God of War Ragnarok never goes out of its way to explain how stats work. Every piece of equipment raises one or more stats, which can significantly affect how Kratos performs in battle. Fortunately, they’re not too hard to understand, and you don’t have to worry about them too much for most of the game.
How do stats work in God of War Ragnarok?
There are six stats in God of War Ragnarok:
- Strength
- Defense
- Runic (RNC)
- Vitality (VIT)
- Luck (LCK)
- Cooldown (CLD)
The main two stats are Strength and Defense.
Strength
Strength affects the damage of all attacks and skills in God of War Ragnarok. So, if you want an easy damage boost without much thinking, work on increasing your Strength stat.
Defense
The Defense stat affects how much damage you take. So, the higher this number, the less HP each enemy attack will take. So, if you feel like you’re dying too quickly, work on raising your Defense.
The four other stats are a bit more granular, and these are the ones you’ll concentrate on when going for a particular build. Usually, when you raise one of these, it’s at the expense of another.
Runic (RNC)
Your Runic stat increases the power of Runic attacks in God of War Ragnarok. The higher this number, the more damage and elemental status your Runic attacks will cause.
Vitality (VIT)
The higher your Vitality, the more max heath you’ll get. This stat also increases your resistance to being staggered.
Luck (LCK)
Enemy drop rates are governed by luck. This number also influences abilities that have a “chance” to activate in their description.
Cooldown (CLD)
This one is simple. The higher your Cooldown stat, the shorter your ability cooldowns are.
Which stat should I raise in God of War Ragnarok?
During the early and mid-game, you don’t have to worry too much about your stats in God of War Ragnarok. Your gear raises these numbers, and until you can upgrade them, the abilities of your attachments and armor are more important than their stats.
I didn’t find going for a particular build to be very useful until the end and post-game when I started taking on the most challenging content God of War Ragnarok has to offer. At that point, you’ll have enough of a selection of gear and upgrade materials to start tuning things to your liking.
For example, I’m a big fan of abilities. So I went for Runic and Cooldown and ensured I had enough Defense to tank while waiting for my recharge.
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