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This article is about the military power of grown dragons. The armies depicted in fantasy literature often resemble ancient and medieval armies, and a dragon's military strength will be considered with these kinds of armies in mind. Armies equipped with cannons and muskets, which appeared during the late middle ages, have not been considered in this article.

A dragon's military capabilities are related to its physiology. Consequently, I have devoted a separate (albeit brief) section to dragon physiology, based on information from multiple sources. The article also relies on the depiction of dragons in the movie Dragonheart (1996), in which their military capabilities were demonstrated. Examples will also be drawn from the fantasy world of A Song of Ice and Fire (ASOIAF), whenever applicable.

Although there seems to be a consensus as to the main characteristics of a western dragon, there are still details which differ from source to source. There are no absolute text-book answers to what a dragon really is or what it can do, so certain conclusions or assessments may not be relevant in some dragon-populated fantasy worlds. Certain statements in this article are also based on assumptions and speculations. However, many premises have been presented in the first sections, and this information makes it easier to see the deductive relationship between premises and conclusions.

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