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!|ROBYRT'S GOD OF WAR 2 COMBAT FAQ|!
!|          VERSION 1.0           |!
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------------
INTRODUCTION
------------


There are many guides out there on how to get through God of War - how to
finish the puzzles, how to read the bosses' attacks, how to Plume of
Prometheus your way through the entire game, etc. This is not one of them.
This is a guide that provides in-depth information on the combat mechanics of
the game. What attacks can I chain into other attacks? What moves do all the
normal enemies have and how can I avoid them? What effect do my moves have on
various enemies? How can I do three of the same move in a row with the Blades
of Olympus, but not four? That's what you'll find here. You can use this
information to fight

This FAQ is copyright (c) 2007, Robert Marney. All rights reserved.


VERSION HISTORY:
0.1: Weapons started, 3/27/07
0.2: Original templating, 3/28/07
0.3: Light enemies, 3/28/07
0.5: Weapons finished, 3/28/07
0.8: Enemies finished, 3/29/07
0.9: Magic finished, 3/29/07
1.0: Pegasus finished, 3/29/07


CONTROLS AND ABBREVIATIONS:
Left analog stick = Move
Right analog stick = Roll
X = X face button = Jump
S = Square face button = Light attack
T = Triangle face button = Heavy attack
O = Circle face button = Grab
L1 = Top left trigger = Block
       L1+R1 = Amulet of the Fates
L2 = Bottom left trigger = Use selected magic
R1 = Top right trigger = Interact with environment
R2 = Bottom right trigger = Toggle selected subweapon
D-Pad = Choose Magic
L3+R3 = Press down on both analog sticks = Toggle Rage of the Titans


TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. Weapons
       1.1. Basic Attacks
       1.2. Athena's Blades
               1.2.1. Basic Attacks
               1.2.2. Special Attacks
               1.2.3. Rage of the Titans Attacks
       1.3. Barbarian Hammer
       1.4. Spear of Destiny
       1.5. Blade of Olympus
2. Magic
       2.1. Typhon's Bane
       2.2. Cronos' Rage
       2.3. Head of Euryale
       2.4. Atlas Quake
       2.5. Poseidon's Rage
3. Enemies
       3.1. Light Enemies
       3.2. Medium Enemies
       3.3. Heavy Enemies
4. Pegasus
       4.1. Pegasus Attacks
       4.2. Pegasus Enemies
5. Credits


==========
1. WEAPONS
==========


Attacks are templated like this:

Attack Name
Command
Requirements (if any)
Comments
Chains to: (list of other moves, or None)
Effect on light enemies:
Effect on medium enemies:
Effect on heavy enemies:

Here are the different attack effects:
None: No effect on the enemy except for doing damage.
Stun: The enemy staggers briefly and stops its attack.
Knockdown: The enemy bounces off the floor for a second.
Launch: The enemy is thrown high into the air.
Scatter: The enemy is flung backward a large distance.
Guard Break: The enemy will not block the next attack.
All attacks will at least Stun an enemy who has been launched airborne.

All basic attacks can be cancelled into other basic actions:
       -> X: Jump straight up
       -> O: Grab the current target
       -> L1: Block
       -> L2: Use Magic on current target

To perform basic attack chains, press the buttons in a regular rhythm - you
can input the next command very early in the animation of the previous move,
or even queue up a couple commands, or you can wait until the last second and
delay the next attack a little bit.


------------------
1.1. BASIC ATTACKS
------------------


These attacks can be used regardless of your current weapon.


Icarus Lift
X,X
Standard double jump. This isn't technically an attack, but it's useful during
combat to gain extra air time if you want to use good air attacks like L1+X or
L1+T without getting hit by grounded opponents before they connect.

Grab
O
Kratos' grabs are different for each enemy. In general, light enemies can
always be grabbed and medium or strong enemies can be grabbed when the O
button appears above their heads. Some grabs require minigames to complete.
While doing a grab animation, Kratos is invincible. This is extremely useful.
When you grab a Fates or Undead soldier, you have a choice of grabs; in this
case, until you start the animation of your chosen grab, Kratos is not
invincible.

Air Grab
O in air
Kratos has different air grabs for each enemy; all require him to be fairly
close to the enemy, and they're usually quite powerful. Whether Kratos and/or
his opponent are left airborne depends on the individual grab.

Athena's Reverse
L1 just before an attack lands
Kratos can actually parry attacks even before he gets the Golden Fleece.
You'll know you did it correctly when he spreads both his arms wide. This
slows down time for a split second, can interrupt some enemies' attacks
(without doing damage), and can block some normally unblockable attacks, like
the Cerberus' fireballs. Unlike God of War 1, you can't follow this up with
extra attacks.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Golden Fleece Parry
L1 just before an attack lands, when you have the Golden Fleece
The Athena's Reverse animation is replaced by a golden flash around Kratos.
The only downside to this is that there is a small but finite minimum amount
of time you are required to block (the length of the Fleece animation). If you
parry a Gorgon's gaze, you'll need a minigame button press to turn nearby
enemies into stone. The parry itself does no damage.
Chains to: Argo's Revenge, Argo's Return
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Argo's Revenge
S while parrying a physical attack with Golden Fleece
Kratos thrusts both his blades into the ground, causing a golden plume of
energy that knocks enemies away from you. Kratos is invulnerable during the
Argo's Revenge animation, and its recovery time is minimal. Argo's Revenge is
not unblockable, but it's always good for some free damage.
Chains to: None
Effect on light enemies: Scatter
Effect on medium or heavy enemies: None

Argo's Return
Parry a projectile attack with Golden Fleece
Kratos winds up, then fires a bolt of golden energy back at the projectile's
caster. Kratos is invulnerable during this animation.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Knockdown
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Icarus Ascension
L1+X while you have Icarus Wings
Kratos unfurls his wings and leaps upward, taking any enemies in a small
radius around him upwards as well. It's just as powerful as your other
launching moves, and it's faster and offers protection by launching multiple
foes at once. Very handy for dealing with foes who tend to block, or for
completing the Challenge of the Titans.
Chains to: None (follow with air attacks)
Effect on light or medium enemies: Launch
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Orion's Harpoon
O targetting an airborne enemy
Kratos sends a blade upward, impales the enemy with it, then whips them around
and slams them back down into the ground. Unlike your other grab attacks, this
one is NOT invulnerable; in exchange, it does a huge amount of damage. Some
enemies bounce upward afterwards, allowing you to tack on another Orion's
Harpoon. Depending on the enemy, Orion's Harpoon may do 1 or 2 hits.
Chains to: None
Effect on all enemies: Knockdown


--------------------
1.2. ATHENA'S BLADES
--------------------


Athena's Blades are your default weapon for the entire game, but they're also
probably the most useful weapon. They have a range advantage over your
subweapons and most enemy weapons as well, they can be upgraded to contain a
toolbox of new moves for all situations, and they're extremely fast and safe
while doing weaker moves. You'll want fully upgraded Blades by the end of the
game because of their capability to do damage on the ground and in the air.


1.2.1. BASIC ATTACKS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Jab
S
Single weak attack straight forward with the left-hand blade. Can be aimed
with the analog stick; usually the auto-aim takes care of this so you don't
need to aim. Use this to start your attack chains and interrupt light enemies.
Chains to: Double Jab, Overhead Strike
Effect on light enemies: Hit
Effect on medium or strong enemies: None

Double Jab
SS
Kratos does another weak attack swinging forward and to the right. The same
great range as the original S.
Chains to: Weak Combo, Plume of Prometheus, Hyperion Charge
Effect on light enemies: Hit
Effect on medium or strong enemies: None

Overhead Strike
T or ST
Kratos slams first one blade and then the other down onto the enemy. Because
of the hit stun caused by the S attack and the shortened startup animation
from being chained, ST is usually better than just pressing T. Until you can
afford TTT, this is your best way of doing damage to strong enemies.
Chains to: Double Jab, Olympic Ascension, Strong Combo
Effect on light enemies: Launch
Effect on medium enemies: Knockdown
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Weak Combo
SSSSSS
Kratos does in order: a sideways swipe, an upwards swipe, two swipes in an X
shape, and two upwards swipes in an X shape. These all do low damage, and have
lower range than your Double Jab, but you can walk forward slightly to
increase the range a bit, and the whirling motion means it's easy to hit and
stun multiple weak enemies at the same time with this combo. Mostly used to
build up to your powerful finishers.
Chains to: Spirit of Hercules, Valor of Hercules
Interrupt combo with: Plume of Prometheus (press T)
Effect on light enemies: Stun
Effect on medium or strong enemies: None

Plume of Prometheus
T after Double Jab (SST) or during a Weak Combo
Kratos slams both his blades into the ground as far forward as they can reach,
sending a plume of energy with deceptively good area of effect that can launch
or stagger a group of enemies. Your best defensive move because of its great
range and ability to clear the area of weak enemies while you make your
escape. Use this during a Weak Combo if you don't think you'll have enough
time to connect a full Spirit/Valor of Hercules combo.
Chains to: Olympic Ascension
Effect on light enemies: Launch
Effect on medium or strong enemies: Stun

Olympic Ascension
Hold T
Kratos whips both his blades into the air after a long windup, sending enemies
far into the air. If you continue to hold T, Kratos will follow them skyward.
While you will get better launching attacks later in the game, this comes in
very handy to separate yourself from a crowd and concentrate fire on a single,
helpless opponent.
Chains to: None (follow with air attacks)
Effect on light or medium enemies: Launch
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Spirit of Hercules
T after Weak Combo (SSSSSST) or Strong Combo (TTT)
Kratos whips his blades up (1 strong hit), jumps up (freezing time for a split
second), and slams them back down into the ground for 2 more hits, each one as
powerful as the Plume of Prometheus. This move CANNOT be cancelled into a
block, grab or jump like your other basic moves, and so you shouldn't use it
unless you're sure it won't be interrupted. That said, it does a lot of
damage, so it's still worth trying for every once in a while. In God of War 1,
this move chained to Olympic Ascension, but it doesn't anymore.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Launch
Effect on heavy enemies: Stun

Valor of Hercules
S after Weak Combo (SSSSSSS) or Strong Combo (TTS)
Kratos whips his blades in a 270-degree arc covering his front and both sides,
sending enemies flying out to the sides. An extremely useful attack because it
gives you some breathing room, will almost always hit multiple enemies, and
does plenty of damage unlike your other weak attacks.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Scatter
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Air Weak Combo
SSS in air
Kratos does three weak swipes: first right, then left, then upwards. The main
use of this move is the first swipe, which is fast enough to come out even if
you've almost hit the ground, allowing you to continue a combo on an enemy
who's been knocked to the ground and you're still airborne. Otherwise,
however, you're better off with air combos that are more powerful and just as
quick.
Chains to: Any air attack, during any hit
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Air Overhead Strike
T in air
Kratos does his Overhead Strike with a quicker startup time. This has the
exact same properties as the ground version of the move, leading to the
wonderful ability to Overhead Strike a light enemy you've launched, then do
another air move on them, usually an air grab, after it re-launches them.
Chains to: Any air attack
Effect on light enemies: Launch
Effect on medium enemies: Knockdown
Effect on heavy enemies: None


