- Kraken build turns this ranged hook hero into a territorial, hook-spamming powerhouse.
- Rituals are the core mechanic: each one buffs your Q orb count, power, CDR, and fear.
- Hook through walls and buildings — one of the strongest utility tricks in the game.
- Build CDR and stacking damage items to reach near-8-second hook cooldowns.
- Play territorial: claim one lane, set up rituals and bunkers, and never leave.
Kraken Overview: The Hook Hero of March of Giants
Kraken is March of Giants' signature hook hero — a ranged caster whose entire kit revolves around pulling enemies out of position and locking down a lane with stationary rituals. Unlike melee hook characters, Kraken wins lane through range, zone control, and repeated displacement, making the March of Giants Kraken build one of the most reliable picks for players with sharp aim.
Video Highlights:
- Q launches a 150-damage orb that explodes on pierce; rituals add extra orbs
- W is the hook; each ritual grants stacking power, CDR, and fear utility
- Hook connects through walls and buildings, enabling easy kills
- Full-game demonstration of a CDR-stacking, territorial Kraken build
A hook hero is always as good as your aim. Kraken pairs a strong ranged laning phase with hard displacement — if you can consistently land W, this hero carries games on its own.
| Ability | Effect | Ritual Scaling |
|---|---|---|
| Q (Orb) | Launches an orb dealing ~150 damage, explodes on pierce (up to 3 hits) | More rituals = more orbs fired |
| W (Hook) | Pulls an enemy hero toward you | More rituals = stronger buffs |
| Ritual (E-type) | Place a stationary totem; grants +10% power, +15% CDR, AoE fear on activation | Stacks per ritual active |
| Ult / Sacrifice | Sacrifice all rituals: AoE fear, +60 power, +30% range, +20% CDR, soldier immunity | Scales with rituals consumed |
Core Build Path and Itemization
The optimal Kraken build stacks cooldown reduction and kill-stacking damage. Avoid mana items — Kraken's damage scales off rituals and CDR, not a deep mana pool.
Opening Item
Start with the shield damage converter for early survivability in ranged-vs-melee lanes where you'll be trading constantly.
First CDR Item
Pick up the last-hit CDR item (gain CDR after scoring a last hit). This accelerates your hook spam dramatically through mid game.
Stacking Damage
Buy the kill-stacking damage item — extra damage per kill. Hooks generate kills, kills generate damage, and the cycle snowballs.
Situational Choices
Skip the "max energy on giant hit" item — Kraken rarely needs the mana. Prioritize execution damage or range extensions on the hook instead.
| Item Priority | Item Type | Value | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Last-hit CDR item | Hook uptime is everything | ★★★★★ |
| 2 | Kill-stacking damage | Snowballs with hooks | ★★★★★ |
| 3 | Shield damage converter | Early lane safety | ★★★★ |
| 4 | Move speed | Kraven is kitable without it | ★★★★ |
| — | Max energy on giant hit | Mana rarely an issue | ★★ |
Playing Kraken without move speed is painful — you cannot dodge ganks or reposition for hooks. If you feel helpless in fights, prioritize boots-tier mobility before more damage.
Ritual Setup and Territorial Play
Kraken's rituals don't move, and the cooldown is long. This makes the hero fundamentally territorial: pick a lane, plant rituals, and defend your zone. Placing rituals carelessly in minion paths gets them destroyed — enemy soldiers auto-attack them.
Zone Setup
- Place rituals behind your wave, out of soldier paths
- Stack multiple rituals near your tower
- Use ritual fear as a defensive spell
Bunker Synergy
- Spam bunkers in your territory
- Hook enemies into your bunker line
- Bunkers block chases and cover retreats
Lane Control
- AFK-lane strategy works well
- Watch enemy soldier movement to spot incoming ganks
- Contest siege dozers in your zone
With rituals down, you can fear the same target multiple times in one fight — fear, hook, fear again. Three consecutive fears on one enemy is entirely possible with high CDR.
| Ritual Placement | Risk | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Behind your minion wave | Low — protected | Consistent Q and W buffs |
| On top of enemies | High — soldiers target it | Instant AoE fear, burst setup |
| Near your tower/bunkers | Low | Defensive zone, hook-into-tower kills |
| Open lane center | High | Easily destroyed, wasted cooldown |
Advanced Hook Tactics
Master these techniques to separate good Kraken players from great ones.
| Technique | How It Works | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Hook through walls | W ignores terrain; enemies hide behind walls at their peril | ★★★ |
| Hook through buildings | W passes through structures — free picks on defenders | ★★ |
| Hook into towers | Pull enemies into your tower's heavy damage range | ★★★ |
| Hook into bunkers | Drag targets into your bunker line for chain lockdown | ★★★★ |
| Rapid re-hook | With ~8-second hook CD and CDR, hook the same target twice in one chase | ★★★★★ |
Your hook can be bodyblocked by minions — a stray soldier in front of you eats the hook. Reposition before committing W on a high-value target.
Ranged heroes (including Kraken) are generally strong in the current meta. Baroness is the big exception — she one-shots ranged heroes when fed, so focus on shutting down her gold income with repeated hooks and ganks.
Build Checklist and Goals
Kraken Mastery Checklist:
- Land 80%+ of hooks in lane phase
- Place rituals out of soldier paths every time
- Reach 8-second hook cooldown with CDR items
- Fear-chain an enemy twice in one fight
- Hook a target through a wall or building
- Deny Baroness early gold with lane pressure
Kraken sits comfortably among the top heroes in March of Giants: strong ranged laning, hard CC, and scaling that rewards aim. Alongside the mage combo hero and AD hypercarries like Faren and Warship, Kraken is a premier blind pick.
FAQ
Q: Is the March of Giants Kraken build good for climbing?
Yes. Kraken combines a strong ranged laning phase with hard displacement, and the build's CDR stacking lets you hook every ~8 seconds. As with any hook hero, your value scales directly with hook accuracy.
Q: How do rituals actually buff Kraken?
Each active ritual grants roughly 10% power and 15% CDR while you stand near it, adds extra orbs to your Q, and can be activated to inflict AoE fear. More rituals down means a dramatically stronger hero.
Q: Should I build mana items on Kraken?
No. The 'max energy on giant hit' item underperforms because Kraken's damage comes from rituals and CDR, not sustained mana spending. Prioritize CDR, stacking damage, and move speed.
Q: Why do my rituals keep disappearing?
Enemy soldiers auto-attack rituals, and rituals have a duration. Place them behind your wave or near your tower so they survive to keep buffing you.