Vanadis Boss Fight in Wildwoods

Learn how to beat Vanadis in God of War Ragnarök with this guide. We break down her attacks, phases, and provide strategies to overcome this challenging boss.

Alright, so you've made it to Vanadis in the Wildwoods – she's the seventh boss you'll encounter in God of War Ragnarök, showing up right after you finish The Lost Sanctuary main story mission. You'll be back in Midgard, and after a bit of a scuffle with some Hel enemies alongside Atreus, you'll regain control of Kratos and have to deal with a few more. Vanadis will jump you pretty much as soon as you're done with that second wave of enemies.

She's pretty quick and mixes up ranged and melee attacks, so you'll need to stay sharp. Honestly, it's not the hardest fight if you know what to look out for. Most of her moves are blockable, but there are a couple you really need to watch out for.

Vanadis' Attacks & How to Handle Them

Vanadis has a couple of phases, and here's what she throws at you:

• Jumping Lunge Attack: This is a big one. She'll leap straight at you super fast and smash her sword down. It's unblockable, so you absolutely have to dodge this. Just be ready to roll away the second you see her go for it.
• Arrow Shot: She'll fire two regular arrows. These are super easy to block, so don't sweat them.
• Arrow Spread: This is similar, but she'll fire a fan of arrows. Again, just block it. If you're far enough away, you might only get hit by one, but blocking is the safest bet.
• Dashing Strikes: She'll zip in and hit you with two quick sword strikes. They're fast, but totally blockable.
• Melee Strikes: These are less common, but can happen, especially if you're trying to get some hits in on her. Sometimes they follow a double blue ring. If you see those blue rings, it's usually best to just back off. The first phase has yellow rings on some of these, meaning they'll break your guard if you're not careful.
• Poison Pools (Phase 2): This one only shows up in the second phase. She'll toss out poison orbs that create pools of poison on the ground. They stick around for a bit, so just keep your distance until they clear.
• Four-Hit Combo (Phase 2): Her other new move in the second phase is a four-hit combo. Good news is, you can block all of it. It's not used constantly, but keep an eye out.

Strategy for Vanadis

Like I said, Vanadis isn't a total nightmare, but her speed keeps you on your toes. She'll dart in and out of melee range, using her arrows when she's further away. Remember, those arrow attacks are easy to block. The main thing to watch for is that Jumping Lunge – it's fast and unblockable, so dodging is key. The dashing strikes are less of a worry since you can block them.

Once you chip away about three health bars, the arena will change a bit, and you'll unlock a new Rage mechanic called Valor. Instead of just powering up for attacks, you'll use a bit of your Rage meter to heal yourself. You can switch between this and the standard Rage in your Weapons menu after the fight.

The second phase isn't drastically different. Just be aware of those poison pools she throws out – give them a wide berth until they disappear. Her new four-hit combo is blockable, so just keep your guard up if she goes for it.