Kraken

Kraken Cryx Colossal Warjack

Prime This model is available in two Prime Armies, Dark Host and Black Fleet. It can also be used in the Unlimited game mode. You can view the other Mk3 models that made it into a Legacy Army at this page. Note that the rest of this page is about the model's Mark III rules.

The Kraken ranks among the most terrifying necromechanikal fabrications ever loosed upon the mortals of the Iron Kingdoms. Lashing out with grasping tentacles, it snatches up men and stuffs them within the grease-slicked orifices of its shell. The captured have but a moment of terror to consider their lightless environs before their bodies and life energies are extracted by a necromantic furnace that fuels the Kraken’s engines and armament. The Kraken was conceived as the perfect Cryxian engine of death—a machine that could strike from below with overwhelming force, devour its victims, refuel itself on their carcasses, and then vanish beneath the waves.

Basic Info

Kraken
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Huge SPD 5 STR 16 MAT 6 RAT 5 M.A. N/A DEF 10 ARM 19 CMD N/A ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 58 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA 2 UNIT SIZE N/A COST 32 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Warjack - All warjacks share the same set of special rules. Most notably being big and stompy. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.

Colossal - Colossals are mega-warjacks, even bigger and stompier. They use nearly all the same rules as normal warjacks but with a few alterations. These changes are summarized here or can be read in full here.

Abilities

• Construct
• Amphibious
• Kill Shot - Once per activation, when an enemy model is destroyed or removed from play as a result of a melee attack made by this model during its activation, immediately after that attack is resolved this model can make one basic ranged attack.
• Bone Picker - When this model destroys a living or undead enemy model with a melee attack, this model gains the destroyed model's corpse token and the destroyed model is removed from play. This model can have up to three corpse tokens at any time.
• Meat-Fueled - This model gains +1 STR for each corpse token on it.
• Crucible of Death - This model can spend up to three corpse tokens at the start of its activation to gain 1 focus point for each corpse token spent.

Weapons

• Harvester (x2) - 2" reach (plus Chain Strike), POW 3, P+S 19 melee weapons
  • Open Fist
  • Chain Weapon
  • Chain Strike - This weapon becomes RNG 4 during this model's activation.
• Hellblaster - 16" range, 5" AOE, POW 14 ranged attack
  • Doom Driver - This weapon gains +1 to its damage rolls for each corpse token on this model.
• Flayer - 12" range, ROF d3+1, POW 12 ranged attack

Theme Forces

• Cryx
  • Black Industries
  • Dark Host
  • Scourge of the Broken Coast. Kraken gains Gang Fighter in this theme.
  • The Ghost Fleet

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use this model in the Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Mortenebra is leading the army. It gains Accumulator [Soulless] in this theme.
  • Mercenary and Convergence players can use it by either:
    • putting it under the control of Asphyxious4 in various themes,
    • putting it under the control of Mortenebra in Strange Bedfellows.

Thoughts on the Kraken

The Kraken in a nutshell

The Kraken is a solid option in the Cryxian arsenal. It is rather atypical for a Cryx model, as it is durable and has an exceptionally long ranged presence, both of which contributes to its success. It also has a very high natural threat range for a Colossal due to Chain Strike. Coupled with the usual Cryx debuff tricks you can definitely surprise an opponent by hitting way above its estimated class.

Kraken or Sepulcher?

The Kraken and Sepulcher are sold together as a multikit (unless you buy one of the really old kits). A common question new players ask is "Which should I build?" The correct answer is "Magnets." Moving right along, though...

The Kraken is pure offense, with a powerful main gun and a corpse mechanic which makes itself stronger. The Sepulcher on the other hand is a "Support Colossal" with less powerful guns and a corpse mechanic which reinforces Mechanithralls. Unfortunately Mechanithralls are a bit of a 'cannon fodder' unit and are only available in one theme force, Black Industries. So until such time that the rules for the Sepulcher are revised and it (hopefully) becomes unshackled from its Mechanithrall anchor, you're better off with the Kraken.

Combos & Synergies

The Kraken can simply be a LOS-blocking model for the squishier warcasters (or solos). It's a huge-based model, can't be moved, and has a bunch of hitboxes. Don't overestimate its beefiness though, it is still a Cryx warjack and they don't build them to last - anything that can destroy 2 heavy warjacks can make short work of the Kraken. Also, if you're using it to block LOS, watch out for stuff that negates it like Shadow Fire.

Warcasters

The Kraken wants a caster who can increase its threat range, accuracy, and/or ARM.

• Asphyxious3:
  • Field Marshal: Unyielding is great on the Kraken as it adds to its already impressive survivability.
  • Mobility is also a huge boon for the Kraken, increasing its threat range to beyond most normal warjacks.

