@draeath
Pick the Lost Warband embark Profile. Add the following new items: 2 copper picks, 1 double sided axe and 2000+ Dirt. Add two orthi and three war tentacle monsters.
Build your fortress above ground with the dirt. And design all the evil horses to some pasture (the more dirt you get, more horses you'll start with). Water wells are preferable, but if there is no riber nearby, build a farm as usual. The only difference is that you'll be using shrooms to make oil. Milk the tentacle mons unless you want your entire fortress filled with cum. Oil and cum *cough* I mean tentacle milk is used to convert enemies. Build a stygian forge, transform your pitchfork into a stygian lance. And Wall your outpost. Remember to put cagetraps near the entrance. For food, build a butcher shop, a tanner, a well of souls and a summoning circle one next the other. Butcher horses, make leather ropes, summon orthus. Repeat the process, but butchering Orthi. Infinite Meat.
It is basically an easy mode. Expect to be attacked often.
This sum it up, tricks that worked with dwarves also work here. The main difference is that you'll have a siege early so you better have at least the lady of pain training asap and add 2 sparring mates after the first migration wave. Outfitting them will be a priority. If you do it right, you can clear the siege before late spring and have a caravan.
Yes, you can still summon orthi with materials from a dead orthi, at least you should be able to summon only one at a time and not reach 300 dogs.
And good call on the press reaction, I was still at the vanilla process at this moment.