Tanglewing

Lore
Many kings and empires have attempted to tame the wild forest known as the Brambleholt, but in the centuries since the Kil'nari came to settle there, no other power has ever succeeded. The secret at the untamed heart of the Brambleholt is Nari, the World Tree and the brood of dragons it harbors, the Tanglewing brood.

The story is the same, though the names of the armies change: Hundreds of soldiers march into the Brambleholt and one, maybe two, march out. They talk of the trees themselves lashing out at them, striking men down. Even the supposedly harmless aetherflies turn against them, biting and stinging and burning them down. It's a kind of madness that takes the survivors; they can never again see a forest without trembling in fear and seldom leave the keeps and villages that shelter them. Of course, their mad tales hold a grain of truth.

As Tanglewings age, they take on aspects of the tree that harbors them; their skin becomes rough and barken and their frill becomes more like the canopy of the tree, offering them perfect camouflage in their native environment. This is the smallest of their advantages; as a species they are steeped in the natural magic of Nari, the world tree. The tree will bend its limbs to protect a Tanglewing or cut off the escape of its prey and the aetherflies that live within the tree are equally ready to lend their lives and power to the fate of these dragons. In exchange, most Tanglewings never leave the tree. Instead they spend their lives hunting among its branches, keeping threats away from the great Nari.

It is these dragons that have spelled the doom for every force that has tried to tame the Brambleholt. They are the source of every tale of flying trees and murderous aetherflies that has plagued the campaigns of kings and the nightmares of madmen alike. They are the terror in the treetops, the guardians of Nari.

Tips
Play Defensively - Tanglewings are more like ambush predators than they are stalking predators. That is to say, you're better off picking your moments and fighting from positions of strength than you are rushing headlong into a fight. A single Tanglewing can effectively hold a lane against 3 or sometimes even 4 dragons, but offensively that same dragon won't make it very far alone. It's better to hold the home front while your teammates range offensively, only to join them for the final assault, than it is to try to muster an offense of your own.

Hunt the Chaos Titan - You can't rush off like a hapless hero or anything, but the Tanglewing's abilities make for a fantastic defense against the chaos titan. Nari's Haven will heal you and buff you as you fight, but more importantly it will block the titan, forcing him to deal with it before he can move on to eating your shrines and obelisks.

Pair with Elder's Branch - This is one of the themed pairings in the game and it makes the Tanglewing a defensive powerhouse. Between the saplings and Nari's Haven you can literally block a lane off from the enemy for a few moments, while you sit in the safety of the haven, healing and attacking with your aetherflies.

Pair with VenomWeaver - Although Elder´s Branch is more used you should be able to hold and kill multiple dragons, Setup your safe heaven, using your trees to cover your spider and launch webs outside of your trees, The trees will protect the spider, the spider will protect the trees, and the webs will slow down anyone rushing at your trees and preventing them from escaping!