Post by Luke on Nov 4, 2015 13:55:12 GMT -5
Mass Dragons
A very popular and easy to learn strategy for all TH7 and TH8s, Mass Dragons has made its mark as a popular choice during Clan Wars. It’s simplicity makes it ideal for those just starting their war career and has proven to be effective against TH8s and below. Fun fact: Jorge Yao, the first person to hit 4000 trophies, accomplished this feat using Mass Dragon attacks.
Army composition is as easy as it gets - as many Dragons as your Army Camps will allow. Spells are either 3 Lightning or 1 Heal and 2 Rage, with 3 Rage being another alternative. The three Lightning spells are used to destroy one of the Air Defenses early in the attack, which is generally an issue when going up against a TH8 base that has 3 Air Defenses, but is also applicable for all levels.
The most effective way to attack (that I’ve seen and used) is to drop all Dragons evenly accross one side of the base and let them have at it. The Dragons at the ends of this line serve to force a funnel for Dragons closer to the center of the line, who then make their way into the center of the base and (hopefully) take out any Air Defenses remaining. Any Rage spells are best used (in order of effectiveness) on: 1) clusters of Dragons in the center to secure a 2 star, 2) a Dragon at >1/2 health who is approaching an Air Defense (meaning locked on and moving towards it), or 3) clusters of Dragons on the peripherals to better funnel Dragons in the center. Lightning spells are best used on an Air Defense that is opposite the side that the Dragon attack will start from. (See below)
My personal opinion is that there should be about 4-5 Balloons in a mass Dragon attack, either in your Army Camp or Clan Castle, depending on whether you can make max level Balloons. As the Dragons move towards the center of the base, they will become targets of the Air Defense and quickly die off. Balloons target defenses, and well-timed and well-placed Balloons will be able to take out an Air Defense or two before they get a chance to do too much damage to the Dragons. Again, this is an opinion.
The primary flaw with a Mass Dragon attack is it’s lack of versatility and the lack of control over Dragon movement. Dragons have a tendency to move outward from the center base and are often stuck on high health buildings such as storages or the Clan Castle, leaving them open to taking huge damage from Air Defenses, Hidden Teslas and Archer Towers. Unless Air Defenses are taken care of promptly, a Dragon circling the base will inevitably fail to take care of its biggest threat and fall before it can finish the base.
Another common flaw is timing. Even if a pair of Dragons manages to survive and there are no longer any threats to their survival, they are slow and susceptible to the 3 minute timer. Placing Builders Huts or other structures in each of the 4 corners of the map is a standard practice to prevent a 3 star. Also are bases that spread out buildings to cover as much map area as possible, capitalizing on making it take longer to get to the center of the base.
While inconsistent, the Mass Dragon attack is still a viable strategy for handling bases at this Town Hall level. Even if the attack itself has obvious weaknesses, the threat is enough to encourage centralized Air Defenses to prevent getting swept by a flock of fire-breathing beasts from above.
A very popular and easy to learn strategy for all TH7 and TH8s, Mass Dragons has made its mark as a popular choice during Clan Wars. It’s simplicity makes it ideal for those just starting their war career and has proven to be effective against TH8s and below. Fun fact: Jorge Yao, the first person to hit 4000 trophies, accomplished this feat using Mass Dragon attacks.
Army composition is as easy as it gets - as many Dragons as your Army Camps will allow. Spells are either 3 Lightning or 1 Heal and 2 Rage, with 3 Rage being another alternative. The three Lightning spells are used to destroy one of the Air Defenses early in the attack, which is generally an issue when going up against a TH8 base that has 3 Air Defenses, but is also applicable for all levels.
The most effective way to attack (that I’ve seen and used) is to drop all Dragons evenly accross one side of the base and let them have at it. The Dragons at the ends of this line serve to force a funnel for Dragons closer to the center of the line, who then make their way into the center of the base and (hopefully) take out any Air Defenses remaining. Any Rage spells are best used (in order of effectiveness) on: 1) clusters of Dragons in the center to secure a 2 star, 2) a Dragon at >1/2 health who is approaching an Air Defense (meaning locked on and moving towards it), or 3) clusters of Dragons on the peripherals to better funnel Dragons in the center. Lightning spells are best used on an Air Defense that is opposite the side that the Dragon attack will start from. (See below)
My personal opinion is that there should be about 4-5 Balloons in a mass Dragon attack, either in your Army Camp or Clan Castle, depending on whether you can make max level Balloons. As the Dragons move towards the center of the base, they will become targets of the Air Defense and quickly die off. Balloons target defenses, and well-timed and well-placed Balloons will be able to take out an Air Defense or two before they get a chance to do too much damage to the Dragons. Again, this is an opinion.
The primary flaw with a Mass Dragon attack is it’s lack of versatility and the lack of control over Dragon movement. Dragons have a tendency to move outward from the center base and are often stuck on high health buildings such as storages or the Clan Castle, leaving them open to taking huge damage from Air Defenses, Hidden Teslas and Archer Towers. Unless Air Defenses are taken care of promptly, a Dragon circling the base will inevitably fail to take care of its biggest threat and fall before it can finish the base.
Another common flaw is timing. Even if a pair of Dragons manages to survive and there are no longer any threats to their survival, they are slow and susceptible to the 3 minute timer. Placing Builders Huts or other structures in each of the 4 corners of the map is a standard practice to prevent a 3 star. Also are bases that spread out buildings to cover as much map area as possible, capitalizing on making it take longer to get to the center of the base.
While inconsistent, the Mass Dragon attack is still a viable strategy for handling bases at this Town Hall level. Even if the attack itself has obvious weaknesses, the threat is enough to encourage centralized Air Defenses to prevent getting swept by a flock of fire-breathing beasts from above.