As an avid God of War fan whose sunk over 200 hours into Ragnarok so far across multiple playthroughs, I live for the biggest challenges the game has to offer. And in the formidable New Game Plus mode, fully upgrading your weapons to level 10 with celestial fossils is essential to triumph against heightened odds.
In this extensive guide, I‘ll share insider tips on hunting down all 7 celestial fossils based on hard-won experience. I‘ll also provide key strategic advice on defeating the harrowing boss fights and treacherous realm traversal required to collect these rare crafting ingredients.
So strap in fellow gamers – we‘re going fossil hunting!
What are Celestial Fossils and Why Do You Need Them?
Celestial fossils are a new crafting component introduced in God of War Ragnarok‘s New Game Plus mode. They drop rarely from select epic boss battles and legendary chests.
These mystical fossils are the only resource capable of enhancing Kratos’s trio of legendary weapons – the Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, and Draupnir Spear – from levels 7 to 10.
Upgrading to these maximum levels unlocks devastating new Runic attacks and combos. It also bolsters each weapon’s strength, luck, defense, vitality, and runic stats to epic proportions.
Wielding all three weapons at level 10 makes Kratos an absolute powerhouse. He can unleash brutal damage and sustain hits that would flatten most enemies.
This insane upgrade potential is why collecting all 7 celestial fossils scattered throughout the realms is so essential in New Game Plus. The exponential challenge spike facing players means level 10 weapons are almost mandatory!
Trust me – no matter how skilled you are, enemies and bosses hit brutally hard in NG+ even on normal difficulty. So you need every advantage possible going in.
Now let’s get into the cosmic treasure hunt!
Celestial Fossil Locations and Boss Strategies
Here are all the celestial fossil locations alongside key tips for defeating the treacherous points of interest guarding them:
1. The Hateful – The Applecore, Svartalfheim
Our first stop is The Applecore dungeon in Svartalfheim. This ominous dark elf stronghold is only accessible by completing the “Forging Destiny” favor for dwarven genius Durlin.
Inside awaits The Hateful – a deadly dark elf sorcerer empowered by the Bifrost. Backed up by a squad of minions, he unleashes potent magical attacks that deal massive damage if you aren‘t careful.
My first run-in with The Hateful was messy. His explosive spells caught me off guard several times. But with better preparation and strategy, I eventually overcame him.
Here are some key tips for this challenging boss fight:
- Eliminate the minion adds first so you can focus fire The Hateful.
- Inflict stun to interrupt his powerful castings when possible.
- Stay mobile and roll to evade his tracking aura spells and area denial attacks.
- Parry his beam attack back at him for bonus damage when it charges up.
- Utilize Spartan Rage when health gets low to regain footing.
Once you topple this tricky magician and his cronies, The Hateful relinquishes the first celestial fossil. One down, six to go!
2. The Everlasting – Dragon Beach, Vanaheim
Your next target is Dragon Beach off the coast of the Bay of Bounty in Vanaheim. Reach this gorgeous shoreline by completing the “Return of the River” favor to restore the passage.
Storming the beach is The Everlasting – an imposing rock golem and one of the game’s most lethal early fights. He hits with the force of a wrecking ball!
Use Atreus’s new Sonic arrows to detonate the accompanying explosive barrels from range. This damages The Everlasting’s thick stone armor.
Getting caught even once by his punch combos on high difficulties is almost always certain death. Keep strafing and rolling!
Additional tips for this rocky brawl:
- Use Leviathan’s Frost ticks to slow The Everlasting’s movements.
- Inflict heavy runic attacks on his small exposed head.
- Stay behind him during his area slam to punish afterwards.
- Save Spartan Rage to escape combos and revive Atreus if needed.
Triumph over this towering monster to claim celestial fossil #2!
3. Odin’s Raven Chest – The Applecore, Svartalfheim
This next fossil grab requires hunting down all 48 of Odin’s pesky Ravens scattered around the realms first.
Their locations revealed, the Allfather’s ravens transform into special legendary chests in New Game Plus. Each one provides rare crafting materials – including a celestial fossil inside the chest at The Applecore revisited.
Access the chest by the Mystic Gateway where the first raven originally roosted.
No boss fights this round, but don’t forget to fend off nearby dark elf, and ancient, adversaries while looting!
4. Aurvangar Wetlands Legendary Chest – Svartalfheim
This isolated legendary chest sits just east of the Grimr dwarf settlement in Aurvangar Wetlands. From the gateway, make your way downhill past the two large water wheels powering mechanisms along the river.
This tricky chest puzzled me initially. I only discovered the solution by overhearing an obscure dialog from a dwarf NPC regarding freezing the water wheels.
Here’s how to grab it:
- Use the nearby wheel crank to lift the submerged chest out of the water.
