As far as video game trinkets and baubles go, there is a ton of variation between the usefulness of such equipment from minorly helpful to outright broken depending on the title that one is currently enjoying. In God of War, one of the more recent games in the eponymous franchise, players can choose to equip Kratos with one of the game's Talismans for a powerful battle boon.
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There are many Talismans to be found in this incredible game overflowing with Norse mythology, though only 6 are above the Common level that are worth using; 4 of which are Rare, 1 that is Legendary, and the final 1 that is Epic. While they all possess useful effects and can be upgraded to raise their level, which allows them to contribute to Kratos' armor level, there are some that simply outshine others in terms of usability due to how powerful their effect can be against enemies.
Updated On August 9, 2021, by Reyadh Rahaman: Since there are quite a few different kinds of enemies in God of War, players will likely find that each of the best Talismans can be handy against particular foes. It is always important to think strategically in this Norse-theme adventure, as a success based on brute force is no longer an option for Kratos thanks to the way stats are affected by gear level as well as the levels of enemies.
Acting much more like an RPG, players will have to take advantage of the mechanics surrounding certain enemies to defeat them, and specific Talismans can be handy in this regard. Don't be afraid to swap Talismans and try new tactics, as, sometimes, experiments can lead to discovering powerful battlefield tactics.
6 Amulet Of Kvasir
As mentioned by the item description, this Talisman slows down time whenever the player performs a perfectly timed dodge (dodge at the last second during an incoming attack). This can be slightly helpful in combat, though only if one does not have any other Talismans to equip, for the effects of all the others are better than this slight time distortion that only lasts a couple of seconds.
With that said, players who are having a hard time keeping up with some faster foes will likely benefit from using this Talisman. Avoiding a few hits here and there with a passive effect that occurs when one would naturally be dodging is a low-effort way of allowing some players to ease into this digital world before trying out other Talismans.
5 Talisman Of Betrayal
Like the Amulet of Kvasir, the Talisman of Betrayal is another trinket that can slow down time, though players can use this Talisman on command instead of needing to activate it passively when dodging. This allows the Talisman of Betrayal to be more useful in combat as players can use its effect on command, though, besides the damage buff to ranged attacks, there isn't much incentive to use this one.
Despite being below Legendary or Epic-tier, this Talisman can be the best to use against some of the toughest adversaries that can be encountered: Valkyries. These immensely powerful winged warriors can sometimes launch blindingly fast attacks that can be tricky to dodge, so having a way to slow time on command can understandably be helpful against them.
4 Golden Talisman Of Protection
As the one geared the most toward defense, the Golden Talisman of Protection can be very helpful to players who are having trouble taking down some particularly tough enemies. Immediately after being hit, the player can activate this Talisman's effect to recover health quickly and essentially neutralize some of the damage that was recently taken.
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The Golden Talisman of Protection also makes the parry timing window wider; so players who are big fans of using Kratos' new shield should definitely consider using this Talisman that is the best for defense. Furthermore, this golden trinket passively increases one's defense while blocking by a significant amount, which can make those difficult fights a bit more manageable.
One type of greater foe that the Golden Talisman of Protection can be helpful against are the Troll bosses that can be encountered in various areas of the world. These big brutes can hit pretty hard, so the added defense, as well as the quick healing, will make such battles much less dangerous.
3 Horn Of Heimdall
Bearing the name of a notable mythical gatekeeper from Asgard, the Horn of Heimdall possesses a great effect for those of an offensively-geared mindset. Players can use it to unleash a powerful shockwave that does sizable stun damage to every enemy caught in the blast.
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Stun damage, when applied repeatedly using Kratos' better shield and unarmed attacks, can be more effective at taking down some kinds of foes than hacking away at their health bar with the Leviathan Axe or the Blades of Chaos. This is due to the fact that gamers can instantly kill adversaries who have a full stun meter, regardless of how much health they have left.
It is also worth noting that the Horm of Heimdall has a handy passive effect that decreases the cooldown of its stunning shockwave ability each time that Kratos performs successful blocks and parries, so those seeking to make the best use of this Talisman and stun tactics should focus on using their shield as much as possible for streamlined and deadly combos.
Interestingly, stun attacks have polarizing effectiveness. On most regular enemies, the stun meter will only be increased slightly from the shield and unarmed attacks, however, against most very light foes (such as flying ones) or many very heavy enemies (the thick, slow-moving kind), stun damage builds up much quicker.
2 Sinmara's Cinder
Appropriate for a Legendary Talisman acquired in Muspelheim, the realm of fire, Sinmara's Cinder allows Kratos to send out a flaming blast around his body that deals regular and burning damage to all foes caught in the flaming eruption. Despite being a great offensive tactic, there's more to this maneuver than simply scorching enemies.
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After cloaking himself in fire, Kratos will take less damage from incoming attacks, though, his own become nearly impossible for foes to interrupt. Unlike a large majority of other Talisman effects, this one lasts much longer at around 8 seconds, making it far more usable in most situations.
Players can make use of these inflaming effects to sunder hordes of enemies in quick succession, such as the gauntlets of foes that will swarm Kratos in certain situations. When one needs to lay waste to a ton of regular enemies with reckless abandon, Sinmara's Cinder is the best Talisman which gives gamers the power to become burning berserkers.
1 Talisman Of Cursed Power
This is arguably one of the most difficult Talismans to acquire and upgrade, as players can only obtain the Talisman of Cursed Power from within the toxic maze in Niflheim. Additionally, it requires many resources only found in Niflheim to upgrade, however, many consider it to be very much worth the effort.
Similar to the deadly fog found in Niflheim, the Talisman of Cursed Power lets out plumes of this same debilitating haze when its effect is used, but this self-emitted smog only affects enemies. This toxic cloud does not hurt them, though it significantly weakens all adversaries present by decreasing their stats.
While not sounding very impressive in theory, this effect is actually immensely powerful as God of War's combat system revolves around the passive stats granted by the player and enemies' overall level. Dropping an enemy's stats below that of Kratos has the same effect as if the player were to tread through an early part of the game with endgame gear: granting a devastatingly disproportionate power advantage.
In this manner, the Talisman of Cursed Power is the best to use against all enemies short of bosses in pretty much every situation that one will encounter during normal gameplay. It's even helpful during combat challenges such as those found in Muspelheim or the deadly maze of Niflheim, however, there would be little point in spending more time in the latter's toxin-filled maze after acquiring this powerful Talisman.
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