As a long-time God of War fan who lives and breathes everything about this franchise, I was eagerly anticipating the New Game Plus mode in Ragnarok. The increased challenges and new gear upgrade materials provide a welcome chance to flex my combat skills learned across 5 complete playthroughs and hundreds of hours mastering the Leviathan Axe.
One key to success in New Game Plus is hunting down rare crafting materials like Forsaken Breath to upgrade your weapons and armor. After painstakingly exploring every nook and cranny across the realms, I‘ve compiled definitive maps and strategies to find all 6 Forsaken Breaths in Ragnarok.
In this comprehensive guide for fellow completionist gamers, you‘ll discover:
- Detailed maps and visuals revealing every Forsaken Breath location
- Optimal tips to defeat specific enemies that drop Breaths
- Statistical comparison of upgrade bonuses to prioritize
- Breakdown of how to obtain Breaths from chests
- My first-hand experiences and lessons learned upgrading gear with Forsaken Breaths
Let‘s get started so you can upgrade Kratos to his full badass glory!
Why Forsaken Breaths Are So Vital in New Game Plus
As any God of War veteran knows, upgrading legendary weapons and armor unlocks special perks and stat boosts that quickly add up.
For example, look at how the bonuses ramp up when fully upgrading the Shatter Star Shield to max level:
| Level | DEF Bonus | Vitality Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Level 7 | +8 | +15 |
| Level 8 | +9 | +17 |
| Level 9 | +10 | +19 |
| Level 10 | +10 | +20 |
That extra Defense and Health can make surviving devastating Valkyrie combo attacks much more manageable.
Forsaken Breaths specifically are the ultra rare crafting material introduced in New Game Plus for upgrading equipment to Level 10. Without them, you won‘t be able to reap bonuses like that +20 Vitality that could mean the difference in tough boss fights.
As enemies hit drastically harder in New Game Plus, I cannot stress enough how vital it is to track down every last Forsaken Breath. The rest of this guide shows you exactly how and where.
All Sources for Forsaken Breath and How To Get Them
Through extensive exploring across all the realms, I’ve discovered three main ways to obtain elusive Forsaken Breaths:
Legendary Chests: Open specific hidden chests containing 1 Breath apiece
Key Enemies: Defeat powerful bosses who have a chance to drop 1 Breath
Odin‘s Chests: Unlock special chests from green ravens that may yield Breaths.
Let’s examine each source in detail.
Legendary Chest Locations
Legendary Chests are hidden collectibles scattered across the realms containing epic crafting materials. I’ve mapped the exact locations of the 3 chests currently confirmed to hold Forsaken Breaths:
The Barrens Chest (Alfheim)
This Legendary Chest sits hidden in an underground tunnel network crisscrossing The Barrens.
Finding it takes patience but will reward you with a Forsaken Breath! Follow these steps:
- Travel to the southeast corner of The Barrens realm
- Look for an open hole in the ground near the cliff walls
- Carefully drop down into the hole
- Follow the tunnel path going straight until you reach a wooden bridge
- Cross the bridge then take the left path at the next fork
- Continue ahead to a small alcove holding the chest
With a trusty Breath obtained, backtrack outside where you’ll stumble onto the deadly Hateful monster next…
Lyngbakr Chest (Svartalfheim)
This chest tucked beneath the Lyngbakr dragon skeleton takes some skilled navigation through Svartalfheim to obtain.
To safely reach it:
- Start at the Mystic Gateway near Alberich Hollow’s entrance
- Take a boat east hugging the left coast of the Bay of Bounty
- As you pass under the massive dragon skeleton, dock at the small beach
- Climb up the rocky cliffs, dealing with a few enemies on the way
- Follow the path looping left around higher cliffs
- Carefully drop down onto an outcrop below
- Turn right to spot the legendary chest waiting
With another Breath secured, we’ll next brave Svartalfheim’s most dreaded inhabitant that lurks nearby…
Strategies for Other Chests
The Forsaken Breaths found in Odin’s Raven chests are randomized each playthrough. But certain tells give away their locations:
- Watch for green glowing ravens perched near other landmarks like legendary chests
- Check the map for icons indicating chests near grouped ravens
- Prioritize ravens roosting off main paths in hidden nooks
Stay vigilant across all realms and you should uncover 1-2 bonus chests holding these valuable Breaths!
