Get a good grip
Guide by James Billcliffe Guides Editor
Published on
When it comes to weapons in God of War Ragnarok, it’s easy to just focus on the pointy end. However, having a firm grip on one of the Nine Realms’ best pommels or handles is just as important.
You don’t get many good pommels or handles in the early stages of God of War Ragnarok, so the system might not seem exciting at first, but once you get your hands on something really powerful, it’s totally game-changing.
Be aware, the bottom of this page contains spoilers for another weapon unlocked later in the game. While you won’t have any context for the story behind getting it, or even what it does, we will still say what kind of weapon it is and what it’s called.
- What are Pommels and Handles in God of War Ragnarok?
- God of War Ragnarok Best Axe Pommels
- God of War Ragnarok Best Blades of Chaos Handles
What are Pommels and Handles in God of War Ragnarok?
“Pommel” in God of War Ragnarok is just a fancy word for the rounded knob at the end of Kratos’ axe handle, and while some are utilitarian and brutal-looking, others can be almost ornamentally intricate.
Not only do these handles provide key buffs to Kratos’ stats, but they also offer powerful secondary abilities that can immediately alter your playstyle for the better.
This could be by rewarding precision with even more buffs, increasing the effectiveness of already strong abilities, or by helping you to stun enemies easily by adding concussive waves to your combos.
Handles on the other hand are attached onto the bottom of the Blades of Chaos. While the abilities aren’t as flashy as those available for the axe, the stat boosts and abilities are still worth investing in.
There are two main ways to get new axe pommels and blade handles:
- Craft them at Brok and Sindri’s Shop
- Find them in glowing legendary chests in the open world
To get your hands on the top-tier equipment, you’re going to need to do some exploring. Here’s where to look!
God of War Ragnarok Best Axe Pommels
- Haur’s Lucky Knob - Moderate Luck chance for any successful precision throw to cause a bonus Stun Blast.
Location: Sindri's Shop
Ranged attacks with your Axe are very strong, so making them even better can only ever be a good thing.
While precision throws are slightly more difficult to pull off regularly, once you get the hang of them, it’s not hard to hit a headshot almost every time you launch your Axe.
Stunning enemies is also very strong, not only giving you a breather by taking some aggro out of a situation but making you pretty much invincible while you perform a brutal animation and tear an enemy limb-from-limb.
- Grip of the Fallen Alchemist - High Luck chance to grant a Health Burst on any successful hit with the Serpent’s Snare skill.
Location: Pilgrim's Landing in the middle of the River Delta
The Serpent’s Snare is one of the best skills in God of War Ragnarok, dealing a big chunk of damage whenever you hold R2 with your axe.
This means it’s a move you will be busting out liberally, so the powerful extra effect of a healing burst is just icing on the delicious cake of violence.
- Stonecutter’s Knob - Adds a concussive wave to the end of the Axe R1 combo.
Location: Defeat the boss at the end of the Alfheim main story arc
From when you get it relatively early on in God of War Ragnarok, this axe pommel can get you through the bulk of the game.
Unlike many pommels, you can reliably trigger its effect after almost every single combo you perform, making it extremely powerful and very, very useful in every fight you encounter.
It also combines exceptionally well with one of the best armor sets in God of War Ragnarok, Nidavellir’s Finest Plackart, which restores health on every stun grab.
The Stonecutter’s Knob allows you to stun enemies much more easily, making the Plackart even better at topping up your health as you dish out massive damage.
God of War Ragnarok Best Blades of Chaos Handles
- Pommels of the Undying Spark - Increases the damage that the Burn status inflicts on enemies.
Location: The Legendary Chest in Jarnsmida Pitmines
Given the ease of inflicting Burn with the L2 + R2 attack of the Blades of Chaos, increasing the damage output of the status helps to round out one of the Blades' biggest weaknesses: raw damage.
Also, the main time you will likely reach for your Blades of Chaos is when you're facing off against ice-type enemies. This makes you even more effective at removing their protected health bar and sending them up in smoke.
- Pommels of Burning Unity - Increases all Burn status inflicted by 15% and increases the Immolation skill charge gained when striking a Burning enemy.
Location: Offer crystaline shards to the Wishing Well in The Plains in Vanaheim after completing "The Scent of Survival"
Immolation is fantastic, imbuing your strikes with extra power and elemental effects after you've linked together a few hits without taking damage.
We've already mentioned how easy it is to set enemies on fire with the Blades of Chaos, but using that as a gateway to an even more powerful ability - one that can win most regular fights for you almost on its own - is a real boon.
- Hardened War Handles - The Hyperion Grapple and Hyperion Pull skills (L2 + R1) do extra damage and Stun.
Location: Inside the Legendary Chest in the south of the Forbidden Sands
When your basic attacks are relatively weak, it makes sense to get the most out of the Blades of Chaos' signature skills.
Yanking enemies across the battlefield towards a world of hurt is a ton of fun, and you can't argue with a blanket buff to both damage and stun.
God of War Ragnarok Best Draupnir Spear Handles
- Hind of the Four Winds - Adds a Concussive Wave to the end of the Spear R2 combo.
Location: Return to The Applecore once you've got the spear and defeat Miklimunnr
Given how late in the game you receive the spear, it's got to be something special. And with the Hind of the Four Winds, it really is. Similar to the Stonecutter's Knob, it adds a wide, stun-inducing blast to your regular combos that makes it really easy to incapacitate regular enemies.
The R2 combo is very good in it's own right, but this makes Kratos almost unstoppable.
- Hind of Deadly Vitality - Moderate Luck chance to grant a Health Burst on any successful Spear kill.
Location: Defeat the Oath Keeper in the middle of the Plains in Vanaheim after completing "The Scent of Survival" Favour
If you're the kind of player who picks up nicks of damage (which really build up over time between fights in God of War Ragnarok), the Hind of Deadly Vitality turn the spear into an incredible tool for keeping Kratos healthy as you slog through tough fights.
Given the need for multiple kills to trigger the effect, it's not great for boss fights, but as you make your way through the story and side content it's deceptively powerful.
