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[Carnes]

I also want to start playing with magma, but my current fort has none that's easily accessible.  Every time I sink an exploratory shaft, I run into multiple cavern layers, and after this last debacle I need every scrap of iron I've got to churn out steel weapons and armor.

It's pretty normal to have to go all the way down to the magma sea.  I usually continue the downshaft and build walls around it where cavern breaches are.  Later you can revisit it and build a proper entrance.

On a somewhat related note, what do you all use for bolts?  I've been using wood and bone for training and bronze for combat because I didn't want to use iron or steel on ammunition.  Is the performance close enough that I can get away with that, or am I crippling my dwarves with inferior ammo?

Silver seems to be the best for bolts and ballista heads.  Honestly though, i just use whatever. 

[TheLinguist]

Having played adventure mode, I can say that specifically going for the legs is a WONDERFUL strategy. A crawling target is a target you can take your time with. Not that dorfs are smart enough to do that on their own, though, nor can bolts be aimed.

I also want to start playing with magma, but my current fort has none that's easily accessible.  Every time I sink an exploratory shaft, I run into multiple cavern layers, and after this last debacle I need every scrap of iron I've got to churn out steel weapons and armor.

Solution: volcano. In order to have a decent shot at a volcano in a nice location, go into advanced world gen, copy one of the parameter sets, and bump up the min number of volcanoes. If you're dead set on steel, though, you might need to play with other things as well, in order to get volcanoes near flux and iron.

On a somewhat related note, what do you all use for bolts?  I've been using wood and bone for training and bronze for combat because I didn't want to use iron or steel on ammunition.  Is the performance close enough that I can get away with that, or am I crippling my dwarves with inferior ammo?

I haven't gotten the hang of proper militia training yet, but based on my adventurer mode experience: anything heavy and sharp is fine for bolts. Copper is heavy, and it's sharp. Plus, it'll probably have quality modifiers. As an adventurer, that would scare the hell out of me.

Silver might actually work, too. I've heard that bolts use a mixture of cutting force and impact force in their combat calculations, and although silver doesn't have a great edge, it's a fair bit denser than other weapon-grade metal.

[miauw62]

Silver might actually work, too. I've heard that bolts use a mixture of cutting force and impact force in their combat calculations, and although silver doesn't have a great edge, it's a fair bit denser than other weapon-grade metal.

Silver is reffered to in the adventure mode section as depleted uranium.
That should say something about the bolts made from that.

[xar23]

If the subtext of your question about bolt material is that your archers feel weak, that's pretty much just how they are.  It takes a lot of bolts to kill things, regardless of bolt material (lucky shots, and the rare really good marksdwarf *cough hunter* aside).  Personally, I tend to go for quantity over quality, both with regard to bolts and archers.  Bone, copper, wood... whatever... as long as 30 poorly-trained militia dwarves are really really **trying** to hit mobs of guys in a siege, they evaporate sooner rather than later.

[runlvlzero]

Cool story for sure =) that is why we all love this game =)

[Sabreur]

You dont WANT to know what a crudnle is.

Btw, i see you are becoming more dwarf, laughing at exploding buzzards.
Welcome into the house of !!fun!!! 

Exploding buzzards was funny, but drenching the entire human trade caravan with a rain of blood, guts, and severed wings was hilarious.

"Dammit, keep those blasted birds away from the..."
*BRZZZZSPLUTCH*
"Well, that takes care of that.  Urist, why are all those humans screaming?"
"Hell if I know.  Hey, is anybody else hungry?"

By the way, much thanks to everyone in the thread for all the helpful advice.  If it wasn't for the quality of the community, I would probably still be sitting around reading "Let's Play" episodes.  Between the helpful advice, the !!helpful advice!!, and things like Mermaid Farming and Magma Submarines, it's an enormous improvement over the 'lolfag' attitude I've reluctantly endured in other games.  You guys rock!

Particular thanks for the ammo advice.  From the sounds of things, I can give my dwarves silver or copper bolts and save my iron and steel for armor, axes, and industry.  I'm thinking about doing some informal science and making two crossbow squads, one with copper bolts and one with silver and comparing their overall performance.  I read an article on how to make a 'goblin shooting gallery', so I could compare their performance under controlled conditions vs. live combat against armored enemies.