In God of War (2018), Dark Elves are one of two Elven races hailing from the Alfheim, with the other being their bitter rivals: The Light Elves. Based on the Dökkálfar, they are supernatural beings who hail from the underground hellscape of Svartálfheim in traditional Norse mythology.
Kratos and Atreus will run into Dark Elves in Midgard, Muspelheim, and Niflheim, and it's fair to say they are one of the trickier enemies to face in the game. With a number of dangerous, unique abilities and mechanics to be aware of, it is important to understand how to approach fights against them. Additionally, the fight against their King is one of the trickier boss fights in the game at large, with his damage able to critically damage Kratos in one hit.
Kratos' Weapon Choice Doesn't Matter Much in Fights Against Dark Elves
When fighting Dark Elves, players can use the weapon with which they're the most comfortable. It doesn't really matter whether you use the Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, or even Kratos' shield and fists. However, for small groups or one-on-one combat, Atreus should use light arrows, which fill the enemy's stun meter and thus provide the R3 execution option more quickly. For larger groups, shock arrows work well for incapacitating enemies.
When Facing Dark Elf Warriors, Stay Out Of The Dark
The most important thing to know when facing a Dark Elf is to avoid their sparkly-red bombs. These will explode after a short time and blind Kratos if he is still near them. Thus, Kratos need to prioritize rolling out of the way of the bombs, since not doing so will leave him in a bad position.
Dark Elves also have a charge move that involves them rearing back with their spears and dashing towards Kratos. This attack is blockable. In God of War, parry and counter whenever possible. Not only will the counter deal good amounts of damage, it pushes opponents back and will leave them vulnerable to a follow-up attack. Another attack Dark Elves have is a dash attack followed by a spinning strike. Both are blockable, so Kratos needs to keep his shield up. If there's a red flash before a Dark Elf's attack. Kratos can't block the incoming strike. The best thing to do is to roll out of the way. However, Atreus' arrows or a runic attack will cancel these attacks by stunning the elf.
When Dark Elves attack in a group it becomes all the more difficult to avoid the blinding bombs and dash attacks coming from multiple directions. Shock arrows are key for stunning enemies in this situation, and the upgrade that chains them across multiple enemies is fantastic. Still, even without the upgrade stunning even one enemy will keep them away from and make taking down the group easier. Try to focus on one enemy at a time.
How To Defeat Svartaljofurr, The Dark Elf King
The Dark Elf boss Svartaljofurr is a tricky one. Start off by throwing all the runic attacks, runic summons and arrows you can at him. After this initial flurry, the key to defeating Svartaljofurr is patience. His attacks are pretty similar to the minion Dark Elves but much more devastating. He has an unblockable charge, a blockable jump-and-swing, and a downwards stab. His staff blinds Kratos if it hits when it's sparkly, so it's best to fight defensively.
After a successful dodge, throw in about two to three quick attacks, then back off and bring the shield up. When his health drops to a certain point, he changes his attacks, chaining unblockable attacks and moving much quicker. It's then key to keep rolling and using runic attacks and arrows to take him down until the R3 prompt comes up to end the battle.