Weapons and Magic
This section covers God of War's weapons and magic abilities. You'll find a breakdown of each, including their power-ups, new moves, and orb requirements.
Blades of Chaos
The Blades of Chaos are Kratos' initial weapon and the one you'll use most throughout the game. The weapon has five levels; powering up the Blade of Chaos increases damage and provides new maneuvers and even some new abilities, such as Rage of the Gods (invulnerability for a short period of time).
It's good strategy to upgrade the Blade of Chaos before all other magic abilities. If you're thorough in red orb collection (seeking out hidden chests, etc) then you can have the Blades of Chaos fully upgraded certainly by mid-game. This provides full damage potential, access to powerful new combos, and access to Athena's Blessing, which bestows infinite magic during the Rage of the Gods invulnerability move.
Take advantage of the Blade of Chaos' long-range attack. Make every effort to avoid getting too close to your opponent. If you begin to move close, use the right-analog stick to roll away. If you're close, an enemy's strike may interrupt your combo and leave you vulnerable for further attack. Roll away then start the combo string from long-range so you can complete the attack.
Some of the Blade of Chaos' strongest moves are those that knock enemies off their feet. The Plume of Prometheus is such a move that's granted from the very beginning of the game. Use the Square, Square, Triangle combo to knock lesser enemies off their feet and vulnerable to additional combo attack to inflict further damage and to also increase the amount of experience orbs you receive.
| LEVEL | ORBS | NEW MOVE | CONTROLLER | DESCRIPTION |
| 1 | N/A | Icarus Lift | X, X | Double Jump |
| Ascension | Hold Triangle | Launch enemies and Kratos into the air | ||
| Orion's Harpoon | Tap Circle | Launch enemy and tap Circle to slam them back to the ground. | ||
| Hades Reverse | Tap L1 | Use just before enemy's attack connects. | ||
| Plume of Prometheus | Square, Square, Triangle | Quick and powerful combo. One of the best ways to knock foes off their feet. Also breaks the shields on certain undead. | ||
| 2 | 1,500 | Rage of the Gods | L3 + R3 | God mode when meter is full. |
| Apollo's Ascension | L1 + X | Simultaneously launches enemies and Kratos into the air. Can follow with Hermes Stomp. | ||
| Apollo's Offensive (Air) | L1 + X | Slam enemies back to the ground with this powerful attack. | ||
| Hermes Rush | R1 | Ground dash attack. | ||
| Hermes Stomp (Air) | R1 | Air attack that drives Kratos quickly to the ground. | ||
| Tempest of the Fates | Square, Square, Square Hold | Space clearing attack used only during Rage of the Gods | ||
| 3 | 2,250 | Cyclone of Chaos | L1 + Square | 360 spin attack. Good for multi-strikes against downed foes. Follow with another combo starter. |
| Cyclone of Chaos (Air) | L1 + Square | 360 spin attack in the air. | ||
| Spirit of Hercules | Triangle, Triangle, Triangle | Powerful but slow combo. Like the Plume of Prometheus but slower. | ||
| Valor of Hercules | Triangle, Triangle, Square | Powerful but slow combo. Can chain into Plume of Prometheus, though slowly. | ||
| Hades Revenge | Square or Triangle or R1 while in Hades Reverse parry pose | Use this attack after parrying your foe. | ||
| 4 | 3,750 | Rising Helios | L1 + Triangle | Multi-hit attack that targets a single enemy. Ends with a powerful ground slam. |
| Falling Helios (Air) | L1 + Triangle | Multi-hit air attack that targets a single enemy. | ||
| Hermes Fury | R1 + R1 + R1 | Multi-hit dash attack. | ||
| Achilles Flip | Right-Analog Stick + X | While evading press X to attack. | ||
| 5 | 9,000 | Lance of the Furies | L1 + Circle | Continue to hold Circle for an even greater attack. Holding Circle basically charges the attack. Use when surrounded. |
| Lance of the Furies (Air) | L1 + Circle | In air, continue to hold Circle for an even greater attack. | ||
| Might of Hercules | Square, Hold Square | Hold Square during combo to unleash powerful attack. | ||
| Athena's Blessing | N/A | Infinite magic while Rage of the Gods is active. |
Blade of Artemis
The Blade of Artemis provides short-range power over a long-range advantage. It's stronger than the Blade of Chaos in terms of damage per strike but it's also slower and, since you must be at close-range, could potentially leave you more vulnerable to enemy attack. You're also a bit more vulnerable after completing combos and certainly more vulnerable after missing your attacks.
Use the Blade of Artemis against lesser undead; it slices through them like butter. It's also a solid weapon against the Cerberus pups. Since the small dogs can quickly reach close-range, the Blade of Artemis is ideal in chopping them into pieces before the pups can grow into their larger counterpart.
It is possible to start combos from long-range with the Blades of Chaos then summon the Blade of Artemis (Hold L1 + R1) for some finishing attacks. Note that there's a slight delay during sword summon. Each new power-up level increases the blade's damage but offers no new maneuvers.
| LEVEL | ORBS | NEW MOVE | CONTROLLER | DESCRIPTION |
| 1 | N/A | Sword Summon | Hold L1 + R1 | Summons the Blade of Artemis to Kratos' hands. |
| Sword Summon (Air) | Hold L1 + R1 | Summons the Blade of Artemis to Kratos' hands while in the air. | ||
| Sword Sheath | Hold L1 + R1 | Sheaths the Blade of Artemis if it's active. | ||
| Wrath of Artemis | Hold L1 + X | Multi-hit sword spin. | ||
| Revenge of Artemis | Hold L1 + Square | Slow but powerful multi-hitting attack. | ||
| Ascension of Artemis | Hold L1 + Hold Triangle | Launch enemies and Kratos into the air. | ||
| Retribution of Artemis | Hold L1 + Circle | Most powerful of all sword attacks. Single strike. | ||
| 2 | 3,750 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 3 | 10,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Table of Contents
-
God of War
- Combat Strategies
- Weapons and Magic
- Bosses
-
Walkthrough
- The Aegean Sea
- The Gates of Athens
- The Road to Athens
- Athens Town Square
- Rooftops of Athens
- Temple of the Oracle
- The Sewers of Athens
- Desert of Lost Souls
- Pandora's Temple
- The Rings of Pandora
- The Challenge of Atlas
- The Challenge of Poseidon
- The Challenge of Hades
- The Cliffs of Madness
- The Architect's Tomb
- The Path of Hades
- End Game
- Treasures
- God of War II
- Unlockables and Treasures
- Trophies
- Guide Feedback
- Forums:
- Game Info:


