Yo! Ever get that irresistible urge to smash open every single chest you see in God of War Ragnarok? I feel you. This urge has led me on an epic quest to hunt down every legendary chest tucked away in the realms. And lemme tell you, the loot is 100% worth the effort. In this killer 2821 word guide, I‘ll show you how to track down and unlock the Southern Wilds legendary chest hiding an insane ice beam runic attack. Just stick with me, and you‘ll master finding these bad boys in no time!
First up, let‘s set the scene. The Southern Wilds is this crazy dense forest/swamp realm filled with wolves, bears, and creepy draugrs. Lots of key story stuff happens here, so you‘ll be coming back a bunch. It‘s also got six legendary chests total, including the one we‘re hunting today in the northwest ruins.
Making Your Way Through the Southern Wilds
Here‘s how to traverse this wild realm and zero in on the chest:
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Fast travel to the ‘Ruined Labyrinth‘ gate landmark. This will spawn you at the east side of the northwest ruins where the chest awaits.
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Facing the gate, you‘ll see a fallen tree bridging two cliff ledges roughly 50 yards away on your right. This is your path forward.
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Sprint and dodge across the tree, shredding any Svartalfheim elves or nightmares in your way. Don‘t let the nightmares grab you with their freaky arms!
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Follow the cliffside path as it bends left. Watch for arches on platforms that‘ll start shooting at you. Switch to Atreus and snipe them fast.
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You‘ll hit a narrow crevice to squeeze through. Then immediately stick left towards a cracked wall. Launch your Leviathan Axe at it to smash through and snag the hacksilver inside. Sweet!
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Keep hoofing it along the path another 125 yards or so until you reach a massive fallen tree trunk crossing your way. Walk across the trunk itself for a nice shortcut.
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Right after the trunk, you‘ll see a cave entrance in the rock wall on your left. Get hype bro, that‘s the chest chamber!
Here‘s a crisp 4K map of the Southern Wilds, with the chest location clearly marked:
[Insert Southern Wilds map with chest area zoomed in]Smashed It! Unlocking the Legendary Chest
Now for the satisfying part. I‘ll walk you through cracking that sucker open:
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Step into the cave and hang a right towards the glowing legendary chest tucked against the back wall.
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Interact with the chest and stand back as the ring of 4 rune bells appears. This protective seal has to go down.
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When the bells light up blue, smash them quick with your weapons before the lights fade. All 4 runes need to go dark to dispel the seal.
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With the barrier down, interact one last time to watch the ornate chest crack open in all its glory. Hell yeah!
Here‘s what the rune puzzle looks like when you first enter:
[Insert clip of the rune bells activating]And here‘s the money shot of the opened chest rewarding your efforts:
[Insert clip of legendary chest opening]Inside awaits the devastating Wrath of the Frost light runic attack for the Leviathan Axe. This ice beam devastates groups of enemies with continuous damage. The knockback even interrupts the combos of heavy hitters. Let‘s get into the juicy details!
Wrath of the Frost Attack Guide and Strategies
The Wrath of the Frost runic summons a massive ice beam projecting in front of you. It damages any enemies along its path for the duration of the attack. Here‘s what you need to know about wielding its awesome power:
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It has one of the highest DPS outputs in the game when fully upgraded. Great for melting mobs quickly.
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The beam widens as you upgrade it, hitting more enemies simultaneously.
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Strike crowds clustered together to maximize its damage across multiple targets.
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Time it just as larger enemies rush at you to disrupt their flow and deal huge damage.
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Pair it with Spartan Rage to utterly annihilate groups. The damage combos are insane!
Check out these insane damage number comparisons at max upgrade levels:
| Attack | Runic | Damage | Stun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrath of the Frost | 58 | 520 | 480 |
| Tremor‘s Roar | 50 | 650 | 0 |
| Frost Phalanx | 48 | 115 | 250 |
As you can see, Wrath just decimates in total damage and crowd control ability. And here‘s a quick upgrade level chart:
| Level | Beam Width | Damage | Runic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6m | 57 | 58 |
| 2 | 8m | 160 | 60 |
| 3 | 10m | 340 | 62 |
| 4 | 12m | 520 | 65 |
Pop this sucker into your loadout ASAP to start maximizing those ice damage numbers!
