Knights vs Dragons

Beginning Analysis: What happens when shining paragons of virtue take on the terror of the skies? Read on to see who...is...deadliest!?

Knights Quick Bio
Taken from Wikipedia: A knight is a member of the warrior class of the Middle Ages in Europe who followed a code of law called "chivalry". In other Indo-European languages, cognates of cavalier or rider are more prevalent (e.g., French chevalier and German Ritter), suggesting a connection to the knight's mode of transport. Since antiquity a position of honour and prestige has been held by mounted warriors such as the Greek hippeus and the Roman eques, and knighthood in the Middle Ages was inextricably linked with horsemanship.

Knights Weapons
Short Range: Broadsword
Medium Range: Lance
Long Range (1): Composite Crossbow
Long Range (2): Throwing Axe
Armor: Full Plate & Kite Shield

Dragons Quick Bio
Taken from Wikipedia: A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies, and the Chinese dragon, with counterparts in Japan, Korea and other East Asian countries. The two traditions may have evolved separately, but have influenced each to a certain extent, particularly with the cross-cultural contact of recent centuries. The English word "dragon" derives from Greek δράκων (drákōn), "dragon, serpent of huge size, water-snake", which probably comes from the verb δρακεῖν (drakeîn) "to see clearly". In the New Testament, the Devil takes the form of a red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, in his battle against Archangel Michael.

Dragons Weapons
Short Range: Dragon Teeth
Medium Range: Dragon Claws
Long Range (1): Tail Slap
Long Range (2): Dragon's Breath
Armor: Scales & Wings

Who Got the Edge
Broadsword vs Dragon Teeth: The Dragon's teeth get the edge. Sharper that any known sword, a Red Dragon's teeth will bite through the Knight's armor with extreme ease. As far as the Broadsword is concerned, it can definatle get through a Dragon's scales, but he might not have enough time to land a second blow when he gets bitten in half.
Lance vs Dragon Claws: Both weapons get the edge. With the Red Dragon's claws, it can swipe weapons out of a Knight's hands, or break said weapons with a single attack. The claws can also tear apart a Knight's armor, and get to the flesh inside. With the Knight's Lance, you have a weapon that, while it's isn't as long as a Red Dragon's front arms, will easily pierce the chest of a Red Dragon, getting a instant kill.
Composite Crossbow vs Tail Slap: Both weapons get the edge. The Composite Crowwbow is a light, portable weapon capable of unleashing a volley of piercing bolts. Most of these bolts will pierce the Red Dragon's scales, and a few could perhaps kill said dragon. More than likely, the bolts will simply hurt the dragon, enraging him further. As for the Red Dragon's tail slap, it is not as important as his teeth, claws, of fiery breath, but it isn't something that shouldn't be discarded. A well placed tail slap can send a group of Knights into the cave wall, knocking them unconscious, or killing them if their spine of skull breaks.
Throwing Axe vs Dragon's Breath: The Dragon's breath gets the edge. Although he can't breathe fire constantly, a Red Dragon's breath will melt and burn just about everything it touches. A Knight in armor will cook in a matter of seconds, and a hungry dragon will pick up the roasted corpse for a snack. A Knight's Throwing Axe can definately kill smaller dragons, but it won't quite work on larger dragons.
Full Plate & Kite Shield vs Scales & Wings: The Dragon's Scales & Wings get the edge. A Knight's armor will definately protect him, but it's heavy, and the armor is only useful if the Knight stays on the ground. With a Dragon's scales, they are essentially "wearing" their armor all the time. As for their wings, it gives them an ability to enable a new dimension to combat, and a way to transport itself.

Common Quality
Fantasy Icons: In fantasy novels, nothing ever beats the matchup of noble Knights vs bloodthirsty dragons. Within the world of ***, dragons are perhaps the single most popular creature ever encountered by players. Knights, both real or fictional, are awe inspiring figures, creating legends just as fantastic as that of dragons.

