How to Defeat Valkyries
There are nine Valkyries to find and defeat in God of War. Defeating these optional mini-bosses will be no easy feat, as they each present their own unique set of attacks that will challenge even the most skilled players. This God of War guide will teach you everything you need to know about defeating Valkyries, including helpful tips and tricks, valkyrie difficulty rankings, valkyrie armor rewards, and even more.
Looking for tips on how to beat a particular valkyrie? Click the links below to jump to...
Looking for even more on Valkyries? Why not check out our other comprehensive guides:
What Are Valkyries and How to Defeat Them
The 8 Valkyries (as well as the boss unlocked at the very end) are optional bosses in God of War. Defeating them grants many rewards, including pieces of the Valkyrie Armor. Each is armed with a different set of attacks and appear in various combat arenas, and all must be taken down in battle when you encounter them. Most of them appear in Midgard, however two are found in one of the other realms you can visit.
But aren’t the Valkyries supposed to be warriors for good? Well, they’ve actually been imprisoned in physical forms among the realms, and by beating the helheim out of them, you’re actually freeing them! So these battles are all for good.
Most of the Valkyries can be found behind the diamond-shaped ice seals you'll encounter as early as the Wildwoods, however Kratos won't acquire the means to break them until he gets a specific item by completing The Magic Chisel quest.
Defeating the Valkyries will not only advance the side quest storyline but also earn you some rare, Epic-level loot, including unique enchantments and pieces of the powerful Valkyrie armor, as well as resources needed to upgrade this Epic armor, making it among the strongest sets available in the game.
Defeating the 8 Valkyries unlocks one last, final boss fight, which may be the most difficult 1-on-1 fight in the entire game.
We’ve assembled a guide below to help you find and conquer the Valkyries along your journey, but be warned that these enemies can be very tough. You may want to save them for late or post-game play, especially as completing the main story unlocks the locations of all eight Valkyries on your map automatically.
Valkyrie Difficulty Ranking
The eight Valkyries all vary in how tough they are due to arena size, arsenal, moveset, behaviour and just general strength. You may find one or two Valkyries a little more difficult or easy to overcome based on your arsenal and playstyle, but here's our power ranking for the eight opponents, from easiest to hardest:
#1: Gunnr Level: 4-5 Location: Thamur's Corpse | #2: Kara Level: 5-6 Location: The River Pass | #3: Geirdful Level: 6-7 Location: Foothills | #4: Olrun Level: 5-6 Location: Alfheim |
#5: Eir Level: 5-6 Location: The Mountain | #6: Gondul Level: 6-7 Location: Muspelheim | #7: Rota Level: 6-7 Location: Helheim | #8: Hildr Level: 6-7 Location: Niflheim |
Be warned — outside of the first two or three Valkyries, who are relatively easy to fend off, you're in for a challenge almost no matter what. Now that you're primed and ready to take on an army of Valkyries, here's what you need to know to defeat the individual opponents.
Defeat all 8 Valkyries, and you'll unlock one more, extra-challenging boss fight...
Essential Tips and Tricks for Defeating All Valkyries
Every Valkyrie comes equipped with her own special attacks you'll have to acclimate your play style too. Even still, there are certain general tactics you should apply to all of your fights, which could help edge the battle in your favor.
- Come in Swinging: The Valkyries just sit, waiting for you to initiate combat. You can make sure to land the first blow by charging into each arena and throwing your toughest attacks at them from the start.
- Patience: This can not be stressed enough — taking on some of the tougher Valkyries will require a lot of patience, and some trial-and-error. Learn their attack patterns, dodge often, and study how to most effectively follow up their blows with your own. You’ll find the Valkyries all have tells and a specific set of attacks that can be avoided or countered to maximize your damage.
- You probably won't win the first time: Valkyries are no joke, and their moves and attack patterns are utilized to their fullest extent straight from the start of the fight. There's no shame in dying to one: the more you fight, the more you learn their moveset and how to handle and counter it.
