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Just like its predecessor,God of War Ragnarokentertains fans with a slew of new Muspelheim challenges. It’s in this fiery realm, home to Surtr, that you can test your mettle against some rather grueling gauntlets that the development team has concocted just for you.
Of course, it doesn’t need to be said that these challenges might be best entertained once you’ve completed the main story, acquired all the gear you need, and upgraded it to your satisfaction, with a total of 15 unique challenges to complete.
Updated July 21, 2025, by Sean Murray:If the God of War Ragnarok’s Muspelheim Trials are getting you down, this guide is here to help. We’ve given this guide a fresh formatting pass to be easier to read on mobile and added more links to other helpful Ragnarok topics.
The First Six Challenges
Once in the Crucible, aDwarven shopwill be accessible to you in case you want to upgrade or switch gear. Also, there will be a large open arena-like area with aNornir chestin the centerand three pathways connecting to it. Completing the first six challenges will unlock this chest.
There is one pathway heading left, one straight ahead, and another heading right. Each of them leads to an arena that contains two trials, at first. Completing eachduo of trialswill unlock one rune on theNornir chest.
Weapon Mastery - “F” Rune Challenge #1
Start with the far left set of challenges, the “F” Rune pair of trials, and then work your way right. Weapon Mastery is the simplest challenge in all of Muspelheim. You are simply requiredto eliminate all the enemies it throws at you within the time limit.
In total, there will be 16 enemies for you to kill, and you have 180 seconds to get the job done.They don’t come all at once but in small groups.
Since this trial is all about weapon mastery, you’ll be encouraged to switch between theLeviathan Axe,Blades of Chaos, and theDraupnir Spear. For instance, the first enemies to enter the arena are bandits with aprotective ice shield over their health bar meaning you need to take these goons on with your fiery Blades of Chaos.
The opposite is true when you run into enemies with afire shield bar. Use the icy Leviathan Axe to temper those flames. Thegrey shield bar is whittled away quickest with the Draupnir Spear. Rinse and repeat until all the enemies are gone.
The shields can be damaged by any of the previously mentioned weapons. Just understand thatif you don’t use the weapons indicated for each shield,the damage will be minimal, and you’ll waste precious seconds.
Flawless - “F” Rune Challenge #2
This challenge can be a bit dicey as you must cut through 15 enemies without taking a single blow from any of them. Sustaining any damage will end the trial. A good rule of thumb here is toplay defensively, always. And, if you’re able to manage it, don’t give your enemies any room to breathe. Sometimes an aggressive offense is the best defense.
At the start of the match, Nightmares will appear. Be light on your feet as they launch projectile attacks, as you know. Eventually, Draugr combatants will enter the mix.Be sure to pay attention to the Draugr standing on top of the huge stone blockin the middle of the room. He’s easy to miss and will hit you with an arrow you never saw coming.
The final three enemies will be aDodher Gradungrandtwo Draugr Scoutsshooting at you from above.So pay attention to that after you kill enemy #12. The Dodher Gradunger, aka the Nordic bull-like beast is a handful up close. Keep your distance and use your own projectile attacks, aka theDraupnir Spear, to finish him off.
Ring Out Challenge - “N” Rune Trial #1
This challenge aims toeliminate your enemies by tossing them off cliffs or into lava. In fact, it’s theonly wayyou can eliminate your enemies as they rapidly regain life the moment you hit them with ordinary strikes. There will be 21 eliminations in total that you will need to make here.
There are a number of ways to go about this, but here’s the one sure-fire method to get the job done quickly:Serpent’s Snare. This heavy melee attack with theLeviathan Axe requires you to simply hold R2. Kratos will then bury his axe into an enemy, do a 360-degree spin, and throw the opponent off the wedged blade in whatever direction you are pointing. Thischallenge is made much simpler by spamming this attackthroughout.
You might want to practice using the Serpent’s Snare a few times firstto get used to the attack’s wind-up. There’s a bit of timing at play, and you don’t want to leave yourself too vulnerable. After some practice, this attack will be your best friend in this challenge.
Forenemies that spawn on ledges, you’re able to easilypull them off by grappling them with the Blades of Chaos,which will eliminate them.Enemies crawling on the ceilingcan easily be knocked off with aquick toss of the Draupnir Spear for a simple elimination.
