God of War Ragnarok: Where to Find Every Runic Attack

When Santa Monica Studio released 2018’s God of War, the studio changed how the franchise tackles equipment and magic. God of War Ragnarok continues the precedent set by the soft reboot.

In God of War and God of War Ragnarok, players can collect items called Runic Attacks and slot them into weapons. Each rune lets Kratos use a powerful elemental ability that can stun enemies, deal heavy damage, and control the battlefield. Runic Attacks can potentially change the tide of battle, and while they don’t rely on mana, they are balanced out by lengthy cooldowns. Plus, players need to find these attacks before they can use them. That’s the biggest catch of them all.

As with God of War, Runic Attacks in God of War Ragnarok are locked behind significant challenges. Some of these abilities are guarded by powerful bosses, while others are hidden in chests that are stored off the beaten path. Sometimes, you have to revisit an area with some new tools before you can loot these chests. In order to acquire all the Runic Attacks in the game, you need a sharp eye and a sharper mind. Or you could just read this guide.

God of War Ragnarok: Where to Find Every Leviathan Axe Runic Attack

Light Runic Attacks

• Njord’s Tempest: This runic attack is located in a legendary chest in Althjof’s Rig. While facing away from the front of the mining rig, destroy two barrels on your left with Atreus’ Sonic Arrows. Make your way over to the platforms they blocked, kick the chain down, and slide down to the platform with the wheel. Use the wheel to move the hanging anchor swing point up to its highest position, go back up to the chain, and swing across. Make sure to burst through the wall on the far end. Walk to the end of the new area, and open the chest to obtain the runic attack.
• Wrath of the Frost Ancient: This runic attack is located in a legendary chest in The Southern Wilds. From the area’s entrance, head past an archway made of roots (you might see one of Odin’s ravens through it if you haven’t killed the creature already). Make a left when you reach a fork in the road, and keep going until you find a narrow passway. Squeeze through, then follow the winding path into some ruins. Fend off a few attacking monsters, and then head to your left. A crawlspace will be hidden next to the roots, and the treasure chest with the runic attack waits on the other side.
• Skadi’s Edge: This runic attack is located in a legendary chest in The Strond. Look for a tree next to a tunnel. Go through the tunnel, walk to the edge of a cliff on your left, and hop down to a platform underneath. Make a left and destroy the debris blocking your path. The chest is in a cave behind the freshly-shattered items.
• Hel’s Touch: This runic attack is located in a legendary chest in The Burrows. Make your way through the area to a large room with anchor points Kratos can swing to with his Blades of Chaos. At the far end is an exit archway filled with softly glowing light. Climb up to this exit but before going any further, turn around. On your left, look down and to your left to see a surface you can bounce the Leviathan Axe off of. Throw the weapon, and it will ricochet into some nasty growth. Once the gunk is gone, climb up to and past where it was, and swing over to a platform. The treasure chest you’re looking for is right there.
• Winter’s Bite: You obtain this runic attack by defeating The Huntress in Surviving Fimbulwinter. Just continue following the story campaign, and you can’t miss it.

