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[Fortress Calling]

A high skill crossbowdwarf can go around headshotting goblins no problem but when a bowgoblin shoots back he goes down as fast as anyone with a leather armor. I was thinking to equip them with metal to increase their efficiency in range to range combat but first i need to get their strength and armor user to a respectable level because i fear the full metal set will reduce their combat/shooting speed, the question however is how do i do that? I currently removed their weapons to transform them into a wrestler squad and set them to train, now what i want to know is:

-do they get more armor user the more armor pieces they wear?
-does armor being from leather or metal make any difference regarding gaining armor user skill?
-is wrestling the best way for them to get armor user? I only put wrestling because i don't want to create new weapons for them.
-i noticed my high skill melee dwarfs have really good stats, probably because sparring trains more skills at once that any other activity (weapon skill,shield,armor,dodge,fighter and a little of wrestling), since unarmed combat is actually made of many skills (kicker,striker,wrestler maybe biter) will wrestling have the same effect on stats?

[toomanysecrets]

I believe that dwarves get armor user experience when the armor is what deflects the attack. Therefore sparring with no buckler might be your best bet because then the armor will deflect a lot of shots. More armor is good because it will stop more attacks, but I don't think you get bonus xp for wearing lots of items (haven't tested just presuming).

I would train them just like any of your other squads. You want dodge, block, and armor skill. I don't see why you would want them to wrestle. Just leave the crossbow equipped and it is treated like a hammer for melee purposes.

[Fortress Calling]

I believe that dwarves get armor user experience when the armor is what deflects the attack

I've read dozens of sparring reports and attacks are either parried/blocked or "lightly taps the target", not a single case of armor deflecting an attack or dodge. My legendary axedwarf who sparred his whole life has only skilled armor user and i'm afraid he got that from fighting actual goblins not sparring. Same with dodge.

[Hyndis]

Armor user reduces the weight of the armor, so the dwarf will be slowed down less by wearing heavy armor.

If you pile on the steel armor you can create a very durable yet slow dwarf. Sure, he's a juggernaut covered with heaps of steel and nigh indestructible, but he moves like a turtle.

This might be an issue for melee dwarves, but for ranged dwarves it isn't as important. Even a completely unskilled recruit can simply rely on how thick their armor is to save them, or at least make an injury be non-lethal so they can be patched up after the battle. Marksdwarves generally don't move during combat, so their movement speed really doesn't matter much.


Sparring does increase skills very rapidly. Marksdwarves will never spar, but they will teach each other skills at a slower pace.

Danger rooms work just as well with marksdwarves as they do with melee dwarves. If you want you can toss them into a danger room.

[Loud Whispers]

I believe that dwarves get armor user experience when the armor is what deflects the attack. Therefore sparring with no buckler might be your best bet because then the armor will deflect a lot of shots.

Eh? But a Dwarf'll be able to use that shield user skill to block almost anything, it's a skill worth having

[Kilroy the Grand]

If you pile on the steel armor you can create a very durable yet slow dwarf.

Fun fact, with enough armor your dwarf can survive a fall by DEFLECTING THE GROUND.

[wolfwood296]

If you pile on the steel armor you can create a very durable yet slow dwarf.

Fun fact, with enough armor your dwarf can survive a fall by DEFLECTING THE GROUND.

"the axlord slams into the obstical but it deflected by steel helm

[Mura]

Too bad we don't have swordchucks.

[toomanysecrets]

Eh? But a Dwarf'll be able to use that shield user skill to block almost anything, it's a skill worth having

He asked how to train armor user. I presumed it would train faster if they didn't block or parry anything.

[Loud Whispers]

Eh? But a Dwarf'll be able to use that shield user skill to block almost anything, it's a skill worth having

He asked how to train armor user. I presumed it would train faster if they didn't block or parry anything.

Doesn't mean you can't go above and beyond

[Mimodo]

If you pile on the steel armor you can create a very durable yet slow dwarf.

Fun fact, with enough armor your dwarf can survive a fall by DEFLECTING THE GROUND.

Sounds like a dwarf version of a "in soviet Russia" joke

[Telgin]

In my current fort I have the same armor for all of my soldiers: a full suit of steel and a shield.  That includes marksdwarves.  I've had pretty good success with it so far, none of the marksdwarves have died despite an unfortunate number of melee dwarf deaths.  Even when arrows and bolts are flying the marksdwarves survive just fine.

One thing you might want to consider though, is until the next release wearing heavy armor slows them down which in turn also slows down their attack rate.  I haven't tested this, but logically that should extend to ranged attacks as well.  So wearing a lot of steel armor will make them shoot slower.

Of course they'll probably still run out of bolts by the time a siege is over, so it might not be a big deal.

[Seraphim342]

Danger rooms work.  Your dwarf will gain armor user and dodger that way, as well as shield user and hammerdwarf/fighter when he parries with his crossbow.  All-in-all good for stat increases. 

[Hyndis]

I'd rather take highly survivable but slower firing dwarves than a bunch of glass cannons. The dwarves will also speed up through gaining experience, so being slow is only a limiting factor at first.

My legendary+5 melee guys are zooming around even wearing extremely heavy armor. A new recruit puts on the same armor and he's moving around as if he's hauling a stone. The armor probably weighs about as much as a boulder. I wouldn't be surprised if the full armor kit was pushing 250 urists of weight or even more.

That is one of the benefits of crossbows. Sure, they're slow. But its not like they need to move. 

[Buttery_Mess]

I thought Armour User was trained by just walking around? I suppose that's easily tested in Adventurer mode.