As a hardcore God of War fan and gaming enthusiast, I‘m delighted to present this comprehensive 2000+ word guide on unlocking one of the most challenging – and rewarding – Nornir chests in God of War Ragnarok: The Crucible chest.
Hidden away in the intense Crucible arena battles, this special chest provides rare Chaos Flames for upgrading the Blades of Chaos. But opening it requires conquering six grueling combat trials spread across three deadly arenas.
In this epic walkthrough, I‘ll share hard-won tips from my experience defeating The Crucible challenges over 10+ playthroughs. You‘ll learn the exact location of the chest, how to unlock each rune seal, and secrets for mastering every combat trial along the way.
Let‘s dive in and claim your prize! This is everything you need to know to open The Crucible Nornir chest in God of War Ragnarok.
Where to Find The Crucible Nornir Chest
The first step in this journey is locating The Crucible arena itself. Here‘s an overview of how to access this area:
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You must advance the main story until completing the quest "Forging Destiny" after your second visit to Svartalfheim. This unlocks The Crucible.
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The Crucible is situated in Nidavellir, in the southeast of the Svartalfheim map. Look for a legendary chest icon.
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Enter the tunnel, take the elevator up, and turn right to spot the Nornir chest tucked away in an alcove.
I recommend completing "Forging Destiny" as soon as possible if you want to attempt The Crucible challenges. The crafted gear from this quest helps a lot with facing the tough battles ahead.
Now, let‘s get into the real meat of this guide – how to unlock and open this well-guarded Nornir chest.
Unlocking The Crucible Nornir Chest
To open The Crucible chest, you must light up the three seals by completing six distinct combat trials across the F, N, and R rune arenas.
- The F arena holds the Weapon Mastery and Flawless trials
- The N arena contains Feed the Rift and Health Steal
- The R arena houses Population Control and King of the Hill
I‘ll break down tips and strategies for dominating each specific challenge:
F Rune Arena
Weapon Mastery: Defeat elementally shielded enemies within 1:40
The key here is using Atreus and runic attacks to quickly eliminate shields. Target shielded foes first while dodging attacks. Spartan Rage can destroy shields rapidly as well. Don‘t get cornered.
Flawless: Defeat 15 enemies without taking damage
Again, utilize Atreus and runic attacks from a distance. Keep moving and avoid getting surrounded. Leviathan‘s Wake runic stuns surrounding enemies, allowing escape. Parry or dodge melee attacks.
N Rune Arena
Feed the Rift: Throw orbs into a rift before time runs out (2 rounds)
Focus only on throwing orbs into the rift portals, ignoring enemies. Use Atreus and runics to clear paths. Hyperion Grapple is great for grabbing distant orbs. Each round requires 6-7 orbs. Move quickly.
Health Steal: Defeat 22 enemies while taking damage, recover by dealing damage
Use a minion Runic Summon to draw away enemies. Counterattack with Leviathan Axe to regenerate health. Spartan Rage restores large chunks of health rapidly. Stay on the move and watch your surroundings.
R Rune Arena
Population Control: Defeat the elite whilst managing enemy count
Keep repositioning and use wide attacks to control enemy numbers. Atreus Shock Arrows and runics like Furious Charge stunt groups. Take out the elite as fast as possible. Stay aware of the counter.
King of the Hill: Keep enemies outside the rings until time runs out
Sprint between rings stunning enemies with Atreus or runics. Blades of Chaos work well to attack from range. Use Leviathan‘s Wake to freeze surrounding foes. Keep moving and stay near ring edges.
As you can see, mastering your full arsenal of attacks and maximizing use of Atreus is key to surviving The Crucible. Patience and focus are required to complete each unique trial. Don‘t get discouraged – with practice, you‘ll prevail!
Between arenas, be sure to restore any lost health at the Mystic Gateway statue before starting the next challenge. Come prepared with enchanted armor, weapon upgrades, and the best gear your runic and cooldown stats allow.
Now, let‘s look at the treasures awaiting within The Crucible Nornir chest…
What’s Inside The Crucible Nornir Chest?
Upon completing all six Crucible trials, the Nornir chest will finally unlock, revealing the coveted prize inside:
- 3x Chaos Flames
Chaos Flames are rare upgrade resources exclusively for the Blades of Chaos. The description reads:
"A small flame that has no source, but burns in all directions. Generated through mighty battles”
Upgrading with Chaos Flames grants powerful perks like:
- Increased runic damage and elemental effects
- Faster cooldown on runic attacks
- Higher chance to activate weapon perks
- Extended elemental durations
Fully upgrading the Blades of Chaos will significantly improve Kratos‘s combat capabilities. The outstanding rewards make taking on The Crucible challenges well worth the demands.
As a point of reference, here is the number of Chaos Flames required to fully upgrade the Blades:
| Upgrade Level | Chaos Flames Required |
|---|---|
| Level 7 | 18 |
| Level 8 | 21 |
| Level 9 | 28 |
With three Chaos Flames per Nornir chest, you‘d need to open The Crucible chest at least 9-10 times to fully upgrade both Blades. This emphasizes just how valuable each Nornir chest is for improving your build.
Alternate Chaos Flame Locations
If facing The Crucible trials proves too difficult, here are a couple other ways to collect Chaos Flames:
- Legendary chests – Open with treasure maps, some contain 1-2 Chaos Flames
- Muspelheim – Complete trials to earn Chaos Flames from chests
- Shop – Sindri sells Chaos Flames for Hacksilver
However, The Crucible chest remains the sole reliable source for 3 Chaos Flames each time. Nowhere else grants this number in one chest.
Is Unlocking The Chest Worth It?
For those discouraged by The Crucible‘s challenges, I can definitively say – yes, unlocking this Nornir chest is incredibly worthwhile!
Here are some key reasons why:
- Obtaining 3 Chaos Flames at once is a massive upgrade boost
- Fully upgrading the Blades of Chaos makes you near-unstoppable
- The challenges test your combat skills and are very rewarding to overcome
- It unlocks access to The Crucible post-game arena (optional)
- Each arena provides intense, focused battle sequences
As a lifetime gamer, I can honestly say conquering The Crucible trials gave me such an incredible sense of satisfaction. Yes, they push you to your limits. But the journey of overcoming formidable challenges through skill is priceless.
Walkthrough for Unlocking The Crucible Chest
Let‘s recap the full walkthrough for claiming the precious Chaos Flames inside The Crucible Nornir Chest:
- Complete the "Forging Destiny" quest on your second Svartalfheim visit
- Travel to The Crucible arena in Nidavellir, southeast Svartalfheim
- Locate the Nornir chest alcove just right of the arena lobby
- Complete the Weapon Mastery and Flawless trials to light the F rune
- Defeat the Feed the Rift and Health Steal trials to unlock the N rune
- Triumph in the Population Control and King of the Hill battles for the R rune
- Open the unlocked Crucible chest and claim your 3 Chaos Flames!
Keep this guide handy as you take on The Crucible challenges. With enough determination and practice, you‘ll push through all six trials to finally unlock The Crucible Nornir chest and earn its epic rewards.
I hope these pro tips from my experience over multiple playthroughs empower you to conquer The Crucible and fully upgrade your Blades of Chaos. Let me know if you have any other questions! Now get out there, warrior – glory and Chaos Flames await.
