After six whole seasons, our Mother of Dragons has finallyarrived on Westerosi soil -- only to get half of her fleet torched by a psychopath with bad guyliner and an inferiority complex in episode 2.

But before we go jumping ship (sorry Theon), let's not assume this defeat was a sign that Daenerys' invasion is doomed to fail.

Because this isn't the first time a Targaryen set out to conquer all of Westeros with three dragons and an even smaller army. Actually, it isn't even the first time a Targaryen suffered an early naval defeat in that quest.

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If history is any indication, Dany couldn't be more on track to reclaiming the throne of her ancestors.

You might've caught Aegon Targaryen's name dropped a few times throughout "Stormborn," and it was no coincidence. The parallels between the original Targaryen conqueror from 300 years ago and his chain-breaking descendant grow stronger by the day.

And, spoiler alert, things worked out pretty well the first time around. But Dany should take note of Aegon's history lessons before making any rash decisions.

Who's this Aegon guy anyway?

Hundreds of years ago, the legendary Targaryen lead his own fiery campaign across Westeros. It changed both the kingdom and his family forever, transforming them from minor lords in Dragonstone into the first true Kings to rule over a unified Westeros.

Water is badCredit: HBO

To rewind a bit, before Aegon's conquest, Westeros was actually seven separate kingdoms ruled by seven separate kings. But with fire and blood -- and a surprising amount of political savvy -- Aegon made each rival monarch (with the exception of Meria Martell in Dorne) bend the knee with the help of his dragon-riding sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys (seriously, Targaryen history makes Cersei and Jaime's twincest look quaint.)

At the end of his unprecedented takeover, Aegon even melted the swords of all the enemies he defeated with dragonfire to create The World's Most Uncomfortable Chair, AKA that Iron Throne they're all still fighting over today.

But Aegon's mission to unify Westeros wasn't all blood-soaked triumphs via the world's only living, fire-breathing weapons of mass destruction -- he suffered some casualties too.

Early defeats at sea

Sure, possessing the world's only dragons gave Aegon (much like Dany) a huge tactical advantage. But an early naval battle off the shores of Gulltown demonstrated that water = bad news for armies reliant on fire.

One of Aegon's first moves and major mistakes was to send a chunk of his fleet to the Vale. While it probably wasn't as dramatic as Euron's pirate-like capture, the Arryns managed to scrounge together enough ships to deliver a major blow. The battle took out two-thirds of Aegon's entire fleet.

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But the strategic blow didn't last long. Visenya rode right on over to demonstrate what the words "fire and blood" really meant. She destroyed the enemy ships that survived the battle on dragonback, turning the defeat into a mere stalemate.

Perhaps our Queen will respond to the news of Euron's triumph with the same, classic Targaryen response.

Don't be too impressed by Qyburn's new toy

Despite's Qyburn's claim that he "invented" the spear ballista demonstrated to Cersei in "Stormborn," these kinds of weapons are old news in terms of Westerosi history.

Sure, launching a spear from a few feet away at a long-dead dragon skull looks rad. And that wasn't just any dragon, either, but the most badass dragon in all of Targaryen history, Balerion -- Aegon the Conquerer's mount. Talk about symbolism.

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But firing it at a flightless, centuries-old skeleton seems like a bit of a false positive. Granted, "scorpion" spears did actually kill one dragon before. Aegon the Conqueror's sister, Rhaenys, lost both her dragon and life to a similar weapon during the First Dornish War.

But when it comes to shooting at a live, airborn, fire-breathing colossus covered in the nearly impenetrable dragonscale -- well, I have some doubts about the effectiveness of Qyburn's landlocked "invention."

So Dany, if you're taking notes, the TL; DR so far is to stick to high ground, and no more water.

Shots firedCredit: hbo

Also, look out for the weather

One major tactical lesson Team Targaryen should take from history is to keep the hell away from any storms. Daenerys may be Stormborn, but she was right to be a little pissy at all the rain that greeted her arrival at Dragonstone.

While Aegon ultimately conquered the Stormlands during the legendary battle known as The Last Storm, one key factor evened the playing field for his opposition. His sister's dragon, Meraxes, was grounded by a massive storm.

The muddy mess didn't help the men sloshing around on the ground, either, and Meraxes and Rhaenys still managed to kill a bunch of them without needing to take flight. But it's important to note that weather is one of the greatest obstacles for dragons in combat.

And I don't know if you've heard, but winter is hella here. We may be underestimating just how much of an issue the winds of winter may be for Dany if she joins the battle against the dead.

Drylands are your friend

So, unsurprisingly, ice and water are things to avoid for the house whose unofficial motto essentially comes down to, "Burn them all."

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But in the epic battle known as the Field of Fire, Aegon faced one of Westeros' biggest armies, led by the Lannisters and Gardeners. The odds were stacked so high against him that it was the only time he and his sisters brought all three of their dragons to the battlefield.

And, boy, did they deliver.

Taking place in the dry wheat fields near Blackwater, the 55,000 men Aegon faced kindly lined up to become the human equivalent of dragonfire kindling. Thousands of men roasted to death immediately, while several thousands more suffered agonizing burns that killed them later.

So, it won't matter how many Lannister soldiers Cersei and Jaime manage to scrounge up for that Dothraki v. Lannister clash we've seen teased in the trailers and promo photos. It'll all come down to some very flat grasslands, a dragon, and a lot of flammable human bodies.

Dragons can make you a conqueror, but not a ruler

If nothing else, Dany should heed the advice of the historian on her war council. Tyrion's PR strategy to push back against Cersei's characterization of her as a foreign conqueror was plucked straight out of Aegon's playbook.

As Dany herself pointed out at the start of the episode, she had just about every tactical advantage. But Tyrion advised her to take the long view, and go for a more metaphorical target than a strategic one, by claiming the seat of the house that currently holds the political power in Westeros.

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Aegon did that too. The taking of Harrenhal was his first big demonstration of power, because lord Harren Hoare held the most land and power at the time. But, after arriving on his winged beast, nicknamed "The Black Dread," Aegon actually offered mercy if Hoare just surrendered.

Harren, not known for being the most level-headed of lords, essentially told him to f--k off. So Aegon promised that, by tomorrow, his entire line would be exterminated. If you've been paying attention, you might be able to guess what happened next.

Daenerys the ConquererCredit: hbo

Aegon put on a light show that simultaneously roasted the castle and wiped the Hoare family from existence.

Both the castle and realm never recovered: the image of Harrenhal's melted stone walls and incinerated inhabitants was seared into the nobles' collective minds forever. But the other lords of Westeros took note of Aegon's offer of mercy to Harren.

Many then chose option A over option Be Roasted Alive when Aegon came knocking on their door.

By walking the thin line between brute force and mercy, Aegon proved he had the political savvy to govern as well as conquer. He always at least triedto work withthe Westerosi nobles in power, rather than simply destroying everyone who stood in his way, Cersei style.

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He spun the political wheels already in place to his advantage, which made a lot of people more willing to crown him King.

If last season is any indication, Dany wants to add Breaker of Westerosi Political Wheels to her many titles. She's shown an iffy track record when it comes to mercy toward the noblemen of Meereen, a choice that's already coming back to bite her in the ass in Westeros, at least if people listen to Cersei's propaganda.

Let's just hope her parroting Tyrion's line about not being the Queen of Ashes sounds more sincere next time.

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