The Crucible - Muspelheim Trials Guide - God of War Ragnarok Guide - IGN (2024)

The Crucible is an optional Side Quest Favor unlocked upon arriving in the fiery realm of Muspelheim. Like the previous God of War Game, Surtr has placed a variety of combat trials to test your might, but the parameters are now very different than what you may be used to. This guide includes information on how to complete each of Surtr's Trials, and how to unlock the Armor of the Undying Pyres, a Chaos Flame, and all other associated rewards.

• For strategies on the later Crucible Trials, see our Guide to the Final Challenges

How to Reach Muspelheim

In order to start this side quest, you must first gain access to Muspelheim itself. Though you can briefly explore part of the realm during the main story, you won't be able to return until you have both halves of a Muspelheim Yggdrasil Seed. Both of them are located in the realm of Svartalfheim, but you will only be able to reach them at different times in the story.

The first Muspelheim Seed Half can be found as soon as you leave Nidavellir and travel into the Bay of Bounty during Chapter 2 - The Quest for Tyr. Simply sail to Modvitnir's Rig in the west and travel to the top of a large wooden platform to find a Legendary Chest holding the seed.

The second Muspelheim Seed Half can only be reached once you have completed Chapter 10 - Forging Destiny, and acquired a very important item to allow you to access new areas. Sail back into the Bay of Bounty to Dragon Beach in the east, and use the item on some wooden scaffolding on the north side of the beach to climb up and jump across to the large wooden bridge. Take a left at the giant statue to find a Legendary Chest covered in gold ore, and destroy it with an exploding jar to get the second half. For a more detailed walkthrough, see our Muspelheim Seed Locations Guide.

Arriving in the Muspelheim Crucible, you'll find a large open arena with a Dwarven Shop nearby. The pit holds a Nornir Chest, but it does not work like others - instead it is tied to various challenges that Surtr has put in place.

You can find three different smaller arenas branching off to the east past the pit with the chest, where you'll find a large sword sculpture with a rune on it. Interact with it, and you can choose one of several trials per arena, and each will test your combat capabilities and improvisation in different ways than just killing enemies.

The first six Crucible Trials can be undertaken in any order, and you can choose a warm up option to try out different gear and abilities before attempting the trial. See the list of guides below for tips on how to clear each one:

• Recommended Level: 4-5
• Rewards: Shoulder Guard of Undying Pyres, 100 Kratos XP, 100 Companion XP, 1,000 Hacksilver, 250 Divine Ashes

This challenge is your most standard of the Muspelheim Trials - simply defeat 16 opponents in under 180 seconds. They'll come in waves and consist of standard enemies, though some will be shielded so you will have to employ some tactics to win.

Your first enemies will consist of a group of three Raiders with frost shields, so wait for them to charge and block or parry before opening up with your spinning Blades of Chaos to sweep them all at one time.

As soon as they are dealt with, two flame shielded Draugr will appear back where you started, aided by a ranged Raider standing on the large block in the middle of the arena. Stay out of line of sight of the Raider Scout while engaging the Draugr with your Leviathan Axe and use Frost Awaken to quickly shatter them, then back up and toss a few charged axes at the ranged fighter - but do it quick before the next wave comes.

Two Grim will quickly join the fray, aided by two Hel-Shadow Archers along the back walls. Be ready to parry both the Grim's staggering attacks as well as deflecting incoming projectiles into them, and keep a look out for two more ice-shielded Wretches to snag with your Blades of Chaos and chuck them at the other enemies. The Grim have a Stun shield you'll need to punch through, which is where empowered shield strikes or Runic Attacks can come in handy.

The next wave is a doozy, as a tough level 5 flame-shielded Draugr Lord backed by a level 5 Draugr scout will come forth with another stun-shielded Grim in tow. They'll soon be joined by a flame-shielded Nokken, the annoying little enemy that will constantly heal them, so turn all your attention to running down and smashing into the thing before the others can catch up to you.

Once they can no longer be continually healed, let the Draugr Lord come to you and evade its lunges while deflecting projectiles from the scout, and use any Runic Attacks not on cooldown to break their shields and kill them before time runs out.

• Recommended Level: 4-5
• Reward: , 500 Kratos XP, 100 Companion XP, 1,000 Hacksilver, 250 Divine Ashes

This trial will require patience and timing more than anything else, as you'll need to defeat 15 enemies without taking any damage whatsoever. The good news is that you won't have to fight them all at once, but some of the enemy configurations will be a pain to deal with, and a simple projectile or swipe at your back can spell doom.