1.2.2. SPECIAL ATTACKS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Rampage of the Furies
L1+O
Requires Athena's Blades level 2
Kratos does a few spinning hits closely around him, several rapid-fire forward
strikes, and finishes with a tiny energy plume ahead of him. Useful mainly for
its looks, as it's very difficult to aim all the hits correctly and you can't
block or cancel the move before it's finished. Most medium or strong enemies
will block and counterattack before you're done, and most weak enemies will
already be dead - so use it at the beginning of the game, when your Blades
aren't powerful enough to kill enemies without this move.
Chains to: None
Effect on light enemies: Stun, then Scatter on last hit
Effect on medium enemies: None, then Scatter on last hit
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Rampage of the Furies (Air)
L1+O in air, then mash O
Requires Athena's Blades level 2
Kratos spins his blades in tiny circles all around him (except to the back and
below). Except for the small range, this attack is fearsome, your main
followup to a launching move from Typhon's Cavern all the way to Lahkesis. It
does plenty of damage, racks up hits for your combo meter, and can be done
multiple times before you hit the ground or even followed up with an air throw.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Cyclone of Chaos
L1+Square
Requires Athena's Blades level 3
Kratos spins both his blades in quick circles around him - just like the
attack from God of War 1, except he moves slightly forward and the hits are
more powerful. This move doesn't do much damage, but it's great for clearing
out swarms of weak enemies. If you attack immediately afterward, you can keep
your combo, but it can be difficult. On lower difficulty levels, this is
basically the only move you'll ever use.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Cyclone of Chaos (Air)
L1+Square in air
Requires Athena's Blades level 3
Kratos whirls his blades around quickly at a slightly downward angle. Unlike
the first game, there's really no reason to use this attack, unless you've
launched multiple opponents with the Icarus Wings and need to hit them all at
once. You're usually better off sticking with the Rampage of the Furies.
Chains to: None
Effect on light enemies: Stun
Effect on medium or heavy enemies: None

Strong Combo
T after Overhead Strike (TT or STT)
Requires Athena's Blades level 3
Kratos follows up his Overhead Strike with two more heavy hits swinging
forward and upward. Great for killing single enemies, as it will combo even if
the Overhead Strike launched your opponent. Also your fastest way of getting
to the Spirit of Hercules and Valor of Hercules attacks. Unlike your other
special moves, this one can be interrupted with a block.
Chains to: Olympic Ascension, Spirit of Hercules, Valor of Hercules
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Hyperion Charge
Hold S during Double Jab or Weak Combo
Requires Athena's Blades level 4
Kratos spins both his blades in a quick 360-degree circle. If you keep holding
S, he will run straight forward extremely quickly for a few seconds. While
Kratos is running, he's vulnerable, but you can control the direction he runs
with the left analog stick. Not a terribly useful move.
Chains to: Hyperion Rush, Hyperion Rise
Effect on light enemies: Stun
Effect on medium or heavy enemies: None

Hyperion Rush
S during Hyperion Charge
Kratos does a powerful shoulder charge - a souped-up version of his R1 attack
from God of War 1. This will send enemies flying sideways, and is lots of fun
to use, but really isn't terribly useful because the Hyperion Charge's windup
is so long that anyone you needed to knock down at a distance (like archers)
is already shooting at you by this time.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Scatter
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Hyperion Rise
T during Hyperion Charge
Kratos lifts an enemy into the air with an uppercut and follows them skyward,
just like his L1+X attack from God of War 1. This is much more useful, since
you can then wail on the enemy you attacked, but unless there is an extremely
high-priority target (like a priest) somewhere you need to run to, you're
better off not using the Charge at all.
Chains to: None (follow with air moves)
Effect on light or medium enemies: Launch
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Athena's Wrath
T after rolling
Requires Athena's Blades level 4
Kratos sends a shockwave along the ground which launches enemies. While this
can occasionally be a useful counterattack, you'll more often do it
accidentally while trying to roll away and start your Overhead Strike on
vulnerable enemies. To solve this problem, just do S before your Strong Combos
and reserve T for Athena's Wrath.
Chains to: None
Effect on light enemies: Launch
Effect on medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Tartarus Rage
L1+T
Requires Athena's Blades level 5
Kratos slams his blades into the ground in front of him 3 times: first left,
then right, then both at once. You can change the direction of the last strike
with the analog stick in case you missed. This attack is slow but extremely
powerful, and is great for use against enemies who are tied up doing a move
that isn't "hitting you out of the last strike".
Chains to: None
Effect on light enemies: Launch
Effect on medium enemies: Knockdown
Effect on heavy enemies: Stun

Icarus Strike
L1+X in the air after you acquire Icarus Wings
Kratos unfurls his wings for a quick blow in front of him that has a good area
of effect and knocks enemies sideways. One of the few moves fast enough to be
used during a single jump as opposed to a double jump. Of course, the actual
uses for this move are low, as you'll never want to get an airborne enemy away
from you, and you'll rarely be attacking the ground from the air, but if you
feel adventurous and want to scatter enemies ASAP, this is it.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Scatter
Effect on heavy enemies: None


1.2.3. RAGE OF THE TITANS ATTACKS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Rage Weak Combo
Mash S while in Rage of the Titans
Kratos does several spinning attacks all around him, finishing with a double
strike in an X pattern in front of him. This is a very versatile attack, as it
does good damage, knocks away enemies, and unlike the Rage Strong Combo,
doesn't miss very often even if you're bad at aiming.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun, then Scatter on last hit
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Rage Strong Combo
TTT while in Rage of the Titans
Kratos does a few swipes forward and upward, then jumps forward spinning,
finishing with a plume forward. This move does loads of damage but is very
difficult to target on a single enemy; thankfully, your immunity to being
stunned during Rage of the Titans means it'll almost always at least finish
the move. Generally, unless you've got an enemy backed up against a wall, it's
safer to stick with the Rage Weak Combo.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun, then Knockdown on last hit
Effect on heavy enemies: None, then Stun on last hit

Prometheus' Flare
Press L1 while in Rage of the Titans
Kratos knocks back nearby enemies. You'll never need to use this, as you'd
rather have enemies hit by your Rage Weak Combo than be pushed away from it.
This is what you get when Prometheus' Inferno fizzles.
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Prometheus' Torment
Hold S while in Rage of the Titans
Requires Athena's Blades level 4
Much like the Cyclone of Chaos, Kratos will spin his blades in a wide circle.
They will continue until you stop holding S, and they do very little damage.
Mostly they're useful for racking up your combo count while keeping you safe
from enemy attack - usually, only strong enemies can get through this "shield"
of hits, since the Rage of the Titans prevents archery shots from stopping you.
Once you have Prometheus' Inferno, it becomes part 1 of a deadly 1-2
combination.
Chains to: Rage Weak Combo
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Prometheus' Inferno
Hold L1 while in Rage of the Titans with a combo meter of at least 25
Requires Athena's Blades level 5
A very odd move but a very powerful one: Kratos causes an enormous whirlwind
of fire to appear around himself. It drains your COMBO METER to inflict damage
on the enemy, so don't use it until you have 100+ hits. The easiest way to get
hits is to use Prometheus' Torment or Cronos' Rage; if both are used in
tandem, you can get 200-300 hits for the Inferno while draining only half of
your Rage of the Titans meter for later use. Since you're in Rage of the
Titans and the Inferno stuns all enemies, you're essentially invincible.
Chains to: None
Effect on all enemies: Stun


---------------------
1.3. BARBARIAN HAMMER
---------------------


The Hammer is the most underwhelming of Kratos' weapons. It's wonderful
against groups of soldiers, but the severe maneuverability, range and speed
limits it imposes make it unwieldy against any larger enemies or bosses with
attacks you need to dodge. It's expensive to upgrade and the additional moves
are more for the purpose of making up for the Hammer's deficiencies rather
than making it absurdly powerful like the other weapons' upgrades. Still, it's
a lot of fun when it works.

When the Hammer is active, you cannot roll; instead, pressing the right analog
stick will add a Soul Summon to your current move (except blocking).


Double Swing - Spin
SSS
Kratos does three successive swings with the hammer, each more powerful and
slower than the last. This is your main hammer move, as most enemies are quick
enough to dodge or interrupt the Double Pound, and the Spin is a very powerful
attack that can clear groups of enemies quickly.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Scatter
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Double Swing - Pound
SST
Kratos does two hammer swings and finishes with a powerful attack making
sparks fly up from the ground where the hammer hits it. If you're sure your
enemy won't move from that spot, use this. It's slightly faster than the Spin,
but still quite likely to be interrupted by enemies who are near you at the
time.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Knockdown
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Double Pound
TT
Kratos pounds twice, moving forward slightly between the two attacks. The long
windup on this move makes it useful only against largely sedentary enemies
like a Cyclops; you'll usually end up annihilating one random soldier and
getting attacked by the others if you try to use this against more than one
opponent.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Knockdown
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Crushing Defeat
L1+S
Kratos does a slow hammer spin like his second Swing, then picks up speed
while whirling forward to a final Spin attack. Like your L1+S attack with the
Blades, it's more for crowd control than dealing damage, but it's so slow and
tends to miss with the middle hits so often that it'll rarely be effective
even at that. Plus, you can't even block during it, because it's a special
move.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Scatter
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Might of the King
L1+T
Kratos slams his hammer down in front of him, creating a shockwave that
launches opponents. Unsafe and gimmicky, but it looks great. The only enemies
likely to fall for this are soldiers, who you can proceed to demolish with
your regular hammer strikes while they're knocked down.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Launch
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Might of the King (Air)
L1 in air
Kratos drops to the ground with his hammer sideways, emitting a wave of energy
that launches opponents. This is actually much safer and more effective than
the ground Might of the King, as it'll still hit enemies below you with the
hammer, and jumping is your only real way to "evade" attacks with the hammer.
Unfortunately, the hammer has no way to take advantage of all the enemies
you're launching so easily with this move.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Launch
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Air Swing
S in air
Kratos takes a single swipe from side to side. Since you'll rarely be jumping
with the Hammer anyway, it's OK that this move is lackluster.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Air Pound
T in air
Kratos swipes quickly downward with his hammer. This is a fun move, actually,
and great for defending yourself. Think of it like a single-hit version of
Kratos' Air Overhead Strike with Athena's Blades. It's also a lot faster than
the Air Might of the King, so you'll often need it.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Knockdown
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Soul Summon
Tap the right analog stick in any direction
Requires Barbarian Hammer level 2
A small soul comes out of the Hammer which will automatically attack enemies
for up to 3 hits. The soul does next to no damage, but Soul Summon can be used
during any of Kratos' attacks, so just keep doing it while you're fighting.
The main purpose of Soul Summon is to be able to rack up a combo count with
the Hammer, although you'll still be hard-pressed to get any significant bonus
from it. It can also deal with Harpies or Nymphs on lower difficulty levels.
Chains to or from any other move
Effect on grounded enemies: None
Effect on airborne enemies: Knockdown

Legion of Souls
L1+O
Requires Barbarian Hammer level 3
Kratos jumps up and slams his hammer down on the ground, causing 3 souls to
come out; each one does up to 4 hits and launches enemies. The hammer strike
is slow but powerful, but the real benefit is tying up enemies so that you can
use your hammer without being interrupted. If the hammer had this attack by
default, it could legitimately deal with groups of enemies who weren't basic
soldiers - but that's just wishful thinking.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Knockdown
Effect on heavy enemies: None


---------------------
1.4. SPEAR OF DESTINY
---------------------


The Spear of Destiny appears midway through the game just before the Crossing
of the Lowlands, and it makes a great subweapon but not a complete Blades
replacement. The Spear focuses on quick, versatile strikes against single
enemies, making it ideal against medium-sized enemies; the upgrades allow it
to effectively fight heavy enemies as well. While most of its strikes have
short range, some moves magically extend the spear - these are always useful.


