Dragonkin and You: A Field Guide by Kaelrich
Over the course of my research on dragons I found that there are several smaller subspecies of the fire belching, two ton, balls of fang and claw. These creatures are elemental in nature and also a force to be reckoned. It’s difficult to keep your composure when an army of wizards summons a group of scaled and skilled warriors to keep them safe from harm. Dragonkin are fast and physically powerful. The larger ones even have a breath weapon similar to that of their dragon forefathers. To the summoning army they are always a welcome sight. To an opposing army they evoke another level of worry and terror.
These lesser dragons come in 3 different varieties. Two of them are more suited to the throes of melee, while the other is best at skilfully maneuvering through a battlefield. Like the races of Esfah they have 4 ranks (based off dice size) and the largest of them have the ability to influence there proper dragon cousins to leave a terrain in favor of a juicier, and more attainable snack.
Their ranks are as follows
Heavy:
Dragontroop: Common: 1 Health: 1 Melee, 1 Melee, 1 Manoeuvre, 1 Melee, Belly
Dragonhero: Uncommon: 2 Health: 2 Melee, 3 melee, 1 Manoeuvre, 2 Melee, Belly
Dragonchamp: Rare: 3 Health: 2 Manoeuvre, 4 Melee, Breath, 3 Melee, Belly
Heavy Dragonkin are all about the melee with a slight risk/reward system, the hero and champ both have a face with their health+1 and will serve well when fighting to keep or take an eighth face.
Light:
Dragonscout: Common: 1 Health: 1 Manoeuvre, 1 Melee, 1 Manoeuvre, 1 Melee, Belly
Dragonsentry: Uncommon: 2 Health: 2 Melee, 2 Melee, 2 Manoeuvre, 2 Melee, Belly
Dragonspy: Rare: 3 Health: 3 Manoeuvre, 3 Melee, Breath, 3 Melee, Belly
the light are offer more stability in results than the heavies. They are still oriented to the melee but that’s alright due to their consistency.
Cavalry:
Dragonfoal: Common: 1 Health: 1 Manoeuvre, 1 Manoeuvre, 1 Melee, 1 Manoeuvre, Belly
Dragonmount: Uncommon: 2 Health: 2 Melee, 2 Manoeuvre, 2 Melee, 2 Manoeuvre, Belly
Dragonsteed: Rare: 3 Health: 3 Melee, 3 Manoeuvre, Breath, 3 Manoeuvre, Belly
Cavalry offer the best mix of Manoeuvre and Melee, with a 50% chance of either. If you want a mage army to move bring mounts and steed and you will be fine in the race for the eighth face.
Champion:
Monster: 4 Health: Belly, Fly, Breath, Smite, Logo
So yes, the champion is the equivalent of a monster in that they have killer SAI’s and can contribute even more to a save roll if they roll fly, they are also amazing on the attack and counter attack.
Summoning
Lets talk summoning these hulking beasties. To begin with, a summoner must cast “Summon Dragonkin” enough times to get the health-worth you desire. There are a few things to remember about dragonkin though.
1. Dragonkin never leave a terrain and will be desummoned if the army leaves, is destroyed, or is somehow no longer present at a terrain.
2. They may only be summoned on a front. You cannot bring these guys out in a reserve area.
3. They will only participate in melee and manoeuvre actions. That means they will only roll for Melee, Manoeuvre, and Save results (note: upon speaking with the developers I have uncovered that does mean saves against missile attacks AND magical spells targeting the army or dragonkin.)
So what use are these beasties? Your mages are good at mostly one thing, MAGIC. These monstrosities of fang, breath, and claw can increase the effectiveness of your mage based army by quit a bit with their natural saves and manoeuvring capabilities. They can also make counter attacks and Melee actions more profitable.
The most evident force to summon would be a grouping of both dragonmounts and dragonscouts. The summoners may then choose to buff their own army with magic to assist the dragonkin with spells like Higher Ground, Dancing Lights, Fiery Weapons, or any other of the wonderful helpful spells that increase damage or survivability. Then follow up with a massive push for an eighth face using the dragon kin as a slingshot. Remember that the type of dragonkin you choose to summon will have it’s own face settings and that if you want a good balance of Manoeuvring and combat capability, dragonmounts and dragonscouts are the best at a 50% contribution chance for the points. If however you choose to employ your magic differently, they can always be summoned after you have attained an eighth face to reinforce and protect your conquest so you may spend other precious units elsewhere.
For that strategy using light or heavy dragonkin will work fine. In this they will act as both sword and shield rather than slingshot. Cast as many high level dragonkin summoning spells as you can to get them to your eighth face as soon as possible. You don’t have to worry about them contributing to your own rolls but they will help when your opponent chooses to attempt to take your precious land. They will be surprised at the resistance that a mage army can level against a horde of battle hungry warriors.