For this run you may want to play it extremely safe and use a Stone Wall Shield to block even staggering hits so you don't leave yourself open, and don't worry about using any defensive or healing-oriented armor or gear since it won't matter here. Instead, we recommend the Armor of Radiance that can enable Realm Shifts on dodging to slow time and let you escape danger or get in a good counter attack.

To start, you'll face off against a few Nightmares and Seidr at range. Luckily they start on the opposite end of the arena and advance fairly slow, so let them come to you can start hitting them with tosses from your charged up Leviathan Axe or spear.

Once the Nightmares get in range, either deflect their shots or yank them with the Blades to toss at the Seidr to quickly finish them off. This is a great tactic to use as the Seidr will explode when killed, so the further you are from them, the better.

After 4 Nightmares and 4 Seidr go down, Some Draugr Scouts will appear on top of the large blocks in the center and corner of the arena to harass you with ranged attacks, so toss some axes at them as soon as they appear to take them out of the equation.

Another Draugr on the ground will be joined by an imposing Draugr Lord - so be very careful when engaging it due to its unpredictable lunging attacks. Be sure to have your companion peppering them with Sonic Arrows to increase your chance to stun them and stop them from attacking, as it will give you less problems to worry about.

Your next enemy will be a very scary one - a Dodher Gradungr beast, which is very imposing and erratic. To make matters worse, two more Dragur Scouts will appear above to throw projectiles, so make note of their locations to either stay out of their line of sight or quickly focus fire them down.

Like the other enemies, the Gardungr will also usually advance fairly slowly until you get in melee range, so stuff its face full of spears and detonate when it draws close to keep it off-balance. Be sure to ONLY use your Runic Attacks when the enemy is already staggered, as Runic Attacks do not give you invincibility frames, and even if you trade blows, one hit is all it takes to fail. Either play it safe from range whenever possible or shield up to stop its horns before giving swift counter attack without getting too reckless.

Once it's gone, you need only strafe or block the projectiles from the last few Draugr Scouts above and snipe them to win this challenge.

• Recommended Level: 4-5
• Rewards: Bracers of Undying Pyres, 100 Kratos XP, 100 Companion XP, 1,000 Hacksilver, 250 Divine Ashes

This is a fairly straightforward challenge, and will test your ability to get enemies out through means other than bashing their face in. For this trial, we highly recommend investing in skills with huge knockback - like Serpent's Snare, Leviathan's Fury, Blazing Explosion, and Rising Chaos. You'll also want to make use of shield bashing with the likes of the Dauntless Shield or Shatter Star Shield - anything that can help knock enemies back and into the lava pits.

You'll need to take out 21 enemies in all, who will come in separate waves, so be ready to move around, adapt quickly, and reposition yourself to try and keep their backs to the lava pits at all times. Thankfully, there's no time limit on this trial, so you can spend as long as you need getting enemies positioned - just be careful not to focus so much that you get blindsided.

You'll face six Grim first, and if you're quick you can parry their staggering attacks and them right back into the lava pits, otherwise dodge and go for some heavy strikes to slam them backwards. Some of ranged-inclined Grim may try to cling to the walls or ceiling - which you can use to your advantage by having your companion snipe them off their perches and straight into the lava.

Your next two enemies are Draugr, including a level 5 one, so be ready to take it out quickly before they can group up. Try to run up close and position yourself to parry their first strike and shield strike them back, or use Runic Attacks with knockback to finish the fight quickly.

As another Draugr appears, he'll be joined by three quick moving Raiders. Try not to get surrounded and lead them to a spot with pits nearby to redirect them with targeted slams after dodging or blocking their running dash attacks.

Two Aesir will quickly join after, with one preferring to wait up top on a high ledge while the other charges with a shield. Be mindful of the ranged attack as you slam the other into a pit, then do a precision toss with your Leviathan Axe at the Aesir's legs to cause them to trip and fall down the ledge and into the pit.

Four more Aesier will start falling into the arena after, which may be a good time to use any available Runic Attacks to pierce their shields and send them flying - or if you're starting to get low on HP, enact Spartan Rage and use L1 to charge and toss them as far as you can. After they've been cleaned up, one last group of Aesir will drop in, so be patient to play it safe and redirect their attacks to force them into the pit with strong attacks, and the battle will be won.

