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God of War guide: Hail to the King Favor (Konunsgard Stronghold) walkthrough and collectibles

One area, two Favors

By Dave Tach@dptach Updated Jan 11, 2022, 5:54pm EST

God of War Hail to the King Favor (Konunsgard Stronghold) walkthrough and collectibles guide

Part of God of War guide and walkthrough

In this God of War Hail to the King guide, we’ll take you through Konunsgard, where you’ll complete the “Hail to the King” Favor and unlock and complete “The Fire of Reginn” Favor to free a dragon.

Hail to the King Favor (Konunsgard) walkthrough

Before you begin, you’ll need to collect the Entry Stone from Brock and Sindri, after they’ve been reunited. Paddle your boat through the Lake of Nine to the area near the Forgotten Caverns. (Or if you’ve already been there, just warp to the King’s Hollow Mystic Gateway).

Near the gateway, you’ll find a pedestal to place the Entry Stone. Doing so will open the doors to Konunsgard.

Through the doors, veer to the left to collect some hacksilver, and use your Blade of Chaos to burn the Hel-bramble that leads to a chain. Ride it down. Hug the right wall at the bottom to collect the items in the cave. Climb the wall out, and have Atreus read the “Motsognir’s Throne” Lore Marker. Nearby, you can visit Sindri’s shop.

Before the bridge

Take the path past Sindri, and veer to the left. Throw your axe at the Scorn Pole to clear away the poison and take care of the enemies beyond it. Open the coffin at the end of the path to reveal some enemies. Defeat them to get the loot from the coffin, including a Legendary enchantment. Before you do that, kill the Odin’s raven on the cliffs beyond the coffin.

The path to Konunsgard Stronghold

Backtrack and cross the rope bridge, defeating the enemies that spawn on the far side.

Take the left path across the plank bridge, and defeat the Hel-walker who appears. Collect the hacksilver on the ground.

Backtrack and take the path down the hill. On your left, you’ll find a Mystic Gateway. Continue down the hill, defeating the enemies who appear. Throw your axe at the Scorn Pole just beyond the creek and cross.

Collecting the Konunsgard Stronghold keys and freeing the dragon

You’ll make your way to Konunsgard Stronghold, but you won’t be able to enter.

Before you leave the area, collect the Konunsgard Stronghold Entry Stone from the knight. That’s the first of three. You’ll find the other two on your journey through the two path that lead away from there — left and right (toward the dragon). We’ll take them in that order.

The left path

From Konunsgard Stronghold, head left and throw your axe a the Scorn Pole to clear away the poison. Use your Blades of Chaos to run away the bramble.

Go through the cave, hop over the gap and collect the orange Spartan Rage stone on your left. When you exit, you’ll have to fight off a pair of Wulvers. Concentrate on one at a time, and use your bare fists to build up their stamina meter, so you can grab and punch them.

Stonehenge, blue crystal, light bridge and the stone door

Head through the cave, ignoring the closed gate on your left for now. Continue forward into the Stonehenge-like arena, and burn the bramble away from the coffin to collect a Legendary enchantment.

There’s a Soul Devourer here. Block its attacks with your shield, pick up the stone that it occasionally drops after you throw you axe at its exposed chest and then throw it back at its weak spot. Defeat it, and you’ll receive hacksilver, hardened Svartalfheim steel and enchantments.

Head up the stairs, shimmy across the gap and fight the wolves on the other side. Jump down to the area below (you can’t open the door across the gap yet), head right and raise the gate. (It’s the one you ignored earlier.)

Backtrack and toss your axe at the hanging pot across the creek to dislodge the blue crystal. Collect it from the shore and carry it through the gate you opened. Put it down and defeat the wolves. Head right and defeat the wolf and Wulver. Pick the blue crystal up again, and place it in in the receptacle on your right. Have Atreus shoot it with a light arrow to create a light bridge above you.

Head back past the Stonehenge-like area, and use your Blades of Chaos to capture the Winds of Hel to the left of the stairs. Run across the light bridge, and put the Winds of Hel in the monument just past the bridge. Take it back again, jump across the gap in front of you and place it in the stone door.

Beyond the stone door

In the area beyond the stone door, collect the hacksilver and health on the ground. Climb up the wall, and collect the second Konunsgard Stronghold Entry Stone. Kick the chain down. That creates a path back to the Mystic Gateway and the door to the stronghold.

Now it’s time to take the right path in font of the stronghold’s entrance.

The right path

While facing the front of Konunsgard Stronghold, turn right and take the path beyond the log. Cross the plank bridge, and defeat the enemy there. To your left is a gate you can’t open, so you’ll be heading right.

Before you do, look at the waterfall in the pond. Use your axe to break the planks in the water. That’ll lower the water level. Defeat the enemies that appear, and open the coffin for an enchantment, hardened Svartalfheim steel and World Serpent scales.

