Enemy Compendium#

First, the ground rules: God of War Ragnarök never published health, damage, or drop-rate numbers for any enemy, and unlike the previous entry it has no bestiary-style catalog. So this page offers no “how much HP does enemy X have” data table; it explains the system rules first, then gives comparison tables by faction and family. Every criterion comes from feedback you can observe directly in combat — the stun bar, red-ring tells, and how shields and crystal armor behave. The enemy roster of God of War (2018) (Ancients, recurring Valkyries, and so on) does not carry over to this game; the old page’s corresponding errors are corrected one by one in the revision notes at the end.

Combat Signal Criteria: Read Three Systems First#

1. Attack Tell Colors#

• Yellow ring (gold circle): blockable, and most can also be parried — the main input window for counters.
• Red ring (red circle): unblockable; you must dodge, jump, or use a shield rush to open distance.
• Unmarked combos: mostly regular swings from fodder enemies; holding block or sidestepping early neutralizes them.

2. Stun and Finishers#

Sustained attacks and runic attacks build the enemy’s stun bar. When it fills, the enemy staggers and an execution prompt lights up — triggering it instantly finishes regular enemies and chunks a large share of an elite’s poise. Against packs, spend stun resources on the elite first; fodder usually gets wiped out by chained executions and stagger.

3. Armor, Shields, and Crystal Hide#

Three kinds of “can’t hurt it” need separating:

For the full mechanics of shields, blocking, and parrying, see the Combat System page; for how the three weapons (Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, Draupnir Spear) differ in elements and combos, see the Weapons Guide page.

Enemy Tiers#

Enemy Families by Faction#

Draugr: the Nine Realms’ most common undead legion#

Draugr are the basic undead that appear from start to finish — you’ll meet them in the wilds and caves of Midgard, Svartalfheim, Helheim, and Vanaheim. They fight with rusted blades and shields, throw weapons, and swarm in packs; some spit venom or carry fire, but their moves have obvious wind-ups, making them the best practice targets for parries and executions.

Response criteria:

• They move noticeably slower when frozen; controlling them with the Leviathan Axe before closing in for melee is the most reliable approach.
• In packs, kill the individuals with ranged options first so throws don’t interrupt your combos.
• Draugr Holes on the overworld keep spawning Draugr; after you kill the final strong individual the hole closes, and the rewards include Chaos Flames — the Blades of Chaos upgrade collectible — making these must-clear optional fights.

Einherjar: Odin’s resurrected legion#

Einherjar are Asgard’s army of warriors resurrected after death under Odin. They appear in large numbers starting with the Svartalfheim story segment, and afterwards across every realm Asgard touches and in the Muspelheim trials. Loadouts roughly split into shield-and-spear soldiers, two-handed pressurers, and archers; the glow of Bifrost energy in their attack wind-ups is the most direct way to recognize them.

Response criteria:

• Shield-bearers block firmly from the front; heavy attacks, spear-throw detonations, or flanking shield-breaks leave them in a long, obvious stagger.
• Archers snipe from range; tag them first with throws or runic attacks so they don’t chip you during melee.
• Red-ring thrusts and sweeps appear often — don’t build the muscle memory of blocking everything.

Hel-Walkers: the twisted undead of Helheim#

Hel-Walkers spawn in groups only around Helheim; their unstable torsos are the identifying feature — they pull blades out of their own bodies, sprout extra arms for wide sweeps, and some hurl weapons from range. Their threat is not single-hit damage but the red-ring moves mixed into multi-hit combos.

Response criteria:

• Don’t greed melee hits; the gaps in their combos usually fit only one or two hits.
• Sidestep rather than retreat — their sweeps cover a huge arc.
• No special elemental resistance observed; the Axe’s frost control still works well.

Reavers: human raiders of Midgard’s snowfields#

Reavers are humans turned bandits during Fimbulwinter, concentrated in Midgard’s snowfields and abandoned settlements, armed from sword-and-shield to two-handed axes; some patrols bring wolves along. Human enemies have weak poise and are the easiest type to clear quickly with combos and executions.

Response criteria:

• Stun builds fast; a regular combo into an execution handles most of them.
• For squads with wolves, pull the wolves aside and kill them first — humans pinned down by wolves are very hard to deal with.
• Some individuals enter a frenzy that speeds up their offense; red-ring tells still apply, so just react by color.