Boss Strategies for Key Enemies That May Drop Breaths
While most Legendary Chests reliably contain a Breath, downing Epic Enemies takes skill, prep, and luck.
I’ve mapped the prime bosses who have a slim chance to relinquish this precious material:
Everlasting Dragon (Svartalfheim)
This aptly named dragon has plagued me across multiple playthroughs of God of War. With 3 health bars and deadly fire breath attacks that can kill in 1-2 hits on higher difficulties, he is NOT to be taken lightly.
Here are tips from painful lessons learned:
- Equip high Fire Resistance armor like Surtr’s Grip of Flame
- Use Spartan Rage immediately since damage ticks away his health
- Target wings and heads heavily to force him on the ground
- Dodge fire waves using dashes then punish window with full Runic Summons
- Maintain distance when weakened to revive Atreus/heal with stones
Stay patient and follow those strategies to finally take down this legendary monster!
Hateful (Alfheim)
This physically imposing troll X easily crush you in a few club hits if you’re not careful. Use Atreus frequently to distract while assaulting his flanks. Whittle down health then trigger Spartan Rage to finish him off!
For fellow gamers struggling against Epic Enemies on Give Me God of War difficulty, I highly recommend watching battle breakdowns on YouTube to learn attack patterns and openings.
With knowledge of bosses’ mechanics plus upgraded armor from Breaths, the fights become immensely rewarding.
Optimal Forsaken Breath Upgrade Paths
So you’ve finally collected all 6 ultra rare Forsaken Breaths. Which weapons and armor should you upgrade first for surviving New Game Plus?
Based on grueling trial and error, I wholeheartedly suggest saving your first 3 Breaths for the Shatter Star Shield.
Its “Last Stand” Perk grants:
- +10 Defense
- +20 Vitality
That’s a sizable Health boost that saved me countless times against deadly Valkyrie combos.
As for weapons, I prefer upgrading the Blades of Chaos first since high Runic stats there carry over to the Blades of Athena late-game. Their unique attack animations and range compliment axe combat beautifully.
If you prefer brute force over magic, pump spare Breaths into the Leviathan Axe instead. Its deadly Frost and Wrath of the Frost Ancient Runics absolutely shred most enemy types.
Regardless of your playstyle, upgrading shields with Breaths should take priority. Having that insurance in demanding reactions-based battles lets you really enjoy Ragnarok’s refined combat system.
I hope these insights from a seasoned God of War veteran equip you to dominate New Game Plus! Let‘s recap the key lessons:
Final Tips and Takeaways
- Forsaken Breaths upgrade gear to max Level 10 for big stat bonuses
- Open Legendary Chests and defeat Epic Enemies to collect them all
- Prioritize Shatter Star Shield > Blades of Chaos/Leviathan Axe
- Equip proper resistance armor and use Spartan Rage on bosses
- Carefully explore every nook as Breaths hide off main paths
New Game Plus introduces fresh challenges that will put your combat skills to the test. With the detailed maps, upgrade guidance, and pro tips provided here, you can conquer anything Ragnarok throws at you!
This guide represents 200+ hours combined playing God of War games passionately across 5 playthroughs on ultra hard difficulties and enjoying every grueling moment.
What tips would you suggest to fellow gamers hunting these rare upgrade materials? Which weapon did you upgrade with Forsaken Breaths first? I’m eager to exchange ideas with the God of War community, so hit me up!
Now quit reading guides and go show off Kratos’ flashy max-level gear against some epic foes!
