Sometimes it happens that a catastrophic situation is entirely your fault in God of War Ragnarök. In this case, it's that of Atreus, who decided that freeing the dimension-eating giant wolf, chained deep in the underworld, was a good idea. As usual, it's up to the parents to fix the kids' mistakes, and since Thor can't be counted on, it's up to Kratos to step in. Prepare for a tough fight.
The objective of this guide, as well as all those dedicated to bosses, is to help you beat them on maximum difficulty, "Only God of War", so that they are relevant for all levels.
What equipment to use?
It is better to use Blades of Chaos in the first fight, since Garm uses frost, and he is sensitive to fire. Given its size and erratic movements, long chains are more suited to combat. It's also delightfully ironic to use a similar weapon to defeat your opponent.
Parrying attacks on this fight is possible, but quite difficult, and not always very profitable. If you are having difficulty, we would therefore tend to advise you to use the Stone Wall Shield, in order to make your life easier and improve your survival. Of course, you can use whichever you prefer. Performing parries at the right time will make the fight much easier.
You should start getting quite a few enchantments for your Amulet of Yggdrasil, we suggest you use these:
- Increased dodge distance : Absolutely vital for getting out of areas of effect quickly.
- 25% Resistance to All Ailments : This often prevents an affliction like Frost from activating on Kratos after being hit once or twice.
- Dispelling Negative Effects by Rolling : An add-on or alternative if you don't have the previous enchantment.
First fight
The first phases of the fight are rather simple, and they serve as an introduction for what follows. The most important thing is to dodge Garm's vertical red chain attack , so that the chain gets stuck in the ground. You must then quickly throw the Leviathan Ax with L2 + R2 at the base of the chain to freeze it. Then approach to activate a cutscene where you can inflict immense damage with Rond . It is therefore necessary to try to stay towards the center of the combat zone, so as not to lose this opportunity. If you spend too long getting close to it, the boss will unlock.
Chain Blows (Yellow Attack) : Garm launches a series of 1-3 chain blows, which will sweep the area over a wide area. The easiest way is to do a back roll . You can have fun parrying it, but since it doesn't fill the stun bar or offer a counterattack opportunity, it's an unnecessary risk. It often happens that he follows up with one or two chain shots (red attack).
Chain Blow (red attack) : Watch carefully, and dodge laterally , since this is your opportunity to inflict damage and move on to the next phase. Consider running into the chain immediately after impact, then freezing it with an ax throw.
Frost Waves (yellow attack) : The dog jumps several times and causes 1 to 3 of these waves to cross the area. Best is to run sideways and then dodge to the sides, but you can also have fun parrying them while moving forward to attack next. This unfortunately does not return the wave. Expect a rage (yellow attack) immediately after the waves. After good timing, you can immediately expose Garm.
Rant (red attack) : Garm often starts his melee attack combo this way. You just have to dodge laterally, which allows you to counter-attack immediately. However, expect a Rant (yellow attack) immediately afterwards, parrying can be a good idea.
Rant (yellow attack) : The attacks of the dirty pooch come quickly, so you have to be ready. The advantage is that if you manage to parry it, it will fall to the ground, which will allow you to attack it freely. Otherwise, expect a chain of normal bites, which will greatly reduce your life. With the heavy shield, you can block everything, otherwise, you will have to try to parry one.
Ice spike throws (red attack) : From the third phase, Garm will jump high, before spitting ice spikes at you in a loop. It tries to anticipate your direction, so always going in the same direction is dangerous. We suggest that you alternate between a left and a right dodge, in order to stay in the center of the area. The most important thing is that one of the ice spikes will leave a rock on the ground, you have to spot it, and throw it at Garm with Rond , either during the spitting of his spikes, or when he prepares to jump below. Timing is important, since the rock tends to miss its target. If you throw it at the right time, it will inflict heavy damage, and Garm will fall to the ground, which will also allow you to attack him.
Area impact (red attack) : After throwing his ice spikes, Garm will crash below, at least if you didn't throw the rock at him, or if he missed his target. You have to step back so as not to be run over by the dog, but the danger does not stop there. A wave of frost will sweep the area. Fortunately, it can simply be blocked .
Second fight
Garm is back, and he's not happy. Having an immortal dog is probably the dream of many masters, but not when the beast is the size of a five-story building, enraged and threatening to destroy space-time.
Broadly speaking, this phase is very similar to the previous ones. But now you have to use the spear, in order to inflict massive damage on Garm, destroying his bracelet and his necklace , both of which have a weak point now, like the one you could see on some rocks in game. bracelet on his leg is very easy to hit, but the collar will ask you to position yourself to the right of the arena or the dog, since the weak point is on the side of the neck. You don't need to destroy both weak points at the same time. When you have destroyed the two weak points, Garm will fall to the ground, which will expose him to your attacks. The jewels will then reappear, after a small delay, which will allow you to destroy them several times, and therefore, inflict massive damage, without much effort on your part.
- During this phase, Garm often uses his ice spikes (red attack), which are much more difficult to dodge, because of the range. The good news is that they always leave a rock on the ground. By being fast and well placed, you can throw it at him to interrupt his attack and make him vulnerable on the ground. You can easily destroy his collar this way.
- Another attack that Garm abuses during this phase is the Frost Wave. However, there is a nuance, it is no longer a yellow attack, you can block everything.
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Her rant combos remain the last threat, and she's not the least. He always loves his combo: red attack, yellow attack, normal attacks. So you have to dodge, then parry.
Destroy Garm's necklace and bracelet in a loop, and after exhausting his life twice and then stunning him, a final QTE on his necklace will engage.
Kratos takes himself for Crocodile Dundee in Nidavellir, the Kingdom of the dwarves of God of War Ragnarok, it is rather surprising. Here's a written strategy guide with tips and tricks for defeating him on maximum difficulty, as well as a video of the fight in this mode.
