Let's be honest. Most players finishing the 2018 God of War reboot treat the God of War Shattered Gauntlet of Ages like just another piece of Epic-tier loot. You find it, you see the stats are kinda "meh" compared to the Valkyrie set, and you chuck it into your inventory to gather dust. That is a massive mistake.
It isn't just a Talisman. It’s a love letter to Marvel fans.
Santa Monica Studio basically hid an entire Thanos-style Infinity Gauntlet inside a Norse mythology game, and if you don't know which specific enchantments to slot into it, you're leaving a ridiculous amount of power on the table. When fully upgraded and "powered up" with the right gems, this thing stops being a utility item and starts firing homing purple soul beams that absolutely shred health bars.
Why the God of War Shattered Gauntlet of Ages is More Than a Meme
At first glance, the description tells you it’s a fragment of its former self. It says it's too powerful to be whole. That’s your first clue. In its base form, the Talisman does a simple shockwave attack. It’s fine. It’s okay. But it only has one enchantment slot. To unlock the real potential of the God of War Shattered Gauntlet of Ages, you have to sink a significant amount of resources into it at Sindri or Brok’s shop.
We’re talking Dragon Tears.
You need those rare drops from freeing the dragons (Fafnir, Otr, and Reginn) to get this thing to Level 5. Once you hit that max level, the Talisman opens up three enchantment slots. This is the only Talisman in the game that does this. Most players stop here, thinking the three slots are just for boosting Kratos' stats. Wrong.
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The magic happens when you treat those slots like the sockets for Infinity Stones.
Finding the Six "Infinity Stones" in Midgard
You can't just put any random gems in here and expect the purple lasers. You need three out of a specific set of six enchantments that are clear nods to the MCU.
- Andvari’s Soul (The Soul Stone): You get this from the "Second Hand Soul" favor in the Volunder Mines.
- Asgard’s Shard of Existence (The Reality Stone): Dropped by the Valkyrie Rota in Helheim.
- Eye of the Outer Realm (The Space Stone): Found in a Coffin inside the Secret Chamber of Odin at the end of the Helheim bridge.
- Ivaldi’s Corrupted Mind (The Mind Stone): Dropped by the Valkyrie Olrun in Alfheim.
- Muspelheim Eye of Power (The Power Stone): You have to buy this one from the dwarves' shop in Muspelheim.
- Njord’s Temporal Stone (The Time Stone): Dropped by the Valkyrie Sigrun (yeah, the hard one).
If you manage to slot any three of these specific six gems into the God of War Shattered Gauntlet of Ages, the Talisman's flavor text changes. More importantly, its move set changes. Instead of a basic shockwave, Kratos throws a punch that releases three heat-seeking projectiles.
It feels cheap. It feels like cheating. Honestly, it's glorious.
The Grind for Dragon Tears
If you’re sitting there wondering why you can’t upgrade the gauntlet, it’s probably the Dragon Tears. These are the rarest material in the game. You get three from the main dragon-freeing quests, but there is a "secret" fourth one that many people miss because it involves backtracking.
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You have to go back to the top of the mountain where you first fought Hraezlyr. Underneath the dragon's decaying corpse, there’s a spot you can interact with to get that final tear. Without it, your God of War Shattered Gauntlet of Ages stays stuck at a lower level, and you never get those crucial three slots.
Is it Better Than the Amulet of Kvasir?
This is where the community gets split. If you’re a "Perfect Dodge" pro, you probably swear by the Amulet of Kvasir because it triggers slow-motion (Realm Shift). That’s the meta for high-level Valkyrie fights on Give Me God of War difficulty.
But the God of War Shattered Gauntlet of Ages offers something different: raw, burst damage and high stats. Because it allows for three enchantments, you can stack high-level Level 6 or 7 gems to artificially inflate Kratos’ overall Level. In God of War, your "Level" is a weighted average of your gear. Being Level 9 instead of Level 8 makes a massive difference in how much damage you take and deal to "purple bar" enemies.
Using this gauntlet is basically the easiest way to hit the level cap.
Common Mistakes People Make
Don't be the person who puts the "Eye of the Outer Realm" in a chest piece and then wonders why the gauntlet isn't firing lasers. The gems must be inside the Talisman itself.
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Also, it's worth noting that in New Game Plus, there is a "Perfect" (red) version of this Talisman. It’s called the Shattered Gauntlet of Ages+. It functions exactly the same but has higher base stats to keep up with the increased difficulty of NG+ enemies. If you already spent the resources on the gold version, you’ll have to do it all over again for the red one. It sucks, but the power jump is worth the Skap Slag.
How to Maximize the Build
If you really want to lean into this, don't just pick any three of the six stones. Think about your playstyle.
I usually go with Andvari’s Soul because the health burst on Runic kills is a lifesaver. Pair that with Asgard’s Shard of Existence because it adds a massive boost to your Defense, making Kratos a literal tank. For the third slot, Muspelheim Eye of Power is great for the Fire Resistance, especially if you’re grinding the trials.
Your Actionable Checklist for Powering Up:
- Clear the Dragons: Complete the three "Favor" quests in Midgard to get the initial Dragon Tears.
- Loot the Mountain: Return to Hraezlyr's landing site to grab the hidden fourth Dragon Tear.
- Hunt Valkyries: You need to kill at least two (Rota and Olrun) to get their specific "stones."
- Farm Hacksilver: The final upgrades are expensive. Head to Niflheim if you’re short on cash.
- Check the Description: Look for the purple glow on the gauntlet in the menu. If it's glowing, you did it right.
The God of War Shattered Gauntlet of Ages is arguably the coolest Easter egg in modern gaming history because it isn't just a cosmetic nod—it's a functional, top-tier weapon. Go find the stones. Snap your fingers. Watch the trolls evaporate.