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[Lockem Shoto]

I'm really new to Dwarf Fortress (I finally started loving this game) and finding iron on my part of the map is REALLY rare. I can't find any other than from trading. I understand that if you hold shift and <>, it switches into an entirely different Z axis. Is there a way to travel to other parts of the world like in Adventure mode? I'm currently playing normal fortress mode, so I'd really like to know if travel is possible. Also, since I've had such a difficult time finding iron and other materials to turn into weapons (animals keep starving to death before I can get them turned into leather for quivers), I've decided to switch to a kung fu army. In adventure mode I know that you can be a hand to hand sort of person, being able to be a kicker and dodge attacks. Does the same thing apply for fortress mode?

My population limit is capped at 1000 so I'm thinking of dedicating 80% of that into my reserve army. Sure, lots of people will die, but they'll get stronger eventually, right? Well, that's my main question regarding the application of some of the things I've seen in adventure mode into fortress mode. If I get around 4-5 into a military squad, didn't equip them with anything, would they still spar regardless of being given weapons? Or do they need some sort of weapon just to spar?

Would they gain stats in dodging and kicking?

[Tiruin]

On your first question: No, you cannot travel while in Fortress mode, you are stuck to that embark area that you set up for yourself at the embark screen (4x4 being the standard). However, other races will interact with you if they have access to your fort. Which means most roving trade caravans or Military forces.

Also, since I've had such a difficult time finding iron and other materials to turn into weapons (animals keep starving to death before I can get them turned into leather for quivers), I've decided to switch to a kung fu army. In adventure mode I know that you can be a hand to hand sort of person, being able to be a kicker and dodge attacks. Does the same thing apply for fortress mode?

Dig deeper, Iron ore comes from hematite, limonite and magnetite. These ores are in the Sedimentary layers of the land, meaning you should dig a bit to find them. If you can, spend embark points into bituminous coal/1 charcoal and the metal bars you want to start up some armor/weaponry for your military.

Animals that have died naturally that are yours (tame animals dying due to invaders/hunger or thirst/old age) cannot be butchered and turned into meat. This should be ordered to get the skins needed for quivers. Relying on wrestling is a bad option against mostly anything with natural weapons or artificial weapons, unlike adventure mode as the enemies you face will come more in groups or be bigger than you (Smaller creatures do not fare well in wrestling bigger creatures, it's like you hugging your house. That is what it looks like)

Copper is the cheapest metal, but deadly still.

My population limit is capped at 1000 so I'm thinking of dedicating 80% of that into my reserve army. Sure, lots of people will die, but they'll get stronger eventually, right? Well, that's my main question regarding the application of some of the things I've seen in adventure mode into fortress mode. If I get around 4-5 into a military squad, didn't equip them with anything, would they still spar regardless of being given weapons? Or do they need some sort of weapon just to spar?

Would they gain stats in dodging and kicking?

I'd love to see anyone reach 1000 dwarves  . Not saying it's impossible, but the rate of handling it all is mostly hard for one without external help, and only if you get used to it. The general number of dwarves I see in many players' fortresses vary around the ~140 range due to many dangers.

Every militiadwarf spars. Dodging is used in all forms of combat, kicking for unarmed only. Unarmed combat can be used in tandem with combat that uses weapons, just very rarely and as an auxiliary attack. Chop some wood and craft 'em into training weapons to help it up.

Also, Welcome to the Forums and Bay12! Glad to see another loving DF.

[Loud Whispers]

1. WELCOME TO THE FORTRESS!

2. Don't forget Goblinite ;P

3. Sadly Fortress mode is rooted in the site you embarked on

4. Kick, Dodge, Bite, Lock, throw, snap bones... Punch through chests.

Yep, Legendary Wrestlers are pretty badass.

5. 80%?

No.

100%.

Seriously, your industry will hurt (unless you're attached to above ground forts like me - they already have crappy industry :3), but who cares? You have an army of 300 barely armoured nut cases running around with salvaged weapons. Every siege I get normally kills around 5-14 dwarves (taking into account crippling injuries), but after every single one I get more weapons, slightly more armour and my Dwarves get better trained. I mean what's better than outnumbering the goblins 8 to 1 with legendary dorfs?

To be honest, I actually get less casualties with all of my Dorfs in the military.



Or if you feel ok with exploits, danger room train some soldiers.

I don't like danger rooms though

[Lockem Shoto]

Thanks for the warm welcomes!

Okay, I guess I won't go for unarmed legion of hundreds of dwarves. Do you guys think wooden weapons are a lot more effective than unarmed combat, or are they nearly the same? The reason I ask this question now is because my smelters/metalworkers have been helping with hauling all of the wood for my wood industry and I thought that I might take some time to use them to make the gathering a bit faster, (there's a lot of wood just sitting around ... woodcutters are done for now). I didn't quite have enough unarmed monks in my army so my fortress got killed off by the vile force...

