The world of God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök is filled with incredible weapons, devastating abilities, and powerful runic attacks. Among the myriad of options available to Kratos, the Breath of Thamur stands out as a particularly effective and visually stunning light runic attack for the Leviathan Axe. But how good is it, really? This article will delve into the intricacies of the Breath of Thamur, exploring its strengths, weaknesses, optimal uses, and overall impact on gameplay. We’ll examine its damage output, area of effect, crowd control capabilities, and how it fares against different types of enemies.
Understanding The Breath Of Thamur
The Breath of Thamur is a light runic attack for the Leviathan Axe that unleashes a wave of frost, dealing damage and inflicting the Frost status effect on enemies within a wide area. When activated, Kratos slams the axe into the ground, creating a ground-based explosion of ice that expands outwards. This attack excels at dealing with groups of weaker enemies, controlling the battlefield, and setting up opportunities for follow-up attacks.
Damage And Frost Application
The damage output of the Breath of Thamur is considerable, especially when upgraded. Its effectiveness increases with Kratos’s overall Strength and Runic stats. While it might not be the highest single-target damage option available, its area of effect and the ability to freeze multiple enemies simultaneously make it a valuable tool. The Frost status effect significantly slows enemies, making them easier to hit and control. The duration and intensity of the Frost effect are also enhanced by Kratos’s stats.
Area Of Effect And Range
The Breath of Thamur boasts a substantial area of effect. The wave of frost emanates from Kratos in a wide circle, hitting enemies in all directions. This makes it particularly useful in situations where you’re surrounded or facing a large group of foes. The range is also decent, allowing you to hit enemies at a moderate distance without exposing yourself to excessive risk. This is crucial for maintaining control of the battlefield and preventing enemies from overwhelming you.
Cooldown And Upgrades
The cooldown of the Breath of Thamur is relatively moderate, allowing for frequent use during combat. However, managing the cooldown is still important, especially on higher difficulty levels where strategic use of runic attacks is essential for survival. Upgrading the Breath of Thamur through the in-game upgrade system enhances its damage, area of effect, and the effectiveness of the Frost status effect. Investing resources into upgrading this runic attack is highly recommended, as it significantly boosts its overall utility.
Strategic Uses In Combat
The Breath of Thamur is not just about raw damage; its strategic applications are what truly make it shine. It’s a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of combat scenarios to control the flow of battle and create opportunities for Kratos to unleash his full potential.
Crowd Control And Enemy Management
One of the primary strengths of the Breath of Thamur lies in its ability to control crowds of enemies. The wide area of effect and the Frost status effect combine to create a powerful tool for slowing down and disrupting enemy formations. This allows you to focus on individual targets while simultaneously managing the threat posed by the surrounding horde. By freezing enemies, you create openings to execute heavy attacks, runic attacks, or even reposition yourself for a more advantageous position.
Interrupting Enemy Attacks
The Breath of Thamur can also be used to interrupt enemy attacks. The sudden burst of frost can stagger enemies, disrupting their animations and preventing them from executing their planned attacks. This is particularly useful against enemies with predictable attack patterns or those who are charging up powerful abilities. Timing the Breath of Thamur correctly can save you from significant damage and turn the tide of battle in your favor.
Setting Up Combos
The Frost status effect applied by the Breath of Thamur creates opportunities for devastating combos. Frozen enemies are more vulnerable to follow-up attacks, allowing you to chain together a series of strikes and runic attacks for maximum damage. For example, you could use the Breath of Thamur to freeze a group of enemies and then follow up with a powerful heavy attack or a different runic attack that deals bonus damage to frozen targets.
Strengths And Weaknesses
Like any weapon or ability in God of War, the Breath of Thamur has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these pros and cons is crucial for effectively utilizing it in combat.
Advantages
- Exceptional Crowd Control: Its wide area of effect and Frost status effect make it ideal for managing groups of enemies.
- High Damage Potential: With upgrades and proper stat allocation, it can deal significant damage to multiple targets.
- Versatile Utility: It can be used to interrupt enemy attacks, set up combos, and control the battlefield.
- Relatively Fast Cooldown: Allows for frequent use during combat, provided you manage it effectively.
Disadvantages
- Limited Single-Target Damage: While its area of effect damage is excellent, it’s not the best choice for focusing on a single, heavily armored enemy.
- Vulnerability During Activation: Kratos is briefly vulnerable while casting the Breath of Thamur, so timing is crucial.
