Arriving seemingly out of myth itself, the Draupnir Spear is undoubtedly one of the most powerful weapons Kratos can wield in God of War Ragnarok. As an avid fan who has eagerly awaited this epic sequel for years, I couldn‘t wait to unlock this devastating spear for myself.
And let me tell you, the long quest to obtain Draupnir did not disappoint! Forged by magical dwarves and sea witches through a ritual requiring the blood of a god, this weapon absolutely wrecks Norse beasts and gods alike.
In this comprehensive guide from a fellow fan, I‘ll cover everything you need to know about unlocking the mythical Draupnir Spear, including:
- The spear‘s legendary background and abilities
- Step-by-step walkthrough to obtain it
- Combat strategies and advanced techniques
- How to upgrade Draupnir to its full potential
- And my own tips and commentary as a passionate GoW fan!
So let‘s dive into this powerful spear‘s mythical origins…
The Legend of Draupnir
In Norse mythology, Draupnir (meaning "the dripper" in Old Norse) is a self-replicating gold ring worn by Odin, king of the gods. The Prose Edda tells how Draupnir was forged by the master dwarf blacksmiths Brokkr and Eitri, and given to Odin after they won a wager against the trickster god Loki.
According to the myth, Draupnir possesses a magical quality – it replicates itself every ninth night, essentially "dripping" out eight new golden rings. This makes it an invaluable asset to the gods. It‘s no wonder Odin made it one of his most treasured relics.
Draupnir‘s ability must have caught the developers‘ eyes as an excellent fit for Kratos‘ new retractable spear in God of War Ragnarok.
Similar to the mythical ring, the weapon replicates itself when thrown, raining down endless spectral spears on enemies. This devastating area-of-effect attack, along with excellent melee combos, make it absolutely essential for survival against deadly foes like Valkyries.
Draupnir Spear Stats and Abilities
Upon obtaining the Draupnir Spear in God of War Ragnarok, I was eager to test its combat capabilities. And let me tell you – this weapon does NOT disappoint! Here are the key stats and abilities:
- Damage: Extremely high damage output, especially for Runic attacks
- Attack Speed: Fast combo slashes enable high DPS
- Attack Types: Light and heavy slashes, charging thrusts, 360° spins, lunging stabs and spear throws
- Reach: Melee – 3 meters, Ranged – 20 meters+
- Stun: High chance to stun enemies and interrupt attacks
- Special: Draupnir‘s Call – Throw spear to replicate 20+ spectral copies mid-flight, explode for AoE damage
- Runes: 2 melee and 2 ranged Runic Attacks
Comparatively, while not as fast as the Blades of Chaos, the Draupnir Spear surpasses the Leviathan Axe in DPS and reach. And the ability to fluidly switch from close combat to devastating ranged attacks makes it extremely versatile.
But its true power lies in exploiting Draupnir‘s Call to assault groups of enemies. Time it right, and you can shred through entire mobs effortlessly! This weapon single-handedly got me through some tough end-game horde fights.
As a passionate GoW veteran however, I‘m always aiming to maximize my combat potential…
Advanced Combat Strategies and Techniques
Unleashing the Draupnir Spear‘s full potential takes skill – but mastering some key strategies will enable you to crush any enemy. Here are my personal tips:
Runic Attack Chaining
The Spear‘s 2 melee Runics – Gádpole‘s Rage and Sjafnir‘s Slash – are best used chained back-to-back. Tap L1+R1 after the first, follow up with L1+R2 for massive damage.
For ranged, Sigurd‘s Desolation is excellent for interrupting distant targets, while Odinforce Barrage hurls lightning fast projectiles.
Manage your Rage meter well and you can spam Runics relentlessly!
Spear Cycling
Hurl out the Draupnir Spear with R1, then switch and throw your next weapon as the copies rain down. Returning to the Spear, mash L2+R1 to manually detonate the blades mid-flight!
This spear cycling tactic allows non-stop explosions while dishing melee damage. It‘s insanely fun and impactful when mastered.
Spam Draupnir‘s Call
Come late-game, upgrade all gear to max level and just go wild spamming Draupnir‘s Call by repeatedly throwing and detonating the spears. It eliminates most enemies crazy fast!
Combine this overpowered attack with Spartan Rage + Runic Summon for absolute god-slaying spear carnage. Feel that dopamine hit!
So in summary – constantly swap combos, maximize Runics, exploit the spear‘s self-replication and go ballistic on bosses. That‘s MY strategy for spear combat domination in God of War Ragnarok!
Now let‘s get back to the all-important guide on how to obtain this beast of a weapon in the first place…
How to Unlock the Draupnir Spear in GoW Ragnarok
As an obsessive GoW enthusiast, I made unlocking the mythical Draupnir Spear my top priority. Obtaining it is tied to a mid-game favor called "Forging Destiny" – which upon first discovering, I bee-lined straight towards like a bounty hunter!
Here‘s an overview of the process:
- Reach Svartalfheim realm and activate the "Forging Destiny" quest
- Gather materials for Brok to repair the bell switch
- Activate the bell to meet the witch under the lake
- Provide the ingredients, including Kratos‘ godly blood
- Have Brok imbue his runes to finish the spear
It seems simple enough on paper – but naturally, some challenging steps are involved. So let me break down the specifics…
Starting the Quest
As part of the main story, you‘ll eventually reach Svartalfheim – the Norse realm of the dwarves. After an initial conversation with Brok and opening the gate, you‘ll come across a mystical bell.
Interacting with the bell triggers the "Forging Destiny" favor – the quest to obtain the Draupnir Spear. Brok informs you the activation switch is broken however, and he needs materials to fix it. So let the dwarf scavenger hunt commence!
