Game of Thrones: Dragonfire · Formations
Dragonfire Tier List: Which Dragons Are Actually Best?
There is no evidence-safe universal order for every Dragonfire account. The best dragon is the one whose active abilities, troop affinity and placement improve the full set of armies you can field. Start with Caraxes or Venator for damage, Vaeldra or Vhagar for protection, and Syrax or Seasmoke for support and utility; then check their active unlocks and partners.
What this tier list measures
Most tier lists flatten several questions into one rank. Wyrmwise separates them. A dragon can be a strong damage carry, a valuable protector or a specialised enabler without being the right choice for every troop type and every account.
The shortlist below uses reviewed Wyrmwise role profiles and mechanic records. It measures formation contribution: the jobs a dragon can perform, the support it can give or receive, and the conditions that must be active. It does not measure an official win rate, a complete battle simulation or guaranteed performance.
Rarity and raw power still matter, but a high individual number does not show whether the other two dragons can use that dragon's support. It also does not show what moving the dragon costs your remaining armies.
Best-dragon shortlist by formation role
| Role | Dragons worth comparing | Why they enter the conversation |
|---|---|---|
| Damage carries | Caraxes, Venator | Reviewed Fire or Physical output. Both benefit from partners that match their damage and protect their weaker areas. |
| Protection and control | Vaeldra, Vhagar | Taunt and defensive contribution can make a formation work, while their positional support changes which flank partners make sense. |
| Support and flexibility | Syrax, Seasmoke | Fire support, recovery, cleansing, anti-recovery or right-flank protection can be valuable when the matching conditions are active. |
These are examples from the six fully published profiles, not a claim that every unlisted dragon belongs below them. The Dragon Library will expand only as each profile has enough reviewed, unique information to be useful.
Six dragons: when each becomes useful
These are role categories, not numeric tiers. Each candidate answers a different formation problem. The six profiles provide the full Habit and affinity references.
Caraxes: Fire damage carry
When useful: Caraxes is a high-output Fire carry whose Command gains extra value from First-Strike. His damage profile is clear, but the formation still needs to supply the right support and enough protection.
Strengths: Clear Fire-damage role; First-Strike payoff creates a specific partner question; Positive affinity with Cavalry and Spearmen.
Partner and placement: Reviewed Fire support and First-Strike can match Caraxes's damage and Command payoff. A flank is often worth comparing first when another Vanguard can protect or enable Caraxes. Centre is still a valid candidate when the self Fire boost and right-flank support produce the better full trio.
Progression: Crippling Inferno opens at 6★. Adds chances to apply Slow and Burn. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Limited reviewed team protection of his own; A high damage ceiling does not solve the rest of the army; Some Habits have source-table discrepancies and must be treated cautiously.
Syrax: Fire support and flexible sustain
When useful: Syrax is a support-led dragon with Tactical damage, Fire support and later recovery. She is most useful when the formation can use the exact benefit that is active at the player's current Star Rank.
Strengths: Matches Fire carries through reviewed support; Six-Star progression adds sustain and protection; Positive affinity with Archers and Spearmen.
Partner and placement: Syrax's Fire support and First-Strike can activate a reviewed Caraxes payoff. Compare Syrax in Vanguard when the left ally benefits from the stat support. A flank may be preferable when another centre dragon provides more important protection or recipient targeting.
Progression: Strategic Revival opens at 6★. Adds Recovery and a chance to grant Resistance. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Siege affinity is negative; Some attribute and Initiative effects are not translated into invented damage value; Her best contribution changes materially with Star Rank.
Vhagar: Durable Physical hybrid
When useful: Vhagar combines Physical damage, Taunt and defensive value with lane-sensitive support. She can anchor a formation, but the left and right allies should be chosen for different reasons.
Strengths: Three positive troop affinities; Combines pressure, durability and control; Can support different damage types across the two flanks.
Partner and placement: Vhagar's reviewed Physical support has a matching damage dealer in Venator. Vanguard is a strong comparison point: a Tactical dealer can use the left-flank support, while the four-Star Battle Leader Habit prefers a right-flank Physical dealer. Verify both recipients rather than treating either side as decorative.
