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StrengthStrength · Melee

Dragon Knight

Transforms into a formidable ranged dragon

CarryNukerDisablerDurablePusherInitiatorSimple to play
Dragon Knight portrait

Win rate

52.7%

S across all ranks

Pick rate

14.1%

of public matches

Public picks

475.8K

in the sample

Pro scene

49

36 bans · 61% win rate

Win rate by rank

  • Herald1Herald52.4%
  • Guardian2Guardian53.1%
  • Crusader3Crusader52.9%
  • Archon4Archon52.7%
  • Legend5Legend52.8%
  • Ancient6Ancient52.6%
  • Divine+7Divine+52.3%

Bars start at 50%. Sample sizes: Herald 6.6K · Guardian 25.2K · Crusader 54.5K · Archon 99.2K · Legend 131.1K · Ancient 87K · Divine+ 72.2K.

Last 6 days

52.4%

Popular item build

Starting items

Bought before the horn

  1. 1

    Iron Branch

    55g
  2. 2

    Gauntlets of Strength

    140g
  3. 3

    Circlet

    155g
  4. 4

    Observer Ward

    0g
  5. 5

    Tango

    90g

Laning

The first minutes

  1. 1

    Boots of Speed

    500g
  2. 2

    Power Treads

    55%1,400g
  3. 3

    Soul Ring

    805g
  4. 4

    Bracer

    505g

Mid game

Core items

  1. 1

    Blink Dagger

    56%2,250g
  2. 2

    Aghanim's Shard

    56%1,400g
  3. 3

    Black King Bar

    59%4,050g
  4. 4

    Radiance

    64%4,700g

Late game

The full build

  1. 1

    Octarine Core

    78%5,100g
  2. 2

    Aghanim's Scepter

    62%4,200g
  3. 3

    Shiva's Guard

    75%4,500g
  4. 4

    Overwhelming Blink

    6,800g
  5. 5

    Hyperstone

    73%2,000g
  6. 6

    Black King Bar

    59%4,050g

Most-bought items for Dragon Knight in OpenDota’s sample of parsed public matches (1,723 purchases counted). Bars compare each item with the most-bought one in its phase. The percentage is the win rate in games where Dragon Knight bought the item by minute 30 (green or red when it is clearly above or below Dragon Knight’s average). Teams that are ahead buy items sooner, so a high number shows the item goes with winning games, not that it causes the win. Items with fewer than 100 games show no percentage. Cheap components are hidden from the mid and late game.

Best win rate by purchase time

Bought ≤ 12 min

  1. Blink Dagger

    947 games

    66%
  2. Power Treads

    3,028 games

    55%

Bought 12–15 min

  1. Sacred Relic

    129 games

    67%
  2. Aghanim's Shard

    441 games

    67%
  3. Mithril Hammer

    72 games

    61%

Bought 15–20 min

  1. Black King Bar

    124 games

    82%
  2. Tiara of Selemene

    75 games

    79%
  3. Orchid Malevolence

    112 games

    70%

Bought 20–30 min

  1. Octarine Core

    437 games

    77%
  2. Hyperstone

    136 games

    76%
  3. Shiva's Guard

    204 games

    75%

Final items compared within the same purchase window (at least 60 games each), so they are not simply ranked by how late or expensive they are. Still a correlation: a team that is far ahead can buy anything sooner.

What these items do

  • Iron Branch

    55

    • +1 All Attributes

    Use: Plant Tree: Targets the ground to plant a happy little tree that lasts for 20 seconds.

  • Gauntlets of Strength

    140

    • +3 Strength
  • Circlet

    155

    • +2 All Attributes
  • Observer Ward

    0

    Use: Plant: Plants an Observer Ward, an invisible watcher that gives ground vision in a 1600 radius to your team. Lasts 6 minutes.

    Full description

    1s

    Use: Plant. Plants an Observer Ward, an invisible watcher that gives ground vision in a 1600 radius to your team. Lasts 6 minutes. Hold Control to give one Observer Ward to an allied hero.

  • Tango

    90

    Use: Devour: Consumes a target tree to gain 7 health regeneration for 16 seconds. Consuming an Ironwood Tree doubles the heal duration. Comes with 3 charges.

  • Boots of Speed

    500

    • +45 Move Speed

    Movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack.

  • Power Treads

    1,400

    • +25 Damage

    Active: Switch Attribute: Switches between +10 Strength, +10 Agility, or +10 Intelligence. Movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack.