Setup
Sir Michael, and four other knights, were traveling along a snowy road near Whitefang Mountain is search of red dragons. Four days ago, a particularly nasty specimin by the name of Malitux had attacked the village of Silverwood, killing just about everyone except for the women, and taking as much treasure back to his lair as he could. The king had commanded Sir Michael to travel to the mountain, and kill Malitux.
They were still searching for signs of the dragon, but they had found nothing. It wasn't until Sir Michael's squire, Willington, caught sight of something moving through the woods. He got off his horse, and started looking to see what it was.
"Willington, did you see something?" Sir Michael asked.
"I'm not sure." the squire replied. "I saw something over this way. I couldn't quite tell what it was, but I'm definately sure that it wasn't a wolf or a deer."
Sir Michael turned to his other knights, and nodded at them to dismount. They got off their horses, and took the weapons from their saddles. Sir Michael then turned to his newest knight, Sir Cain, and spoke with him.
"Is there something wrong?" Sir Cain asked.
"We need someone to keep an eye on the horses." Sir Michael said. "If Willington saw what I think we saw, we may need transportation out of here if we get overwhelmed."
"Okay then." Sir Cain replied. He loaded the Composite Crossbow that he had in his hands, and started patrolling around the the horses, while Sir Michael and the other went into the woods to hunt down the creature that Willington saw.
The woods were thick, but quiet. Malitix must have harvested just about all the game this forest had to offer, Sir Michael thought to himself. Just then, he and the rest of the knights saw something run towards a lone deer and tackle it. Immediately, he signaled the rest of the group to run where the deer had been taken down.
They were within distance of the deer's location, when one of the knights saw that it was lying on the ground, it's stomach riped open and the organs strewn around. What was more gruesome about the sight was the wyrmling still munching on the carcass. It must have been a newborn, as it didn't notice him. Holding his breath, he took up his Throwing Axe and aimed right at the wyrmling's neck. He let out his breath, and tossed the axe. It flew right through the air, and right through the wyrmling's neck. The head still gripped the deer carcass, while the body flopped around until it curled up onto the ground in a bloody heap.

Knights: 5/Dragons: 4

Sir Michael and the others came running over after they heard the commotion. They saw their fellow knight pick up the wyrmling's head, and bring it over to the group. The only one that seemed to be awed by the sight was Willington, while everybody else had a worried look on his face.
"This isn't good." Sir Michael said.
"What do you mean?" asked Willington.
"One of Malitux's children just got killed." replied Sir Michael. "He more than likely was watching, and won't let this bloodshed go unanswered. Let's get back to the horses, and move towards the mountain."
Just then, they heard a scream coming from the horses. "That sounds like Sir Cain." said Willington.
"Then let's get moving!" yelled Sir Michael. The group of knights immediately ran back to the horses, and caught sight of Sir Cain, just before a dragon came flying in, and bit his head off. The knight's body was flopping around, until it fell to the ground, and blood was still trickling out of the neck.

Knights: 4/Dragons: 4

"It's coming around again!" Willington yelled, pointing up at the sky. Sir Michael looked up, and saw a red dragon coming at them. It was much larger than the recently slain wyrmling, and it's scales were much darker as well. Sir Michael picked up the crossbow that his fellow knight, and waited until the dragon got in closer. The dragon stared right at the knight, and got quite hungry. It opened it's mouth as if it was about to breathe fire, but all it got was a shaft of wood tiped with metal going down it's throat. It tried to cough it up, but all it got was blood. After a few seconds, the dragon flew right into a tree. It's skull cracked open, and the body fell to the ground. It flopped for just a second, then it stopped.

Knights: 4/Dragons: 3

"Good shooting!" said Willington cheerfully.
"It was a good shot, but we must press on." Sir Michael replied. "I think they're going to swarm us. If we can get inside the mountain, then we'll have the advantage."
The group got back onto their horses, and pressed forward towards the mountain. As they were riding, the snow was gently falling down onto the ground. The trees became like green crystals, and the ground cracked like glass. Every now and they, a small bird would pirch in one of the tree, and a little bit of snow would fall onto the ground in a lump. A very peaceful setting, Sir Michael thought to himself. He looked back and his squire and the other knights, and wished to himself that they would come out of this alive.
The knights were riding towards the mountain, when they heard thrashing in the woods before them. They couldn't see anything, but they were still worried enough to reach for their weapons. The thrashing got louder, and finally a group of trees came falling down. Before them stood a dragon that was even larger that the first two dragons that were killed. His scales were a bit darker, but not by much. However, the horns on his head were longer, and his teeth were more apparent.
"It looks like one of Valitux's older children." said Willington.
"All the more reason to kill it!!!" yelled one of the knights that was in the group. He put the spurs to his horse, and charged right at the dragon. He held out his Lance, and aimed it straight at the monster's chest, hoping to hit the heart and kill the dragon instantly. He also landed the hit, when the dragon took a swipe at hit, and sent him flying into a tree. He got back up, but was heavily stunned. He managed to get one last look at the dragon before it's massive teeth came down, and bit him in half.

