Dragons

(All dragon stats are from the Gold difficulty level)

The Dracobane

written by: FrostElfGuard & Tharkane

The Dracobane

The Dragons of Ancaria are fearsome beasts of tremendous size and power. Their powers are manifold. They may summon huge stones from the sky to smite the would-be dragonslayers who trespass in their domains. With a breath they may unleash torrents of incinerating fire, utterly consuming all unfortunate enough to stand before them. These mighty creatures also enjoy ripping their victims limb from limb with their talons and sword-like teeth. Their scales are as hard and unyielding as the finest Dwarven steel.

To become a Dracobane – a slayer of Dragons -  is understand your enemy, and uncover every weakness. Find these and exploit them to the fullest. Understanding can not only serve as your weapon, but also your armor: with it, you may turn the various attacks of your foe to the side, escaping harm.

Before you Approach a Dragon, Approach a Merchant!! (Shop before the Drop)

Often a hero will stock up on potions before seeking out a Dragon. The best place to do this is at your local Merchant's shop. These potions are: health (red); concentration (yellow), antidote (green); and undead death (purple). Mentor potions (blue) are not available at the shop. Those are only found during your adventures. Be sure to save at least one of these for the last few moments of the Dragon's life: doing so will yield an additional 50% experience bonus when it collapses lifeless to the earth! Any or all of these potions might prove useful as some Dragons have poison attacks of their own…or their minions will.

Boss Mods for Socketing your best Armor

Lifeleech (at least 18%), Critical Hit, Extra damage to Dragons are all goods mods.

To Combo or not to Combo

Many Dragon hunters shop for a suit of armor with maximum sockets.  Torso armor for example can have up to 4 sockets.  This suit of armor (torso, gloves, helmet, belt, greaves etc…) can be used to boost the Trade Skill (if possessed) of the hunter… or may be used to create a combo suit.  A combo suit boosts a specific combat art or spell to about 22 levels above normal use.    The suit is worn when the combo is purchased from the combo master, and then is stored in the private stash for making other combos later.

At low character levels, a combo suit can make a Dragonslaying very, very easy.  The level of the Dragon is 2 + character level, not 2 + highest combat art/spell level.  So you can have a very powerful bag of tricks to draw from when facing a Dragon.

Normal combos are:

• 4x Hard Hit
• 4x Celestial Light
• 4x Fire Spiral
• 1x Ring of Ice + 3x Fire Spiral
• And so on.

Note when casting a stationary combo you may cast it before luring the Dragon over with a tasty morsel (that would be you!).  You may cast several stationary combos regenerating them with a concentration (yellow) potion each time.

Unlike the spell caster, the melee fighter will have to bravely face the Dragon’s talons and teeth to land his or her blows in battle.  Be prepared to take your licks!

Understanding Dragonfire … Prepare for the Worst

All the Dragons of Ancaria can breathe fire.  I have tested myself against a representative sample (D’Cay Lady of the Orcus (Undead dragon), Sisslith (Dragon of Frostgard), Sssisliths (Swamp Dragon) and the Twins: Winter’s Rigor and Frosted Death (Ice Dragons).

All the Dragons of Ancaria breathe a fire that deals Physical and Fire damage.

All of them rear their heads a certain way before they unleash their fearsome breath weapon!  Learn to recognize the signs…and get moving when you see them!  The breath will come in a wide arc.  Don’t be where you were when it started!

So, if you plan on facing Dragon fire…then know this: Dragons will only breathe fire when you are in range of their breath but out of range of their claws. The fire breath comes out in an arc, it sweeps over quite a wide area…and it lasts for quite a while. The lake of burning firebreath can damage you many times in short period. My test characters teased a firebreath from the dragons, and then briefly sampled some of the damage. My guess is that you will be hit about 20 times with fire/physical

Damage, in the span of a second or two.  Damage to the unprepared is phenomenal!!

However, if you wear the best Fire and Physical armor you can buy…and socket it with Dragon Scales, you should easily live to tell the tale of your epic battle. 

Dragon Scales are given as a quest reward for the Dragon Scale side quest in Alkazaba noc Draco.  Each Scale (when socketed into armor or weapon) will boost your fire resistance by 40%.  If you’re wearing Fire protection armor already you can save your sockets for a number of these Scales.  No need to limit yourself to just one.  Simply repeat the quest. (Export if in SP, and restart the campaign).

One thing to note about Dragonfire: some Dragons breath fire more often than others.  The Guardian of Frostgard breathes quite often.  There is no set limit on how many times it may breathe fire in a row.  Be prepared for it at any time.

Understanding Meteor Storm (spell)  … Learning to Dance

A new trick for the Dragons of Ancaria is the Meteor Storm spell.  One of the highest damaging spells in Ancaria is now in the claws of Dragons!!! 

This spell is generally cast when you are out of breath range.  Dragons may cast boulders from the sky at you even if it is off-screen!  The spell casting animation is a bobbing of the head…quite short.  Like the firebreath animation, learn to recognize this too.  As soon as you hear the sound of Meteors---MOVE!  The range of a hit is fairly tight, but you don’t want to be crushed like an insect!!  So move it!