    Win rate when bought54.5% · 3,132 games

    • ≤ 12 min55%3.0k
    • 12–15 min36%72
    • 15–20 min–26
    • 20–30 min–6
    Full description

    Active: Switch Attribute. Switches between +10 Strength, +10 Agility, or +10 Intelligence. Movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack.

    • Power Treads can be built using a Belt of Strength, Band of Elvenskin, or a Robe of the Magi.
  • Soul Ring

    805

    • +6 Strength
    • +2 Armor

    Active: Sacrifice: Consume 170 health to temporarily gain 170 mana. Lasts 10 seconds.

    Full description

    30s

    Active: Sacrifice. Consume 170 health to temporarily gain 170 mana. Lasts 10 seconds. If the mana gained cannot fit in your mana pool, it creates a buffer of mana that will be used before your mana pool.

    • If this mana is not used before the duration ends, the extra mana is lost.
  • Bracer

    505

    • +5 Strength
    • +2 Agility
    • +2 Intelligence
    • +0.75 Health Regen
    • +50 Health
  • Blink Dagger

    2,250

    Active: Blink: Teleport to a target point up to 1200 units away. Blink Dagger cannot be used for 3 seconds after taking damage from an enemy hero or Roshan.

    Win rate when bought55.7% · 2,986 games

    • ≤ 12 min66%947
    • 12–15 min53%1.3k
    • 15–20 min47%564
    • 20–30 min50%199
    Full description

    15s

    Active: Blink. Teleport to a target point up to 1200 units away. Blink Dagger cannot be used for 3 seconds after taking damage from an enemy hero or Roshan.

    • Self-casting will cause you to teleport in the direction of your team's fountain.
  • Aghanim's Shard

    1,400

    Passive: Ability Upgrade: Upgrades an existing ability or adds a new ability to your hero.

    Win rate when bought55.5% · 2,600 games

    • ≤ 12 min–11
    • 12–15 min67%441
    • 15–20 min55%1.8k
    • 20–30 min46%384
  • Black King Bar

    4,050

    • +10 Strength
    • +24 Damage

    Active: Avatar: Applies a basic dispel. Grants 60% magic resistance and immunity to reflected and pure damage.

    Win rate when bought58.9% · 2,101 games

    • ≤ 12 min–3
    • 12–15 min–8
    • 15–20 min82%124
    • 20–30 min58%2.0k
    Full description

    95s50

    Active: Avatar. Applies a basic dispel. Grants 60% magic resistance and immunity to reflected and pure damage. For the duration of the effect, any negative effect from enemy spells has no effect. Duration: 9 / 8 / 7s Dispel Type: Basic Dispel

    • Purchasing another Black King Bar will not reset its immunity duration.
    • Avatar duration is not affected by increases to buff duration.
  • Radiance

    4,700

    • +55 Damage
    • +25% Evasion

    Toggle: Burn: When active, scorches enemies for 60 magical damage per second. Illusions deal 35 magical damage per second. Radius: 650

    Win rate when bought64.0% · 278 games

    • ≤ 12 min–0
    • 12–15 min76%51
    • 15–20 min65%158
    • 20–30 min54%69
  • Octarine Core

    5,100

    • +25% Cooldown Reduction
    • +450 Health
    • +450 Mana
    • +6 Mana Regen

    Win rate when bought77.5% · 463 games

    • ≤ 12 min–3
    • 12–15 min–1
    • 15–20 min–22
    • 20–30 min77%437
  • Aghanim's Scepter

    4,200

    • +10 All Attributes
    • +175 Health
    • +175 Mana

    Passive: Ability Upgrade: Upgrades the ultimate, and some abilities, of all heroes.

    Win rate when bought61.7% · 162 games

    • ≤ 12 min–1
    • 12–15 min–10
    • 15–20 min–29
    • 20–30 min64%122
  • Shiva's Guard

    4,500

    • +17 Armor

    Active: Arctic Blast: Emits a freezing wave that deals 225 magical damage to enemies and slows their movement by -40% for 4 seconds. Radius: 825

    Win rate when bought75.2% · 210 games

    • ≤ 12 min–0
    • 12–15 min–0
    • 15–20 min–6
    • 20–30 min75%204
    Full description

    27s75

    Active: Arctic Blast. Emits a freezing wave that deals 225 magical damage to enemies and slows their movement by -40% for 4 seconds. Radius: 825

    Passive: Freezing Aura. Reduces the attack speed of all enemies by -40. Radius: 1200

    • The wave extends at a speed of 400 to a max size of 825.
    • The Arctic Blast follows its caster.
    • Multiple instances of Freezing Aura do not stack.
    • AoE bonuses from multiple Chasm Stones or its upgrades do not stack.
  • Overwhelming Blink

    6,800

    • +25 Strength

    Active: Overwhelming Blink: Teleport to a target point up to 1200 units away.

