TH12 Dragon Rider Attack Guide 2026 -- Air DPS Combination

Dragon Rider combines Dragons with Dragon Riders who dramatically boost Dragon DPS. A Dragon Rider mounted on a Dragon increases its attack speed and damage significantly, creating an air unit that destroys defenses far faster than an unboosted Dragon. At TH12, five to six Dragon-Rider pairs with Lightning Spell support and Warden air mode coverage can three-star bases that Mass Dragon alone cannot reach.

Army Composition and Spells

Standard TH12 Dragon Rider (280 housing): 5 Dragons (100), 5 Dragon Riders (super boost cost, 50 housing), 4 Balloons (8 -- cleanup), filler Minions (remaining ~122). Spells: 3 Lightning + 1 Earthquake (destroy one AD), 2 Rage (Dragon Rider wave), 1 Freeze (Scattershot or Inferno). Clan Castle: Dragon or Balloon. Grand Warden on air mode. Dragon Riders mount the Dragons and increase their DPS -- deploy Dragons first, then Dragon Riders on top of them at the same position. Dragon Riders automatically mount nearby Dragons on deployment.

Step-by-Step Execution

Step 1 -- Lightning pre-attack: Destroy one AD (the one most exposed or most directly in the Dragon approach corridor). Step 2 -- Scattershot identification: Note both Scattershot positions. Deploy Dragons from the side where your approach angle splits the distance between both Scattershots -- approaching directly at one Scattershot concentrates all Scattershot fire; an angled approach splits it between both. Step 3 -- Dragon deployment: Drop 5 Dragons in a tight line across the chosen base edge. Step 4 -- Dragon Rider mounting: Immediately drop Dragon Riders on top of the Dragon line. They mount automatically within 3 seconds of deployment. Step 5 -- Warden air mode: Warden follows behind the Dragon line. Activate ability when Scattershots fire on the Dragon cluster. Step 6 -- Rage Spells: First Rage when Dragon Riders engage the first inner ring defense. Second Rage on the Town Hall compartment approach. Step 7 -- Balloon cleanup wave: Drop Balloons behind the Dragon line to clean defenses at the edges that Dragons fly past.

Scattershot Counter

Scattershots fire splash on air troops. A Dragon Rider cluster within one Scattershot range takes significant splash damage. The Warden ability timed on Scattershot fire neutralizes the burst. For bases where both Scattershots cover the same approach angle, Freeze one Scattershot while Warden covers the cluster against the other.

Browse TH12 war bases at our TH12 war base collection.