Hello everyone! Today, I will guide you about Dragon Knight Build in Dota 2. I work hard to keep my Dota 2 builds and guides updated, and I will help you craft the best Dragon Knight build for this meta.
I have 900 games with Dragon Knight as Off lane and Mid lane, with my expertise I will guide you on how to stomp down and win ranked games easily, Let’s dive in.
Introduction
Dragon Knight is one of the most versatile heroes in Dota 2. Known for his durability, pushing ability, and transformation skills, Dragon Knight can handle many roles effectively and lead his team to victory. Commonly played as a mid or off-lane.
Dragon Knight is a Strength Hero with high initial Health Points and an impressive armor level. Because of his fast farming ability Dragon Knight is also sometimes played as a carry. He is strong at all stages of the game. If his team gains the upper hand, Dragon Knight’s presence often guarantees continued domination with little chance of an enemy comeback.
Type
Melee, Carry, Disabler, Durable, Initiator, Nuker, Pusher
LANE PRESENCE
| Period | Presence | Win Rate | KD | GMP | XPM |
| Off Lane | 63.46% | 48.69% | 2.63 | 462 | 614 |
| Mid Lane | 25.19% | 50.33% | 3.16 | 516 | 649 |
| Safe Lane | 10.16% | 46.05% | 2.58 | 476 | 583 |
Hero Attributes
| Movement speed | 315 |
| Sight range | 1800/800 |
| Armor | 2.24 |
| Base attack time | 1.6 |
| Damage | 55 – 61 |
| Attack point | 0.5 |
Pros and Cons
| High durability due to Dragon Blood | He is very dependent on his ultimate. |
| Reliable stun with Dragon Tail | Relatively low damage output without Elder Dragon Form |
| Great pusher | Low mobility |
| AOE damage | Depends on Black King Bar |
| Scales well into the late game | Vulnerable to magic burst damage |
Item Build & Skill Build
According to the current patch 7.35d, this is the skill build you should make.
Skill Build
- Take the Breathe Fire on the level 1.
- Unleashes a breath of fire in front of Dragon Knight that burns enemies and reduces the damage their attacks deal.
- The debuff from Corrosive Breath and Frost Breath Dragon Form is of the corresponding level.
- Further, upgrade the skill according to the following sequence (5,7,8)
Tip: Breathe Fire has enough range to stack ancient camps for mid-Dragon Knight.
- Dragon Tail should be taken on level 3.
- Dragon Knight smites an enemy unit in melee range with his shield, stunning it while dealing damage based on their enemy’s max HP. When in Elder Dragon Form, the cast range increases to 450.
- Taking one level of it before level 6 makes it beneficial for ganking, as its a long-duration range stun.
- Further, you can upgrade the ability according to the following sequence (13,14,16)
- Dragon Blood should be taken later on Level 2.
- The lifeblood of the Dragon improves health regeneration and strengthens armor.
- Consider leveling Dragon Blood early to increase Dragon Knight’s survivability. This is especially helpful when playing in the off-lane.
- You can upgrade this ability according to the following sequence (4,9,11)
- Elder Dragon Form, Dragon Knight takes the form of one of three powerful elder dragons, increasing his speed and Dragon Tail’s range while granting him new powers.
- LEVEL 1 Green Dragon – Corrosive Breath: attacks deal 25 poison damage per second for 3 seconds. Works on structures.
- LEVEL 2 Red Dragon – Splash Attack: attacks damage all enemy units in a 350 radius for 75% damage, with Corrosive Breath added to the targets.
- LEVEL 3 Blue Dragon – Frost Breath: slows movement speed by 0% and attack speed by 0 of enemy units in Splash Attack range for 0 seconds, with Corrosive Breath added to the targets.
- Always level up to this ability in the following sequence (6,12,18 )
Note: Splash damage applies critical strike, and is affected by damage manipulation.
Note: Buying Aghanim’s Scepter on Dragon Knight Increases the level of Dragon Knight’s ultimate. Adds a 4th level, Black Dragon. Black Dragon has bonus Corrosive Damage, Splash Damage, and Slow amount, 25% increased Magic Resistance, and free pathing.
Tip: Get Aghanim’s Shard on Dragon Knight which grants him with a new ability called Fireball that Ignites an area, dealing damage over time that lingers on enemies in it. Has reduced cast range when melee.
Talent Tree Choices
- Level 10 Select +15 Damage.
- Level 15 Select +0.4s Dragon Tail Stun.
- Level 20 Select +150 Elder Dragon Form Attack Range.
- Level 25 Select +12 Dragon Blood HP Regen/Armor.
