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In the Aftermath of the Celestial War, many denizens of Atlas stayed to pick up the pieces and rebuild their cities, towns, families, and lives -- hoping this time, maybe THIS time, that the peace treaties would hold for long enough. More wily folk looked beyond to the untouched Northern Prairies that had been unsettled for the last millennium. Even war was afraid to venture into the untamed wilderness.

These verdant plains and magical deserts offered the chance at a new start for these pioneer-refugees, and so they created long caravans, forged temporary alliances, and streamed steadily north into the unknown. Tales quickly came back to civilization and new myths were born - the trickster, Imix; the lone sentinel, Gilas; heroic and tragic Steelwing, and of course - the dragon steed that taught Atlas what nightmares were made of - Nockmar.

Tame these wilds and make them yours, Dragon Rider! Welcome to the Strange Lands!

Strange Lands Season Updates

We have some HUGE season structure changes coming your way, and we think you’ll really dig ‘em. There is a lot to go through, so let’s dive on in. First, let’s start with a TL;DR so you know what you’re about to get into.

Key Highlights

• New Mythic Content!
• New Championship Rider Branch
• Spell Rider Branch
• Tower Branch vs Cosmic Orrery Swap

Rider Changes

Just like our adjustment to Lineage dragon production, going forward we’ll be reducing the number of new riders that we release each season to one, which will have a normal rider branch. Again, we’re doing this so players can focus on getting higher quality content instead of scrambling to acquire a bunch of stuff that they might never use. We noticed that of the many riders we offered every season, players would rarely pick one up, even more rarely, two. We want to give you a great rider with spells instead of "more of the same," that players have complained about in the past.

Here are some key changes:

• Atlas rider branch will still exist (because many players do not yet have all blue gem riders) but won’t contain a new rider; the Atlas season will get its own new branch that we’ll detail in a future blog post
• New Season Riders will now go to level 60; their power budget will be roughly in line with current cutting-edge riders and will include a new rider ability: a spell that occupies the consumable spell slot on any dragon they ride.
• Players can still put a consumable spell in this slot; it just over-writes the rider-granted spell
• Rider-granted spells obey all of the restricted spell combos (e.g. you can put a shield-granting rider on a dragon that already has a shield, but the rider-granted spell won’t be available because of restricted spell combo rules; the rider’s other benefits will apply to the dragon normally and the player can equip consumable spells under the usual rules) - there will be a visual in the game that will let you know what’s available to you, no memorization necessary.

Champion Riders

We’re going to be bringing back some of our favorite riders in a new branch we’re adding to the main season called the Champion Rider Branch. We’ve taken some feedback we got from the Resurrection Dragons and applied those learnings here, mainly that: veteran players want to be rewarded for already having acquired this content! We’ve built in a mechanism to reward those of you that got these riders the first time around.

This branch works differently from other rider branches and requires some explanation.

Key highlights:

• Each branch focuses on the riders from the past
• Includes 6 Season Keys and 2 Ascension Tokens!
• Each of those three riders will now have a max level of 60, rather than 50
• Yes, the level 60 rider is more powerful than the level 50 rider. However, modern level 50 riders are considerably more powerful than the level 50 riders from 3 years ago. These level 60 riders will gain another few skill nodes allowing them to be on par or slightly better with modern riders.
• How much of this branch you want to complete will depend on whether or not you have the old riders.
• New players can complete the entire branch and get enough currency to get one of these riders (your choice) from unowned to level 60.
• Veteran players who have one or more of these riders already can complete a third of the branch to get enough rider shards to go from 50 to 60.
• In the unusual case of already having one of the riders but not enough shards to max it at 50, just complete as much more of the branch as needed to get the shards you want.
• If the player has all three of the riders and wants to take all 3 to 60, completing the branch gives enough rider shards for each rider to do that.

Boosts, Branches, and Prize Updates

The Strange Lands season sees some major changes in how we operate Season structures, so let’s dig in.

The major branches will contain 6 season keys each, while the Mission Boost branch will contain 1 season key. The Festive Dragon branch will be a shorter branch with 3 season keys. 20 total keys are required to unlock your choice of either Mythic Dragon. Mythic Dragon branches will be available at no Sigil cost and all of the Dragon's evolution stones can be claimed for free once the branch is unlocked.

All major Dragon branches will have an upcoming Tier evolution stone available to evolve them to the highest current in-game Tier.

• This Season, the Legendary Dragon branches will require 37.5k Sigils to complete each line.
• The Base Boost and Electrum Tower branches will require at 37.0k total Sigils to complete, the Electrum Tower branch will also hold 6 Season Keys
• The Champion Riders branch (Week 3) will require 37.0k sigils and contain 6 season keys (20% resource boost for weeks 3,4)

Branches

Wave 1 will have all the regular Wave 1 content (except the Wave 1 Rider), however, we are also adding a Tower Branch to Wave 1. We’ve heard your suggestions that we should have the Tower Branch earlier in the season and with Fort being the first week of the new season, we are adding the Tower Branch to Wave 1. Discount Dragon and Base Boost will both be discounted at 50% off for the first two weeks similar to past seasons.

