Freya is fed up with being feathered, and in order to give her a bigger role in God of War Ragnarök, Kratos will have to eliminate a dimensional dragon with fearsome abilities and an impossible name to spell correctly.
The objective of this guide, as well as all those dedicated to the bosses that will follow, is to help you beat them on maximum difficulty, "Only God of War", so that they are relevant for all levels.
Equipment and strategy
The Blades of Chaos seemed more appropriate to us for this fight, since the boss moves a lot, or is positioned high up. But you will have to use your two weapons during the fight, whether for their runic powers, or to destroy certain special obstacles.
It's not a fight where parries really get a chance to shine once the early stages are over, since the dragon uses quite a few breaths and red special techniques. Choose the shield you prefer.
Like all big bosses in story mode, Nidhogg has multiple phases, with save points each time. This makes the fight pretty affordable for everyone, even on max difficulty. It must be said that she has many truly deadly abilities, which require experimenting with them at least once or twice in order to manage them correctly. Also, the last two phases are really intense. Do not be discouraged, and learn to manage his attacks one by one, in order to progress to the next phase.
Phase 1
The fight starts slowly, Nidhogg is limited to a few attacks. The phase ends very quickly, when the option to catch the boss with R3 is offered to you:
Rage (yellow attack) : The boss dives forward, you can attempt a parry, or just a side dodge.
Claw Swipe (Yellow Attack) : A diagonal paw swipe, again parrying, or rolling sideways, preferably in the opposite direction of the claw.
Bifrost Claw Swipe (Red Attack) : This looks like the yellow attack, but Bifrost is sent forward after the claw hits. It is therefore necessary to dodge laterally in the opposite direction, and not backwards. You have to get used to this attack, because it will use it in a loop in the following phases, which will force you to chain side dodges on each side.
Phase 2
Nidhogg was pulled out of the rift. It's still a fairly short phase, which ends when a QTE and a cutscene start with Freya.
Wall of Bifrost (red attack) : When a red circle surrounds the head of the boss, you have to do a back dodge, since a wall of fire will appear under it. The advantage of the Blades of Chaos then becomes obvious, since you can more easily resume the attack without stepping into them.
Tail Swipe (red attack) then Bifrost Explosion (blue attack) : This combo is deadly when you're not expecting it, but it's easy to see coming and easy to deal with. As soon as the boss raises its tail, roll backwards, then after a while double-tap L1 to break the blue charged attack. The explosion will kill you if you don't, so always stay close.
Bifrost Claw Swipe (Red Attack) : This attack is quite similar to Phase 1, but the attack is now diagonal, which counterintuitively requires you to dodge to the side of the claw with which she attacks. If it's the left claw (for you) that attacks, you have to dodge to the left. We must then expect an attack from the right claw, which will require you to dodge to the right.
Phase 3
Serious things begin, Freya will assist you, but not as a true companion. During this phase, the boss' attacks will change depending on his position, either clinging to a tree or on the ground, in the middle of the path.
Beam of Bifrost (normal attack / yellow) : Nidhogg's tail will chain 2 to 3 attacks by firing a blue laser. The first attack is always a horizontal sweep in one direction, the second attack can be a sweep in the other direction, or a vertical sweep (yellow attack) . You can roll under the horizontal beams, but it's easier to just shield them. The vertical ray will break your guard if you attempt to block, but that's okay, as you have time to recover. It can also be easy to dodge laterally.
Dimensional Tail Swipe (red attack) : Really surprising the first time, this attack is easy to dodge when you know it. Nidhogg begins by opening a blue dimensional rift, which shows his intentions. She then attacks into it, which will always land her tail on your current position. Just do a side dodge each time. At first the boss only uses it once, but after that always expect 3 hits .
Bifrost ball (yellow attack) : Another tail attack, but marked with a yellow circle. She will fire 2-3 Bifrost projectiles at your location. The easiest way is to dodge sideways , but if you have the right shield and a taste for risk, you can parry them in order to send them back to the boss , which will inflict damage on him. This has the merit of shortening the fight.
Nidhogg will regularly move from one tree to another, and Freya will then mark the red brambles under the boss with her Violet Seal. Use L2 + R2 with Chaos Blades to set it on fire. This will knock down the boss, which will give you the opportunity to attack it freely. This is followed by a passage on the ground, with a mixture of attacks from phase 2 and phase 3, as well as new attacks.
Dimensional Suction : Nidhogg will suck rocks and Kratos in his direction. Stand back and prepare for the real attacks that will follow. There are two possibilities. Better to walk away while blocking by default.
Rock Spit (Red Attack) : When a red circle surrounds the boss's head after the suction, dodge sideways. But beware, she can spit up to 3 rocks in a row.
Shrapnel Spit (Normal Attack) : This attack will cover almost the entire area. It is theoretically possible to dodge it, but it happens very quickly. It's easier to block it, preparing to dodge if it's a rock instead.
Nidhogg will then climb back up the remaining tree, and Freya will again place purple seals. This time, however, the Leviathan Ax must be used . Really aim for the center of the purple seals for this to work and press L2 + R2 . Wait for a series of attacks to end to do so, so you don't take unnecessary damage. The boss will then fall to the ground, which will again give you the opportunity to attack freely. The last phase should not be far away.
Phase 4
The last phase, there is not much life left in Nidhogg, but attack opportunities are also very rare. She will use phase 2 attacks, and especially her diagonal Bifrost claw strikes (dodge on the side of the attacking claw if you are far away, or in the opposite direction if you are close. She will regularly use her dimensional suction , before chaining 3 ranged attacks. Remember: Back up, then block, and dodge if it's a rock. If you're in melee, chain side dodges.
Eventually, Freya will place a purple seal on the Dimensional Vacuum. Use an ax roll with L2 + R2 to break it, you have to be quick.