Knights: 3/Dragons: 3

"Damn it." Sir Michael uttered under his breath. He drew forth his Longsword, and charged right at the dragon. The beast raised his head, and the lower torso of his victim fell to the ground, still spirting a little bit of blood. The dragon swallowed it's meal, satisfied by the taste of the knight's flesh and bone. The dragon looked around, and it's left eye was greeted by a painful length of steel. Sir Michael quickly pulled the sword as the dragon started flailing around because of the pain. Sir Michael jumed right off his horse, and onto the dragon's back. He stabbed his blade right through the dragon's spine, and was promptly thrown off by the dragon's spasms. The dragon managed to let out a half-hearted roar before it collapsed onto the ground, and snow started to cover up the body.

Knights: 3/Dragons: 2

"We're killing the lot of them." Willington said.
"We are indeed." replied Sir Michael grimly, who was busy wiping the blood & spinal fluid off his sword. "That has me worried."
"Why?" Willington asked.
"I'm not quire sure." Sir Michael responded. "From the time we set out from the kingdom, to just now, I've had the strange feeling that there's more to this dragon hunt that what we're seeing."
"Maybe you're just nervous." replied the surviving knight.
Sir Michael chuckled, and placed his Broadsword back into it's sheathe. "Perhaps you are right." he replied.
Just then, the three heard a roar coming from Whitefang Mountain. Streams of fire were bursting out from the top, and the sound of rocks falling down made the sight more troubling than it already was. "What's going on?" Willington asked nervously.
"Something bad." replied Sir Michael. "Come on! We need to see what the commotion is about."
They got on their horses, and began a race towards the mountain. The streams of fire were becoming more and more frequent, and the roaring was getting louder and louder. I'm getting a bad feeling about this, Sir Michael thought to himself.
The three dragon hunters were now at the base of the mountain. It wasn't called Whitefang for nothing: the tip of the mountain was curved almost like the fang of a wolf or dragon, and the mountain (or the majority of it) was covered with the whitest of snow. With the commotion going on, the mountain was starting to lose it's namesake image. Sir Michael and Willington were looking for a way in, while the surviving knight in their company was keeping an eye out for any other attackers coming their way.
"I don't see a way in." said Willington. "Do you?"
"No." Sir Michael replied. "I can't find anythi....wait, what's that?"
Sir Michael pointed at a large mound of rocks that seemed to look a bit out of place. He looked to his fellow knight, and beckoned him to follow. The trio stopped in front of the rock pile, and examined it for any sign that would allow them to move it. After a few moments, Willington noticed a draconic rune carved onto a boulder in front of the pile. Sir Michael got off his horse, and walked over to get a closer look.
"Do you know what the rune means?" Willington asked.
"I'm not quite sure, but I think the rune means "divide". " replied Sir Michael. "I just need to get this little item hear, and then..."
Without warning, the dragon rune started glowing a bright red, and the rock pile began to shake. Willington got off of his horse, and ducked behind a pile of stones and fallen trees. Sir Michael jumped behind the pile, and his other knight as well. A second later, the rock pile burst, sending the large specimins far and wide. The trio looked up from behind the pile, and saw an entrance to the inner workings of the mountain.
"Is it safe?" asked Willington.
"Only one way to find out." said the surviving knight that was with them. He got up from behind the pile, and headed straight towards the entrance. He was about to step inside and see if it's safe, when a wall of fire rushed him. Sir Michael and Willington ducked back behind the pile to avoid getting roasted should the flames travel that far. Before their comrade could run out, he was completely engulfed by the flames. He let out a harsh scream, all the while trying to put the flames out. After a minute or so, he collapsed onto the group as a heap of cooked human flesh inside an annoying tin can.

