All stats and how they work in God of War

As you progress through God of War, you’ll be increasing Kratos’ many stats based on the type of armor you select and craft for him. These stats factor into your gameplay, increasing Kratos’ various attacks. Each of the stats work differently, providing a different approach to combat. This guide will cover all of the stats and how they all work in God of War.

There are five stats you need to focus on increasing in God of War.

Strength

Strength boosts the damage done by all of your standard attacks. If you’re hitting with your ax, your fists, or with the Blades of Chaos, the regular attacks will receive a significant boost based on your strength output. You’ll want to increase this if you prefer the raw combos in God of War.

Runic

The runic skill increases the damage output by all your Runic and Elemental attacks. Any attack that requires a Runic power trigger or has an elemental effect to an enemy dishes out additional damage based on how many points you have in runic.

Defense

The defense stat reduces all of the damage you take. If you’re struggling to time those evades or blocks correctly, having a higher defense ensures you can take a few hits before things become critical. When you’re playing a greater difficulty, you may want to place additional points in your attacks to endure the heavier attacks of enemies.

Vitality

Vitality increases your maximum health and decreases the severity of hit reactions when an enemy attack hits you. While maximum health is straightforward, the second part of the vitality is complicated. It means when a heavy enemy attack hits you, it makes it easier for you to recover. If your recovery time is low, you might risk taking another hit. But with higher vitality, you can recover from it to evade or perform a counterattack.

Luck

The luck stat increases the chance of your perks activating during combat and gives you more XP and hacksilver each time you earn them. So if you’re looking to level up your skills and spend more money at the store, make sure to increase your luck to ensure you’ll receive more rewards after combat or while exploring Midgard.

Cooldown

Cooldown reduces the recharge time for your Runic Attacks, your Runic Summons, and your Talismans. If you find yourself using your Runic abilities more than you do your regular attacks, having a higher cooldown skill gives you the chance to use them more often during combat.