Feed The Rift - “N” Rune Trial #2
This trial requires you tokill an enemy, pick up an orb that drops in its place, and toss it into a rift hovering over the arenamuch like the explosive orbs you collect from hitting an ancient only to lob back at them for more damage. However, you must collect and tosssix orbs into the rift in 60 seconds. And then after a short break, you have to15 orbs in 150 seconds.
Do you see the pattern here? You have to make sure you can deal with an enemy, take its orb, and throw it into the rift at a 10-second average. Truthfully, this trial isn’t very difficult if you know how to handle yourself. Just be sure to make use of yourcompanion’s arrows when wisps enter the fray.
Population Control - “R” Rune Trial #1
If you have a couple of good heavy-hitting rune attacks stacked on your weapons, this trial can really fly by very quickly. The name of the game is tokill the Bergsra elite enemy while keeping the population of the smaller enemies that spawn at four or below.
Instantly, four small enemies will emerge across the chasm, swing across, and obliterate them.Make liberal use of your companion’s arrows in the process. As the Bergsra enters the arena,assault it with everything you have. Truthfully, you can complete this challenge by pummeling the creature in one shot, giving the other enemies little room to respawn if you’re aggressive enough.
King Of The Hill - “R” Rune Trial #2
This trial is a bit tricky. You must largelykeep enemies out of various rings throughout the arena for multiple durations. If an enemy or two enter the rings, it’s no big deal, but you have to make a strong push to keep them clear.
Thefirst wave will only be one ring and last 35 seconds. This is rather easy. Thesecond wave will have you jumping between two rings and will last a full 60 seconds. Thefinal wave will have you covering three rings for the span of 90 seconds. This third wave is the most difficult, obviously.
One of the best ways to clear enemies is touse sweeping attacks with the Blades of Chaos. Making use of heavy runic attacks such asMeteoric SlamandAtlas Eruptionwill push enemies outside the bounds of the rings if not kill them.
The best advice is to make sure youdon’t remain to protect one ring for too long. Be sure tostay on the move the best you can.
Completing the initial Crucible Favour Trials
After finishing the initial six trials,you will be able to access the Nornir chest in the middle of the crucible. Inside you will find a Chaos Flame to upgrade your Blades with.
This will complete the Crucible favour which should have netted you the Undying Pyres armor set. A sword will then form in the middle of the Crucible.By interacting with it, you will activate The Final Challenges favour.
The Next Three Challenges
In each of the three arenas where you completed two trials to unlock the Nornir chest,a third trial at each sword will now be available.
Rampage Trial
The Rampage Trial is located on the sword with the original “F” Runic trials for the Nornir chest. This trial requires you todefeat 20 enemies in 150 seconds. There are two approaches you may take to this challenge. During the fight, both a Troll and a Bergsra will spawn.
Either strategywill bring this trial to a swift end.
Health Steal Trial
The Health Steal Trial is located at the middle sword where the original “N” runic challenges were available. Like most trials,this is another one that demands you to be quick on your feet.
Yourhealth will depreciate constantlythroughout the trial and will only replenish as you kill enemies. Basically,stay alive by quickly killing 22 enemies. There’s no real strategy to this trial other than to be quick and aggressive. Make use ofheavy runic attacksto dole out damage quickly to multiple enemies at once.
In the latter portion of this challenge,Nokkens will spawn keeping your enemies alive. Be sure to keep an ear and eye out for these critters, so you know to attack them the moment they enter the fray.
If you are completing these challenges in the order of this guide, thenskip ahead to the Final Six Challenges belowbefore returning to the last of these three challenges (Kill Fuse). You’ll note that by completing a pair of challenges from two different swords, a new challenge will unlock at the sword in the center of the Crucible.
We’ve identified these combinations in the table below. If you completed Rampage Trial (Sword 1) and Health Steal (Sword 2), you can now play the Endurance Trial at the center sword.
Kill Fuse Trial
This trial is located at the sword with the original pair of “R” Runic Trials. This is another challenge with a timer. But the trick is that you have tokill enemies to increase the timer and ensure it never reaches zero. It will start you with 30 seconds, and you will gain 5 or 10 seconds for each kill
This is a rather simple challenge that requires that you embrace yourheavy-hitting runic attacksto ruin enemies quickly. Perhaps, forgo R3 finishers on the smaller enemies as that can waste precious time.
