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[ShadowHammer]

My marksdwarves keep getting eaten by stuff in the caverns when they don't have room to shoot. So I was thinking, how can i make them more effective in melee? Would it work if I equipped them with a melee weapon as well as their crossbow (like this: /http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112008.msg3396295#msg3396295), and then, whenever something got too close, unequipped their crossbow? Would they just toss the crossbow on the ground, or would they just rush into melee combat with the crossbow?

BTW this is my first post ever, so please tell me if I am doing stuff wrong.

Also, how do I do the hyperlink?

[ShadowHammer]

argh sorry 'bout the double post my laptop pooped itself.

[Eric Blank]

You managed to make a double-post double-thread! How on Earth does a brain-farted laptop accomplish that?

The marksdwarves will continue to hold and use their crossbow until they're dead, run out of ammo, or run out of things to shoot at, even if they had another weapon available and were being assaulted in melee by a beast. You can try giving them shields, as then they'd have some small measure of protection. Make sure they have ammo, though, or they WILL rush enemies with their crossbow held high like a club.

The best advice I can give about marksdwarves in the caverns is not to let them in there. Or any of your dwarves, for that matter. The caverns are a very, very dangerous place if you don't control them outright.

the hyperlink can be accomplished by selecting the words you want to become a link, and then pressing the button above the post box that looks like a globe with a page next to it. That will create the link tags, then just put "=inserturlhere" (with the =) between the last letter of the url tag and the end bracket of that same tag.

[Mad Jackal]

I have reports that say otherwise.

I equipped a marksdwarf with a steel axe as his second weapon. (below the crossbow on the equipment list.)

And after bashing once with the crossbow he switched to using the bladed weapon and killed his foe. (I read he would do that elsewhere on the forums and tried it). It works- if the weapon is edged he will switch, but not if it is a blunt instrument- say a hammer.

[thegoatgod_pan]

It helps to make the crossbows heavy, even metal (though I wouldn't waste steel on it). Copper, bronze, iron: it is all good.

They will sometimes use other equipped weapons.  It is definitely a good idea to give to give them about 3-5 shields. Mind you the next update might fix the multishielding exploit, but for the moment it is the height of defense without danger rooms. Also fiddle with the uniforms, and give them metal armor.

Finally, line of sight is the killer in the caverns. Remove large swaths of trees and stalagmites and you are golden*! 

*Warning, the broken line of sight in cavern ensures some way to approach a webber or deadly dust Forgotten beast with a melee squad, without them all dying instantly. Then again if your archers get it first from a good distance, you won't have that issue!