God of War Sons of Sparta Upgrades: What to Buy First

What Should You Upgrade First?

Make your spear’s regular combo work harder before spreading materials across every attachment. God of War Sons of Sparta upgrades can add burning damage, improve stun buildup, and turn short-range abilities into crowd-clearing attacks. Start with Steel Brace and Burnt Splinter, then build around their stun and fire effects.

Buy Steel Brace for one iron bar when the armory opens in Sparta. Its Anvil Breaker combo finisher sends a shockwave through enemies ahead of Kratos, adding damage and stun to an attack sequence you can use repeatedly.

Pair it with Burnt Splinter, a fire-focused spear tip whose burning effect keeps damaging enemies after your hits connect. Together, these attachments give you a practical early-to-midgame foundation: sustained damage from burning and stun pressure from your combo finisher.

Use this loadout as an upgrade target:

Equipment	Item	What it contributes
Spear tip	Burnt Splinter	Burning damage and the Torrent of Flames area attack
Spear grip	Steel Brace	Anvil Breaker shockwave combo finisher
Spear tail	Steel Hind	Walls of Sparta energy geysers; pairs with Steel Brace for Steel Fortune
Shield rim	Rim of Illusion	Evade damage, stronger counterattacks, and shorter dodge recovery
Belt attachment	Sterling Brand	Increased status effect damage from elemental spear tips
Belt attachment	Brass Medallion	Increased stun impact for all attacks

Prioritize the pieces that solve your current problem. Upgrade Burnt Splinter when you want more fire damage, Steel Brace when your regular combos need more impact, or Steel Hind when you want broader coverage from its Spirit Attack.

Official page: God of War Sons of Sparta (playstation.com)

Burnt Splinter: Fire Damage and Torrent of Flames

Burnt Splinter gives your spear a chance to burn enemies, adding damage over time while you continue attacking or reposition. Its Torrent of Flames ability creates fire around Kratos, giving the same attachment a way to pressure groups.

Hold L1 + Triangle to perform Torrent of Flames. Upgrades increase its damage and area coverage, making investment useful beyond the burning effect on normal attacks.

Use the area attack when enemies gather nearby. Between ability uses, keep landing spear hits to apply burning while preserving room to dodge incoming attacks.

Where to Find Burnt Splinter

Look for a concealed room near the treehouse lair area. A breakable wall hides the route, and the map can still make that passage look closed.

Strike the wall to open it, defeat the enemy inside, and collect Burnt Splinter from the chest. Prepare for a difficult fight if you reach this room early.

Once you have the attachment, invest in it if you enjoy the fire playstyle. Its combination of burning damage and an area ability supports continued use beyond the opening stretch.

Steel Brace and Steel Hind: Stun, Range, and Synergy

Spear grips change the special attack that ends your normal Square combo. Pick a finisher you can land reliably, since its value depends on reaching the end of that sequence.

Steel Brace finishes with a vertical slam that releases a forward-moving shockwave. The wave can strike multiple enemies along its path, dealing damage and adding stun. Upgrades improve its damage, stun, and travel distance.

Position enemies in front of you before finishing the combo. A shockwave that catches several targets gets more value from the same attack sequence than one aimed at an isolated enemy.

Upgrade Steel Hind for Wider Coverage

Steel Hind provides Walls of Sparta, activated with L1 + Square. Kratos strikes downward and releases energy geysers.

At its starting strength, the ability requires enemies to be close. Further upgrades expand its coverage into an area attack and allow a charged release for more damage.

Invest toward that expanded coverage if close-range targeting makes the initial version awkward to use. Once available, charge the attack during a safe opening rather than standing among enemies while preparing it.

Equipping Steel Brace and Steel Hind together activates Steel Fortune, which slightly increases the chance multiplier. That bonus supports chance-based effects elsewhere in the loadout, including Burnt Splinter’s burning effect. Keep the pair together when building around fire application and stun.

Shield and Belt Upgrades That Support This Build

Choose shield upgrades around the defensive actions you actually use. Rim of Illusion rewards an evasive style: Agile Evade damages enemies during the roll tumble, while its upgrades strengthen Siege Tactic, Frontal Assault, and Flank Maneuver and shorten Swift Dodge and Agile Evade recovery.

Use it if dodging and counterattacking already form the center of your combat rhythm. Shorter recovery helps you move between evasions, and the added counterattack damage rewards turning a successful defensive action into offense.

Rim of Restoration increases the recoverable health you can regain through blocking. Favor that option if you regularly block attacks and make use of the recovery mechanic.

For the fire-and-stun setup, the belt attachments reinforce two different parts of your offense:

• Sterling Brand improves status effect damage from elemental spear tips. Equip it alongside Burnt Splinter to strengthen the burning portion of the build.
• Brass Medallion improves stun impact for all attacks. Pair it with Steel Brace to get more stun pressure from Anvil Breaker.

Sterling Brand is sold in Witch’s Grotto, a secret area reached by boat. Check the merchant there when you gain access.

Spend Red Orbs on Skills You Can Use Consistently

Equipment enhancement and skill progression both matter. Spend Red Orbs on skill-tree upgrades for basic attacks, defensive actions, and evasive options. Collect materials to upgrade your equipment.

Buy skills that fit your current attachments and combat habits. If your damage depends on reaching Steel Brace’s finisher, practice completing that combo during safe openings. If you prefer evasive counters, support that style with the corresponding skills and shield rim.

Keep Spirit Attacks in your rotation. They build stun and can produce green health orbs, while basic attacks generate yellow orbs that refill Spirit. Alternate between the two to support both offense and recovery.

Avoid spending your entire Spirit meter just to chase a stun when your health is already under pressure. Reserve enough to use a Spirit Attack when you need health drops.

Also keep a usable answer to aura shields in your loadout. These enemies require specific Spirit or magic attacks to damage their protection; ordinary spear pressure alone will not handle every encounter.

Find More Upgrade Materials Through Exploration

Revisit blocked routes when you gain the tool needed to open them. The sling can reach distant switches, while fire can clear brambles. Those newly accessible paths can lead to loot and additional upgrade materials.

Keep track of:

• Chests behind obstacles you cannot yet clear.
• Switches beyond your current reach.
• Bramble-covered routes.
• Suspicious walls concealing side rooms.

Invest in movement skills alongside combat options. Faster traversal helps you revisit earlier areas, and improved movement also gives you more ways to avoid damage.

When you need additional Red Orbs, use short farming routes near resting spots and work toward a specific purchase. Stop when you can afford the skill you wanted, then return to exploration.

Try optional gauntlets after gaining an attachment tier or an important skill. They offer buffs and give you a place to practice the new move before relying on it during a tougher encounter.

Handle Pit of Agonies Upgrades Separately

The Pit of Agonies starts you without your campaign gear, so build around the rewards offered during each run. Collecting an attachment does not immediately give you every ability associated with its upgraded form.

Check your equipment after choosing rewards. Magic tools must be selected before use, and belt attachments must be equipped to provide their benefits.

Repeated gear rewards can enhance an item you already hold. Choose those upgrades when they strengthen a central part of your current build, especially if replacing it would sacrifice useful defenses or synergy.

The Pit also has permanent progression purchased with Ashes of Agony. Relevant options include:

• Generous Bounty: increases the abundance of Ashes of Agony.
• Hard Bargain: discounts blood pedestal costs.
• Good Fortune: makes rare gear appear more frequently.

Invest in Generous Bounty if your immediate goal is earning more Ashes for further permanent upgrades. During runs, preserve enough Blood Orbs for optional challenge gates when you intend to enter them; those gates compete with purchases for the same currency.