God Of War Ragnarök: The Best Strategy To Beat Alva

As is true of any "God of War" title, "God of War Ragnarök" is packed with hordes of foes for Kratos to dispatch in angry and violent ways. Some of these foes are fodder for everyone's god of war, while others, specifically bosses, can pose a meatier challenge. One boss that players will find fairly early in their "God of War Ragnarök" playthrough is the light elf Alva. 

Fans of 2018's "God of War" may remember fighting hosts of dark elves, but this time the light elves are joining the fray and Alva is one speedy foe. While she's not the most frustrating "God of War Ragnarok" boss, she can take players by surprise with her variety of quick-paced moves. Luckily, there are some strategies worth remembering that can make the fight much easier. Additionally, if Alva is really giving players a hard time, the game's mid-boss checkpoints could also help out.

As "God of War Ragnarök" players journey through the realm of Alfheim with Kratos, Atreus, Mimir, and Tyr, they'll be ambushed by Alva. This intimidating light elf lunges toward players right away. Because of her lightning-fast combat style, players should click R3 to lock on to Alva and keep her in sight at all times. Other than that, the keys to staying alive throughout this encounter are dodging and blocking. 

Players will want to bear in mind that a red circle flashing on a foe signifies an incoming unblockable attack. For the fight with Alva, players can avoid her unblockable attacks by stepping or rolling to either the left or right. Attempting to dodge these moves by shifting backwards makes evading damage much trickier. Though players may be tempted to parry Alva's attacks preceded by the flash of a white circle, absorbing these onslaughts can prove much more beneficial. This makes the Stone Wall Shield better suited for this encounter than the Dauntless Shield.

With the Stone Wall Shield, all absorbed attacks powerup Kratos' Shield Slam move. In taking on Alva, players will need to use that move frequently, as it offers the only way to interrupt her strongest attacks telegraphed by two blue circles. One of these attacks involves her moving away from the player to self-heal, making it especially important to disrupt. Two quick taps of L1 will bring the Shield Slam down on Alva, and the more powered up it is, the greater the opportunity players will have to punish their foe. It may take some time, but playing defensively with the Stone Wall Shield is a surefire way to face Alva and come out on top.