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[Solarn]

Do you train them with the weapon you want them to carry from the beginning? Or as wrestlers first? And for how long? Do you train their stats (like with pumping) before you draft them? And what about marksdwarves (since they're a little different from all of the others)? I'm curious.

I train them up to Legendary Wrestler before anything else and it doesn't hurt if they get a few levels in Armor/Shield User as well on the way. Then, after they've been Champions for a while (likely to have reached the highest level, I think it's the sixth or seventh Legendary), I start them on the weapons. This way, they have a good chance of not accidentally killing each other during sparring. Marksdwarves are no different, except they don't spar after getting their weapons. I don't really train them in Hammerdwarf, since I'm not planning to release them where they can get into direct contact with the enemy.

This seems good to me, but I've never tried it on more than a few goblin ambushes at the same time.

[Samyotix]

I think you described pretty much the optimal method ...

In my last game for example, I trained crossbowdwarves on the Xbow first ... and after a bitter duel with an ambushing crossbow squad, some of them had become champions, but unskilled in wrestling/armor/shields.

So ... melee training needed, right? I switched all of them to use (mostly iron) Hammers (and Shields) to get them to practice sparring ... but forgot to change their armor setting (leather). Two "bled to death" messages later (one of which announced the death of my best marksman) I noticed what was wrong, and healed the survivors using some tool :/

[Hyndis]

I set them to wrestle, use plate and shields, and just have them go at it. Once they become champions I give them war hammers.

Natural selection will weed out any dwarves unable to compete. Its a very hands-off system, and there will be a very losses, but its easy enough to have a dwarf be a wrestler if his name isn't flashing, and use a hammer if his name is flashing.

[zchris13]

I set my wrestlers on fire!  There harder to keep a hold on that way.

[PencilinHand]

Training begins from childhood when they are taken from their mothers, men and women alike.  Through state sponsored, and mandatory, cleaning routines, young dwarfs learn the value of hard work and ballistics.

Upon their 12'th birthday, when they enter adulthood, the first six children of every family are inducted into the ranks of the military of the Beguiledcastle of Ages.  There, they are guaranteed a tomb appropriate for their status and, as weapons and armor permit, they are split into two groups to initiate training. 

Some are train directly in crossbows, learning this most crucial craft by using the bones of the enemies of Bane the Axe-Blade of Rending of the Order of Lances.  Others are equipped with exceptional steel armor and shields of some of the finest craftdwarfship, and set to learn the ancient art of Wrestler as their first task. 

The cult of the body demands their mastery of this most basic skill, upon which the other crucial skills of the mace, the hammer, and the axe are built.  As all dwarfs know nothing is complete until it is done beyond the point of excess.

As such, to further their skills and become true military legends, and to improve their understanding, they master the art of every weapon, from the lowly mace to the lofty crossbow.  In this manner, some are trained from the crossbow to the mace and some are trained from the mace to the crossbow.

Upon completion of training, military dwarfs are given a suit of masterwork steel armor and shield along with a suite of masterwork steel weapons to commemorate their accomplishment.  Though most dwarfs appreciated the gesture, the ceremony is thought to be rather long and full of wordy speeches.   Once military training is complete and regular military duty has begun a military dwarf is expect to seek a spouse if they have not already done so.  In this way, the traditions of the Beguiledcastle continue and will continue until the end of the world.

[Ugoff007]

You can switch out weapons/armor after they're champions?!  How do you do this?  I tried forbidding their armor/weapon but they'd never drop it.

[Hyndis]

Just tell them to use something else on the military screen.

[Kanddak]

You can switch out weapons/armor after they're champions?!  How do you do this?  I tried forbidding their armor/weapon but they'd never drop it.

Same way you set their weapons/armor in the first place.
Note, however, that they'll never drop artifacts if you've given them any. (Or so I hear; I've never done it myself.)

[Zaranthan]

Might be apocryphal from back when artifact creators would never release their creations until their deaths, but if still true it's another good reason why I place artifacts on display in their creator's rooms and forbid them forever.

[ZeroGravitas]

You can switch out weapons/armor after they're champions?!  How do you do this?  I tried forbidding their armor/weapon but they'd never drop it.

Same way you set their weapons/armor in the first place.
Note, however, that they'll never drop artifacts if you've given them any. (Or so I hear; I've never done it myself.)

unless the way that he set their weapons/armor in the first place was through the (v) -> (p)references screen and not not the (m)ilitary -> (w)eapons screen.

i'm still trying to find a way to give champions war dogs.

[Cultiststeve]

You can switch out weapons/armor after they're champions?!  How do you do this?  I tried forbidding their armor/weapon but they'd never drop it.

Same way you set their weapons/armor in the first place.
Note, however, that they'll never drop artifacts if you've given them any. (Or so I hear; I've never done it myself.)

unless the way that he set their weapons/armor in the first place was through the (v) -> (p)references screen and not not the (m)ilitary -> (w)eapons screen.

i'm still trying to find a way to give champions war dogs.

One way is to get potential chamion is to get em to train the war dogs.  Then the dogs will follow em. Suppose this defeats the object of givin em dogs ONCe they are champs tho.

[greggbert]

Soldiers in the game are already overpowered, so I just train my troops the role playing way.  Build up armor for 2-5 soldiers at a time, Draft them and give them silver or wooden weapons.  Let them all spar with each other with the practice weapons until they get up to Adept or maybe slightly higher.  Maybe one out of 15 or 20 gets injured seriously.  I don't care, it just adds to the realism. 

Finally, I swap out real weapons and put them on duty.  Marksmen get chain armor and no wrestling training.  They just shoot at targets until they get to adept or higher then go on duty, then they get stationed on a wall or something. 

When I do it this way battles are more exciting, micromanagement is practically noexistent, and I actually worry about the safety of my marksmen.  It works out just fine for me.

The only precaution I take for the dwarves is make sure they always spar in plate with shields, and never, ever use silver or copper spears.  ONLY WOOD.  Silver swords and maces are OK, and you can even give them a copper hammer and get away with it.  Also nobody spars above adept, that seems to be where most of the injuries occur.