Progression: Eclipse Cover opens at 6★. Conditionally grants Advantage and applies Weakened; source base values conflict. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: The best arrangement depends on the flank partners; Battle-state chances prevent guaranteed Taunt claims; Later Habits add complexity that a low-Star copy does not yet have.
Vaeldra: Taunt protector and control
When useful: Vaeldra is an Epic protector whose Taunt, mitigation and later damage support can make a stronger ally easier to field. Her narrow positive affinity makes the troop decision especially important.
Strengths: Protection and Taunt give her a defined formation job; Can support multiple damage types at later Stars; Useful example of an Epic dragon contributing beyond raw rarity.
Partner and placement: Vaeldra can provide defensive cover while later Fire support may reinforce Caraxes, subject to Stars and placement. Vanguard is the clearest starting point when the left ally deals Tactical damage. At later Stars, her support can split Fire and Physical help across different flanks, so compare the exact unlocks you own.
Progression: Tempting Distraction opens at 6★. Supports allied Fire and Physical damage under reviewed conditions. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Only Spearmen are recorded as a positive affinity; Taunt activation remains probabilistic and partly unresolved; Later support should not be credited to a low-Star copy.
Seasmoke: Cleanse, anti-Recovery and flank protection
When useful: Seasmoke is a flexible hybrid who removes enemy positive effects, adds Fire damage and can protect the right flank from Vanguard. At six Stars, anti-Recovery and a Panic payoff broaden the role.
Strengths: Combines enemy cleansing with damage; Clear right-flank protection from Vanguard; Six-Star kit adds anti-Recovery and a Panic payoff.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic. Vanguard is worth testing when a key right-flank carry needs protection. A six-Star formation can also look for a reliable Panic provider, but the payoff does not prove that every Panic dragon is a good partner.
Progression: Infectious Wrath opens at 6★. Adds anti-Recovery and a Physical payoff against Panic. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Siege affinity is negative; Panic payoff needs another effect to be active on the target; Cleanse attempts are chances, not guaranteed removals.
Venator: Physical damage carry
When useful: Venator is a focused Physical damage option whose extra attacks and later Habits reward matching Physical support. He brings pressure more clearly than sustain, so the other two slots must cover what the formation lacks.
Strengths: Clear Physical-damage identity; Positive affinity with Shieldbearers and Spearmen; Reviewed support links make partner selection specific.
Partner and placement: Vhagar's Battle Leader can support a right-flank Physical dealer such as Venator. Compare a flank first when another Vanguard supplies Physical amplification or protection. Centre becomes more attractive when the self damage increase outweighs the support available from another centre candidate.
Progression: Feral Precision opens at 6★. Adds Physical damage and improves the Double-Strike branch. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Limited sustain contribution; Needs protection or recovery elsewhere in the trio; Later extra-attack value must not be credited before its Star unlock.
Meleys: Physical pressure and Bleed payoff
When useful: Meleys adds Physical pressure to Cavalry and Archer armies. A Bleed partner opens a separate payoff; she does not supply Bleed herself.
Strengths: Physical damage with named Bleed payoff; Positive Cavalry and Archer affinity; Personal mitigation and Reflect.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic. Compare all three positions using the whole trio and the current unlocks.
Progression: Queen's Vengeance opens at 6★. Can Reflect Basic Attacks for one round; this is personal defence, not allied protection. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Requires a separate Bleed provider; Laceration cap conflicts between sources; No verified Habit upgrade curves in Wyrmwise.
Smoketail: Fire pressure and Weakened payoff
When useful: Smoketail uses Fire and suppression in Spearmen armies. Weakened partners activate additional suppression; Champion counters remain matchup information, not a general rating bonus.
Strengths: Named Weakened payoff; Burn and Fire exposure; Champion counter potential.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic. Compare all three positions using the whole trio and the current unlocks.
