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[Numeroid]

I'm wondering if I should have multiple types of soldiers in my squads. I usually go all axedwarves as I like them all being blue, makes them easier to identify and just looks good

They're still fairly effective, but if I can get a more powerful military by something as simple as having them use multiple different weapons, I'm all for it.

[Twangykid]

I remember axes being best for invaders, because they can knock off limbs, while spears are best for large opponents, due to being able to pierce organs better. Swords are 50/50 of those two. Hammers can't really kill on their own, but a shock squad of heavily armoured hammerdwarves can cripple the shit out of an army for your others to clean up. Maces are lesser versions of hammers, don't bother. Crossbows are pretty broken imo. I usually have a squad of speardwarves, one with axes and one with xbows.

[Stromko]

Hammers can be especially good if you don't have iron but do have silver, since silver is excellent for blunt weapons. Quite good if you just don't have a whole lot of iron as well, since if you use silver for your bolts and hammers you can reserve all your iron/steel for armor.

These days I use a mixed military, because migrants can arrive with advanced weapon and combat skills that would take years to develop from scratch. So long as they're highly skilled with whatever weapon they're using, they're much more lethal than a rookie with the 'best' weapon.

Personally I do prefer axes myself. I usually set them to be lumberjacks, since they keep their armor and weapons while doing that job IIRC. This lets me benefit from the (usually) plentiful surface timber without worrying too much about ambushers.

I find setting up squad equipment so they use their 'individual choice' weapon isn't perfect, like a high macedwarf might end up wielding a spear instead. So I like to nickname or give a profession to my skilled combatant migrants that makes it clear what weapon they are good at. I'll often give a basic uniform of armor + leather cape, hood and robes to all my military, then add their best weapon type individually. When I have time I'll go ahead and make a weapon or rank-specific uniform (makes me wish for a 'clone' command for uniforms), but this lets me get the military up and training their best strengths with the least work.

[Blue_Dwarf]

When I use units with identical soldiers, I tend to run into problems like a flying enemy that my axedwarves can't reach, or a super-fast capybara that they will never catch up with unless someone shoots it with a crossbow.

Using multiple squads to solve that issue can get problematic sometimes. What if the unit of archers is stationed on the other side of the map? What if a squad of archers gets ambushed without any melee support?

[Oaktree]

I tend to keep my squads organized by weapon since they train a bit better that way.  And I usually keep my marksdwarves behind fortifications unless there is a particular reason to be out hunting something - in which case there is at least one melee squad along to help out.  I also organize my military into 2-3 tiers once things get established;  "army" of full-time squads of elite dwarves in my best available kit; "militia" of squads in next best kit and at least adequate (or better) weapon skills; and "reservists" who are training up and have little more than shield and weapon for practicing and sparring with.  The last are *not* sent out to fight stuff, when they have trained a few levels the squad is promoted to "militia" or the better trained dwarves are transferred to another squad that is given better equipment.

Per weapon mix I tend to have squads for most of the weapons; usually a small (2-4 dwarf) squad of elites and then 1-2 squads of "militia" level.  Even maces since migrants turn up with good mace skill.  Plus if I get some iron morningstars off the traders or goblins I sometimes equip a few of the mace dwarves with those.

Marksdwarves has varied by fort.  Some just had two squads, some have more.  If I have the resources and am willing to churn out piles of bone and wooden bolts I do start training a lot of low-level marksdwarves who can man the battlements in an emergency - or simply to ping away at the goblins if they did not bring any missile troops of their own.

[geail]

What if a squad of archers gets ambushed without any melee support?

That's what the bears are for.

[I am Leo]

What if a squad of archers gets ambushed without any melee support?

That's what the bears are for.

That's what silver crossbows are for.

[Starver]

I've no idea how this rates in the whole "bad idea, good idea, best idea" scale, but I tend to train squads in like-weapons (except for bootcamp squads which are training unarmed, before being put into a weapon-specific squad, although the weapon-specific squads may also spend time on unarmed in their own right).  And I keep them that way even into combat.

Technically, a squad with some shield'n'sword blockers at the front, pikedwarves close behind, perhaps some mace/hammer/axedwarves ready to swing in on either side and some archers at the back would be a good tactical unit, but given the vagaries of DF military control I find it easier to direct a shield'n'sword squad to the front, bring a squad of pikes in accordingly, etc, etc, and then the bowsquad behind, or whatever formation I wish to use.

(Actually, I mostly just send the bowsquad to the walls to pepper the enemy just outside them (or just inside my now isolated killing-zone), so even at the squadsworth-level of control I don't work in that tactical manner.  I thought squad positioning (relative positions of members within squads, that is) was something being worked on, back in 40d times, but it didn't make it through to the new military control system as far as I can see.  Also, would be more useful if pikes had an effective REACH:2, or something.  That, also, is an in-the-pipeline concept.)



So really, for me, I stick with one-speciality-per-squad and set up my fortress so that I can isolate enemies and deal with at leisure (and, usually, by a hail of bolts) in exactly the manner I prefer.  But that just suits my style of play, and as to how I get the diversity of weaponry, I just take any guy or gal with a hammer proficiency and (eventually) make them a hammerer, etc.  (Albeit sometimes in the reserve squad, due to having family/pet, or only on half-duty because they're also a vital workdwarf for one industry or other.)  Really, my only choice is when a dwarf comes with non-specific skills (e.g. dodging), and then I set them up where there are 'gaps', unless they also have a weapon preference in the psych screen, to guide me.  Seems logical.

