Veteran Protoss warriors who have been crippled or mortally wounded in combat can volunteer to continue their service to the Conclave by being transplanted into Dragoon exoskeletons. Within a short time, the fallen warriors learn to control the movements of the large, mechanical walker as naturally as if they were within their former bodies. Dragoons provide essential supporting fire for the Zealot legions by launching bolts of anti-particles sheathed in a psychically charged field. These disintegration bolts are effective against both air and ground targets.

As one of the few Protoss ground units with the ability to strike both land and air targets, the Dragoon is an essential element for a well-balanced Protoss force. When used in conjunction with Zealots, Dragoons are very effective, scoring uncontested hits against enemy forces that are tied up in hand-to-hand combat. If the enemy targets the Dragoons for attack, the Zealots can get "free" hits at close range. Dragoons also provide vital support for Zealots during any aerial attack. If the Dragoons are unable to destroy the airborne attackers, consider using them as decoys to provide time for your Zealots to either make a quick escape or to make a run for enemy ground targets within range.

Protoss players should make a habit of using a mixed force of Zealots and Dragoons when building basic ground forces. It is also important to keep the Dragoons behind the front line of Zealots in any confrontation to attain the best possible use of firepower.

Dragoons can inflict 20 points of ranged explosive damage to both ground and air targets. This type and amount of damage makes the Dragoon a key unit for countering Large enemy unit types such as Battlecruisers, Scouts, Wraiths, Siege Tanks, Carriers, and Ultralisks.

Dragoons also prove to be extremely useful in "island" warfare, particularly as mobile anti-air defense in the early game. This is especially important for stopping the dreaded "Reaver Drop", either by destroying the incoming Shuttles or by destroying the dropped Reaver itself. In either case, the Dragoons should be kept in a spread out formation to decrease the chance of multiple Dragoons being lost to the Reaver's considerable splash damage. Combined with additional defensive Photon Cannons, the Dragoons can help make any isolated Protoss colony extremely difficult to overrun.

The key weakness of the Dragoon is the long cooldown time between attacks, especially when changing targets. Dragoons also face great difficulty if they run into small units of any kind as their weaponry only does half damage against targets such as Zerglings or Marines. They can also be vulnerable if forced into narrow areas with their large cybernetic shells, as they cannot efficiently group their fire.

The most important upgrade for the Dragoon is their Singularity Charge. The increased range of the Dragoon's weaponry that this upgrade grants allows them to concentrate their firepower much more effectively against approaching targets.

Ground Weapons - Each upgrade adds +2 to Ground attack for a total of +6 with all three upgrades.

Ground Armor - Each upgrade adds +1 to Ground Armor for a total of +3 with all three upgrades.

Plasma Shields - Each upgrade adds +1 to Shields for a total of +3 with all three upgrades.

Singularity Charge - This very powerful upgrade allows Dragoons to fire on their targets sooner by increasing the range of their weapon. For maximum effectiveness, this upgrade should be researched as you build your first Dragoon(s).