Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel offers an incredible selection of Norse god spells and majestic powers that you may use to obliterate relentless hordes of enemies. These hordes will stop at nothing to prevent you from reaching and defeating the giant boss waiting at the end of each round. With so much chaos unfolding on the screen, it can feel overwhelming at times. That is why in this guide we give you 11 best tips for beginners for surviving longer in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel.
11. Change the Default Control Settings
By default, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel setsboth attack and aim modes to automatic. However, we strongly recommendswitching to the settings mentioned abovefor a better gameplay experience. Enablingmanual aim mode provides far more control, allowing you to decide the exact angles to fire and eliminate enemies instead of relying on AI to make those decisions for you.
While the AI can handle auto-shooting and aiming, it often disrupts your strategy. For instance, you may want tofunnel hordes into a specific directionwhile targetingenemies from a different angle. This level of precision is only possible with manual aim mode, making it a superior choice over the automatic setting.
Another crucial adjustment to consider isincreasing the cursor size. During intense battles, with hundreds of enemies swarming the screen, it’seasy to lose track of your cursor. This happens because the default cursor size is set at 1, which istoo small for the chaotic action.
To fix this, go to Settings, navigate to the Gameplay menu, andadjust the cursor size to 2 or 3. A larger cursor makes it much easier to spot during the heat of battle, ensuring you stay focused on defeating the hordes without losing track of your aim. Increasing the size is a simple yet effective change that enhances your overall efficiency in combat.
10. Always Open Chests
In Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, the mini-map located at the top-right corner of your screen provides essential information. It shows the location of objectives, the golden bird, health-replenishing consumables, and more.
As you progress through waves of enemies and the timer counts down, you will alsonotice small chest iconsappearingon the mini-map. These chests do not appear immediately but become available as time passes.
Alwaysmake it a priority to open these chests, as theycontain powerful rewards. When you interact with a chest, you will be giventhree options to choose from, each offering a valuable benefit.
These rewards can include rare items likeUrd’s Dice, which grants youthree additional rerolls,Valhallan Mead, which boosts yourdamage by 30% for 70 seconds, andCrystal Geode, which increases experience gain for your current level by 50%. Many other useful items can also be found in these chests.
Occasionally, you will have thechance to select a Soulstone, a rare item necessary for unlocking new weapons. These are incredibly valuable, so it’s crucial to keep an eye out for them. Opening these chests and selecting the reward that best fits your current situation is key to advancing efficiently and strengthening your character.
9. Always Collect Gold and Soulstone
Gold is a crucial in-game currency in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel. You can spotfloating gold coinsafter defeating elite enemies (recognizable by their red health bars), killing a flying golden bird, or completing objectives. Sometimes you can get a Small Box containing gold from the treasure chest.
However, gold coin drops are not automatically collected. You need to move toward the coins for them to be added to your inventory, so make sure to gather them before progressing.
Gold coins are essential for purchasing skill points. As you trade gold to unlock skill points, the cost of acquiring additional points increases. This means you’ll need to collect more gold as you progress in order to unlock more skills and gain access to powerful abilities.
On the other hand, Soulstones are a rare and valuable resource. These are most commonly found in treasure chests, particularly those that spawn after defeating an elite enemy. Soulstones allow you to purchase new weapons for your class, giving you the opportunity to experiment and see if these upgrades perform better on the battlefield compared to stock weapons.
8. Visit Skill Shop After Each Run
Each time you finish a run in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, whether by defeating the boss of Niflheim or Muspelheim, or dying at their hands, you will be given the option to start another run or return to the main menu. Westrongly recommend heading back to the main menuinstead of jumping straight into another run.
The reason is simple: you will want touse the resources you have earnedto unlockmore skill pointsand invest them into new class skills or god abilities. At the start of the game, you have access to two gods—Thor and Freya—but as you unlock more abilities and complete at least one biome, Loki and Odin will also become available.