Knights: 2/Dragons: 2

Sir Michael and Willington once again looked up from the pile once again. They saw the charred corpse of their friend on the ground. Steam was still escaping from the armor, and the smell of burt flesh came wafting their way. It upset their stomachs, but not their resolves.
"Let's go." said Sir Michael. "We can mourn his death later."
Willington just knodded. They picked up their weapons, and headed towards the entrance. Fear had flooded over them at this point, yet it still didn't break their spirit to finish the job.
Both warriors were now inside the base of Whitefang Mountain. It was pretty hot inside, given the occupant's taste in heat. Sir Michael was sweltering inside his plate mail, but he didn't let a little sweat get to him. Willington fared better, but not by much. The smell of sulphur was wafting in the air, and waves of heat were rippling before their eyes.
"Are you alright my lord?" Willington asked, all the while wiping sweat from his forehead.
"As well as I can be, given the heat." Sir Michael replied.
"That's good." the squire replied back. "I hope that we...wait, what's that?"
Sir Michael stopped walking. He took off his helmet, and peered down the cave tunnel. Further ahead, he could make out some kind of glow. Taking a drink from his water flash, he wiped is brow, and proceeded forward with his squire.
The two entered what looked like a cauldron of rock. The inside of the cave was studded with sparkling rubies, streakes of gold were sewn into the cave, and molten lava was bubbling right below them. The sight was rather beautiful, if dangerous.
"A dwarf would love this place." Willington said.
"Indeed." replied Sir Michael. "Perhaps if we kill the dragon here, we can claim this treasure trove for ourselves and the kingdom!"
As the two were talking, they failed to notice a dragon crawling right above them. He was a silent as a cat, and had a cat's patience as well. The two knights didn't even feel him breathing on them. When he got within a foot, he turned around until his tail faced the oblivious squire. With a sudden flick, the tail smacked it's target, sending him into the pit of Lava. It wasn't even a second when the entire body was consumed by the molten substance.

Knights: 1/Dragons: 2

Sir Michael quickly reacted to the ambush, and sliced off a good portion of the dragon's tail. Squirting blood all over, the dragon quickly dropped to the cave floor, and began trying to bite of his attacker's arms. The two parried for a moment, when Sir Michael managed to knick one of the dragon's horse. It distracted the dragon long enough for the knight to thrust his Broadsword into the creature's skull. Like one of the dragons outside, it flopped around for a second or two, then just curled up into a lifeless heap.

Knights: 1/Dragons: 1

Sir Michael walked to the edge of the caldera, and peered down it's depths. Willington was like the son that he never had. He had been in a lot of adventures, and for him to die in such a cowardly manner ruined his good name.
Just as he was about to sheathe his blade and leave, Sir Michael stopped where he stood, and turned around and saw the lava boil more profusly than it was earlier. He cautiously drew him blade again, and walked closer and closer. As he got closer, the lava boiled more furiously. When he was at the caldera's edge, the lava was boiling as rapidly as water in a pot. A moment later, a red dragon the size that Sir Michael had never seen before rose up from the molten substance. It's scales were an unearthly red, it's eyes were like that of a tiger, it's claws and teeth sharper than any blade, and it's horns were longer than even the most gigantic of sea creatures. This was a sight that would stay within the knight's mind for all time.

"You slaughtered a village of innocent people, and you killed my squire & comrades." the tired knight said. "Now you die!"
Hold both his Broadsword & Kite Shield, Sir Michael jumped straight at the beast. He gripped his sword like a dagger, hoping to stab at the dragon's heart. He was within distance, when the dragon suddenly lifted a front paw and grabbed him. Feeling the pressure, the knight started stabbing at the creature's limb, but it didn't phase his foe in the slightest. The dragon raised the knight to his mouth, and promptly bit it's head off. He spit it into the lava where it sizzled, and raised the body to let the blood flow down into his mouth. After a few seconds, he gobbled up the knight's body, armor and all.
"A delicious meal." Valitux said. "I must thank the king for sending me such fine meat."

Knights: 0/Dragons: 1

Dragons: 700
Dragon Teeth: 250
Dragon Claws: 300
Tail Slap: 50
Dragon's Breath: 100

Knights: 300
Broadsword: 200
Lance: 40
Composite Crossbow: 50
Throwing Axe: 10

Ending Assessment: Dragons are bigger, meaner, and their weapons are built right into their bodies.
Strongest Weapon: With a flesh-rending 300 kills, the Dragon's claws take the weakest weapon spot of this fight.
Weakest Weapon: With only 10 kills, the Knight's Throwing Axe is the weakest weapon of this matchup.