• Recommended Level: 4-5
• Rewards: , 100 Kratos XP, 100 Companion XP, 1,000 Hacksilver, 250 Divine Ashes

This trial is a bit strange, but it's also easy to get the hang of and complete without too much trouble so long as you don't get distracted. You need only defeat enemies and toss the orbs they drop into a large rift hovering over the center of the arena's lava pit. Take whatever armor and gear you feel most comfortable in, but we recommend something offensive can capable of striking fast and hard, with single-target Runic Attacks.

The orbs enemies drop behave much like thes ones you can get from attacking Ancient Soul Eaters - pick them up with circle and toss then by pressing R1 when facing the rift. You'll have one minute to toss six orbs in, and the enemies you face for the first of two waves are fairly weak and standard. So much, that you can even just smash into the regular Draugr or Seidr and toss them into the lava pits - as they'll spit the orbs back out onto the ledge.

Once Wisps start showing up, just be sure your companion has an arrow to stun them with before you hit them once to defeat them, and keep strafing while tossing more orbs into the rift. You're only main concern is not getting too distracted by constant new enemies - just focus on killing one at a time and tossing their orb in before moving onto the next.

Once you've cleared the first wave, the next will give you 150 seconds to toss 15 orbs in. It's a bit taller of an ask, but the same rules mostly apply. Smash into the groups of Draugr and launch them into pits or focus them down individually.

When a beefy Hel-Viken shows up, you may notice he's glowing bright green instead of the usual cyan. This means he drops a green orb that scores 2 points, so as long as you aren't being harassed on all sides, try to focus fire him down quick and avoid the icy attacks that might slow you up.

More Wisps and Draugr will likely show up, so move between them taking them out with quick hits to rack up your points and never stop moving! If another Hel-Viken shows up with friends, try using stun attacks to quickly build up his stun meter and take him out of the fight.

The final few enemies will include some nasty Hel Reavers to dodge their sprinting attacks, and a Draugr Lord who its very meaty but is worth 3 points for his blue orb! If you have the time to spare, focus the rest of your Runic Attacks by cycling your weapons to take him out quickly, otherwise try to slow his advance while you hunt down a few easy Wisps, and you should be able to complete the mission before time runs out.

• Recommended Level: 5
• Rewards: Girdle of Undying Pyres, 100 Kratos XP, 100 Companion XP, 1,000 Hacksilver, 250 Divine Ashes

This can be a very tough challenge if your find yourself underleveled or sporting weapons that aren't dealing enough damage, as you'll need to be splitting damage between a bunch of annoying smaller enemies and one big tough enemy. Utilizing several area-of-effect Runic Attacks can help with crowd control, but you may also want to have a few high damage single target attacks to burn down the elite fast.

When the battle starts, swing to the far left side where four Grim will appear, and start trying to whittle down all of their health as quick as you can. They tend to scatter and dart around, so pinning them down can be tricky, but if you can catch one and stagger it while having your companion fill it with Sonic Arrows, you can usually stun kill at least one fairly quick.

Not long after, the elite Bergsra will appear, and this is where things get tricky. The second there are more than four total enemies including the elite, you'll have 20 seconds to get the total number back down to four. This means tearing yourself away from the elite to quickly slice apart the Grim - or try to slam one into a wall to quickly build stun and execute one.

Part of your strategy should try to include using the Blades of Chaos for their wide sweeping attacks to whittle down both the Grim and the elite at the same time - until you are running out of time and need to focus one down quick. Be warned, the longer you take, the more that will show up, and you may find you'll need to kill multiple enemies in under 20 seconds!

Be sure to try and corral the the other Grim near the elite, so you can hit all of them with sweeping Runic Attacks, and ignite the Bergsra's flammable gas to hit enemies around it. Then, when the population is under control for a moment, focus your attention back on the elite and use whatever means you can to rapid fire damage against it.

• Recommended Level: 5
• Rewards: 100 Kratos XP, 100 Companion XP, 1,000 Hacksilver, 250 Divine Ashes

Truly the toughest of the six beginning Crucible Trials, this challenge is less about killing fast and more about displacing, crowd control, and rapid movement. And also about killing fast. You'll have to survive three waves of never-ending streams of enemies who will gather in highlighted circles. The longer they stand in these spaces unopposed, the quicker you'll fail the challenge if you don't chase them out by any means necessary. The timer in the middle represents how long you need to survive, while the gold meter that expands on either side is what you need to stop from growing by pushing enemies out.