Gathering Brok‘s Materials
Facing the bell, head left toward a pile of broken wood planks and start scanning the rocky outcroppings. Atop one of the wooden beams you should spot a silver ore deposit. Target it and hurl your Leviathan Axe with R2 to break off a piece.
Next, locate a bronze ore chunk on the ground around the same wooden area – they‘ll be clustered together so keep an eagle eye out. Repeat the process to harvest the bronze.
Have both a Silver Ore Chunk and Bronze Ore Chunk in hand? Great, now haul it over to Brok‘s shop and gift him the goods! We need that ornery dwarf‘s craftsmanship.
Descending Into the Depths
In exchange for your fetcher efforts, Brok will repair the mystical bell‘s activation switch.
Approach the bell again and strike it with your Blades of Chaos to send the contraption sliding down a glowing track into the lake‘s misty depths. Hop aboard and enjoy the magical descent!
As the bell reaches the underwater waypoint, you‘ll spot a side path with a friendly witch eagerly awaiting your arrival. So head on over and say hello!
The Sea Witch‘s Ritual
This witch, as it turns out, is THE legendary Draupnir Spear‘s destined forger! And remarkably, she‘s quite delightful.
After a quick chat, the witch reveals she needs but one final ingredient – the literal blood of Kratos himself. He solemnly holds out his forearm as she draws enough godly blood to catalyze the metal and imbue Draupnir with its mythic power.
With the ritual complete, we watch an awesome montage of the sea witch chanting spells and melding the dwarf-crafted silver, bronze and runes together with Kratos‘ blood to forge the fabled Draupnir Spear itself!
The witch bestows you the weapon along with a message to have the Huldra Brothers bless it on the surface. Objective complete…almost!
Gaining Brok‘s Runic Blessing
As a final step before being able to kick butt with the Draupnir Spear, the witch instructed us to visit Brok and have him imbue his runes into the weapon. So let‘s quickly wrap up this unlock quest.
Travel back topside to visit Svartalfheim‘s resident weapons master. Upon presenting the newly forged spear, Brok will "reluctantly" perform an incantation to instill the weapon with additional buffs.
And voila – the mythic Draupnir Spear, bane of gods and troll kind, is FINALLY available for use! Time for some sweet, sweet cathartic spearing.
So in summary, obtaining Draupnir isn‘t too complicated, but does involve:
- Harvesting silver and bronze ore for Brok
- Activating the sunken bell contraption
- Meeting the witch and drawing Kratos‘ godly blood
- Having Brok bless the finished spear
Completing these steps rewards you with one of the game‘s most unique and powerful weapons. You‘ll definitely want to unlock the Draupnir Spear before end-game battles and Valkyrie fights!
Now, speaking of power, let‘s dive into some key upgrades…
Upgrading Draupnir to Dominate Gods and Monsters
A weapon is only as good as its wielder…and upgrades! To push the Draupnir Spear to its full monster-slaying potential, you‘ll need to hunt down rare materials and Hidden Chambers.
Here‘s an overview of how upgrading works:
Chamber of Odin Tears
As you explore realms, keep an eye out for mystical realm rifts known as Chamber of Odin tears. These special portals unlock HEALTH and RAGE upgrades for the spear.
I highly recommend prioritizing tears in Alfheim, Vanaheim and Midgard early to boost the spear‘s base stats. It really improves survivability in difficult fights.
Enchantments
Various Enchantments found while looting or crafted at shops will buff specific Draupnir Spear skills like:
- Damage type bonuses (Frost, Burn, Poison etc.)
- Runic/Melee damage and efficiency
- Elemental resistance
- Aim assist
- Perk chance
Mix and match Enchantments to accentuate your personal playstyle. I prefer a high Luck build for ridiculous perk triggering!
Haft of Ullr
This special item upgrades the Draupnir Spear itself by increasing SPEED. Retrieve the Haft from a Legendary Chest in The Crater secret area early on to permanently buff combo potential.
Silver and Gold
Finally, you can directly upgrade Draupnir‘s damage, runic abilities and skills by visiting shops and spending Silver and Gold, which are found by looting enemy corpses and nests while exploring realms.
At Max Level 6, the weapon unlocks an ultra powerful third Runic attack!
So in summary, fully upgrading the Draupnir Spear requires:
- Finding Hidden Odin Chamber realm tears
- Equipping damage and efficiency Enchantments
- Retrieving the special Haft of Ullr item
- Spending Silver and Gold on direct spear improvements
Do all that across the realms, and you‘ll have a nigh unstoppable god-killing/troll-killing/everything-killing machine!
Well, those are my hard-earned tips for unlocking and upgrading Kratos‘ incredible new Draupnir Spear in God of War Ragnarok. I hope this detailed guide from a fellow gaming enthusiast helps you on your own mythic Norse quest!
Wishing you glorious, gory battles and happy spear-chucking! Let me know which realm you lay waste to first…
Conclusion
The Draupnir Spear remains one of my personal highlights of God of War Ragnarok. Unlocking its devastating ranged and melee attacks opens up an exhilarating new combat dynamic.
I‘ll never forget the first time I threw the weapon, watched multiple spectral copies rain down, then detonated them all at once to flatten an arena of dredge. Pure, visceral joy!
So if you‘re itching to experience that same endorphin rush of mythical power, follow the steps above. Hunt down the legendary spear, fully upgrade it along the way, practice some advanced techniques, and start dominating gods and monsters across the realms!
Once more unto the breach, brave gamers! And this time, bring some big, bad exploding spears…
Let the saga continue!