    Full description

    15s

    Active: Overwhelming Blink. Teleport to a target point up to 1200 units away. After teleportation, all enemies in a 800 AoE take damage equal to 100 + 50% of your strength and an additional 100% over time, and have 50% movement speed slow and 50 attack speed slow for 6 seconds. Overwhelming Blink cannot be used for 3 seconds after taking damage from an enemy hero or Roshan.

    • Self-casting will cause you to teleport in the direction of your team's fountain.
  • Hyperstone

    2,000

    • +60 Damage

    Win rate when bought72.7% · 205 games

    • ≤ 12 min–2
    • 12–15 min–11
    • 15–20 min61%56
    • 20–30 min76%136

Abilities

Breathe Fire

14 / 13 / 12 / 11s90 / 95 / 100 / 105

Unleashes a breath of fire in front of Dragon Knight that burns enemies and reduces the damage their attacks deal.

START RADIUS
150
END RADIUS
250
DAMAGE
80 / 160 / 240 / 320
DAMAGE REDUCTION
20 / 24 / 28 / 32%
REDUCTION DURATION
11
  • Does not trigger spell block or spell reflect.

Dragon Tail

16 / 14 / 12 / 10s70 / 80 / 90 / 100

Dragon Knight smites an enemy unit with his shield, stunning and damaging it and units close to it.

STUN DURATION
1.8 / 2 / 2.2 / 2.4
DAMAGE
60 / 90 / 120 / 150
AOE
50

Wyrm's Wrath

The life blood of the Dragon improves Dragon Knight's abilities and items to have increased AoE and causes his attacks to deal additional magic damage to enemy units.

MAGIC DAMAGE
10 / 20 / 30 / 40
AOE BONUS
30 / 60 / 90 / 120

Fireball

Granted by Aghanim’s Shard20s80

Ignites an area, dealing damage over time that lingers on enemies in it. Has reduced cast range when melee.

RADIUS
275
DAMAGE PER SECOND
85
DURATION
6
LINGER DURATION
2

Dragon Blood

Innate

The life blood of the Dragon improves Dragon Knight's health regeneration and armor. Regen and armor are increased by 50% during Elder Dragon Form.

BONUS HP REGEN
2
BONUS ARMOR
2

Elder Dragon Form

Ultimate100s50

Dragon Knight assumes the form of the Elder Dragon, increasing the range of his abilities, gaining bonus movement speed, and a ranged attack with various properties. The Dragon evolves per level. The bonuses are cumulative. Level 1 Green: Grants a corrosive damage over time that can also damage buildings. Level 2 Red: Grants splash damage to the dragon's attacks. Level 3 Blue: Grants a debuff immunity piercing movement and attack frost slow on attack.

DURATION
60
BONUS MOVE SPEED
25 / 30 / 35 / 40
BONUS ATTACK RANGE
350
BONUS ABILITY RANGE
350
CORROSIVE DURATION
3
CORROSIVE DAMAGE
25 / 25 / 25 / 35
SPLASH DAMAGE
0 / 75 / 75 / 100%
SPLASH RADIUS
0 / 275 / 275 / 350

Aghanim’s ScepterIncreases the current level of Dragon Form by one. Adds a Level 4 Black Dragon that has free pathing, bonus magic resistance, and increased other bonuses.

Talents

+12 Dragon Blood HP Regen/Armor

25

+50% Wyrm's Wrath Bonuses

+150 Elder Dragon Form Attack Range

20

+220 Breathe Fire Damage

+0.4s Dragon Tail Stun

15

+300 Health

+15 Damage

10

-2s Breathe Fire Cooldown

Base stats

Attributes

  • StrengthStrength21+3.2/lvl
  • AgilityAgility14+2/lvl
  • IntelligenceIntelligence18+1.7/lvl

At level 1

Damage
55–61
Attack time
1.6s
Attack range
150 (melee)
Move speed
310
Armor
2.3
Magic resistance
25%
Health
582 (+2.4/s)
Mana
291 (+0.9/s)
Vision day / night
1800 / 800

