God Of War Ragnarok Crafting Guide

God of War Ragnarok is a bigger--and arguably better--game than its 2018 predecessor, and one way to measure its scale is in the crafting menu. There is a lot more to do in this regard, with more customization options, more resources to find, and more builds to focus on when seeking to cater Kratos' kit to your preferred playstyle. It's a lot, so we've built out this crafting guide to help you grasp it as quickly as possible--that ought to give you more time for all the hacking and slashing, arguing with your son, etc. Here are our Ragnarok crafting tips.

Consider this guide to contain light gameplay spoilers and even lighter story spoilers.

Yes, you can use transmog

One of the features players like best in a game where your armor is constantly changing is transmogrification--a fancy word for making your gear look like other gear while keeping the original gear's benefits. For Kratos, you might like his bare shoulders, but want the benefits of a high-defense armor set, which typically comes in a style that covers his whole upper body in shiny metal. With the ability to transmog, you can look one way, but play another. Here's how to transmog your gear in God of War Ragnarok.

Selling old armor makes for easy money

You can take early-game armor, upgrade it repeatedly, and never take it off. That's a viable way to play Ragnarok. However, if you do switch things up, you'll then end up with retired armor, which makes for a great item to sell to Brok and Sindri. They buy armor and other crafted items you no longer want for a decent chunk of Hacksilver, so don't let that stuff rust in your inventory. Trade it in like an old cell phone.

Have armor sets in mind to earn stacked buffs

RPG fans should be familiar with this one. Your armor comes in three pieces: chest, wrist, and belt. It pays to match these to the same set, because you'll stack buffs. For example, in my playthrough, I favored armor that allowed me to do more damage to stunned enemies--which pairs well with Atreus' arrows. While having just one of these armor pieces would've granted me 20% bonus damage, because I wore the full set, Kratos actually did 40% damage to stunned enemies. Matching is more than just for fashion.

Muspelheim holds the key to many rare resources

You'll find a Muspelheim seed half early on in your adventure, and you'll be told you need the other half to unlock the realm. We have a guide on where to find both Muspelheim seeds, but here's why you'll want to: In Muspelheim sits The Crucible, a combat arena that doles out rare and unique resources for your successes. Make sure to spend some time there if you're going for the Platinum Trophy.

Buy resources in bulk from Brok and Sindri

Sometimes you'll need just a few more items of a certain category. In such cases, check that Brok and Sindri don't sell it in bulk in their smithing shop. Sure, you might need to head out and pull it off a slain monster or something, but the pair's shop inventory evolves as you progress through the game, so there's a chance they might have what you're looking for and are willing to sell it to you as a package deal.

Hit debris when canoeing or sledding for quick pick-ups

Typically, crashing into things when in a boat or a sled would mean you're having a bad time, but Kratos and company can take it. In fact, they should take it. Whether you're in the water or sledding across the realms deep into Fimbulwinter, there's plenty of debris to crash into, and doing so nets you small reserves of Hacksilver and resources. It's not much in isolation, but like keeping a change jar on top of your fridge, it all adds up.

Frozen Flame and Chaos Flame are key, but hard to find

Two of the most important resources are Frozen Flame and Chaos Flame, which upgrade your axe and blades respectively. You'll likely become aware of their importance early on, and that may make you want to farm them. Sadly, you can't really farm them, as we've explained in our Frozen Flame and Chaos Flame guide. In the post-game, you'll be able to find some fragments of these items that will collectively give you more upgrades, like when you complete all Draugr Holes, but outside of that, you'll get these items at specific moments.

For more on Sony's blockbuster sequel, check out our full suite of God of War Ragnarok guides.