Double Slash
SS
Kratos does two small sideways slashes. They have bad damage and range but
start quickly. This is your safest combo starter, as it doesn't leave you
hanging like the Uppercut Stabs. You can follow up either the single or double
slash with the Uppercut Stabs if you successfully connect.
Chains to: Forward Stabs, Uppercut Stabs
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Uppercut Stabs
TT
Kratos does an uppercut that launches enemies (the fastest in the game)
followed by five upward stabs. The stabs will almost always connect if you hit
with the uppercut, and sometimes even if the uppercut is blocked. If you hold
T after the launcher, Kratos will follow the opponent upward, but
realistically, the stabs do more damage than the Spear's air moves, so this
option is merely for defensive purposes to avoid enemy attacks. This move is
mainly useful against enemies that like to block, because if they don't block
the opening launcher, they're stuck with the duration of your combo.
Chains to: Spear Swipe, Upwards Shards
Effect on light or medium enemies: Launch on first hit, then Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Forward Stabs
SS after Double Slash (SSSS)
Kratos does an uppercut with the Spear, then a 4-hit forward stabbing attack.
Good for closing distance without being as vulnerable as the special moves -
since it counts as a normal attack, you can block during the stabs.
Chains to: Spear Swipe, Upwards Shards
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Spear Swipe
S after Forward Stabs (SSSSS) or Upward Stabs (TTS)
Kratos does a slow counterclockwise spear swipe accompanied by a small
explosion of purple energy which sends enemies flying. While this move does
what it's designed to do, it'll often be interrupted when fighting against
more adept enemies. Although it looks like it hits behind Kratos, it doesn't,
so its main purpose is to recover from missing with the Forward or Upward
Stabs.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Scatter
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Upward Piercing Shards
T after Weak Combo (SSSST) or Strong Combo (TTT)
Kratos shoots several tiny projectiles out of his spear forward and upward.
Like a weak shotgun blast, it doesn't do much damage, but it knocks enemies
back a good deal, and breaks the guard of anyone who managed to block the rest
of your hits, allowing you to follow up with more moves. It only hits once. Be
careful in the Challenge of the Titans, as this move will still connect if you
launched an enemy badly with the Upward Stabs, but unless you're right
underneath them, it'll hit them on the ground and won't count as an air kill.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Guard Break
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Deadly Slash
L1+S
Kratos winds up, then extends his spear and slashes across an arc to his front
and sides. The move isn't terribly powerful, but it does hit everyone, so it
provides a small measure of crowd control. Since it's slow to start, it's best
used after a Piercing Shards or Spear Swipe to get yourself some distance.
Chains to: None
Effect on light enemies: Stun
Effect on medium or heavy enemies: None

Piercing Shards
L1+T
Kratos fires a quick blast of purple energy shards in front of him. Like a
weak shotgun blast, it doesn't do much damage, but it knocks enemies back a
good deal, and breaks the guard of anyone who managed to block the rest of
your hits, allowing you to follow up with more moves. It only hits once. You
shouldn't just use this indiscriminately, as it's much less powerful than your
regular suite of spear attacks, but it can give you some breathing room or
reduce a 2-enemy fight to a 1-enemy fight.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Scatter, Guard Break
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Air Double Slash
SS while jumping
Kratos slices left and right with his Spear. This makes a good starting air
attack if you've launched an opponent, as it comfortably combos into your
other air moves or an air grab, and the damage is decent.
Chains to: Any air attack, during either hit
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Air Up-Down Slash
T while jumping
Kratos does a 2-hit heavy combo on the airborne opponent that knocks them back
down to the ground. Never do this move while actually jumping, only while
launching an opponent - otherwise you won't have enough time to follow up with
another attack. If you really need to put an enemy out of commission (if not
dead), launch them, then Up-Down Slash into Air Piercing Shards to send them
all the way to the other side of the room. Icarus Wings, then a pair of Up-
Down Slashes also works if you absolutely need to kill them while airborne.
Chains to: Any air attack
Effect on light or medium enemies: Knockdown
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Piercing Shards (Air)
L1 while jumping
Kratos blasts the Shards out in front of him. If his nearest opponent is on
the ground, it'll angle slightly down to hit them. This isn't very powerful,
but it'll scatter an airborne opponent while doing exactly the same thing as
your regular Shards against a grounded opponent. Unfortunately, it causes
Kratos to hang in the air for a while, negating its usefulness as a guard
break, so stick to using it as the game's only air scattering attack.
Chains to: None
Effect on light, medium or airborne enemies: Scatter, Guard Break
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Unfortunate Remains
L1+O
Requires Spear of Destiny Level 2
Kratos slams his spear down in front of him, laying a purple crystal mine that
explodes after a couple seconds. If the spear hits someone, it'll do 2 hits
and won't lay a mine. The mine is surprisingly effective, keeping enemies
knocked around instead of attacking you - just make sure no one wanders around
to the side where your mines aren't hitting. It also does a fair amount of
damage, unlike most other gimmicky special attacks.
Effect on light enemies: Knockdown
Effect on medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Altering Slash
L1+S
Requires Spear of Destiny Level 3
Kratos does a Deadly Slash, but one enemy it hits (usually the first one it
hits) will slowly glow purple and eventually explode in a powerful crystal
blast. Since the Spear isn't good at handling groups unless you've created
some space for yourself, this move is invaluable - you can simply block and
wait for your enemy to do the work for you. It also helps against larger
enemies when you need to stay on the defensive - during pauses in an enemy's
attack pattern, simply Altering Slash and run away. The bomb blast will keep
going even if Kratos is currently killing the enemy with a grab - it'll simply
damage all nearby enemies except the enemy being grabbed. Plus, turning
enemies into bombs is hilarious!
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun (spear), Scatter (bomb)
Effect on heavy enemies: None (spear), None (bomb)


---------------------
1.5. BLADE OF OLYMPUS
---------------------


The Blade of Olympus is a very powerful sword when you first get it and
utterly ridiculous once it's upgraded. Except for specific single-purpose
moves like Altering Slash, Plume of Prometheus and Air Cyclone of Chaos, the
Blade is the last weapon you'll ever need.


Left Slice
S
Kratos slashes once to his left. Your main Blade move starter, as it can flow
quickly into either light or heavy attacks, and it's quite fast.
Chains to: Right Slice, Upward Slice
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Downward Slice
Kratos brings the blade straight down to the ground. It's slower but more
powerful than the Left Slice. Generally not as useful, except against bosses
and Titan Minotaurs where a few powerful hits mean more than several quicker
strikes. Like your Athena's Blades, you can switch back to Square-button
attacks after this move.
T
Chains to: Right Slice, Upward Slice
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Right Slice
S after Left Slice (SS) or Downward Slice (TS)
A single slash to the right, basically identical to the Left Slice. Just like
Athena's Blades' Double Jab move, you can move to more powerful attacks or
continue doing weak horizontal attacks after the Right Slice.
Chains to: Left-Right Slice, Up-Down Slice
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Upward Slice
T after Left Slice (ST) or Downward Slice (TT)
Kratos slices upward once, in a move identical to the first hit of the Up-Down
Slice, which is really your only option at this point (besides an Uppercut
Combo, of course). Really, this move is just there to let you mash TTTT with
the Blades of Olympus.
Oddly enough, pressing S instead of T will still combo into an Up-Down Slice.
Chains to: Up-Down Slice
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Left-Right Slice
SS after Right Slice (SSSS or TSSS)
An exact copy of the SS Left Slice, Right Slice combo, except that you don't
have the same branching options - you can pick Up-Down or go for the big
Scatter Slice afterward, and that's it.
Oddly enough, pressing T instead of S for the 4th hit will still do the second
hit (the right slice) as normal.
Chains to: Scatter Slice, Up-Down Slice
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Up-Down Slice
TT after Upward Slice (TTTT or STTT) or Left-Right Slice (SSSSTT or TSSSTT)
Kratos does a copy of his Upward Slice, then a slower, powerful strike
slamming his blade into the ground. The second hit isn't affected by Anger of
the Gods, and can't be cancelled by blocking.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun (up), Scatter (down)
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Scatter Slice
S after Left-Right Slice (SSSSS or TSSSS)
Kratos does a slow whirling attack to the left with good range that scatters
enemies. It's great for button-mashing and does lots of damage, but is likely
to be interrupted if you're right next to an enemy (which happens quite often
with the Blade of Olympus). To prevent doing this accidentally when you're
just trying to shoot an enemy with Anger of the Gods, do an Up-Down Slice
after your Left-Right Slice instead to get the same 5 laser shots more
quickly. You can't cancel this slice by blocking, so be careful.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Scatter
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Uppercut Combo
Hold T after ANY hit with the Blade of Olympus
Kratos does an upwards slash, a huge uppercut, then jumps upward and delivers
an automatic downwards strike to his enemy. None of the hits are affected by
Anger of the Gods. Unlike its Olympic Ascension counterpart, you CANNOT do the
Uppercut Combo by itself simply by holding T; this will do a Downward Slice
and then an Uppercut Combo.
Chains to: None (follow with air attacks)
Effect on light or medium enemies: Launch, then Knockdown
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Air Left-Right Slice
SS or ST in air
Kratos does two quick slashes, first to the left and then to the right. Great
for lasering things or following up on the Icarus Wings (the Uppercut Combo is
unlikely to let you follow up with these).
Chains to: Any air move
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Air Up-Down Slice
TS or TT in air
Kratos does two quick slashes, first upward and then downward. Quite
serviceable, and the same speed as the Left-Right Slice for quick laser
purposes.
Chains to: Any air move
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Air Divine Retribution
L1 in air
Kratos sends out a laser beam forward. Unlike other air ranged attacks, this
one won't angle downwards, so it's only useful for airborne or tall enemies.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Divine Absolution
L1+S
Kratos does a slice to the left, then an 8-hit stabbing attack, finishing with
a powerful stab with a flare of energy around it. None of the hits are
affected by Anger of the Gods. A very lackluster special move, as you're
better off just swinging your complicated Blade combos that allow you to block
and still move forward a good deal.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Divine Retribution
L1+T
Kratos sends a laser beam straight forward. The sword can also hit on its way
down to good effect. During the normal game where you get the Blade, this will
be a key move, as it strikes from a distance without leaving you hideously
vulnerable.
Effect on light enemies: Scatter (blade), Stun (laser)
Effect on medium enemies: Scatter (blade), None (laser)
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Divine Sacrifice
L1+O
Requires Blade of Olympus level 2
Kratos creates a globe of energy around him, draining red orbs from nearby
enemies. It doesn't do any damage, but if you're in Bonus Play and want to
grab extra orbs without turning on the Urn of the Fates, feel free to loiter
around weak enemies with this for free money. It also comes in very handy
during the Reap the Rewards part of Challenge of the Titans.
Chains to: None
Effect on light or medium enemies: Knockdown
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Anger of the Gods
Requires Blade of Olympus level 3
All your attacks, except Divine Absolution, Uppercut Combo and the final hit
of the Up-Down Slice, will have an additional laser beam attack, just like the
Divine Retribution. This makes the Blade the ultimate weapon, able to deliver
damage from afar and essentially double damage up close.
Effect on light enemies: Stun
Effect on medium or heavy enemies: None


