God of War Ragnarök Guide | How to Get Powerful Early in The Game

With God of War Ragnarök is finally on PC, and a lot of players are hopping onto this game. It can feel a little annoying to start the game from the beginning without all your overpowered endgame gear from the previous game. This guide sort of alleviates that issue.

Here are some things you can do to feel powerful—like a real god—as soon as possible in God of War Ragnarök.

Armor

Fortified Husk Set

You should get the Fortified Husk pieces as soon as you start playing God of War Ragnarök. You'll want to replace your starting armor fairly quickly since they have no special bonuses. During the second main quest, "A Quest for Tyr," you'll be able to craft the Fortified Husk Girdle and Fortified Husk Arm Guards at Brok and Sindri's shop.

You get decent defense and strength from this set, which can be helpful early on, especially at higher difficulties. They also come with a perk that reduces damage from unblockable attacks and attacks from behind while you're blocking.

If you've been struggling to parry in the early game or find yourself overwhelmed by groups of enemies, this perk will help you survive longer. Once you upgrade both pieces to level three, you'll have up to a maximum 50% damage reduction from those attacks—pretty significant when you're still getting the hang of the game.

Nidavellir's Finest Set

Early in the game, you'll come across Fortified and Vidar's chest pieces. Either is fine as a temporary choice, but they won't last long. The chest piece you should look out for is Nidavellir's Finest Plackart, which you can craft once you start the "In Service of Asgard" side quest. This side quest is easy to trigger—you just need to talk to the dwarf at the Nidavellir tavern after a main quest cutscene.

This chest armor shines because it's got solid strength, defense, and vitality. The perk is great, too. You'll regain health over time whenever you execute a stun grab on an enemy. With how stuns are easy to pull off in the early game, and you'll often be using them to finish enemies, this perk will help you stay alive.

Combo this with Atreus's sonic arrows and Kratos's fists, which fill up enemy stun meters faster, and you'll have some crazy sustain alongside your damage.

Pommels

Furious Maul for the Axe

For the Leviathan Axe, I recommend the Furious Maul. You can get this attachment early in the storyline, which boosts your strength quite a bit. It also comes with a nice perk that gives you a chance to temporarily boost your strength after killing enemies with the axe. Since you won't have many grip options early on, upgrading this one to a few levels is a good idea.

Deadly Obsidian Handles for the Blades

For the Blades of Chaos, grab the Deadly Obsidian Handles from a legendary chest in the wetlands of Svartalfheim. The handles give you a solid offensive boost, but if you're looking for more utility, you'll want to switch to the Pommels of the Undying Spark when you reach the Jarnsmida Pit Mine. The pommels boost both strength and runic, and they come with a perk that increases burn damage.

Shields

Stone Wall or Dauntless Shield

In the early stages, you'll have two main shields to choose from: the Stone Wall Shield and the Dauntless Shield. Although both can block regular attacks, the Stone Wall Shield is easier to use since it absorbs energy from blocked attacks and dishes it out when you double-tap block. This shield can also block yellow ring attacks, which break your guard if you try to block them with the Dauntless Shield.

However, if you prefer a more aggressive playstyle, you might want to get used to the parry-focused Dauntless Shield. It rewards precise timing, and if you manage to parry successfully, you'll charge the shield and be able to knock enemies back by double-tapping block. You can shove enemies and generally play more actively with this shield.

Shield Attachment

Rond of Aggravation

Shields in God of War Ragnarök also come with attachments. Early on, you'll likely be using the Rond of Volition, but upgrading to the Rond of Aggravation is recommended after completing "The Weight of Chains" side quest in Svartalfheim. This attachment gives you a high chance of earning a rage burst with successful parries, which synergizes well with the parry-based playstyle of the Dauntless Shield.

Relic

Talisman of Meign

Your first relic will be the Talisman of Meign, which you can't miss as it's part of the main storyline in the Applecore underground mine. This relic gives you a temporary melee damage boost. Although the Talisman can be upgraded to increase both its duration and strength, I wouldn't prioritize upgrading it over investing in other areas like skills and rage abilities.

Runic Attacks

Flames of Anguish

Early in God of War Ragnarök, you'll only have a couple of runic attacks for each weapon. For the Blades of Chaos, your first runic will be Flames of Anguish, dropped by a Dreki during the story. Equip it right away, as there aren't many alternatives in the early stages.

Winter's Bite

You'll get Winter's Bite for the Leviathan Axe after defeating the Stalker. This runic attack is solid, but you'll want to switch it out for Njord's Tempest as soon as you get it from a legendary chest in Althjof's Mining Rig. Njord's Tempest is more versatile and useful in most situations. You might even be familiar with it if you used it in the previous title.

Read our God of War Ragnarök review and the God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla review. Also, check out our other guides below:

- God of War Ragnarök NG+: Every New Details
- God of War Ragnarök Beginner's Guide | 10 Tips to Get You Started
- God of War Ragnarök Guide | How to Unlock Muspelheim and The Crucible
- God of War Ragnarök Guide | How to Get The Zeus Armor Set