With a total of three weapons for Kratos to use in God of War Ragnarok, there are many skills to choose from. Skills are unlocked by purchasing in the skill tree, using XP earned through combat, completing Favors, or finding artifacts in the world. These skills can give either passive bonuses or new combos to use in battle.
Each weapon has its own skill tree, and each tree is broken up into technique, ranged, or melee. While some skills offer similar buffs just to different weapons, others stand out far above the rest and can make your powerful weapons into something even better.
10 Spear Drill
The Draupnir Spear was a surprising addition to Ragnarok. Each of Kratos' weapons have magical properties to them, but an infinitely replicating spear was definitely a fresh idea. Being able to replicate so efficiently makes the weapon perfect for volleys of ranged attacks, only to be detonated after hitting a target.
While the initial throw only does a bit of damage, the subsequent explosion of the spear is the main source of damage. With the skill Spear Drill, slightly charging up the throw helps make the throw much more damaging to the enemy. The charge is very quick, making it easy to use with many throws in quick succession.
9 Pride Of Frost II
The Leviathan Axe is a powerful and hard-hitting weapon right off the bat. Its added combo from Pride Of Frost is perfect for vulnerable enemies and hits multiple times with increasingly strong attacks.
With Pride of Frost II, additional heavy attack slams are possible to continue the combo beyond the previous skill. Should the situation call for you to disengage and dodge, you're able to not commit to the additional attacks, allowing you to adapt to each situation as you see fit.
8 Blazing Explosion II
The Blades of Chaos are perfect for dealing with groups of enemies close to Kratos. With Blazing Explosion, you're able to do distanced AOE attacks on nearby enemies. While the range on this skill isn't very far, it does offer more ranged options for the Blades.
Blazing Explosion II offers a significantly larger blast radius for this skill. The new blast radius makes this attack much more effective and allows for devastating attacks on groups of enemies from a distance.
7 Vengeful Sickle II
Ranged attacks with the Leviatan Axe can be very powerful, and incredibly fun, to use when calling your axe back to you mid-combo. With Vengeful Sickle, a charged-up light throw can lead to an enemy being hit multiple times in a whirlwind of hits.
Along with Vengeful Sickle II, this attack can deal a significant amount of damage for enemies caught within the spinning axes area of effect. This can also leave enemies briefly stunned from each individual hit, and will continue its combo should you switch to a different weapon.
6 Chaotic Rampage III
The Blades of Chaos are already great with many quick attacks usually to a group of enemies in front of Kratos. While the basic attacks deal good damage, Chaotic Rage helps focus the Blades' attacks to a smaller area, for higher damage.
Chaotic Rage III is best against single strong enemies. This final upgrade offers a very effective and long combo that when mixed with ignited blades or other damage buffs can deal staggering amounts of damage to single enemies.
5 Rising Wind II
The first rising wind ability adds the heavy finisher attack to a combo of lighter attacks. The Draupnir spear can be incredibly effective when using heavy attacks, and working in a powerful heavy attack makes its lighter combos much more effective.
What makes Rising Wind II even better is its AOE whirlwind that appears around Kratos after completing the combo. While the spear's heavy attacks do hit a small area of enemies, this whirlwind is able to hit all of those around Kratos for a decent amount of damage.
4 Frost Awakened IV
Frost Awaken allows you to buff your Leviathan Axe for its next attack relatively easily. While the charge-up can be a gamble mid-combat, its subsequent attacks are more than worth the risk. This bonus is then applied to either a ranged or melee attack, both for much more damage and frost than normal.
With Frost Awaken IV, you're able to apply this buff instantly after an attack. If used correctly, you'll be able to juggle these stronger hits while applying the buff to result in multiple buffed attack combos.
3 Draupnir's Call III
Throwing and detonating your spears can do great amounts of damage to unguarded enemies from a distance. The spears' detonation is where the bulk of the damage comes from, and other skills allow for more spears to be thrown at once before detonation.
With Draupnir's Call III, there is an additional detonation for each enemy affected. This skill is perfect for throwing only once or twice at multiple enemies in a group, and still dealing decent damage to each.
2 Furious Immolation
The Blades of Chaos already do significant damage and can leave enemies burning after an intense combo. Should you be able to fill your Immolation gauge and not get hit, this skill will use that gauge to ignite your blades.
The initial igniting of the blades does cause a small AOE blast and will leave your blades on fire for a short time. This increases their damage and burn effect while also generating more rage. This is an all-around massive buff for the blades and should be utilized every chance the immolation gauge fills up.
1 Glacial Permafrost
Much like Furious Immolation, this skill uses your Permafrost bar to enhance the Leviathan Axe for a short time. The duration is not long, but the damage output can lead to many fights being over before the gauge depletes.
Each time you attack with the Axe's light or heavy attacks, waves of frost travel from the axe and through enemies in their path. This makes the Leviathan Axe do significant damage to those being hit and the unfortunate enemies standing behind them.