Dungeons & Dragons Red Guard Drake Miniature

This is a highly detailed miniature of a Red Guard Drake.

This model was created by MZ4250 who makes amazingly accurate models of the Monster Manual creatures and provided by Commercial License.

A Red Guard Drake in Dungeons & Dragons is a draconic creature bred through magical manipulation to serve as a loyal foot soldier, typically by militaristic or authoritarian factions. Unlike true dragons, which are majestic, intelligent, and often prideful beings, guard drakes are lesser creatures—more akin to brutal war beasts than regal predators. They lack the wings of their dragon ancestors and are unable to fly, but they retain powerful limbs, sharp claws, and a savage temperament. Red Guard Drakes in particular are linked to the elemental nature of fire, drawing from the essence of red dragons. Their scales gleam with a dull crimson or blood-red hue, and they often carry the faint scent of ash or scorched earth.

Created through foul rituals or alchemical tampering, Red Guard Drakes are not born naturally. They are forcibly molded from dragon eggs or dragonborn stock, altered to become obedient, aggressive, and physically durable. As a result of this artificial origin, they tend to have a diminished intellect, operating more like trained attack dogs than independent thinkers. Despite this, they demonstrate cunning in battle, often coordinating with allies and relentlessly pursuing foes. Their loyalty is not earned through affection but enforced through conditioning and magical control, making them both reliable and terrifying tools of war.

Red Guard Drakes are typically deployed by evil-aligned groups such as cults of Tiamat, militarized states, or dark wizards. They make ideal frontline units thanks to their resistance to fire and their ferocity in close combat. While they lack a red dragon’s breath weapon, some versions possess a fiery bite or the ability to exhale a small gout of flame, depending on how they are statted in a specific campaign or edition.

Encounters with Red Guard Drakes often signal that their masters are near and that any conflict is about to escalate dangerously.

24.06mm tall at 32mm scale.