- Don’t neglect your Boy: Atreus’ arrows can turn the tide of battle in these fights. Many of the Valkyries have homing attacks that cannot be easily dodged. Any time a Valkyrie rises into the air and a red circle appears around them, shoot them with an arrow or two to interrupt and prevent the attack, possibly creating a window for your own swings.
- Up your Cooldown and Runic stats: The most effective way to deal damage to the Valkyries is often to spam them with your weapons’ special Runic attacks: you’ll want to use them often and have them be as powerful as possible. So, make sure to equip armor and its enchantments with as much of a boost to these particular stats as possible.
- Always bring a Resurrection Stone: Even with all of the correct preparation, you may fall just a bit short of knocking a Valkyrie out. So it’s always worth having a Resurrection Stone on hand in case you need a mid-fight revival.
- Valkyries drop Healing Stones: At certain health milestones, Valkyries will drop a Healing Stone on the ground. The best time to pick these up are when they're stunned and open for attack: you'll have time to rush over and grab it, but if they're close enough by Kratos' stomp will stagger them a bit, letting you chain into your attack combo!
If you need to return to a Valkyrie fight, you'll gain the ability to travel to any Mystic Gateway after completing The Sickness quest. Every Valkyrie will have a Mystic Gateway nearby for easy access.
How to Defeat Every Valkyrie
Valkyrie #1 Boss Guide: How to Defeat Gunnr
Where to Find Valkyrie Gunnr
Gunnr can be found in the Hidden Chamber of Odin located at Thamur's Corpse. The door and its ice seal are visible from the starting dock when you first arrive, however you cannot break the seal and enter until you get Thamur's Chisel at the end of the level.
The game practically points you to the door by way of Atreus making note of it when you return to the dock, however the boss fight is still ultimately optional.
Video Guide
Gunnr Tips and Strategies
- Recommended Level: 4 for a manageable fight, Lvl. 5 for an easy one.
- Recommended Gear: Play to your strengths for the first Valkyrie fight. Because Gunnr is the easiest of the bunch, you can find what works best for you while getting a taste of what these unique fights are like. Prefer a defensive Kratos? Use gear that elevates your protective stat, or dump all of your points into strength if you'd rather try pummeling Gunnr.
Now is a good time to test out what Talisman you'd like to use for your fights. The Realm Shift talisman is a solid option, as it slows down time for a moment for everything except Kratos, letting you get some easy hits in. As you're acclimating to the speed of these Valkyries, slowing down time at key points in their attacks could make the difference between life and death.
Gunnr has many attacks at her disposal, but most of them can be blocked if you learn the pattern. Her main attacks will either include swiping with her bladed wings or summoning a scythe for a lunging attack.
The "Wing Lunge" heavy attack only occurs at the end of her wing-strike combo on the ground. This will always be with her right-hand wing (Kratos' left), so you must always dodge to the right in order to avoid it (if you dodge left, you'll always get struck by it). If you can avoid this attack, she'll be exposed to several of your follow-up attacks.
Gunnr's other showcase attack is to charge at you with a scythe. You'll either need to parry her first staggering attack or get out of the way, as simply blocking it will knock you off-guard for her follow-up spin. If Gunnr does this attack from the air it will actually lack a follow-up hit. Another option is to use Atreus: his Shock Arrows can stun her out of her leap. - and Atreus can sometimes stun her out of the leap before it lands. Utilize Shock Arrows to disrupt her weaker attacks and dashes so you can follow up with your Runic Attacks while she's defenseless.
As long as you keep Atreus busy peppering the Valkyrie with arrows, you can capitalize on the moments she gets stunned. If you get low on health, remember that Valkyries will drop Healing Stones as you damage her - use Spartan Rage's invulnerability to safely scoop up some Healing Stones. Don't try using Runic Attacks when she's already charging - even if you power through you'll take unnecessary damage.
Valkyrie #2 Boss Guide - How to Defeat Kara
Where to Find Valkyrie Kara
Kara's Hidden Chamber of Odin rests inside the Witch's Cave, which is the underground area beneath her turtle home. To get there, head to the Light Bridges below the ramp up to her home and look for a branch you can get some Shock Crystal from. Look for a nearby elevated wall of red tree sap to throw it at, then have Atreus ignite them with Shock Arrows. Climb up, and the ice seal will be directly in front of you.
