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[KodKod]

I've yet to hear any convincing argument for the use of dogs at all except as sources of meat/bones/milk, just like any other (non-grazing) livestock animal. If a single goblin snatcher can take on 10 war dogs simultaneously and slaughter them all while recieving no injuries worse than a cut on her left hand, then really, what the hell is the point.

That's simple: Kobolds.

A wardog generally doesn't kill a kobold very quickly, instead it treats it as a chew toy, shaking the thing around in its jaws for a few days, weeks... months if you're lucky, before the little bastard bleeds out. I have yet to find a more effective way of dragging out kobold suffering.

[krenshala]

... I have yet to find a more effective way of dragging out kobold suffering.

Fresh recruits with zero military skills, armed with training spears (i.e., wooden clubs).

[KodKod]

Dwarves are much, much bigger than kobolds. The size alone is enough to have them crush the little buggers without much effort if they decide to bite, kick or punch.

A wardog, however, is only a little bit bigger, giving him enough advantage to beat the kobold into submission, but meaning that he can't simply tear it limb from limb.

[Loud Whispers]

If a single goblin snatcher can take on 10 war dogs simultaneously and slaughter them all while recieving no injuries worse than a cut on her left hand, then really, what the hell is the point.

3-5 dogs can take down an ogre, through virtue of rip and tear. Shaking ignores armour. Dogs breed very quickly. They're fodder for bolts and the dogs bite back. Three rabbits can take down an elephant, but we still fear elephants.


There are some reasons.

[kingubu]

I've loved war dogs ever since I took down a FB with couple marksdwarves and 20 war dogs.  Sure most of them died to the dust attack, but there's always more dogs.

Actually that's not completely true, I kiled 1/3 of the dogs with ballista arrows.  Still, it was a hell of a fight.

[floundericiousWA]

On my map I keep losing war dogs (I have a dogsplosion though, no shortage!) to sneak attacks by goblin snatchers and kobold thieves (I liken it to...yeah, you surprised the kobold by spotting it...and it reflexively jammed a large dagger through your head).

I have one seriously wounded war dog wandering around with a broken right rib and damaged right lung...has been gamely tossing about doing dog-stuff for over a year.  It was kicked in the side by a kobold it discovered before it could attack.

I just pen/pasture the war dogs in my 5-wide entrances like this:

W=wall, numbers are open space, N=pasture zone

W1N3N5W
W1N3N5W
W1N3N5W
W1N3N5W
W1N3N5W

I put two or three war dogs in each of the N-strips...have almost never had a kobold or goblin sneak all the way in past them....as I said, I lose a fair number of war dogs for virtually no injuries dealt to the invaders, but the point is to reveal the sneakers at which point they flee.

[martinuzz]

There was a devlog quote a long time ago that lead me to believe hunting animals might have a larger detection range. Not as easy to test as basic detection range, as I don't know of a way to make hunting animals in the arena.

Yes, I'm lead to believe that as well. Not that it matters, I think, for detecting ambushes;
AFAIK, it's not your dogs that detect an ambush, but rather, an ambush that detects your dog, and decloaks when they attack it

[Garath]

would be nice to detect kobold thieves though.

[Sadrice]

Also, I don't think invaders selectively attack dwavres over animals.  If there are 100 of your creatures on a battlefield, and only 10 of them are dwarves, only 10% of bolts and other attacks will be aimed at dwarves.

EDIT: I just thought of a way to test detection distance.  Construct an entranceway like this:

Code: [Select]

Outside
###### ##
#dFFFF ##
###### ##
##dFFF ##
###### ##
###dFF ##
###### ##
####dF ##
###### ##
inside

d = dog
F = fortification

Pause your game the instant you get the thief notification, check which dog they're in front of.

You'll have to space the dogs much farther apart, so you don't get inaccurate results if you're not lightning fast at pausing.

[AzuredreamsXT]

Some people vastly undervalue wardogs, especially in combat. I've had packs of 10 or so war dogs subdue GCS, Cave Crocs, Ogres and more. They make excellent thief detectors at your fortress entry points, they make great companions to military dwarves, and as mentioned they breed fast.