Abyssal Dragon: Strategy and Benefits

Guide for the Abyssal Dragon in Arena of Valor (AoV). Learn the basics of fighting, hunting, and contesting this valuable neutral monster.

What is the Abyssal Dragon?

The Abyssal Dragon is one of several epic creatures that appears on the map. As such, it can take a lot of time to defeat early game. That said, killing it will give the slaying team an extra push towards victory. The experience and gold it provides upon defeat will make handling enemy heroes much easier. In contrast, leaving it alone can give your opponents a chance to slay it and reap its benefits instead.

Benefits from the Abyssal Dragon

Defeating the Abyssal Dragon will grant the killer a large amount of experience and gold. However, this bounty is awarded to the slayer’s entire team, rather than only to the hero who managed the last hit. This can lead to the entire team getting an edge in their lane, which can be just what your teammates need to dominate their lane.

The responsibility of killing the dragon usually falls to the team’s jungler. A jungler’s second priority, after ganking the lanes, is to slay the Abyssal Dragon whenever it is available. That said, defeating the dragon can be quite difficult for a single person. More than that, there’s always the threat of being discovered by the enemy. As such, it is best to attack with allies whenever there is a threat of the enemy approaching.

Where and When it Appears

Location

In Arena of Valor, players always move from the bottom left corner to the top right. This is done by flipping the map for players of one of the teams. As a result, the locations of the Dark Slayer, Abyssal Dragon, and Spirit Sentinel depend on which team you are on. Finding them is simple, however. The Dark Slayer and Spirit Sentinel are on the same half of the river, so the dragon will always be found on the side that only holds a single large monster camp.

Spawn Time

The Abyssal Dragon spawns two minutes into the game. The dragon grows stronger and gains more HP as the game goes on. This prevents its defeat from becoming too trivial as the game progresses.

The above shows the Dragon’s health at two different stages of the game, the left picture showing it at two minutes and the right at ten minutes. During the early part of the game, defeating the Abyssal Dragon won’t be an issue as long as you have the help of your team. Further into the game, however, you will need stronger equipment to be able to safely dispatch it. The Abyssal Dragon continues to grow throughout the game, regardless of whether it is dead or alive.

Attack Range of the Abyssal Dragon

The green area is the attack range of the Abyssal Dragon. Should the dragon leave this area, it will “leash” after a short period of time, returning to its original location and regenerating its lost health. The arrows designate areas where enemies can see if you’re going after the Abyssal Dragon. Opposing teams can hide in the bushes and wait for the jungler to whittle down the dragon’s health before springing an attack. It is possible to steal the kill by sneaking in the killing blow, the bounty going to the team of the hero who deals the last hit.

Find a place where you can attack the Abyssal Dragon without being easily seen or fight in a place that allows for a quick getaway should enemies come after you.

Safe Scouting Locations

There are areas of brush behind both the Dark Slayer and the Abyssal Dragon. These are good areas for tanks or warriors to hide and check if the enemy team is attempting to kill the beast. This is a good way to arrange ganks with your team to steal the bonuses either creature provides.

When to Fight the Abyssal Dragon

Defeating the Abyssal Dragon is not as easy as whittling down a tower. You won’t have any minions to take damage for you or a natural escape route if things go wrong, so players shouldn’t dive for the dragon without taking note of whats happening on the map. Before killing the Abyssal Dragon, check if it is possible to:

Defeat the Abyssal Dragon in Secret. Being able to slay the dragon without the opponents noticing is the best case scenario. The kill will be safe and uninterrupted. Even if a single enemy approaches, the damage you will take from the dragon’s attacks along with the enemy’s puts you at a severe disadvantage in any scuffle for the dragon.
Call on your Team for Backup – If the whole team makes their way to the dragon, it won’t take any time at all to bring the creature down. It also lowers the chances of being ambushed, enemies generally unwilling to engage if outnumbered. Should they try, gang up on the intruder with your team to kill them.
Defeat it after a Team Fight – If the team wins a clash, players can take advantage of the following downtime to go for the Abyssal Dragon. Don’t forget your primary objective of destroying the core, however. If a tower can be brought down, take out the tower first.

