Dragons
Dragons in Wildlander are not the easy to kill creatures they were in vanilla. They are heavily armored, magic-breathing flying tanks with teeth which can cut through low to mid quality armor with one bite. You might think you can send a follower to the teeth end while you rain damage down on the tail—think again, as the tail is capable of knockdowns.
Core Philosophy: The trick to fighting any dragon isn’t stats—it’s tactics. Being 100 skill in everything isn’t enough to guarantee your survival if you miss a block. At lower levels, even if a dragon’s attacks can 1-shot you, it’s possible to take them down by appropriately timed dodges, hiding, and enough equipment.
Combat Tactics
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Choose your battlefield: In most cases, you have some control over where the fight occurs. Even if a dragon swoops in on you, there is a small window to reposition yourself. Try to pick an area that has several pieces of full cover (tall enough to fully block their breath weapon from both the ground and a low hover). Ideally, this cover can be circled (in case the dragon lands/hovers behind you), and is in such a spot that the dragon cannot land on top of you. Practice this at word walls, where the wall itself can be used as cover.
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Cover is life: A dragon cannot kill what it cannot hit. Make sure that there is always at least a piece of full cover adjacent to you so you can duck behind it in that split second before the dragon breathes. The Become Ethereal shout is especially useful for those “Oh shit” moments when you get caught out of cover.
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Patience is a virtue: Dragons aren’t short fights, so resist the urge to leave your cover spot to deal damage—all it takes is a single bad move, the dragon to turn around and bite your face off to end a long fight (and not in your favor). A dragon has the advantage in terms of stats; the only advantage you have is your brain.
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Know when to run: Sometimes, it just isn’t your time to shine. Don’t be afraid of a tactical withdrawal, either to fully flee or to regroup. Just make sure that you do it carefully (sticking to cover). Also, if 2 dragons engage you at once…NOPE the hell outta there. They WILL kill you.
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Choose the right time of day: You don’t want to be attacking a dragon as the sun is setting.
Equipment & Resources That Help
Depending on your build, some of these become more necessary than others. You don’t need all of them:
- Solid, properly enchanted armor—for HA characters, the more armor the better
- High Magic Resistance—shouts can’t one-shot you if you resist 99% of the damage
- Tanky follower(s)—to keep the “teeth end” occupied
- Excellent ranged damage (bow, crossbow, or Destruction magic)—also properly enchanted
- Lots of very good poison for your bow
- Marked for Death shout—to reduce their armor
- A good shield and block perks can block shouts
- Become Ethereal shout—for those “Oh Shit” moments when another dragon shows up
- Slow Time shout—really useful if you cast Marked for Death then Slow Time as melee—lets you get a lot of hits in and take off a good chunk of health
- Indomitable Force perk—halves damage and duration of shouts, thus reducing shout damage to a quarter of the original
- Great Resist potions (Fire, Ice, Poison)—many players treat shop vendors like vanilla garbage disposals, but don’t. Check their inventory because they sell items that will save your life
Melee vs Ranged
Ranged damage is far safer than melee. Even if the dragon lands, resist the temptation to run in to score a few whacks unless you are properly prepared—it often ends with you rag-dolling across the ground. A bow might take longer, but it will keep you 100% more alive.
That being said, dragons can be fought in melee range with the right preparation. Dragons twist their head to your left before every bite, so that’s your red flag to either run away or block (obviously keep your stamina and health in mind). Blocking works fine too for dragons. With just Improved Blocking, Strong Grip, and Experienced Blocking you can block the damage from a bite if you fail to run away fast enough.
Stealth
Dragons are NOT stealth immune, but they have very good eyesight when flying. It’s nearly impossible to sneak attack a flying dragon at low to mid levels of sneak.