========
2. MAGIC
========


Unlike the weapons, you'll need all the different magic spells in your way
through the game, and upgrading more than one of them is worthwhile even on
Titan Mode. As a general rule, you'll need


------------------
2.1. TYPHON'S BANE
------------------


Upgrade cost: 2500, 12500
Typhon's Bane is a fairly standard long-ranged bow attack. Hold L2 to pull out
the bow, then press the various buttons to do your different attacks. While
you can move using Typhon's Bane, it's quite slow, so only use it to dodge
things you know you can avoid, like Theseus' fast ice blasts. To change
targets, tap the right analog stick; you should rarely need to do this, since
it'll autotarget on the strongest enemy, and why waste arrows on lesser ones?
You can fire bow shots in the air; to fire a special bow attack in the air,
tap T or O, then keep holding L2 until you reach the ground, at which point
you'll do your attack. Typhon's Bane is useful mainly in the early game, when
you can unload a full magic meter's worth of arrows into a boss or heavy enemy
without leaving yourself open to an attack. At level 3, you can use the
charged blast to rack up a big combo, but at that point it's a much slower way
to kill enemies than a well-placed Cronos' Rage or Atlas Quake. On Titan Mode,
even level 2 isn't worth it, because some enemies are too fast or too likely
to guard the rapid-fire shots.

Wind Blast
Hold L2, tap S
Kratos fires a single wind arrow at the selected target. Keep mashing S to
fire arrows at a decent pace. These aren't very powerful and they don't get
more powerful with upgrades, but get used to shooting them anyway, whether to
uncover hidden grapple points, take down inaccessible bosses, or simply deal
damage to a big enemy when you're low on health.

Wind Blast (Air)
Hold L2 in air, tap S
While Kratos can fire bow shots in the air, he's not really harder to hit
since he floats down slowly while shooting. You shouldn't really ever need
this particular feature.
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Rapid Fire Wind Blast
Requires Typhon's Bane level 2
Typhon's Bane can now be fired extremely quickly. This will actually backfire
against Theseus, as he will start blocking the shots instead of being
surprised by them, but comes in very handy elsewhere in the game when you need
to deal with enemies or bosses from afar.

Lethal Vortex
Hold L2, tap T
Requires Typhon's Bane level 2
The Vortex is simply there to get you out of trouble when you're trying to
shoot something and other enemies swarm you. The Vortex costs considerably
more magic than an arrow shot and is chiefly valuable for its ability to
launch enemies at a distance, buying you some precious seconds to resume
shooting or pound them with your Blades. Largely a luxury At Typhon's Bane
level 3, the Lethal Vortex gains damage; it now does 5x the damage of a
regular arrow, making it just as cost-effective (or rather, cost-ineffective)
as your arrows. Of course, by then you need it more, since you're using your
charged Wind Blast instead. The Lethal Vortex costs 1/8 of a full magic
meter - a high price to pay for something that just isn't as powerful as your
charged blast at level 3, or simply shooting 8 arrows at level 2.
Effect on light or medium enemies: Launch
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Wind Blast (Charged)
Hold L2+S, release S
Requires Typhon's Bane level 3
The charged shot (you have to hold S down for a little while after the
animation finishes) releases six tracking projectiles, each of which circle
back around 4 times. Each hit does only 1/6 the damage of a single arrow, and
you're only guaranteed to get the first 6 shots on the original target before
they split up to attack any other enemies they find, but it's overall more
damage per shot than uncharged arrows. Because they tend to flail around
ineffectively and spread their damage across the entire screen's worth of
enemies, you should wait until there are only 1-2 enemies left, then start
releasing charged blasts at them. (Since they track, no amount of dodging will
save a Satyr or Cerberus from taking this damage, unless they hit you out of
the charging animation.) Each charged Wind Blast takes 1/8 of a full magic
meter.
Effect on light or medium enemies: Stun
Effect on heavy enemies: None

Titan Storm
Hold L2, tap O
Requires Typhon's Bane level 3
Kratos does an invincible windup animation, then releases an enormous tornado
(think Prometheus' Inferno) at the target. It only does one hit and you have
to wait until the tornado has totally disappeared before firing another, so
it's basically a desperation attack to do 15 times the damage of a single
arrow on an enemy and anyone anywhere near him. The problem is, 15 times the
damage of an arrow shot isn't enough to really kill anyone on higher
difficulty levels, so it's just a panic button when you're swarmed with
enemies and need to fire your bow at an important target. Each Titan Storm
takes 1/4 of a full magic meter.
Effect on light or medium enemies: Scatter
Effect on heavy enemies: None


-----------------
2.2. CRONOS' RAGE
-----------------


Upgrade cost: 3350, 15000
Cronos' Rage is a lightning attack that hits several enemies at once, gaining
power, range, and the ability to target more enemies as you upgrade it
further. Although it's expensive to upgrade, it's worth it by the end of the
game because of its ability to tie up enemies with lightning bolts while you
combo them yourself or move elsewhere to accomplish your objective. Laying a
Cronos' Rage and continuing to turn a crank or move an object is a very
effective strategy. Plus, you can use it effectively on pretty much every boss
from the time you get it except for Perseus and Zeus (who tend to block or
dodge it too often). Get used to learning when and where to release Cronos'
Rage balls.


Cronos' Rage
L2 or L2 in air
At Cronos' Rage level 2, gains range and power
At Cronos' Rage level 3, gains range and power and adds a scattering hit at
the end ("core explodes")
Kratos places a ball of lightning at his position, with up to 3 available at
once. (This means there's only a slight delay between placing more than 3.)
The ball will continuously stun multiple opponents and is especially useful at
higher levels for building your combo count and keeping enemies occupied while
you take on the ones that need the most attention. It's quite cheap in magic
cost as well - even a level 3 Cronos' Rage Core costs 1/12 of a full magic
meter. You'll want this at level 3 by the end of the game, because it comes in
extremely handy against bosses and Titan Minotaurs.


--------------------
2.3. HEAD OF EURYALE
--------------------


Upgrade cost: 4000, 8000
Like Medusa's Gaze from God of War 1, this weapon allows you to turn your
enemies to stone, then shatter them for a considerable orb bonus and instant
death. This time, however, it's virtually useless at level 1 and keeps getting
better as you upgrade it, until at level 3 it can reasonably freeze several
entire waves of enemies without putting you at unnecessary risk. On lower
difficulties, you'll never really need this power, but as the enemies' health
goes up, the ability to kill them instantly gets much better. Bosses and the
Titan Minotaur can't be turned to stone.


Gorgon Stare
Hold L2+S
At Head of Euryale level 2 and 3: gains power (freezes things faster)
The default Gorgon Stare will continually drain your magic to attempt to
freeze the target and anyone else standing in that cone. More robust targets
take longer to freeze, but at level 1, even the weakest of soldiers takes a
couple seconds to turn to stone. Remember how easy it was to avoid the basic
Gorgons in Typhon's Cavern? That's about how good you are with the Stare at
level 1. At higher levels, a judicious use of the Gorgon Stare lets you turn
single enemies to stone relatively quickly, but it's still only cost-effective
if you're targeting multiple enemies. Stick to your fancier powers instead -
except against harpies and nymphs, who can be frozen and will immediately
shatter for a big orb bonus.

Gorgon Stare (Air)
Hold L2+S in air
While you can use the Gorgon Stare in the air, there's never a reason to do
this, ever. Now Gorgon Flash or Blast in the air, that I can see. You'll just
land and remain vulnerable before you've stoned anyone with the Gorgon Stare.

Gorgon Flash
Hold L2 and tap T
Requires Head of Euryale level 2
The Gorgon Flash will freeze an enemy instantly at the cost of 1/8 of a full
magic meter. Because it costs more than Cronos' Rage, it's only worthwhile
against enemies with so much health that a Cronos' Rage and accompanying combo
wouldn't kill them. Fortunately, all heavy enemies fit this bill. Remember, </pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
don't use the Flash until you know you'll have an opening to actually break
the enemy - if they struggle free, you're back to square one. I think it's
more effective at level 3, but I'm not sure.
Also note that if you Gorgon Flash an airborne enemy, they're dead instantly,
and you get a nice orb bonus.

Gorgon Flash (Air)
Hold L2 and tap T in air
Requires Head of Euryale level 2
In air, you can Gorgon Flash just as well as you can on the ground. This comes
in handy after, say, you've finished launching and killing an opponent and
want to retaliate against that one satyr waiting for you below - but since the
Flash is almost instantaneous, don't feel like you have to jump for your
Gorgon Flash to be safe.

Gorgon Blast
Hold L2 and tap O; can also be used in air
Requires Head of Euryale level 3
The Gorgon Queen and Euryale herself will fire Gorgon Blasts at you. This is
an area-of-effect stone gaze that costs as much as a Gorgon Flash and instead
of turning an enemy to stone, has a chance of turning everyone in the area to
stone. This is a really bad idea for an attack, because for the cost of a
Gorgon Blast, you could turn a couple light enemies of your choice to stone
with the Gaze, or make sure to turn your biggest threat to stone with the
Flash. To ensure that everyone there is stunned, you'll need two Gorgon
Blasts, which is just as expensive and unsafe as the Gorgon Rage but much less
effective. In the air, it will hit grounded opponents beneath you, but this is
generally overthinking the problem and you should just block as you come down
instead.

Gorgon Rage
Hold L2+O, then release O
Requires Head of Euryale level 3
Your most expensive magic attack - it takes 1/4 of a full magic bar - is also
your most brutally effective. Charge up Euryale's head until her tentacles
start wiggling, then release to turn everyone around you into stone. Since
you've been charging up, virtually the entire room will be close enough to be
hit by the Gorgon Rage, meaning you can demolish all the enemies on lower
difficulty levels or pick an enemy to shatter without risk on higher
difficulty levels. If you ever manage to shatter two medium or heavy enemies
(not hard, even on Titan Mode), the Gorgon Rage has paid for itself in terms
of Euryale's Head's other powers. If you break a soldier or two along the way,
well, that's what you paid 12000 orbs to fully upgrade Euryale's Head for.


