The Targaryens were a key family on Game of Thrones. While the original series featured their downfall, the prequel, House of the Dragon shows them at their zenith. Regardless of their highs and lows, the fact is, it was a Targaryen, Aegon I who was able to unite the Seven Kingdoms and establish a powerful empire with his House serving as the dominant source of power. The Targaryen Conquest took place three centuries before Game of Thrones and is one of the most important events in Westeros' history. Aegon's invasion was met with varied responses from noble Houses. While some refused to bend their knee, others fought until they had no choice but surrender.
Aegon began the Conquest in 2 BC with his sister-wives, Rhaenys and Visenya by his side. The dragons that are crucial to storytelling in the source material and the said hard fantasy TV shows proved decisive at every stage. Houses Rosby and Stokeworth submitted to the might of the dragon-riding siblings and Houses Darklyn and Mooton were easily defeated. While the Conquest involved little conflict, some Houses clashed against Aegon in significant battles. Field of Fire is one such noteworthy event in the Conquest and inarguably pivotal.
The Lead-Up To The Battle
Westeros was of relatively less importance to the dragonlords of Dragonstone prior to Aegon's birth. The continent was divided into seven independent Kingdoms, ruled by territorial powers who were in a constant state of war. The ruling families included Starks in the Kingdom of the North, Lannisters in the Kingdom of the Rock, Gardeners in the neighboring Kingdom of the Reach, Hoares in the Kingdom of the Isles and the Rivers, Durrandons in the Kingdom of the Stormlands, Arryns in Kingdom of the Mountain and the Vale, and Martells in Dorne.
Way before the events of Game of Thrones, the leader of House Hoare, Black Harren completed a colossal fortification named Harrenhal in the heart of Riverlands. This propelled Aegon's war on him as well as House Durrandon led by Storm King Argilac. House Durrandon perceived the fortification of Harrenhal as a threat and Argilac sent an envoy to Dragonstone offering his daughter's hand in marriage. Aegon declined and instead offered a marriage with his confidant, Orys Baratheon. Angered by this proposal, Argilac cut off the envoy's hands. This back-and-forth set the stage for one of the most important events in Targaryen history.
Aegon's bannermen, House Velaryon and House Celtigar responded and after days of counsel, he sent ravens to Westeros demanding he be recognized as the one true King of Westeros. Immediately after, Aegon, his sister-wives, their dragons and a few hundred retainers set sail from Dragonstone and landed at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush. As Aegon raised Aegonfort, Rhaenys secured nearby castles threby enlarging the Targaryen sphere of influence. The manner in which Aegon and his sister-wives fought in the upcoming battle built the illustrious Targaryen legacy, as referenced in House of the Dragon.
All Three Dragons Took To The Battlefield
Aegon's Conquest was swift and one by one the lords submitted to his might. His older sister-wife, Visenya crowned him and Rhaenys hailed him as the King of all Westeros. Aegon gained the confidence and respect of Westeroi lords and people in every stage of the battle. He used Balerion to burn Lord Harren and his castle and meanwhile Argilac lost to Orys in the Battle of the Last Storm. King Harren the Black was dead and the reign of the Storm Kings had ended. Aegon's loyalists namely Daemon Velaryon and Crispian Celtigar were given key positions, and Orys was named the first Hand of the King.
In the far west of Westeros, Mern Gardener and Loren Lannister combined a fifty-five thousand troops against Aegon who only had ten thousand at his disposal. The Lannister-Gardener armies met Aegon's forces in the open plains, south of the Blackwater Rush. Mern commanded the center for his House, while Loren and Lord Oakheart commanded the right and left flank, respectively. Aegon's army stood opposite the allies in a crescent with Jon Mooton as the commander. While Aegon's army was heavily outnumbered, the allies seemed to have an upper hand in the initial stages. They were soon interrupted by a loud roar from the sky, akin to Drogon's in Games of Thrones' Goldroad ambush.
The Targaryens finally descended and Rhaenys' Meraxes set fire in front of the allies. The terrain, covered in grass caught fire and blinded the allied forces. Visenya used her dragon, Vhagar to limit withdrawal and Balerion fired from above. This resulted in massive casualties for the allies. The Targaryen ground forces who were upwind of the conflagration rained spears on the burning men. King Mern's family perished thus marking the end of his House and Loren bent the knee. While Tyrells were declared Lords Paramount of the Reach, the Lannisters became Wardens of the West. The Targaryen side lost less than a hundred men, making Field of Fire pivotal in the Conquest.
Parallels Between Field Of Fire And Daenerys' Goldroad Ambush
Field of Fire closely mirrors Daenerys' Goldroad ambush, featured in Game of Thrones, season 7, episode 4, "The Spoils of War." Dany along with her Dothraki horde ambushed the combined Lannister-Tarly armies in an open field while they were returning from Sack of Highgarden. While Field of Fire doesn't have a precise location, semi-canon sources state it is located in the northern part of the Reach in the plains south of the Blackwater, i.e. the present Goldroad. Daenerys descended from the skies on her dragon and Drogon breathed fire on the Lannister ranks below.
Dragons played a crucial role both in Field of Fire, and Daenerys' ferocious attack. While Aegon won the battle with the might of the dragons, Daenerys only brought one of her dragons to the battlefield. Field of Fire decimated House Gardener and preempted the rise of House Tyrell, whereas Fall of Highgarden and the end of House Tyrell led to Dany's attack. Above all else, both Field of Fire and Daenerys' Goldroad ambush on Game of Thrones encapsulate what it meant to be the blood of the Dragon.