# Help with Kerberos and Kraken
**URL:** https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/help-with-kerberos-and-kraken/16380
**Category:** Gameplay Chat (PC/Mobile)
**Created:** [December 9, 2016, 6:53am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/help-with-kerberos-and-kraken/16380 "2016-12-09T06:53:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ariel](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Ariel)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2016, 6:53am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/help-with-kerberos-and-kraken/16380/1 "2016-12-09T06:53:42Z")
I use these two troops but can’t decide their order (they both use purple).
I use them for both offense and PVP defense.
Offense is slightly less important since I rarely lose those matches anyway, but it can happen, especially against silence teams [eventually I’ll make a Silence resistant/Impervious team].
So I guess I’m _mostly_ asking for PVP defense…?
Kraken then Kerberos:
–Kerberos has more chances (open spots) to summon Wargs (and theoretically Dire Wolves)
–Kraken’s ability does more overall damage, but is not targeted
–Kraken is _slightly_ tankier in front because of Huge and Tentacles
Kerberos then Kraken:
–Kerberos has 10% better chance to Devour
–Kerberos damage [and Devour] is targeted
–Kraken has more time to get big and annoying with Tentacles and Huge
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### Author:  [@DonBoba](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/DonBoba)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2016, 7:22am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/help-with-kerberos-and-kraken/16380/2 "2016-12-09T07:22:32Z")
Kraken can loop with giant spider and win a game in a single turn. I put kraken first.
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### Author:  [@Simon](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Simon)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2016, 9:45am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/help-with-kerberos-and-kraken/16380/3 "2016-12-09T09:45:24Z")
I haven’t tested Kerby specifically, but the AI’s targetting with it is probably completely random, so that’s not really a positive feature. Kraken takes out the 3rd and 4th slots, which are usually the highest priority targets.
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### Author:  [@Esoxnepa](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Esoxnepa)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/help-with-kerberos-and-kraken/16380/4 "2016-12-09T14:37:11Z")
Any chance you could show us the team you are using them with?
As DonBoba said, if you’re running Giant Spider to generate purple, then you really want the Kraken first, for the chance to look GS-\>Kr-\>GS, which may even power Kerberos too.
I tend to like eclectic / different teams, so I’ve run one with:
Goblin Rocket (R/Y mana generator) or Valkyrie
Giant Spider (G/B purple generator)
Kraken
Kerberos
With the idea to accept Goblin Rocket might die early, but use the summons to protect the Giant Spider → Devour loop.
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### Author:  [@Whiskeyjack](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Whiskeyjack)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2016, 3:38pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/help-with-kerberos-and-kraken/16380/5 "2016-12-09T15:38:01Z")
X, GS, Kraken, Kerberos is definitely the way to play it. I use Gorgotha and frozen banner (so gorgotha soaks up skulls and I basically ignore his spell). Other members of mean machine use TDS with abyssal banner (to fire off first and fill the others with some extra souls as a bonus). But we all agree that it’s all about getting that GS/kraken loop going!
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### Author:  [@Ariel](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Ariel)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/help-with-kerberos-and-kraken/16380/6 "2016-12-09T19:31:42Z")
Thanks for the advice, I did level and trait Giant Spider…
Which meant I had to level and trait Spider Swarm…
Which meant that I might as well get Zhul’kari to 5 gold stars. 😄
I do have a Gorgotha lying around. I don’t like that his brown blocks Kerberos, so I use
Archer + Mountain Crusher, which means I only need 1 or 2 matches to blow up Brown gems (which is also nice against Emperor Korvash).
Also because of the looping, it makes a lot of skull matches, which is good for Archer.
15% to destroy, 40% to Devour, and 50% to Devour, plus summon Warg and/or Spider Swarm means a pretty annoying Defensive team.
Kraken is growing no matter what and if Devour gets lucky then it gets out of hand.
I just figured that RNG was the best way to go in Defense…
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### Author:  [@Studs](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Studs)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/help-with-kerberos-and-kraken/16380/7 "2016-12-09T20:16:56Z")
If you’re thinking about it as a defensive team then I’d suggest Gorgotha over Archer. The popularity of Manticore/Bone Dragon right now makes Gorgotha pretty attractive.
I also find Gorgotha better on offense. He does block the Browns, but the synergy is premised on looping Purples & Blues so it doesn’t matter much in practice. (If you’re matching browns then you’re doing it wrong.) On top of that, Gorgotha lets you match _very_ safely under most every circumstance. In the event where you’re slow to get up and running, or when the Devours refuse to come, Gorgotha buys you a lot of time.
Personally, I don’t like TDS since it blocks Purples, which is critical to the loop.