Editing Shuul'se-pattern Kraken

{{Title|''Shuul'se''-pattern Kraken}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{Vehicle infobox
|name=''Shuul'se''-pattern Subjugator
|image=[[File:Enc22 Kraken.png|300px]]
|manufacturer=[[Hearth of Aspero]]{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22|Enc22|Page=277}}
|line=
|model=Kraken
|class=Subjugator
|cost=
|length={{Convert|580.6|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|width={{Convert|587.9|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|height={{Convert|1729|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|mass=0.8 million tons (0.7 million tonnes){{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|max speed=
|engine=
|hull=
|armament=4+ {{Pattern|Bmur'resh|Shade}}s {{C|Varies}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|crew=10{{Ref/Site|Id=HWKraken|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/vehicles/kraken|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Kraken|D=30|M=06|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|complement=250 passengers{{Ref/Reuse|HWKraken}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|consumables=
|othersystems=
|firstuse=[[Age of Conflict|Third Age of Conflict]]{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|service=[[Post-Covenant War conflicts]]
|role=Siege tower
|affiliation=[[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]]
}}
{{Quote|[[Thel 'Vadam|Arbiter]]'s taking that thing on in [[D'nomlhe-pattern Banshee|Banshees]]? That's brave.|[[Edward Buck]] during the [[Battle of Nuusra]].{{Ref/Level|Id=EL|H5G|Enemy Lines}}}}
The '''''Shuul'se''-pattern Subjugator'''{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} {{Type|55|Ultra-Heavy Siege Tower|UHST}}, colloquially known as the '''Kraken''', is an extremely large [[Covenant]] walker employed as a siege tower.{{Ref/Reuse|HWKraken}} It was used in combat by [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]] in late [[2558]].{{Ref/Reuse|EL}}

==Overview==
===Design details===
The Kraken is an ultra-heavy siege tower, a massive Covenant sky fortress with three powerful grappler arms capable of physically crushing and moving mountain-sized objects.{{Ref/Reuse|HWKraken}} The shape of the Kraken is very similar to terrestrial squid. This, along with its massive proportions, has given rise to its [[UNSC]] nickname, after the [[Wikipedia:Kraken|creature]] from Norse mythology. The Kraken is composed of a large hollow structure that allows large aerial vehicles such as the {{Pattern|Mikpramu|Phantom}} dropship to fly and even land inside it. Throughout the Kraken, there are several {{Pattern|Bmur'resh|Shade}} turrets deployed for defence. The area above the hollow section is solid, capping it off. Below the hollow section, there are several more Shade turrets and docking bays that can house {{Pattern|D'nomlhe|Banshee}}s.

The core is housed in the bottom-most section, where the three limb-like mechanisms protrude. The core is susceptible to heavy ordnance and becomes explosively unstable after sustaining significant damage.

The Kraken is able to hover via a Forerunner gravitational core,{{Citation needed}} which also serves as its power source, but can also support itself on its limbs if needed.

It is commonly held that these siege towers were originally based on a variant of [[Forerunner]] [[Sentinel]]s used during the war with the [[Flood]], having been discovered in a reliquary of mothballed ordnance.{{Ref/Reuse|HWKraken}}

===Armament===
The Kraken features several {{Pattern|Bmur'resh|Shade}} turrets spaced across its decks. Each of these is operated individually.

Its limbs can also be used offensively and are capable of massive structural damage.

==Operational history==
===Human-Covenant War===
Some human records indicate that the Kraken may have been encountered early in the war with the Covenant, but none survived to confirm it. [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]] secured several weapons caches belonging to the original hegemony, including a number of Krakens. Although they were at first used sparingly (as 'Mdama wished to avoid "tipping his hand"), the Covenant deployed Krakens ''en masse'' in [[2558#October|October 2558]].{{Ref/Reuse|HWKraken}}

===Post-war era===
During the [[Battle of Kamchatka]], 'Mdama ordered a Kraken deployed to hold off [[Promethean]] forces that had rebelled against his control. However, the Promethean resistance forced the platform to fall back, leading to 'Mdama's death shortly thereafter.{{Ref/Level|H5G|Osiris (level)|Osiris}}

'Mdama's remaining troops [[Battle of Nuusra|attacked]] the [[Vadam]] lands of [[Sanghelios]] with another Kraken.{{Ref/Reuse|HWKraken}} Though powerful, it was held off by [[Swords of Sanghelios]] [[D'nomlhe-pattern Banshee|Banshees]] until it was cornered in a narrow canyon. There, [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan]] [[Fireteam Osiris]] boarded it using captured [[Forerunner]] [[Phaeton]]s, navigated to the excavator's power core and then overloaded it before escaping the Kraken on hijacked Banshees. Without power, the Kraken fell to its demise in the chasm below.{{Ref/Reuse|EL}}

==Trivia==
The Kraken was codenamed "Sentry Ship" during the development of ''Halo 5: Guardians'' to reflect on its role as a watcher overseeing the battlefield.

==Gallery==
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes}}
<gallery>
File:H5G Kraken Concept 1.jpg|Concept art for the Kraken and its defences.
File:Halo-5-Kraken-design-inspiration.jpg|Concept and design inspiration of the Kraken showcasing textures based on crab exoskeletons and blue whale skin.
File:Phil-liu-phil-liu-kraken-floor1.jpg|Floor-plan of a Kraken.
File:H5G-KrakenonEnemyLines.jpg|A Kraken over Nuusra.
File:Unidentified Covenant Excavator.png|The Kraken preparing to smash.
File:Unidentified Covenant Excavator2.png|A Kraken crushing structures.
File:H5-EnemyLines-Kraken.jpg|The Kraken pausing briefly beyond the edge of a cliff.
File:Unidentified Covenant Excavator3.PNG|[[Fireteam Osiris]] preparing to assault the excavator with [[Phaeton]]s.
File:Unidentified Covenant Excavator4.PNG|Fireteam Osiris assaulting the Kraken using captured [[Forerunner]] [[Phaeton]]s.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
* ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' {{1st}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Covenant Ground Vehicles}}

[[Category:Excavators|Unidentified Covenant Excavator]]