Please keep in mind that as long as your character is at range, Meteor Storm is a possibility.

I’ve had 3 Meteor Storms cast at me in a row.  Don’t think you have breathing room between casts.  You don’t.

Understanding Melee attacks … Dancing to the Beat of Different Drum

The Dragons also possess something like the Hard Hit combat art.  If you are within reach of their claws, expect some serious damage coming your way.  Each dragon deals different elemental types of damage with their melee attack.

If you plan to melee with them, you should build your resistance to their specific melee attack.

Melee Damage types Dealt by Dragons

Understanding Draconic Armor … Strike while the Iron is Hot

Most Dragons of Ancaria are especially vulnerable to one elemental type of damage.  For most, that is a susceptibility to poison.  Some are vulnerable to 2 elemental damage forms... but not especially weak to any.  Their resistances will vary in degrees.

D’Cay, Lady of the Orcus of Khorad-Nur is wide open to FIRE damage.  So, stock up on your fire damage to take her down quickly.  Any other type of damage will probably see you long dead before she is even scratched.

Dragon Vulnerabilities

Movement around Dragons---Circle those wagons!

One simple tactic for ranged magic and archers is to constantly circle the Dragon at range.  This should convince the dragon to employ his/her ranged weapons: Breathe and Meteor Storm.  Which is fine with you…since these will appear behind you.  Just maintain a clockwise or counter-clockwise movement.

For best effect, boost your character’s movement speed by socketing items with the +X speed modifier.  Of course, avoid using armor that makes you suffer movement speed penalty. 

Another trick is to steal the undead horse from the Portal at the Fields of Urkuk.  It is a 220 speed horse that does not require the riding skill.  That is, you do not need to invest in the Riding Skill to attain 220 (or greater) movement speed.  You may buy a bridle (or find one) with up to (at least) +31 movement speed.  This additional movement goes above the 220 movement speed cap, making it possible to be faster on the horse than you ever could be on foot.  (Dwarf note: the little fellow might not have the same movement speed cap as other classes due to hardy nature.

Wood Elves, Seraphims and Battle Mages all benefit greatly from the use of a horse.  Other classes less so.  Keep in mind that you cannot cast a combo from mounted position…and that a horse caught in Dragonfire will die.  However, the Dragon will generally not target the horse…and if it does… you can distract the Dragon easily by hurting it.

Clearing out the riff raff ---Send in the Clowns

Dragons generally are not found alone.  They have a cadre of support monsters.

For some characters (the Vampiress and the Daemon), these puny monsters provide fodder for their damage increase abilities (Vampiress at night automatic power-up, Daemon “Call of Death” spell).  For others, the friends of the Dragon provide attack rate increase (Dwarf with Battle Rage).

For most classes, these monsters provide distractions—however sometimes these Dragon friends can prove deadly.

The reason is simple: Petrification/Plant Cage/Binding/Stunning.  Anything that can glue your character to a spot is potentially deadly.  It allows the Dragon to aim its Breathe or Meteor Storm when you cannot evade.  Just one pass of either could be enough to ruin your day.  So, plan accordingly. 

That means: draw out the supporters without aggravating the Dragon.  Use a bow, crossbow or spell to specifically irritate one or more of the Dragon’s minions.  Draw them to you…without attracting the attention of their Draconion master.

If the Dragon notices you…it will come for you.  Flee from it!

Circle around and return from another direction.  You can’t afford to be stuck in place if it casts one of its area of effect combat arts.  Either create killing fields.

A word on Cursed Treasure – YEEEEES PRECIOUS!!!!!

Sirithcam (Fire Dragon) and Lorinor of Tyr Fasul both guard Cursed Treasure.  Lorinor guards ten batches of cursed treasure…each good for 1000 gold in bronze (and going up each difficulty level) and a drop (based on your Survival Bonus and “Chance to find Special Item”, and whether Greed has been cast on you—your chances of better drops improve).  These treasures will not harm your character.  Loot at will!

Take it like a Man!! (or a Woman!!!)

For those pursuing the ranged attack (bow/crossbow/spell) method: be aware.  If the Dragon has decided to take a swipe at you… it will attempt to close with you.  It will not stop trying to get within melee range.  It will move fairly swiftly…but not at the maximum speed possible.  You may evade it successfully.  Or, you may decide to take it like a man… for this resets the Dragon’s attack choice.  If you quickly dodge back after the attack, it will switch to one of its forms of ranged attack…most likely.  That is why you brought healing potions.  You gotta break some eggs to make an omelette…  or in this case a few bones to slay a Dragon!

Putting it all together.

• Potioned up.
• Armor –protect against how you expect the Dragon to attack? (Keeping in mind each Dragon melees with different damage?)
• Weapons/Spells –selected for the Dragon’s weakness(es)
• On foot or Mounted?
• Movement rate high enough?
• Be prepared to dodge fires and sky-rocks.
• Remember to eliminate supporting monsters that will stun or stop you.
• Have a good time Dragonslayer! Get ready to rumble!!!

Go get them tiger!