God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla — 5 Best Tips for Beginners

Kratos and Atreus’ journey may be over, but God of War: Ragnarok still has plenty of stories to tell, particularly in the world of Valhalla—a brand-new and, fortunately, free-to-play expansion that picks up with the Leviathan axe-wielding grump. Granted, it doesn’t add a huge amount of weight to the preceding narrative, but it does touch base on several ongoing issues, as well as key relationships between side characters including Mimir and Sigrun.

If you have just acquired a copy of the Valhalla DLC, and are in dire need of a few quick pointers before stepping foot into its misty corridors for the first time, then be sure to read on. Here are the five best tips we can currently offer those who are deemed worthy of braving the trials and tribulations of the afterlife.

5. Prioritize Health & Vitality

It won’t be long before you realize that, in order to tread deeper into the world of Valhalla and its chosen realms, you’re going to need to learn how to survive for drawn-out periods of time. However, rather than spending all of your Mastery Seals on fleshing out Kratos’ Strength and Rage, you should aim to prioritize both Health and Vitality, if only to boost your overall health and defensive abilities for later runs in and around Valhalla. This isn’t to say that you should skimp out on the other attributes, but if you can help it, aim to spend the Seals from your first several runs on improving your base health stats. Bottom line is, what good’s an axe if it isn’t the slightest bit durable?

To obtain enough Mastery Seals in Valhalla, you will of course need to loot specific chests and complete other objectives. Specifically, the chests that are often located near Valhalla’s Chosen enemies. Alternatively, you can smash pots and other breakable objects in and around the realms during any of your attempts. What’s more, as you’ll be able to retain your acquired Mastery Seals even after death, you can also build them up to spend at a later time. To do that, simply head over to a Tablet of Reflection either in Valhalla, or adjacent to The Shore.

4. Don’t Neglect Your Arsenal

For every plunge you take into the world of Valhalla, a new web of Runic Abilities and Glyphs will become available, and should therefore be accepted whenever the choices present themselves. That said, the Runic Abilities and Glyphs that you come across will reflect on the Weapon Path you chose prior to entering Valhalla, which means you will need to strategically plan ahead before entering the portal and beginning your next journey. For example, if you opt for the Leviathan Axe Weapon Glyph, then the chests found within Valhalla will automatically assign that particular web of rewards to your accomplishments.

It is worth mentioning that, in order to make serious progress in Valhalla, you’re going to need to divvy up your time and effort to every weapon in your arsenal, and not just the one. Fact is, you will need to take full advantage of your Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, and the Draupnir Spear when push comes to shove — so be sure to mix and match your build for each new attempt.

3. Dying Isn’t Always Bad

Believe it or not, dying within the walls of Valhalla can, and often will progress the narrative. Chances are, if an enemy is simply too tough to beat, then it’s likely that the game, in a tongue-in-cheek sort of fashion, is inviting you to take a knee and return to The Shore. This isn’t to say that you should always go down without a fight, though. If anything, you should aim to give it your all and push until there’s nothing left to act on, if only to test your mettle and the abilities that you’ve acquired so far.

To begin, you will need to die in Valhalla in order to summon Sigrun and a few other familiar allies, after which you will be able to make small steps in order to flesh out your abilities and weapon perks. If you do fall in battle, however, then don’t fret, as each loss will still have an effect on your flourishing skills and make you a lot stronger in the long run.

2. Spend Fleeting Echoes Regularly

As it turns out, Fleeting Echoes aren't things that you'll be able to lug around with you between descents into Valhalla. On the contrary, they can only be acquired and spent once per run, which means you'll need to distribute them whenever the opportunity presents itself at one of the many, many Tablets within Valhalla itself. In other words, if you happen to have a surplus of Fleeting Echoes when nearing the climax of a run, then be sure to splash out on whatever temporary stat boosts you can afford.

Like many things in Valhalla, Fleeting Echoes can be obtained in one of several ways. With that said, for the best odds, aim to smash as many pots as possible in each area before continuing on. In addition to this, you can also whittle down foes in each new area and then cycle back for more. Whatever your preference is, always be sure to load up on Fleeting Echoes before tackling one of Valhalla's Chosen.

1. Conserve Your Rage

When it comes to dealing with the tougher foes in Valhalla, your Rage ability will happily see you through, and in turn, prevent you from onboarding too much damage. However, like a lot of abilities in God of War, Rage doesn't last forever, which means you'll need to conserve it whenever possible. To do this, simply hit L3 and R3 at the same time; deactivating the ability will reserve a set amount of power in the Rage slider.

Of course, the easiest way to regain Rage is to defeat enemies around Valhalla. Additionally, you can obtain small boosts by unlocking specific chests and selecting a perk that grants you a temporary pick-me-up. If you can help it, aim to unleash your Rage during tougher battles, or on Valhalla's Chosen.

So, what’s your take? Do you have any useful tips for God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla newcomers? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.