Recent changes

latest 12 patches
  1. 7.41e
    • Wyrm's Wrath:AoE Bonus increased from 25/50/75/100 to 30/60/90/120
  2. 7.41d
    • Dragon Tail:AoE increased from 25 to 50
    • Talents:Level 20 Talent Breathe Fire Damage increased from +200 to +220
  3. 7.41
    • Strength gain decreased from 3.6 to 3.2
    • Base Movement Speed decreased from 315 to 310
    • Breathe Fire:Damage Reduction rescaled from 30% to 20/24/28/32%
    • Cast range increased from 600 to 1000
    • Fixed the cast indicator not matching the actual damage range of the ability, and also to properly reflect cast range bonuses
    • Dragon Tail:No longer has an Elder Dragon specific cast range
    • Now has 25 radius AoE by default
    • Wyrm's Wrath:Now always grants the 10/20/30/40 bonus magic damage on attack, and 25/50/75/100 Area of Effect bonus
    • Elder Dragon Form:Now evolves per level. The bonuses are cumulative
    • Level 1: Green Dragon: Attacks apply a Corrosive poison that deals 25 magical damage per second for 3 seconds. Affects buildings
    • Level 2: Red Dragon: Attacks have splash damage that deals 75% of attack damage to all enemies within 275 AoE range
    • Applies Corrosive poison to all affected units. Other attack modifiers will affect only the primary target
    • Level 3: Blue Dragon: Attacks also apply a Frost debuff, which pierces Debuff Immunity and slows attack by 50 and movement by 30%
    • Splash attacks apply Corrosive poison and Frost slow to all affected units. Other attack modifiers will affect only the primary target
    • Bonus Move Speed increased from 20 to 25/30/35
    • No longer provides bonus attack damage
    • Now also increases cast range of all abilities by 350
    • Aghanim's Scepter no longer improves Wyrm's Wrath effectiveness while in Dragon Form
    • Aghanim's Scepter Black Dragon stats slightly rescaled
    • Level 4 Black Dragon has the following stats: 40 Bonus Move Speed, 35 Corrosive Damage, 100% Splash Damage, 350 Splash Radius, 65 Attack Slow, 45% Movement Slow, and also provides +20% Magic Resistance and free pathing
    • Fireball:No longer has an Elder Dragon specific cast range
    • Damage per second increased from 75 to 85
    • Duration decreased from 8s to 6s
    • Talents:Level 20 Talent +60% Breathe Fire Damage/Cast Range replaced with +200 Breathe Fire Damage
    • Level 25 Talent +50% Wyrm's Wrath effect during Elder Dragon Form replaced with +50% Wyrm's Wrath Bonuses
  4. 7.40
    • Base Agility decreased from 16 to 14
    • Elder Dragon Form:Bonus Attack Damage decreased from 20/60/100/140 to 20/50/80/110
    • Talents:Level 10 Talent 30% Breathe Fire Damage Reduction replaced with -2s Breathe Fire Cooldown
    • Level 20 Talent +85% Breathe Fire Damage/Cast Range in Dragon Form replaced with +60% Breathe Fire Damage/Cast Range

Lore

After years on the trail of a legendary Eldwurm, the Knight Davion found himself facing a disappointing foe: the dreaded Slyrak had grown ancient and frail, its wings tattered, its few remaining scales stricken with scale-rot, its fangs ground to nubs, and its fire-gouts no more threatening than a pack of wet matchsticks. Seeing no honor to be gained in dragon-murder, Knight Davion prepared to turn away and leave his old foe to die in peace. But a voice crept into his thoughts, and Slyrak gave a whispered plea that Davion might honor him with death in combat. Davion agreed, and found himself rewarded beyond expectation for his act of mercy: As he sank his blade in Slyrak's breast, the dragon pierced Davion's throat with a talon. As their blood mingled, Slyrak sent his power out along the Blood Route, sending all its strength and centuries of wisdom to the knight. The dragon's death sealed their bond and Dragon Knight was born. The ancient power slumbers in the Dragon Knight Davion, waking when he calls it. Or perhaps it is the Dragon that calls the Knight...

Win rates come from public Dota 2 matches (OpenDota), 3.4M matches counted, refreshed Oct 24, 2026. Tiers use the win rate in the chosen rank: S 52.5%+, A 51%+, B 49%+, C 47.5%+, D below; heroes with too few games are left unrated. Hero data and patch notes are Valve’s. Builds Forge is an unofficial fan site, not affiliated with Valve.