Dragon Knight Dota 2 Guide – Unleash the Power of the Dragon

Dragon Knight is one of the most versatile heroes in Dota 2. Known for his durability, pushing ability, and transformation skill, Dragon Knight can handle many roles effectively and lead his team to victory. Commonly played as a mid or offlane, Dragon Knight (DK) is a Strength Hero with high initial HP and a formidable armor level. Because of his fast farming ability Dragon Knight is also sometimes played as a carry.

Credit: Valve / HyrX

Dragon Knight is a Strength hero with an impressive 582 HP and 291 Mana at the start of the game. His movement speed is 315, and he deals a base damage of 55-61 per hit. In the 7.33c patch update, Dragon Knight has gained enhanced movement speed, and his base attack time was reduced from 1.7 to 1.6, making him even stronger in the lane. 

This guide will help you master the Hero and steer your way to domination. Without further ado, let’s dive into how to master Dragon Knight.

Abilities

To master Dragon Knight, let’s first learn about his abilities. Dragon Knight possesses four abilities, each one aiding him in his knightly endeavors:

Breathe Fire: Dragon Knight releases a breath of fire in front of him, dealing damage to enemy units. It also reduces the base damage of enemy units hit. Breathe Fire is useful for harassing opponents, securing last hits, and pushing waves due to its area damage. Breathe Fire deals 80 damage at level 1 and 320 at max level.

Dragon Tail: Dragon Knight smashes his target with his shield, stunning and damaging them. The stun duration is significant, making this ability essential in team fights and ganks. When in his ultimate Elder Dragon Form, the cast range increases to 400.0. The ability deals 70 damage at level 1 and 160 damage at max level. Dragon Tail is also one of the best stuns in the game. Stun duration is 1.8 seconds in level 1, increasing to 2.4 seconds at max level.

Dragon Blood: This passive ability gives Dragon Knight bonus health regeneration and additional armor, making him incredibly resilient and allowing him to sustain in the lane despite enemy harassment.

Elder Dragon Form: This is Dragon Knight’s ultimate. On activation, Dragon Knight takes the form of one of three powerful elder dragons, enhancing his abilities. The form varies with each level of the ultimate – Green Dragon at level 6, Red Dragon at level 12, and Blue Dragon at level 18. Each form provides different additional benefits, including poison damage, splash damage, and slow effects.

Fireball (Aghanim’s Shard upgrade): Dragon Knight casts a fireball at a target area, dealing damage over time to enemies within it. The radius range is 350, and deals 75 damage per second for 8 seconds.

Aghanim’s Scepter Upgrade: When consumed, Aghanim’s Scepter Provides a new ability, Black Dragon, enhancing the Elder Dragon Form by increasing its powers and granting splash damage, bonus magic resistance, and free pathing.

Talents

Here are the talents Dragon Knight can choose from as he levels up:

Level 10 – 30% Breathe Fire Damage Reduction or +15 Damage

Level 15 – +400 Health or +0.4s Dragon Tail Stun

Level 20 – +75% Breathe Fire Damage/Cast Range in Elder Dragon Form icon Dragon Form or +150 Elder Dragon Form Attack Range

Level 25 – +400 AoE Dragon Tail During Elder Dragon Form or +12 Dragon Blood HP Regen/Armor

Dota 2 Dragon Knight Guide – Tips

Playing Dragon Knight effectively requires good map awareness, patience, and sound decision-making. His versatility makes him effective in many game situations, but a wrong decision can be costly.

Dragon Knight’s strength lies in his durability and pushing power. His Dragon Blood ability makes him one of the tankiest heroes in the early to mid-game. In the early game, focus on securing the last hits with Breathe Fire if needed and soak up experience. Thanks to Dragon Blood, you can withstand most harassment and ganks. Aim to get Power Treads and a Bracer early on to increase your survivability and damage. Once you hit level 6 and unlock Elder Dragon Form, try to apply pressure on your lane and take down the enemy tower or gank other lanes.

Mid game is where Dragon Knight shines. With a few items, he becomes very durable and can take down towers quickly. His role in team fights is also crucial, initiating fights using Dragon Tail or soaking up damage for his team.

In terms of items, Power Treads is your usual go-to for boots. Other important items include Blink Dagger for initiation, Black King Bar, which provides immunity to most magic spells, Assault Cuirass, which improves your armor and attack speed, and Aghanims Scepter. Blink Dagger is a must and most crucial item for Dragon Knight for positioning in fights or initiating with Dragon Tail.

Dragon Knight – Pros and Cons

Before heading into battle, let’s consider Dragon Knight’s pros and cons:

Pros:

• High durability due to Dragon Blood
• Significant pushing potential with Elder Dragon Form
• Reliable stun with Dragon Tail
• Flexible in terms of role and itemization
• Scales well into the late game

Cons:

• Requires a good start to be effective in the mid-game
• Lacks mobility without items
• Relatively low damage output without Elder Dragon Form
• Vulnerable to magic burst damage

How to Play Dragon Knight

Whether you are playing Dragon Knight as Mid, Offlane, or Carry, his item builds are fairly similar. Here’s a guide by a veteran Dota 2 player on how to play the Hero:

Starting Items: Start with a Quelling Blade, two sets of Tangoes, and a Gauntlet of Strength. These items give you enough sustain and last-hitting power in the early game.

Early Game (Levels 1-6): 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 essential 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 shrug off 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. Bottle can also be a practical pickup for mid-lane Dragon Knights, as it provides regeneration and control over the rune spawns.

Mid Game (Levels 7-18): 

Once you’ve attained your ultimate and have Power Treads, your next item focus should be an initiator item—either a Blink Dagger or a Shadow Blade. These items are vital 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 invaluable against magic-heavy lineups. 

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 skirmishes, 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 Game (Levels 19-30):

As the game transitions into the late stage, your item choices should adapt to the situation. An Assault Cuirass will further enhance your tankiness and increase your team’s damage output in fights. Aghanims Scepter is a must buy at the later stage of the game. Heart of Tarrasque could be another wise investment for the sheer amount of health it provides, making you incredibly difficult to bring down. 

You can also choose to buy Mjonir if the enemy team has an illusion Hero. Buy a refresher Orb when you have the money. If your team needs more lockdown, consider building into an Abyssal Blade, which offers a solid amount of damage and a reliable stun. 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.

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Dragon Knight Counter

Even tho Dragon Knight is a tanky beast, a few heroes can counter him. Here are the top 5 heroes that counter Dragon Knight:

Outworld Devourer: Outworld Devourer 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.

Timbersaw: Timbersaw’s Whirling Death reduces Dragon Knight’s primary attribute, making him squishier. 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. 

Razor: Razor can sap 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’s Nethertoxin breaks Dragon Knight’s passive Dragon Blood ability, significantly reducing his tankiness.

Conclusion

Mastering 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!

If you found this guide helpful, be sure to check out our collection of other Hero guides. Whether you’re a new player looking to learn the game, or an experienced player aiming to climb the MMR ladder, our wide range of guides can help you achieve your goal.