There are a number of Skills that you can unlock in God of War Ragnarok, but it can be hard to decide which to go for first. Fortunately, we’re here to help you make that decision.
Whether it’s choosing which weapon to prioritize or which stylish ability you want to unleash on your foes, picking Skills in God of War Ragnarok is tough.
Shortly after you’ve figured out how to defeat Thor in God of War Ragnarok, you’ll unlock the Skill Tree. It is packed with Skills to unlock, so you’d be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed.
However, there are definitely some abilities that are better than others and far more worthwhile earlier on in your playthrough.
Best Overall Skills to Unlock Early in God of War Ragnarok
If you’re looking to pick up a handful of Skills across the Skill Tree early on in God of War Ragnarok, then you should consider picking up these:
- Extinguish Flames – Cost 250
- Vaporise Frost – Cost 250
- Glacial Rake (750)/Rushing Chaos (500) – depending on your preferred weapon
Extinguish Flames and Vaporise Frost will increase the damage you deal to Frosted and Burning enemies (two of the main enemy types in the game).
Having these unlocked from the get-go will make fighting the majority of enemies a lot easier. They’re also both very cheap Skills to unlock, so they’re absolutely worth getting early on.
Glacial Rake is a Skill unique to the Leviathan Axe, and Rushing Chaos is unique to the Blades of Chaos.
With Glacial Rake, you’ll do damage to a group of enemies, and Rushing Chaos will allow you to sprint and attack with the Blades of Chaos.
Both abilities are great, but if you’re not looking to spend too much XP, then pick the one for the weapon you prefer the most.
Best Leviathan Axe Skills to Unlock Early in God of War Ragnarok
If you want to just upgrade your Leviathan Axe early on in God of War Ragnarok, then you should consider these Skills:
- Extinguish Flames – Cost 250
- Vengeful Sickle 1 – Cost 500
- Glacial Rake – Cost 750
As mentioned, Extinguish Flames will increase the damage you do to Burning enemies, which is very helpful. It’s also cheap, so you can pick it up alongside another Skill very early on.
Vengeful Sickle 1 allows you to throw the axe into a group of enemies and watch as it spins and hits them all repeatedly. It’s a powerful move and one that’s exceptionally brutal at the end of a good combo.
Finally, Glacial Rake, as discussed, lets you throw a bunch of ice into enemies, dealing damage to large groups if you aim it right. It’s powerful and great for crowd control if things are getting heated.
Best Blades of Chaos Skills to Unlock Early in God of War Ragnarok
If you’re hoping to just upgrade your Blades of Chaos early on in God of War Ragnarok, then you should consider these Skills:
- Vaporise Frost – Cost 250
- Rushing Chaos – Cost 500
- Hyperion Grapple 1 – Cost 750
Vaporise Frost, like Extinguish Flames, increases the damage you do to Frosted enemies when using the Blades of Chaos. For a very little XP, this is a handy Skill to have from the get-go.
Additionally, Rushing Chaos will greatly expand your maneuverability across the battlefield. With this Skill, you can sprint (R3) and then launch into an attack (R1), dealing massive damage.
Finally, Hyperion Grapple 1 allows you to throw your Blades of Chaos into an enemy using R1 and then launch toward them. This will help you close the gap between far-away enemies while stunning them.
Of course, you’ll need to get the Blades of Chaos first. So, first, learn how to unlock the Blades of Chaos in God of War Ragnarok.
Best Atreus Skills to Unlock Early in God of War Ragnarok
If you want to put some XP points into unlocking Atreus’ skills early on in God of War Ragnarok, then you should consider this Skill:
- Watchful Protector – Cost 750
Unfortunately, early on, Atreus only has a handful of skills to learn, and they all cost a lot of XP to unlock.
As Atreus has his own pool of XP and doesn’t feature much in the beginning, you won’t be able to unlock any of his skills that early.
So, when you can, you should focus on Watchful Protector. It’ll allow Atreus to take some of the attention away from you in battle, giving you a moment to heal up or regain your footing if you’re struggling.
How to Unlock Skills in God of War Ragnarok
To get a new Skill in God of War Ragnarok, you’ll first need to access the Skill Tree menu and select which weapon you want to unlock a new Skill for. Then, hover over which Skill you want to unlock and hold X until it’s unlocked.
It’s a fairly easy process requiring only a handful of menus. You’ll get used to it, and remember to head back periodically. For a more detailed breakdown of how it’s done, keep reading:
- Press the Touchpad on your PlayStation controller
- Press R2 until you reach Skills (the third tab)
- Select which weapon you wish to unlock a new Skill for by pressing up or down on the D-Pad
- Hover over the Skill you want to unlock by moving the cursor with L3
- Hold X until the Skill is unlocked
You can also disable any Skill that you have unlocked by holding down the Triangle button on your controller.