Progression: Unraveled opens at 6★. Weakened enemies trigger wider attribute suppression, enhanced against Champions. Exact stacking remains unscored. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: No listed Weakened application of her own; Base Command relies on community evidence; Champion bonuses do not apply to every matchup; Exact Habit upgrade value remains unscored.
Vermithor: Protect specialist with mixed damage
When useful: Vermithor combines Physical and Tactical attacks with a chance to protect an adjacent ally. His reviewed guide describes a defensive role, but incomplete rates and missing Vanguard evidence limit precise comparisons.
Strengths: Two reviewed damage types; Adjacent-ally Protect role; Later personal mitigation.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Bronze Bulwark opens at 6★. Improves Bronze Fury's damage and Protect chance; successful Protect also reduces Vermithor's Physical and Fire damage received. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Vanguard name and effect are not reviewed; Exact Command rates and Protect chance are unavailable; Noble Sacrifice increases personal Tactical exposure.
Malachite: Team Recovery and damage support
When useful: Malachite supplies scheduled Recovery to the whole trio while contributing Tactical attacks. Physical support and later Advantage give him several useful relationships, but his Fire-oriented Vanguard asks a different question of the left ally.
Strengths: Scheduled whole-team Recovery; Physical support plus Tactical protection; Later Advantage benefits different damage types.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Thunderous Roar opens at 6★. Can grant both other allies Advantage, increasing damage dealt. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Recovery is scheduled rather than continuous; Several support grants require an activation roll; Vanguard Fire support does not amplify every damage type.
Zivern: Tactical exposure, Panic and protection
When useful: Zivern creates Tactical vulnerability windows while dealing Tactical damage himself. Later Panic, ally protection and Overwhelm broaden his role, but these effects have different unlocks and should not be treated as guaranteed control.
Strengths: Matching Tactical damage and enemy exposure; Panic setup from six Stars; Protection for both teammates at eight Stars.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Fearsome Reach opens at 6★. Can reduce enemy Instinct and apply Panic on odd rounds. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Exposure and control are probabilistic; Steel Shroud does not cover Fire or Basic Attacks; Vulnerable improves a later effect but is not supplied by this kit.
Rhysarion: Control payoff and allied Recovery
When useful: Rhysarion mixes Physical pressure with Fire damage that rewards specific control effects. His later Recovery supports teammates, but Ebbing Fury initially suppresses friendly damage too, making timing an important compromise.
Strengths: Payoff for four named control effects; Recovery to both teammates from six Stars; Right-flank damage support from Vanguard.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Echoing Melody opens at 6★. Adds Recovery to both other allies through Dawnsong; Rhysarion is excluded. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Ebbing Fury also suppresses friendly early damage; Echoing Melody does not heal Rhysarion; Control payoff needs a matching active status.
Shadowsong: Panic payoff and enemy exposure
When useful: Shadowsong is a Fire attacker whose Command becomes stronger against Panic. Early enemy exposure and later Vulnerable can help the wider trio, but she needs a separate Panic source to activate her central payoff.
Strengths: Explicit Fire payoff against Panic; Early Fire and Physical exposure; Later Vulnerable application.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Scorched Earth opens at 6★. Can apply Vulnerable, with a higher chance against Panic; the source leaves roll scope unresolved. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Does not supply the Panic her Command exploits; Positive affinity is limited to Cavalry; Burn additions require ten Stars.
Daemoros: Physical pressure and status setup
When useful: Daemoros adds Burn to Physical attacks and gains separate Panic and Confusion attempts through Habits. He offers several setup routes for teammates, although activation chances and limited team protection make the whole trio important.
Strengths: Burn setup alongside Physical attacks; Two separately activated Panic Habits; Confusion adds a distinct control option.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Shroud of Shadows opens at 6★. Can apply Confusion on odd rounds; affected actions may select the wrong side. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Statuses are not guaranteed; Positive affinity is limited to Archers; Phantom's Veil damage-type selection is unresolved.
Tashix: Mirage-stacking Fire damage
When useful: Tashix builds personal Fire output through Mirage stacks and later turns those stacks into additional effects. He brings a clear Fire role, but stack thresholds and activation rolls make the timing less predictable than a simple damage label suggests.
