The reboot of God of War is considered by many to be one of the greatest action-adventure titles of all time. Kratos has never looked better, with the switch to a Norse setting aiding the franchise in freshening things up immensely. The trials and tribulations he goes through in his quest to scatter the ashes of his recently deceased wife from the peaks of Jotunheim are genuinely a blast to play through.
Related: Every Game In The God Of War Series Ranked On Campaign Length (& How Many Hours They Take)
During Kratos' journey through Midgard, he'll be assaulted by a whole host of enemies — enemies that can be taken care of with a whole host of impressive moves including Kratos' Runic Attacks. Each of these attacks packs a wallop, with the Blades of Chaos becoming all the more entertaining to use with these Runic Attacks.
10 Gift Of Apollo
Unlike the other entries on this list, the Gift of Apollo doesn't really boast an increase in damage or anything else along the same lines. Instead, it performs the extremely helpful task of allowing players to regenerate their health with each hit from the Blades of Chaos.
This can prove to be a godsend in challenging fights, with the most obvious example being the Valkyries. Players who don't mind sacrificing a bit of damage to ensure survivability during a battle against foes like Sigrun would benefit from this support rune.
9 Cyclone Of Chaos
It was inevitable that this classic technique from the God of War series was bound to make its way into the reboot. The Cyclone of Chaos is a powerful AoE move that allows Kratos to escape from a tight spot at a moment's notice.
It might not be the most damaging move around, but it almost certainly will give the player some breathing room when surrounded by enemies. That being said, there are certainly other AoE moves that the player can use instead of the Cyclone of Chaos — its place in the list comes more from its legendary status in the series as opposed to its overall utility.
8 Fire Of Ares
The Fire of Ares might not be all that powerful without upgrades, with a single paltry blast being serviceable at best. However, it's when players end up upgrading this Runic Attack that ends up being a powerful move in combat.
Related: God Of War: Things Fans Didn’t Realize Happened Between 3 & The PS4 Game
It goes without saying that three blasts are better than one, and the Fire of Ares can absolutely decimate enemies when fully upgraded. Players just need to bear its uselessness early on before they can utilize its fullest potential.
7 Blast Of Hephaestus
Blast of Hephaestus is a move that players would love mainly due to how quick it is. The usefulness of throwing a ranged fireball without wasting any time is the primary reason why most people would opt for this particular Runic Attack over others.
This Runic Attack ends up doing severe damage as well, along with a significant blast radius to boot. These two factors make it a perfect move to blast enemies in front of Kratos without putting themselves in the line of fire.
6 Nemean Crush
Another quick Runic Attack that allows players to clear out foes in front of them without any worries, the Nemean Crush is a personal favorite of many players who are well-versed with God of War's combat system. Clearing out crowds becomes a non-issue with the use of this Runic Attack.
The usefulness of this attack is further bolstered by the fact that it recharges pretty quickly. This, coupled with its high damage, makes the Nemean Crush one of the best Runic Attacks in the game for crowd control.
5 Meteoric Slam
It would be impossible to talk about Runic Attacks that specialize in crowd control without mentioning one of the flashiest Runic Attacks in the game. The Meteoric Slam is a powerful attack that allows players to launch a wide AoE attack that stuns enemies around them.
One can argue that this Runic Attack is the best technique for crown control in the game, allowing players to bash enemies while meteors rain down on them.
4 Hyperion Slam
A powerful slam that causes a destructive explosion upon impact, the Hyperion Slam is easily one of the best Heavy Runic attacks in the game. The sheer amount of damage it can land with a hit makes it an incredibly useful technique that will serve Kratos well in his travels. It certainly helps that this attack looks extremely cool as well when pulled off properly.
3 Tartarus Rage
With Tartarus Rage, Kratos unleashes two damaging blade slams that end up destroying any foe that is unlucky enough to be caught in this flurry. This move ends up being one of the best Heavy Runic attacks in the game due to its damage and versatility.
Related: The Best Armor Sets In God Of War PS4 (& The Worst)
Tartarus Rage is one of the few moves in the game that's equally effective against both groups and individuals. This makes it a perfect jack-of-all-trades that the player can rely on throughout the entire game.
2 Rampage Of The Furies
While AoE attacks are certainly quite useful for obvious reasons, any God of War veteran will attest to the fact that the toughest enemies in the game fight solo. This is why some of the best Runic Attacks in the game are ones that target specific individuals. Here's where Rampage of the Furies comes into the picture. A flurry rush that utilizes the Blades of Chaos in a brutal multi-hit combo, Rampage of the Furies can dish some major damage if timed correctly.
Unfortunately, a big part of what makes this move so risky is that Kratos is pretty much locked into the attack animation, and any enemy that manages to dodge this move can wail at him indiscriminately until he finishes his move.
1 Hyperion Grapple
The strongest single-enemy Runic Attack in the game is the Hyperion Grapple by a country mile. The damage this move does is so immense that it can easily one-shot weaker enemies at a moment's notice.
Nailing this move lead to massive damage and makes some of the tougher enemies in the game an absolute breeze to defeat. The only thing to keep in mind regarding this move is its timing since the Hyperion Grapple is completely useless if the player doesn't have the time to aim at a stationary target.