Nemean Cestus

“	Kratos, you now possess the Nemean Cestus. Use their strength to make the very earth tremble.	”
–Athena

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The Nemean Cestus is a weapon seen in God of War III and briefly in the multiplayer of God of War: Ascension. They are a pair of large metal gauntlets, each forged to resemble a snarling lion's head, that greatly increases the strength of its wielder when worn. The Cestus was apparently given to its original owner, Hercules, after he slew the Nemean Lion as one of his 12 Labours, but their relation to the beast itself is unknown. In Greek Mythology, this was also used by Helios and Hermes.

In God of War III

During Hercules' fight with Kratos, the former dons the Cestus as he engages the Spartan in battle. However, the Cestus are forcefully taken from him, and Kratos uses them to batter his half-brother to death. The Nemean Cestus is the only weapon able to destroy Onyx, a type of rock that frequently appears in God of War III, in the form of shields, walls and armor. They are therefore the only weapon capable of killing Skorpius, as the creature's body is armored with Onyx. The Cestus even proves useful against the Bronze Talos and, when fully upgraded, against the King of the Gods, Zeus himself. They were, however, destroyed by Zeus' astral form using a Lightning bolt.

Each gauntlet of the Nemean Cestus was made of three separate parts: The lion's head, the first ring of spikes, and the second ring of spikes which was attached to a tube where Kratos fits his arms. When used, a pale blue aura often appears around each individual part.

The Cestus and the Nemesis Whip are the only weapons to be destroyed by Zeus. All of Kratos' other weapons are undamaged but scattered across the floor.

Orb Costs

• Level 1 - n/a
• Level 2 - 3,000 Orbs
• Level 3 - 5,000 Orbs
• Level 4 - 5,000 Orbs
• Level 5 - 8,000 Orbs

Damage Multiplier

Level 1

• 100 %

Level 2

• 110 %

Level 3

• 120 %

Level 4

• 130 %

Level 5

• 140 %

Attacks

Level 1

• Increased Damage
• Nemean Roar - Slams the Cestus into the ground to create an explosive wave. R2
• Ferocious Bite - One lion head extends out to grab and pull in an enemy, slamming him with the other Cestus. L1 + O

• Erymanthion Rage - A powerful 2-hit combo with an explosive finish. Triangle + triangle

• Augean Stampede - Forward rush that traps an enemy in a quick flurry of punches. Hold square
• Augean Stampede (Air) - A quick flurry of punches that slams the enemy down to the ground. Hold Square

• Brutal Ascension - Launches enemies into the air. Hold triangle

• Triumphant Labor - A quick combo of punches ending in a powerful dash. Square, square, square

Level 2

• Increased Damage
• Vicious Maul - Lionheads extend on chains in a 360-degree spinning move. L1 + square
• Vicious Maul (air) - When airborne, lionheads extend on chains in a 360-degree spinning move. L1 + square

Level 3

• Nemean Roar Lv. 2 - Slams the Cestus into the ground to create an explosive wave. R2
• Savage Charge - Throws the cestus forward during an evasion, striking all in its path. R + Triangle
• Increased Damage

Level 4

• Increased Damage
• Crushing Strike - Lionheads extend on chains out to each side, then slam together in front of Kratos. L1 + triangle
• Crushing Strike (air) - One lionhead lowers to the ground, and Kratos pulls himself down to punch the ground with the other, causing a shockwave. L1 + triangle

Level 5

• Increased Damage
• Nemean Roar Lv. 3 - Slams the Cestus into the ground to create an explosive wave. R2

Trivia

• Kratos is able to use the Nemean Cestus in the new Mortal Kombat as part of his weaponry (alongside the Blades of Exile, a Gorgon Head, the Blade of Olympus, the Bow of Apollo, and the Head of Helios). He uses them as the second hit of his X-Ray Attack, as well as the finishing blow of one of his Fatalities.
• The Nemean Cestus has chains on the inside, allowing for some ranged combat that is displayed in certain attacks they are also used to evade the same way the Claws Of Hades do.
• With each strike, using the Nemean Cestus, the sound of a lion roaring/growling can be heard slightly.
• The Nemean Cestus are the most powerful weapon in the series after the Blade of Olympus as Kratos was able to literally smash the head of Hercules himself with it and they are the only weapon strong enough to destroy the Onyx, while the others weapons were useless against it.
• According to legend, the Nemean Lion's flesh was made of bronze, therefore it's likely the Nemean Cestus were forged from the Lion's skin but were later plated in a silver metal.
• Their ability to destroy Onyx makes them very similar to the Tremor Gauntlet in Darksiders, a game which bears several similarities with the God of War Franchise. The Tremor Gauntlet is the only weapon in War's arsenal that can destroy a blue type of crystals during his quest, similar to the Nemean Cestus for Kratos.
• Kratos uses the Nemean Cestus in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, along with the Icarus Wings, the Head of Helios, and the Blade of Olympus.
• The Barbarian Hammer and the Nemean Cestus are both the strongest weapons besides the Blade of Olympus in God of War II and God of War III respectively and both weapons are obtained by crushing the head of his previous owner with it.
• In God of War III, Nemean Cestus was the only primary weapon (besides the Blades of Exile itself) that was used in more than one QTE. The first two was in the battle against its original wielded, Hercules. The third one was in the moment of Kratos impaling Cronos with the onyx nail. The last one was in the battle against Skorpius when Kratos destroyed it's Onyx-layered carapace. Claws of Hades and Nemesis Whip were only used in the custences when Kratos retrieve the weapons by killing Hades and Hepahestus respectively (even the Nemesis Whip was not used to kill Hepahestus directly).

Gallery

• Kratos armed with the nemean cestus
• Hercules with the Cestus in God of War III
• Kratos with the Cestus in Mortal Kombat 2011.
• Nemean Cestus
• Nemean Cestus Concept

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References

GDC 2011 Mortal Kombat

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