Recommended Classes and Heroes

Assassins

Assassin heroes are known for their high burst damage. They also have escapes, allowing them to kite the Abyssal Dragon around its pit. Two assassins particularly good at taking down the Abyssal Dragon are Batman and Nakroth. Batman can turn invisible and thereby easily sneak into the dragon pit, whereas Nakroth’s abilities allow him to dive toward and away from the dragon, making it easy to dodge some of its attacks.

How to Fight Assassins

Warriors

Warriors such as Lu Bu and Zanis do exceptionally well against the dragon. Not only does Lu Bu have a passive that brings down the cooldown of his abilities, he can also dish out a lot of damage. Zanis has Blood Wyrm, which, increases his attack speed and helps him escape sticky situations.

How to Fight Warriors

Marksmen

As arguably the class with the highest damage output throughout the game, marksmen can quickly tear down the Abyssal Dragon’s health. Conversely, they are also one of the squishiest classes and will have a hard time if caught by the enemies. As a result, it is best for them to attack with the help of a tank or support.

How to Fight Marksmen

Tactics Against the Abyssal Dragon

Early and Mid Game Priority

The Abyssal Dragon is most valuable during the early or mid game. This is so that the team can accelerate their growth and more quickly obtain their core items. However, choosing when to kill it is a little more difficult. If you want to kill the dragon early, rally your teammates. With their help, killing the dragon will be smooth and the opposing team won’t get a chance to contest the kill.

While not as lucrative as in the early game, the Abyssal Dragon continues to be a valuable target into the mid game. At the same time, junglers will have better equipment and thereby an easier time slaying the creature. With punish, a jungler will have no problem slaying the dragon alone, leaving their team to work on their own lanes.

Watch the Abyssal Dragon’s Timer

Since the Abyssal Dragon’s a high priority objective, the team needs to always be aware of the Abyssal Dragon’s timer. The dragon respawns two minutes after being killed, a timer appearing on the screen to count down the final minute. Killing the creature again just as it spawns maximizes your team’s growth rate as well as prevents the opponents from slaying it.

Contesting the Dragon

Should you suspect that the enemy team is going for the dragon, you should immediately gather your team. While it is easy to take on a single opponent, anything beyond that will cause trouble. It is better to surrender the dragon to the enemy team than try to contest it. Dying to the enemy team will just increase the bounty they receive. As such, only contest the dragon when you have your team helping you out.

Watch the Opposing Jungler

Keep an eye on the enemy jungler. Attacking the Abyssal Dragon is much safer when their location is known, be they involved in another fight or waiting to respawn. The same can be said about everyone else on the enemy team as well. When they are preoccupied, your chances of being interrupted while slaying the dragon is much lower.

Remember: the Towers have Higher Priority

If given a choice between the Abyssal Dragon or a Tower, always choose the tower. Towers also provide experience and gold to the slaying team while, more importantly, bringing them closer to their overall goal of destroying the opponents’ Core. The loss of its defensive support will additionally make it harder for your opponents to fight in future clashes.

Arena of Valor (AoV) Recommended Article List

▼ Popular Articles
Beginner's Guide	Hero Tier List
Hero Class Guide	Armory (Item List)

▼ Popular Articles
Beginner's Guide	Hero Tier List	Hero Class Guide	Armory (Item List)

