God of War Guide Equipment and Skills Weapons and Shield

Guardian Shield

Kratos carries a collapsible shield attached to his left gauntlet. When you hold down the L1 button, the shield extracts, allowing you to block incoming strikes. Weaker attacks are deflected without incident, while stronger foes may push you back or break the block.

Kratos uses the shield in bare-handed combat, stringing together fist and shield strikes into combos. The shield is best used for parrying an enemy’s attack.

By tapping the L1 button just before an enemy’s strike makes contact with Kratos, you can turn the attack against the enemy and follow up with your own counterattack.

Parries are extremely effective, but the timing required to pull them off can be tricky. A Draugr swings its sword in a deliberate motion; by parrying midway through the move, Kratos knocks it back with the Guardian Shield. Other attacks may take more practice to figure out, but it’s well worth the effort.

Parries are most effective against equal- or lower-level enemies.

Skills

The Shield Combat Skills available to Kratos build on the bare-handed move set and greatly improve counterstrikes. You can even gain the ability to send projectiles back at a long-range attacker with Countering Blast. The Rage Combat Skill tree provides new attacks when in Rage Mode. Invest early in the following Skills and practice your counters to become more effective in combat.

Skill	XP Cost	Prerequisite	Stat Bonus	Requirement
Shield Combat
Block Break Double-tap L1 to break an enemy’s block. This allows you to attack a shield enemy from the front, knocking their shield out of the way and following up with an attack. Block Break can also be used against enemies who block with a two-handed weapon. Weaker enemies can be knocked into the air with this move, allowing you to juggle.	500	None	Create a massive concussive blast on impact that sends enemies flying into the air.
	500	None	Defense	300
Countering Strike Press R1 after a last-second block to counter the attack with a powerful shield strike. This great follow-up to your counters knocks weaker enemies backward. Add extra damage to this attack by knocking the enemy into a wall.	1000	Block Break
	1000	Block Break
Countering Crush Press R2 after a last-second block to counter the attack with a shield slam. Kratos plows his shield into the ground just in front of the enemy, causing damage to anyone in the immediate area. Lighter monsters may pop up into the air, allowing you to juggle them.	1500	Countering Strike
	1500	Countering Strike
Countering Blast Blocking a projectile attack at the last second absorbs the impact and redirects a projectile back toward the attacker. This works against missile-type attacks, such as the Hel-Shadow Archer’s javelin or Projectile Draugr’s fireball. Time slows down for a second, giving you time to alter your aim; you don’t have to deflect the attack back at the caster. Making no adjustment sends the projectile back at the sender.	3000	None
	3000	None
Skill	XP Cost	Prerequisite	Stat Bonus	Requirement
Shield Combat
Guardian Sweep While bare-handed, hold R1 to sweep enemies off their feet and inflict a moderate amount of Stun damage. Kratos performs a powerful strike with his right fist, followed by a shield sweep. This attack has the greatest effect against smaller enemies, as it knocks them off their feet. Bigger foes may become staggered for a moment. You’re vulnerable for a second while performing this move, so use it just after evading or when the enemy is staggered.	1500	None	Adds a medium-range concussive blast that inflicts additional Stun damage.
	1500	None	Defense	250
Guardian’s Justice While bare-handed, hold R2 to perform a shield slam and inflict a moderate amount of Stun damage. After a short pause, Kratos spins around and lunges forward, putting all his momentum into a shield bash. This is a powerful move, but be careful not to start the move with an incoming attack, since there’s a moment of vulnerability.	2000	None	Adds a medium-range concussive blast that inflicts additional Stun damage.
	2000	None	Defense	250
Guardian’s Judgement Press R2 after performing a Guardian’s Justice to a concussive blast to the attack that inflicts a massive amount of Stun damage on enemies. This adds a second powerful attack to the shield slam, significantly increasing the enemy’s Stun meter. The two-hit combo has a great chance to stagger your opponent.	3000	Guardian’s Justice
	3000	Guardian’s Justice
Agile Strike While bare-handed and evading, hold the left stick forward and press to perform a quick attack. Use the Agile Strike to dash in against a vulnerable enemy, and follow it up with a combo. This attack has the ability to knock a weaker foe into the air.	1000	None	Adds a medium-range concussive blast that applies Stun damage.
	1000	None	Defense	250
Haymaker’s Crush While sprinting Bare-Handed, Press R1 to perform a powerful running haymaker attack that sends enemies tumbling a great distance. Catch an enemy off guard by rushing in and hitting with this strong bare-handed strike. If this staggers the enemy, follow up with a combo. Be ready to quickly evade if your opponent is unimpressed.	1500	None	Increased resistance to interruption during this attack.
	1500	None	Vitality	75
Shoulder Barrage While sprinting bare-handed, press R2 to perform a powerful shoulder-ram attack that sends enemies flying back. Rush into a pack of enemies and perform this maneuver to clear the area. Add bonus damage by knocking them into a wall. The distance enemies are knocked back depends on their size and level.	2000	None	Adds a medium-range concussive blast that applies Stun damage.
	2000	None	Defense	250
Guardian’s Revenge Switch stances by quickly pausing after any Bare-Handed attack. Once in new stance, Press R1 to perform a powerful uppercut. Kratos takes a moment to thrust his arms back to the sides, leaving you temporarily vulnerable. The uppercut attack is capable of launching multiple enemies into the air.	3000	None	Increased resistance to interruption during this attack.
	3000	None	Vitality	200
Guardian’s Fury Switch stances by quickly pausing after any Bare-Handed attack. Once in new stance, Press R2 to perform a leaping shield attack. This provides the ability to attack from a distance out of the delay stance.	2000	Guardian’s Revenge	Increased resistance to interruption during this attack.
	2000	Guardian’s Revenge	Vitality	200
Rage Combat
Fury Strike (In Spartan Rage) Press R1 to perform a dashing punch to an enemy. Press again repeatedly to deliver a combo of rapid blows.	0	None
	0	None
Fury Drive (In Spartan Rage) Hold R1 to deliver a forceful haymaker that knocks enemies backward at great speed. Hit the enemy into another or the wall for added effect. Fury Drive has the potential to greatly increase a foe’s Stun meter.	500	Fury Strike
	500	Fury Strike
Fury Beatdown (In Spartan Rage) Continue pressing R1 to extend the length of punches after a Fury Strike.	1500	Fury Drive
	1500	Fury Drive
Spartan Stomp (In Spartan Rage) Press L1 to do a quick stomp that damages and disrupts all nearby enemies. Use the stomp to clear out a group of enemies and stagger them.	1000	None
	1000	None
Spartan Surge (In Spartan Rage) Hold L1 to charge up a powerful stomp that can launch nearby enemies airborne.	3000	Spartan Stomp
	3000	Spartan Stomp
Raging Smash (In Spartan Rage) Press R2 to jump into the air and slam back down with extreme force, blasting away enemies in front of you.	0	None
	0	None
Raging Ultimatum (In Spartan Rage) Hold R2 to perform a more powerful Raging Smash attack with a much wider area-of-effect. Use this stronger attack against groups of grunts to quickly wipe them out in Rage Mode. Adjust your aim while charging the leap when your enemies are on the move.	4500	Raging Smash
	4500	Raging Smash
Seething Earth (In Spartan Rage) Press L2 to pick up and hurl a large boulder from the ground that explodes on impact and deals massive damage. Bring out your inner Ogre with this powerful attack.	10000	Raging Ultimatum
	10000	Raging Ultimatum