More gods and their abilities unlocked means more favors, which increases survivability in combat.
Additionally, you can reset the skill points you have invested in a particular class and reallocate them to a different class without any penalties. This flexibility allows you to experiment with other classes if you find yourself struggling with one.
If you choose to play another round immediately after finishing one, you’ll miss out on this opportunity to upgrade and optimize your character, which can significantly impact your progress. To maximize your potential and success, always take a moment to invest your resources before diving back into the action.
7. Play the Objective
At the start of every round in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, you are assigned a series of objectives to complete before you can summon the biome boss. Spending too much time collecting gold coins, opening chests, or grinding for levels by killing enemies won’t help you in the long run.
This is why prioritizing the objectives is critical. The number of objectives you will face depends on the difficulty level:Easy has 3 objectives, Normal has 4, Hard has 5, and Insane requires completing 6 objectives.
If you manage to finish an objective quickly, you will have a short window before the next one is assigned.Use this downtime wiselyto collectgold, open chests, or eliminate additional enemies,but only during this brief period.
Lingering too long is a mistake. The raid rounds in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel operate on a limited timer, and you must defeat the boss before the timer runs out. Every second counts, so focus on the objectives and make the most of your time.
6. Pick the Best Class
Withfour classes in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, each offering unique playstyles and a mix of active and passive abilities, let’s be honest—not all of them are created equal. After spending over 15 hours playing the game and experimenting with various combinations of god abilities and classes, we have found thatsome classeshave asignificantly better chance of survivalthan others.
If you are looking for our recommendation, theRevenantclassstands out as thebest choice in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel. This class excels in ranged combat, firing arrows with precision while boasting numerous area-control abilities likeSkull Shot,Necrotic Rain,Focus Fire, andGrappling Web.
The Revenant also has some of the most impressive passive abilities in the game. For instance,Haunting Wolfsummons a ghost wolf that can heal your character, whilePack of Wolveslets you summon a group of five wolves simultaneously, adding a significant edge to your survivability and crowd control.
If you find yourself dying frequently, even on Normal difficulty, or struggling to complete a biome on Hard difficulty, we strongly suggest switching to the Revenant class in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel. Its powerful abilities and survivability make it the best option for tackling any challenge the game throws at you.
5. Unlocking New Weapons Helps in Surviving Longer
In Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel,each class starts with a default weaponand aunique class abilitythat is tied to that weapon, activated by pressing‘Q’. To improve your performance with your favorite class, aside from unlocking new skills,obtaining better weapons is essential.
Switching to a new weaponnot only provides unique effects but alsoalters the active abilityyou can trigger at will.
For example, theFlame Sister classstarts with theStar-Metal Daggeras her default weapon. While this classhas the weakest self-healing potential, unlocking herCultist Daggerweapon significantly improves her survivability. The Cultist Dagger grants her theFire Cloakability, which heals 1 HP per second, applies a 100% burn chance to enemies, and provides 2 seconds of invulnerability.
With this upgraded weapon, the Flame Sister can perform much better and survive longer compared to using the default weapon. This is why it is crucial to unlock new weapons, experiment with their effects, and find combinations that enhance your survivability and effectiveness in battle.
4. Prioritize Unlocking Permanent Passive Abilities
While the auto-cast god abilities in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel are excellent for dealing damage, especially the AoE ones,do not overlook the power of passive abilities each god offers. The passive abilities youunlock for any godapply theireffects universally across all classes.
This is why it is essential to strike a balance between unlocking skills for your class and investing in god passive abilities. For instance, if you are playing as theSeeressclass, you will noticeshe lacksany class-specificability to restore her lost health. This makes her highly vulnerable compared to theBerserkerclass, which has innate healing abilities.
However, by unlockingThor’stwoRecoverypassive abilities, you cangain 3 HP regeneration per second. This significantly boosts survivability, even for classes that typically struggle to stay alive.