Strengths: Focused Fire damage identity; Mirage increases personal Fire output; Later Weakened attempts.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Cunning Ruse opens at 6★. Adds Mirage chances and, from four stacks, separate Weakened attempts against enemies. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Mirage thresholds are not guaranteed early; Positive affinity is limited to Archers; No reviewed team Recovery in this kit.
Tessarion: Fire amplification and conditional protection
When useful: Tessarion combines mixed damage with support for a Fire teammate. Her Habits add several protective relationships, but their recipients and conditions matter more than treating her as an all-purpose defensive answer.
Strengths: Specific Fire-support relationship; Conditional protection for both teammates; Three positive troop contexts.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Molten Armor opens at 6★. Can protect both other allies from Physical damage while increasing personal Fire output; Panic adds self protection. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Protection does not activate on every round; Molten Armor addresses Physical damage only; Several benefits depend on troop capacity or recipient attributes.
Vermax: Physical attacker with Tactical support
When useful: Vermax follows Basic Attacks with Physical damage while building Tactical support for an ally. Enemy Fire damage can improve his stack opportunities, but he still needs a suitable Tactical recipient and support for his own survival.
Strengths: Physical output with an outward Tactical benefit; Conditional team Fire protection; More stack opportunities against Fire enemies.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Rallying Flame opens at 6★. Separately builds personal Physical and allied Tactical stacks, with extra attempts per Fire-damage enemy. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Tactical support needs a matching recipient; Benefits vary with the enemy damage mix; Attack-following output depends on Basic Attacks occurring.
Shimmer: Teammate Recovery and split damage support
When useful: Shimmer supports different damage types across the flanks and adds teammate Recovery at six Stars. Resistance improves that Recovery individually, while highest-Strength targeting means his later offensive support cannot be assigned by name alone.
Strengths: Recovery to both teammates from six Stars; Resistance creates a specific Recovery payoff; Early support for two damage types.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Loyal Shield opens at 6★. Adds teammate Recovery with an individual Resistance payoff. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Does not receive Loyal Shield's own Recovery; Highest-Strength ties remain unresolved; Different effects prefer different recipients.
Nyrena: Mixed damage and late team protection
When useful: Nyrena changes from early Fire damage to later Tactical attacks and gains late defensive support. Her Command can suppress enemy Physical output, but Burn only extends that suppression: dealing Fire damage does not make her a Burn provider.
Strengths: Two damage types at different battle stages; Right-flank Vanguard protection; Whole-team late Physical mitigation.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Deepen the Breach opens at 6★. Boosts personal early Fire damage, then one adjacent ally's Fire damage from round 6; tile damage is separate. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Does not apply the Burn her suppression benefits from; Late support is absent in early rounds; Defending and tile damage are not assumed universal.
Shadowrend: Late-round support and Panic setup
When useful: Shadowrend supplies Panic and becomes more influential in the later rounds through team attributes, damage support and an extra mixed attack. This delayed contribution makes him a different choice from an immediate burst attacker.
Strengths: Panic setup before the late damage window; Late Physical and Tactical team support; Additional mixed attack at ten Stars.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Fueled by Darkness opens at 6★. Can grant Advantage to two allies, with a higher chance during Midnight Aura; recipients remain unresolved. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Much of the support arrives in rounds 7–10; Advantage recipient selection is unresolved; No reviewed team Recovery.
Solstryker: Vulnerable payoff and enemy suppression
When useful: Solstryker alternates Physical and Tactical follow-up attacks, with a Tactical payoff against Vulnerable. His attribute suppression and later Overwhelm give him additional jobs, but he does not create the Vulnerable condition himself.
Strengths: Explicit Tactical payoff against Vulnerable; Later Overwhelm setup; Right-flank protection from Vanguard.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Oppressive Onslaught opens at 6★. Can apply Overwhelm, preventing Active Commands and Habits. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Needs another Vulnerable provider; Positive affinity is limited to Archers; Follow-up attacks depend on Basic Attacks.
