The 10 best Leviathan Axe skills in God of War

God of War 2018 sees Kratos equipped with a hefty new weapon, the Leviathan Axe. This powerful pommeled blade can execute light attacks and heavy blows, but it can also be thrown and retrieved like Thor’s hammer or the world’s deadliest boomerang.

Whether you’re revisiting the game as a recap before Ragnarok or you’re jumping in for the first time, you’re going to need to upgrade the Leviathan Axe as enemies get tougher and tougher. Kratos will have new elemental attacks in the sequel, but he still has some killer moves at his disposal here. We’ve made a list of the 10 best skills that every player should snag as soon as possible, arranged by level.

Related: Who are Skoll and Hati in God of War Ragnarok?

Best Level 1 Leviathan Axe skills

Executioner’s Cleave

Cost: 500 XP

This charged heavy attack slams down the axe for big damage. It’s useful for knocking back bigger enemies that like to get right in your face.

Pride of the Frost

Cost: 500 XP

This upgrade tacks on a heavy attack at the end of a light combo. You’ll be doing three light attacks in succession pretty frequently, so finishing with a heavy blow is an easy addition. Upgrading it will further augment the attack with extra frost damage.

Best Level 2 Leviathan Axe skills

Freezing Burst

Cost: 1,000 XP

This is a souped-up version of the heavy throw that Kratos starts with. It causes a burst of ice damage upon impact, which is great for pinging a group of distant targets.

Frost Rush

Cost: 1,000 XP

This is the light version of Kratos’ rushing attack, and it’s a must-have. It lets you attack directly out of a sprint, which is crucial when charging into battle. Further bonuses let you resist damage as you run forward.

Best Level 3 Leviathan Axe skills

Hunter-Killer I

Cost: 1,500 XP

This is the first step in getting some great crowd control going with the axe (the Blades of Chaos are more given to that combat style). With Hunter-Killer, you can target multiple enemies and send the axe through them all in a single throw. If the Leviathan Axe feels like Thor’s hammer normally, then this move is more akin to Captain America’s pinball-ing shield.

Leviathan’s Fury

Cost: 2,000 XP

This is the heavy version of Frost Rush, and it confers the same benefits. When you upgrade it, you’ll get a burst of extra ice damage after the charging attack.

Best Level 4 Leviathan Axe skills

Hunter-Killer II

Cost: 2,000 XP

This increases the number of targets you can hit when you throw the axe. It’s a basic upgrade, but an important one. The Level 5 version of this further increases the number of targets, so definitely go for that too.

Returning Whirlwind

Cost: 1,400 XP

This move is the perfect way to follow up any axe throw, whether you have Hunter-Killer or not. Instead of simply recalling it, you’ll step right into a new attack. It’s a great way to keep the momentum going.

Best Level 5 Leviathan Axe skills

Returning Storm

Cost: 2,000 XP

Like other moves on this list, this is the heavy version of your Leviathan Axe recall attack. Additionally, since it’s a heavy move, you can tack on frost damage as an extra perk.

Whirlwind Fury

Cost: 3,000 XP

Finally, we have Whirlwind Fury, one of several stance-switching attacks. These are first unlocked at Level 4, and they can be tricky to use since they require you to take a beat in the middle of combat to initiate one. What makes this one more convenient to pull off is that it’s a double ranged attack, meaning you can take a pause while at a safe distance from your opponent.