Kara Fight Video Guide
Kara Tips and Strategies
- Recommended Level: 5 for a manageable fight, Lvl. 6 for an easier one.
In addition to all of Gunnr's movies, Kara can summon additional level 4 Draugr for Kratos to deal with, which are more of a pain and distraction than a challenge, especially as the fight drags on and Shield, Speed, and Ranged Draugr starts getting thrown in. This distraction can be lethal however because it gives Kara ample space to strike with a surprise attack.
Deal with the Draugr in bulk, using runic area-of-effect attacks to make quick work of them so you can continue focusing on Kara. The Blades of Chaos also work, since despite lower damage they work great for crowd control, ensuring all targets get hit and taken out. Be sure never to take your eyes off the Valkyrie so you can be ready to parry or dodge at a moment's notice.
If you have Atreus' arrows upgraded as well, you can make swift work of them using him as an assist - Shock Arrows with Chain Lighting work wonders here against the Draugr, as do Runic Summons that hinder or damage foes in a wide area.
Thankfully, almost all of Kara's attacks are blockable, some of which can stagger you like Gunnr, although her scythe attacks have no follow-up, and her wing slices don't end in an unblockable jab.
She can however lift into the air and either toss several magical circle blades at you that snake through the air, making it a wiser choice to block than dodge. Her Heavy Attack variation is more dangerous however: it's unblockable and incredibly fast: you'll have to dodge out of the way or suffer the consequences.
Wait for her to come to you and be ready to block and parry any and all incoming attacks, and redirect them at the Valkyrie if you can. Enchantments that give you perks when you parry are also useful here given the number of opportunities you'll have to use.
Valkyrie #3 Boss Guide - How to Defeat Geirdiful
Where to Find Valkyrie Geirdiful
Gierdful's Hidden Chamber of Odin is in the Foothills, the area between the Lake of Nine and the Mountain, accessed by going through the Vanaheim Tower. From Sindri's camp you'll climb up a cliff and pass through several cursed smoke totems, then come upon a tunnel to the left that leads to The Mountain. Instead of doing that, look for another tunnel to its right to find a door with an ice seal on it.
You can get to this spot during your first visit to the Foothills, however you cannot break the seal and enter until you complete The Magic Chisel.
Gierdiful Fight Video Guide
Geirdiful Tips and Strategies
- Recommended Level: Level 6 for a challenging fight, or Lvl. 7 for an easier one.
Valkyrie Geirdiful employs a varied amount of attacks, taking some cues from both Kara and Gunnr, but puts her own spin on things by rapidly darting around to change up attacks. She likes to do some turning wing strikes before darting backwards before she finishes the full combo.
She has a great many unblockable attacks you'll need to watch out for. She particularly likes to throw some wing barbs your way (leaving a trail of fire along the ground), then charging in for a wing jab: dodge to the right to make sure you get out of the way. She may also hold out her scythe and prepare an unblockable force wave - if you see it coming get ready to dodge to the side.
She'll also utilize Kara's magical circle projectiles - both the blockable angled flurry of attacks and the unblockable straight shot. Since she does this often, it can be hard to predict which one she'll send out, so always be strafing while blocking so you have a chance to sidestep the unblockable hit if you don't dodge in time. Keeping an eye out for a red ring is key, as it appears just before she uses an unblockable Heavy Attack.
Her most fearsome abilities come from the air with two different attack methods. If you see her rise up with her arms above preparing an unblockable strike - quickly have Atreus fire an arrow off to stun her out of it. Otherwise, she'll fire a giant shock ring that covers the arena and covers the arena in fog, leaving you at her non-existent mercy as she fires projectiles from the shadows or lunges at you without warning.
Geirdiful also has an unblockable grab: if you see her take to the air and fly in a loop, get ready to dodge to the side, then capitalize on her as he misses and grinds to a halt on the landing. Later Valkyries will use this three times in a row, so get used to this now when it's easier to get through!