Similarly, unlocking Loki’sGreedpassive abilitiesincreases yourchances of earning more goldduring each run. Since gold is essential for purchasing additional skill points, this can greatly enhance your long-term progression.
By focusing on a combination of class skills and god passives, you can create a well-rounded strategy that improves both survivability and overall performance.
3. Modifiers Can Help You Win Rounds
Sometimes in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, winning the round takes priority over maximizing rewards. Playing on Hard or Insane difficulty is no small feat, and if you are struggling despite having the best class and god abilities, it may be time to use a modifier.
One of the mostbeginner-friendly modifiers is Brave Chicken, whichreduces incoming enemy damage by 30%. However, this comes at thecost of a 50% reduction in objective rewards. If your main goal is simply to survive and reach the end of a round on Insane difficulty, using this modifier can be a game-changer.
Conversely, modifiers can also be used to increase the difficulty of your gameplay. This approach is definitely not beginner-friendly, as unlocking some of these modifiers requires completing specific levels on Insane difficulty. For example, the Talentless Child modifier becomes available only after you successfully complete Niflheim on Insane difficulty.
2. AoE Spells Are Powerful, Use Them
As the round progresses in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, the game becomes increasingly chaotic. Hordes of enemies are summoned, starting with smaller threats and quickly escalating to larger, deadlier foes. These enemies won’t stop until they overwhelm and defeat you.
With so much happening on the screen, having a good arsenal of powerful area-of-effect (AoE) abilities from both your chosen god and your class is essential for clearing hordes efficiently.
When it comes to god abilities, some of thebest auto-cast abilities include Thor’s Lightning Strike and Thunderstorm, as well asLoki’s Flammable Wall and Jörmungandr. These abilities are invaluable fordealing heavy damage to large groups of enemies, no matter how many you are up against.
ForAoE-focused classes,Revenant and Seeressstand out as thetop choices. Revenant’sGrappling Web and Necrotic Rainare incrediblyeffective for clearing out hordesquickly, giving you control over the battlefield. Meanwhile,Seeress excels with her Briar Thorns and Dark Wisps, two of the best AoE abilities in the game for wiping out waves of enemies.
To survive the relentless waves of foes, ensure to rely on these AoE spells—they are your best tools for staying alive and dominating the battlefield.
1. Try Lower Difficulties With Modifiers for Resource Farming
To increase your survivability in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, unlocking class skills and god abilities is essential. These become even more critical when attempting toconquer locations on Hard or Insane difficulty. However, as you invest in more skill points, theircost grows significantly,making it increasingly challenging to upgrade without careful planning.
To manage this, werecommend lowering the difficulty levelbutenabling as many resource-gathering modifiersas possible. This approachmaximizes your farming potentialwhile keeping the challenge manageable. When you complete a round and defeat its boss, youearn a Resource Bonus basedon theresources collectedduring the run.
For instance, if yougather 52 gold coinswhile using a35% Resource modifier, theGold Earned tab will display “52 + 18,”reflecting the additional bonus from the modifier.
Certain modifiers in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel are particularly effective forfarming resources like Soulstones and Gold Coins. For example, playing the Niflheim map on Normal difficulty with theEvil Deal, Time Rush, and Greedy Masochist modifierscan increase yourresource rewards by up to 90%compared to playing on Hard difficulty.
However, keep in mind that these modifiers also add unique challenges to your run, so be prepared to adjust your strategy accordingly.
And that wraps up our detailed guide on the 11 best beginner tips for Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel. Good luck out there, and may the Norse gods favor your journey through Hel’s hordes!
Irfan Ansari
Irfan Ansari is a Guides Writer at Prima Games, bringing seven years of experience in Video Game Journalism to the table. With over 20 years immersed in gaming, he’s sharpened his craft at notable outlets like TheGamer, Gamepur, Videogamer, and eXputer. His favorite hobby is grinding for XP, leveling up and defeating bosses to pulp.