- Ineffective Against Certain Enemies: Some enemies are resistant or immune to the Frost status effect, reducing its effectiveness.
- Requires Strategic Use: Simply spamming it won’t be as effective as using it strategically in specific situations.
How It Compares To Other Runic Attacks
The Leviathan Axe boasts a diverse range of runic attacks, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. Comparing the Breath of Thamur to other popular options can help you determine whether it’s the right choice for your playstyle.
Compared To Ivaldi’s Anvil
Ivaldi’s Anvil is a heavy runic attack that creates a powerful shockwave, dealing significant damage in a smaller area. While Ivaldi’s Anvil offers higher single-target damage, the Breath of Thamur excels in crowd control. Ivaldi’s Anvil is better suited for taking down tough individual enemies, while the Breath of Thamur is ideal for managing groups. The choice between the two depends on your preferred playstyle and the specific challenges you’re facing.
Compared To The River Of Knives
The River of Knives unleashes a barrage of icy projectiles, dealing rapid damage over a wide area. While The River of Knives provides consistent damage output, the Breath of Thamur offers better crowd control and interrupt potential. The River of Knives is a good choice for sustained damage, while the Breath of Thamur is better for disrupting enemy formations and setting up combos. The River of Knives has a longer range but less immediate impact.
Optimizing Your Build For Breath Of Thamur
To maximize the effectiveness of the Breath of Thamur, it’s important to optimize your build around it. This involves selecting the right armor, enchantments, and stats to enhance its damage, area of effect, and utility.
Prioritizing Strength And Runic Stats
The damage output of the Breath of Thamur is directly influenced by Kratos’s Strength and Runic stats. Prioritizing these stats in your gear selection will significantly boost its effectiveness. Look for armor and enchantments that provide bonuses to Strength and Runic, as these will have the greatest impact on its damage potential. Strength will enhance the physical damage while Runic will boost the magical damage and the effectiveness of the Frost status effect.
Choosing The Right Armor And Enchantments
Certain armor sets and enchantments synergize particularly well with the Breath of Thamur. For example, armor sets that provide bonuses to runic attack damage or cooldown reduction can significantly enhance its performance. Enchantments that increase the duration or intensity of the Frost status effect can also be highly beneficial. Experiment with different combinations to find the setup that best suits your playstyle. The goal is to maximize the effectiveness of the Breath of Thamur while also complementing your other abilities and weapons.
Enemies And Encounters Where Breath Of Thamur Shines
Knowing which enemies and encounters the Breath of Thamur excels against is crucial for utilizing it effectively. Some enemies are more vulnerable to its effects than others, and certain combat scenarios are perfectly suited to its strengths.
Effective Against Draugr And Revenants
The Breath of Thamur is particularly effective against Draugr and Revenants, two common enemy types in God of War. Draugr are vulnerable to the Frost status effect, making them easy to control and eliminate. Revenants, while more resistant, can still be staggered by the initial blast, creating an opening for follow-up attacks. The Breath of Thamur’s wide area of effect makes it ideal for dealing with groups of these enemies, allowing you to clear them out quickly and efficiently.
Useful In Confined Spaces
The Breath of Thamur is especially useful in confined spaces where enemies are likely to be clustered together. The wide area of effect ensures that all enemies within the confined space are hit, maximizing its damage potential and crowd control capabilities. These areas often force players into close-quarters combat, making the Breath of Thamur an invaluable tool for controlling the battlefield and preventing enemies from overwhelming you.
Conclusion: Is Breath Of Thamur Worth It?
So, how good is the Breath of Thamur? The answer is a resounding yes. It’s a powerful and versatile runic attack that offers exceptional crowd control, decent damage, and strategic utility. While it may not be the best choice for every situation, its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. The Breath of Thamur is a valuable addition to any player’s arsenal, particularly those who enjoy controlling the battlefield and setting up combos. Its effectiveness increases with upgrades and proper stat allocation, making it a worthy investment for any aspiring God of War. If you are looking for a reliable and effective crowd control option for the Leviathan Axe, the Breath of Thamur is an excellent choice. By understanding its strengths, weaknesses, and strategic uses, you can unlock its full potential and dominate the battlefields of Midgard and beyond.
What Exactly Is The Breath Of Thamur Attack In God Of War?
