This grab will result in Kratos bringing Garm down to the ground and allowing you to wail on him for a short period of time. In these moments, you can deal some serious damage and even apply status effects to the creature.
Phase Two: The Chase
This isn’t much of a fight; it’s more of a chase. After believing they’ve defeated Garm, Kratos and Atreus will begin the journey home, only to be attacked by a fully healed Garm once again. You’ll want to run without stopping as much as possible. Weave your way through enemies instead of fighting them, if that’s possible. Move as quickly as you can through the level until Garm blocks your path. Once he’s in your way, throw a weapon at the weak shackle on his paw. This will cause him to back off and allow you to fully engage him in phase three of the fight.
Phase Three: Focus On Weak Points
After a fight that greatly resembles phase one, Garm will heal again, perplexing both Kratos and Atreus. The unstoppable beast seems to be unkillable, which is when Atreus has an idea. He needs to get on top of Garm, which will require you to hit the monster’s collar weak point. It should have a bit of a glow to it, indicating exactly what you’re aiming for.
Once the weak point is broken, you’ll be prompted to enter a quick time event with your Blades of Chaos to chain up Garm while Atreus climbs on top of his head. After this, you’ll trigger a cutscene, closing out the end of an epic battle!