• Aiakos2: His feat will give the Kraken a very nice threat range boost, including the possibility of assaulting a target with the intention to gain greater range on its Hellblaster.

• Goreshade3:
  • The Kraken is a great target for Infernal Machine, increasing its already-good threat range and increasing its accuracy significantly against infantry ... and most casters.

• Lich Lord Terminus: The huge base blocks line of sight to Terminus and takes the heat off the big man himself, as well as giving Terminus an effective focus sink to boost its shooting.

• Lord Exhumator Scaverous: Death Ward is nice on the Kraken to increase its already impressive survivability.

• Mortenebra1:
  • A huge part of Mortenebra's strategy is getting Overrun to trigger. By the sheeer virute of having so many attacks and being so big, the Kraken nearly guarantees you get a kill.
  • Mortenebra typically runs a small army, and is easy to see with her medium base, so having a giant Colossal to hide behind is useful.
  • Spectral Steel significantly increases it's survival.
  • Mortenebra is very proficient at repairs.
  • Interface potentially gives the Kraken all 7 of Mortenebra's focus to boost its shooting attacks, which can be quite interesting.

• Skarre1:
  • The Kraken is a very nice feat target, and on feat turn, it will be nigh-unkillable, giving you a great chance to put pressure on the opponent.
  • Dark Guidance helps him a lot to handle DEF12+ targets.

• Skarre2 and Rahera1 have the Black Spot spell which can make it a tad ridiculous:
  • With shooting, each kill with the little gun can trigger an extra shot with the main gun. Hypothetically you can get 6 Hellblaster shots per activation (4 Flayer shots triggering 4 free Hellblasters, then your actual initial Hellblaster shot (5) triggering another free Hellblaster (6) ).
  • In melee, not only does each melee kill net you another attack, but so can your Kill Shot. Hypothetically you can get 11 melee attacks + 1 Hellblaster shot per activation (2 initial attacks & 3 bought attacks, that doubles to 10, and the Hellblaster triggers the 11th melee attack).

• Skarre2 has a few more things that help turn it up to 11. In fact, she is probably one of the best casters for the Kraken.
  • Death Ward is nice on the Kraken to increase its already impressive survivability.
  • It is also a great feat target, and on feat turn, it will be nigh-unkillable, giving you a great chance to put pressure on the opponent.
  • Her Field Marshal[Future Sight] helps him a lot with focus efficiency by allowing to boost to hit after rolling.

• The Witch Coven of Garlghast:
  • The Kraken is a great target for Infernal Machine, increasing its already-good threat range and increasing its accuracy significantly against infantry ... and most casters.
  • Their feat can buy the Kraken a turn of safety, because it's about the only way in the game you can "block" LOS to a huge-based model.

Non-casters

Putting the Kraken on one of the junior warcasters is a middling-risk middling-reward choice. The junior will essentially do nothing all game except hide at max control range trying not to get sniped, and feeding the Kraken focus.

• Aiakos1: Kraken gains +2" movement and can get Grievous Wounds, which can be useful.
• Deneghra0: Kraken can get extended control range (as long as your opponent doesn't dispel it) so Denny0 can be even more cowardly and the Kraken will probably pass a buttload of souls back to Denny0. With those souls and assuming she also brought an arc node and she's not being too cowardly she can start throwing around Curse of Shadows. It's very points-intensive and has a lot of "if this then that" in it, though.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Big target with no way to hide - and usually ends up high on the target list
• No arc node on it (though there are numerous cheap solutions for that)
• MAT6 is actually a problem against DEF13+ targets

Tricks & Tips

• Remember Doom Driver adds to the damage roll, not the POW. This difference affects your blast damage calculation.
• Chain Strike lasts only during your activation. You'll deliver free strikes only up to 2".
• Chain Strike does not stack with Power Attacks, so you still must get within 2" to Throw/Powerstrike/Sweep your opponent.
• If you've put Dark Shroud on the Kraken and you're shooting at something within 4", your Chain Strike ability will mean that target is Dark Shrouded too.
• With a 4" reach it can be tempting to get into melee asap (especially if you're using a speed buff caster) but it actually does better shooting for the first two turns of the game. It's squishy (for a colossal) and if you race it forward early "just because you can", then your opponent will kill it.