Heavy Runic Attacks

• Ivaldi’s Anvil: This runic attack is located in a legendary chest in The Derelict Outpost. Make your way through the area, and you should eventually find a crane that can only be rotated while holding down a chain. Move the crane into the correct position, use it to swing across a gap, and make your way up a small cliff. The treasure chest with the runic attack should be to your left, right next to a lore marker.
• Breath of Thamur: This runic attack is located in a legendary chest in The Raven Tree. After entering this area, head straight until you see three chests to your left. Turn around and you should see three more. The chest with this runic attack is the leftmost one, but to open it, you have to kill 28 of Odin’s ravens.
• Mists of Helheim: This runic attack is located in a legendary chest in the Cliffside Ruins. Make your way through the area until you reach a room with hanging corpses and a poison totem. Instead of heading down the path blocked by the totem, turn to your left and smash the wooden barricade. Jump down into the room blocked by the slats and then climb up the far wall (after you deal with the poison pustules, of course). Head down this new path while fighting enemies and dealing with more pustules and totems. At the end, climb down a chain, and you will see a lore marker to your right. The chest with the runic attack, meanwhile, will be to your left, but it is encased in gold overgrowth. While standing on the wall overlooking the chest, toss the Leviathan Axe into the explosive vase next to it to free the container and its contents. But, you can’t get to the chest unless you destroy the growths next to the wall. Use a combination of Sigil Arrows and the Blades of Chaos’ Blazing Surge (L2+R2) to destroy the offending material and finally reach the runic attack.
• Leviathan’s Roar: This runic attack is located in a legendary chest in Freyr’s Camp. From the cliff overlooking a big blue ornamental ring hanging from a bunch of vines, head down the path leading to the right. Jump down onto some ground on your left, and from there, back up another wall on your right. Swing across a hanging anchor point immediately to your right, and follow the path into a crawlspace. Once on the other side, head into the building across from the crawlspace’s exit. Jump up to some ruins, then down onto some more ground, and walk down the path immediately to your left (you have to make a U-turn to see it, so it might be on your right when you do). Climb up even more ruins, you will see a zipline. Ignore it. Instead, turn left and jump across to a wooden structure. Climb over to your right, and you will see the treasure chest you’re looking for.
• Fog of Fimbulwinter: This runic attack is located in a legendary chest in the Myrkyr Tunnels. After climbing down into the tunnel, keep walking until you can make a right, followed by a left and then another left. At the end of this path, you will find an impenetrable overgrowth next to a red barrel. Connect the two with Atreus’ Sigil Arrows and use the Blades of Chaos’ Blazing Surge to blow them up. The chest with this runic attack is right behind where the overgrowth used to be

God of War Ragnarok: Where to Find Every Blades of Chaos Runic Attack

Light Runic Attacks

• Cyclone of Chaos: This runic attack is in a legendary chest in the Raider Stronghold. Fight off the raiders and then head towards the room’s other “entrance,” which should be on the far wall from where you entered. This new path doesn’t lead anywhere, but you will find the chest you’re looking for inside.
• Hades Retribution: This runic attack is in a legendary chest in the Temple of Light. After leaping across a chasm flanked by floating platforms with Blades of Chaos anchor points, make a right, and then head up some stairs to your left. You will reach a dead end, so jump down to another platform on your left. Head right, turn left, and then immediately jump down to another platform on your left. The chest with this runic attack will be on your left, nestled under the walkway you just used.
• Rampage of the Furies: This runic attack is in a legendary chest in the Vanir Shrine. After lowering the chained bridge, continue down the path into a room filled with enemies. Kill them, then destroy vines blocking your path by blasting its large central bud with Blazing Surge (you can find the target hugging the top of a wall on the right). Once through, head down the path and open a gate into a new room. Before you continue into it, destroy a brush immediately to your right with another Blazing Surge, and then look through where it used to be. You should see a crack in the wall with a breakable target. Destroy it and then head back to the room where you fought the ambush. The chest with the runic attack will be on your left, guarded by a lone enemy.
• Helios Flare: This runic attack is in a legendary chest in The Abandoned Village. From the central village area with all the Nokken, leave through the elevated building and hop across the stuck Draupnir Spear. Swing across to hanging planks using the Blades of Chaos, and you will find an area with a movable crane. Toss your axe at the crane so you can swing across to a broken bridge on your right, then keep going straight and past abandoned buildings. Follow the path into one of them, then head straight through an archway across from it. Turn right, and follow the patch until you reach another crane. You won’t be able to move this one until you drop into the pit below, head under some ruins, and pull down a pillar with the Blades of Chaos. Once that is out of the way. You are free to climb back up and move the crane so you can jump the pit. Follow the path on the other side, move the crane to make one more leap, and the treasure chest is yours for the taking. 
• Flames of Anguish: You obtain this runic attack by defeating the Dreki in The Quest for Tyr. A powerful enemy for a powerful reward.