- Turn the Leviathan Axe’s frost effect on the adjacent sluice mechanism.
- This freezes the water flow and gears in place, allowing you to traverse up and access the chest!
A squad of dark elf mongrels attacks during the process, so stay sharp. Once you fell the pests, another celestial fossil is yours for the taking!
5. Althjof’s Rig Legendary Chest – Svartalfheim
The crashed wreckage of King Althjof’s towering rig holds yet another legendary chest bloated with treasure.
Reach the isolated search site on the north beach coast, west of Nidavellir and The Watchtower. Glide over from the nearby gateway or take the winding mountain route around on foot.
Break through the Elite Dreki and dark elf troops protecting the ship to uncover the chest and its coveted contents in the hold.
This frigid battlefield location was quite scenic. Standing triumphant atop the broken ruins of Althjof’s folly truly captures just how far the legendary dwarven king fell.
6. Jarnsmida Pitmines Legendary Chest
Deep in the claustrophobic Jarnsmida Pitmines, another isolated legendary chest taunts from across a gap near the giant mining crane.
First, light the two braziers to supply power to the crane. Then, ride the hooked contraption across the divide and take down the two ancient miners that spawn.
This also triggers the emergence of an infectious Nightmare parasite seizing control of the crane! Keep your distance from its area corruption attack and shred the neon growths at range while avoiding the wheeling arms.
Once it expires, traverse over once more on the crane line to safely access the chest. Inside lies the penultimate fossil for your collection efforts!
7. Temple of Light Legendary Chest – Alfheim
Our final stop is back to the serene light realm of Alfheim. Seek out the legendary chest deep inside the sprawling Temple of Light – one of the game’s lengthiest and most puzzle-driven Vanaheim locales.
Making your way through this radiant structure requires skillful use of your dwarven Bifrost to disperse the 3 barrier seals. Lift the temple barriers to unlock access to the legendary chest near the back locked light crystals.
Open it to obtain the seventh and final celestial fossil at long last!
Maximizing Your Level 10 Upgraded Arsenal
With the cosmic fossils in hand, you now possess the means to upgrade the Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, and Draupnir Spear to their maximum potential. This pushes Kratos’s raw power and build versatility to new heights!
Here’s a breakdown of notable gains from hitting level 10 with your weapons:
Leviathan Axe
- +88 Runic
- +57 Strength
- +55 Luck
- +35 Defense
- +24 Vitality
- Skadi’s Spear Light Runic Attack – massive high damage spear throw
- Ivaldi’s Retaliation Heavy Runic Attack – whirlwind combo finisher
Blades of Chaos
- +57 Strength
- +55 Defense
- +43 Vitality
- +35 Luck
- Rampage of the Furies Light Runic Attack – fire cleaving slashes
- Tartarus Rage Heavy Runic Attack – giant fiery meteor slam
Draupnir Spear
- +88 Runic
- +68 Luck
- +57 Defense
- +35 Vitality
- Mjolnir’s Hurricane Light Runic Attack – electric spear tornado
- Asgard’s Tempest Heavy Runic Attack – massive AOE lightning strike
As you can see, attaining Level 10 grants each weapon improved stats across vital areas like Strength, Luck, Defense and Vitality. This bolsters your overall damage output and durability.
The new Runic attacks are also packing some serious power! Flying an electrified Draupnir Spear tornado or calling down the Blades’ epic meteor storm Ultimate feels incredible.
I utilized these fully upgraded weapons to conquer the menagerie of ultra-challenging optional bosses waiting in the wings on subsequent playthroughs. These include the fiendish Soul Eaters, terrifying Norns, and the landspanning Jotnaren giants.
I definitely couldn’t have toppled those epic showdowns without the damage and flexibility provided by maxed out gear.
So for any fellow gamers chasing ultimate bragging rights, I highly recommend making the celestial fossil run. It permanently alters Kratos’s ass-kicking potential!
Just remember patience and preparation are key. Don‘t let the dangerous guardians or complex puzzles blocking the fossils halt your quest for godly power!
Closing Thoughts on Hunting Celestial Fossils
And there we have it – everything you need to definitively locate all 7 celestial fossils and information on fully upgrading Kratos’s capabilities with them.
As a New Game Plus veteran, I can’t state enough how vital attaining Level 10 weapons is. The exponential jump in enemy toughness demands your very best arsenal to stand a chance.
Sure – reaching the heavily defended chests and besting those epic boss refights requires grit. But that‘s precisely what defines God of War‘s uniquely rewarding brand of high stakes exploration.
Now get out there, claim your fossils, upgrade those blades and battleaxes to cosmic heights, and show the realms who the real God of War is!
Let me know which weapon you upgrade first with the fossils and how you utilize its insane new powers against the world tree‘s deadliest foes!