Other

Trivia

• Released in the Colossals expansion (2012)

Other Cryx models

Cryx Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters	Agathia - Aiakos2 - Asphyxious1 - Asphyxious2 - Asphyxious3 - Coven - Deathjack2 - Deneghra1 - Deneghra2 - Deneghra3 - Goreshade1 - Goreshade2 - Goreshade3 - Mortenebra1 - Mortenebra2 - Rahera - Scaverous - Skarre1 - Skarre2 - Skarre3 - Sturgis2 - Terminus - Venethrax
Warcaster attachments	The Withershadow Combine - Satyxis Blood Priestess - Skarlock Thrall - Doctor Stygius (Partisan) - Madelyn Corbeau (Mercenary)
Other Warjack Controllers	Jack Marshals: Iron Lich Overseer       "Junior Warcasters": Aiakos1 - Asphyxious4 - Deneghra0
Light	Cankerworm - Deathripper - Defiler - Helldiver - Nightwretch - Ripjaw - Scavenger - Shrike - Stalker
Heavy	Barathrum - Corruptor - Deathjack1 - Desecrator - Erebus - Harrower - Kharybdis - Inflictor - Leviathan - Malice - Nightmare - Reaper - Seether - Slayer
Colossal	Kraken - Sepulcher
Units, Solos, Battle Engines, & Structures
Units	Asphyxious4 - Bane Knights - Bane Riders - Bane Warriors - Bile Thralls - BO Boarding Party - BO Ironmongers - BO Smog Belchers - Blackbane's Ghost Raiders - Bloodgorgers - Marauders - Carrion Thralls - Cephalyx Drudges - Cephalyx Overlords - Mechanithralls - Necrosurgeon - Revenant Cannon - Revenant Crew - Satyxis Gunslingers - Satyxis Blood Witches - Satyxis Raiders - Scharde Dirge Seers - Scharde Pirates - Soulhunters - The Devil's Shadow Mutineers - The Withershadow Combine
Solos	Aiakos1 - Agrimony - Axiara - Bane Lord Tartarus - Bloat Thrall - BTO Mobius - Captain Rengrave - Darragh Wrathe - Doctor Stygius - Deneghra0 - Gerlak - Hellslinger - Iron Lich Overseer - Machine Wraith - Master Gurglepox - Misery Cage - Necrotech - Ol' Grim - Pistol Wraith - Satyxis Blood Priestess - Satyxis Raider Captain - Scrap Thrall - Skarlock Thrall - Severa Blacktide - Soul Trapper - Warwitch Siren
Battle Engines & Structures	Wraith Engine
Theme Forces
Black Industries - Dark Host - The Ghost Fleet - Scourge of the Broken Coast
Mercenaries
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Cryx Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2021.11

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Open Fist  (aka, Power Attack Throw)     (Edit) Throw ( Edit ) See also the Throw article for a recap of the core Throw rules. If a model is somehow thrown at itself (which can happen with Durst1's feat) it would not move, it would be knocked down, and it would take a standard power attack damage roll but it would not take an additional die for colliding with itself. (Infernal Ruling) Because you move the target model between the attack roll and the damage roll, you can get different buffs applied to the two rolls. For instance, if you throw the target in or out of a Flanking model's melee range. Incorporeal vs Slammed/Thrown models ( Edit ) Incorporeal models cannot be moved by someone trying to slam them. Slammed models can move through Incorporeal models. If they have enough movement to get past them, no dramas. If they land on them, you move the Incorporeal model out of the way as per the Rule of Least Disturbance. If the Incorporeal model cannot be moved (i.e. it's a flag) then you move the slammed model out of the way, also by the rule of Least Disturbance. For the purposes of Collateral Damage, only the model(s) you contacted before you applied the rule of Least Disturbance count as contacted. The same logic applies to Throws. Collateral Damage Collateral damage cannot be boosted and is not considered damage from an attack or model. Refer page 33 of the 2021.08 version of the rules pdf. As a result: It doesn't trigger stuff that relies on being hit by an enemy (such as Shock Field) or damaged by an enemy (such as Vengeance). It doesn't get bonus damage from stuff that adds to a model's damage roll (such as Signs & Portents or Prey). It doesn't matter if the attacker has crippled weapon systems or aspects. Throw - Power Attack When you make a Throw Power Attack, no other abilities of the Fist weapon (such as Chain Strike) are applied unless they specifically mention Throws. (Locked Thread) If you do a Power Attack Throw and you choose to throw the target directly away, no deviation is rolled to determine the final position of the model. (Locked thread) A model that cannot be targeted by melee attacks (such as Una2's feat) cannot have models thrown at them, either. (Infernal Ruling) Since throwing Model [A] at Model [B] involves making a melee attack roll vs Model [B] which is out of your melee range, it technically breaks a whole bunch of core rules. (Infernal Checking) Even though you make a "melee attack roll" vs Model [B] you don't actually make a melee attack vs it. Also, the damage it suffers is from Collateral damage, not from the original attack. So you can't trigger stuff like Snacking from damage you did to Model B.