Index
Table of contents
Quick Reference: Dragon Types at a Glance
| Type | Health | Damage | Element | Weakness | Threat Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Fire | 7,300–7,800 | 400–525 | Fire Breath | Frost (-75%) | 🟢 Low | Most common |
| Standard Frost | 7,000–7,800 | 350–525 | Frost Breath | Fire (-75%) | 🟢 Low | Slowing breath dangerous |
| Poison | 7,200 | 400 | Vile Vapor | Poison immunity | 🟢 Low | Unique mechanics |
| Undead (Labyrinthian) | 15,000 | 350 | Frost Breath | Silver weapons (150% dmg) | 🟡 Moderate | High HP; silver weakness |
| Serpentine Fire | 7,653 | 450 | Fire Breath | Frost (-75%) | 🟡 Moderate | Similar to Standard Fire |
| Serpentine Frost | 7,646 | 450 | Frost Breath | Fire (-75%) | 🟡 Moderate | Similar to Standard Frost |
| Durnehviir | 18,900 | 575 | Drain Vitality | Frost (-75%) | 🔴 High | Drain damage threat |
| Vulthuryol | 17,000 | 425 | Fire Breath | Frost (-75%) | 🔴 High | Very low stamina |
Threat Level Preparation Checklist
🟢 Low Threat (Standard/Poison Dragons)
- Potions: Frost or Fire resist potions for Standard dragons; Poison resistance at or near cap (strongly recommended) for Poison dragons
- Armor: Aim for armor cap (800+); heavy armor recommended if melee or not confident in dodging
- Weapons: Reliable ranged damage (bow/crossbow) or enchanted melee weapon
- Support: Follower optional but helpful
- Shouts: None required; Marked for Death helpful for melee builds
🟡 Moderate Threat (Undead/Serpentine Dragons)
- Potions: High-grade elemental resist potions, multiple doses
- Armor: Aim for armor cap (800+); heavy armor recommended if melee or not confident in dodging
- Weapons: Silver weapons MANDATORY for Undead dragons; Enchanted melee/ranged weapons for Serpentine
- Support: Tanky follower strongly recommended
- Shouts: Marked for Death (reduce armor), Clear Skies (remove meteor hazards)
- Special: Magic Resistance 50%+ recommended
🔴 High Threat (Durnehviir/Vulthuryol/Alduin)
- Potions: Maximum resistance potions, healing potions (dozens), Restore potions
- Armor: Aim for armor cap (800+); heavy armor strongly recommended
- Weapons: Best available weapons with strong enchantments
- Support: Multiple tanky followers or consider not engaging solo
- Shouts: Slow Time (escape/offense), Become Ethereal (invulnerability frames), Marked for Death
- Special: Magic Resistance 75%+, escape route planned, clear expectations about survival odds
- Note: Accept high death probability unless you’re extremely well-geared
Common Weapon Protection Values
These values apply to most dragons unless otherwise noted:
| Type | Tier and Reductions |
|---|---|
| Slash (Swords & Axes) | 3 + 70% Damage reduction |
| Pierce (Daggers) | 2 + 70% Damage reduction |
| Blunt (Maces & Hammers) | 85% Damage reduction |
| Ranged (Bows & Crossbows) | 4 + 85% Damage reduction |
Special Cases: Undead dragons have different weapon protection values (see Undead section).
Named Dragons Reference
The following named dragons use identical stats and abilities to their standard counterparts. Only their unique shouts are listed:
| Name | Type | Threat Level | Shouts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krosulhah | Standard Frost | 🟢 Low | Unrelenting Force, Frost Breath, Ice Storm |
| Naaslaarum | Standard Fire | 🟢 Low | Disarm, Unrelenting Force, Fire Breath, Fire Ball |
| Paarthurnax | Standard Fire | 🟢 Low | Fire Breath, Fire Ball |
| Sahrotaar | Standard Frost | 🟢 Low | Frost Breath, Ice Storm |
| Voslaarum | Standard Fire | 🟢 Low | Disarm, Unrelenting Force, Fire Breath, Fire Ball |
Shouts
| Name | Description | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Unrelenting Force | Staggers targets and knocks over loose objects. | |
| Disarm | Targets in mid swing drop their weapons. | (up to level 999) |
| Fire Ball | There are few things a Dragon’s scorching breath cannot reduce to ashes and cinders within a trice. | Deals 120 Fire Damage for enemies within 15 feet for 5 seconds |
| Fire Breath | Inhale air, exhale flame, and behold the Thu’um as a blazing inferno. | fire damage: 300 instantly, plus 5/s for 31 seconds and Large stagger |
| Drain Vitality | Thu’um reaches out and takes away the very lifeforce of your enemies and and gives it to the dragon | drain stamina: 5 per second for 60 seconds, drain magicka: 5 per second for 60 seconds, drain health: 5 per second for 60 seconds, small stagger |
| Ice Storm | There are few things a Dragon’s freezing breath cannot freeze to death in a mere blink of an eye | Deals 120 Frost Damage for enemies within 15 feet for 5 seconds |
| Frost breath | Inhale air, exhale Frost, and behold the Thu’um as a a blizzard. | frost damage: 60 per second for 5 seconds, slow: 50% and Large stagger |
| Vile Vapor | Inhale air, vomit poisonous fog, which does lingering health damage. | Poison Spray, 50 points for 2 seconds |
Standard Fire
Threat Level: 🟢 Low
Most common dragon encounter in Wildlander. Manageable with proper tactics and preparation. Primary weakness is frost damage and cold-based effects.