Since she likes to move back and forth a lot, it can be hard to get her to stay still for attacks: Axe Throws work fairly well, especially since you can interrupt all of her attacks this way, but never forget to keep your guard up and dodge at a moment's notice. Have Atreus keep peppering her with Shock Arrows, but always leave one open to shut down her blinding attack. Stunning Runic Summons can also slow her down long enough for you to get a good string of combos in.
This is a very reactive fight, so don't be afraid to take it slow and keep up the arrow shots until she comes in close, and then unleash hell until she retreats. Talismans that activate Realm Shift are also extremely useful in this situation.
Valkyrie #4 Boss Guide - How to Defeat Olrun
Where to Find Valkyrie Olrun
Olrun can be found in the Realm of Alfheim. Take the boat from Sindri's beach-side shop down the river and to the Lake of Light: when you arrive there, head left (or North, if you will) and look for a shore to dock the boat at the Light Elf Shore. Once you have, look for a tunnel directly ahead that has a Hidden Chamber of Odin at the end.
You can find this spot during your first visit to Alfheim, however you won't be able to break the ice seal until you complete The Magic Chisel.
Olrun Fight Video Guide
Olrun Tips and Strategies
- Recommended Level: 5 for a challenging fight, Lvl. 6 for a manageable one.
Olrun is a fast fighter, and you may need to keep up with her quick attacks with light attacks of your own - as long slow attacks from either weapon may leave you open to her fast sweeps and lunges. Olrun will go between rushing up to either perform an unblockable jab from her right-wing, perform several wing slashes, or use a spinning wing attack up close that can be lethal if not blocked.
The big thing to remember when facing Olrun is to always move to your right and be ready to dodge in the same direction in order to avoid her dashing red stab.
If she dashes around at range to the side, she'll either follow up with an inward dash or a spinning attack that shoots several wing tip projectiles at you. Be ready when she does the latter, as she may shout "Valhalla!" and take to the air - in which case you'll need to dodge roll at a moment's notice to avoid her unblockable ground pound grab. If you don't do this the instant she jumps up, Kratos will be pinned down and take massive damage from her heel stabs. Use the X button to break her grab and escape, or else she'll keep striking until Kratos is dead.
Most of Olrun's other attacks can be blocked and then punished once they finish. Just remember to block her wing swing attack, then be ready to dodge to the right to avoid the unblockable follow-up stab. If you have a Talisman that allows you to Realm Shift, consider using them to get around her attacks and unleash Runic Attacks when time is slowed to ensure she can't get away.
Valkyrie #5 Boss Guide - How to Defeat Eir
Where to Find Valkyrie Eir
Eir's Hidden Chamber of Odin can be discovered in The Mountain, specifically the central chamber known as the Heart of the Mountain, located just behind the large crashed mine cart with the Rune Read on the back of it.
While you can find this spot during your first visit to The Mountain, you won't have the means to break the ice seal until you complete The Magic Chisel quest.
Eir Fight Video Guide
Eir Tips and Strategies
- Recommended Level: 5 for a challenging fight, Lvl. 6 for a manageable one.
What makes Eir a challenging battle is not Eir herself, but the arena: it is by far the smallest Valkyrie arena, giving you little room to keep your distance and meaning she's always able to quickly close the gap. The most important thing to remember against Eir is that you never want to corner yourself. Always have room to evade either to the sides or behind. All it takes is one or two mistakes for her to gain the upper hand.
Eir introduces a new move: she can shield herself with her wings. Hit her once and the feathers will flare open: hit her again and you'll suffer a deadly counterattack. If you have the Block Break skill, you can double-tap L1 to smash through and leave her open to attack. If you don't have it, a Runic Attack will also get the job done. If you wait too long, she'll do the counter-attack anyway and slash Kratos away with her wings.
Another of Eir's new moves is the mace slam combo. When she does this, roll away from her to avoid an explosive shockwave that inflicts blindness, then roll away a second time to avoid her follow-up attack. This move has a long wind-up, so once you pick up on it it's fairly simple to detect and avoid.
