Hardrefill the Callous is one of King Hrólf Kraki's twelve loyal warriors and can be a real nightmare, especially with his special teleporting attack.
At first, you might think the berserker is impossible to beat, and I understand, because I once felt that way. But what you don't know yet is that mastering this berserker's moves can completely change the outcome of the fight, and this guide is here to help you locate the berserker, master his moves, and defeat him without taking damage.
Hardrefill The Callous Berserker Location
I don't know about you, but I found this berserker just after forging the Draupnir spear, and I think you did too.
Well, if you didn't take note of the location, you can find the grave in a muddy field just beside the train's pickup point beside Dvalin's place on the western edge of Nidavellir in Svartalfheim.
I believe Hardrefill's grave was already accessible since you only get there when following the main story that puts you on the search for the Norns. And if you are already able to access the forge, it means you took the key-like sword from the King's grave that unlocks the "Fit for a King" favour.
Hardrefill The Callous Moveset
Hardrefill the Callous uses three different moves to attack you, and if you've already come across Fraekni the Zealous, you should be familiar with the aerial assault move, which is one used by the two berserkers.
If you are used to chasing down your opponents, do not do so with this big guy because he'll definitely come to you, so why should you even stress chasing him while you risk getting ambushed? Just wait and he'll honour your invitation.
So what actually are Hardrefill's moves? Let me start with one you may be familiar with:
1. The Aerial Assault or The "Tremble False god" Attack
The aerial assault is one not to be taken lightly because it can cause serious damage to your health bar. If you've fought Fraekni before, you should know what I'm talking about.
During the move, the berserker launches into the air and charges at you with his axe.
When he launches up in the air, he usually says "Tremble, false god", and when you hear this, just know he's going to be launching his aerial assault.
The attack is a yellow ring attack, which means you can either dodge or parry it, and if your timing isn't good, the damage you'll take can be considerably serious and, at times, deadly if you don't have a fully upgraded health bar.
2. Standing Diagonal Axe Lunch or The "Weak godling" Attack
Hardrefill the Callous uses this attack when in close range, where he flips over his axe diagonally at you about 2 to 3 or 4 times while saying "weak godling," and the last one can either be a yellow ring or red ring attack.
Oh, it's also good you know that the berserker can start this attack with a yellow ring lunch, so just look out for the rings.
3. The "Fall before me" Jump
Yeah, this one can be really annoying, and even if you don't know what this attack really is, you should already understand that the attack's name can cause you serious damage if not avoided. And yes, it is a red ring attack where the berserker usually jumps (or let me say teleports himself) into the sky out of your view and lands back where his green aura marks, which is, of course, the area you are standing.
How to Defeat Hardrefill The Callous in God of War Ragnarok Without Taking Damage
Hardrefill the Callous isn't as difficult as you might be thinking and yeah, you can definitely defeat him when you get to understand his moves.
And if you want to defeat this berserker without taking damage, you'll need to do more than just knowing and dodging his moves, but to know when exactly to counter after each of his moves so you can end the fight as quick as possible.
So if you want to defeat Hardrefill the Callous in no time, here's how to handle each of his moves:
1. Handling The Aerial Assault or "Tremble false god" Attack
Just as Fraekni, this is usually the Hardrefill's first attack and we all know that when he says this, he's definitely launching into the air to prepare a powerful yellow ring attack that can either be dodged or parried at the right time.
To anticipate this move, you need to wait for the berserker launch up air and finish his sentence. What I love about this game is that it gives hidden hints whenever you face any boss in the game and the hint for most (if not all bosses, including berserkers) in the game is when they talk. So just be patient enough when Hardrefill finish saying "Tremble, false god" then you either dodge or hold down L1 to parry his attack.
It is best to learn parrying attacks if you don't know yet, because parrying this attack will give you room for a counterattack. However, if you have the Radiance Amour set, you can still perform last-second evades to create a Realm shift that should give you open room as well for a counter.
The decision of whether to parry or dodge this assault depends on your preferred combat style. But I'd recommend to neither be too defensive nor too offensive against Hardrefill because even if you succeed in counterattacking his first attack, he is capable of locking in his next attack right after the previous one, especially after this aerial assault.
Oh, make sure you use your available runics (for all your weapons) as a counter. This will create more room for continuous attacks on the berserker and to give them enough time to cool down for your next use. But be careful because the guy can practically hit you while you're performing a runic attack, especially if your weapons and attacks are not properly upgraded for the fight.
So if you aren't good at taking note of a berserker ready to hit you in your runic attack, it's best you use the runic attack for a single weapon, switch to the other weapon and wait for the next opening before using the next weapon's runic attacks.
2. Anticipating the Standing Diagonal Axe Lunch or "Weak godling" Attack
This one is Hardrefill's close-range attack and he launches this one usually when he gets in close range after his aerial assault, especially if he hit you with the aerial assault, he'll just use this attack to finish you.
Anticipating isn't quite difficult but can demand a lot of practice to know exactly when the axe will come at you. If you aren't good at parrying or dodging, you should just start rolling (by pressing the X button on your controller) just as you see the yellow ring.
That's the amateur style right? And I believe you want a more stylish way to anticipate this move and you definitely are right to have this in mind because anticipating it the right way will give you more room for a counter.
