- Kraken is March of Giants' ranged hook hero, a ritual-based territorial powerhouse
- Rituals grant stacking buffs: power, CDR, and extra orbs on your Q
- Hook through walls: the hook passes terrain and buildings — abuse this
- Play one lane: Kraken rewards anchoring a lane near permanent rituals
- Fear chain: sacrifice rituals for AoE fear and re-engage with fast hook cooldowns
Kraken Overview: The Hook Hero of March of Giants
The Kraken is March of Giants' signature hook hero — a ranged titan whose power scales with how well you manage his ritual ecosystem. Unlike a pure skillshot assassin, the Kraken rewards map control: plant rituals, anchor a lane, and turn every engage into a nightmare of hooks and fear effects. His kit draws natural comparisons to hook heroes from other MOBAs, but his ritual mechanic makes him uniquely territorial.
Video Highlights:
- Q launches a piercing orb that explodes and hits up to three enemies; rituals add extra orbs
- W is the signature hook, with cooldown reduction being the key build priority
- Rituals grant 10% power, 15% CDR, and inflict fear on nearby enemies when placed on top of them
- Hook passes through walls and buildings, opening sneaky angles
- Ultimate sacrifices all rituals for an AoE fear plus 60 power, 30% range, and 20% CDR
| Aspect | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lane presence | ★★★★☆ | Strong ranged laning vs melee |
| Burst damage | ★★★★☆ | Empowered Q orbs hit hard |
| Zone control | ★★★★★ | Rituals create a permanent fear zone |
| Skill floor | ★★★☆☆ | Hook aim determines value |
| Mobility | ★★☆☆☆ | Desperately wants move speed items |
A hook hero is only as good as the aim of your hook. If you can one-trick skillshots, the Kraken is one of the strongest picks in March of Giants — and his ranged laning phase makes him far safer than melee hook alternatives.
Abilities and Ritual Mechanics Explained
Every part of the Kraken's kit interacts with rituals. Understanding the loop — place rituals, gain buffs, spend buffs — is the difference between a mediocre Kraken and a lane-dominating one.
| Ability | Effect | Ritual Interaction |
|---|---|---|
| Q (Orb) | Launches an orb dealing ~150 damage, pierces up to 3 enemies and explodes | More rituals = more orbs and more damage |
| W (Hook) | Pulls an enemy hero toward you | Passes through walls and buildings |
| Ritual | Placeable totem; buffs you while nearby | 10% power, 15% CDR, AoE fear on placement |
| Ultimate | Sacrifices all rituals, AoE fear around you | Grants 60 power, 30% range, 20% CDR |
Key details most players miss:
- Ritual placement matters: enemy minions auto-attack your rituals, so tuck them behind your wave or near towers where they survive longer
- Rituals expire: they have a duration, so refresh them before fights rather than assuming they are permanent
- Fear on demand: placing a ritual directly on an enemy fears them — you can chain fears by placing rituals mid-fight, not just before
- Hook ignores terrain: enemies hiding behind walls or buildings are still valid targets, which makes jungle skirmishes extremely favorable for you
Minions and soldiers can get stuck on walls in March of Giants. If your hook target is behind cover, your own minion wave may fail to follow up even after a successful pull. Check the approach path before committing.
Step-by-Step: How to Play the Kraken
Survive the Early Lane
As a ranged hero, harass melee opponents with your Q while they farm. Do not overextend — your escape tools are limited and move speed is your biggest weakness early.
Establish Your Ritual Zone
Place rituals in defensible spots near your lane: behind towers, beside bunkers, or at choke points. Keep at least one ritual alive at all times for the passive buffs.
Set Up the Hook Kill
Poke with empowered Q orbs first. Once the enemy is low enough that a pull guarantees a kill, land W through a wall or building where they feel safe — that is where hooks connect most often.
Chain Fears in Fights
In teamfights, drop rituals directly onto enemies for on-demand fear, follow with hooks as cooldowns come back, and save your ultimate to fear the entire enemy cluster and gain its stat surge.
Anchor and Expand
After winning your lane, keep your ritual zone intact and use hook picks through terrain to open objectives — giants, outposts, and the siege dozer — rather than roaming far from your buffs.
Hooking through walls and buildings is the Kraken's most toxic pattern. Enemies who think terrain protects them are your easiest kills — and with stacked CDR, your hook can come back up in roughly eight seconds for a second pull.
Build Priorities and Item Choices
Your build should solve two problems: hook cooldown and move speed. Everything else is flexible.
| Priority | Stat / Item Type | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CDR (hook cooldown) | More hooks = more kills; rituals already grant 15% CDR |
| 2 | Move speed | You cannot chase or escape without it; a must-buy |
| 3 | Stacking damage on kills | Snowballs your lead after each hook kill |
| 4 | Last-hit CDR items | Synergizes with your farming pattern |
| 5 | Soldier buffs (optional) | Rally more soldiers to push lanes and protect rituals |
Items that restore energy when hitting a giant look tempting but underperform. If your damage depends on hitting empowered orbs near rituals, raw power and CDR scale far better than a mana pool you rarely exhaust.
Matchups: Who Beats the Kraken?
Favored: Melee Heroes
- Ranged vs melee is heavily ranged-favored
- Melee heroes must just take the poke and fall slightly behind
- Hook punishes any melee all-in attempt
Even: Other Hook Heroes
- The melee hook girl trades safety for raw pull power
- Whoever lands the first hook usually wins the exchange
- Your range gives you a slight edge in the lane phase
Danger: Baroness
- A fed Baroness one-shots ranged heroes
- Focus ganks on her early so she never gets the gold to snowball
- Never hook her into your team at high HP
Other threats worth respecting: the mage hero who can one-shot an entire team with a full combo, the invisible tree hero Faren, and the AD hyper carries who all hit their power spikes hard in the late game.
The Kraken wants to set up in one lane and stay there. Your buffs require proximity to immovable rituals with long cooldowns — roaming away from your zone means fighting at half power. Claim a lane, defend it, and force fights to come to you.
Kraken Mastery Checklist
Kraken Milestones:
- Land 10 hooks through walls or buildings
- Keep three rituals active simultaneously during a teamfight
- Chain three fears on a single target in one engagement
- Hit 40%+ CDR with items and ritual buffs combined
- Deny a fed Baroness by ganking her lane early
Every strong hero in March of Giants shares one trait: unanswerable pressure. The Kraken's hook demands a response, his rituals demand respect, and his fear demands spacing — a single well-played Kraken forces the enemy team to fight his game on his ground.
FAQ
Q: Is the Kraken a good hero in March of Giants?
Yes. As a ranged hook hero with strong lane pressure, ritual-scaling damage, and on-demand fear, the Kraken is considered one of the stronger picks. His ceiling depends almost entirely on hook accuracy, so dedicated skillshot players get the most out of him.
Q: How do Kraken rituals work?
Rituals are placeable totems that grant buffs while you stay near them: 10% power and 15% CDR, plus extra orbs on your Q. Placing a ritual directly on an enemy also inflicts fear. Note that rituals have a duration and enemy minions attack them, so placement matters.
Q: Can the Kraken's hook go through walls?
Yes. The hook passes through walls and buildings, making terrain-hugging enemies prime targets. The trade-off is that your own soldiers can get stuck on those same walls, so plan your follow-up damage before pulling.
Q: What should I build on the Kraken?
Prioritize hook cooldown reduction and move speed, then stacking damage items that grow with each kill. Last-hit CDR items are solid pickups, while pure mana restoration items tend to underperform compared to raw power scaling.