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[Quartz_Mace]

Just like the thread says, what' are your favorite DF metals or alloys? If you like multiple for different things you can say them separately; you don't have to choose one. As an example, I'll get thigs started:

My favorite alloy is bronze because it is cheap enough to able to embark with hundreds of bars worth and it performs almost identically with iron.

My favorite two pure metals are iron and silver. I love that iron can be used for steel, is good for combat in pure form, and that it is magma-proof, so I love coming across it.

I love silver because it looks amazing to build with and it makes a great display of wealth without being overdone (like gold). I also like using it for blunt weapons because it's rich and practical.

[atomicthumbs]

I like booming metal for its loud noises.

[Ives]

I like booming metal for its loud noises.

 

[Larix]

I like lay pewter for its beautiful colour.

Among the pure metals, i like nickel (magmaproof, cheap, unique coloured ore) and aluminium (lightweight).

[Aranador]

I like Billon, because you can turn tetrahedrite into it for a solid wealth gain - and then make pretty much all your 'common' furniture out of it.

I like brass, again because it is a wealth gaining reaction, and polished brass looks cool anyway, so I like decorating everything with it.

I like steel, because of the hitting things that it does so well.

I like lead, because I mod lead to be usable for ammo, and I make bolts out of it

I like nickel, because it is actually a fairly useful metal, and I feel no compulsion to turn it into anything else, so I never feel like I am wasting some iron that could be steel to make a block, because nickel.

In fact, I almost dislike iron because I feel like I need to turn it into steel, and cant afford to use it for anything less.  Even though I want to create a castle made out of iron, capped with brass accents.  But I can't really dislike iron, because it turns into steel.  MmmmmMMmmmmm, Steeeeeel.

[Chevaleresse]

I kind of like black bronze despite the fact that I literally never use it. Billon is pretty neat too.

[StagnantSoul]

I normally have hundreds of billon bars, so they're my main trade good, but large gems studded with gems and metal are my most expensive. I really like billon, bronze, and platinum. I had a few forts running with bronze as the military metal, with iron going to construction and objects.

[Thisfox]

I'm a big fan of silver maces. It doesn't have to be logical, but I enjoy equipping a squad with silver maces and quality shields, and sending them out to mash the enemy to paste.

I like bismuth bronze for the amazing colour. I once had a full marble dwarfwash and dining hall (with an artifact marble and gold quern in the middle) which I then decorated with bismuth bronze statues everywhere. Because it made the eyes bleed. Eventually it was stained red with gore after an uncontrolled werebeast epidemic, sadly.

I love the ore of Nickel (Garnierite) because it's so garish as well.

And I've always loved olivine. If I have to bring stones to an embark, I bring olivine and kimberlite stones. They don't cost anything more, but they are simply pretty. But neither of them are metals.

In fact, my favourite metal would be silver, despite the sad fact that it won't make armour, it makes great weapons, and it just makes me cheerful, for no good reason.

[Max™]

I like steel because I do in real life, and I like how it's great at so many things, but you gotta actually work to get it.

[Broseph Stalin]

Brass and Lead. Every other metal is strictly utilitarian, I use it because it's valuable or good for doing murders. Brass and Lead I enjoy. I like lead and brass crafts and decorations and when it's cost effective furniture. If I had an infinite supply of metal I'd build my entire fortress out of brass and lead and leave everything else behind.

[Baffler]

I, too, am very fond of brass. My favorite metal is bismuth though, for its geometric crystals. It's a shame bismuth can hardly be used for anything (due to its brittleness), but I use bismuth bronze whenever possible to outfit soldiers and stud gear with more pure bismuth. I even eschew steel in its favor, though mostly to make the game more challenging. I like to imagine the dwarves grow these crystals in a mold on the surface of the armor, beautiful and terrifying in equal measure.

[Max™]

I've gotten two lead warhammers in my newest fort, I've got access to some gold and even grabbed a bar of platinum, but since there is so much galena around it just seems cooler to get them to use lead for it.

[Tacomagic]

Lead minecart shotgun.

Mmmm, sweet goblin crunchies.

[Cyroth]

Rose gold. Because seriously, its rose gold.
I like to have furnitures made from it in my fort, and I try to get at least one artifact weapon from it on long lived forts just because the thought of my militia commander walking around with a decorated sword/axe that it worth more then most families makes me happy.

I also like iron, just because it is so commonly found everywhere and so useful.

[Swonnrr]

I like copper.
It's common and does everything bad, but that: It's common, and it does everything.
A copper vein in the fort is joy and party, as it means a "free" legendary armorsmith, weaponsmith, metalsmith, blacksmith, and then another one.

Must agree on the silver too. Silver is love, silver is life. Sending a squad of strong dwarves with heavy armor and silver maces feels like sending a squad of buldozers.
Zombies, Wildlife, goblins, berzerkers... Everything not extremely good at dodging(and with more reason: running) get swiftly buldozed against the walls. Lucky kobolds.

And even then... There is no "graze", "bruise" or "scratches", when you are weaving 100kg of death in the face of everything around.