Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Tilmar13]

Built my fort in a very safe area, so I could relearn the game (it's been a while). After 7 years of boredom, the elf diplomat shows up and is upset because I've desecrated the trees. Perfect excuse for some fun. I figure my trainee marksdwarves could use some target practice, so I sent them to kill him in the middle of the temple.

1 week and about a hundred pages of combat logs later, I found out my dwarves didn't shoot him (yes they had bolts). They decided to break their crossbows on his face, at which point they continued to beat him into a puddle of hippie jam. I had to send the actual military to finish the job.

[mikekchar]

The secret to effective (sort of) archery squads is to ensure that the archers can't path to the victim.  Usually that means fortifications (with a roof on top so that they don't get over-excited and jump over the fortifications).

[Vilkku92]

You could also give melee weapons for the marksdwarves as a backup in case they do something stupid like this (or in case the enemy manages to close with them). It should work nowadays.

[Saiko Kila]

That's what you get for sending recruits. Trained marksmen rarely do such things - to the degree, that they try to shoot a downed enemy lying a few tiles away, instead of clubbing him, which would be more effective at this point.

[Sver]

The secret to effective (sort of) archery squads is to ensure that the archers can't path to the victim.  Usually that means fortifications (with a roof on top so that they don't get over-excited and jump over the fortifications).

Also, make sure those fortifications are carved out of the wall - not constructed right away. Constructed fortifications are really bad at blocking movement.

[Saiko Kila]

Eh, I do have aboveground archer tower (or even castle towers), and no one is jumping through. Maybe it's because of changes in DF or maybe because of setup, but I have repelled many invasions without a single casualty thanks to them.

I do build the fortification by first constructing a wall, and then carving fortifications in them, though. And I also use overhangs like this (sideview):
__     __
F__ @ __F
  W   W
  W   W
  W   W g
###   ###
Legend:
_ floor (created automatically if there's a fortification/wall below)
F fortification (made as a wall first)
W normal wall
@ flying dwarf (for scale)
g dumbfounded goblin

       

[Sver]

I do build the fortification by first constructing a wall, and then carving fortifications in them, though.

Well, that is what I was saying. Robsoie has done a good research on the issue: carved fortifications (even if the base is a constructed wall) seem to block any movement other than dodging, while constructed ones are very easily bypassed.