Useful Resources#

Resource System Overview#

In God of War Ragnarök, progression resources fall into four categories: universal currency, XP, gear upgrade materials, and stat-cap collectibles. Currency and XP are flowing; upgrade materials are scarce; and stat collectibles are the key to late-game survivability. Understanding the earn-and-spend rhythm of these four types is the prerequisite for a finished build.

Currency and XP#

Silver is the only circulating currency, used at the dwarven shops to buy armor, amulets, hilts, and upgrade materials. Its sources are scattered and single drops are small, but it adds up. XP accumulates in real time and converts automatically into skill points, used to unlock light attacks, heavy attacks, runic moves, and shield actions across three skill trees.

Upgrade Materials#

Weapon and armor upgrades require specific materials, layered by gear slot and tier. Hardened Remains are for weapon upgrades only; Midgard Soil is for armor upgrades only — the two are not interchangeable; Legendary-quality gear needs region-exclusive materials.

Material-Farming Priorities#

Materials differ wildly in scarcity. Silver and Hardened Remains accumulate naturally through normal progress and rarely run short; what actually gates progress is Midgard Soil and each region’s exclusive materials. So armor upgrades should take priority over weapon upgrades, saving Midgard Soil for the set you’re currently wearing.

Stat Collectibles#

These resources matter most: they don’t involve gear, but directly determine your base health and rage caps without any equipment bonuses. Grabbing all of them first affects your late-game margin for error more than stacking gear does.

Raising the rage cap matters especially, because it directly extends Spartan Rage uptime — a double safeguard for clearing crowds and staying alive. During your first playthrough, clear every Nornir Chest and related puzzle you pass so you don’t have to backtrack late.

Regional Distribution of Collectibles#

Idunn Apples and Horns of Blood Mead are spread across Nornir Chests and puzzles in multiple regions, with counts varying by area. The distribution below helps you plan your route and avoid lingering too long in any one region.

Dwarven Shops and Forging#

Brok and Sindri’s shops run through the entire game and are the core nodes of resource conversion. The shops handle buying, selling, and upgrading all at once, and some armor and hilts can only be bought there. Using the shops well cuts pointless backtracking dramatically.

Selling vs. Dismantling#

For an outgrown piece of Rare gear, the Hardened Remains from dismantling are usually worth more for early weapon upgrades than the small silver from selling. Silver can be refarmed in Vanaheim; materials cannot. So dismantle first throughout the early game, and only consider selling when materials run surplus late.

Resource Management Strategy#

Progression resources also have a rhythm — both splurging and hoarding slow you down. These are actionable principles built around this game’s resource system.

1. Armor upgrades don’t need to max out in one go — upgrade just enough for the current stage, and save Midgard Soil for the new set you switch into.
2. Confirm set bonuses before buying Legendary gear — three-piece bonuses usually beat loose pieces stacking stats; check you can complete the set first.
3. Don’t rush to max all three weapons in one playthrough — all three need upgrading, but secure your main weapon first and fill in the rest as you progress.
4. Grab stat collectibles from puzzles as you pass them — Idunn Apples and Horns of Blood Mead are scattered; small gains add up, avoiding a big cleanup push before the ending.
5. Dormant hidden chests open with exploration tools — the spear detonates golden fissures, the Blades of Chaos swing across chasms; precious materials often hide behind such obstacles.

Resource Investment Across the Three Weapons#

The game’s three weapons upgrade independently and share no materials, so the order of investment directly affects how fast your build comes together. You don’t need to max all three simultaneously — allocate around your main playstyle first.

The Leviathan Axe suits being the early-game main weapon — its freeze mechanic can lock down high-threat enemies; the Blades of Chaos pay off clearly in crowd fights and after late-game flame upgrades; the Draupnir Spear is the counter to crystal shields and airborne enemies, with the highest late-game return on investment. Allocate resources on the rhythm of “main weapon maxed first, others filled in as you progress”, rather than spreading Hardened Remains thin.

Endgame Trial Resource Yields#

The post-game endgame regions are a major source of Legendary materials and where your gear loop completes. Each trial ground maps to one system — confirm which material you lack before farming.

The trials have a real gear-and-survivability threshold, so attempt them once your stat collectibles are mostly complete. Wearing the matching resist gear beforehand noticeably lowers wipe rates and makes each farming run more stable, reducing repeated labor.