Dragons are the second strongest neutral monster, right behind Baron Nashor. With the 2016 Mid-Season update, Riot introduced Elemental Dragons. There are four Elemental Dragons, Infernal, Mountain, Ocean, and Cloud. Along with the introduction of these four, in the late game, a super Dragon known as the Elder Dragon spawns.

Spawning

(Cloud, Infernal, Mountain, and Ocean marks respectively)

In the beginning of a game, one of the four dragons will spawn at 2:30. A mark will appear, indicating the element of the dragon that is being summoned. Only three Dragons of each type can spawn. Once the Dragon has been slain, the next Dragon will respawn in six minutes. At 35 minutes, the Elemental Dragons will be replaced with the Elder Dragon. The Elder Dragon is a stronger version of his comrades and will spawn every ten minutes. Once engaged in battle, it will knock back nearby champions.

Types of Dragons

There are four different Elemental Dragons and then the Elder Dragon.

Cloud Drake

Slaying a Cloud Drake will grant Stratus Walk. Stratus Walk is a buff that gives 25/50/75 bonus movement speed while out of combat. Cloud Drake has the highest attack speed and movement speed of out all the dragons. Cloud Drakes can be used in different ways. With the bonus movement speed, you can rotate around the map quicker, allowing you the ability to split push and spread the map. You can also move quicker to spread vision with wards or position quicker for a teamfight.

Infernal Drake

Slaying an Infernal Drake will grant Infernal Tribute. This grants 8/16/24% increased attack damage and ability power. Infernal Drake’s attack deals Area of Effect Damage, which damages everyone within the area. Infernal Drake's early game boost isn’t great, but it scales into the late game for massive damage. It is considered by most to be the best of the Elemental Dragons, due to its insane damage buff.

Mountain Drake

Slaying the Mountain Drake will grant Earthen Arms. Earthen Arms will grant 10/20/30% additional damage as true damage to Epic Monsters and turrets. Although Mountain Drake has low attack speed, his damage makes up for it. This dragon also has more health, magic resist and armor than the other elemental dragons. With Earthen Arms, siege comps become even stronger, due to the true damage on turrets. Baron Nashor will also drop to his knees under the extra damage granted by Earthen Arms. This is a strong buff but, due to Mountain Drake’s extra defensive stats, it takes longer to slay.

Ocean Drake

Slaying the Ocean Drake will grant Heart of the Ocean. This buff restores 4/8/12% of a champion's missing health and missing mana over 5 seconds if not damaged by champions or turrets for 8 seconds. Ocean Drake’s attacks slow their target’s movement speed by 30% for 2 seconds. When fighting over the Ocean Drake, use it to slow an opponent, limiting their movement. During laning phase, you can disengage from the enemy to restore your health and mana. This can force the enemy to use extra resources in an attempt to pressure you.

Elder Dragon

Slaying the Elder Dragon will grant Aspect of the Dragon for 150 seconds or until death. Aspect of the Dragon grants true damage on all spells and auto attacks against non-turrets over 3 seconds. The buffs you gain from the Elemental Dragons will double while you have Aspect of the Dragon. The Elder Dragon has more health, magic resist, armor and damage than his elemental brothers. Elder Dragon becomes stronger against teams with higher Dragon stacks. When behind on Dragon stacks, use Elder Dragon’s boosted power to weaken your enemies.

Securing Dragons

When trying to secure any Dragon, there are a few things you need to accomplish beforehand. First, and most importantly, you’ll need a champion with the summoner spell Smite. Smite is crucial for slaying any jungle monster. Without Smite, your opponent can walk up and easily steal the dragon you've worked so hard to slay. Another important factor is vision. Vison within the Dragon’s pit and around it will help you notice enemies closing in. When placing your own vision, it is also important to clear your opponent’s vision. Without view of the Dragon’s pit, the enemy is forced to either face check the surrounding area or decide not to contest the Dragon. A useful resource for vision is the Scuttle Crab. Killing the Scuttle Crab will grant vison and a movement speed boost in front of the Dragon’s pit. While it is extremely useful for moving around Dragon quickly, it only grants vision in front of the pit, not within.

Teamfighting Around Dragon

It’s only natural for both teams to want Dragons, due to their buffs. Fights are inevitable, so always be ready to brawl. Control of Scuttle Crab is key, due to its vision and movement speed buff. Typically, the best way to win a fight near Dragon is to kill the enemy's jungler or highest damage dealer. With the enemy jungler dead, the enemy team will be reluctant to contest due to their lack of Smite. Killing the highest damage dealer might make the enemy team back off the dragon, but this could result in a Smite steal if you aren’t careful. Remember that the Dragons target the closest enemy, so make sure you don’t tank any of the Dragon’s damage.

Conclusion

With the introduction of Elemental Dragons, fighting over Dragon has never been so important. There are four Dragons that appear in no pre-determined order, making each game a different experience. Each Dragon has its strengths, allowing certain team compositions to flourish. With the stacking, it applies pressure to the enemy team, forcing them to contest. The inclusion of the Elder Dragon is a complete game changer. Doubling all stacks from the Elemental Dragons, Aspect of the Dragon can easily decide games in one teamfight. Elemental Dragons add new challenges and strategy to each game, which keeps League of Legends’ players on their toes.

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