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[Zanziik]

My most recent fortress has taken an interesting turn for the worst. I was barely into my first winter when I forgot that I was playing with the orc mod.

Completely unprepared, my poor dwarfs looked on in terror as 15 orcs clad in steel marched to the gates of Phantomchamber, where nothing but a few measly stone-fall traps and 2 cage traps awaited them.

Needless to say, 15 of my 16 dwarfs were mercilessly slaughtered. But it is the one that remains that intrigues me.

It appears that in the rush of battle (I drafted my entire fortress and charged the attackers, taking one ugly orc with my dwarfs to hell,) one of my miners happened to trigger one of the cage traps on himself. It is now a "dwarf cage" and he is unable to get out. The orcs ignored him, he is now the last member of Phantomchamber, and is suffering from severe tantrums as the miasma cloud from his fallen brethren rises and falls. My real question is this: Caging all your dwarfs, viable fortress defense strategy?

First post by the way long time lurker.

[zchris13]

He will starve to death.  Dwarfs that belong to you are not in stasis, although everything else is, in a cage.

[Zanziik]

Yeah, he just did, actually. I just was interested in the fact that the orcs completely ignored him when they left the fortress after murdering everyone else.

[Sensei]

Yes, he is now quantified as an item for their purposes, and presently raiders just kill and destroy, no pillaging. I might add, i think enemy raiders stealing your things should be added.

[Shaostoul]

Trucking in with a few (mounted ballista and catapult) wagons after your slaughter and stealing all of your goodies >.<

[CursedBurger]

Cage most of them, have the few remaining set those cages on delayed-reaction kitten-powered pressure plates that will free the dwarves after the orcs leave?

Only slightly less dwarfy than dumping the entire fortress into magma.

[Byakugan01]

Cage most of them, have the few remaining set those cages on delayed-reaction kitten-powered pressure plates that will free the dwarves after the orcs leave?

Only slightly less dwarfy than dumping the entire fortress into magma.

Less dwarfy? Make those steel cages, and have the reaction which frees them have an alternate path-decided by the kitten-that dumps the whole fortress in magma, simultaneously. It is now properly dwarfy.

[Albedo]

Dwarfs will take a while to starve - if you could count on immigrants, the dwarfs would all be safe - the orcs would not recognize any survivors, and so (probably?) leave, and the immigrants wouldn't face any resistance. Let your vets out, all good.

A bit on the iffy side as to an intentional strategy, but possible.

[Zanziik]

I have doubts as to whether or not it would work, as they just decided to stay outside the fortress for the duration of the siege, rather than leaving after everything was technically dead. Rist died of thirst not too long after the rest of the dwarfs died in the battle.

[Urist McCyrilin]

I have my own solution. Beings in cages are not affect by lava, unless the cages melt yes? How about caging your dwarves in steel cages, then flooding your entire fortress with lava to get rid of the orcs?

[DI7789]

Thank God he died of thirst, the last thing you'd want is a pesky kobold showing up and carrying the cage off in to the night

"(Dwarf Cage (Tin)) has been stolen!
Your Fortress has crumbled to its end"

That aside, the whole 'Cage everyone then drown fortress in magma' idea still has a few potential flaws...mainly, whose gonna free the caged dwarves after everything's burned to death? Unless you rely on immigrants

[ThtblovesDF]

One of my recuits was flying over the earth at mach-2 (~600 mp/h) and got sucked into a cage trap, saving his life. Its not to bad.

[Urist McCyrilin]

Thank God he died of thirst, the last thing you'd want is a pesky kobold showing up and carrying the cage off in to the night

"(Dwarf Cage (Tin)) has been stolen!
Your Fortress has crumbled to its end"

That aside, the whole 'Cage everyone then drown fortress in magma' idea still has a few potential flaws...mainly, whose gonna free the caged dwarves after everything's burned to death? Unless you rely on immigrants

A cat in a big room with a pressure plate. The room has to be designed in a way that allows for the laws of probability to work in such a way that the cat steps on the cage lever only after the danger has passed.

[Simmura McCrea]

One of my recuits was flying over the earth at mach-2 (~680 m/s) and got sucked into a cage trap, saving his life. Its not too bad.

Fix'd physics and grammar.

[Draconius]

Put the cat behind a door, set to not permit pets. Once the danger's passed, open it back up, letting the cat access the lever. No dwarfs involved.