In Santa Monica Studio‘s acclaimed God of War Ragnarök, the harrowing fiery realm of Muspelheim serves as an optional challenge arena pushing players to their absolute limits. This epic volcanic land teeming with enemies offers exclusive legendary armor crafting materials as rewards…but breaching Muspelheim requires seeking out two unique seeds.
In this comprehensive guide for God of War fans, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about obtaining these precious Muspelheim seeds – from what purpose they serve to how to find both seeds.
An Introduction To Muspelheim Trials
Ruled by the fiery giant Surtr and the nearby star Sol, Muspelheim is wreathed in rivers of lava and noxious fumes. The very air ripples with heat haze. This intensely hostile environment would instantly kill any ordinary mortal.
Luckily, Kratos is no ordinary mortal. His half-god physique and arsenal of magical armor and weaponry allow him to safely explore Muspelheim. More importantly, enduring the realm‘s trials unlocks exclusive crafting materials and some of the most powerful armor in the game.
The trials come in five levels – each containing three arena challenges. You must complete the trials sequentially; finish level one to unlock level two, and so on. The trials test combat ability by pitting Kratos against waves of dangerous enemies while environmental hazards like geysers bombard the field.
Early rounds feature enemies like Draugrs, Hel-Walkers, and Nightmares – but by the fourth and fifth rounds you‘ll be facing the deadliest foes Ragnarök has to offer. Survive these lethal clashes to reap crafting materials for top-tier armor; namely the Muspelheim armor sets:
- Blazing Magma Set – High strength and defense. Activation launches lava eruptions.
- Smouldering Brimstone Set – Extreme strength with high runic and vitality. Grants fire attacks after dodges.
These mighty armor sets require Flawless Scorchstone and Smouldering Ember crafting materials only found in Muspelheim to create.
Now let‘s get into acquiring those magical gateway seeds necessary to enter Muspelheim.
What Are The Muspelheim Seeds?
The Muspelheim seeds are special quest items that work together to unlock the mystic gateway leading to Muspelheim. These fiery seeds radiate intense heat – harmless to gods like Kratos but volatile to most mortals. Present two seeds at any gateway and the path will open.
In the last game, entry required piecing together parts of an obscure runic cipher – so by comparison the seeds are much easier to obtain. But both seeds are well-hidden, locked away in legendary chests. Recovering them takes braving dangerous enemies and exploration.
As a passionate God of War expert and guide writer, I highly recommend going after the Muspelheim realm as early possible in Ragnarök‘s campaign. The exclusive crafting materials earned from Muspelheim trials are hugely valuable for gear upgrades.
For instance, wearing a complete Muspelheim armor set grants unique bonuses like:
- +50 strength
- +45 defense
- +30 vitality
- +35 runic
These stat increases outclass most other armor pieces in the game. Muspelheim gear also activates powerfulrealm-shift effects during combat. The trials themselves dole out crafting materials in the quantities below:
| Item | Challenge Reward #1 | Challenge Reward #2 |
|---|---|---|
| Smouldering Ember | 35 | 45 |
| Flawless Scorchstone | 4 | 7 |
As you can see, taking the trial challenges early and repeatedly farming their completion will stockpile these crucial, scarce resources immensely. This helps craft and upgrade the Muspelheim armor (and accompanying weaponry) to its maximum potential before entering Ragnarök‘s most lethal battles. Now – on to finding those mystical seeds!
Locating The First Muspelheim Seed
As an avid fan who has written extensively about previous series entries like the iconic God of War (2018), I‘ve explored the realms thoroughly in preparation for Ragnarök. This expertise pays off in guiding players to these well-concealed seeds.
The first Muspelheim seed can be obtained early in the main story campaign – specifically during the "In Service Of Asgard" favor. This optional side quest becomes available after freeing the dragon Hræzlyr in the main mission "The Quest for Tyr."
In Service Of Asgard tasks Kratos with sabotaging three hunter mining rigs located around the Lake of Nine. One rig known as Modvitnir‘s Rig is found southwest of the Watchtower in the Bay of Bounty.
Upon reaching Modvitnir‘s Rig, climb the various scaffolding pipes and platforms to reach a gate barring access to the upper section. To lift the gate, grapple your Leviathan Axe to the nearby rotating gears.
Proceed upwards and eventually you‘ll discover a legendary chest. Open it to obtain the first Muspelheim seed!
Acquiring The Second Muspelheim Seed
Recovering the second Muspelheim seed is slightly more complex – as it requires both progression up to a key story point as well as an important relic obtained along the way.