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HERO

GUIDES

SG Rating

Name	Effect	Unique Passive (Special Ability)
Short Sword	Attack Damage +20	None
Dagger	Attack Speed +10%	None
Gloves	Critical Chance +12%	None
Bloodied Club	Attack Damage +10 Life Steal +8%	None
Chain hammer	Attack Damage +40	None
Cleaving Claymore	Attack Damage +80	None
Arcane hammer	Attack Damage +25 Attack Speed +15%	Speed Up: Normal attacks increase movement speed by 10%.
Tempest Blades	Attack Speed +25% Movement Speed +5%	None
Astral Spear	Attack Damage +50	Armor Pierce +60
Shuriken	Attack Speed +25%	Vital Point: Normal attacks deal additional 20 physical damage (+1 per hero level) for melee heroes and 40 physical damage (+2 per hero level) for ranged heroes.
Uriel’s Brand	Attack Damage +100 Max HP +600	Magic Guardian: When hero’s HP falls below 40%, Uriel’s Brand grants +200 magic defense and summons a Shield that absorbs (500+hero’s level*100) magic damage for 5 seconds. 75-second cooldown.
Curse of Death	Attack Damage +100 Life Steal +10%	Soul Prison: On dealing damage, reduces target’s HP regeneration by 50% for 1.5 seconds. If this is triggered by normal attacks, the duration is extended to 3 seconds.
Death Sickle	Attack Damage +60 Cooldown Speed +5%	Divine Intervention: Prevents damage from a potential killing blow, then increases movement speed by 20% for 1 second. 90-second cooldown.
Spear of Longinus	Attack Damage +80 Cooldown Speed +15% Max HP +400	Shatter: Decreases target armor by 50 on hit for 5 seconds. Stacks up to 5 times.
Fafnir’s Talon	Attack Damage +60 Attack Speed +30% Life Steal +10%	Dragon’s Breath: Normal attacks deal additional damage equal to 8% of target’s current HP.
Claves Sancti	Attack Damage +90	Upon landing a critical attack, grants bonus (30 + Level*2) movement speed for 2 seconds (only for Ranged). Critical Chance +25% , Increase critical damage by 50%
Muramasa	Attack Damage +75 Cooldown Speed +10%	Armor Pierce +45%
The Beast	Attack Damage +100 Life Steal +25 (physical and magic)	None
Omni Arms	Attack Damage +70 Attack Speed +15% Life Steal +10% Cooldown Speed +10% Max HP +500	Pentapower: After using an ability, the next normal attack within 5 seconds deals 100% more physical damage. 2-second cooldown.
Slikk’s Sting	Attack Speed +35% Critical Chance +25% Movement Speed +7%	Blessing of the Wind: Increase own resistance by 35 for 2 seconds after a critical hit
Fenrir’s Tooth	Attack Damage +200	Fenrir’s Tooth: Increases all damage dealt with 30% when the target’s HP is below 50%.
Blitz Blade	Attack Damage +50 Attack Speed +35% Life Steal +10% Movement Speed +5%	Chain Lightning: Every 4 seconds, the next normal attack triggers a chain lightning that deals 102 (+7 per level) magic damage. Each normal attack also carries Life Steal and reduces cooldown by 1 second on hit.
Devil’s Handshake	Attack Speed +30% Critical Chance +20% Movement Speed +5%	Flame Wrath: Normal attacks increase attack speed by 10% for 2 seconds. Stacks up to 5 times.
Rankbreaker	Attack Damage +110 Cooldown Speed +10%	Windwalk: Increases movement speed by 10% after exiting battle. Break: Increases armor pierce by 100 (+10 per level).
Spell Tome	Ability Power +40	None
Lapis Ring	Max Mana +300	None
Pendant of Faith	Mana +10 / 5 sec	None
Ancient Scriptures	Ability Power +80	None
Magic Ring	Cooldown Speed +10%	None
Enchanted Scroll	Ability Power +120	None
Trick Blade	Ability Power +60 Cooldown Speed +10%	Elemental Power: After using an ability, the next normal attack deals additional magic damage. 3-second cooldown.
Spoopy Mask	Ability Power +100	Magic Pierce +75
Phoenix Tear	Ability Power +60	From the Ashes: When the hero gains a level, 20% of HP and mana are restored over 3 seconds.
Virtue’s Bracelet	Ability Power +60 Cooldown Speed +5% Mana +20 / 5 sec	Soaring Spirit: Restores 20% mana after earning a kill or assist.
Vlad’s Impaler	Ability Power +90	Magic Life Steal +15%
Staff of Nuul	Ability Power +180 Cooldown Speed +10%	Magic Pierce +45%
Virtue’s Necklace	Ability Power +160 Cooldown Speed +10% Max Mana +300 Mana +30 / 5 sec	Soaring Spirit: Restores 20% mana after earning a kill or assist. Magic Pierce +75
Tome of the Reaper	Ability Power +240 Max HP +500	Soul Prison: On dealing damage, reduces target’s HP regeneration by 50% for 1.5 seconds. If this is triggered by normal attacks, the duration is extended to 3 seconds.
Boomstick	Ability Power +240	Explosion: Ability hits trigger a small-area explosion that deals 50 (+50% ability power) magic damage. 5-second cooldown.
Hecate’s Diadem	Ability Power +240	Warlock: Ability Power +35%