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[Fikes]

I have captured and tammed a Hydra before it could hurt anyone and now I am not totally sure what to do with it.

I'd like to use it as a defensive feature and too that end I currently have it chaged in my air lock. That way when the baddies come a nocking I can hope the outer door and open the cage with a lever and watch the carnage.

This will work right? I heard that if tame animals were trapped they would fight back.

What other good options do I have for my caged hydra?

[Joseph Miles]

As a defensive feature would probably be best, I'm trying to do the same with an untame Giant Bat. I lock him in a cage in my air lock, unlock the cage, hope he kills something, I keep cage traps around him so he'll eventually be caught.

But, back on topic, using it for defense would keep from quite a few dwarven casualties but may result in its death.

Or, why not build an arena and toss in some caged goblins with it, armed of course, and watch the bloodshed?

[Fikes]

Or, why not build an arena and toss in some caged goblins with it, armed of course, and watch the bloodshed?

Well, the areana and caged goblins go to another purpose... You see, I name every child and baby "Child" so when they become an adult I can quickly find and draft them.

Then I send all of these fresh young dwarves into the areana and drop goblins on them from two levels up to see if they have what it takes to survive dwarf life.

At least that is the plan. Maybe I'll give them all wooden shields and tell them "Come home with your shield or on it."

Back to the hyrda... getting to my air lock would mean that the goblins have made it past my 5 expert marksdwarves, 7 hammer dwarves in iron armor, and a whole bunch of traps. At that point my only options are the hydra or the last resort fortress collapse.

[ToonyMan]

I put my Hydra in a pit and drop all my captured goblins in it.  I was thinking of putting it in the army though..

[Brdn666]

Pressure plates would be better than levers since they don't require a dwarf to walk all the way to the lever.

[Erk]

Give it the [trainable] tag, train a War hydra, and assign it to your favourite dwarf. Then laugh maniacally.

[martinuzz]

Problem is, a Hydra is named.
Which means, that even when tamed, it has a tendency of attacking your dwarves.
Second problem: Since you have tamed your Hydra, it will no longer set of cage traps, so you can't recapture it.
Best thing to do with megabeast is, NOT to tame them, and then use them in a release - recapture system. Or the arena.
It is very funny to see your Megabeast kill enemies, and be stupid enough to be captured in the same cage trap over and over again.

On a side note: It is also very cool to capture dragons / fire imps and think of a way to use them as a 'fuse' for setting of booze-explosions.

At that point my only options are the hydra or the last resort fortress collapse.

A Hydra isn't THAT strong. Any force that would pass your first defence would laugh at the Hydra, causing it to die.

[Erk]

Problem is, a Hydra is named.
Which means, that even when tamed, it has a tendency of attacking your dwarves.
Second problem: Since you have tamed your Hydra, it will no longer set of cage traps, so you can't recapture it.
Best thing to do with megabeast is, NOT to tame them, and then use them in a release - recapture system. Or the arena.
It is very funny to see your Megabeast kill enemies, and be stupid enough to be captured in the same cage trap over and over again.

On a side note: It is also very cool to capture dragons / fire imps and think of a way to use them as a 'fuse' for setting of booze-explosions.

At that point my only options are the hydra or the last resort fortress collapse.

A Hydra isn't THAT strong. Any force that would pass your first defence would laugh at the Hydra, causing it to die.

If that is the case, then chaining it would seem to be the best bet. It is still free to fight in an arena, just make the arena only 3x3. Bonus: less room to flee.

[martinuzz]

Just be very careful when moving it, either to a pit or a chain.
Build the cage with it right next to the spot you want it to go.
Otherwise, you have a chance of it hurting the dwarf that is moving it.

[Eater of Vermin]

Problem is, a Hydra is named.
Which means, that even when tamed, it has a tendency of attacking your dwarves.

How sure are you about this?

Just be very careful when moving it, either to a pit or a chain.
Build the cage with it right next to the spot you want it to go.

I tamed a Hydra and simply put it in the zoo.  I later decided to build an Arena and went to fetch the Hydra... but it wasn't there!  After a frantic few minutes, I found it tamely following my Woodcutter around.  [Phew!]  Apparently I'd mistakenly tagged it as available for pet adoption some time earlier and Urist McChopchop couldn't resist all ten big puppy-dog eyes.   

Of course, this happened before my economy kicked in.  You seen how much they're worth to buy?   

It has been a couple of years now and I'd practically forgotten it was around.  Maybe I should draft Urist & his pet into the military?

 

[zagibu]

@ Martinuzz: I thought only megabeasts that had killed dwarves would behave like this. I had a tame dragon that didn't attack any dwarves for years. He was named, too.

[AltF8]

Urist McChopchop

Sorry to interrupt, but this made me giggle.

[loser]

@ Martinuzz: I thought only megabeasts that had killed dwarves would behave like this. I had a tame dragon that didn't attack any dwarves for years. He was named, too.

Hyrdas have names.

Hydras that kill dwarves to become legendary will receive a second name.

Hydras that do not kill dwarves can still be tamed.

[Techhead]

I would rather have a "War Bronze Colossus" than a "War Hydra"
Feels no pain, shows no mercy.
As supposed to the simple no mercy bit.