Heavy Runic Attacks

• Tartarus Rage: This runic attack is in a legendary chest in the Raider Hideout. After you fight off the ambush, you’ll find the chest nestled in the hideout’s far wall, across from where you entered.
• Nemean Crush: This runic attack is in a Legendary Chest in The Burrows. After destroying Hafgufa’s bindings, a side path will open up next to the room’s entrance. Enter this new area and fight off some creatures. After the ambush, you can claim the treasure chest containing the runic attack.
• Meteoric Slam: This runic attack is located in a legendary chest in The Raven Tree. The chest is directly to the right of the one with Breath of Thamur, but you need to kill 38 ravens before you can open it.
• Tame the Beast: This runic attack is located in a legendary chest in Helheim. After seeing Garm, fight off attacking monsters. Then, take the path to your right and look up at a nearby wall. Throw the Draupnir Spear into it, then head back and use the spear to leap across. The chest with the runic attack should be on the new platform.
• Atlas Eruption: This runic attack is in a legendary chest in The Forge. Open the heavy doors that lead to The Forge (the ones next to the runes about the location), and follow the path to your right. Keep going right, and after you pass under a bridge, pass under the scaffolding to your right so that you make a U-turn. Climb up the path, and freeze the geyser to lower an elevator in the scaffolding. Travel up the elevator and head left across another bridge. Climb up one more cliff and take one more right to find the chest with this runic attack.

God of War Ragnarok: Where to Find Every Draupnir Spear Runic Attack

Light Runic Attacks

• Mountain Splitter: You obtain this runic attack by completing the Favor “Spirit of Rebellion.” Follow the quest instructions, and you should have no problems.
• Thrust of a Thousand Soldiers: This runic attack is in a Legendary Chest in Helheim. After fighting the Hel-Traveller, use the wheel to open the gate, and then freeze it open using the Leviathan Axe and Sigil Arrows. Continue forward, and after fending off some enemies, take the path to the right to toss a Draupnir Spear into a hole. Use the spear to make your way across, and then turn left to find an alcove. There, you should find the chest with the runic attack
• Whisper of the World: This runic attack is in a Legendary Chest in The Jungle. While wandering the area, you will see a dragon (or wyvern) pluck a stag for a quick snack. Take the boat next to that scene and start rowing. Head left, but take a sharp right turn after passing a rock in the middle of the water. Park the boat on the shore there and fend off attacking monsters. Once that is done, from the shore, head to your left. Walk up some stairs, make a right, and jump up to a stone platform — it should have a small chest on it. When up there, head to your right, jump down, and then turn left. Jump across a chasm with some well-placed swings of the Blades of Chaos, and then climb up to a platform. You should see the chest in the distance, blocked by an impenetrable growth. To clear the way, use a chain reaction with Sigil Arrows and Blazing Surge. Jump across to the platform once it is clear of the obstacle, and the chest is yours.
• Huldra Charge: You obtain this runic attack by completing Forging Destiny. Just return to Sindri’s House, and you will acquire this ability.

Heavy Runic Attacks

• Vindsvalr’s Windstorm: You obtain this runic attack by defeating the Flame Phantom in “The Summoning.” The fight isn’t easy, but the reward is worth it.
• The Finger of Ruin: This runic attack is located in a legendary chest in The Raven Tree. The chest is directly to the right of the one with Meteoric Slam, but you need to kill all 48 ravens before you can open it.
• Honour the Fallen: This runic attack is in a legendary chest in The Plains. While facing the Mystic Gateway in the Western Plains section, look to your right. You should see a rock you can throw your Draupnir Spear into. Toss the weapon, but don’t detonate it just yet. Instead, keep walking to your right until you reach an area you can jump down to. From there, head to your left, and you should see two more weak points in the rock, which should be next to a tree. Throw the spear into each, and detonate all three at once. This will reveal a clearing that houses the chest.
• Artillery of the Ancients: You obtain this runic attack by defeating the two Dreki in “Creatures of Prophecy.” One Dreki was hard enough, but two? At least you don’t have to worry about electric attacks this time.