This move this not be confused with the aerial scythe slash. Taken from Gunnr, the very first Valkyrie, this is a light attack that can be either blocked or parried, making it a great opportunity to open up her defenses and go on the offensive for a moment.
Eir's most devastating move however is an aerial version: she'll hold up her mace, spin around in the air, and then throws it into the ground. This attack does massive damage and cannot be avoided due to the small size of the arena. You can prevent her from executing it by either throwing the Axe at her or firing one of Atreus' arrows. The attack has a long wind-up and is marked with the telltale red ring, so you have a large window to remember to interrupt her.
Valkyrie #6 Boss Guide - How to Defeat Eir
Where to Find Valkyrie Gondul
Gondul can be discovered in the Realm of Muspelheim. Getting there will require finding all four pieces of the Muspelheim Language Cipher, which are found inside silver chests spread throughout Midgar. Once you find them all, you can go to Muspelheim via the Realm Travel Room in Tyr's Temple.
Gondul is found in the sixth arena at the very top of the area you can explore in Muspelheim, acting as the eleventh and final Muspelheim Trial. You must complete all ten preceding trials in the five earlier arenas before you can access her. See our comprehensive guide on solving all Trials and Challenges in the realm of Muspelheim.
Gondul Boss Fight Video Guide
Gondul Tips and Strategies
- Recommended Level: Level 6 for a challenging but winnable fight.
Gondul's fight is unique due to the shape of the arena. While it's laterally about the same as the arenas in the Hidden Chambers of Odin, it's the deepest arena of all the Valkyrie boss fights, giving you a unique amount of room to maneuver.
She also has a unique ability that calls down three fireballs across Kratos' position. These leave a swaths of fire across the floor of the arena, which will set Kratos ablaze and deal damage over time if he gets inside them. Her "tell" for this move is to gracefully raise her arms up to the sky while having her wings fully open. If you're having trouble navigating around it during the fight, consider equipping Enchantments that lower fire damage to help keep you alive in the long run.
Gondul has some twists on the usual Valkyrie tricks. Like Eir, she can fly up into the air while screaming "Valhalla" but will first throw a fireball before coming down with the grab to continuously stomp on your throat. Because of this, you'll actually need to dodge twice before you're free to punish. This move is actually a prelude to the later Valkyries, who will use the "Valhalla" stomp three times in a row, all of which you must dodge fast several times in a row.
Gondul will of course employ other familiar Valkyrie tactics - firing wing projectiles, using her wings to slice at you before following up with an unblockable stab from her right side (dodge right to avoid this) - or a spinning attack. Like Eir, Gondul also has the double mace attack that you must dodge backwards from for the initial blow, then get to the side of the follow up. She can also rise up into the air for a massive unblockable strike - so have Atreus ready to interrupt her with arrows: you'll have to be very far away to avoid this attack otherwise. Remember that, like Eir, you never want to be backed up into a corner or against a wall.
Valkyrie #7 Boss Guide - How to Defeat Rota
Where to Find Valkyrie Rota
Rota is the final Valkyrie to be encountered within a Hidden Chamber of Odin. Hers is found in the Realm of Helheim, however you cannot enter the chamber until you complete The Sickness quest.
Once you've done so, return to Helheim and take the path along the bridge from Tyr's Temple to the main road that leads to the Bridge of the Damned. Just before the final large door is a raised pathway with a small bridge on the left leading to a red sap wall. Use Atreus' Shock Arrows to blow the wall apart, and take the lift down to Rota's arena.
Rota Fight Video Guide
Rota Tips and Strategies
- Recommended Level: Level 6 for a challenging but fair fight.
Rota feels like a powered-up version of Olrun, the Valkyrie fought in Alfheim. She's very reliant on dangerous, unblockable attacks, including the flying swoop maneuver that will grab Kratos and drag him along the ground, dealing huge damage. You'll need to dodge this one three times in a row to avoid getting caught.