----------------
2.4. ATLAS QUAKE
----------------


Upgrade cost: 4500, 10000
You won't get this magic until late in the game, but it's very effective right
up until the final battle due to its ability to randomly do insane amounts of
damage with Destructive Earth, and the fact that you're totally invincible
while performing the Atlas Quake. It's definitely worth upgrading.


Trembling Earth
L2 or L2 in air
At Atlas Quake level 2, adds extra rock hits for more damage
Your basic quake attack does 2 hits to everyone on the floor at the time. At
level 2, rocks fly out of the ground in random directions that may do extra
damage. It's a "get out of jail free" card to give you temporary
invincibility, like Poseidon's Rage in the previous game, that also happens to
do damage to and stun even the most ironclad of enemies. It's slightly more
expensive than a Charged Wind Blast, Gorgon Flash or Lethal Vortex - you can
only use it 7 times with a full magic meter, I think.
Effect on light or medium enemies: Knockdown
Effect on heavy enemies: Stun

Destructive Earth
L2 or L2 in air, then mash O
Requires Atlas Quake level 3
This is where the real power lies. You'll release huge rocks for several
seconds in between the two Trembling Earth hits. The closer you are to the
enemy, the more likely it is that it'll get hit by the rocks. Because you
don't have to aim it, it remains useful against teleporting enemies - just
don't try it if they're flying, because the chance of a rock hitting them is
very, very low. Best of all, it doesn't cost any more than the regular Atlas
Quake - so if you need to use all your magic on something (like a boss or the
interminable ramp battle before Klotho), this is the most damage you can do.


--------------------
2.5. POSEIDON'S RAGE
--------------------

POSEIDON'S RAGE
L2 or L2 in air (replaces Cronos' Rage)
Upgrade cost: n/a
Requires Urn of Poseidon to be turned on
This urn replaces Cronos' Rage with Poseidon's Rage, the magic you had when
fighting the Colossus. Like Cronos' Rage, it's a lightning attack capable of
hitting several enemies at once - but it has no maximum number of enemies, it
has a much wider area, and it causes Kratos to become invincible and spin
around in the air instead of allowing him to continue attacking. When you give
yourself this magic, you'll realize just how cheesy it was in God of War 1, as
it utterly demolishes your opponents while leaving you invincible. Its only
downside is that it doesn't stun heavy enemies like the Atlas Quake - but it
does damage on par with the Quake anyway, and you can hit flying enemies too.
Each use of Poseidon's Rage costs 1/8 of a full magic meter - so slightly more
than Cronos' Rage. It's a small price to pay.


==========
3. ENEMIES
==========


Enemies are described like this:

ENEMY NAME
Class (Weight class: Light, Medium or Heavy)
Description (Physical description of the enemy)
First appearance
Offense (Each attack has its own line)
       UB = Unblockable
       UP = Unparryable
       GB = Guard Break
       Projectile = Uses Argo's Reflect when parried
Defense (Available types: Guard, Dodge, Teleport, None)
Grabs (When you can grab this enemy and what the grabs do)
Comments (How to fight this enemy effectively)


------------------
3.1. LIGHT ENEMIES
------------------


LIGHT
Dogs: Wild Boar / Rabid Hound / Cerberus Seed
Harpies: Harpy / Hades Harpy / Cursed Harpy
Nymphs: Nymph / Hades Nymph
Archers: Rhodes Archer / Undead Archer / Cursed Archer
Cursed Remains
Beast Lord
Soldiers: Rhodes Soldier / Undead Legionnaire / Cursed Legionnaire / Fates
Sentry / Fates Guardian
Wraiths: Wraith of Athens / Wraith of Asphodel
Hades Fiend

MEDIUM
Legionnaire Captain / Hades Legionnaire
Satyr / Satyr Champion
Siren / Siren Widow (Temple of Lahkesis)
Gorgon (Typhon's Cavern) / Gorgon Assassin (Temple of Euryale) / Gorgon Queen
Minotaur Grunt (Typhon's Cavern?) / Hades Minotaur (Temple of Euryale) /
Erebus Minotaur (Typhon's Cavern)
High Priest of the Fates

HEAVY
Fates Juggernaut / Hades Juggernaut
Cyclops Brute / Cyclops Tyrant (Destiny's Atrium 1) / Cyclops Berserker (Bog
of the Forgotten)
Cerberus (Temple of Lahkesis) / Cerberus Breeder
Titan Minotaur (Bog of the Forgotten)

BOSSES
Colossus of Rhodes
Theseus
Barbarian King
Hairy Cerberus
Euryale
Perseus
The Last Spartan
Kraken
Lahkesis & Atropos
Klotho
Zeus


WILD BOAR
Class: Dog (Light)
Description: Large brown boar with tusks and spines.
First appearance: Destiny's Atrium (1st time)
Offense: Tusk attack (1 hit)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: Stabs and throws down (2 hits, repeatable)
      Ground: (Always Finisher)
      Finisher: Slices in half (3 hits) - 1 Rage orb
Comments: The dog version of a Rhodes soldier, with extremely low health and
an instant-kill grab. Never a problem, even if you let their cyclops friends
grab them and throw them at you.

RABID HOUND
Class: Dog (Light)
Description: Small silver dog that makes whimpering sounds when hit.
First appearance: Temple of Lahkesis
Offense: Bite attack (1 hit)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: Throws down (1 hit, repeatable)
      Ground: Kicks at target (2 hits, causes Stun)
      Finisher: Breaks neck (2 hits)
Comments: Grab these to make effective use of them by using them to damage
other opponents as well as themselves.

CERBERUS SEED
Class: Dog (Light)
Description: Small greenish wolf with a long tail.
First appearance:
Offense: Bite attack (1 hit)
       Rolling flame attack (1 hit)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: Throws down (1 hit, repeatable)
      Ground: Throws down (1 hit, repeatable, causes Stun)
      Finisher: Breaks back (1 hit)
Comments: If left alone for too long, these will transform into Cerberus
Breeders, so don't let them live. They have significantly more health than
Hounds, but are still vulnerable to repeated throws into each other, or a
throw and a few Orion's Harpoons.  Their flame attack is telegraphed by
igniting themselves.

HARPY
Class: Harpy (Light)
Description: Batlike creature with brown wings.
First appearance: Typhon's Cavern
Offense: Glowing red claw attack
       Minigame grab - UB,UP (shake to counterattack)
Defense: Flying; grounded on Scatter/Knockdown
Grabs: Air: Slams downward (1 hit, repeatable)
      Ground: (Always Finisher)
      Finisher: Rips off wings (2 hits)
Comments: Basic harpies are only a problem on Titan Mode, and even then they
can come in handy if you grab them to avoid damage. Use air attacks to kill
them, and never just sit there blocking, because their grab hurts.

HADES HARPY
Class: Harpy (Light)
Description: A flaming version of the regular harpy.
First appearance: Atlas
Offense: Ram attack
       Flaming divebomb (avoid red circle on floor to escape)
Defense: Flying; grounded on Scatter/Knockdown
Grabs: Air: Slams downward (1 hit, repeatable)
      Ground: (Always Finisher)
      Finisher: Rips off wings (2 hits)
Comments: Hades harpies have more health than regular harpies, and their
unblockable divebomb attack is easy to roll away from - once you see the
circle, roll twice and they'll miss you. Simply watch the floor around them.

CURSED HARPY
Class: Harpy (Light)
Description: A dark gray version of the regular harpy.
First appearance:
Offense: Glowing red claw attack
       Diving minigame grab - UB,UP (shake to counterattack)
       Flaming divebomb (avoid red circle on floor to escape)
Defense: Flying; grounded on Scatter/Knockdown
Grabs: Air: Slams downward (1 hit, repeatable)
      Ground: (Always Finisher)
      Finisher: Rips off wings (2 hits)
Comments: Cursed harpies still have very low health, but they'll do their grab
much more often than regular harpies. If you're watching them, you can tell
they're going to swoop in for a grab by the somersault they make beforehand,
but really just try to keep moving to avoid them.

NYMPH
Class: Harpy (Light)
Description: Small purple flying creatures with 4 wings.
First appearance: Destiny's Atrium
Offense: Green projectile attack
       Jet of webbing - UB,UP (shake to escape)
Defense: Flying; grounded on Scatter/Knockdown
Grabs: Air: Slams downward (1 hit, repeatable)
      Ground: (Always Finisher)
      Finisher: Rips off wings (2 hits)
Comments: Nymphs aren't dangerous alone, but their webbing attack (which they
use only when you aren't moving around quickly) makes you vulnerable to other
enemies' attacks. They'll often appear in packs, or with nests spawning them.

HADES NYMPH
Class: Harpy (Light)
Description: Small orange flying creatures with 4 wings.
First appearance: Temple of Lahkesis
Offense: Flaming projectile attack - UB
       Death explosion - UB,UP
Defense: Flying; grounded on Scatter/Knockdown
Grabs: Air: Slams downward (1 hit, repeatable)
      Ground: (Always Finisher)
      Finisher: Ignites and throws at target (1 hit, causes Stun)
Comments: These are the flying enemies to watch out for, as the timing to
Fleece their attacks is very difficult. Instead, grab and throw them at each
other if possible, like flying Rabid Hounds, and make sure to attack the ones
that are igniting to throw their projectiles.

CURSED REMAINS
Class: Soldier (Light)
Description: Skeletons with swords.
First appearance: Temple of Euryale
Offense: Spinning attack (2 hits)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: Breaks against ground (1 hit, causes "death")
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Dismembers (2 hits)
Comments: Skeletons will break into a pile of bones when they "die", then
regenerate and immediately attack. To kill them, either grab them when the
Finisher prompt appears, or destroy them with a high-damage attack. These guys
are mostly there as puzzles rather than as legitimate enemies, as you have to
be careful to get rid of them with grabs instead of just randomly hacking away.

RHODES ARCHER
Class: Archer (Light)
Description: Human with silver recurve bow and golden armor
First appearance: Rhodes Battlements
Offense: Red arrow projectile (1 hit)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: Throws down (1 hit, instant kill)
      Ground: (Always Finisher)
      Finisher: Triple stab (3 hits)
Comments: The first archers you meet are just as big a pushover as Rhodes
Soldiers. Block their arrows, then move in to kill them any way you like.

UNDEAD ARCHER
Class: Archer (Light)
Description: Undead with gray body and partial copper armor
First appearance: Temple of Lahkesis
Offense: Red arrow projectile (1 hit)
       Bow swipe, then arrow (2 hits)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: Impales, extends and punches (1 hit, instant kill)
      Ground: (Always Finisher)
      Finisher, press S: Throws at target (2 hits)
      Finisher, press T: Rips in half (1 hit)
      Finisher, press O: Punch, then triple stab (3-4 hits)
Comments: The basic archers from the first game are back, and just as easy to
kill. Head for these guys first, as you can throw them into each other with
the O,S grab and kill lots of them at once, even on Titan Mode. They won't
take you long to kill, and you don't want them interrupting your attacks. Note
that in this game, it IS possible to block the arrow after their bow swipe.