Thank you guys for answering my other questions, though! I finally found some sort of domolite thing when I went deeper passed underwater springs (water had been the thing blocking my digging operation) so I'm assuming I'm really close to usable metal!

[Loud Whispers]

Wooden weapons are pretty worthless, though I have had a particularly badass dwarf hack all the extremities of a minatour off and cause it to bleed out.

Though in pretty much any other situation you'd be better off with unarmed combat.

(Bar shields. Spam those, made out of copper or wood if you don't have a lot of tetrahedrite).

[FuzzyZergling]

Dwarven training weapons are pretty useless, but wooden elven weapons are much better than bare hands.

[zubb2]

Yes wood sheilds are just as good as candy sheilds when used for blocking,if you feel like using crossbows there not expensive to make they reqire no metal at all to make,unless made of metal.

Welcome to the fort on behalf of ''The Board of Fortresses.''

[Blade Master Model 42]

I find I get iron ores more often if I embark near mountainous regions. Keep that in mind if you're looking for loads of steel on your next embark.

[Loud Whispers]

Yes wood sheilds are just as good as candy sheilds

Candy shields are more cost for no more worth... Other than awesome shieldy bling

Oh and blocking, but I mean...

It's a waste of candy.

[i2amroy]

Yes wood sheilds are just as good as candy sheilds

Candy shields are more cost for no more worth... Other than awesome shieldy bling

Oh and blocking, but I mean...

It's a waste of candy.

Blocking rate is solely determined by the dwarf's skill and the quality of the shield, and since blocking an attack instantly blocks the attack completely, shield material is completely useless unless the weight of the shield causes encumbrance for the dwarf.

[Azated]

Candy shields are definitely not worth making in my opinion. True, they block just as well as any other material and they weigh far less, but when the user shield bashes it'd be like they're smacking the other person over the head with an empty pillowcase.

[Reudh]

Regarding candy shields:

I've had a champion smash a goblin's head open with one once. He was a legendary shield user though.
They're lighter than most anything besides featherwood, to my knowledge.

Regarding your question, Lockem:

I'm really new to Dwarf Fortress (I finally started loving this game) and finding iron on my part of the map is REALLY rare. Also, since I've had such a difficult time finding iron and other materials to turn into weapons (animals keep starving to death before I can get them turned into leather for quivers), I've decided to switch to a kung fu army. In adventure mode I know that you can be a hand to hand sort of person, being able to be a kicker and dodge attacks. Does the same thing apply for fortress mode?
Would they gain stats in dodging and kicking?

Certain parts of the questions edited out for clarity...

Iron: If all else fails, you can smelt copper. It'll do in a pinch. Even wood is better than nothing. If you have access to Obsidian, then you can make 'rock short swords', which are marginally better than wood, I think.

Kung-fu army: Definitely possible. Legendary Wrestlers are nowhere near as strong as they used to be in previous versions. They're really only now useful to soften up enemies for armed dwarves to move in. They WILL go down like flies, because they don't have a weapon to parry with (and sometimes no shield to block with).

Ideal army in my opinion: If you've worked out how to modify army uniforms, set up a squad that uses a shield in each hand. So far as I know, that's twice the chance to block, based on quality.

Three squads, maybe four. Set them up as follows:
Squad 1: Two shields per dwarf. As high quality as possible. Made from light materials like wood, featherwood and candy if accessible. Have them in light armor, leather, or candy. This is so they can act as 'first strike responders' - catching and engaging a fleeing enemy so the enemy has to stand and fight.

Squad 2: Two shields per dwarf. As above. Made from heavy materials, like silver. These dwarves will be slower, but much more defensively strong. The heaviness of their dual shields will contribute to the 'shield slam' hits, often cracking skulls and bones.

Squad 3: Normal melee. Any armor you feel, any weapons. Mix of blade/blunt weapons.

Squad 4: Marksdwarf, if you can set it up and keep them supplied. Quality affects accuracy. Material affects the crossbow's melee strength, so ideally a heavy crossbow is best. Leather armor. Bone bolts, if you can spare the metal then any metal bolts besides adamantine.

Take squads 1-3 into combat, leave squad 4 behind to deal with threats from a distance. If in a siege, send in squad 2 first so they can absorb the hits (as sieges don't flee unless 50% of their strength is broken). If it's a thief, send in squad 1, maybe squad 2 too if 1 are struggling to kill the opponent.

[Garath]

with the wrestlers, don't forget biting. it's fun to see them shaking a gob by the throat