Arulix: Enemy suppression and ally protection
When useful: Arulix targets enemy damage roles with suppression and control, then adds Physical output and ally protection through Habits. His usefulness changes with the opponent, and Mimicry should never be counted as an unconditional status provider.
Strengths: Control directed at different enemy damage roles; Right-flank Vanguard protection; Two-ally mitigation at eight Stars.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Spiral Surge opens at 6★. Adds Physical attacks to the Command, with larger late scheduled hits. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Command target availability depends on enemies; Mimicry requires existing battlefield effects; Positive affinity is limited to Cavalry.
Thunderstrike: Physical pressure and Bleed setup
When useful: Thunderstrike starts with odd-round Physical attacks, then adds even-round attacks and Bleed at six Stars. Later enemy exposure and Stagger offer team value, but his kit remains more clearly offensive than protective.
Strengths: Physical attacks on every numbered round from six Stars; Bleed setup; Later Physical exposure and Stagger.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Barbed Lash opens at 6★. Adds even-round Physical damage and Bleed attempts. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Positive affinity is limited to Cavalry; No reviewed allied Recovery; Advantage payoff changes control duration only.
Jagadrix: Fire pressure with a late Panic payoff
When useful: Jagadrix combines Fire attacks with enemy attribute suppression. His ten-Star attack can exploit Panic against Tactical enemies, but Second Wind prevents later Recovery after its round-6 self-Recovery resolves.
Strengths: Focused Fire output; Enemy attribute suppression; Specific ten-Star Panic payoff.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Whispering Sabotage opens at 6★. Can apply same-lane Weakened; this is not Control. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Second Wind blocks later Recovery; Extra payoff needs Tactical enemies with Panic; Positive affinity is limited to Spearmen.
Kalspire: Attack-following damage and status setup
When useful: Kalspire follows Basic Attacks with Tactical pressure and Bleed attempts, then adds Physical damage and Panic at six Stars. He can protect the right flank from Vanguard, although Radiant Conqueror introduces a first-round self-Stun trade-off.
Strengths: Bleed and later Panic setup; Two damage types; Right-flank Vanguard protection.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Tactical Assault opens at 6★. Adds Physical output and Panic through the Command. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Follow-up effects require Basic Attacks; Radiant Conqueror self-Stuns on round 1; Status attempts are independent and uncertain.
Crimson: Fire pressure and probabilistic control
When useful: Crimson mixes Fire attacks with Stun and later Weakened attempts. His Vanguard supports a Physical teammate rather than directly amplifying Fire, while several later effects depend on enemy troop capacity or existing Taunt.
Strengths: Stun setup for control payoffs; Three positive troop contexts; Right-flank Physical support from Vanguard.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Bloodscale Fury opens at 6★. Can apply Weakened, with a better chance against Taunt; rounded source values differ. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Control is probabilistic; Several Habit source values or labels conflict; Later exposure depends on battlefield troop capacity.
Sunfyre: Troop-capacity-dependent hybrid
When useful: Sunfyre begins with Tactical attacks and gains more targets and Fire output as troop capacity falls. Several Habits react to incoming damage, making the enemy damage mix and current battle state central to his contribution.
Strengths: Tactical output with conditional Fire and Burn; Responses to enemy Fire damage; Support broadens at lower troop capacity.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: The King's Ire opens at 6★. Once per round, can answer allied Fire damage received with a Tactical counterattack and enemy Intelligence reduction. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Full Fire output is not active at high troop capacity; Incoming-damage responses cannot all be assumed together; Shieldbearer, Archer and Siege affinities remain unknown.
Moondancer: Sentinel-linked Physical attacker
When useful: Moondancer links to another Sentinel whose Tactical attacks or Recovery can help build Rising Tide. Those stacks improve her durability and later damage, but stack thresholds and partner activity cannot be assumed from breed alone.
Strengths: Specific relationship with Tactical or Recovery Sentinels; Rising Tide adds personal durability; Later stack-dependent Physical damage.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Full Moon opens at 6★. Adds later stack opportunities and upgrades Command Physical damage. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Needs another eligible Sentinel for Crescent Blade; Stack thresholds depend on battle events; Several recipient ties and roll details remain unresolved.
