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[guitarxe]

How can I defend my fort against ambushes/sieges when I have no easy access to metals to produce weapons and armour? I don't want to use drawbridges since I think that is kind of like cheating and no challenge in it.
I have plenty of wood. Are wooden bolts effective against enemies? Is there something I can do with stone as weapons? I know I can place tons and tons of cage traps, but I think that's kinda lame and cheating just like drawbridges.

So in other words, no metals, no drawbridges and cage traps. Defense options?

I'd appreciate any advice, thanks.

[NRDL]

Worse comes to Worst, have a backup interior with working farms and workshops, and wall yourself in.

As for preliminary defense, have you tried war animals?  I haven't done this myself, but considering your situation, it's well worth a shot.  I've read that obsidian can be used to make swords, they're not the best, but certainly better than wood ( to my limited knowledge ). 

And if you're the mad scientist type, magma. 

[Garath]

wooden trap components may not be good at killing, but will cause creatures to jump off your drop-trap

after killing a few and trading a bit, you'll have some weapons and armor

[Mushroo]

Legendary Wrestler/Biters?

[weenog]

Bone bolts don't kill worth a damn, but they can inflict enough pain and suffering to convince attackers to leave.

[greycat]

Wooden bolts are a bit on the weak side, but they will work if you fire enough of them.  Wooden spikes (either in a weapon trap, or in an upright spike/spear trap triggered by a plate/lever) are even better.

I don't know how good stone-fall traps are with the changes to stones and gravity in the latest versions.  I haven't tried them.

If you have sand, you can magma up some serrated glass discs.  Those work quite well.  Unfortunately, you either have zero sand, or infinite sand -- nothing in between.  And you can't tell whether you have it before embarking (it doesn't appear on the pre-embark screens).

The dodge-'em trap has already been mentioned.  You can also do drowning traps.

[IT 000]

Dodging/Drop/Drown traps are usually the way to go for defense.

Archers using bone/wooden bolts behind fortifications should serve as a defense until the traders arrive.

Buy as many metal items as you can from the traders, melt them down and use the bars to make weapons.

Keep your wealth down, no hives, legendary meal plans etc. The less wealth the longer it takes for goblins to get a sniff of your fort, this means more time to prepare.

[slink]

Is there any sand?  With sand you can make glass trap components and use those in weapon traps.  I don't know how good wooden spears are, but you might be able to use them in upright spear traps operated by Dwarven power at a lever.

[Niyazov]

Dig deeper, unless the "no metal" thing is self-imposed. After one siege is killed by traps and marksdwarves you should have enough goblin breastplates and helms to supply your militia for sorties; prioritize gauntlets, boots, and leggings/greaves for domestic production.

[Tirion]

If you feel cheap, cage traps. They provide both weapons and armor (and clothing) and also training dummies. Or sources of meat, leather and bone, if the local wildlife wanders into them.

[vertinox]

With lots of wood I like to make menacing wooden spikes and make 10 weapon traps per square for about a path of 10. Its pretty effective at killing goblins and trolls. Undead not so much as they can't bleed to death from the spike piercings.

[greycat]

I don't know how good wooden spears are, but you might be able to use them in upright spear traps operated by Dwarven power at a lever.

You can make wooden spikes, or wooden training spears, but not regular wooden spears.  If you're trying to kill things, use the spikes.  The training spears are only suitable for making a danger room.

[Alastar]

Glass trap components and obsidian short swords work well enough. Still, without metals it's hard to have defences that "mostly work" while giving invaders a sporting chance.
I really wish the low end of military equipment got some love. Staves, bone weaponry, hardened leather and the like are admittedly easy to mod but it's just not the same.

[greycat]

The lack of a wooden club/cudgel is a pretty substantial omission.

(And no, bashing with a wooden crossbow does not count.)

[Niyazov]

The lack of a wooden club/cudgel is a pretty substantial omission.

(And no, bashing with a wooden crossbow does not count.)

No true dwarf would demean himself by arming himself with a wooden weapon- leave that to the elves. There's a reason that the other wooden weapons are called "training_x"- they are not intended for use in combat.