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[kulik]

Some people need to rediscover the ancient technique of running away. 
A high observer skill may not prevent the ambush but you will start in much better position e.g. not surrounded.
Also shield with some skill in it will block most arrows and combined with good dodge makes for a good defense against archers.

[Keldane]

I've lost countless adventurers so far (read: 9) in my vain attempts to create a historical figure dwarf Necromancer who may have a chance of showing up in one of my forts. Twice, I've managed to reach a necromancer's tower, and once I even killed one of the necromancers, who was the zombie that landed the killing blow on me when my next adventurer showed up. I have a bad habit of grabbing things like corpse parts to throw at enemies, which really came back to bite me in the ass (ha ha) when the head of a night creature that I'd grabbed as a trophy of my victory was reanimated right out of my backpack.

The ease with which my adventurers have been cut down is rather disheartening. I'd love some survival tips, if anyone has any. The ol' one-dwarf shield wall seems to be minimally effective.

Also, fuck lashers. They may not get the killing blow, but it's usually a lasher that makes my character pass out from pain after a single strike and in an instant, I'm dead.

[Broseph Stalin]

Some people need to rediscover the ancient technique of running away. 
A high observer skill may not prevent the ambush but you will start in much better position e.g. not surrounded.
Also shield with some skill in it will block most arrows and combined with good dodge makes for a good defense against archers.

The problem is that your companions have to discover the art of running away. If you abandon them you have to deal with bogeymen, who will mob a swordsmaster but cower in terror at the presence of two cheese makers. It doesn't help that your companions become suicidal when it comes time to cross a river.

Urist McAdventurer:Just cross the river!
Companion:No, I have to wrestle this turtle!
Urist McAdventurer: It's at the bottom of a goddamn waterfall!
Companion:I know, there's a turtle!
Urist McAdventurer:You're two feet from shore!
Companion:Turtle! BLAGRAGBAGAERAGAG

Companion Nightlight has drowned!
You are surrounded by incessant cackling!

 

[Montague]

Not sure. All of my serious adventurers I create after I've abandoned a dwarf fortress full of high end weapons and equipment. Then I stat grind them a bit before I try to tackle bandits and whatnot. You can make better stuff in forts then you can ever find normally in adventure mode, although you gotta play as a dwarf to equip the armor and whatnot.

Of course, you'd have to survive the walk to the abandoned fortress with this method...

You could consider creating, equipping, doing a bit of half-assed leveling with a dozen or so adventurers and retire them all in the same town so you have a ready-made army to help a more serious adventurer survive a while.

Also, mining picks are kick-ass weapons. Consider assigning no points to a weapon skill, put them in more survival type skills like sheild user or dodging instead and go procure a pick from somewhere and use that.

Just a thought, does 'searching' level your observation skill? Like the command for looking for bugs and stuff wherever you are?

[Tehsapper]

The most difficult part is game crashes pretty often. Also kobold ambushes - they're everywhere, even in tundra around necromancer's tower. That's my 6 attempt to at least reach that tower and every one failed.

[Raidmaster]

I must say that Axemen are probably a great choice for killing bandits. Either that or sneaking away... But so far, I've been playing on this character for about a day or so, and I've been fine when it comes to bandits, goblins, kobolds and even a few night creatures.

[hector13]

I have noticed the level of ambushes has rather shot up a bit.

In saying that, I always start off as a peasant and haven't really had that much in the way of problem with it.

Basically whenever I start a character, I always put attribute points into agility, kinesthetic sense and spatial sense, since they're all involved with two of the key defensive stats, shield-user and dodging. I generally harass small animals until I can get my dodging skill up to legendary. If baddies can't hit you, you can have a fun (and not FUN!) time increasing your more offensive stats with ambushes before taking on the heavies of forgotten beasts and their ilk.

I would advise that any starting character should have very high defensive stats (like I say, particularly shield-user and dodging) and maybe one point in whatever weapon you prefer using (sword for me, the most versatile weapon in the game) just so you start off with your preferred weapon.

My most recent character was taken down by a bronze bolt from the side to the head though. That still happens   

[Shook]

Dunno what's with you guys' bandits, my one demigod axedorf is doing nicely so far, his worst injury being a bruised upper leg. Maybe it's the Superior kinesthetic sense doing it, or maybe it's because i almost always go for an axe to the foot as the first attack (because prone enemies are far less threatening). Also maybe because a lone dorf tends to trance when faced with a group of bandits, which generally shifts the fight in your favor. I've been ambushed several times by the Halls of Glittering (or something like that), and every time i've left at most a single survivor who ran away like chiggin. All of this with cloth for armor and a copper battle axe/shield combo.

¯\(°_o)/¯

That said though, ambushes are more frequent, and i've seen a greatly increased number of elite bandits, which is kind of scary. Up until an axe ruins their foot.

[Aelig]

Playing a hero myself, I don't have so much trouble with bandits, the trick is to have a very high dodge or shield skill (I go for talented) at the begining to avoid the almighty 1 shot from arrows.

[C]ombat preference is your friend, as a human : charging a kobold or goblin will always knock him back making him prone. And the worst you can get with another human is to get both prone. Having high/superior agility will make you able to stand up first.

Also, creatures tend to bleed to death way faster, so fast that a bandits with is ability to stand lost can be considered dead which prevent you from being couterstriked before you have some armor.

[Krelm]

I can't decide whether I love or hate the new frequent ambushes. On one hand, it makes it more challenging than .31, where I could just kill everything while asleep. On the other hand, it's friggin' annoying.

What does amuse me, though, is that I've noticed certain gangs will hound me across the map. I'll get ambushed, kill a few of their guys, they'll run off. Five minutes later I'll be off doing something else and I'll get jumped by the same gang. Rinse, repeat.

[Pringer-X]

ugh.. alright I need some advice here. I want to be able to survive at least ONE ambush now and I just can't. I've lost about 30 guys so far and can't make it past one fight in this new version. What stats should I really be looking at here for survival? I've tried kinesthetic sense+spacial and intuition for attributes along with Proficient in shield user and dodging, competent observer and novice in whatever weapon. I STILL get rocked by anything I come across- usually kobolds and humans are what is ambushing me.

 I do enjoy a difficult game, but the truth is apparently a lot has changed in this new version and it's like I have to learn my tactics all over again.

[Kaelem Gaen]

Maybe it's just cause my ambush is only novice, BUT  starting a fire and running into the smoke does not obscure their vision apparently kept saying "You can't hide, someone sees you" and this was in I think the thickest smoke (Solid grey block?)


I went with talented Dodge and Shield User, skilled swordsman this time, and  Superior Agility and Superior Inituition.  Attack styles charge (though I tend you use the aimed shots mode more than walking into them)

[Aelig]

Using aimed shots is mandatory, with high agility you can kite and wait a good striking opportunity like easy/easier strike to the hand holding the weapon or legs. Setting Combat style to charge applies to aimed shot.

[Crazy Cow]

It looks to me like the number of companions you have no longer effects how large bandit ambushes are. Four companions and I get swarmed; no companions, I still get swarmed.
Get as many companions as humanly possible and pray, it looks like.

[Shook]

Unless you're a dorf demigod, in which you can just solo and wait for the martial trance to happen. When it does, hit all the feet/heads. Takes very little to render a foot useless, since even a "can't hit directly" hit will usually ruin the foot of most bandits. Once people are prone, you can proceed to ruin the rest of their body. If not, kite people around and whack their feet intermittently. You may get the idea that i really hate feet, but in fact i like feet. My feet carry me around, hostile feet are easy to break.