Wave 1.5 (Week 3) will have the Champion Rider branch, which we described above.

Wave 2 will have the Spell Rider Branch and the Resurrection Dragon Branch. There won’t be a Legendary Wave 2 dragon this season. We’ll discuss Wave 2 more in-depth during the Wave 2 blog post, so stay tuned!

Wave 3 will continue to have the Festive Dragon, so no worries. We’re really excited to share this season’s festive behemoth. Choo-choo. That’s all we’ll say for now.

Mythic Branches now include 3 optional improvements beyond the final evolution stone

We’re excited to announce some long-awaited features, namely new skins for dragons! Not only are we getting new skins for dragons, but making your Mythics more valuable by giving them unique power-ups. We really want you to bond with your Mythic dragon of choice and invest in their development - just like a good Dragon Rider takes care of their dragon.

This means a new currency called Ascension Tokens will be used to acquire new Mythic content. We know, we know - a new currency! Why!? Worry not, this currency is not one you’ll have to maintain from season to season and you’re unlikely to develop a stockpile of them at any time. They’re a limited time usage currency specifically for the current season’s mythics.

Here’s what’s in store for you:

• Powerful Exclusive Rune (exclusive to its parent Mythic)
• Mythic Dragon Reskin [for the 2 mythics]
• Powerful Exclusive Glyph (exclusive to its parent Mythic)

How new Mythic branches work: A dragon branch will allow players to get 6 season keys and will take their dragon to maximum legendary power at the end of the branch.

Each full branch will contain 2 Ascension Tokens (one midway through the branch and the other at the end of the branch), which will be used in mythic dragon branches to get additional exclusive rewards for the mythic dragon.

The new Mythic rewards will be in 3 steps:

1. Powerful Exclusive Rune
2. Mythic Dragon Reskin
3. Powerful Exclusive Glyph

There will be enough Ascension Tokens to be able to get all the seasonal mythic rewards for both Mythic Dragons.

Each full branch will contain 2 Ascension Tokens and short branches (for e.g. festive branch) will contain 1 Ascension Token.

Ascension Tokens can also be found in some other alternate branches like limited-time branches (depending on the branch).

Desert Nomad

Sheltered under the open sky. At home on the move.

Spells

VENOMOUS - Passive| Yellow Passive: Dragon has (75)% increased breath damage.

SANDSTORM - Active | White | 1 Rage Dragon flies (20%) slower, dodges all non-beam attacks, and damages towers for (8)% of its modified HP each second for (5) seconds. Duration 5s, Cooldown: 2s.

QUICKDRAW - Active | White Dragon reloads (50%) ammo and takes (5%) max hp as damage. Cooldown: 2s.

DISTRACT - Active | Red | 1 Rage Dragon damages nearby towers for (20)% of its modified HP. Dragon also restores (12)% of its modified HP and becomes invincible for (2) seconds. Duration 2s, Cooldown: 5s.

Design Intent

Gilas is a precision-based hunter that relies on its breath attacks to destroy towers and its spells to survive. Gilas rewards flyers who make every shot count and who save their defensive spells for the right moment.

Gilas’s breath attacks are enhanced by its Venomous passive, which increases the damage of every attack by 75 percent. On top of its Venomous Passive, Gilas has access to the exciting Quickdraw spell which allows Gilas to exchange a small amount of health for a substantial amount of ammo.

Gilas has access to two defensive spells, and as a hunter, has to make maximum use out of them when facing a challenging base. Gilas’s first line of defense is the mighty Sandstorm spell. Summoning the desert winds, Gilas dodges all projectiles while damaging all nearby towers.

Gilas’s second line of defense is Distract. Distract heals Gilas for a small amount, damages nearby towers, and perhaps most importantly grants the dragon a short period of invincibility.

Gilas flyers need to use their attacks and their Quickdraw spell to take down any red mage towers on the island before Sandstorm is over. Once that is done, Distract should give just enough time to clear the rest of the island. Spending health on Quickdraw just before recovering health with Distract maximizes Gilas’s chances of victory.

Gilas prefers solitude and has roamed the Northern Prairies alone for many years. Although Gilas kept itself out of the Celestial Rift wars, the events of Aftermath have caused an increasing number of encroachments on Gilas’s territory. Only time will tell if the Desert Nomad will find friends or enemies on the plains.

Portrait: Inquisitor 66

Smoke Jaguar

Cloaked behind layers of deception.

Spells

ASPECT OF STEALTH - Active | White | 1 Rage Dragon cloaks for (3) seconds and flies at (50%) speed. While cloaked, dragon can attack and use its spells without uncloaking. Duration: 3s, Cooldown: 2s.

ASPECT OF FLAME - Active | White | 1 Rage Deals (50)% of dragon's modified HP as damage to all towers in target area. Cooldown: 5s.

ASPECT OF DECEIT - Active | White | 1 Rage Summon a dragon in front that absorbs incoming damage and supershots. Hp is 40% of Dragon HP, attack power is 10% of Dragon HP.

