How to use dragons?

[llamabeast]

I'd quite like to use a dragon as a pretender to capture provinces by himself and help me expand at the beginning of the game. I know people use dragons, but they seem to be to be dramatically inferior to wyrms (apart from flying, of course). I just can't use one without it dying. So - how do people use dragons?

[calmon]

Awe and Fear is very good for dragon. Try out a blue one with additional water magic for better defence and dominion of 9, better 10.

advantages:
- The awe effect combined with the high protection and defence makes in nearly (indi) undefeatable in early game.
- Fear effect is best in combination with good defences
- Flying ability makes him very flexible!

problems:
- Dominion 9 or 10 are very expensive because of the low start dominion (1)
- Item slots are very limited for middle/end game.
- archers especially crossbows are a problem because the awe effect doesn't work here. Script to attack archers.

[KissBlade]

I fight with dom 4 dragons just, usually the blue one or the red one. Just script fire x5, attack closest and fight only archer/militia/lights/heavies. All there is to it. Later on, support with some chaff troops to prevent surrounding (and don't script fire x5, script like fire x3 or something since friendly fire sucks)

[Meglobob]

I have had alot of success with a dragon petender. You can expand at double the rate, early in the game. Which is excellent in MP.

I do the following:-

1) Take dominion 9 or 10 for the Awe effect. But also so your dominion spreads quickly to nearby indies. Then hit those indies with your dragon, he is stronger of course because of your dominion.

2) Attack blind (turn 1) if indies are 5 or less, I have never had a dragon die so far. He who dares...wins.

3) Your dragon flys, upto 3 provinces, so choose your targets carefully. Hit the weaker provinces, skip harder ones, those can be tackled by your main slower moving army.

4) Look to skip provinces and close other players off especially at strategic chokepoints. Once other players see you have a dragon pretender running around, you usually get a bit of respect! So get left alone.

5) Equip your dragon with a ring of regneration, amulet of luck and horror helm ASAP. This turns him into nearly a SC.

6) Later in the game use him only as a raider or as defensive SC. He is a SC in his own dominion, especially 9 or 10 dominion but easily killed in enemy dominion.

[Nick_K]

Dragons have several advantages over wryms, although I rarely use either. Dragons fly, have a breath weapon (in Dom2 the blue dragon's was my favourite) and have much higher prot than wyrms. They also start with magic, which can lead to substantial cost savings if you want high levels for blesses or whatever.
Finally, the ability to take human form means that they can be given more utility items such as dwarven hammers and path boosters.

Of course, Wyrms have a few advantages as well, but dragons can easily be a solid choice.

[Baalz]

Another thing that dragons are good for is a cheap platform for a single bless. Dragons (I think) are the cheapest way to get a single path to level 9 or 10 (aside from the immobile pretenders). Getting just the water bless (at 10!) is enough to move several of the sacreds up into bad-*** territory and you can do it with decent scales and an awake, battle ready, flying pretender. That can give you a pretty decent edge at the beginning even against a double bless strategy, but with longer staying power due to your better scales.

[Manuk]

a wyrm can be sent blindly at any province but lizards, and you only spend 50 picks (plus dom up to 10). besides magic for blessings maybe) i see no advantage with the dragons over the wyrm.

[Ironhawk]

Flying

[mathusalem]

yes, but the Wyrm can go underwater

[Gandalf Parker]

One of the things about the dragons is that I think they are meant as a surprise. Thats why their shapechange is always something that duplicates a non-dragon. I dont think that works as well as it was meant to. But MegaBlobs post is a good breakdown on dragon use.