Rota is also the first Valkyrie to use the "Valhalla" stomp multiple times in a row, although she does mix it up by only stomping once or twice and then attacking some other way. She's also prone to using the ground-based scythe attacks, which are relatively easy ways for you to parry and counter-attack with, opening her up to a quick combo.
Overall though, there's not much new here to distinguish her from the easier Valkyries, making her a test to make sure you're familiar with what are by now the standard Valkyrie movies. While she is more damaging overall of course, you should have all the knowledge and tactics you need to deal with her. This assumes you're coming in with the right gear of course, which applies not just to Kratos but also Atreus!
Valkyrie #8 Boss Guide - How to Defeat Hildr
Where to Find Valkyrie Hildr
Hildr is found within the realm of Niflheim, specifically within the cursed mist maze of the realm. Getting to Niflheim will require finding all of the Niflheim Language Cipher pieces, which are found throughout Midgar. Once you do this, you'll unlock the ability to travel there via the Realm Travel Room in Tyr's Temple.
Once you've prepared yourself to fight Hildr (see below), here's how to get to her:
- First, make your way down to Area D, the arena exactly between Sindri's Shop and the Center Chamber in the middle of the maze. It'll have an Entry Stone pedestal near the middle, and a Nornir Chest.
- Facing the entrance to the Center Chamber, head left through the trap hallway, into a small sub-arena, and then through a second trap hallway to Area A.
- From Area A, head right through another trap hallway to another small sub-arena. You should see a trap hallway directly ahead, and another trap hallway on your left.
- From the sub-arena, head through the left-hand trap hallway to enter Area X, where Hildr can be found!
Preparing to Fight Valkyrie Hildr
Before you even think about taking on Hildr, your first concern should be gearing up to survive the maze itself. We recommend doing the following:
- Complete the Ivaldi's Workshop favor to get into the Center Chamber in the middle of the maze, then do the Ivaldi's Protection favor, which gets you the materials needed to craft mist-enduring armor if you feel you need them.
- Open the Rift Tears in the Center Chamber that require 10,000 and 20,000 Mist Echoes to open. They give you an Axe Pommel and Talisman that will help Kratos survive longer inside the maze. You'll want these so that you can choose non-mist armor with bigger stat boosts if they work better for you.
- In the back-left of the Center Chamber are a pair of Legendary Chests sitting next to each other. The right-hand chest costs 5,000 Mist Echoes to open, and contains the Chilling Mists of Niflheim. You can trade this at Brok or Sindri's for a Frozen Flame to upgrade the Leviathan Axe with!
Hildr Fight Video Guide
Hildr Tips and Strategies
- Recommended Level: Level 6 for a fair fight (plus gear effects that lessen the deadliness of the poison mist!)
Hildr herself is actually a fairly weak Valkyrie with relatively easily blocked and countered moves, and a (relatively) small life bar. The catch of course is that she's in the Niflheim maze, meaning you must defeat her before succumbing to the deadly mist (indicated by the pink mist meter at the top of the screen).
Fortunately there is one positive catch: once you bring her down, the mist meter will be fully restored! This then gives you ample time to either retreat back to the start of the maze, or continue exploring it for more loot and goodies. Another boon (sort of) is that Kratos doesn't die the instant the mist meter runs out: his health will drain rapidly first, giving you a small window to finish off Hildr and refill the mist meter.
Hildr is unique among the Valkyries in that she has by far the single largest arena, which will give you plenty of room to engage her with. One thing to keep in mind however is the trap hallway: this will be random every time you enter the arena, and if it has sawblades (like in the picture below), you need to be careful not to accidentally back yourself into them and get sliced up! A worse proposition are unguarded crushers: THESE WILL KILL KRATOS INSTANTLY!
The main new attack you need to watch out for is her ice attack: here, Hildr fires a barrage of ice chunks at Kratos, before pausing and firing an extra-large chunk as a Heavy Attack (indicated by a red ring). To survive this, block the initial barrage with the shield, then roll to the side when she pauses to avoid the larger chunk of ice. To give yourself the best shot, walk Kratos backwards away from Hildr as you block the ice barrage: the final chunk will take longer to get to you, giving you a larger window to dodge.