The most difficult enemy typesthat will spawn during this trial arewulversanddark elves. Wulvers are fast and can take a beating. Be quick and aggressive with these enemies.
The Final Six Trials
Thefinal six trials are unlocked at the central sword in the Crucible only by performing a combination of trials at the other three swords. The combinations rely solely upon the three swords, not the trials they contain. So you can pick any of the three trials available at each sword to achieve these combinations. So, pick the trials that you found the easiest to move quickly to the newly unlocked challenges.
For ease, we’ve labeled the swords on the map to coincide with the combinations you need in the table below to unlock each challenge. After completing a combination,you will find that the new challenge is available at the sword in the center of the Crucible arena.
Boss Rush Challenge
Endurance Challenge
This challenge might be one of the longest challenges in Muspelheim, hence the word “endurance” in its title. Put simply, you will need tokill 99 enemies without dying.
Because you’re in it for the long haul,here are some tipsthat might help you finish out the fight.
Shield Breaker Challenge
As the name implies you mustbreak the impenetrable shield of an elite enemy by killing the grunts that accompany him. There are only a handful of enemies that enter the arena with the elite at a time. After eliminating the grunts, you will have a period of time to lay into the elite before more show up replenishing the elite’s shield.
The first elite will be anEinherjar Champion. The second will be aStalker. There’s nothing special or different about their attacks from the versions of these enemies you’ve faced in the main storyline. You simply must break their shield to make them vulnerable.
Onslaught Challenge
In this trial, you’re going to haveendless waves of enemies tossed at you for 300 seconds. You’ll also beforced to stay within a circle. Obviously, treading outside the circle will inflict damage and eventual death in the flames.
This is another challenge where you shouldmake use of defensive and health restorative gear. Equip armor sets that we mentioned in the Endurance challenge and make use of Spartan Valor. If you’re mindful and strategize, you canrun down the clock by simply holding your ground in a defensive postureor deflecting attacks through parrying.
A troll will enter the arenaat one point.Riding on his back is another way to kill time while being in a safe position. The Wyverns are especially aggressive, and the troll would be a great weapon to use against them.
Ring Of Fire Challenge
The Ring of Fire Challenge makes use of the same ring you dealt with in the Onslaught challenge, with a few exceptions.You must defeat 15 enemies while staying inside the circle. However, thering will move around the arena. It will even force you into areas withpoisonous totems that you must freeze with your axe.
Of course,stepping into the lava will cause Kratos constant damage. Though, if a health shard drops outside the circle, it may be worth it to suffer minor damage to claim the health boost which would likely exceed the damage you’ve taken.
The two toughest enemies that will spawn in this challenge are awulverand awyvern. Awyvern might be better dealt with using long-distance attacks like Draupnir spear, especially because it tends to wander outside the circle. Wulvers are known to rush Kratos and attack with quick, damaging slashes.Unleash a combo with the Blades of Chaos that will keep the wulver stunned.
Phantom Challenge
Like other phantoms throughout the game,Kratos will have to take on a fire elemental phantom. In the same pattern as past phantoms, you musttake out the pillars glowing purple once you stun the phantom. Enemies will spawn into the arena at this point but focus on the pillars first.
Once the pillars are eliminated, you can destroy the phantomand finish off the enemies. In battling the phantom,default to dodgingas its slamming attacks can be devastating. Otherwise, pummel the elemental orb and destroy it like you would any other phantom.
Adodher beast will spawn with a fire shield. Remember, thatusing the Leviathan Axe against a fire shield is most effective, though you’re able to use the other weapons if you prefer. Other opponents that will spawn will include various draugr enemy types.
Just as the name implies, you will have todefeat five elite-type enemies one after the other. No ordinary enemies will spawn in this challenge. You will simply fight each elite enemy one at a time.In order,the enemies that you will fight are a Traveller, a Fierce Stalker, a Dark Elf Lord, a Light Elf Warrior, and an Einherjar Brute.
Any chance for healingwill either come from yourSpartan Valor,items equipped,or the health shardthat will drop from each fallen elite. So, be cautious.
There’s nothing special about these fights. There’s no time limit or fire ring. Simplyuse the same attack patterns and strategies you’d employ when fighting these enemies in the mainline story. Justbe wary of your health. Once again, refer to the Endurance Challenge guide for references to useful items that can boost your defense or health.