ASPECT OF DECAY - Active | White | 1 Rage Affected towers deal (20)% reduced damage and take (60)% increased damage. Casting Aspect of Decay again at the affected towers will destroy them immediately. Cooldown: 5s.

Design Intent

Imix is a deceptive, rage-intensive sorcerer who can take down anything as long as it has fuel for its spells.

The core of Imix’s spell set is Aspect of Stealth. Aspect of Stealth conceals Imix completely, allowing the dragon to avoid all attacks while still attacking and casting spells normally. While concealed by Aspect of Stealth, Imix must concentrate on using its destructive spells to devastate the opposing island before its protection ends.

Imix’s offensive spell barrage begins with Aspect of Decay. This spell greatly increases the damage that affected towers take and reduces the damage those same towers do by a small amount. Aspect of Flame is a powerful spell that when used on towers weakened by Aspect of Decay should guarantee their destruction.

As the protection of Aspect of Stealth fades, Imix pulls out its last trick, Aspect of Deceit. This spell summons an ghostly duplicate of Imix. While this illusionary double is capable of doing real damage to enemy towers, it can only endure a shot or two. Unlike other summon spells, timing is critical with Aspect of Deceit - wait too long and Imix will endure damage that it can’t afford to take, but cast it too soon after Aspect of Stealth fades and it won’t protect against additional attacks.

Ever the trickster, Imix delights in deceiving and manipulating those it meets. Imix finds no victory sweeter than causing someone to choose their own defeat. Imix has delighted in the influx of creatures to the Northern Prairies, finding the newcomers both unaware of Imix’s love of deception and vulnerable to the dangers of plains.

Portrait: The Stranger

The Thousand Year Nightmare

A bolt of fear in the thunderous sky.

Spells

ENDLESS NIGHTMARE - Active| White | 1 Rage Damages towers in small target area for (100) times the dragon's attack power. And heals for (5%) of the dragon's health. Cooldown: 3s.

REQUIEM FOR HOPE - Active | Yellow Passive: Dragon has (250)% increased breath damage.

DREAD AEGIS - Active | White | 1 Rage Shield for (100)% of dragon's max Max HP and deal (10)% of dragon's Max HP in area. Duration: 4s, Cooldown: 2s.

DOOM CALL - Active | White | 1 Rage Freezes nearby towers for (4) seconds. Affected towers take 25% increased damage. Duration: 4s, Cooldown: 4s.

Design Intent

The mighty Nockmar roams the darkness of the Northern Praries, spreading fear wherever it chooses to fly.

Nockmar is a powerful mythic warrior that uses spell combos to obliterate opposing islands. Nockmar begins most offensive sequences with Endless Nightmare, a powerful blast capable of destroying any single tower. Requiem for Hope, Nockmar’s passive spell, greatly increases its breath damage and allows it to peel away subsequent defense

After Endless Nightmare has destroyed the first tower on the island, Nockmar can stun and weaken nearby towers with the powerful Doom Call. Doom Call stuns towers and stops projectiles, quelling the island’s first chances to do damage.

Nockmar’s final spell, Dread Aegis, is a powerful defensive shield that explodes for significant damage when it ends. Against most islands, Nockmar will follow Doom Call with Dread Aegis, relying on the shield’s explosion to finish off the opposing island. Against islands with fast-firing lightning towers, reverse this order so that the shield absorbs the lightning attacks then follow with Doom Call.

Tales of Nockmar, the thousand year nightmare, have spread south from the prairies, and those who travel across the plains must always seek shelter at night.

The Radiant Engine

The piercing trill of hope.

Spells

INVOKE: ISOLATE - Active | Yellow Dragon's empowered breath attack deals (120)% of the dragon's modified hp as bonus damage.

EAGLE SIGHT - Active | White | 0 Rage Marks a target tower. If the marked tower is destroyed, dragon restores (15)% health and (1) rage. Cooldown: 5s.

PREDATORY GLIDE - Active | Blue | 1 Rage Dragon cloaks for (2.5) seconds. Dragon flies at (25%) speed. Duration: 2.5s, Cooldown: 1s.

RADIANT STRIKE - Active | White | 1 Rage Damages towers in small target area for (100) times the dragon's attack power. And heals for (5%) of the dragon's health. Cooldown: 4s.

Design Intent

Steelwing’s powerful invoke shot destroys any single tower. This, combined with Radiant Strike, another single-target nuke, allows Steelwing to take out two high priority targets as soon as it starts an offensive run against an island.

Steelwing’s defensive cloaking spell is blue, making it of paramount importance to get blue mage and archmage towers off of the island as quickly as possible. Once free to use Predatory Glide, its cloaking spell, Steelwing can recover ammo and prepare to destroy the rest of the island.

Steelwing’s fourth spell, Eagle Sight, marks a single tower. Eagle Sight costs no rage to cast, and when the marked tower is destroyed, Steelwing recovers one rage and heals for a moderate amount. Eagle Sight’s long cooldown means that getting it on the right tower early in the attack is critical.

Steelwing enjoys the company of non-dragons and often volunteers to escort caravans across the Northern Prairies.

Fly on over to the official War Dragons Forums to discuss these new Season branches with the community!