Well, Wonder kid was the result of a strange mood that gave him legendary in stoen crafting(he made a sweet trumpet).
The 80 pop limit for Sieges apparently includes chil'ren: The fortress was sieged after I posted by about 8-9 gobbers, and I had atleast half my population as children.
The siege went TERRIBLE. I stationed my marks dwarves(Atleast dabbling, with a few skilled, and one professional) in a position to shoot gobbers. They shot a few, then apparently jumped down into the courtyard to commit suicide? I saved and quit at that point. I think my des for a fortress was flawed.
So, new fortress! I re-genend a new world or three(two had Goblisn that were over-ran by dwarves, so I shortened history so that I could catch a goblin civ BEFORE they crumble to the steelshod Urist McImperialists). Set up a new fortress, the embark said "aquifer", so I with my aquifer busting embark(no anvil, four proficient carpenters, a miner, 1 pick, two wood cutters, minimal back up skills). Dug down about 10 levels, and no aquifer. With one pick and no way to make a second one, I had to get creative, which meant doing something I've never done before: pottery.
I quickly cribbed together a pottery industry, and got me a TOWER OF POWER. Ok, it's just a simple shell keep with and airlock. But it's enclosed, roofed in, and my Dorfs are happy. Mostly.
I've got iron and chalk, and with my skileld wood burners, producing coal is not a problem. It's labor intensive, but it's not a big deal. Steel pction is proceeding apace.