Image via Santa Monica Studios

5 best shields in God of War Ragnarök

Sometimes a good defense is the best offense.

Anish Nair

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Published: Nov 11, 2022 06:15 am

God of War Ragnarök takes us back to the Norse lands in the shoes of the vengeful ex-god of war of the Greek pantheon, Kratos. He is not as vengeful anymore, having cooled down in the Nordic region, as he tries his best to be a good father to his teenage son, Atreus. Even though he tries to stay out of trouble, trouble seems to find him wherever he goes, in the form of the fighting Norse gods.

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His initial encounter with Baldr in the previous game has escalated to the point where he now finds himself embroiled in the midst of the Nordic apocalypse: Ragnarök. To fight back, Kratos is equipped with a variety of weapons such as his Runic Leviathan Axe and his classic Blades of Chaos, with additional new weapons being added to his arsenal.

One type of armament that generally feels underappreciated is that of Kratos’ shields. In Ragnarök, Kratos is given a choice of good shields to equip through the course of the game. We have listed out the five best shields you can use throughout your journey in the war-torn Nordic lands.

Dauntless Shield

The Dauntless Shield is acquired fairly early in the game. To craft it, you will have to head to the Huldra Brothers’ workshop. It is quite a sturdy shield with nine levels of upgrades. The Dauntless Shield’s special ability is called Shield Bash, which can deal high stun damage to enemies.

If you parry the enemies’ attacks, you can empower your next Shield Bash with even more stun damage. There are two levels of parrying involved: the basic parry empowers your Shield Bash while a perfect parry landing at the precise moment of impact will increase the damage of Shield Bash significantly more than normal.

Upgrading the shield will utilize these resources.

Level one – Hacksilver: 500, Slag Deposits: one
Level two – Hacksilver: 500, Slag Deposits: four
Level three – Hacksilver: 1000, Slag Deposits: eight
Level four – Hacksilver: 3000, Honed Metal: three
Level five – Hacksilver: 5000, Honed Metal: six
Level six – Hacksilver: 7500, Luminous Alloy: two
Level seven – Hacksilver: 11000, Luminous Alloy: four
Level eight – Hacksilver: 15000, Luminous Alloy: six, Dust of Realms: 25
Level nine – Hacksilver: 20000, Blazing Embers: three, Dust of Realms: 50

Guardian Shield

This particular shield is unlocked right at the beginning of the game, being given to Kratos as a gift from his now-deceased wife. The problem here is that it is not in the best working condition initially. When you first receive the Guardian Shield during the “Surviving Fimbulwinter” questline, it is presented to Kratos as the Broken Guardian Shield.

To fix this up back to full strength, you will have to start “The Word of Fate” questline and talk to Brok. He will craft it back to the Guardian Shield and it starts off at level four. Its special ability is Shield Check, which allows you to break the guard of enemies that you parry with the Guardian Shield. The parried enemies can then be further counter-attacked.

Upgrading the shield will utilize these resources.

Level four – Default
Level five – Hacksilver: 5000, Honed Metal: six
Level six – Hacksilver: 7500, Luminous Alloy: two
Level seven – Hacksilver: 11000, Luminous Alloy: four
Level eight – Hacksilver: 15000, Luminous Alloy: six, Dust of Realms: 25
Level nine – Hacksilver: 20000, Blazing Embers: three, Dust of Realms: 50

Onslaught Shield

The Onslaught Shield is acquired relatively later in the game, during the 12th quest in “The Path” main storyline called “Reunion.” Specifically, this shield can be acquired after you defeat the massive wolf, Garm. After the battle, explore around to find a Legendary chest that can be looted to gain the Onslaught Shield. It is a powerful shield that starts off at level six.

Its special ability is called Shield Rush. Activating it will lower the shield down, blocking all incoming attacks, while charging forward to close the gap between you and the enemies. Depending on the distance traveled during the dash, it is possible to launch the affected enemies up into the air, leaving them open for a follow-up combo.

Upgrading the shield will utilize these resources.

Level six – Default
Level seven – Hacksilver: 11000, Luminous Alloy: four
Level eight – Hacksilver: 15000, Luminous Alloy: six, Dust of Realms: 25
Level nine – Hacksilver: 20000, Blazing Embers: three, Dust of Realms: 50

Shatter Star Shield

The Shatter Star Shield is acquired at around the mid-point of the game, during the sixth quest in “The Path” main storyline called “The Reckoning.” This shield can be acquired in Vanaheim by looting a Legendary chest that can be found during the quest line. It is a powerful shield that starts off at level three and builds up to level nine.

The Shatter Star Shield has a special ability called Shield Punch. Holding down block builds up the charge while getting hit depletes the charge. When released, Shield Punch sends enemies flying back depending on how long the attack was charged up. If you release Shield Punch precisely when an attack hits you, you will absorb the blow and add it to your charge, making the attack even stronger.

Upgrading the shield will utilize these resources.

Level three – Default
Level four – Hacksilver: 1000, Slag Deposits: eight
Level five – Hacksilver: 5000, Honed Metal: six
Level six – Hacksilver: 7500, Luminous Alloy: two
Level seven – Hacksilver: 11000, Luminous Alloy: four
Level eight – Hacksilver: 15000, Luminous Alloy: six, Dust of Realms: 25
Level nine – Hacksilver: 20000, Blazing Embers: three, Dust of Realms: 50

Stone Wall Shield

The final shield on this list is the Stone Wall Shield. You don’t have to worry about looting this one because it can be crafted at the Huldra Brothers’ workshop. The Stone Wall Shield also comes with nine levels of upgrades and a special ability called Shield Slam.

This ability allows Kratos to build up charges for as long as he is blocking attacks with the Stone Wall Shield. When you finally release the block, the shield launches a powerful attack, potentially guard-breaking if fully charged. Shield Slam also launches enemies into the air if you release it when it is fully charged.

Upgrading the shield will utilize these resources.

Level one – Hacksilver: 500, Slag Deposits: one
Level two – Hacksilver: 500, Slag Deposits: four
Level three – Hacksilver: 1000, Slag Deposits: eight
Level four – Hacksilver: 3000, Honed Metal: three
Level five – Hacksilver: 5000, Honed Metal: six
Level six – Hacksilver: 7500, Luminous Alloy: two
Level seven – Hacksilver: 11000, Luminous Alloy: four
Level eight – Hacksilver: 15000, Luminous Alloy: six, Dust of Realms: 25
Level nine – Hacksilver: 20000, Blazing Embers: three, Dust of Realms: 50

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Author

Anish Nair

Freelance gaming writer for Dot Esports. An avid gamer of 25 years with a soft spot for RPGs and strategy games. Esports writer for 2 years and a watcher for 12 years. Aspiring author. Dad to a host of animals. Usually found trying to climb ranks in Dota 2, plundering the seas in Sea of Thieves, hunting large monsters in Monster Hunter World, or mining rare minerals in Deep Rock Galactic.