Hero Mastery

Dragon Knight

An immovable tank mid: Dragon Blood grants big regen + armor, Breathe Fire clears waves, Dragon Tail stuns, and Elder Dragon Form adds range + splash.

Mastery parameters

Your GPM, last hits and damage per game against other Dragon Knight players — average vs Top 20%.

Members only

Learning journey

1 Know the kit
2 Win the lane
3 Timing & rotations
4 Win the fights
5 Master

5 stages, each with one target from your own games and one short quiz. Make Dragon Knight your mastery hero to start — progress shows on Home and Arcana.

Phase by phase

The 1v1: last hits + rune control

You 70%Team 30%

Skills in lane — Pro cores max Breathe Fire (Q) first — 92% of 398 games since patch 7.41, then Wyrm's Wrath (E). First talent at level 11.
Level 6 — Elder Dragon Form — Dragon Form gives ranged splash attacks + corrosive. This is your tower-push and side-lane kill timing.

Skills 1–7

Starting items

Gauntlets of Strength34%
Iron Branch34%
Circlet of Nobility9%
Observer Ward6%
Tango5%
Magic Stick4%

Pros buy this phase

Power Treads96%
Blink Dagger3%
Phase Boots1%

The Midlaner's job this phase

Focus on last hits & denies — a 10-creep lead by minute 5 is a real level advantage.
Minutes 6, 8, 10, …: check water/power runes. A full Bottle means you can spam spells.
Ask a support to arrive 30 seconds before power runes when your lane is rough.

Counters & weaknesses

Tank (big HP & armor)

The items that shut Dragon Knight down, 4 heroes that trouble it, and your answer when you play it.

Members only

Why this way? How OpenAI Five learned

One hero, one role first
OpenAI's first bot played only Shadow Fiend, only mid, until it mastered it. Stay on Dragon Knight in one role before moving on.
Small, measurable rewards
OpenAI Five was rewarded for last hits and staying alive long before it understood winning. That's why each journey stage has one number to hit.
From yourself to the team
Its 'team spirit' rose over the game: early on, look after yourself; late, play for the team. Each phase's meter shows the split.
Use proven builds
OpenAI Five's builds were hand-written, not trial and error. Start from the pro build, then experiment.

Phase items: what pros buy on this hero (OpenDota). Parameters: percentiles of players on this hero (OpenDota). Item effects checked against Valve's own item data.