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[Magnumcannon]

PTW

[stabbymcstabstab]

PTW

[Staalo]

It's Fun o'clock at Searingmines. This is the final test for the boarding school training: to welcome the circus face to face, with no traps, cave-ins or obsidian chessboards.

I've prepared a special arena for the event, a space where both melee and crossbow dwarves will get to play equally. At the front wall of the arena is a short access tunnel to the top of the main candy cane, where a miner is right now heading to mine out the last piece. From the back of the arena leads a staircase directly to the main dining hall. Either the graduates will hold the clown rush or the entire fortress gets to enjoy the circus.

Eighty-nine surviving graduates stand ready, assisted by twenty members of the regular militia. I have no idea what they will be facing; against fleshy monsters or snowy/ashy/steamy types they might fare well but if there are any dust-spewing adamantine blobs this might be a short fight indeed.

It could go either way; I'll see in a few moments.

[Staalo]

Phew, that was tough. Thirty-one graduates and five militia members survived. One demon type got deadly dust, fire ball attack AND fire breath and was impossible to get near. Only two of them wiped out entire squads of soldiers, and there was a second wave consisting several more of those. Luckily the few remaining crossbowdwarves got in a few lucky shots and neutralized them; the melee dwarves made quick work out of all the others. Actually, it wasn't even sporting against those other demon types.

Will post more detailed description later, with pictures...

[bughunter]

Making a new fortress and I am going to try to design a fort for this.

[Dwarf4Explosives]

Wow. Only 1/4 of the military forces survived, but more than 1/3 of your graduates survived. Were the graduates wearing the same armor as your military?

[TheHossofMoss]

Wow. Only 1/4 of the military forces survived, but more than 1/3 of your graduates survived. Were the graduates wearing the same armor as your military?

So many variables...

[Staalo]

Wow. Only 1/4 of the military forces survived, but more than 1/3 of your graduates survived. Were the graduates wearing the same armor as your military?

I think that was more down to pure luck than anything else. In the early stages one militia squad got insta-killed by a direct hit dust attack. If that had hit a graduate squad instead of them the numbers would have been completely different.

Everyone wore the same armor: Exceptional or masterwork steel and candy layered according to the Wiki article.

[Dwarf4Explosives]

Huh. Okay, but that page states that you can't do use that setup in fortress mode, so could you please be slightly more specific? Or are you saying that you just layered as much as possible using candy breastplates, steel mail shirts, etc.? Were the graduates armed?

[Max™]

Probably means he put issued clothing (hoods/cloaks/gloves/trousers) over the "full" helm/mail/breastplate/gauntlets/greaves/high boots setup, I'd think.

[Staalo]

Yes, I now realize I should have linked to this one. I usually use that list as the standard uniform (1 x breastplate, 3 x mail shirt, 6 x cloak etc.) and I've never had problems with it.

[Max™]

I would do that but it just bugs me, I'd rather have it make more sense than gain the extra bit of coverage from the 2 extra mail shirts and 5 extra cloaks.

[taptap]

I would do that but it just bugs me, I'd rather have it make more sense than gain the extra bit of coverage from the 2 extra mail shirts and 5 extra cloaks.

This.

To be fair, it is far from clear that the extra mail shirts and cloaks did much good. It is not like legendary++ weapon skill, shield skill, dodge skill dwarves are hit that often - and when entire squads vanish to single dust attacks slight differences in positioning are probably far more relevant than any equipment.

As I said elsewhere, I have real trouble getting kids (from dwarves not married on arrival) and any meaningful socialising at all in my current fortress attempt (40.14). Both things I am not used to micromanage, but it appears necessary now. In the current version I would be more impressed with a legendary conversationalist than a legendary fighter/dodger.

[Staalo]

Yes, armor is one of those things that I've never thought further than that. I just designate that as the standard uniform and then make sure that there's enough high quality pieces for everyone. This time it was a bit larger operation, with around 120 dwarves potentially needing armor. In the end there were pieces for around 150 full suits, just in case.

Armor actually seemed to be somewhat less important now that dodging skills were so highly trained. Only very rarely did an attack hit armor, mostly it was either dodged, blocked or parried. Against the only truly dangerous attacks - the dust or fire attacks from the Burning Demons - all those armor layers were pretty much useless.

[bughunter]

Anyone find a way to break the attachment to the children? I have mothers and fathers whining about their kids being locked up in small rooms with dogs and food.