Dreadnaught

Lore
"Some say that Hellfires, vicious predatory dragons, are the worst things to come from the Ashen Plains, but the hunters of Sol'at hold a different perspective. Hellfires, they will say, range far and fight fearsome, that's the truth, but out there in the ash-filled skies there are beasts that even Hellfire's, with all their furious fire, fear as death itself. ""Naught but dread in them skies,"" they'd say as they spit to the ground, their tiny sacrifice of water a small price to ward off evil. But then, the hunters of Sol'at have ranged further into the plains than any alive, haven't they? They would be the ones to know, standing grim faced, their dark skin lightened to gray in the constant fall of ash, their faces hidden by the filtering silks that make breathing in that hellish place possible. They have seen the gates of the hells torn wide, erupting with the very fires of Astaroth and they have stood before it, unmoved. They know real fear comes not from fire, but from cold stalking death. They fear the Dreadnaught, death's herald. Not even the hunters know the origins of the monsters they call Dreadnaughts. Some say they are the children of Chaos and perhaps there's truth to that. Much like the titan itself, they leave devastation in their wake, wending reality itself around themselves to heal their allies as they go. Others say that they are Chaos' bane, purpose built by the War Titan, Tyr, to remove the influence of the Chaos, the rogue Titan, from the board. This too might hold the truth, for was there ever a dragon better suited to the coordination of tactics and the strategy of war than the Dreadnaught? In the battles above they are known as Mobile Fortresses, each one acting as the locus of an attacking force, inexorably fueling their comrade's flight to victory. Still others insist that Astaroth created the beasts when the Hellfires he had gifted his servants proved too weak to serve his goals. The servants of Astaroth do favor the massive, toothsome, monstrosities and the dreadnaught's preference of Hellfires as prey might be Astaroth's vengeance for their failures. In truth, we may never know their origins; the ash falls constantly on the Plains, burying that wretched land's secrets forever. In Sol'at thy would say it matters not, which Power brought forth those monsters. It only matters that they are here, in the skies; in the battles above. And, as the masters of those beasts, they would know, for the hunters of Sol'at are known not for their fear, but for their determination in the face of it. And that determination, they would say, is why they have persevered, generation after generation, in the hunt for but one sort of prey: They hunt the dreadnaughts, the very things they fear most. Their methods are secretive, steeped in ritual and arcane knowledge, but as the mountain roars and ash fills the skies anew, know that Sol'at awakens to begin the hunt. And when it is over and the mountain returns to its troubleed sleep, The Hunters of Sol'at will return with their prey, broken and ready to command. The beasts command a high price in Halvalas, where would be dragon lords build squads of tournament fliers in the hopes of creating the perfect strategy for victory. At the center of the ""perfect"" winning squad sits the Dreadnaught, surrounded by its strikers. Together they form a wing of dragons, orbiting the dreadnaught as it slowly begins its move across the field, blessing each striker with health while raining explosive, ash filled death down on its foes from afar. The explosive nature of its unique breath weapon compensates for its lack of speed, the thickness of its hide allowing the beast to live long enough for its strikers to complete their task. In old Sol'at they have a saying, ""Shadows fall across Hyperion's light, as Dreadnaught wings bring Astaroth's night."" But in the battles above, they counter with a rhyme of their own: ""It matters not which titan walks; when dreadnaughts fly it is death that stalks."""

Tips
Go it alone and they'll call you a "dead bot" instead - It cannot be stressed enough: The Dreadnaught is NOT a solo-friendly design. Instead, it is the center piece of tight teamwork. The spikey jewel of death atop your tiara of terror.

Like a little chaos titan - Yes, the dreadnaught lacks the pound for pound punch that the chaos titan packs, but with its large area AOE projectiles and its healing/buffing aura, the Dreadnaught has the potential to have the same ""tide turning"" impact as the titan, when used properly.

You're inexorable, not invincible - If you use the dreadnaught right, you'll feel incredible - like nothing can stop your inevitable victory. The ""nothing can stop us"" vibe will make you feel invincible, but you are *not* and that's important to remember. Dreadnaughts eat mana and rarely have enough on hand if they go full offensive to actually support their team. That's the end of you *and your team* when it happens. It won't be the enemy that beat you then, it'll be you. Keep on a strict diet, use your mana to support your team with the Inexorable Aura and the occasional well placed Ash Burst. You're not a gunship and you're not a tank; you're somewhere in between.