Quick Tactical Tips
- Use frost potions or Frost Breath shout to weaken them
- Their Fire Breath is avoidable with proper positioning behind cover
- Generally weak individually—engage when you’re ready
- Lower armor rating than other dragon types makes ranged attacks effective
Variations by Color
(Reference table showing health/damage variations. Tactics remain the same regardless of color.)
| Stat / Color | Gold (level 40) | Silver | Gold with Black Spots | Gold (level 30) | Fantail Gold(Purple Back) | Purple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 7400 | 7000 | 7400 | 7300 | 7600 | 7800 |
| Melee Damage | 450 | 350 | 450 | 400 | 525 | 525 |
| Movement Speed | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Extra Shout | Fire Ball | Disarm | Fire Ball | Fire Ball | Fireball, Disarm |
Shouts (All Variations)
- Unrelenting Force
- Fire Breath
Basic Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Magicka | 5000 |
| Stamina | 20900 |
| Standard AR | 660 |
| Magical AR | None |
| AP | 50 |
| Health Regeneration | None |
| Diseased | None |
| Can Knockdown Player | Tail swipe can Stagger |
Resistances
| Type | Protection | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Frost | N/A | -75% |
| Fire | 90% | N/A |
| Poison | 60% | N/A |
| Paralysis | Immune | N/A |
Weapon Protection
| Type | Tier and reductions |
|---|---|
| Slash (Swords & Axes) | 3 + 70% Damage reduction |
| Pierce(Daggers) | 2 + 70% Damage reduction |
| Blunt (Maces & Hammers) | 85% Damage reduction |
| Ranged (Bows & Crossbows) | 4 + 85% Damage reduction |
Standard Frost
Threat Level: 🟢 Low
Common variant with slowing breath effect. Manageable with proper tactics and preparation. Primary weakness is fire damage and heat-based effects.
Quick Tactical Tips
- The 50% slow effect is dangerous—stay mobile and use cover
- Fire potions are essential; burn effect counters their frost resistance
- Kite around obstacles to avoid breath attacks and slowing effects
- Can be soloed but the slowing breath makes mistakes more costly
Variations by Color
(Reference table showing health/damage variations. Tactics remain the same regardless of color.)
| Stat / Color | Gold | Silver | Green | Purple (level 79) | Gold with Black Spots | Purple (level 75) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 7400 | 7000 | 7200 | 7350 | 7600 | 7800 |
| Melee Damage | 450 | 350 | 400 | 425 | 450 | 525 |
| Movement Speed | 100 | 100 | 175 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Shout | Ice Storm, Frost Breath | Ice Storm | Disarm | Ice Storm, Disarm | Ice Storm, Disarm |
Basic Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Magicka | 5000 |
| Stamina | 20900 |
| Standard AR | 660 |
| Magical AR | None |
| AP | 50 |
| Health Regeneration | None |
| Diseased | None |
| Can Knockdown Player | Tail swipe can Stagger |
Resistances
| Type | Protection | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Frost | 90% | N/A |
| Fire | N/A | -75% |
| Poison | 60% | N/A |
| Paralysis | Immune | N/A |
Weapon Protection
| Type | Tier and reductions |
|---|---|
| Slash (Swords & Axes) | 3 + 70% Damage reduction |
| Pierce(Daggers) | 2 + 70% Damage reduction |
| Blunt (Maces & Hammers) | 85% Damage reduction |
| Ranged (Bows & Crossbows) | 4 + 85% Damage reduction |
Poison
Threat Level: 🟢 Low
Unique mechanics with low health and damage, but continuous health drain is dangerous if you’re caught without poison resistance. Poison immunity protects them from conventional poison damage.
