God of War Ragnarok The Applecore: Water Wheel Puzzles, Jarnsmida Pitmines solutions
No pips or worms to be found in this Applecore!
In God of War Ragnarok, with the Bay of Bounty behind them, Kratos and Atreus’ next port of call in Svartalfheim in search of Tyr is The Applecore. This labyrinthine maze can be overwhelming to navigate, especially since there are a few hidden areas you don’t have the tools to access at this point in your adventure.
However, once you have a solid idea of how the puzzles in this confusing underground system of tunnels work, it becomes much less frustrating to explore.
Here’s how to make your way through to the other side.
How to get through Jarnsmida Pitmines in God of War Ragnarok
From the top of the Forge, the area you land in is called Jarnsmida Pitmines.
As soon as you regain control, you’re beset by a pack of Grim. Defeat them, then hop downwards into the next area and take on some more.
Before you depart, look for a golden chain to slide down in the lower part of this first area. Overlooking the water, one of Odin's birds is circling. Destroy it for your collection.
But once that and the enemies are dealt with, look for a grapple point in the bottom corner of the area. At the top of the grapple point you will find a cart surrounded by shimmering sound stones. Ask Atreus to shoot an arrow at it to access the next area.
On the other side, swing across the gap then blow up the golden stones with the flaming pot. Squish the wretches then crouch through the revealed hole.
When you emerge, you’re in the Jarnsmida Pitmines proper. Drop down the ledge and follow the path around to the right.
At the water wheel, throw your Leviathan Axe at the wooden channel (not the water) to send the water cascading down into the wheel so that it moves the wooden block halting your progress.
Swing across the gap and you’re in front of a Nornir Chest. We have a full page on how to open them all, but quickly, light the torch to the left, first.
Next, drop down to the left and follow the path and you will see the second torch up on the rock.
To get the final torch, you need to raise the wooden block to your left, which is achieved by unfreezing the wooden channel you just froze if you haven’t already so you can swing across.
However, unfreezing this channel will douse the second torch with water, so once you’ve lit the third torch you need to swing back over, re-freeze the channel, then relight the second torch.
Take your prize, then head right from the chest. Follow the path then boost Atreus up to the upper level using the prompt in front of you.
Press Square when prompted, then freeze the target on the right to hold the platform in place for Kratos to jump across.
On the other side, use your Blades of Chaos to yank the water channel on your right. This raises the stone block in front of you, allowing Kratos to drop down.
Now turn around and throw your axe into the water channel. This lowers the block again so Kratos can grapple up to it. Then unfreeze the channel again to raise the block and hop across to the next platform.
Open the gate to reunite with Atreus and press on. Roll the cart out of your way and defeat the Draugr that appears.
To get the inaccessible legendary chest up on the hill that you can see. Go over to the right-hand side of the area and blow up the rocks with the pot embedded in them.
Next, yank the water chute to the right of that with your Blades. This moves a big crane over to where you are that’s holding a block you can grapple up to.
Grapple onto the top of the block.
Next, freeze the chute on your left to send the crane back over to where the chest is. This gets you a good set of pommels for your Blades.
Slide down the zip wire next to the chest, then continue up the ledge in front of you to get into The Applecore.
How to complete The Applecore in God of War Ragnarok
From the entrance tunnel, drop down the ledge to the left. Defeat the wretches, then crouch through the hole in the wall.
In the cave you pop out in, you have to take on a tough Bergsa Mother. This is a good time to use any unspent Rage you have in reserve, but take her down however you wish.
When you’re done, hop into the boat in the top left-hand corner of the room to transition into a new area: The Applecore.
Exit the boat on your left-hand side like you’ve just finished riding Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland, then catch up with Sindri, upgrading any equipment you’ve grown attached to or crafted some new stuff if you wish.
Next, follow the path over to the left and ask Atreus to fire an arrow at the sound stone plaque on the boarded up blockage at the end. Behind it is some lore to read.
Back outside the cubby, you need to reinstate the water flow to get across the gap. Ask Atreus to shoot an arrow at the sound stone blockage in the top right.
Then throw your axe at the wooden chute above the water wheel to create your own icy blockage that causes water to cascade onto the wheel and starts it turning. Now you can swing across and open the door on the other side.
Slide open the chest in front of you, then get Atreus to shoot the shimmering wall on your left to continue.
Squeeze through the gap and hop over the water way on your right, then defeat the draugr who appear.
When they’re done with, follow the spiral path up and continue past where Atreus turns off left to grab a hidden chest.