Sheepstealer: Prey-focused anti-Recovery attacker
When useful: Sheepstealer marks Prey, pressures it with Fire damage and reduces enemy Recovery. Several later benefits respond to the marked enemy receiving Recovery, so the matchup matters more than a generic Fire-carry label.
Strengths: Clear anti-Recovery role; Fire payoff against Prey; Later personal sustain.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Baited Kill opens at 6★. Can apply Vulnerable to Prey and conditionally remove a damage-reducing negative effect from Sheepstealer. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Prey application is not guaranteed; Savage Claim's Recovery is self-only; Some Stolen Flock value is mode-specific.
Tairax: Control payoff with Burn-linked protection
When useful: Tairax combines Fire damage and Stagger with later payoffs against controlled enemies. Burn also creates chances to protect an ally, but neither Fire damage nor Slow should be substituted for the specific statuses his effects require.
Strengths: Own Stagger can set up control payoffs; Burn creates a later protection route; Three confirmed positive troop contexts.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Gleamstrike opens at 6★. Upgrades Stagger chance and adds Fire output against controlled enemies. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Protection depends on Burn and activation rolls; Spearmen and Archer affinities remain unknown; Slow and Weakened are not qualifying Control effects.
Antares: Fire damage with a Slow payoff
When useful: Antares combines Fire attacks with Vulnerable attempts and gains extra damage against Slow at six Stars. His later defensive effects are personal, so a complete Archers trio still needs to cover support and survival elsewhere.
Strengths: Vulnerable setup; Specific six-Star Slow payoff; Focused Fire damage.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Fiery Precision opens at 6★. Adds Command damage against Slow rather than applying Slow. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Needs another Slow source; Only Archers have recorded positive affinity; Personal immunity does not establish cleansing or team protection.
Arrax: Physical pressure with typed protection
When useful: Arrax brings Physical attacks and several forms of typed ally protection. His Weakened chance improves against Bleed, but Headlong into Danger also carries personal defensive penalties at lower Habit levels.
Strengths: Two-ally Tactical and Fire protection; Troop-specific team mitigation; Bleed improves Weakened activation.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Adaptive Guard opens at 6★. Temporarily protects the team from Tactical damage with Archers or Fire damage with Shieldbearers. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Headlong into Danger has lower-level defensive penalties; Adaptive Guard covers different damage types by troop; Fire Ward's maximum stack count is unconfirmed.
Bevlorin: Mixed damage and later team Recovery
When useful: Bevlorin alternates Physical and Fire attacks and becomes a whole-team Recovery option at six Stars. His Vanguard supports a right-flank attacker, while later attribute grants depend on actual highest-stat recipients.
Strengths: Whole-team Recovery from six Stars; Two damage types; Generic right-flank Vanguard damage support.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Renewal opens at 6★. Adds whole-team Recovery to odd-round Command output. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Recovery requires the six-Star unlock; Positive affinity is limited to Spearmen; Highest-stat recipients cannot be assigned without attributes.
Dawnseeker: Adjacent Recovery and early support
When useful: Dawnseeker combines Tactical attacks with Recovery for adjacent allies. His early split damage support and later First-Strike can help the trio, but centre placement makes the exact Recovery recipients less certain.
Strengths: Recovery available in the base Command; Early split damage support; Later early-round First-Strike setup.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Sunbreak opens at 6★. Improves the Command's round-1 and round-2 Tactical rates and round-2 Recovery rate. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Only Spearmen have positive affinity; Centre Recovery selects two of three eligible allies; Sunbreak does not create round-1 Recovery.
Feskar: Targeted Tactical damage and Burn payoff
When useful: Feskar targets low-troop enemies with Tactical damage and adds a Fire branch against Physical enemies at six Stars. That later branch benefits from Burn, while Vanguard offers a separate right-flank protection job.