The rest of her moveset is similar to other Valkyries you've fought before her. She has Geirdiful's green scythe waves, and also likes to charge at you with a scythe like Gunnr did. She also uses the glide charge across the arena, but unlike Rota she only does this once before stopping, like Geirdiful did. Finally, she's one of the few Valkyries to use Eir's wing shields: use the Block Break skill by double-tapping L1 to knock her off-balance and open to a combo.
Valkyrie Queen Boss Guide - How to Defeat Sigrun
Where to Find Valkyrie Queen Sigrun
Sigun is found at the Council of Valkyries to the North of the Lake of Nine, and can only be challenged after killing the other 8 Valkyries and claiming their helms.
To get to this area, head to the two wooden oarsmen at the Northern end of the Lake of Nine and dock the boat on the left-hand beach. Here, climb up the wall visible on your right and navigate through this area past Sindri's shop. Head through the door at the top and across the bridge to enter the Council of Valkyries.
Once you've made it there, visit the 8 red-lined thrones and place a Valkyrie helm on each one, which will cause a Realm Tear to appear in the middle of the arena. You can interact with it to begin the fight.
Valkyrie Queen Sigrun Fight Video Guide
Valkyrie Queen Sigrun Tips and Strategies
- Recommended Level: Level 7 for a reasonably difficult fight.
- Recommended Runes and Items:
- Superior Resurrection Stone - Resurrects Kratos with most of his health restored.
- Legendary Runic Vestment (Atreus) - This allows Atreus to throw Healing Stones at Kratos when he's at low health, which are automatically absorbed.
- Ratatoskr Runic Summon (Atreus) - Summons a squirrel that will dig up consumbables such as Healing Stones and Rage Stones. Level this up to Level 3 so that he'll dig up three consumables.
- Armor - This depends on how you play, but generally it's best to go with the Ivaldi armor pieces from Niflheim, as their Regenerating Essence perk will have Kratos slowly regain health. Otherwise, choose Epic-rank gear.
- Make sure your equipment is fully upgraded - The Leviathan Axe should be Level 6, the Blades of Chaos at Level 5, the Talon Bow at Level 6 (it'll be red), and your Runic Attacks upgraded to Level 3, and using only yellow Epic-rank gear. For the best chance, your gear should be fully upgraded to Level 8, including Armor, Axe Pommels and Blade Grips.
When you start the fight, Sigrun will immediately emerge from the Realm Tear and slam Kratos into the ground, and while this deals no damage, it means you can't open the fight with your best moves during her awakening animation, since unlike the other 8 Valkyries, she doesn't have one.
The arena you fight in is second only to Hildr's in terms of size, and Sigrund will force you to use every inch of it. There's a little alcove at the gold chain that's of some interest: if Sigrund retreats into it, you can sometimes manage to pin her inside, making her sideways dodges ineffective and letting you rail on her a bit more than usual.
Sigrun has just about every single maneuver the other 8 Valkyries had, from spinning whirlwinds to wing jabs to feather projectiles. They are all even more deadly than before, so you'll need to apply everything that you've learned up to this point. Here's the signature moves of the other Valkyries that Sigrun can throw at you, and how to avoid them:
- Gunnr's Scythe Swipes - These involve charging at you with a Scythe, either from the air as a single attack or from the ground as a double-attack. This is one of the easier moves to parry, making them a prime way to open Sigrun up to attack.
- Kara's Ring Throws - There are two of these: one is a normal attack with multiple rings that snake through the air, and should be blocked. The second is a lightning-fast heavy attack that should be dodged, or interrupted with Atrueus' arrows before she can throw them.
- Geirdiful's Scythe Waves - Sigrun will slash into the ground with her scythe to send a green shockwave Heavy Attack directly at Kratos. Roll to the side to avoid!
- Geirdiful's Wing Flap Shockwave - This is one of Sigrun's most devastating attacks, as it has such a wide blast radius that you have to be on the opposite side of the arena to avoid it. Use Atreus' arrows to hit her when she charges up this move to interrupt her and prevent certain death. The only positive is that, unlike Geirdiful's original, Sigrun's use of this move does not cover the arena in fog.