Continue along the path away from the gated door, hopping over another log. Cross the bridge and defat the Ogre waiting for you on the other side, as well as the enemies perched above you firing ranged weapons down. (Use Atreus to pick off the latter.)

Collect your loot, and climb up the wall to get up to the level where the enemies were sniping at you. Hop across the gaps, and open the coffin for solid Svartalfheim steel and World Serpent scales. Before hopping down, look south to find an Odin’s raven in the distance.

Hop down, and kick the chain to create a quick access path to the arena you just came from. Head back up, and hop up the ledge to your right. Collect the hacksilver sitting in the corner where the path veers to the right. Turn around and backtrack to the dragon.

Freeing the dragon

When you see the dragon, you’ll unlock “The Fire of Reginn” Favor. As always, you’ll need to find and destroy three dragon shrines to set it free.

Head left and jump across the gap just after the dragon breaths electricity. Defeat the enemies (including Tatzelwurms) in the arena ahead of you, and destroy the dragon shrine here.

Open the gate in the arena. (It’s the one you ignored earlier.)

Head to the east out of the arena, hop up on a ledge and defeat the enemies at the dead end cave. (You can use the hanging red pot to do some serious damage.) Destroy the dragon shrine there.

Next up: the Nornir runes, which open a stone door.

Backtrack to the arena, and hug the right wall.

SIE Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon
SIE Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon

Take the red sap from the tree tump against the wall and throw it at the bell covered in red sap. Have Atreus shoot it to clear away the bramble covering it.

Throw another sap ball on the wall about halfway between the other two bells (one of which is behind a fence). Have Atreus shoot it to ring both bells simultaneously and clear the n- and R-shaped runes. Then throw your axe at the final bell to clear the C-shaped rune. Open the stone door and walk through.

Through the stone door

Walk through the stone door, and throw your axe at the hanging red pot to damage the Tatzelwurm. Defeat the others, and lift the gate door. Walk through, and toss your axe to lower the bridge.

Walk across the bridge, but stop before returning to land. Turn right, and kill the Odin’s raven perched below you. Continue forward, and have Atreus read the “Reginn of Konunsgard” Lore Marker.

Hop across the gap and through the cave. Fight the Tatzelwurm and Dark Elf on the other side. You’ll find yourself in another Stonehenge-like area. Destroy the third and final Dragon Shrine. Collect the third and final Konunsgard Stronghold Entry Stone from the pedestal.

Take the zip line back to the arena where you destroyed the first dragon shrine. Head uphill from there to return the anchor holding the dragon in place and free it. You’ll receive the Scale of the Mighty Epic enchantment, which has a “high perk activation chance to grant a boost to Strength and a burst of Health when Kratos’ health drops to a critical level.”

Before you leave, stand to the right of the anchor and look at the rock wall in the distance. Throw your axe at the Odin’s raven perched there.

Konunsgard Stronghold

After you’ve collected all three Konunsgard Stronghold Entry Stones, return to the front of the stronghold. Realm Tears will appear and spit out enemies as you place the stones. Defeat your foes (the Blades of Chaos work wonders against gangs of icy enemies), and enter the stronghold.

Take the first right inside, and interact with the Jotnar shrine. (Check out our God of War Jotnar shrines guide to make sure you find them all.)

Head out of that room, and take a right. Jump up to the area above, and open the coffin for the Mark of the Element Epic enchantment, which “increases the rate of Permafrost or Immolation gain by 7% (stacks up to 21% max).”

Backtrack and take the only other path available. Open the wooden double doors, and defeat the Traveler and other enemies.

Collect your loot and then leave the room the way you came in. Turn left immediately, and stop at the dead end. Look to you right above you for another Odin’s raven perched there.

Now head back to the room where you fought the Traveler, and interact with the throne.

Watch the cutscene, and pick the “A King’s Last Words” scroll. Continue through the path beyond the throne, and open the Legendary chest for the Prometheus Flame heavy Runic attack.

The Nordic chest and the chain

Take the staircase up, and hop over the gap. You’ll approach the stronghold from its top floor. Take the path to the right, and kick down the chain to give you quick access to this area.

You’ll also find a Realm Tear near the chain. Interact with it and defeat its enemies to collect some Pure Essence of Realms and Dust of Realms.

To solve the Nordic chest puzzle, follow these steps:

Take the Winds of Hel energy from its receptacle next to the Nornir chest, and put it in the receptacle to the right of the door. The rune bell will start rotating.
Take it out so that the n-shaped rune is visible when it stops rotating.
Put the Windows of Hel energy in the receptacle to the left of the door. The rune bell will start rotating.
Switch to your axe.
Throw your axe at the C-shaped and n-shaped runes as they rotate by.
After you’ve hit both, run to the static n-shaped rune, and throw you axe at it.

Hit all three within the time limit, and you’ll unlock the chest. Open the Nornir chest for an enchantment.

Meet Brok and Sindri back at Tyr’s Temple in the Lake of Nine, and you now can craft two sets of Legendary armor.