Rules Clarification : Chain Weapon - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Chain Strike and/or Lunge     (Edit) The extra melee range kicks in the instant you start your activation, and if that makes you engage an enemy then it means you can't aim. The extra range does apply during Frenzies (because that is defined as an activation) The extra range doesn't apply during free strikes or when your opponent takes control of your model. It doesn't increase the range of Power Attacks, because you do not apply weapon special rules to Power Attacks (unless they specifically reference Power Attacks, like Hard Head does). (Locked Thread) If you're affected by another range-altering rule (such as Jakes2's feat) then that won't override Chain Strike. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Doom Driver - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Colossal      (Edit) See also LPG - Colossals & Gargantuans: Has a newbie-friendly summary of colossal rules. Warjack: Has a copy-paste of the official colossal warjack rules. LPG - Infernals: Has a copy-paste of the official colossal horror rules. Huge Base (Edit) You can draw LOS from your Left arc to a target in your Right arc (and vice versa). See also this diagram Huge-based models get bonus distance if they do a Power Attack: Slam or Power Attack: Power Strike. But this bonus doesn't apply to slams triggered by normal attacks (such as Critical Smite or the Hurricane's Thunder Charge ability). Also, simply being on a huge base triggers a bunch of rules scattered throughout the rulebook, click to read them.   [Show/Hide] From the 2020.02 edition of the core rules (Edit) Fields of Fire Page 37 A huge-based model’s front arc is marked on its base. Its front arc is further divided into two 90° fields of fire. These fields of fire determine which models a huge-based model can target with its weapons, depending on the location of those weapons. Weapons located on a huge-based model’s left side (L) can be used to target only models in its left field of fire, and weapons located on its right side (R) can be used to target only models in its right field of fire. Weapons with locations “S,” “H,” or “—” can be used to target models in either field of fire. If any part of a model’s base is on the line separating the left and right fields of fire, the model is considered to be in both fields of fire. Concealment, Cover, LOS Page 49 Concealment & Cover - Huge-based models never gain the DEF bonuses from concealment or cover. Page 60 Clouds - Cloud effects do not block line of sight to huge-based models. Page 87 Forests - Forests do not block line of sight to huge-based models. Huge-Based models in melee Page 54 - Huge-based models never gain the Target in Melee DEF bonus. Page 65 - Combined Ranged Attacks cannot target a model in melee unless it has a huge base.

Rules Clarification : Construct - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Amphibious - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Bone Picker and/or Bone Pile     (Edit) This model only gets the corpse if it's the closest eligible model. Bone Picker doesn't have the "regardless of proximity of other models" wording like Dark Fire does. This will hardly ever come up, considering the short range of most melee weapons. It'll come up slightly more often for Barnabus2. RFP on Destroyed (Edit) Corpse/Soul generation and collection isn't an ability that you trigger, it just happens the instant a model is destroyed. As such, if an attack RFPs the target on destroyed (such as Bone Picker), it will not stop corpse/souls. (Infernal Ruling) In saying that though, Golab's Carrion Feast ability messes everything up. You can read more about that weird rule interaction here.

Rules Clarification : Kill Shot      (Edit) If you're still in melee when you trigger Kill Shot, you cannot make a ranged attack. Unless you have a rule that lets you shoot while in melee (such as being a Gargantuan or Colossal). Kill Shot can be triggered from a Power Attack. Power Attacks are melee attacks. Kill Shot only triggers one ranged attack, regardless of the gun's normal ROF. (Infernal Ruling) Attack-Generating Abilities (Edit) From the core rulebook: When a model is granted more attacks as a result of an attack it made, it gains only one. If two or more special rules would grant the model another attack as a result of making an attack, its controlling player chooses which special rule to apply. If you trigger two attack-generating abilities (such as Black Spot and Kill Shot) you choose to resolve one and "lose" the other (unless you trigger it again later). If you trigger two attack-generating abilities, and one of them is compulsory (such as Black Spot and Berserk), you must choose to resolve the compulsory one. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Meat-Fueled      (Edit) If you simultaneously attack multiple models (such as a Kraken doing a Power Sweep) you won't get their corpses until it's too late to help with that attack. The wording at Step 10 the Timing Appendix, "Apply all damage one model at a time", makes it sound like you get the corpse token first and thus will do extra damage to the next model, but this isn't the case. Because the damage roll and STR buff is worked out at Step 9.

Rules Clarification : Crucible of Death - None yet. (Edit)