Grim: crocodilian brutes of Svartalfheim#

Grim are the most common four-legged brutes in Svartalfheim’s mines and wetlands. They roam in groups, fighting with charges, tail swings, and pounces. Thick-hided but slow to turn, with obvious attack intent.

Response criteria:

• A charged low growl precedes every charge; sidestep and hit the back — the standard routine.
• A clear pause follows each pounce landing; that’s the main damage window.
• In packs, clear them with Blades of Chaos AoE combos or runic attacks, and never get surrounded.

Beasts and Wolves: fast units of the northern wilds#

Wolves appear in packs on Midgard’s snowfields — extremely fast but fragile; one runic attack or AoE combo clears them. The Wulver is an upright wolf-like brute whose claw swings and charges home in, a far bigger threat than ordinary packs — treat it near-elite level.

Response criteria:

• Clear wolf packs first; dragging them into a late fight alongside beast elites is miserable.
• The Wulver’s red-ring pounce is unblockable — prepare a sidestep the moment it crouches.
• Beasts are a steady source of attachment materials like Beast Scraps and Beast Bones.

Dark Elves: aerial harassment in Alfheim#

Alfheim’s hostile race is the Dark Elves; flying strikes, shielded thrusts, and spell harassment are their three bread-and-butter moves. Blocking pays poorly while they fly; the landing stagger is the real opportunity.

Response criteria:

• Break their flight rhythm with Leviathan Axe throws to force an early landing.
• Land a full combo during the landing stagger; don’t burn resources while they’re airborne.
• Most thrusts are red rings — sidestep, then counter.

Seiðr Callers: the source of barriers and summons#

Seiðr Callers are caster-type enemies who raise Seiðr magic barriers for themselves or allies. While the barrier stands, regular attacks and throws pay poorly, and they also summon reinforcements or cast ranged spells.

Response criteria:

• The Draupnir Spear’s thrown detonation is the most direct answer to Seiðr barriers.
• Casts have obvious wind-ups; interrupting with runic attacks keeps the fight from spiraling.
• They come first in kill-priority order — the longer the barrier stands, the messier the fight.

Elites and Mini-Bosses#

Phantom#

Phantoms are floating elites covered in elemental crystal hide; the verifiable forms are the Frost Phantom and the Flame Phantom. With the crystal intact they are nearly immune to regular damage; only after the crystal is shattered is the core exposed and real damage possible.

Response criteria:

• On Frost Phantoms, hammer the crystal with Blades of Chaos fire combos; on Flame Phantoms, build frost with the Leviathan Axe instead.
• The phantom’s fan shockwave is a red ring and unblockable — hold mid-range and move laterally.
• Once the crystal shatters, focus the core; don’t linger at the edges.

Dreki and Other Large Beasts#

The Dreki is a dragon-like brute encountered as a mini-boss in open areas across several realms from early in the story onward. It breathes fire, takes off to dive-bomb, and sweeps its tail to clear close targets. Huge body, obvious wind-ups — an opponent that rewards reading moves highly.

Response criteria:

• Dive landings have a clear shadow marker; roll sideways to escape.
• Hugging its flank is safe while it breathes fire; the tail’s fan sweep is actually more dangerous.
• The Spear’s ranged detonation suppresses its flying phase best.

Boss Tier: Berserker Souls and Valkyrie Queen Gná#

The real “hidden boss” system in this game is not recurring Valkyries but two challenge tracks:

• Berserker souls: there are 13 Berserker Gravestones across the Nine Realms; light and defeat them all to unlock the final Midgard challenge — King Hrolf Kraki. It is a top-of-the-difficulty-curve back-to-back fight, rewarding Berserker set pieces and amulet enchantments.
• Valkyrie Queen Gná: the game’s only Valkyrie boss, deep in a forbidden grove in Vanaheim, challengeable only after finishing the story; rewards Valkyrie set pieces. The previous game’s “eight recurring Valkyries” farming loop does not exist here.

For the multi-phase strategies, move breakdowns, and gear requirements of both boss types, see the Boss Guide, the Valkyries page, and the Challenges page. After the credits, the free “Valhalla” mode reuses and buffs this page’s enemy pool in roguelite format — a good final exam for these criteria.

Elemental Counters: Qualitative Criteria, Not Resistance Numbers#

The community’s “three-column weakness chart” has no official source in this game — the UI never shows enemy resistance numbers, and no official data table has ever been published. This page keeps only criteria verifiable directly in combat:

For stat bonuses from gear and enchantments and upgrade material costs, see the Gear & Items page; for acquiring and upgrading runic attacks, see the Runes page.

