izigame.me

Here it is: Mid September 2022 and the Dragon hasn't seen a much needed rework in 4 years. I understand Shiro is a small studio, and they have other projects. While thankful that they haven't abandoned Northgard all together (can't wait for new story campaign), Dragon has been left by the wayside for some time. Out of all the clans available, It has the worst reviews, alongside Kraken, and for good reason. TLDR, much of the clans niches work against itself in various ways. The format will be pointing out each mechanic/lore that is unique to them, and how it falls short.
PRO
Sacrifical Pyre - a unique mechanic that sets it apart from other clans mechanically and aesthetically. Sacrifice Villagers to gain 2 Dragon Essence, or Thralls for 3 (you start with 2 Thralls and more can be bought from the Longship Dock). Having Dragon essence fills a meter, where the meter fills to gives a static bonus until the meter runs dry or the associated bonus falls off the meter. As you grow in fame, the bonuses get better.
CON
You can not pick the bonus you receive. The bonuses are totally random. The essence meter runs out faster than the bonuses fall off the meter. Only way to decrease meter to switch bonuses is to spend essence by creating soldiers who are permanently transformed "Dragonkin". Run out of essence and your Happiness will plummet, causing a loss of 20% production across your entire clan until you remedy it. In a situation where your food/wood/krowns/happiness is already negative, this can be an early death sentence for your clan. There is virtually no room for errors.
PRO
Thralls - Slaves who consume 1/3 the Food and Wood of a Villager, but only produce 1/2 of what a villager produces. The current "meta" argument is that Thralls are too precious a resource to sacrifice because of their Krowns cost (even though they give you more essence and it's clear from in game descriptions you are intended to) because of their alleged "efficiency" i.e., production vs consumption. Ok.
CON
Your maximum Thrall limit is tied to your villager population. The current "meta" involves sacrificing villagers, who are worth less essence (30% less) than offering a Thrall. This makes growing your population a slog, especially in the beginning when you're already fighting for resources, including happiness. Throw on top the fact that if your meter empties (it will) it makes it all the more impossible to grow because of happiness/production loss. Oh, and your military units cost essence too, 1 each, and Krowns. Basically, this causes population stagnation, where you'll hover around 20 vils and 10ish Thralls for most of the game before you inevitably get wiped out in 802 by Lynx, Wolf, or Boar.
PRO
Draconic Frenzy - Clan specific lore that replaces Weaponsmith, the first option for military lore. Military units fighting alone have 100% increased attack power. Sounds great right? Easy to get early, and makes clearing neutral tiles a breeze!
CON
1 unit with 2X attack is the same as 2 units with 1X attack. Too situational, and becomes largely obsolete come midgame.
PRO
Skull of Hrungnir - Clan specific relic, summon a Draconic Jotnarr for 200 Food, 1 year cooldown. Has lots of health, *slightly more powerful than upgraded Dragonkin with Legions military path
CON
You cannot risk losing a single one or the relic is wasted because of the insane cooldown. They can be easily nuked by a pack of Warriors with Charge ability, or kited endlessly by Axe Throwers/Trackers. Best to have them guard a territory solo (for that sweet, sweet Frenzy /s) until you have 3 or 4 of the big bastards for a game ending play....oh. Whoops. The game is over. Your opponent won by Trade, Wisdom, or Fame already.
Luckily, some tryhard Gold league and higher lads have found a few workarounds for this broken clan in desperate need of some Shiro dev love. Maybe if you can convince one of them to not gatekeep and show you de wae, you might be able to snag a victory or two out of twenty.