A Lava dragon in Dragonbred is one with two copies of the recessive Lava element, which turns its markings into black volcanic crust split by glowing lava. The only source is the Lava Crate, where each crate has a 2% chance of holding one. After that, Lava is bred like any recessive, and every body colour you put under it makes a different dragon for the combinations book.
Lava is the one Legendary look in the game today, and it is the most planned-around gene in most pens. Here is how it works, start to finish.
What makes Lava different from other morphs
Most morphs change the body or the pattern. An element changes what the markings are made of. On a Lava dragon the markings become crust and glowing cracks, and the body keeps its own colour.
That is why an Albino Lava and a Normal Lava are different dragons. The Albino body stays lemon-yellow and the markings turn to lava; on a Normal the same lava sits on a normal body. Every colour gene you combine with Lava gives a new look.
Two other genes interact with it:
- Piebald. The white patches cover everything, the lava fill included, wherever they fall.
- Patternless. A Patternless dragon has no markings, so there is nothing for an element to fill. Its Lava is hidden, and its card shows "hidden Lava". It still passes the gene on.
Where Lava dragons come from
Lava comes only from the Lava Crate, a limited-time featured crate. The dragons in other crates never carry it.
| Lava Crate | Contents and odds |
|---|---|
| Price | 250 Embers (bought in the Store), or a sealed one from another keeper on the market |
| Dragons | 4 |
| Chance each dragon is a morph | 70%, with at least one morph guaranteed |
| Visual Lava dragon | 2% per crate |
| Bonus Scales | 20% chance of 120 to 360 |
| Instant Card | 8% |
| Visual Regal dragon (gold horns, claws and antlers) | 2% per crate |
| Lava Barrier profile frame | 1 in 100 |
| Royal Dais stand | 1 in 100 |
When a crate rolls Lava, one of its dragons arrives showing it, with two copies. There are no het Lava dragons in crates; the gene enters your pen as a visual or not at all.
Two percent is a long shot. On average it takes 50 Lava Crates to find one, and a Lava Crate returns only about a quarter of its price on average, so crates are a way to find variety and hidden genes, not a reliable way to buy a Lava. For the full odds of every crate, see crates explained.
A few other details:
- Sealed Lava Crates keep working after the crate leaves the store, and they can be sold or traded on the Market.
- One Wooden Crate in 1,000 holds a sealed Lava Crate.
- Regal is a Mythic gene found in no other crate: two copies give a dragon polished gold horns, claws and antlers. A crate that rolls it puts it on a different dragon from its Lava.
- The Lava Barrier frame shows flowing lava around your profile. The Royal Dais replaces the rock your dragons stand on with gold steps set with rubies, sapphires and emeralds. The first of each you find is yours to wear; spares are items you can trade.
You can also buy a Lava, or its babies, from another keeper on the Market.
How Lava is inherited
Lava is recessive, just like Albino. One copy is invisible; two copies show.
| Pairing | Lava babies | Normal-looking babies |
|---|---|---|
| Lava × Lava | 100% | none |
| Lava × het Lava | 50% | 50%, each a 100% het |
| Het Lava × het Lava | 25% | 75%, each 67% het |
| Lava × anything without Lava | 0% | 100%, each a 100% het |
A visual Lava is graded Legendary however many other looks it has. The rarity grades guide covers how grades combine.
Breeding more Lava from one dragon
Most keepers start with a single Lava, and that creates a problem. Every Lava carrier you make descends from that one dragon, so any two of them you pair are related. The question is how related.
Step one is always the same: pair your Lava with an unrelated dragon. Every baby is a 100% het Lava. After that you have three routes:
| Route | Lava per egg | Inbreeding |
|---|---|---|
| Two hets from different mates (half siblings) | 25% | 12.5% |
| Two hets from the same clutch or mate (full siblings) | 25% | 25% |
| A het baby back to the Lava parent | 50% | 25% |
The half-sibling route is usually the best trade. Breed your Lava to two different unrelated mates, then pair a son from one clutch with a daughter from the other. You get the same 25% as full siblings at half the inbreeding, which means half an egg lost per clutch instead of a whole one, and 15% of eggs failing to develop instead of 30%. The inbreeding guide has the full cost table.
Once you have a Lava of each sex, Lava × Lava gives 100% Lava. Check the inbreeding panel first, since both will descend from your first Lava.
The combinations book
The combinations book, in the Morphs tab, is a grid of every body colour against every element. Each square shows whether you have hatched it, how many live dragons show it, and which keeper hatched it first. The first keeper to hatch a square holds that world first forever.
Eight squares are open today, one for each live colour with Lava:
| Square | Genes needed |
|---|---|
| Lava | Two Lava |
| Albino Lava | Two Albino, two Lava |
| Golden Lava | One Golden, two Lava |
| Pale Gold Lava | Two Golden, two Lava |
| Dark Lava | One Dark, two Lava |
| Super Dark Lava | Two Dark, two Lava |
| Red Lava | One Red, two Lava |
| Deep Red Lava | Two Red, two Lava |
The colours that show with one copy are the easy squares. Pair your Lava with a Golden: half the babies are Golden, and all are het Lava. Pair a Golden het Lava back to the Lava parent and each egg has a 25% chance of being Golden Lava. Pair it instead with a het Lava half sibling and the chance is 12.5%, with less inbreeding.
Albino Lava is the hard square, because both genes are recessive. Lava × Albino gives babies that are het for both. Two of those together give an Albino Lava one egg in 16, about 6%. Use half siblings, and expect it to take several clutches. The Albino guide covers building the Albino side.
Elements still to come
Lava is the first element, not the last. Ice and Galaxy are written into the game, along with element combinations such as Lava Ice, Lava Galaxy, and Ice Galaxy, where two different elements meet on one dragon. None of these are obtainable yet. New elements are planned for future featured crates, and the combinations book already lists their squares as waiting until they arrive.
If you are holding a Lava, the eight open squares are a good long project. Open the combinations book in Dragonbred and see which ones nobody has hatched yet.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a Lava dragon in Dragonbred?
Open Lava Crates, where each crate has a 2% chance of a visual Lava, or buy one from another keeper on the Market. No other crate carries Lava.
Is Lava dominant or recessive?
Recessive. One copy is a hidden het, and it takes two copies for the lava markings to show.
What happens to Lava Crates after they leave the store?
Sealed Lava Crates you already own still open normally, and you can still sell or trade them.
What grade is a Lava dragon?
Legendary, the highest grade in the game. Lava is the only Legendary today.
Published October 6, 2026 · updated October 22, 2026
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