CURSED ARCHER
Class: Archer (Light)
Description: Undead with partial silver armor and red plumed helmet
First appearance: Euryale's Defeat
Offense: Exploding arrow - GB (1 hit)
       Bow swipe, then arrow (2 hits, 2nd hit does not GB)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: Impales, extends and punches (1 hit, instant kill)
      Ground: (Always Finisher)
      Finisher, press S: Throws at target (2 hits, causes Scatter)
      Finisher, press T: Rips in half (1 hit)
      Finisher, press O: Punch, then triple stab (3-4 hits)
Comments: Cursed archers are easily identifiable by their exploding arrows,
which will stick in the ground if they miss or are blocked and still explode.
They aren't here in huge droves like the previous game, and they give magic
orbs when they die, so they're an even bigger target. Grab them or fight back
with your own magic arrows to kill them before their arrows stun you.

RHODES SOLDIER
Class: Soldier (Light)
Description: Human with golden shield and armor
First appearance: City of Rhodes
Offense: Shield and sword strike (2 hits)
Defense: Occasional blocking
Grabs: Air: Throws down (1 hit, instant kill)
      Ground: (Always Finisher)
      Finisher 1: Throws over shoulder (1 hit)
      Finisher 2: Triple stab (3 hits)
Comments: The game's first enemy is also possibly its easiest, except for wild
boars. Plow through these guys as fast as possible; on Bonus Play, grab them
for extra orbs and invincibility during the first Colossus fight. Each of the
finishers has a 50% chance of occurring.

BEAST LORD
Class: Soldier (Light)
Description: Tiny pig with full armor
First appearance: Bog of the Forgotten, by Euryale's Key
Offense: Blue triple blade strike (2 hits GB + 1 hit)
       Blue blade spin (1 hit + 4 hits + 1 hit)
Defense:
Grabs: Air: Impale, extend and punch (1 hit, repeatable)
      Ground: Stomp (2 hits, repeatable)
      Finisher: Kill with own blades (4 hits)
Comments: It's very fortunate that these guys can be killed with grabs at no
risk to you, because they are almost always your first priority. They're
relatively weak but still pose threats to you with a guard-breaking attack and
their potential to become dangerous combined with a Cyclops Berserker.

UNDEAD LEGIONNAIRE
Class: Soldier (Light)
Description: Undead with gray body and single sword
First appearance:
Offense: Slow double sword strike (2 hits)
       Grab - UB,UP (1 hit, shake to escape and counter)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: Impales, extends and punches (1 hit, repeatable)
      Ground: (Always Finisher)
      Finisher, press S: Throws at target (2 hits, causes Scatter)
      Finisher, press T: Rips in half (1 hit)
      Finisher, press O: Punch, then triple stab (3-6 hits)
Comments: The basic soldiers from the first game are mostly there for
nostalgia value, as most of the time you'll be fighting the Fates' soldiers
instead. These guys are very easy to kill, and their grab comes in handy for
clearing space.

CURSED LEGIONNAIRE
Class: Soldier (Light)
Description: Undead with gold armor
First appearance:
Offense: Blue overhead strike (1 hit)
       Spinning counterattack (1 hit)
       Grab - UB,UP (1 hit, shake to escape and counter)
Defense: Guard
Grabs: Air: Impales, extends and punches (1 hit, repeatable)
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher, press S: Throws at target (2 hits, causes Scatter)
      Finisher, press T: Rips in half (1 hit)
      Finisher, press O: Punch (1 rage orb), then triple stab (3-4 hits)
Comments: Become intimately familiar with these guys' blue flashes before
their most common attack, because if you can use the Fleece on them, they
become significantly easier. These are the weakest enemies you face (besides
Cursed Remains) that can't immediately be thrown, but when you can, take
advantage of their excellent O,S finisher to give yourself space to destroy
them. Although they can guard, they usually will only guard at the end of long
combos.

WRAITH OF ATHENS
Class: Wraith (Light)
Description: Undead with blades for hands and no legs
First appearance: Temple of Lahkesis (before Destiny's Atrium)
Offense: Blade spin
       Melee attack (3 slow hits)
       Underground attack - (3-4 hits + 1 hit)
Defense: Guard; invulnerable while doing underground attack
Grabs: Air: Knee break (2 hits, always goes underground after)
      Ground: Launch (1 hit, hold X to jump with them)
      Finisher: Kill with own blades (3 hits)
Comments: These guys are very scary until you learn how to deal with them -
block whenever you see their underground attack coming, then grab the closest
one and start pounding him. You can block immediately on recovery from the air
throw, but it's not terribly useful except as a way to get down to the ground
without taking damage from another wraith's underground attack. Beware of
their normal melee attacks as well!

WRAITH OF ASPHODEL
Class: Wraith (Light)
Description: Undead with blades for hands and blue leg shrouds
First appearance: Euryale's Defeat
Offense: Green boomerang hands (1-4 hits)
       Green grounded boomerang (1-4 hits)
       Underground attack - (3-4 hits + 1 hit)
       Fake underground and lunge (1 hit)
Defense: Guard; invulnerable while doing underground attack
Grabs: Air: Knee break (2 hits, always goes underground after)
      Ground: Launch (1 hit, hold X to jump with them)
      Finisher: Kill with own blades (3 hits)
Comments: These wraiths will never use their real underground attack unless
provoked by you air throwing them, so use the same strategy but be much more
vigilant about random boomerangs catching you during your attacks. Although
the boomerangs look like projectiles, they can't be caught by Argo's Return.
Since they can block or interrupt you, use the Fleece and grabs often - you're
very unlikely to get hit by a wraith while airborne killing another one.

HADES FIEND
Class: Archer (Light)
Description: Soldier of ambiguous gender with flame in one hand
First appearance: Bog of the Forgotten
Offense: Flaming projectile - UB (1 hit)
       Flaming sword strike (1 hit)
Defense: Guard
Grabs: Air: Slam together to ground (2 hits, always goes underground after)
      Ground: Bounce off ground (2 hits, causes Knockdown)
      Finisher: Kill with own sword (3 hits)
Comments: Basically, they're archers with an unblockable projectile who don't
die so easily. Grab them to keep them from shooting you for a while, or just
use your more powerful attacks on them to kill them quickly. Like all ranged
enemies, take care of these first - they can ruin your day by leaving you open
to melee enemies.

FATES SENTRY
Class: Soldier (Light)
Description: Monster with gold helmet, one sword and one arm blade
First appearance: Typhon's Cavern
Offense: Arm blade, then red sword strike (2 hits)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air:
      Ground: (Always Finisher)
      Finisher, press S: Flings at target (2 hits)
      Finisher, press T: Breaks neck (2 hits)
      Finisher, press O: Slash, then kill with arm blade (2-8 hits)
Comments: These guys are abundant throughout the game, but fortunately they
can easily be grabbed and taken care of. Be careful: while you're slashing
with the O,O finisher, you're NOT invincible. Their attacks are frequent but
easy to defeat.

FATES GUARDIAN
Class: Soldier (Light)
Description: Monster with red armor and a double-headed axe
First appearance: Steeds of Time
Offense: Double axe strike (2 hits)
Defense: Guard
Grabs: Air: Impale and swing downward (2 hits, repeatable)
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher, press S: Flings at target (2 hits)
      Finisher, press T: Breaks neck (2 hits)
      Finisher, press O: Slash, then kill with arm blade (2-8 hits)
Comments: Although these guys only have one attack, they love to get in your
face and keep up the pressure. They'll occasionally guard, but you should be
able to get in some hits as long as you keep them stunned - even a Weak Combo
will do the trick. Be careful when fighting them, as they're harder to defeat
than your normal soldiers because you can't just grab one to get out of
trouble. While starting their "finisher available" animation they are totally
invincible.


-------------------
3.2. MEDIUM ENEMIES
-------------------


LEGIONNAIRE CAPTAIN
Class: Captain (Medium)
Description: Tall armored warrior with sword and scythe
First appearance: Euryale's Defeat
Offense: Double scythe attacks (2 hits)
       Stab combo (5 hits with pauses in between)
       Counter-grab - UB,UP (2 hits)
Defense: Guard
Grabs: Air: Double stab and knee break (3 hits)
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Trip over own sword (3 hits, minigame to complete)
Comments: These enemies are much, much better versions of enemy soldiers.
Their status as medium enemies means that it's very difficult to interrupt
their long attack combos, they block an awful lot (or will simply attack right
through your moves), and they can only be grabbed with a button-press
minigame. Keep on the defensive against them and try to launch them or pound
them from a distance if possible. If you try to grab them at the wrong moment,
they'll counter-grab you, but they don't have any way to break through your
guard otherwise.

HADES LEGIONNAIRE
Class: Captain (Medium)
Description: Tall flaming warrior with sword and scythe
First appearance: Atlas
Offense: Double scythe attacks (2 hits)
       Stab combo (5 hits with pauses in between)
       Counter-grab - UB,UP (2 hits)
Defense: Guard
Grabs: Air: Double stab and knee break (3 hits)
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Trip over own sword (3 hits, minigame to complete)
Comments: Just like a Legionnaire Captain but with much more health, the Hades
Legionnaire was entirely avoidable in God of War 1 but is a fact of life in
this game. Be very careful, as it's easy for them to wear down your health
when you're not watching them. The strategy is identical: stay defensive, use
distance to set up bigger attacks, and grab them only when you have the chance.

SATYR
Class: Satyr (Medium)
Description: Goat-like monster with blue eyes and a bladed staff
First appearance: Crossing of the Lowlands
Offense: Twirling staff combo (1 hit + 2 hits in an X + 5 hits twirl)
       Sitting-on-staff stance (5 hits twirl when attacked)
       Staff vault combo (2 hits with legs + 1 hit + 1 hit uppercut)
       Staff grab (1 hit, knocks you down)
       Getting up counterattack (1 hit with legs)
Defense: Dodge
Grabs: Air: Slow-motion ground slam (2 hits)
      Ground: Minigame mouth cut (2 hits, mash O to complete)
      Finisher: Stylish mouth cut and staff kill (3 hits, mash O to complete)
Comments: To fight satyrs, you must figure out their attack patterns - when
you can Fleece or simply block their attacks, when you can expect them to
dodge, and when it's safe to launch them (hint: whenever they sit on their
staff, they can easily be launched). Otherwise, they'll just destroy you with
their dodge-and-counterattack pattern and the surprisingly good range of their
attacks. Fortunately, they don't block (except while they're already dodging),
so if you can catch them doing something that isn't interrupting you, unload
as much damage on them as possible. Since they can't block, they'll always get
scattered by Argo's Revenge, so use it as much as possible. Note that while
you're attempting to grab them, you are NOT invincible, so don't try it unless
you're alone with him, and probably not even then - it does very little damage.