Note: The meter for how long enemies have been in the ring won't diminish between the two waves, so it will become essential to have a near flawless first wave to give yourself that much more time for the second and third much more longer attacks.

For this challenge, we highly recommend investing in skills and gear that can knock enemies away, similar to the Ring Out Challenge. Using Serpent's Snare, Shield Bashes, and Rising Chaos can get enemies up into the air and away from the rings you need to keep them out, and Runic Attacks that cause explosions or knockback are also essential. Breath of Thamur is also great for creating a large area of effect knockback.

The first wave you'll need to last 40 seconds, and the ring can be found across the gap to the left of your starting position. A few Grim will waste little time showing up, so ram into them with strong attacks or Runic Attacks like Winter's Bite to send them flying.

Remember - you don't necessarily need to kill everyone fast - but you do need to stop stop them from getting back near the ring as much as you can. If you have the opportunity to kill those near the ring, do so, but don't waste too much time trying to chase down enemies who have been knocked to other levels.

After getting a bit of respite from the first round, expect the second to be brutal. This one will last 70 seconds, and will have two rings - the platform at the entrance, plus the one from the previous round, which means you'll need to be constantly keeping an eye on both rings - as enemies will be content to just sit on a ring even if you're not there to fight.

A few Dragur will appear on the right before the Grim on the far end, so if you're quick you can dash over and destroy them - just remember which platforms you can climb up and which you can't, and remember where the handholds are to get around quickly.

Be sure to head back to where the Grim have amassed and kill or push back as many as you can until you notice at least two or three Dragur begin to congregate back across the gap, and swing back over, using Death from Above to slam into them, or a Runic Attack like Breath of Thamur to force them out.

Don't stay too long, as an elite Bergsra will appear back at the far end with a few more Grim. Unlike the smaller enemies, this big guy is a lot harder to push around, so you may need to focus on sustained constant damage and Runic Attacks to stagger him backwards until he leaves the circle, and try to at least get him over to the ledges before swinging back another time to clear out any last Dragur before the round is over. As long as most of the other Grim are gone or displaced, the elite by himself won't be able to raise the meter too much in the final moments.

Now comes the last and most heart-pounding round: 90 seconds, and three rings, adding one to the platform down in the center of the arena. This is especially difficult as there is no easy way to get up from the low platform to either of the other rings, since you'll either have to grapple to a far ledge some distance from the ring above, or jump across a lava pit and make a hard right to climb up to it.

To make matters worse, the Draugr and Grim will be joined by Aesir and their annoying bifrost attacks. A few will appear early on on the right, so waste no time in using the first 10 seconds to rush and demolish them before turning to see who is approaching the other rings first.

Consider doing a loop of grappling up to the back platform and race to the high platform ring and push anyone here out, and then swinging across to the first platform to Death From Above anyone here and use an extra Runic Attack to hit them with a hard follow up, then run along the far right path to get above the lowest ring and do another Death From Above into it.

Never stay in one ring too long, and prioritize rings with a red glow above all others. Even a yellow ring with 1-2 enemies can wait for at least a couple moments, just keep a mental note of how you left it and come right back when you can.

An Aesir Brute will appear on the lower levels near the end, but it may be more worth it to quickly knock away any of his friends and leave him by himself, as he's also hard to push around and will take way too long to kill. Don't pursue anyone too far from a ring, even if they are at low health, you can slam into them on your next circuit to quickly finish them off and keep moving to the next ring.

Keep your momentum going, and with enough practice you'll be able to clear the first two waves with little resistance and focus entirely on surviving the last wave.

With all six of of the challenges at each Rune complete, return to the large Nornir Chest in the middle of the big arena, and you'll find it is now unlocked. You can now claim the prize of a Chaos Flame - which you can use to upgrade your Blades of Chaos straightaway at the nearby Dwarven Shop. You'll also earn a whopping 10,000 XP for Kratos and 2,500 for your companion, so be sure to upgrade your Runic Attacks!

However, know that your trials have just begun, as a new sword will appear next to the Nornir Chest, locked by a new set of trials back in the previous arenas. A new sets of trials now awaits you, but expect them to be incredibly difficult - so much that we recommend coming back when your power level has reached at least Level 7 before attempting them.