Mandatory Prerequisite – Completing "Forging Destiny"
The main quest "Forging Destiny" must first be finished before seeking out the second seed. During this quest, the Huldra Brothers bestow upon Kratos a powerful gift: the Draupnir Spear.
This mythical weapon‘s arrow-like blades slice through enemies while its innate magic allows throwing it into ringed gusts of wind to cross large gaps. Using the Draupnir Spear is integral to accessing the second seed‘s hidden location. So playing through Forging Destiny until claiming the spear must be prioritized.
(As an aside, completing the subsequent Favors side quest "Spirit of the Rebellion" also rewards Blightguard armor – handy for exploring realms! So finishing these two quests back-to-back is recommended.)
Seed Location: Dragon Beach, Midgard
With Draupnir Spear obtained, Fast Travel to Dragon Beach in Midgard – an icy shore located northeast of the Lake of Nine. Look for a ruined wall near the waterline built from wood and spikes known as the gate barricade. Use the following images as reference:
Here lies a climbable chain – use it to scale upwards until you spot a shimmering ring of wind magic. Ready your Draupnir Spear and hurl it into the center of the gust to spawn a platform.
Leap over the gap and let the wind carry you to the higher cliffs. Face right and throw your axe at the crack to reveal a hidden area – dealing with the ogres and strange egg sacs along the way. Eventually you‘ll reach a pile of gilded debris blocking the path. Blast it with a Wind Orb to uncover the legendary chest lurking behind!
Loot the chest to finally claim the second Muspelheim seed. Two seeds in hand at last! Make haste to the nearest mystic gateway and insert both seeds into the podium to unlock the path into sweltering Muspelheim.
Braving The Muspelheim Trials
Finally, with both seeds discovered, the true challenge begins – facing Muspelheim‘s merciless combat trials. Use everything you‘ve learned thus far while exploring the realms and build smart tactics to counter enemies. Some key tips:
Round 1 Enemies
- Draugrs – Block/parry their quick melee swings. Target combos once they stagger.
- Hel-Walkers – Keep distance and use precision throws to headshot. Or pin them with the Blades‘ Grapple move.
- Nightmares – Wait for their teleport attack. Dodge THEN retaliate while they recover.
Round 2 Enemies
- Traveller/Ancient – They‘ll shield often. Use Blinding Rush runic attack to stagger them.
- Ice/Fire Ancient – Stay mobile avoiding elemental attacks. Use runic summons to distract.
- Soul Eaters – Immediately throw axe once they spawn to prevent aura attacks.
Round 3 Enemies
- Start using Rage to thin numbers if overwhelmed. The bonus strength and defense will help withstand attacks.
- Use Spartan Rage‘s AoE slam to disrupt mages.
- For shielded foes, sprint and punch through their guard instead of throwing axe. Follow with fists combo.
Rounds 4 & 5 Enemies
- Einherjar – Parry their sword combos then counterattack. Whittle their health down steadily.
- Traveler Ancient/Ascendant – Save runic summons solely to distrupt their channeled spells whenever they start glowing.
- Valkyries – Study their attack tells. Dodge often and only attack safely without overextending combos.
Keep these tips in mind while overcoming the relentless trial challenges! Expect the battles only to intensify from here. But the valuable spoils are well worth fighting for.
Secret Trial VI (?!): Surtr‘s Gauntlet
If by some miracle you achieve 100% completion on all five standard Muspelheim trials, an unstable portal will appear leading to a hidden sixth set of challenges dubbed Surtr‘s Gauntlet. But be warned – these trials are exponentially more punishing.
Surtr‘s Gauntlet adds debilitating global rules altering combat. Traits like lowered strength, disabled runic attacks, restricted dodging, and accelerated enemy aggression stack the odds severely against you. Enemies themselves also hit brutally harder.
The six super-buffed rounds in the Gauntlet feature virtually every imposing foe from the main trials plus deadlier combinations of them together. Even with endgame gear the battles quickly become completely overwhelming – requiring perfect focus just to survive through each wave.
So while the completionist in me desires conquering Surtr‘s Gauntlet, I cannot actually recommend it as the excessive difficulty seems intentionally designed to be virtually insurmountable. Unless you wish to severely test your limits, stick to the standard five trials and avoid potential controller-breaking frustration!
In Conclusion
I hope these God of War fans find my deep Muspelheim guidance helpful for obtaining the mystical seeds and conquering the intense trials ahead. Remember – collect both unique seeds early so you can repeatedly return to pile up crafting materials toward that glorious Blazing Magma armor set!
Feel free to reference my recent tips guide for more combat advice before braving lethal enemies. And stay vigilant in the punishing gauntlet of Surtr – may luck from Mimir‘s well aid you!
