Standard/regional:

chamander: Charmeleon can be a great early game carry for dragon. An incredible amulet coin holder. horsea: Seadra is dragon’s default midgame carry bagon: dratini: Part of the aquatic dragon package. trapinch -> vibrava: Vibrava can be kind of awkward to put together when fishing for gyarados, but a good unit when you do get it. deino (regional): A backliner, solid item holder for caster items when unique is a frontliner. Keep a deino around on the bench in case of Roaring Moon in order to hit dragon7/dark5 at level 8. gible: goomy: Part of the aquatic dragon package. Enables amorph3 splash, which can actually be pretty decent in dragon due to all the extra synergies. jangmo-o (regional): Mostly only relevant when attempting to play sound as a side synergy. frigibax:

Add picks: Uncommon: skrelp: An aquatic synergy filler. Enables dragon7/aquatic4 at level 7. noibat: Range 2 and high speed makes it a good physical damage carry in the midgame. Also enables sound boards.

Rare: tyrunt: rock for weather stones is nice, fossil has lots of overlap in dragon.

Epic: swablu -> altaria: altaria is an important backliner exeggcute -> alolan exeggcutor (regional): alolan exeggutor is basically irrelevant. if you have latis, maybe it can help you hit psychic 7

Hatches: dreepy: Range 2, high speed, a fantastic physical damage backliner. Can work as a caster if necessary. Slam carry items in the midgame if your unique isn’t a carry. axew: Weak as an individual unit, but enables some otherwise impossible endgame boards. Generally not worth itemizing beyond the synergy item, flame orb + safety goggles is a trap here. At worst, still decent as a free 3* dragon and ice stone for ice 4/6 with bax and kyurem or water stone to hit water 9 (if you managed to fish gyarados after baby 3 opening).

Uniques:

applin: flapple: TODO appletun: TODO hydrapple: needs good caster items. need to run two turns of gourmet for apples. lose comp and then turn the corner after the mewtwo fight on 14. lucky egg seems mandatory, soul dew, specs, stardust

cyclizar: a bruiser, high attack speed and good durability, really needs damange somehow. muscle band, flame orb + fluffy tail, red orb are all nice.

dracovish: mediocre unit, great synergies. enables a deep aquatic angle, especially if skrelp is added.

dracozolt: mediocre unit, bad synergies. electric is almost never relevant in dragon.

drampa: a backliner. can be somewhat weak in the midgame, but gets stronger as boards get larger late in the game. wants to be a caster. slam water stone. positioning is relevant. it’s important to clump your team so that enemies are clumped.

druddigon: fluffy tail is mandatory, so the flame orb fluffy tail combo is best. muscle band or red orb are good. monster 4 is great in the midgame, via bagon and gible or totodile

duraludon: great water stone holder. positioning on the wall is better for the straight line cast.

latios/latias: psychic 4. often you will itemize one of them and then sell it to itemize your legendary. one dawn stone allows you to hit psychic 6 at level 8.

turtonator: with charmander, allows fire 8 at level 7 (or level 6 with a fire stone). show example board with water stone, fire 8 dragon 3 water 3

poipole: unplayable after the changes, also possibly bugged? TODO

kecleon: makes dragon 7 water 9 very achievable. a bruiser, likes muscle band.

Legendaries:

dialga: deep sea tooth is nice.

eternatus: One of the worst dragon legendaries. high speed, likes attack damage items. good wide lens user. poison with skrelp/poipole?

giratina: Usually wants to be a backliner in dragon since they’re hard to come by. Backline version notably has flying synergy.

kyurem: obviously should always put in frigibax for ice 4. At level 9 you can hit dragon7/ice6. example board water 6 ice 6 with shellder and piplup, ice 8 with axew

palkia: easy dragon 7 water 9 with gyarados and horsea.

rayquaza: can be physical or special. the green orb always is worth it if you can get one.

regidrago: go monster 4 with gible + bagon.

reshiram: charmander should make the board.

roaring moon: deino + filler dark unit (or a dark stone?) for dark 5. dark 3 is still worthwhile if you aren’t in deino region. seems to want to be a caster, has not performed well as a right clicker for me

walking wake: easy dragon 7 water 9.

zekrom: a backliner. thunder stone isn’t worthwhile. maybe to get electric 5 if you’re on dracozolt?

zygarde: much worse in dragon than ground since you won’t have any holes dug, meaning it will never transform. it can be ranged, which is nice, but the ranged form’s cast isn’t great. melee form is more consistent.

arceus:

necrozma: put in a filler light unit to active light 2, then put necrozma in the light spot. for backline light spots, it can be worth keeping light 3+ in. psychic 6 with latis