Quick Tactical Tips
- Low health makes them easiest to kill, but health drain is insidious
- Poison resistance potions STRONGLY recommended
- Stay in cover and use ranged attacks to avoid prolonged exposure
- Their low melee damage means blocking can save you if caught out
Basic Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 7200 |
| Magicka | 5000 |
| Stamina | 20900 |
| Movement Speed | 175 |
| Melee Damage | 400 |
| Standard AR | 660 |
| Magical AR | None |
| AP | 50 |
| Health Regeneration | None |
| Diseased | None |
| Can Knockdown Player | Tail swipe can Stagger |
Shouts
- Unrelenting Force
- Disarm
- Vile Vapor
Resistances
| Type | Protection |
|---|---|
| Poison | 160% |
| Paralysis | Immune |
Weapon Protection: See Common Weapon Protection Values
Undead
Threat Level: 🟡 Moderate
Significantly harder than standard dragons. Much higher health pool and immunity to many common tactics. Silver weapons are critical for efficient damage. Only encountered in Labyrinthian dungeon.
Quick Tactical Tips
- Silver weapons are MANDATORY - standard weapons deal 20% damage
- High armor and damage reduction—expect long fights
- Immune to sneak attacks and many shout effects
- Lower melee damage than fire/frost variants (only 350) is their weakness
- Prepare for attrition: bring supplies and patience
Labyrinthian
Basic Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 15000 |
| Magicka | 5000 |
| Stamina | 29900 |
| Movement Speed | 80 |
| Melee Damage | 350 |
| Ranged Damage | None |
| Shouts | Frost Breath 60 per second for 5 seconds slow: 50% Large stagger |
| Unrelenting Force 60 damage to target health and large knockback on targets with less than 600 health and/or 50 or less magic resist | |
| Standard AR | None |
| Magical AR | None |
| AP | None |
| Health Regeneration | None |
| Diseased | No |
| Can Knockdown Player | No |
Weapon Protection
| Type | Tier |
|---|---|
| Slash (Swords & Axes) | 50% Damage reduction |
| Pierce(Daggers) | 80% Damage reduction |
| Ranged (Bows & Crossbows) | 75% Damage reduction |
Material Protection
| Type | Damage change |
|---|---|
| Silver (Melee) | 150% Damage Done (after armor Mitigation) |
| Standard (Arrows) | 20% damage |
Resistances
| Type | Protection |
|---|---|
| Frost | 95 |
| Fire | 50 |
| Shock | 50 |
| Poison | 100 |
| Paralysis | Immune |
| Sneak Attack | Immune |
Others
Identical to Labyrinthian Undead dragon - Except
Basic Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| AP | 30 |
Fire Spectral Dragon
Basic Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 846 |
| Magicka | 700 |
| Stamina | 774 |
| Movement Speed | 100 |
| Melee Damage | 210 |
| Fire Wyrm Attack 20 Fire damage, 2/s Fire damage for 30 seconds | |
| Standard AR | None |
| Magical AR | None |
| AP | None |
| Health Regeneration | No |
| Diseased | None |
| Can Knockdown Player | No |
Shouts
- Frost Breath
- Ice Storm
Resistances
| Type | Protection | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Frost | N/A | -25% |
| Fire | 100 | N/A |
| Poison | 100 | N/A |
| Paralysis | Immune | N/A |
Serpentine
Threat Level: 🟡 Moderate
Serpentine dragons are significantly more powerful variants of standard dragons. Higher damage output and additional shout variety (Disarm) makes them more dangerous. Stats and resistances mirror their standard fire/frost counterparts.