SATYR CHAMPION
Class: Satyr (Medium)
Description: Goat-like monster with two small blades
First appearance: Euryale's Defeat
Offense: Backflip combo (1 hit + 1 hit + 3 hits)
       Forward flip combo (1 hit + 3 hits twirl)
Defense: Dodge
Grabs: Air: Slow-motion ground slam (2 hits)
      Ground: Minigame mouth cut (2 hits, mash O to complete)
      Finisher: Stylish impale and return (4 hits, mash O to complete)
Comments: See the comments above for regular satyrs (except that champions
have more health and no stance for you to capitalize on, but also no painful
staff grab). I personally find champions to be less threatening than regular
satyrs because they're more predictable; both have extremely fast attacks,
though, so watch your back.

SIREN
Class: Siren (Medium)
Description: Brunette in a blue dress
First appearance: Crossing of the Lowlands
Offense: Small blue projectile (1 hit)
       Ground spike (1 hit)
Defense: Dodge
Grabs: Air: Twirl and slam (1 hit, repeatable)
      Ground: Repeated head slam (4 hits, only possible when O prompt appears)
      Finisher: Double impale and slam (4 hits)
Comments: The sirens no longer have their "suck you in" scream attack from God
of War 1, but their ground grab no longer gives you health, so they're still
annoying to deal with. The ground spike is telegraphed by energy gathering
around their midsection and a flare underneath where you're standing, and it
can be blocked or parried as long as you're standing near it when it starts.
They're more of a pain than a serious threat to your health bar - just don't
randomly flail around with your blades and get shot by their projectiles, keep
your cool and you should do fine.

SIREN WIDOW
Class: Siren (Medium)
Description: Woman with white hair and long claws
First appearance: Temple of Lahkesis
Offense: Lunge and blue claw attack (1 hit)
       Blue claw combo (2 hits)
       Sonic scream - UB,UP (shake to escape)
Defense: Dodge
Grabs: Air: Twirl and slam (1 hit)
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Neck break (0 hits, damages all surrounding enemies)
Comments: Siren Widows are easier to kill than normal sirens, thankfully,
because they'll often rush up and attack you, putting themselves in range
instead of dodging away. Unfortunately, their scream attack (which has no
maximum duration, and good range) makes them quite a threat if you're also
trying to avoid other enemies - and there's always more than one siren. Become
adept at grabbing these when you have to - you'll need to use their sonic
death blast for multiple purposes.

GORGON
Class: Gorgon (Medium)
Description: Half woman, half snake, all green
First appearance: Typhon's Cavern
Offense: Gorgon Stare  - UB (turns gradually to stone, shake to escape,
minigame to parry)
       Claw Rush (1 hit)
       Tail Strike (1 hit)
Defense: Dodge
Grabs: Air: Slam downward (1 hit)
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Rip off head (4 hits, minigame to complete, gives magic)
Comments: Gorgons come in all flavors in this game. These are the traditional
ones that can only stone you if you stay in one place - roll around to avoid
their gaze if you don't have the Golden Fleece to parry it. Be careful of
their high speed and penchant for dodging, and NEVER let one turn you to stone
while you're airborne, as you'll die instantly. Basic Gorgons aren't much of a
problem if you keep moving - just hit them and be sure to block whenever you
see a dodge, as they'll always counterattack. If you have the Fleece and want
to bait them into stoning you, try to grab them.

GORGON ASSASSIN
Class: Gorgon (Medium)
Description: Half woman, half snake, blue and white
First appearance: Temple of Euryale
Offense: Gorgon Flash - UB (turns to stone, shake to escape, minigame to parry)
       Claw Rush (1 hit)
       Tail Strike (1 hit)
Defense: Dodge
Grabs: Air: Slam downward (1 hit)
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Rip off head (4 hits, minigame to complete, gives magic)
Comments: Gorgon Assassins are more common toward the middle levels of the
game. You absolutely must use the Golden Fleece on them; fortunately, they
telegraph all their attacks - the Stare lets you parry it very late in its
animation, and the Assassin will wind up with a green charge on her mouth
beforehand. Be careful of their high speed and penchant for dodging, and NEVER
let one turn you to stone while you're airborne, as you'll die instantly. If
you have the Fleece and want to bait them into stoning you, try to grab them,
but be careful, as they shake out of turning into stone quite quickly. Gorgons
love to counterattack, so be ready with your block button if you miss
anything, but their dodging isn't as effective as satyrs' or sirens' dodges.

GORGON QUEEN
Class: Gorgon (Medium)
Description: Half woman, half snake, brown and red
First appearance:
Offense: Gorgon Stare - UB (turns to stone gradually, shake to escape,
minigame to parry)
       Gorgon Rage - UB (randomly turns to stone, shake to escape, minigame
to parry)
       Claw Rush (2 hits)
       Tail Strike (1 hit)
Defense: Dodge
Grabs: Air: Slam downward (1 hit)
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Rip off head (4 hits, minigame to complete, gives magic)
Comments: Gorgon Queens are reserved for the end of the game, because they are
very scary targets. Their Stare lasts longer than the Gorgon's regular stare
so you're more vulnerable while dodging it, they have area-effect Gorgon Rage
attacks (which they'll always do if you grab them without the O prompt) that
are difficult to parry and have a chance of turning you to stone, and they
have so much resistance to Head of Euryale that they can only be broken by
your subweapons. Not to mention they have an awful lot of health. A good
strategy against them is to parry their stone attacks, then take out the other
enemies before you deal with the Queen alone.

MINOTAUR GRUNT
Class: Minotaur (Medium)
Description: Minotaur with exaggerated upper body and large axe
First appearance:
Offense: Overhead axe attack (mash O to counter)
       Glowing overhead axe attack (1 hit, knocks you down)
       Counterattack (1 hit, only after blocking)
Defense: Guard
Grabs: Air: Slam down (1 hit)
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Blades into mouth (3 hits, mash O to complete, gives health)
Comments: Basic minotaurs aren't a big threat in this game, unless you get hit
by their glowing axe strike, which can be avoided if you're attentive or
simply blocked if you aren't. Just remember: when a minotaur blocks a few
hits, he'll counterattack, which you can block or parry. Plus, half the time
this grunt hits you, it'll be a minigame you can use to counterattack HIM
(although he's invincible while regaining his axe).

HADES MINOTAUR
Class: Minotaur (Medium)
Description: Fatter minotaur with flaming spiked club
First appearance:
Offense: Slow club combo (2 hits + 1 hit)
       Downwards stab and swipe (2 hits)
       Big club pound (1 hit, knocks you down)
Defense: Guard
Grabs: Air: Slam down (1 hit)
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Force onto club (3 hits, minigame to complete)
Comments: This minotaur is common throughout the game and very useful because
of his penchant to block rarely and the lengthy invincibility his finisher
affords you. You can't dodge his attacks like the other minotaurs' attacks,
but he's not super-powerful and you can still see all his moves coming.
Remember: when this minotaur blocks a few hits, he'll counterattack (in this
case, with the downwards stab and swipe), which you can block or parry.

EREBUS MINOTAUR
Class: Minotaur (Medium)
Description: Minotaur with blue spikes on arms and back
First appearance: Steeds of Time
Offense: Double axe swipe (2 hits)
       Horn charge (1 hit)
       Overhead slam (1 hit, knocks you down)
Defense: Guard
Grabs: Air: Slam down (1 hit)
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Blades into mouth (3 hits, mash O to complete, gives health)
Comments: Theseus summons these minotaurs against you, which are simply
beefier versions of Minotaur Grunts. Their overhead slam is very difficult to
evade unless you are watching closely, and after they block or you fail to
grab them they'll counterattack with a horn charge and then an overhead slam;
parry the slam to stun them and follow up with a combo. You don't really need
to keep your distance from them, and they'll charge forward anyway, so just
keep blocking and try to parry them so that you can catch one alone and launch
it for massive damage. Sometimes you can block the 2nd hit of the double axe
swipe if you were hit by the first one.

HIGH PRIEST OF THE FATES
Class: Priest (Medium)
Description: Human with a blue toga and a big scroll
First appearance: Euryale's Defeat
Offense: Green scroll strike (2 hits)
       White energy grab - UB (drains magic + 1 hit, shake to counter)
       Green curse tornado (1 hit, reduces speed, not a projectile)
       Green energy trap (1 hit on ground, UB if not underneath you)
       Summon (generates an enemy)
Defense: Teleport, Guard
Grabs: Air: Punch and fling downward (2 hits, leaves you airborne)
      Ground: Minigame (mash O), Uppercut (4 hits, hold X to go up with him)
      Finisher: Minigame (mash O), Execution (5 hits)
Comments: High Priests are fearsome. They have a wide variety of attacks,
including an unblockable grab, they teleport often when you try to attack
them, and their summon spell can cause you to lose an otherwise winning battle
by adding a backbreaking new enemy. In the Arena of the Fates, the Priest
always summons a Fates Guardian, but elsewhere in the game it can be anything
from a Minotaur Grunt to a Cyclops Berserker. Their major weakness is grabs -
but unfortunately, those require you to get close to a teleporting enemy. If
you're not sure you're near him, he only rarely guards attacks, so your long-
range Blades of Chaos should be able to at least make him teleport and get out
of your hair for a while. Although you're invincible while grabbing him,
remember that time doesn't stop, so this might not be a wise idea in the
Protect the Translator battle.


------------------
3.3. HEAVY ENEMIES
------------------


FATES JUGGERNAUT
Class: Juggernaut (Heavy)
Description: Bulky warrior with golden armor and a mace
First appearance: Euryale's Defeat?
Offense: Double mace swing (2 hits)
       Running shoulder and mace swing (2 hits)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: n/a
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Decapitation (3 hits)
Comments: Although Juggernauts are the least fearsome of your heavy opponents,
their inability to be slowed down in any way still makes them very dangerous.
Always watch out for and try to block or parry their attacks. They won't
block, but they'll usually interrupt anything fancy you try against them, so
keep your distance and stick to heavy hits and magic to bring them down. The
only time they're stunned is when a piece of their armor falls off; even the
Spirit of Hercules will only stun them if they're not currently attacking,
which they usually are.

HADES JUGGERNAUT
Class: Juggernaut (Heavy)
Description: Bulky warrior with brown armor and a flaming morningstar
First appearance: Just before Perseus
Offense: Upwards swipe (1 hit)
       Long-ranged ground pound (1 hit)
       Ground pound followup (1 hit)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: n/a
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Decapitation (3 hits)
Comments: Hades Juggernauts are easier to deal with than the Fates Juggernauts
on their own, because you can literally run circles around them, but their
extra range, damage and armor makes them even more potent in groups - and
you'll almost never be fighting them alone. Always watch out for and try to
block or parry their attacks. They won't block, but they'll usually interrupt
anything fancy you try against them, so keep your distance and stick to heavy
hits and magic to bring them down. The only time they're stunned is when a
piece of their armor falls off; even the Spirit of Hercules will only stun
them if they're not currently attacking, which they usually are.

CYCLOPS BRUTE
Class: Cyclops (Heavy)
Description: Enormous green cyclops with a club
First appearance:
Offense: Club left/right swing - UB,UP (4 hits)
       Stomp and smash - UB,UP (1 hit + 1 hit knocks you down)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: n/a
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Climb up and stab (4 hits)
Comments: These guys are very dangerous because of their range. When the stomp
hits, you have just enough time to roll out of the way of the smash. Always
keep these guys in mind, as their big club swing is very difficult to avoid
unless you're airborne at the time. Keep rolling around them to avoid their
attacks and try to stun them with your Blades' plume attacks when possible.

