- Kraken build centers on converting Kraken dice into rift faces for massive column value
- Pair Kraken with MIGO repeat units (King Migo, Brood Mother) for exponential scaling
- Hoard budges and chrono — they fuel rerolls, repositioning, and artifact triggers
- Triples scored with base dice generate mini dice and chrono for extended turns
- Best difficulty to test this build: Impossible chapter runs for high-value shop pools
Kraken Build Overview
The Kraken build in Dicevaders is a dice-conversion strategy built around the Kraken die, whose real power emerges when it transforms into rift dice. In a live Impossible-difficulty playtest of Chapter 5 with the Overseer, the build snowballed from a disappointing "Kraken dice not hitting anything" opening into a late-game engine pushing past 100 million score — all because of one key conversion: "that time the Kraken dice did turn into a rift dice. Plus nine repeat. That's insane."
The core loop is simple to state and demanding to execute:
| Phase | Goal | Key Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Early game | Establish columns, unlock slots | Chrono, shop rarity |
| Mid game | Convert Kraken dice to rift faces | Budges, rerolls |
| Late game | Duplicate MIGO units, stack repeat | Malt, mini dice |
| Boss | Send everything, score triples | Full board state |
Video Highlights:
- Overseer run combining two unit abilities into one synergy engine
- Kraken dice converting into rift dice with plus nine repeat
- King Migo duplication pushing all units past 800 bonus strength
- Budge and chrono economy management across Impossible difficulty
The Kraken die frequently misses early — "The Kraken dice not hitting anything is a bit disappointing but you know is what it is." Do not panic-reroll your economy away before you have the conversion pieces in place.
Core Synergies and Unit Picks
The build lives and dies on synergy. The strongest pairing observed combines rift generation with MIGO-based repeat stacking.
Rift Conversion
- Kraken dice roll into rift faces
- Rift acts as extra dice for all column dice
- Scales every unit in the column at once
MIGO Repeat Stack
- King Migo and Brood Mother grant plus one repeat when scored
- Artifacts like "MIGO units have plus one repeat" stack multiplicatively
- Late runs reached 11+ repeat per unit
Budge Economy
- Budges enable repositioning and artifact triggering
- "Turn begins: get one budge and one chrono" is a top-tier pick
- Save budges for high-impact swaps, not early convenience
Artifact Priority Table
| Artifact Effect | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MIGO units gain plus one repeat when scored | ★★★★★ | Brood Mother combo piece |
| Score any triple with base dice: plus three mini dice, one chrono | ★★★★★ | Fuels extended turns |
| Turn begins: one budge and one chrono | ★★★★☆ | Best consistent resource engine |
| Shop rarity 50%, units gain strength | ★★★★☆ | Strong early, falls off late |
| Spend chrono each turn: plus two mini dice | ★★★★☆ | Jupiter Brain enabler |
| Shielded units gain 40 strength | ★★★☆☆ | Pairs with random-shield artifacts |
| Destroy non-token unit for 15 strength to all | ★★☆☆☆ | Hard to facilitate reliably |
When offered "level up your starter artifact three times," take it if your starter artifact triggers on XP gain. Chained XP triggers converted into 40+ malt per turn in testing — flat value that compounds every rotation.
Step-by-Step Setup Guide
Establish Your Columns
Place scoring artifacts in fixed columns early. Lock in a triple-scoring column and commit base dice to it — "bang, bang, bang" triples generate mini dice and chrono that fund the rest of the run.
Build the Resource Floor
Prioritize budge and chrono generation in the first shop rotations. Skippable-looking picks like "give shield to a random unit" provide early malt while you search for conversion pieces.
Set Up the Conversion
Reroll toward rift faces. When the Kraken die converts, its column inherits extra dice — this is the moment the build goes from 12k scores to 57k and beyond.
Stack MIGO Repeat
Deploy King Migo, then Brood Mother. Look for the repeat-granting artifact and position units so scored MIGO units hit repeatedly. Duplicate King Migo when the duplicate effect appears.
Pop Big Bang and Send
Time your big XP-trigger artifact for the turn after duplication. In testing this sequence pushed all units past 800 bonus strength and the run into nine-figure scores.
"I didn't even know we were at the boss" is a real outcome of this build — the engine runs itself once repeat stacks are live. Still, check boss timers before committing your duplicate window.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
| Mistake | Why It Fails | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Spending budges immediately | End pieces become unbudgeable later | Save budges for better targets |
| Destroying units for 15 strength | Sacrifices long-term repeat scaling | Only destroy tokens or dead columns |
| Over-investing in shop rarity | Late-game strength outvalues shopping | Send runs instead once scaled |
| Ignoring column artifacts on launch | XP triggers chain across columns | Budge units up before launching |
| Skipping triples with base dice | Loses mini dice and chrono income | Always score available base triples |
Board states with no empty tiles can shut down repositioning entirely — "no empty tiles, so you've been hard countered." Keep at least one flexible column open for emergency swaps.
Run Goals Checklist
Kraken Build Milestones:
- Secure one budge and one chrono per turn
- Convert Kraken dice into a rift face
- Deploy King Migo with repeat artifact
- Add Brood Mother for second repeat stack
- Duplicate King Migo before the boss fight
- Break 1 million score on Impossible difficulty
FAQ
Q: Is the Kraken build viable on Impossible difficulty?
Yes. The Overseer Chapter 5 playtest ran this exact build on Impossible and scaled from roughly 12k mid-run scores to over 100 million, driven by rift conversion and MIGO repeat stacking.
Q: What should I do when the Kraken dice misses early?
Accept the miss and keep building your budge and chrono economy. The Kraken die's value is in its eventual rift conversion, not its early hits — rerolling away your resources for early damage is the fastest way to lose the run.
Q: Which units are essential for the Kraken build?
King Migo and Brood Mother are the core pair, supported by Warped Martian and Swarmer for early-game tempo. Any artifact granting MIGO units extra repeat when scored multiplies the whole engine.
Q: Should I take shop rarity or raw strength late in a run?
Raw strength and sending runs wins late. Shop rarity is strongest in the opening rotations when you are still assembling pieces — once your repeat stack is live, additional shopping rarely outperforms just scoring.