Moon Dragon


 * This page is about the unit. For the mount see Moon Dragon (mount).

Moon Dragon is a High Elves flying monster unit in Total War: Warhammer II. Matured and wise, they savage enemy battlelines with claws and fearsome flames.

Description
Dragons are amongst the oldest of all living creatures, even predating the rise of Chaos, and rode the thermals of ancient volcanoes long before warm-blooded creatures ruled the world. They are wise and aloof, viewing those around with a perspective only the eldest creatures can share. On Ulthuan, Dragons are the subjects of legends quite different to the terrifying folk tales of other lands. Without the Dragons of Ulthuan, the High Elves would have been annihilated thousands of years ago, for the Dragons are the Elves' oldest and greatest allies. Within Ulthuan, the realm of Caledor is the is the home of the Dragons, and in ancient days, those noble beasts seemed almost without number. However, times have changed. Now, in colossal caverns found deep within the Dragon Spine Mountains, the Dragons sleep away the centuries. A mysterious languor that began in the earliest years of Tethlis' reign has caused more and more Dragons to enter a slumber from which only ancient Caledorian songs can rouse them. Few young Dragons are hatched now on Ulthuan. The youngest are referred to as Sun Dragons, in reference to their hot tempers and the rich, warm hue of their scales. Those that surpass the Sun Dragons in might and enlightenment are known as Moon Dragons. The oldest and most powerful are referred to as Star Dragons, for they are truly as ancient as the very stars of the firmament. While any Dragon can savage an entire regiment of warriors, tear a Manticore apart or rip the head off of a Wyvern, a Star Dragon is so physically powerful that it can battle against even the Greater Daemons of Chaos and prevail.

Strategy
Apart from being more resilient and having a little less charge bonus, the Moon Dragon performs the same function as the Sun Dragon: burning infantry from above and then scattering them through morale shock from losses and his Fear and Terror abilities in melee. The main difference between them is that his flaming breath is also effective against heavy infantry instead of mostly light infantry and has a smaller area of effect. For maximum efficiency, position him so that he can burn stationary enemy units from the sides down your frontline and target the biggest cluster of foes before charging in. When attempting such a maneuver, beware of enemy handgunners, cannons or any other unit with very high armor piercing missile damage. While his scaly skin gives the Moon Dragon some resistance against missile damage, he will not last very long under concentrated fire and is a rather big target.

Dragons in general are extremely expensive in terms of upkeep, but the High Elves can combine a rare trait found on Princes and Princesses bought with lots of Influence with the Landmark building in Vauls Anvil (Caledor) to substantially reduce these costs.

One area dragons do extremely well in are siege battles. AI players will usually have a number of units amassed on a wall, which makes a great target for dragons to land on and kill a significant number of troops. In addition, the close proximity makes them a good target for the dragon's fire attacks.