Elder Dragon
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Excellent (9/10)
Epic Relics
High Investment Required
Elder Dragon is an exceptionally powerful and satisfying champion, offering a definitive 'big monster' playstyle. While his early game can be slow and he relies heavily on epic relics for mana acceleration, his late-game scaling and 'Unstoppable' level-up condition make him a dominant force capable of clearing the game's hardest content.
The Unstoppable Behemoth
Provides a crucial +1 starting mana gem because Elder Dragon is a Titanic champion.
Grants a free attack and Barrier upon play, instantly progressing his level-up condition.
Generates discounted high-cost units upon summoning Elder Dragon, instantly flooding the board with massive threats.
Strategy
This is the optimal build for maximizing Elder Dragon's tempo and immediate impact. Starforged Gauntlets is essential for accelerating his high-cost game plan, allowing him to reach the board turns earlier. When played, Cease and Desist forces an immediate free attack with massive stats, which often instantly levels him up. Portal Pals provides an overwhelming board state to secure the victory.
Relentless Assault
- Accelerates mana curve to deploy Elder Dragon earlier.
Provides Scout for multiple attacks per round.
Reduces Elder Dragon's cost based on the number of allies in play, enabling early deployment.
Strategy
This build focuses on cheating Elder Dragon onto the board as early as possible and attacking multiple times. Disciple of Shadows leverages your early board presence to discount his cost. Galeforce provides the Scout keyword, allowing for rapid level-up progression. Crucially, once Elder Dragon levels up, his 'Unstoppable' keyword prevents Galeforce from shuffling him back into the deck at round end.
Titanic Spellweaver
Copies spells cast once you reach 6 mana gems.
Creates a Redoubled Valor in hand upon summoning.
Refills spell mana upon summoning, ensuring you can cast Redoubled Valor immediately.
Strategy
This build utilizes only common and rare relics and focuses on a massive single-turn power spike. The goal is to survive until you have 6 mana gems, then deploy Elder Dragon. Lost Chapter immediately refills your spell mana, allowing you to cast the Redoubled Valor generated by Hymn of Valor. Because you have 6 mana gems, Chemtech Duplicator copies the spell, quadrupling Elder Dragon's stats and ensuring a devastating attack.
Other Relic Options
Despite being his signature relic, this is widely considered a trap. The 2 AoE damage is insufficient for high-difficulty encounters, and the 'Play' restriction prevents it from synergizing with his various summon effects.
An excellent choice before reaching his 6-star constellation, as it provides Overwhelm to prevent his massive units from being chump-blocked. However, it becomes redundant at C6 when Dragon Souls inherently provide Overwhelm.
A situational option that can duplicate Elder Dragon. However, because the copy is 'Summoned' and not 'Played' from hand, it will not receive Dragon Boons, limiting its overall effectiveness.
A strong passive option for the third relic slot, particularly at C6, to help fish for Titanic-related powers and high-cost units in shops.
Constellation
Elder Dragon's constellation tree is highly impactful, transforming him from a slow, vulnerable champion into an inevitable win condition. His upgrades focus heavily on mana acceleration and amplifying the power of his Dragon Boons, making him one of the most reliable late-game threats in the roster.
Dragonsire
Allies with base cost 6+ cost 1 less.
Aspect of the Dragon
+1 Starting Mana. When you play a base 6+ cost ally, play a random Dragon Boon on it.
Dragonsire II
Allies with base cost 6+ cost 2 less.
Early Bird
Game Start: Summon your weakest follower from deck.Review
Players disagree on the consistency of this upgrade. Some find the summoned unit's impact negligible, while others recommend cutting small units from the starting deck to guarantee summoning Ottrani for reliable early mana ramp.
Manaflow
Game Start: Get a mana gem.Review
Provides a crucial starting mana gem. This is widely considered his most important upgrade for tempo, allowing him to deploy 6-cost units significantly earlier and mitigating his early-game vulnerability.
Souls of Dragons
Your Dragon Boons are replaced with Dragon Souls.Review
Upgrades Dragon Boons to Dragon Souls, providing massive stat boosts, premium keywords like Spellshield and Barrier, and significant Nexus healing. This upgrade makes his units nearly unkillable and provides immense sustain, solidifying his position as a top-tier champion.
Gameplay Tips
- The Unstoppable Keyword
Once leveled up, Elder Dragon is immune to almost all negative effects. He cannot be stunned, recalled, entombed, killed by Ephemeral, or even blocked. If he attacks, the damage will connect unless the opponent can destroy your Nexus at Fast speed.
- Play vs. Summon Mechanics
Dragon Boons are only granted when a unit is Played from hand. Effects that Summon units onto the board (like Frozen Tomb, Feel The Rush, or Spectral Scissors) will not trigger boon generation.
- Drafting Strategy
Prioritize drafting 6+ cost units to maximize the value of Dragon Boons. Avoid low-cost support champions, as they dilute the deck and interfere with his primary scaling engine.
- Galeforce Interaction
If Elder Dragon levels up on the same turn he is played with Galeforce equipped, his 'Unstoppable' keyword will prevent him from being shuffled back into the deck at round end, allowing you to keep a massive Scout unit on the board permanently.
- Managing Early Aggression
Before acquiring his mana-ramp constellation upgrades, Elder Dragon is highly vulnerable to aggressive, wide enemy boards. Prioritize early blockers and removal to survive until his high-cost units can stabilize the game.