CYCLOPS TYRANT
Class: Cyclops (Heavy)
Description: Enormous gray cyclops with no weapon
First appearance: Destiny's Atrium
Offense: Grab and throw Wild Boar (1 hit, not a projectile)
       Stomp - UB,UP (1 hit)
       Ground pound - UB,UP (1 hit, knocks you down)
       Grab - UB,UP (1 hit, knocks you down)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: n/a
      Ground: Orion's Harpoon the eye (2 hits, prompt will appear twice)
      Finisher: n/a
Comments: Although the Cyclops Tyrant has an awful lot of health, this is
mitigated by the ability to do intermediate grabs on them. Be careful about
this - Kratos will do a harpoon animation, which is slower and less ranged
than his regular grab animation, when trying to grab them. They don't have the
same reach as the Brute, so you can pound them from afar, but be wary of their
grab - if you see one reach his arm back, roll backwards immediately. The
grabs release green orbs, so do them as quickly as possible. Stay away and you
should be fine.

CYCLOPS BERSERKER
Class: Cyclops (Heavy)
Description: Enormous gray cyclops with a tree trunk
First appearance: Destiny's Atrium
Offense: Stomp - UB,UP (1 hit)
       Ground punch - UB,UP (1 hit, scatters you)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: n/a
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Rip out eye (6 hits, minigame to finish, +1 Cyclops Eye)
Comments: Unfortunately, these guys rarely appear alone. When they do, they're
just like Cyclops Tyrants without any way to attack you if you roll out of the
way of their slow ground punches. Plus, their finisher gives you a Cyclops
Eye, which is one less time you have to replay Challenge of the Titans #1 to
get 20 Cyclops Eyes. It's like they've given you a minute of your life back
for doing the finisher correctly. The real danger is when they get a Beast
Lord to ride them - see below for details.

CYCLOPS BERSERKER WITH BEAST LORD
Class: Cyclops (Heavy)
Description: Enormous gray cyclops with a tree trunk
First appearance: Destiny's Atrium
Offense: Club and ground punch combo - UB,UP (3 hits, rollable after 1st hit)
       Tree slam and grab - UB,UP (4 hits, knocks you down)
       Fiery tree spin - UB,UP (2 hits)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: n/a
      Ground: Remove Beast Lord (2 hits)
      Finisher: n/a
Comments: These guys are ALWAYS the first priority. Grab them immediately, or
you will suffer the painful consequences. Afterwards, if you avoid the likely
berserker counterattack, you can repeatedly grab the Beast Lord and kill it,
then deal with the berserker at your leisure. Your only objective against
these enemies is to grab them without getting hit by their attacks. Watch the
Beast Lord - if its blades flash blue, it's about to do the club combo or the
tree spin. If the Berserker moves its arms upwards without the Beast Lord's
urging, it'll slam the tree down in front of it; walk or roll back and get in
some free hits before you grab it.

CERBERUS
Class: Cerberus (Heavy)
Description: Big three-headed gray dog with minotaur horns
First appearance: Temple of Lahkesis
Offense: Paw swipe (1 hit)
       Charging head attack (1 hit)
       Pounce and grab - UB,UP (6 hits, knocks you down, shake to escape)
       Triple fireball projectile - UB (3 hits, any can be parried)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: n/a
      Ground: Rip off one head (prompt appears twice, 4 hits, mash O to
finish, gives Rage orbs)
      Finisher: Impale middle head (3 hits, gives Rage orbs)
Comments: The Cerberus' attacks can be blocked and parried, but in exchange it
is very mobile and has a lot of health. Take down the heads to give yourself a
visual indicator and get some free Rage orbs (since the Cerberus often stays
in one place long enough to get hit by a Rage Weak Combo). The Cerberus is
also invulnerable for a short period while it starts its "ready to be thrown"
O prompt, so just go ahead and grab it. The best way to ensure it doesn't grab
you is to keep moving yourself.

CERBERUS BREEDER
Class: Cerberus (Heavy)
Description: Big three-headed green dog with flaming mouths
First appearance:
Offense: Paw swipes (2 hits)
       Summon Cerberus Seed
       Triple fireball projectile (3 hits, any can be parried)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: n/a
      Ground: Slice middle head (1 hit, gives Rage orbs, prompt appears once)
      Finisher: Impale middle head (4 hits, gives Rage orbs)
Comments: The Cerberus Breeder only has one intermediate grab, and if you
don't watch the Cerberus Seeds it spits out, they'll transform into new
Breeders. Generally a more dangerous version of the regular Cerberus,
generally less prone to jump around but more likely to be throwing fireballs
as a result. It can't pounce on you, but if it hits you while you're trying to
kill those Seeds, that's just as good.

TITAN MINOTAUR
Class: Mini-Boss (Heavy)
Description: Huge stone-and-lava creature that sleeps when you're far away
First appearance: Bog of the Forgotten
Offense: Throw rock - UB (1 hit, scatters you, not a projectile)
       Ground spin (5 hits)
       Ground pound (1-5 hits + zero-damage "return to resting" hit)
       Sink floor (3rd form only, 0 hits, gives magic orbs)
Defense: None
Grabs: Air: n/a
      Ground: n/a
      Finisher: Puncture lava core (4 hits, minigame to complete)
Comments: You'll only fight this guy 3 times in the game and once in the
Challenge of the Titans, and he can't even move the first two times. His
attacks are predictable, but he's so resilient that defeating him can still be
tricky. If you get far away, he'll always throw rocks at you - these are tough
to dodge because of their big area of effect, so parry them but don't use
Argo's Revenge, because it just wastes time and usually won't hit him. When he
wakes up or when you're in front of him, he'll pound the ground to his front;
move to his back for free hits while he's doing this. When you get too close,
he'll turn his back to you and start spinning; roll away immediately to avoid
it and hit him with a ranged attack (Plume of Prometheus, Altering Slash,
Anger of the Gods). Repeat ad nauseam. If he tries to throw a rock and you're
close, you can go right under the rock.


==========
4. PEGASUS
==========


Although there are only two Pegasus levels in the game, they can be more
difficult than they appear, especially on Titan Mode. There are also various
nuances to getting a decent combo going and making sure you get the Brutal
Kills for valuable orbs. All Pegasus attacks chain into each other or
themselves.


--------------------
4.1. PEGASUS ATTACKS
--------------------


Circular Blade Slashes
SSS on Pegasus
Kratos whirls his blade upward, downward, and to the sides, hitting everything
anywhere around him much like his attacks on ceilings. This is rather weak,
but is useful for getting below enemies where they can't hit you while you
avoid their shots. Of course, this is only really an issue when you're
fighting the Spear of Destiny, or if you want to kill harpies in Typhon's
Cavern.

Sideways Blade Spin
T on Pegasus
Kratos spins his blade to the left and right for a 5-hit combo. Much more
powerful than the Circular Blade Slashes, and generally the fastest repeatable
way to deal damage. Of course, other enemies have sideways attacks too, so be
careful you don't take too much damage. You should also be careful not to KILL
enemies with this move, because grabbing them gets you more orbs.

Sideways Blade Grab
O on Pegasus
Kratos does a small left-and-right circle with a blade; if successful, he
begins a minigame versus Gryphons or Gryphon Riders. It has no effect on the
Ravens or Spear Rider. Especially on Titan Mode, where orbs are few and far
between, you'll want to do this every chance you get.

Side Dash Slam
L1 or R1 on Pegasus
L1 dodges Pegasus left; if you hit an enemy, Pegasus will rebound and do a lot
of damage. R1 is the same, but dodges right. These are great tools for
avoiding projectiles, finishing up attacks (T,R1,dodge,X is a great repeatable
pattern against the Spear Rider) and generally keeping you mobile, which is
the key when using Pegasus.

Forward Dash Slam
X on Pegasus
Requires a small amount of magic
Pegasus will rocket forward towards the enemy fliers, automatically tracking
and hitting the closest one. This does good damage, and since your magic
recharges on Pegasus, there's no reason not to use this whenever you're unable
to use your regular attacks. It'll speed things up considerably, and Pegasus
is much better at dodging projectiles when doing it, too. The Forward Dash
Slam is the only way to kill the Raven.

Wind Blast
Hold L2 and press S on Pegasus
You can use Typhon's Bane to fire back at enemy Gryphon Riders, but your
maneuverability is limited and most enemies will simply swoop back towards you
where you can't shoot them anymore. You're better off saving your magic for a
Forward Dash Slam.


--------------------
4.2. PEGASUS ENEMIES
--------------------


Gryphon
The main enemy in the first Pegasus level, Gryphons can shoot wind projectiles
at you from up ahead, or use their tail to attack you. However, their health
is relatively low, so you can simply keep them occupied with a constant
barrage of attacks while avoiding their projectiles. When you grab them,
you'll need a minigame to kill them.

Raven
The final enemy in the first Pegasus level, the Raven will swoop at you from
straight ahead. If you don't Forward Dash Slam him correctly (wait until you
see his body appear, then hit X), he'll knock you into a tailspin (shake to
escape) and do damage. This can be difficult to time, so watch out; if you
connect, you'll have to do one minigame button press and then mash O to kill
this bird.

Spear Rider (Jet Stream)
At the end of each Pegasus level, you'll be sucked up into the upper
atmosphere with the head rider, wielding the Spear of Destiny. You have no
magic or attacks for this fight and can only try to avoid his purple energy
bolts. They're always in a pattern of 3, so you can dodge to one side if you
see it coming; try to stay close to the center so you can move in any
direction when the bolts come at you. At the end, he'll fire an unavoidable
pattern of bolts; just get hit by it and do the minigame to finish the level.

Gryphon Rider
The second Pegasus level features Gryphons with more health and the ability to
Side Dash Slam you. Stay offensive and use your own Side Dash Slam to gain a
little distance so you don't accidentally get hit by them. Try to use your
range to your advantage. When you grab them, you'll need a longer minigame to
kill them.

Spear Rider (Fight)
The second Pegasus level, after another Raven, throws the Spear Rider himself
at you; he's basically a copy of you, except that instead of his T attack he
fires Piercing Shards from the Spear of Destiny left or right. Try to avoid
these (watch for him bringing up his spear like a gun) to his top or bottom.
He'll often race back forward; immediately counter with a Forward Dash Slam
and resume the offensive. Don't let him start firing projectiles at you, as
you can't afford to lose any health before the Jet Stream stage.


==========
5. CREDITS
==========


This FAQ is copyright (c) 2007, Robert Marney (aka Robyrt). All rights
reserved. Use of this file or any portion thereof is permitted for personal
use only; do not republish or duplicate without explicit permission of the
author.

Unlike my other FAQs, this one was written solely by me, without even
consulting the official strategy guide or competing FAQs. This is why there
aren't official HP numbers yet - wait for a later release.

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