Quick Tactical Tips
- Treat as an upgrade to Standard dragons—expect harder fights
- Higher damage (450 vs 400-525) makes mistakes more costly
- Disarm shout can catch you unprepared—have a backup weapon or shield
- Apply same elemental resistance strategy as their standard counterparts
- Generally found in higher-difficulty areas
Fire
Basic Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 7653 |
| Magicka | 5000 |
| Stamina | 21027 |
| Movement Speed | 100 |
| Melee Damage | 450 |
| Standard AR | 660 |
| AP | 50 |
| Health Regeneration | No |
| Diseased | No |
| Can Knockdown Player | Tail swipe can Stagger |
Shouts
- Unrelenting Force
- Disarm
- Fire Breath
- Fire Ball
Resistances
| Type | Protection | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Frost | N/A | -75% |
| Fire | 90% | N/A |
| Poison | 60% | N/A |
| Paralysis | Immune | N/A |
Weapon Protection: See Common Weapon Protection Values
Frost
Basic Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 7646 |
| Magicka | 5000 |
| Stamina | 21024 |
| Movement Speed | 100 |
| Melee Damage | 450 |
| Standard AR | 660 |
| AP | 50 |
| Health Regeneration | No |
| Diseased | No |
| Can Knockdown Player | Tail swipe can Stagger |
Shouts
- Unrelenting Force
- Disarm
- Frost Breath
- Ice Storm
Resistances
| Type | Protection | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Frost | 90% | N/A |
| Fire | N/A | -75% |
| Poison | 60% | N/A |
| Paralysis | Immune | N/A |
Weapon Protection: See Common Weapon Protection Values
Named
Threat Level: 🔴 High
The unique named dragons Durnehviir and Vulthuryol are significantly more dangerous than standard counterparts. Durnehviir is exceptionally dangerous with the highest health and damage among regular dragons. However, Alduin - the World-Eater - is in a class of his own with devastating melee damage, meteor storms, and summon abilities. Only encountered in specific questlines and late-game scenarios. Extreme preparation required.
Durnehviir
Basic Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 18,900 |
| Magicka | 6,150 |
| Stamina | 20,050 |
| Movement Speed | 100 |
| Melee Damage | 575 |
| Ranged Damage | None |
| Magical Damage | None |
| Standard AR | 660 |
| Magical AR | None |
| AP | None |
| Health Regeneration | No |
| Diseased | No |
| Can Knockdown Player | Tail swipe can Stagger |
Shouts
- Drain Vitality
- Frost Breath
Resistances
| Type | Protection | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Frost | 90% | N/A |
| Fire | N/A | -75% |
| Poison | 100% | N/A |
| Paralysis | Immune | N/A |
| Sneak Attack | Immune | N/A |
Weapon Protection
| Type | Tier and reductions |
|---|---|
| Slash (Swords & Axes) | 3 + 70% Damage reduction |
| Pierce(Daggers) | 2 + 70% Damage reduction |
| Blunt (Maces & Hammers) | 85% Damage reduction |
| Ranged (Bows & Crossbows) | 4 + 85% Damage reduction |
Vulthuryol
Basic Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 17,000 |
| Magicka | 5,000 |
| Stamina | 1,000 |
| Movement Speed | 100 |
| Melee Damage | 425 |
Abilities & Resistances
- Same as Standard Fire Dragon
Shouts
- Fire Breath
- Fire Ball
Alduin
⚠️ EXTREME DANGER ⚠️
Alduin is not a normal dragon encounter. He combines 1,000 melee damage with meteor storms, flying invulnerability phases, and summon abilities. This is the most lethal encounter in Wildlander. Do not attempt without comprehensive preparation, maximum resistances, and viable escape strategies.
For complete details, see Alduin’s dedicated page
Alduin the World-Eater is fundamentally different from all other dragons in Wildlander and should not be engaged without extreme preparation.
Basic Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 16,580 |
| Magicka | 25,050 |
| Stamina | 20,415 |
| Movement Speed | 125 |
| Melee Damage | 1,000 |
| Standard AR | 1,200 |
| AP | 30% |
| Can Knockdown Player | Yes |
Unique Abilities
- Alduin Invulnerability - Immune to damage while flying (during main quest)
- Dragon Storm Call - Creates meteor shower dealing damage and creating hazardous zones
- Worldeater’s Howl - All shouts are 5% more powerful
- Soul Cairn Summon - Calls 24 Wrathments for 60 seconds (Sovnguard quest only)
Shouts
- Drain Vitality (drains stamina, magicka, and health)
- Dragon Storm Call (meteors)
- Dragon Unrelenting Force
- Fire Breath
- Frost Breath
- Fire Ball
- Ice Storm
Resistances
| Type | Protection |
|---|---|
| Frost | 33 |
| Fire | 33 |
| Shock | 33 |
| Poison | 80 |
| Paralysis | Immune |
| Knock Down | Minor |
| Mehrunes Razor | Immune |
Strategic Notes: The combination of 1,000 melee damage, meteor storms, flying invulnerability phases, and summon abilities makes Alduin the most dangerous encounter in the game. Expect a multi-phase fight with extreme preparation required.