The Kraken

The Kraken is one of the most formidable naval threats players will encounter in Age of Mythology: Retold. This colossal sea monster, often appearing in critical naval missions or as a powerful Myth Unit summoned by certain civilizations, possesses devastating area-of-effect attacks and can easily decimate entire fleets if not engaged with a well-planned strategy. Its immense health pool and high damage output make it a challenging foe, requiring both naval superiority and specific unit counters for victory.

Kraken Abilities and Threat Assessment

Understanding the Kraken's capabilities is the first step to countering it effectively:

Tentacle Slam: The Kraken's primary attack, dealing significant area-of-effect damage to multiple ships within its reach. This can quickly sink clustered vessels.
Grapple: While not a direct damage ability, the Kraken can sometimes grapple and hold a ship, preventing it from moving and making it an easy target for subsequent attacks.
High Health & Armor: The Kraken boasts an exceptionally large health pool and often possesses high armor, making it resistant to standard naval attacks.
Myth Unit Status: As a Myth Unit, it is often resistant to hero bonus damage, though this can vary depending on the specific scenario or God Power used.

Strategic Engagement: How to Defeat the Kraken

Defeating the Kraken requires a multi-pronged approach focusing on unit composition, tactical positioning, and judicious use of God Powers.

Recommended Unit Counters

While the Kraken is powerful, certain units excel at bringing it down:

Siege Ships (e.g., Catapult Triremes, Ballista Ships): These are your primary damage dealers. Siege ships deal bonus damage to buildings and Myth Units, making them highly effective against the Kraken's large health pool. Focus on building a significant number of these.
Fireships (e.g., Fire Ships, Triremes with Fire Upgrades): While not as specialized as siege ships, Fireships can contribute consistent damage, especially if you have upgrades that boost their attack. They are also relatively cheap to produce in large numbers.
Heroes (e.g., Odysseus, Ajax, Arkantos): While the Kraken might resist hero bonus damage in some contexts, heroes still provide valuable combat stats and can draw aggro. Their presence can also inspire nearby units. Ensure your heroes are on ships if the battle is purely naval.
Healing Ships (e.g., Priests on Transport Ships, specific Myth Units): If available, units that can heal your damaged ships will significantly increase your fleet's longevity.

Tactical Advice

Spread Your Fleet: Avoid clumping your ships together. The Kraken's area-of-effect attacks will punish tightly packed formations. Spread your siege ships and other damage dealers to minimize collateral damage.
Focus Fire: Designate all your damage-dealing units to attack the Kraken exclusively. Do not let them get distracted by other enemy naval units if the Kraken is your primary target.
Kiting (If Applicable): If the Kraken is slow or your ships are fast, attempt to "kite" it by moving your ships back while they fire. This can reduce the number of attacks it lands on your fleet.
Protect Your Siege Ships: Siege ships are crucial but often have lower health. Use faster, more durable ships (like Hammer Ships or even Transports if desperate) to screen for your siege vessels, drawing the Kraken's attacks away from your main damage output.
Repair When Possible: If you have access to docks or repair ships, pull damaged vessels back for repairs to keep them in the fight longer.

God Powers and Myth Unit Support

God Powers can turn the tide against a Kraken:

Damage God Powers (e.g., Lightning Storm, Meteor, Earthquake): These can deal significant burst damage to the Kraken, especially if it's already weakened. Time these carefully for maximum impact.
Healing/Support God Powers (e.g., Restoration, Prosperity): Restoration can heal your entire fleet, providing a crucial lifeline. Prosperity can boost resource income, allowing you to quickly replace lost ships.
Defensive God Powers (e.g., Frost, Ceasefire): Frost can temporarily freeze the Kraken, allowing your ships to reposition or deal free damage. Ceasefire can buy you time to regroup and repair.
Myth Unit Support: If your civilization has strong naval Myth Units (e.g., Leviathan for Atlanteans, Nereid for Greeks), deploy them. They often have higher health and unique abilities that can aid in the fight.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Underestimating its Damage: Don't send a small, unupgraded fleet against the Kraken. It will be annihilated.
Ignoring its AOE: Clustering ships is a death sentence. Always maintain spacing.
Lack of Focus: Spreading your attacks among multiple targets will only prolong the fight and increase your losses.
Neglecting Upgrades: Naval attack, armor, and siege upgrades are paramount. Research them fully before engaging.

By combining a strong fleet composition with smart tactics and timely God Power usage, even the mightiest Kraken will eventually succumb to your naval supremacy.

The Kraken — Age of Mythology: Retold Walkthrough