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[Riemann]

When dealing with an early mandrill attack, I got to wondering about how to maximize the number of dwarves currently fighting off the monkey menace.

Would it be more efficient in terms of the maximum number of dwarves on duty and fighting rather than eating / sleeping / whatever to create 7 squads each with 1 dwarf or 1 squad with 7? Or perhaps its somewhere between (3 and 4)?

Basicially, what is the best response when the horde of blue assed monkies first rampages onto the map? Getting guys armed and fighting FAST is essential (those mandrils move in quick).

[Mechanoid]

Squads of 5 are nice, especially if you intend to ballance what weapons that squad has. Giving each squad a crossbow dwarf can really help at killing enemies before they get to you, as can giving each squad a speardwarf and axedwarf (for melee organ peircing and limb-cutting, respectively)

The axe dwarf and speardwarf are IMO necessary in a squad (so the minimum size is 2; axedwarf and speardwarf) because without them, killing something may take too long if it's a zombie or a multi-limbed creature.

Zombies have no internal organs to peirce with a spear, but can have fragile limbs lopped off with an axe. Multi-limbed creatures usually have multiple legs to stand on, so cutting off one leg to try and drop their speed isn't useful, but stabbing them in the eye with a spear is...
Everything else can be killed by hammers, maces, and swords.

Also, unless you're fighting enemies that can be killed easilly, making a squad of just marksdwarves isn't a good idea outside of fortifications, because there's nothing to slow the enemy's advance towards your xbows. Also, because the spear and crossbow can both do peirce damage, they can be interchangable; an axedwarf and crossbow dwarf can work just as well as a axedwarf and speardwarf. BUT, the problem with the xbow is that is has ammo to deal with, and once that's gone, the xbow becomes a clubbing weapon -- No more organ peircing ability!

[ February 12, 2007: Message edited by: Mechanoid ]

[Riemann]

I'm mostly concerned with very early on attacks here. Before one has the chance to make weapons or train soldiers. The kind of maps I prefer to play on almost always have mandrills or bonobos so theres usually some early bloodshed.

If I survive the first attacks they turn into a valuable source of leather, meat, bones etc... later on. But surviving the first attacks is tricky.

So, given just your starting 7 how to best respond to a mandrill attack?

[qwip]

Well, I think your 7 squads vs 1 squad comes down to your preferences on micromanagment and how lucky you feel.

1 squad:
When you direct the squad to attack, it only takes one set of orders.
However, if the squad leader is eating/drinking/sleeping/partying or on break, none of your squad will respond.
7 squads:
You must make 7 duplicate orders to go on duty and assign military stations/patrol routes
However, if one or more dwarves are eating/drinking/sleeping/partying or on break, you know that the others will still respond to the call to arms.

So the right answer is likely somewhere between 2 and 7 squads, based on the player.

[ColonelTEE3]

I found more support from having single manned squads.

Yes it is more work directing every single one of them, but you can customize your defense/offense more thoroughly. And obviously you won't have to worry about depending on the lazy squad leader.

Now, assuming all you have are the standard supplies (2 picks, 2 battle axes) have 2 of your dwarves instantly get drafted, make them use Axes as weapons (m)-(w).

Then station them at an outer perimeter from the wall of the mountain; not too close but not too far from it. Make sure they are chasing opponents and harassing animals so they will defend your miners.

Also make sure none of your dwarves has hunting or fishing enabled (yet!) or they will INSTANTLY go running out to fight and prove their dwarfiness(i had a group of 7 dwarves set out and they all had novice ambusher, hense were trappers. They all went out hunting animals before i could stop them. They hunted warthogs, giant cougars, and some other crazy thing that came by the dozens and it held up fortress production for a long time).