- Olrun's Valhalla Stomps - Another incredibly deadly move, Sigrun can chain this move up to three times in a row, requiring you to quickly roll out of the way of each and every one (and she won't give it away by shouting Valhalla each time). If you get caught, use the X button to break out of it: she'll crush Kratos until he dies otherwise.
- Eir's Wing Shield - Here Sigrun will form a large shield with her wings, and will counter-attack if struck twice or after a few seconds. Use the Block Break skill by tapping L1 twice to open her up to attack.
- Eir's Mace Swings - This is a double-move where Sigrun will stand on the ground and strike near Kratos with her mace that induces blindness, then follow-up with a huge swing. Dodge both of these!
- Eir's Mace Shockwave - Another incredibly powerful move, here Sigrun will raise her mace, spin in the air, then throw it down for a massive shockwave that means almost certain death. Like the Wing Flap Shockwave, you should use Atreus' arrows to interrupt this: you'll have a fairly large window to do so.
- Gondul's Meteors - In this move, Sigrun will raise her arms to the sky and summon three meteors that smash across Kratos' position, coating the impact sites with damaging fire. Be prepared to dodge twice here: Sigrund loves to come charging in with a wing jab after using this move.
- Rota's Glide Charge - Here Sigrun will charge through the air across the arena directly at Kratos. This requires up to three three dodges, but the window will be larger compared to the Valhalla Stomps.
- Hildr's Ice Barrage - Works exactly as before: Sigrun will fire a stream of ice chunks, then pause before firing a large ice chunk Heavy Attack. Block the first barrage, then dodge roll out of the way in the pause before the large ice chunk is fired.
In this fight vision is key -- Sigrun's biggest attacks all involve her flying up into the air. To make sure you can identify and avoid them, keep your distance from her for most of the fight and never rush in to attack unless she's been knocked off-guard in a major way. This means this fight will probably take longer, but many of her attacks involve her diving toward Kratos. Avoid these and you'll save yourself a lot of grief.
Then, once you've successfully dodged her attack combo, she'll stop to recover for a second giving you a chance to start your own. You can start with a heavy attack then throw down your available Runic abilities. Make sure you have quick Runic attacks equipped that chain together well to make the most of these openings. Runic attacks are a great way to break her wing shield too if she uses it with your first heavy attack (although we still highly recommend Block Break by double-tapping L1).
Sigrun is the most dangerous when she's airborne and the Heavy Attack red ring shows up. This means that she's likely about to use either the Wing Flap Shockwave or the Mace Shockwave, which are all incredibly powerful moves that can kill Kratos in one hit on higher difficulties. To avoid that, have Atreus fire arrows at her: this will interrupt her and prevent the attack from happening, which is far easier than dashing to the opposite edge of the arena.
Atreus' arrows don't damage Sigrun and she has no Stun meter for Light Arrows to work on, so you shouldn't worry about managing his ammo. His summons aren't all that effective either, outside of the Wolves which can occasionally knock Sigrun off-guard. Our pick is Ratatoskr, who'll uncover up to three consumables (like Healing Stones and Rage Stones) when fully leveled up. If you do equip Ratatoskr, make sure you only call him when you plan on using the health, or else they'll disappear after a while. Also remember that Sigrun will drop Healing Stones after certain health milestones, and that she'll be knocked off-guard if close to Kratos when he stomps them!
Breaking off the fight just to grab Healing Stones is highly dangerous, however, so you should consider using Spartan Rage as a safe way to pick them up. Kratos can't be hurt when Spartan Rage is active, so the meter will just lower instead of taking damage. Sigrun's mobility makes Spartan Rage functionally useless for recovering health by attacking her, but activating it is a great way to cancel one of her attacks: pop Spartan Rage to knock her back with the activation shockwave, then cancel it to save rage for later!
One tactic to consider is throwing the Leviathan Axe when she's far away. While it won't use a lot of damage, this will often interrupt her moves before you even know what they are,
This is a long fight, so keep trying!
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