The Breath of Thamur is a devastating light runic attack available to Kratos in God of War (2018). It essentially unleashes a powerful, localized blizzard around Kratos. It’s a circular area-of-effect attack that deals frost damage to enemies caught within its range, staggering them and inflicting the “frost” status effect. This makes it exceptionally useful for crowd control, freezing weaker enemies solid and hindering the movements of stronger foes.
The attack’s effectiveness stems from its rapid application of frost. This builds up the frost status quickly, allowing for follow-up attacks that capitalize on the frozen or slowed state of enemies. Furthermore, the stagger effect creates openings for Kratos to deal significant damage with other abilities or standard attacks, rendering it a vital tool in difficult combat scenarios.
How Do You Acquire The Breath Of Thamur Attack In God Of War?
The Breath of Thamur is not obtained through story progression or typical exploration. Instead, it’s acquired as a reward for completing one of the optional endgame challenges. Specifically, you’ll need to defeat the Valkyrie Queen Sigrun, the most difficult boss encounter in the game.
Sigrun guards this powerful runic attack, along with other valuable resources, as a testament to her strength. Defeating her requires mastering the game’s combat system and understanding the attack patterns of all the other Valkyries you’ve faced throughout your journey. Only by overcoming this ultimate challenge can Kratos wield the destructive power of Thamur’s Breath.
What Are The Key Benefits Of Using The Breath Of Thamur In Combat?
The primary benefit of the Breath of Thamur lies in its exceptional crowd control capabilities. The wide area-of-effect and rapid application of frost allow you to quickly freeze or severely slow multiple enemies at once. This is particularly useful when facing overwhelming numbers or dealing with agile foes that are difficult to pin down.
Beyond crowd control, the stagger effect provided by the attack creates valuable openings for follow-up attacks. You can use this time to unleash powerful runic attacks, heavy attacks, or even Spartan Rage without fear of immediate retaliation. This makes the Breath of Thamur not just a defensive tool, but also a key component of an offensive strategy.
What Are The Drawbacks Or Limitations Of Using The Breath Of Thamur?
Despite its power, the Breath of Thamur does have limitations. One key drawback is its relatively long cooldown time. After using it, you’ll have to wait a significant period before it can be used again, making it important to time its usage strategically rather than relying on it constantly.
Another limitation is its effectiveness against enemies that are highly resistant to frost damage or are immune to status effects. Certain boss encounters or late-game enemies may be less susceptible to the freezing effects, diminishing the attack’s crowd control potential. In such cases, focusing on raw damage output or alternative runic attacks might be more beneficial.
How Does The Breath Of Thamur Interact With Other Equipment And Skills?
The Breath of Thamur synergizes well with equipment and skills that enhance frost damage or benefit from frozen enemies. Gear that increases runic attack damage will directly amplify the Breath’s damage output. Furthermore, skills that grant bonuses against frozen or slowed enemies will become significantly more effective.
Consider equipping armor and enchantments that increase runic attack, frost damage, or strength. This will maximize the damage dealt by the Breath and the effectiveness of follow-up attacks. Experiment with different combinations to find a build that best suits your playstyle and combat preferences, enhancing the overall power and versatility of the Breath of Thamur.
Can The Breath Of Thamur Be Upgraded Or Modified?
Unlike some runic attacks, the Breath of Thamur cannot be directly upgraded to increase its damage or change its properties. Its core functionality and damage output remain consistent throughout the game. However, its effectiveness can be indirectly enhanced through other means.
As mentioned earlier, improving Kratos’ stats, particularly runic and frost, will indirectly increase the effectiveness of the Breath of Thamur. Focusing on gear and skills that support runic attacks and frost damage will maximize its potential within your overall build. While you can’t upgrade the attack itself, you can certainly optimize your character to make it more powerful.
What Are Some Effective Strategies For Using Breath Of Thamur Against Specific Enemy Types?
Against weaker enemies like Draugr or Nightmares, the Breath of Thamur is incredibly effective for instant crowd control. A single activation can freeze or stagger entire groups, allowing you to quickly dispatch them with follow-up attacks. Focus on positioning yourself in the center of the group to maximize the number of enemies affected.
Against stronger enemies or those resistant to frost, the Breath of Thamur can still be useful for creating openings. Use it to interrupt their attacks, stagger them briefly, and create a window for dealing damage with other abilities or heavy attacks. Remember to manage the cooldown and prioritize using it strategically rather than relying on it as a primary damage source.