The Greater Crest of Flame is one of the most valuable resources in God of War (2018). It is required to craft and upgrade some of the best gear in the game, such as the Gauntlets of the Valkyrie or the Muspelheim’s Eye of Power enchantment for the Shattered Gauntlet of Ages.
What makes the Greater Crest of Flame even more valuable is how difficult it is to obtain and farm. It’s only available in Muspelheim, which, in God of War, is a realm of brutal combat challenges that test Kratos’ skill to its very limits. The Greater Crest of Flame is hidden within, but it won’t reveal itself for the faint of heart.
7 Unlock The Way To The Realm Of Muspelheim
The Greater Crest of Flame is only available in the burning realm of Muspelheim. In order to obtain the Greater Crest of Flame, Kratos and Atreus must already have access to that realm through the Bifrost Bridge. Gaining access means having collected all the Muspelheim Ciphers spread out across Midgard and Alfheim.
There are several Muspelheim Ciphers to be found throughout the world, but you only need four to unlock the realm. Muspelheim Ciphers can be found:
- In the Forgotten Caverns in the northwest of the Lake of the Nine
- On the Cliffs of the Raven on the northeast of the Lake of the Nine
- Below the Vanahaim Tower on the way to the Foothills and the Mountain
- On the way back down the Mountain after acquiring Mimir
- In the Witch’s Cave past the half-eaten statue of Thor
- In Alfheim behind a gate initially blocked by roots during Kratos’ first encounter with the Dark Elves
After acquiring four, Kratos and Atreus will be able to use the Bifrost to go to Muspelheim.
6 Train Up Both Yourself And Kratos
As previously mentioned, the challenges of Muspelheim are not easy. It isn’t recommended trying them out until one is very far into the game and has become well-acquainted with the combat of God of War. At the very least, Kratos should have the Blades of Chaos before trying the Muspelheim Trials.
Of course, boosting the quality of the gear that Kratos and Atreus have at their disposal is useful as well. Make sure that both Kratos and Atreus have good armor, talismans, skill, and weapon upgrades before taking on the Muspelheim Trials.
5 Clear The Normal And Hard Variants Of The First Five Muspelheim Trials
Next, come the actual Muspelheim Trials. There are six trials in all, with normal, hard, and impossible variants for the first five trials. The impossible versions of each trial will only be unlocked after clearing the normal and hard variants of the first five trials.
Unfortunately, having access to the impossible trials is the most reliable way to farm Greater Crests of Flame, so clearing the normal and hard versions of the first five trials is a challenge that needs to be done.
4 Defeat The Valkyrie Gondul At The Summit Of The Mountain
The sixth trial is defeating the errant Valkyrie Gondul at the summit of the Muspelheim Trials mountain. Like the rest of the Valkyrie boss fights, defeating Gondul is no mean feat. There’s a reason this is the final Muspelhiem Trial (sort of).
Keep an eye on Gondul’s attack patterns, look for openings, and avoid damage as much as possible. This is the best advice that can be given for all Valkyrie boss fights. Beating her is also necessary for unlocking the impossible trials, so this is another challenge that must be accomplished.
3 Determine Which Of The Impossible Challenges Are The Easiest For You
After that, the impossible Muspelheim Trials will finally be available to Kratos and, by extension, you as well. As their name implies, they are more difficult versions of the first five Muspelheim Trials. You don’t need to clear all of them; just find the ones that are easiest for you and replay them. These Trials can also score Kratos a Greater Crest of Flame.
Completing an impossible trial will score Kratos a key to Surtr’s Hidden Trials. These Trials can be found at the summit where you fought Gondul. They are the most reliable way to farm Greater Crests of Flame.
2 Take On Surtur’s Hidden Trials At The Summit
After getting three keys, return to the summit and begin Surtur’s Hidden Trials. These Trials are also combat challenges. However, instead of being pass/fail, these trials rank Kratos on a bronze, silver, and gold scale depending on how well he does. Getting a rank of at least silver seems to be a reliable score when aiming for a Greater Crest of Flame.
There are three trial variations that can be found when taking on Surtur’s Hidden Trials. Unfortunately, you’ll need to go back and get the keys again to play another Hidden Trial after clearing one.
1 Farm Until You Have All The Greater Crest Of Flames That You Need
Getting enough Greater Crests of Flame to fully upgrade Kratos’ gear is a grind. It takes a lot of patience and no small amount of time to get them. While they are needed to unlock some of the best armor and gear upgrades in the game, Kratos won’t necessarily need the best gear to clear the campaign.
That said, if you are just dying to get those Greater Crests of Flame to upgrade some pieces of the Valkyrie Set or to get the Muspelheim’s Eye of Power upgrade, this is the best way to do it. Now that you know how to farm the Greater Crests, farm away!
God of War (2018) is currently available on the PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, and PC.
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