New year in Relicblaze. (The fort's 14th)
The goblins did back-to-back sieges with another one in winter following up the autumn one. And the fortress scored a rare "flawless victory"* on the three squads of goblin cavalry and three ogre units. Got them all sealed into the tunnels and wiped them out. Combination of marksdwarves, traps, legendary melee troops, and the Water Gun emplacement.
* - AKA "The Dread Pirate Roberts Defense" -- there will be no survivors!
One of the fort's spear masters died of old age and was placed in an already prepared tomb. (Two levels of tombs for the elite military have been prepared down next to the Magma Sea. Whether to flood it or not once filled is still a decision to be made.
The Chief Medical Dwarf got moody and made a steel battle axe - The Binder of Curls. This has been presented to the fort's Militia Commander. The fort now has its first legendary weapon smith now as well, who can work on a general equipment upgrade.
Also planning on a rearrangement of militia squads. The legendaries have been cross-training weapons, so some squads will be cross-assigned and consolidated into larger squads of mixed weapons as compared to the usual single weapon type squads. Crossbows will probably be kept separate, but a few small squads will get upgraded to full steel armor sets from the standard marksdwarf bronze mail sets, and then used as a multi-purpose squad to provide roving fire support for the melee troops. Going to see how 8-dwarf squads work - each with a minimum of two hammer, two axe, and two spear specialists. Most of these dwarves have master or better skill with short swords or spear in any case regardless of their main weapon. (I've noted that while I still see bite and punch attacks I also see secondary weapons used about as often - including a mace dwarf who usually uses a morningstar killing a minotaur with a short sword strike.)
The two-dwarf Guard squad is taking this to an extreme. They're level 16-20 in Crossbow, sword, axe, hammer, spear, and are now working on Whips. Might have to start buying arrows off the elves so that they can practice with bows soon.
Beyond that most construction projects are done. Might excavate a few more rooms with the miners, but for the most part it's picking up goblin bits, decorating items, and arranging to dump as much stuff as possible off on the trade caravans in order to get the items removed. Also stockpiling bolts for some serious range training for the twenty-five or so cadre dwarves. They have light armor and weapons, so might as well train them for a few levels before the youngsters come of age and get drafted. Will also have to start looking at ages and seeing what specialists I might need apprentices for.