One of the newest, most innovative additions to theGod of Warfranchise was that of the shield. This shield was not only a gift from Kratos' departed wife, Faye, but was also a great addition to his new arsenal. Not only can players equip different shields inGod of War: Ragnarok, but they can also equip entirely different shield ronds.
These shield ronds are greatly effective for changing the pacing ofGod of War: Ragnarok’s intense combat. Kratos' new arsenal of theclassic Blades of Chaosand the Leviathan Axe makes for a more interesting experience in the Norse Mythology continuation of Kratos' story inGod of War, especially when paired with the best shield ronds in the game.
Updated on July 23, 2025, by Jake Fillery:The best Rond in God of War Ragnarok is entirely dependant on every player’s unique style. Whether it’s on the defensive, the parry, or the offense, the best Shield Attachments in God of War Ragnarok will be essential to making sure Kratos and Atreus survive against the Norse Pantheon, and listed below will be all Shield Ronds, their unique abilities, how to get them, and of course, their stats and upgrades.
13Rond of Sparta
Crafted in New Game Plus for 15,000 Hacksilver
The Rond of Sparta may offer some sense of home to Kratos, as the design is familiar to the Spartan as his time in training before he became the Ghost of Sparta. However, outside of a visual identity, the Rond of Sparta offers no other advantage and simply exists as a cosmetic piece to homage to Kratos’s origins as a Spartan.
The Rond of Sparta holds no perks of extra lines of defense, and it can only be obtained by completing the game and reaching New Game Plus. As such, it’s a neat cosmetic reward, but it offers no set bonus that makes it worth using compared to other ronds.
Upon startingGod of War Ragnarok, players will immediately have the default shield rond, Volition. There’s nothing special about this round, and it’s simply the first players will have. The Rond of Volition is purely for Defense stats, but it’s not the greatest, even after upgrading. If players want to make the most out of their shield ronds, it’s probably a good idea to avoid this one.
The Rond of Volition has no special perks or attributes to warrant use, so once players unlock a new one, it’s probably best to equip it unless they really enjoy the extra points of Defense for the cost of Hacksilver and Slag Deposits.
Kratos will be gifted a few bonus points for Strength and Defense by equipping the Rond of Purification. Whilst this increase in stats might be seen as a good thing, the points are rather weak in comparison to others, and the Contagion Discharge perk also doesn’t really add anything to make it worth it, unless players find themselves unable to dodge and evade certain attacks.
Rond of Purification provides players with the opportunity to remove their Frost, Burn, Poison, or Bifrost affliction if they use the Shield Strike ability. The fact that it can cleanse the status and gives enemies that same affliction when struck with the Shield Strike turns a shield into a weapon, but it also means players have to catch an affliction, which isn’t exactly desirable for defense.
There’s an element of power placed upon the player with the perkElemental Storm. Players will have a low Luck chance to create an Elemental Storm, but only whilst interrupting double Blue ring attacks. These can only be countered through a double tap of L1. Players also have a chance to activate Elemental Storm through parrying.
The Rond of Disruption is fairlydecent inGod of War Ragnarok, as said Elemental Storm will cause further ailments and affliction to the enemies that are affected by its might. However, considering it is luck-based, players might not even get to see its results successfully.
Obtaining this shield is an achievement unto itself, as players can only receive the shield after beating the Valkyrie Queen. It’s quite the challenge, but worth it for the reward.
This shield focuses on Strength, Defense, Runic, Cooldown, Vitality, and Luck, providing a bounty of bonus stats. The shield itself has theShards of the Valkyrieperk, which allows players to fire a volley of Valkyrie shards at enemies if they hold L1 for several seconds to charge the shield, and then release with L1 + L3.
With the perkStrike of Affliction, players will be able to cause enemies to consume the ailment of their status-affliction, meaning that they will be dealt a powerful elemental explosion tofurther damage them.
However, this perk can only activate upon a shield strike, which is accessible through a double tap of L1. These enemies also need a status affliction, meaning they need to be struck with a certain amount of arrows or through Kratos’ violent weapons.
Defense seems to be a virtue inGod of War: Ragnarok. The inclusion of the shield allows gamers to each play in their unique way. If players rely more on defensive tactics, then the Rond of Fortification is certainly a good shield to use, thanks to theFortificationperk.
This perk allows players to hold L1 for several seconds to trigger an explosion when they next block or double tap L1 for a shield attack. This explosion will Stun enemies. Players that constantly hold their shield up will be rewarded with this high Stun explosion, meaning they can effectively build Stun to Stun grab and eliminate their enemies.
This shield rond focuses on Defense and Runic stats, and has the perk known asDefender’s Momentum. This perk grants bonus skill gauge to Permafrost, Immolation, and Maelstrom, as long as the player is blocking or parrying with the shield.
The Rond of Absorption is good because there’s always a great luxury and power with the skill gauge of the Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos,and Draupnir Spear. It adds bonus damage to attacks, making defense important for the fence.
There are plenty of dire times inGod of War: Ragnarok. With Kratos and Atreus facing off against the oncoming prophecy of Ragnarok, and againstthe might of Odinand Thor, it’s no wonder that the Rond of Restoration may be fairly important to some players.
Thanks to the perkRestoring Shield, players will have a Luck-based chance to gain Defense when he takes damage. Kratos will also have a chance to restore Health with the next Shield Strike that he does. The lower the player’s health, the higher the chance to heal. It can be beneficial to players struggling to keep their health up.
Players should use their runic attacks inGod of War: Ragnarokas often as possible. These attacks deal incredible damage, and the only thing holding back Aesir’s demise is the fact that Kratos has runic Cooldowns. That will be less of an issue thanks to the perkRiposte Refresh.
Players will be granted a Blessing of Cooldown when they interrupt a double Blue ring attack by double tapping L1 for a shield strike or Parrying. This Blessing of Cooldown means that players will shorten the time required fortheir runic attacks, perhaps making the difference between life and death.
