Not to start a huge debate, but does anyone have any SCIENCE! on using the pattern metals on armor? I was thinking pattern wolfram on the torso and helm (maybe shield) to protect against hard strikes that break skulls and ribs and then pattern colbalt on the limbs to protect them from getting sliced off. Is there any ideal blend of metal types to armor spots? I remember discussion on putting good leather clothing under the metal atleast.
I ask because I have a fair supply of both patternwelds and as my steel production is slowed due to magma flooding my marble mine. With the edge/blunt trade-off of these two metals, it makes an interesting upgrade choice from steel that Id usually use.
Ideal, you asked. Candy aside,
Why welded wolfram? It’s extremely heavy, great for war hammers (the meteor hammer is buggy) but volcanic is better for protection. For pattern varieties, the welded mithril stands out because it’s so very light. Check the Wiki page DF2012: Armor for the layer limits – three mail shirts fit under a breastplate, six cloaks over. The problem with ‘great armor’ is that the weight slows down the dwarf to ineffectiveness so ‘Bloody Armor of Armok’ sounds good but isn’t; skills can be upped with ‘athlete’ now using weight benches and pumps but even so, the lighter the armor, the better dodging of the dwarf. Since Masterwork allows metal cloth, my “Colosseum squad” wears welded mithril with volcanic breast plates (runes) and helms, mithril cloaks and padded clothing underneath. Except the fire-eaters, of course, they’re in rigid scaleplate with netherwood shields. But if you’re out of steel, go with what you have, they’ll all likely be good enough (but heavy).
