I know this is a common issue but I can't find a good answer for it. Maybe there isn't one, but I have to ask.
I put my soldiers through a wrestling regime before they get any other weapon. It seems to help build their toughness and strength, and it doesn't take very long, so I think it's a good idea (let me know if you know a better way). So when they're hamfisting everyone, it's no big deal, but I just promoted my third weapon user. This one gets to play with an axe.
Now, my sword user picked up a silver sword like a good boy, and my hammer user picked up a copper hammer. Meh, I can live (and I think so can my dwarves) with hammer. My axe user, despite their being a nice silver axe right by the steel one, decided to go with the latter. So how can I prevent limb cleavage?
I have two armories in my fortress. One right by the base, which has every metal but silver forbidden from it, and the other is near my weapon smith. Unfortunately when he was promoted, he was standing by the more deadly of the two...
Is there a way I can make him drop his weapon and go pick up another one? I was thinking I could Civ him, then make him his own squad, and then move him to the other stock pile, then tell him to use a weapon, but then I realized I'd have to do that every time someone attacks and leaves.
So is there a better way? Most people say just deck them out in plate but surely there's a better (and cheaper) alternative.