Fusion Announcement: Kro’Khad the Throatripper

It’s been a long time coming, but Raid: Shadow Legends is finally delivering on the promise made during the Packmaster Shy’ek fusion—more viable hounds. The upcoming fusion champion, Kro’Khad the Throatripper, is a long-anticipated addition to the Packmaster’s team and seems purpose-built to thrive in Hydra and PvE content.

Starting Monday, July 28th – This will be a FRAGMENT Collection Fusion.

Let’s break down what makes Kro’Khad so exciting—and whether it finally makes Packmaster viable.

A1 – Hound Tyrant

Attacks all enemies with individual hits, meaning it deals single-target damage to each foe, even though it’s an AoE. This is excellent for Hydra, which reduces AoE damage but doesn’t mitigate single-target hits the same way. The attack ignores Reflect Damage, Pain Link, and Ally Protection, making it very safe and efficient.
If Packmaster Shy’k is on the team, this attack deals double damage when counterattacking, adding serious nuke potential to reactive builds.

A2 – Festering Jaw (4-turn cooldown, books to 3)

Another AoE hit that places an extra hit on enemies under 2 or more debuffs. Each hit has a chance to apply Leech and Weaken, and if Packmaster is present, they become irresistible (no accuracy needed). That makes this skill not just great for damage, but a utility powerhouse when combined with the right support.

A3 – Dominant Predator (4-turn cooldown, books to 3)

Single-target nuke that ignores 50% DEF, Life Barrier, Poison Cloud, and effects that redirect attacks (e.g., Mischief Head in Hydra). If Packmaster Shy’k is in the team, this attack repeats, doubling its impact. This is a direct counter to some of the most annoying Hydra mechanics.

Passive – Primal Ambition

Increases this champion’s ATK by 5% per kill or decapitated Hydra head, stacking up to 25%. With Packmaster present, the buff jumps to 10% per, for a total of 50%.
Even better, if an ally is consumed by Hydra, this instantly activates the A3 against the consuming head—an extremely powerful reactive trigger that could turn the tide of battle.

Aura

Increases Ally ATK in all battles by 30%.

Kro’Khad’s entire kit is enhanced when paired with Packmaster Shy’ek—finally giving that older fusion a meaningful teammate. Shy’ek’s A1 teams up with hounds using their default skill, meaning Kro’Khad’s AoE A1 gets even more value. Additionally, several of Kro’Khad’s skills become unresistable or repeat when the Packmaster is present, making the duo significantly more effective together than apart.

However, Shy’ek’s kit hasn’t aged well—especially his A2, which relies on Taunt (a now-nerfed mechanic for Hydra) and Reflect Damage (rarely useful outside PvP). His A3 is still decent, providing Turn Meter boosts and AoE Block Buffs, but overall, his kit doesn’t shine without the right hound.

Kro’Khad the Throatripper looks like a standalone PvE monster with real teeth in Hydra. His ignore mechanics, multipliers, debuff utility, and stacking passive all scream value. Even without Packmaster, he brings a ton to the table. With Packmaster, he has some cool bonus effects—but that’s only worth it if you’re really leaning into the synergy.

This isn’t a new Hydra meta-defining duo just yet, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. If future hounds continue this trend, the Packmaster concept might finally have its day.