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[Bonesinger]

So I was messing around and recently noticed that lately not a single enemy has entered the inside of my fortress (when coming from the ground level) for quite a while. Basically, what i've been doing lately are variations of the following layout:

Code: [Select]

z-0
 ╔═════════════════╗   <- Wall
 ║>,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,║>
 ║,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,║
 ║,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,║
 ║,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,║
 ║,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,║
 ║,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,║
 ║,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,║
>║,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,>║
 ╚═════════════════╝

z+1
 OO++++++++++++++++++OO <- Walled corners
 +<..................║+<
 +║..................║+
 +║..................║+
 +║..................║+
 +║..................║+
 +║..................║+
 +║..................║+
<+║..................<+
 OO++++++++++++++++++OO
Basically, I box my dwarves inside, while still giving some outside ground to wander and plant some crops without a problem. Build the trade depot near one of the outside stairs (X) and you're all set. This is great for flat terrains, but a bit of a hassle for ones with lots of variation in elevation.
Fill the z+1 corridors with assorted traps (5 weapon traps in a row should kill almost anything). Walling the inside is to stop enemy archers from firing in any dwarves that happen to be outside at the time, plus it guarantees that enemies won't dodge and fall inside.
Station war animals at the ground stairs (inside) and no kobold thief will go unnoticed.

So guys, what designs you usually make to make your fortresses impenetrable from ground level?

[Xantalos]

I do it the boring way - have only one entrance, once self-sufficient, wall said entrance off.

[milo christiansen]

I have a warren of 3 tile wide halls with each segment (between intersections) protected by 2 or 4 bridges There is no path to the central stairwell with less than 4 bridges (and most have 6-8)
I don't have blueprints as the setup is more or less memorized.

[doublestrafe]

I have a full squad of axedwarves permanently training at a weapon rack in the middle of my entrance. Nothing gets in.

[milo christiansen]

12 axedwarves and 2 hammer dwarves make a good backup for the trap hall part of my entrance labyrinth

Once you figure out how to make a military there is no going back to just traps, legendary military dwarves are just too useful.

[smurfingtonthethird]

Magma mines. Goblins step on plate, get covered in magma. Side effect: No wildlife.

[ancistrus]

A FTW device.
On current map, this is slightly problematic, since there is a lake that freezes during winter, and pouring magma into it is just distasteful. However, goblins that refuse to come to land to be burned end up drowning some time later. Everyone gets to choose how they die.

[Bonesinger]

12 axedwarves and 2 hammer dwarves make a good backup for the trap hall part of my entrance labyrinth

Once you figure out how to make a military there is no going back to just traps, legendary military dwarves are just too useful.

One day i'll learn to properly set up an efficient military (or deadly minecarts). Until then, i'll keep giggling while dropping my prisoners off a 60z death and seeing their heads flying 3z up

[Urist Imiknorris]

I have a squad of axedwarves guarding my three-tile-wide entry hall at all times. I have three squads which rotate between one month of patrol and two months of training (in the barracks right next to the entry hall). If an ambush or siege occurs the other two are mobilized as well.

Eventually I'll have more squads so I can have them protect the caverns as well.

[Koremu]

I use walls and impassable cliffs to channel unexpected guests through narrow spaces. The first line of defence is usually cage traps, to secure small ambush parties. After that, chained dogs provide valuable thief prevention capacity.

Next is the Depot access, which can be sealed with a trade caravan inside if necessary. Normally this is sealed by drawbridges over deep drops, to prevent building destroyers gaining access.

Then there's the eternal maze of doom.

[Zanthra]

I usually build one 2-3 tile wide entranceway, then build a constructed, raised bridge with access to my fort as a primary entrance once I have the time.

I start by filling the 2 wide entrance with cage traps, but as quality mechanisms and trap components (starting with spiked wood balls, moving to giant steel axe blades {those under masterwork get melted for 1.5x steel}) get built, I switch to those.  A couple artifact doors or properly constructed hatches can protect from trap void building destroyers, and fortifications in the right locations can let me kill them there.

I occasionally build little structures out around my fort with a spiral 1 space path to a restraint in the middle.  There I chain an animal, and build traps around the path to bait ambushes.

Personally, I really love watching weapon traps dismember enemies into a million pieces, so that's what I build my defense around.

[BoredVirulence]

I do a typical 3 wide entrance with a winding path that leads to a trade depot. There is a shorter path through my barracks from a single winding 1 wide path, often with a few traps for early defense. The barracks will have a path that also leads to the trade depot, so everyone must eventually pass through this checkpoint. Behind the depot I have a series of checkpoints which doors for quick locking. At the end of the checkpoints is a raising drawbridge as a last line of defense. At the entrance of the tunnel is another raising draw bridge for when I know the force is overwhelming. The doors serve to slow building destroyers. I often offer paths back into the defense corridor through an indestructible hatch, and provide similar defensive measures in case that path is compromised.

Essentially, I have a single entrance that has a branching path to filter enemies and caravans leading to a single choke point with redundant defenses. I like to offer emergency-only paths back inside to reclaim if my entrance is lost, using similar redundant defenses and indestructible hatch/door exploits.

I am confident to say that it is impenetrable from non-mining intruders, and offers a degree of safety from dwarves who refuse to pull the lever in a timely fashion. I typically avoid overpowered traps, although it could be modified to allow for more easy cleansing should it be lost. My work on gas chambers may be particularly useful, and fortunately complicated enough to reduce its overkill.

[SuicideJunkie]

I have a double-barreled double-edged goblin grinder for an entrance, with a long semiwindy 3-wide hall for the caravans to use that invaders will avoid.

The grinder consists of two matching devices;  one of them is always open for visitors while the other is being cleaned.

Each grinder is a 1z elevated walkway with traps containing just a few blades so they merely wound and bleed out instead of directly killing and jamming on the targets.
When a trap is dodged, the victim falls into a maze and must walk to the center of the grinder to climb back up to the walkway for another try regardless of whether they want to attack or flee.

[Pukako]

The only way into Pageconfuse is over two bridges that cross the local magma pool. With an invasion, a) burrow, wait for stragglers, b) play around with levers and cheer every time you get a goblin into the MAGMA!

I don't send the military out so often since they have a habit of dodging off bridges into said magma. Not fun. They also manage to drown in the small stream as well.

[whatever1works]

Well for me, i just made the ENTIRE map my fortress, i built a giant wall around the edges (out of gold for good measure), then made some brigdes (out of gold for 'Golden Gate Brigdes' hurhur). So now, everytime a kobold is detect, none manage to leave the map! NONE SHALL SURVIVE!