So to anticipate this attack without taking damage, just count a second as you see the yellow ring and then dodge to the side or parry (by holding down the L1).
Parring will usually give you more opening because it will get the berserker off his stance for a second and from this, you should be able to hit him hard with a powerful runic attack to get him even more imbalanced for your next series of attacks.
3. The "Fall before me" Jump
This one can be quite deadly, especially if you are playing on the Give Me No Mercy (GMNM) or Give Me God of War (GMGOW) difficulties.
There's no parrying here since it is his fatal slam (a red ring attack) and the only chance you can get to avoid taking damage from this attack is by doing a timely evade. That is, evading at the right moment because as the berserker teleports himself into the sky, his aura marks his area of impact as he will hit the floor and if you remain in the aura, you'll definitely take serious damage or even get the berserker's final words for you (like when he says "Even until now, none can best me" or "I warned you").
The secret to evading this attack properly without getting hit is just being patient and just waiting for the right moment. I mean, when the berserker launches into the air, he'll say "Fall before me" or "Kneel before me". Press the evade button on your controller for a second just after you hear him say that. Timing here is really important and you don't want to mess the fight up by losing such a large amount of health against this bro, because he'll end you in no time.
If you are not fine with timing, no problem. There's another easier way to evade the attack. You just need to run around the battlefield as you see the berserker launch up air. His aura would be on your track but will soon leave you as the berserker will be landing on the area of impact. This is the easiest way to dodge this attack and many gamers out there use it.
Once bro lands, turn around and hit him hard because he'll need a second to get his heavy axe off the floor. So hit him hard with what you have to give him down until his next move. If you have the Hild of Hofud, you can use it to create a Realm shift to hit this big guy with just everything you have as weapons and runic attacks in quick succession.
But as always, do this cautiously because you don't know when the big guy will get his axe ready for the next attack. So just do this wisely.
Which Shield Should You Use for Parries?
We've been talking of parrying, but haven't mentioned the right shield to use for parries. Well, the choice of a shield depends on your combat style.
If you are an offensive player and are seeking for an offensive shield against this berserker, then the Dauntless shield is what you should have because this one can cause serious damage when its charge is sent back to your opponent (by double-tapping L1).
If you are someone who's fine with a balanced experience, that is neither too defensive nor too offensive, then the Guardian shield should be the best for you and it is the shield I use especially for difficult bosses because it lets you resend a quick counter by pressing either R1 or R2 just after parrying.
If you prefer a shield adapted for defensive combat, then you can use the Stone Wall shield which comes with something that no other shield has in the game. It is the only shield capable of blocking yellow ring attacks (when not fully charged). The higher the charge, the more unlikely the shield would be able to block yellow ring attacks, so do mind to release the charge with R1 or R2 as soon it rises.
What Level is Recommended to Defeat Hardrefill The Callous
If you are new to this type of boss, then I recommend you be at least level 7 to take out this guy. This goes with weapon, armour, and skill upgrades to avoid taking too much damage when you get hit.
However, if you are mid-level when it comes to berserkers, then you can take him out at even level 5 with the right amulet equipment that fits your combat style.
My Amulet Build Against Hardrefill The Callous
Any player has a unique build against bosses like Berserkers in the game, and mine is based on status damage, last-second evades, perfect parries, and increased melee damage my opponents take when there's a Realm shift.
The image above shows only the amulet equipment and if you're wondering what runics and attachments I have equipped, here they are.
For the Leviathan Axe:
- Hel's Touch (light runic attack) — for increased stun, destabilise the berserker, and usually has a lower cooldown time.
- Breath of Thamur (heavy runic attack) — its widespread area of impact gets the berserker wherever he's found on the battlefield and causes serious damage while charging up the Permafrost at the same time.
- Grip of the Nine Realms (axe attachment) — creates a Realm shift on Permafrost activation for increased damage.
For the Blades of Chaos:
- Flames of Anguish (light runic attack) — has a lower cooldown time.
- Meteoric Slam (heavy runic attack) — usually destabilises the opponent and causes massive damage.
- Pommels of the Nine Realms (blade attachment) — creates a Realm shift on Immolation activation for increased damage.
For the Draupnir Spear:
- Thrust of a Thousand Soldiers (light runic attack) — causes huge damage after the opponent gets into a status (usually poison).
- Honour the Fallen (heavy runic attack) — causes serious damage to status enemies with a massive force.
- Hind of the Nine Realms (spear attachment) — creates a Realm shift on Maelstrom activation for increased damage.
Oh before I forget, I use Freya's poison runic summon, Seidr Exhale to create a poison status on the berserker and make sure I hit him hard with everything I have strategically and avoid taking damage when performing a runic because bosses like berserkers can reach you even when performing a runic attack.
Final Thoughts
Berserkers are no joke in the game and each of them has unique fighting moves. Hardrefill the Callous has just a few moves (three, if counted) and if you are good at dodging or parrying at the right time, you should be able to beat the berserker in no time and without damage.
Yeah, I know "without taking damage" might sound kind of impossible for you now. Well, that's because you aren't familiar with such bosses and I, as well as any other big gamer out there, have been there but with practice, repeated defeats, and finally anticipation, you'll see that berserkers are just very easy bosses to beat in the game, especially low-ranked ones like Hardrefill the Callous.