Item Build:
Starting items
- 1x Quelling Blade
- 1x Tango
- 2x Gauntlets of Strength
- 2x Iron Branch
Early game items
- 2x Bracers
- Power Treads
- Mage Slayer
- Magic Stick
Mid-game items:
- Manta Style
- Aghanims Scepter
- Blink Dagger
Late-game items:
- Black King Bar
- Bloodthorn
- Octarine Core
- Assault Cuirass
- Overwhelming Blink Dagger
Situational items:
- Eye of Skadi
- Monkey King Bar
- Silver Edge
- Linken’s Sphere
- Deadlus
- Aghanim’s Shard
- Dragon Lance
- Hurricane Pike
- Revenants Brooch
- Scythe of Vyse
- Refresher Orb
Early gameplay / Mid game / Late game
Early gameplay (0:00 – 12:00)
Focus on getting the last hits and reaching level 6 as quickly as possible. Don’t be afraid to trade hits with the enemy, as your Dragon Blood provides good regeneration. It’s required to invest in Breathe Fire for efficient wave clearing and last hitting, while a single point in Dragon
Blood at level 2 can provide you with the health regeneration to stay in the lane and bear the harassment. In this phase, you should focus on building your Power Treads, which will amplify your attack speed and overall survivability. You can buy a Magic Stick if the enemy heroes are using spells.
Mid gameplay (12:00 – 25:00)
Once you have taken your ultimate and have Power Treads, your next item focus should be an initiator item either a Blink Dagger or a Silver Edge ( depending on the situation). These items are important for closing the gap between you and your enemies, enabling you to start fights with your Dragon Tail stun. A Black King Bar can be great against magical heroes. In terms of skill build, level up Breathe Fire and Dragon Blood whenever possible, keeping Dragon Tail at level 1 until the other skills are maxed out. This distribution maximizes your farming speed, damage output, and durability. During mid-game, your primary role is to be a frontline tank, absorbing as much damage as possible. Initiate with Dragon Tail and cause chaos with your Elder Dragon Form. You can push towers effectively whenever your ultimate is active, thanks to the added range and damage of the Elder Dragon Form.
Late gameplay (25:00 – 60:00)
As the game transitions into the late stage, your item choices should be according to the situation. An Assault Cuirass will further buff your durability and increase your team’s damage output in fights. Aghanims Scepter is a must-buy at the later stage of the game, making it very difficult to kill you. Finally, upgrade your Blink Dagger to Overwhelming Blink to become a raid boss. At the later stage of the game, always keep Buyback if it’s available.
Counters of Dragon Knight
Outworld Destroyer
- Outworld Destroyer is probably the best counter of Dragon Knight. His Arcane Orb deals massive damage based on Dragon Knight’s high mana pool, and his Astral Imprisonment can save allies from Dragon Tail.
- To learn how OD can counter DK, you can read the guide here.
Timbersaw
- Timbersaw’s Whirling Death reduces Dragon Knight’s primary attribute, making him fragile. Timbersaw can also withstand Dragon Knight’s damage due to Reactive Armor.
Necrophos
- The Heartstopper Aura of Necrophos can drain Dragon Knight’s health over time, and Reaper’s Scythe can kill Dragon Knight when his HP is low.
Razer
- Razor can sweep away Dragon Knight’s damage with Static Link and deal damage based on Dragon Knight’s high health pool with Eye of the Storm.
Viper
- Viper can harass Dragon Knight at any time with his Poison Attack and Nethertoxin.
- Corrosive Skin reduces damage from Dragon Fire and inflicts damage to him.
- Viper Strike disables Dragon Blood, neglecting his main survivability.
Ursa
- Fury swipes can tear Dragon Knight down as it stacks infinitely in long fights or lane.
Lich
- Lich’s constant slows with Frost Blast and Chain Frost will slow Dragon Knight to a crawl and can counter him easily, especially in a crowded team fight.
Antimage
- Mana Break drains Dragon Knight’s small mana pool, although it won’t affect Dragon Knight much if he is in his Elder Dragon Form.
- Counterspell makes Anti-Mage counter Dragon Tail if used on time.
Ancient Apparition
- Ice Blast ignores Dragon Knight’s armor, disables his health regeneration, and kills him easily.
Bristleback
- Viscous Nasal Goo slows down Dragon Knight and lowers armor, locking him down and making Dragon Knight more vulnerable.
Wrapping it up
Dragon Knight requires a balance of aggression and patience. His power spikes at different stages of the game make him a fun and versatile hero to play. So strap on your armor, choose your dragon, and bring your enemies to their knees with the Dragon Knight only with the help of this guide.
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