Return to Atreus and walk across the wooden bridge. Almost immediately you reach a fork. The way right is blocked by golden stones. You can see a flaming pot embedded in the stones, but can’t hit it from this vantage point. To do so, look a little to the left and you’ll see a chain.
Go down the left fork and hop down to the right, grab the chest, then look to your right. From down here you can smash the red pot and clear the way above.
Make you way back, skip across, then duck under the chute. A big ol’ scrap awaits you on the other side, but deal with the wretches, grim and mother any way you wish.
Once they are defeated, head through the door in the top corner of this area. It’s a dead end for now except for a couple of items. However, you need to remember this spot for later in the game. See what looks like a wind vent above you? Once you get the equipment to make use of this, you can climb up here and get one of the Applecore Nornir Chests.
How to complete The Applecore lift puzzle in God of War Ragnarok
Make your way back to the fork and you’re presented with another water way puzzle to raise the lift in front of you.
First, drop down to the right, climb the chain and go left. From this spot you can use your Blades of Chaos to change the flow of the water and power up the lift.
Now, back in front of the puzzle, throw your axe at the chute above the water wheel on your left and the chain will raise allowing you to swing over the gap.
On the other side, go up to the lift then look up to your right. Block the chute above you to lower the lift, get on, then recall your axe to ascend to the next level.
Burst through the door at the top, then drop down to your left. Squish the wretches that slither out of the walls and claim your first Relic from the crack in the wall on your left.
You get a chance to test it out immediately after, but with those enemies defeated return to the crack in the wall where you found the relic and squeeze through.
When you emerge, follow Atreus up the path to the left and swing across the gap. On your left there’s a shield you can kick to give you access to the area before the lift you just came from, but to continue, keep going along this upper path around the corner.
If you want to do an optional boss battle, take the first left by swinging across through the falling water and dropping down to the left. Then go through the door on the right and you’re in a boss room with another of The Hateful.
You may have already fought one of these draugr holes at the watchtower in the Bay of Bounty. But essentially they’re buffed, faster, more unblockable versions of regular draugr, so treat them with respect but face them like you would any other enemy. Keep your distance, exploit parry attacks, and punish the ends of their combos with melee attacks of your own without getting greedy.
Also in this room is a glowing chest which gives you a good new handle for your axe.
But when you’re done, swing back over to the main path and follow the tunnel until you reach a chain.
Look over the edge of the gap and get Atreus to blow up the sound stone holding the rope with his arrows. Then swing down to the next main puzzle.
How to complete The Applecore water wheel puzzle in God of War Ragnarok
First, look to the left, hop across the gap, then give Atreus a boost up to the higher level. This allows him to get a different vantage point and help you solve the puzzle.
Wait for him to get into position and you can press Square to get him to drop some sound stone rocks into the water chute.
Throw your axe at the chute so it dams the water and makes the water wheel turn. Then get Atreus to drop the rocks. This clogs the water and keeps the wheel turning even if you remove your axe.
This frees up your axe to turn to the other water wheel. Throw it over and clog the chute, then swing over the gap onto the platform.
Now turn back to Atreus and ask him to shoot the rocks clogging the first chute with an arrow. This causes the platform you’re standing on to move to the far wall.
On the other side, there’s one of Odin’s avian spies on your left, as well as a path along the wall which leads back to the central area with The Hateful boss if you want to go back for any reason.
Either way, open the big door on your right, grab the chest on the other side, then continue through the tunnel at the end of the corridor.
Destroy the sound stone locks buckling the four corners of the giant door, then buckle up yourself for some new fighting mechanics.
To stop you going any further, Einherjar, Odin’s exalted warriors from Valhalla, drop from the rafters wielding Bifrost magic. Get covered with Bifrost and another hit will make it explode for more damage.
Other than that, the Einherjar are dealt with like any other enemy. Once that royal rumble is over and done with, yank open the door with your Blades of Chaos.
This sparks another fight with the Einherjar, but after that hit the wooden barrier with your axe and continue down the tunnel.
There are more to tussle with as you go, but keep running down the tunnel, grappling and battling as you do.
After a couple more scraps, squeeze through the crevice on your left then swing across the gap in front of you. Keep going down the tunnel, dropping down the gap at the end, then through another long tunnel.
There’s another air vent-looking device here, which you can come back to later in your adventure for the second Applecore Nornir Chest.
Eventually, you will emerge in the Sverd Sands. This area is linear and you just have to fight your way through the grim to get to the chain ferry at the other end of the island. Once you do, you are free to return to Sindri’s house.
But after that story section you’re free to return to Svartalfheim and mop up anything you missed like the Weight of Chains favour or the Mining Rigs side quest.