[PaleBlueHammer]

After playing around with various types of combinations, I personally kept running into one of these two situations:

1. My marksdwarfs destroy the target(s) from a distance without too much of a problem.
2. My marksdwarfs fail to destroy the target(s) before getting closed in on and falling back to melee (OR, a marksdwarf shows up on the scene with one bolt, fires it, and then rushes headlong into melee range).

To that end, I go ahead and train my marksdwarfs up in 'hammer' anyway (i.e. the butts of their crossbows) either in a modified, slow-acting danger tile while they train at the range, or with standard dwarf-to-dwarf training sessions like their melee counterparts.

I also go ahead and make the captain of the guard and his squad a set of battle axes, but they aren't the focus of my training or attention usually.  The training they get comes from whatever combat they're deployed to; they typically serve as distractions so my crossbows can do their job.

[Starver]

2. My marksdwarfs fail to destroy the target(s) before getting closed in on and falling back to melee (OR, a marksdwarf shows up on the scene with one bolt, fires it, and then rushes headlong into melee range).

Ah, now, that's why I keep the marksdwarf firing positions isolated from the what-the-marksdwarf-are-firing-at positions.

(At least until the (say), FB made completely of amber has every bit of its body broken but not actuall dying from the bolts, so deliberately unleashing the bowsquad to bash it to death for hammering practice.)

[Bigheaded]

What if a squad of archers gets ambushed without any melee support?

That's what the bears are for.

That's what silver crossbows are for.

This is why my archers somehow are better hammerdwarves than they are archers... hmmm.

[Numeroid]

Any tips for training marksdwarves and then setting up a tower/base for them somewhere? I tried to train them before but it seems as though there's no easy way to do it.

[doublestrafe]

I like to have different squads for each weapon, because it helps me remember to have enough freakin' military dwarves instead of making one bunch of hammerdwarves and forgetting about it.

[Blue_Dwarf]

Any tips for training marksdwarves and then setting up a tower/base for them somewhere? I tried to train them before but it seems as though there's no easy way to do it.

There isn't, best thing you can do is arm them with crossbows and send them to kill capybaras and such. Or give them hunting instead.

Trying to make them train is like playing Dwarf Fortress inside Dwarf Fortress 

[Loud Whispers]

I remember axes being best for invaders, because they can knock off limbs

Great for megabeasts too. Because they can chop off limbs. Some Titans can only be killed by bisection or decapitation.

while spears are best for large opponents, due to being able to pierce organs better.

Due to being able to pierce armour better and deeper. Works just as well for humanoids as well as Titans. There's also a weird thing in that a masterwork candy spear can cut off Bronze colossi limbs better than a candy axe.

Swords are 50/50 of those two.

Slash, stab and bash. Can't go wrong.

Hammers can't really kill on their own, but a shock squad of heavily armoured hammerdwarves can cripple the shit out of an army for your others to clean up.

Hammers are also great at incapacitating lethally lethal enemies. Like zombies, lashers and *FREAKING WEREBEASTS*. Skull crushing shots are great. You can't really go wrong with hammers 'cept against the big beasts.

Maces are lesser versions of hammers, don't bother.

HE LIES! MACES ARE GREAT!
/notbiased

But seriously, give maces a try. They're good stuff. Less lethal than hammerdwarves, use them against enemy bow/spear/mace/hammer goblnis and animal men/roving wildlife.

Crossbows are pretty broken imo.

Some believe they are underpowered, more still believe they are overpowered. Crossbows are more an objective thing, but are pretty much mandatory for any fort that is regularly invaded by fliers.
*Freaking zombie ravens.


As for me, I keep my squads in squads of 3, each having their own respective weapon/specialty. Spears, maces, axes, hammers, swords, crossbows, elite soldiers, were-dwarves, morningstars, large daggers... All are good. There is no "best" weapon in DF.
All have drawbacks and pros. So yes, have a mix of weapons on hand. The arena is your friend. Making an arena in Fortress mode is better.

*Also I would recommend you using larger squads with multiple orders, instead of more small squads with single orders. Unless you like micromanage - smaller squads allow for more control, with more effort on the initial set up and maintainance after casualties.

When I use units with identical soldiers, I tend to run into problems like a flying enemy that my axedwarves can't reach, or a super-fast capybara that they will never catch up with unless someone shoots it with a crossbow.

Which is why I have the 3 squad system - crossbow dwarves can be stationed besides 3x speardwarves, axedwarves and swordsdwarves. If more/less are needed, their number can be increased squad by squad.

What if the unit of archers is stationed on the other side of the map?

Why would you do that?

What if a squad of archers gets ambushed without any melee support?

See above. Failing that, it's a good idea to train your marksdwarves to use a melee weapon other than the crossbow. All of my marksdwarves carry a weapon of their choice or else a battle axe.

Any tips for training marksdwarves and then setting up a tower/base for them somewhere? I tried to train them before but it seems as though there's no easy way to do it.

There isn't, best thing you can do is arm them with crossbows and send them to kill capybaras and such. Or give them hunting instead.

Trying to make them train is like playing Dwarf Fortress inside Dwarf Fortress 

Mine train just fine ^_^

Failing that, find something for them to kill. Zombies are a good source.