Cryptdagger had a fairly quiet 7th year (kobolds being punched by children, goblin thieves exploding in weapon traps, and a goblin ambush team discovering the deadly wonders of the South Tunnel.) Time was used to finish paving the Plaza outside the Postern Gate, add some more traps in the area (3 each of giant axe blades and serrated discs - all bismuth bronze). About 25-30 dwarves fully armored in steel and a few adamantine battleaxes are available as well. Two elite marksdwarves who have their own sniper post and some others who are getting there. A peace treaty was made with the humans after their failed attack last year.
Year 8 has started with a goblin siege appearing right after the elven traders arrived. Three squads of cavalry and air support (giant cave swallows and giant bats). The swallows flew over a wall and attacked down the tunnel the elves were using. As they were attacking the guard crocodile in that tunnel a squad of marksdwarves and a squad of axe dwarves arrived. The crocodile survived, six giant cave swallows did not as the dwarves routed them.
The advance scouts of the cavalry were taken out by traps and sniper dwarves. One squad (archers) explored the South Tunnel and were sealed in by a drawbridge; and soon were obliterated along with their mounts by weapon and repeating spike traps. A second squad (spear) was routed by the snipers at long range after they lost some mounts and the squad leader was wounded. The third squad (sword - led by an elite bow goblin) entered the Outer Keep plaza and was sealed in the recently installed retracting bridges (over ditches) while taking casualties from sniper fire and the emplaced weapon traps. When the 4-5 survivors and the squad leader tried to flee out the south end the improved minecart "gun" was fired in their faces.
Goblins and mounts were hit by a "cloud" of flying copper weaponry - a mix of serratted discs, spiked balls, spears, and miscellaneous swords and maces. No survivors were reported. The elite bow goblin did not dodge anything. 3-4 spiked ball hits chipping bones, a serrated disc deflected by armor, and then a copper spear through the head.
A marksdwarf squad escorted by a melee unit then went out and mopped up a few random flyers still loose on the map. After this the next weeks were spent picking everything up; goblinite, corpses, and copper weapons to be reloaded in the minecart. (The gun currently has three carts loaded with between 25-35% of a full load, which is ~200 pieces. Each cart is routed to be loaded at the armory, placed in a firing position, and then if fired taken from a "return" spot back to the armory for reloading. Currently carts are "fired" by adjusting their "push" condition while sitting on a track near a ramp-based linear accelerator. Ammo took a while to produce, but the fortress has a lot of tetrahedrite, five magma forges, and plenty of dwarves to give basic weaponsmith training to.)
And a dwarf made a subtle hint about the mayor's annoying mandates (make socks, maces, anvils, large gems). One got a strange mood and made a bauxite bed - encircled with bands of steel. How odd, a magma-proof bed! And I'm pretty sure the annoyance is aimed at the mayor since the Duke has not made a single mandate or demand since being nominated to the nobility as baron over two years ago.
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Topic: What's going on in your fort? (Read 6217849 times)