Strengths: Lowest-troop Tactical targeting; Later Burn payoff; Right-flank Vanguard protection.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Emerald Inferno opens at 6★. Adds Fire attacks against eligible Physical enemies, with a Burn payoff. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Fire targets depend on enemy damage roles; Needs another Burn source; Positive affinity is limited to Cavalry.
Starshower: Solar Flare attacker with conditional defence
When useful: Starshower marks enemies with Solar Flare and can consume those marks for Tactical attacks. Later Habits add conditional ally defence, but missing numerical and Vanguard evidence limits how precisely the profile can assess the full kit.
Strengths: Self-supplied Solar Flare setup; Scheduled and conditional Tactical attacks; Later conditional defensive support.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Ill Portents opens at 6★. Improves Solar Flare damage and can reapply marks once during rounds 6–10 if none remain. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Vanguard name and effect are not reviewed; Exact attack rates are unavailable; Solar Flare consumption and defensive branches are conditional.
Velar: Tactical support with late Recovery
When useful: Velar combines Tactical attacks with Advantage chances and support for a Tactical Vanguard. Slow and First-Strike arrive at six Stars, while the Recovery and cleansing branch does not become available until ten Stars.
Strengths: Tactical support aimed at Vanguard; Advantage for both other allies; Whole-team Recovery at ten Stars.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Gales of Power opens at 6★. Separately attempts allied First-Strike and enemy Slow; neither is guaranteed. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Recovery is a ten-Star benefit; Positive affinity is limited to Shieldbearers; Slow and First-Strike attempts are separate.
Vesper: Tactical Vanguard support and Resistance
When useful: Vesper supplies Slow chances and supports a Tactical Vanguard through Strategic Leader. Later adjacent Resistance and Confusion add different forms of utility, but Slow is not the Control effect used by control-payoff dragons.
Strengths: Slow setup; Specific Tactical Vanguard support; Adjacent Resistance from six Stars.
Partner and placement: A right-flank carry can use Seasmoke's centre protection; his six-Star Panic payoff needs a separate source of Panic.
Progression: Savior's Waltz opens at 6★. One activation gives Vesper and one adjacent ally Resistance; centre does not guarantee both flanks. Centre effects unlock at Dragon Level 16 in game; strategic planning assumes they are available.
Trade-off: Only Shieldbearers have positive affinity; Centre Resistance recipient priority is unresolved; Confusion arrives late and remains probabilistic.
Why the answer changes between accounts
- Stars: a later Habit may add the interaction that justifies a dragon's place.
- Dragon Level: Vanguard effects unlock at Level 16 in game. Wyrmwise plans with them available in the centre, regardless of saved campaign Level.
- Troop affinity: the same trio may not suit each troop type.
- Partners: Fire, Physical and Tactical support needs a matching recipient.
- Portfolio cost: one excellent trio can consume the only useful support for two other armies.
That is why a strong dragon is not automatically part of the strongest formation. Read the best formations guide before copying a ranked list.
How to use a tier list without wasting upgrades
- Use the list to identify candidates for a specific job.
- Check the dragon's current Star and Habit unlocks, not its imagined endgame version.
- Match its positive affinities to the troops you plan to field.
- Compare all six placements for the proposed trio.
- Rebuild the remaining armies without reusing the same dragon.
If two choices are close, prefer the one that causes less disruption until you have better evidence. Wyrmwise estimates are decision support, not proof that a formation will win every matchup.
Sources and evidence
These are original Wyrmwise explanations. Official statements and reviewed community mechanics are identified where used. Practical advice is our reasoning from those facts, not a verified win rate or a universal formation ranking.
- Official Dragonfire dragon guide
Official affinity effects, troop counters, Habit materials and Reign Level persistence; checked 17 September 2026. No numerical affinity multiplier is inferred.
- Dragonfire Lab source repository
Community source, version 0.23.5, reviewed in Wyrmwise's launch evidence set. Used for selected Star unlocks, Vanguard conditions and Habit mechanics. This is not official publisher confirmation.
Wyrmwise is an independent, unofficial companion. If your current in-game description differs, report it for review.