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[greggbert]

OK.  My economy is perfect and my stockpiles are FULL of everything I could possibly want.  Now I need to focus 100% on defense.  

I've got about 12 soldiers in 2 squads.  Each squad has 2spears and 4 crossbows.

In the Winter and Summer Squad 1 wrestles unarmed while Squad 2 patrols with thier standard weapons.  In The spring and fall Squad 2 wrestles unarmed while Squad 1 patrols with standard weapons.  

I've got a couple of questions/problems though:

1)  I've got TONS of chain and plate armor but my dwarves won't wear it even though they are assigned to plate.  Do they just need to keep wrestling to get stronger?  Or do I need to make a bunch of leather armor for them to "train their armor skill?"

2)  Markswarves won't shoot at my 6 targets when weiling crossbows and off-duty.  Only one will shoot and the other 3 will just stand around.  They are all set up as different archery rooms, but they are all outdoors.  Does that affect anything?  Plus the ones that does shoot always equips crappy bolts and then is not ready when goblins come.

My solution to 2 is to just make sure all standing down squads are unarmed so they can wrestle.  Then when they need to go active, and I switch weapons to crossbow, they always grab the right xbow and bolts.  

Where can I find a link to good troop training strategies?

Is this a good approach?

[numerobis]

quote:Originally posted by greggbert:
<STRONG>
1)  I've got TONS of chain and plate armor but my dwarves won't wear it even though they are assigned to plate.  Do they just need to keep wrestling to get stronger?  Or do I need to make a bunch of leather armor for them to "train their armor skill?"</STRONG>

They should just wear it, so long as they aren't already wearing armor.  You're sure it's the right size (not small, not narrow, not large)?

quote:<STRONG>2)  Markswarves won't shoot at my 6 targets when weiling crossbows and off-duty.  Only one will shoot and the other 3 will just stand around.  They are all set up as different archery rooms, but they are all outdoors.  Does that affect anything?  Plus the ones that does shoot always equips crappy bolts and then is not ready when goblins come.</STRONG>

They train with bone or wood bolts; make sure you have enough stacks to go around.  Also, generally my marksdwarves all train, but at very different times.  Being outside doesn't matter at all.  They equip whatever bolts (hopefully plural) are closest.  You can look into a dwarf's quiver, and if you don't like what you see, dump it.  The dwarf will (usually) go get a new quiver.  It looks funny -- some random peasant walks up to the marksdwarf, pulls out a stack of bolts, and walks away.  The soldier gets a ? over his head, then walks off to get new bolts.

[Thexor]

#2 has been answered fine already, but as for #1...

Troops should grab whatever armour they can reach (which can be a problem when you want your troops armed in masterwork steel armour and they keep grabbing the accessible copper stuff), regardless of stats or skill. Keep in mind that chain != plate. Make sure that your dwarves aren't busy with something else, that they can reach the armour, that they're all using plate, and that they haven't already got armour and you simply haven't noticed. While you're at it, make sure to give them a shield too - they can still wrestle while holding a shield, and it'll minimize wounds as well as train their shield skill.