What platinum artefact weapon would you have chosen?
An appearance of hydra coincided with departure of dwarven caravan. I saved to make sure the hydra survives and is caught by me (*), but it also happened to be the day the artefact is created, but before the particular weapon type is selected by game engine. So now I have a perfect opportunity for some save scumming. This is the 10th artefact in this fort, but only the first weapon. I already have a master weaponsmith, so wasn't bothered to create an artefact of this kind, especially since I have unusually high proportion of "possessed" artefact makers (first four were possessed, including two of Starting Seven). But since the opportunity arrived, I'm considering three options:
1.
platinum maceI don't have a military, except ten hunters who are enlisted as marksdwarves, not training. But most of my weapon-skilled peasants have experience in mace. I imagine mace to be good against undead. But undead don't attack me (**) and it may take some time before the mace sees use. On the other hand, platinum being 2x as dense as silver, it may be of some use even against gobbos. And if nothing else, I can always drop it on their heads from high above.
2.
platinum warhammerI've got two dwarves with some experience in warhammery. I've got goblins as enemies. Sooner or later I will enlist the dwarves as hammerdwarves, and they will be send to welcome visiting goblins. But warhammer is very light, and it pains me to see so much platinum scrapped.
3.
platinum crossbowMy ten marksdwarves are this kind of marksdwarves which will make a goblin x-bower prone, then try to beat the sense out of his copper-clad head with their wooden shields. Then they will pass from over-exertion. Then the goblin will regain consciousness and, having spent the bolts, use his crossbow to beat the sense out of heads of my marksdwarves. With much higher degree of lethality. I know, I saw it happen. Now, if dwarves were using the crossbow as they used to, then a platinum one should be very useful indeed. But it seems that currently (v0.40.23 here) the much more useful artefact for marksdwarves would be a platinum tower shield.
So, which one to choose? If not for dwarves, then for the inevitable coming of
a scavenger an adventurer?
By the way, it seems the hydra wipes the floor with caravan guards most of the times, with lucky postmortem kill from a speardwarf from time to time. Fortunately, the wagon handlers and my offering (to invite the king to come) seem to flee away safely, and death of two or three unarmed but highly courageous merchants doesn't change the outcome.
And I learn from AI how to battle a hydra!
The tower is pretty close, and there are areas which are further from it that my fort and have it listed as a neighbour. But my area for some reason didn't have tower as a neighbour so undead never show. I suppose the zombies can't really swim and the small bay is too much an obstacle for them