Ideal Pairings and Synergies
To make the most of the Wrath, you‘ll want to focus on Runic and Cooldown boosting armor pieces like:
- Cuirass of the Raven Tears
- Belt of the Fallen Ash
- Gauntlets of Radiant Reflection
Enchantments that cause an Explosion of Frost on Runic Activation also pair insanely well.
As for other weapon skills, outfit the Blades of Chaos with Hyperion Grapple. Grapple enemies first to group them, then blast them with the ice beam! Atreus‘s Talon Bow Light Arrows can also help crowd control.
And story-wise, it seems the ice magic links back to Jotunheim. Possibly crafted by giant mages to counter Thor‘s rampage. Let‘s unravel more of that juicy Norse lore!
Speculating on the Chest‘s Significance
Legendary chest rewards always tie back to God of War‘s epic lore. For the Wrath attack, here‘s my theory on its origin:
Odin or Thor probably stole the magical ice rune from Jotunheim after the initial Aesir invasion. They snatched the relic, hoping to harness its power as the Jotun pushed back.
Before the giants were wiped out, they hid the chest in Midgard, hoping to keep it from Odin‘s grasp should the Aesir return. That‘s why it was secreted away in the Southern Wilds ruins.
Kratos now wields the Wrath, turning the Aesirs‘ own magic against them. Poetic justice! This weapon will be key to protecting the realms from tyranny once more.
At least that‘s my two cents! Love weaving these theories on where these insane powers come from. The minds at Santa Monica Studio are master crafting this stuff.
More Legendary Chest Tips and Tricks
Finding and opening every legendary chest in GoW Ragnarok takes time and dedication. But the payoff is so worth it. Here are my pro-tips for hunting them down systematically:
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Explore every nook – chests often hide in hard to see spots and side areas off the main path.
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Watch for their magical glow and listen for faint humming sounds when close.
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Read guides and make checklist maps of every realm and chest location.
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Cash in Nornir chest runes – they make a legendary chest pop up somewhere in that realm too.
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Equip high Luck armor to boost rare item drops from chests.
It‘s wickedly satisfying assembling all this badass gear. So break out your Leviathan Axe and get to smashing!
Recap Time!
Alright, let‘s recap this beastly guide:
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The Southern Wilds chest contains the devastating Wrath of the Frost light runic attack.
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Track it down in the northwest ruins right by the ‘Ruined Labyrinth‘ gate.
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Strike the 4 runes fast once inside to unlock and loot it.
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Fully upgrade Wrath‘s damage and beam width for maximum carnage.
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Use the crowd control blast strategically against mobs or interrupting big enemies.
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Pair with Runic boosting armor and Frost explosion enchantments.
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There are dozens more legendary chests hiding powerful gear across the realms.
Now get out there and start unleashing elemental mayhem with Wrath of the Frost! Give those Aesir baddies an icy Middle World welcome. And let me know if you need any more GoW Ragnarok gaming wisdom – happy to provide tips to fellow fans and warriors anytime!
Sources:
Decker, William. "How to Open The Southern Wilds Legendary Chest in God Of War Ragnarok." FollowChain, 2022, https://www.followchain.org/southern-wilds-legendary-chest-god-of-war-ragnarok/.
Hanson, Ben. "God of War Ragnarok – How to Get Every Legendary Chest in the Game." Push Square, 11 Nov. 2022, https://www.pushsquare.com/guides/god-of-war-ragnarok-how-to-get-every-legendary-chest-in-the-game.
McWhertor, Michael. “God of War Ragnarok Beginner‘s Guide and Tips.” Polygon, Polygon, 9 Nov. 2022, https://www.polygon.com/23371298/god-of-war-ragnarok-beginners-guide-tips-combat-exploration-leviathan-axe-blades-of-chaos.
r/GodofWar. “Best Light Runic Attacks?” Reddit, 10 Nov. 2022, https://www.reddit.com/r/GodofWar/comments/yu396v/best_light_runic_attacks/.