Drops and Materials: Only Real Resources#

Enemies generally drop Hacksilver and XP, with amounts varying by enemy type and difficulty; no official conversion table exists. The combat- and exploration-related materials — all real resources in this game — are listed below:

A few key exceptions deserve their own notes:

• Weapon upgrades use no generic materials: the Leviathan Axe wants Frozen Flames, the Blades of Chaos want Chaos Flames, and the Draupnir Spear wants Gale Flames — all exclusive collectibles; sealed Draugr Holes are one steady source of Chaos Flames.
• Gear caps at level 9: pushing to 9 requires endgame crystals like Purified Crystalline, Sparkling Crystal, and Gleaming Crystal.
• New Game+ introduces higher upgrade tiers: levels 9.1 to 9.3 need Skap Slag, and level 10 needs Mountain Root.
• Favors also pay combat-oriented rewards directly — sealing Hel-Tears in “Hel to Pay” yields Essence of Hel; for the complete reward list see the Favors page.

Phase Changes: Read Behavior Signals, Not Health Bars#

Bosses and mini-bosses never show you a health bar percentage, but their phase transitions have clear behavioral signals:

• New moves: a sudden new ranged or AoE skill inserted into an existing combo pattern usually means the next phase.
• Reinforcements: elites and mini-bosses may call adds or summon minions; clear the reinforcements with AoE first, then return to the main body.
• Frenzy: glowing body, faster attacks, and a higher share of red-ring moves — lean harder on dodges and the burst windows of runic attacks.

The same roster gets more health, more aggression, and longer combos from normal difficulty up to “God of War” difficulty, but the signal logic above never changes — which is exactly why this page sticks to behavioral criteria instead of number tables.

Revision Notes#

The old page mixed in previous-game content and large amounts of unverifiable invented numbers; this rewrite corrects it item by item:

1. Health and Hacksilver ranges: the old drop table (“regular infantry 50-100 Hacksilver, trolls 1000-2000”) was fabricated; official Hacksilver ranges were never published. Deleted and replaced with qualitative notes.
2. XP bonus table: numbers like “elite bonus +50%” and “Valkyrie +300%” had no source; the whole table was deleted.
3. Invented materials: names like Soft Iron, Hardened Husks, Flashing Crystal, Perfect Husks, and Elemental Cores do not exist in this game’s material system; the drop table was rewritten with real resources — Forged Iron, Dwarven Steel, Asgardian Ingots, leathers, and beast materials.
4. Ancients: the old frost/fire/venom Ancient tables carried over the God of War (2018) enemy family; regular enemies in this game include no Ancients, and the old table’s two rows were broken rows of empty cells. The whole section was removed; this game’s crystal-armored elite is the Phantom, now documented with its real mechanics.
5. Venom Phantom: only Frost and Flame Phantoms are verifiable; “Venom Phantom” has no reliable source and was removed.
6. Troll table: the old hill/forest/fire/iron troll categories reuse previous-game lore and cannot be verified in this game’s enemy roster; the whole section was removed.
7. Light Elves: the old page listed Light Elf Warriors and Scouts as regular Alfheim enemies; Alfheim’s hostile race in this game is the Dark Elves, and the hostile Light Elf claim could not be verified, so those entries were removed.
8. Unverifiable entries: old entries like “Nightmare, Wraith Knight, Rotten Draugr” did not match the official enemy roster (more likely previous-game leftovers or fabrications) and are no longer kept; the Nightmare section also carried a Chinese sentence followed by an English gloss.
9. Asgardian infantry/archers/elites: these informal names were reorganized into this game’s official Einherjar system, with shield-breaking and red-ring criteria added.
10. Difficulty star ratings: the old one-to-five-star difficulty ratings and “handle casually” advice were fake quantification, replaced with the mechanical “fodder/elite/mini-boss/boss” tiers.
11. AI behavior table: marking attack frequency and dodge tendency as “medium/high/extreme” was fake data and was deleted; the retained parts were rewritten as observable behavior descriptions.
12. Weakness table: the old “resist/immune” columns were mostly blank or self-contradictory (the same row listing one element as both weakness and immunity); replaced with the qualitative criteria table plus an explicit note that no official resistance numbers exist.
13. Format cleanup: the “Back to Hub” card had an empty link address and was removed, along with broken tables with empty cells and leftover mixed-language sentences.