In light of learning how to make GCS shoot silk through fortifications at rapid fire rates, I am trying to master a way to make Fire Imps/Dragons/Spoilers to shoot flames through them as well. The trouble is that what makes them shoot flames isn't coated in webbing like the bait for the GCS, they are covered in flame; and I end up with !!Kitten!!.
Currently, my fortress is on the Dwarf Heaven map, and any intruders get showered in webbing. Then, they trigger row of pressure plates by moving past the web zone which makes a bait animal fall for the imps, thus the intruders get a quick burst of flames shot into their lines.
In a general sense, this is a semi-effective step towards my goal of an automated defense. The trouble is that with my current design, the flame does not shoot head on and thus while the orks mover from north to south down a hallway, the imps fire west-east, which is sort of like waster fire. What usually happens, is that the orks trigger the bait animal to fall and the imps fire flames far too late to do any real damage. Also, flaming orks tends to be a loose-loose situation when you want to fight them up close instead of using Marksdwarves.
I am trying to perfect the system, and add in Booze-Bombs that drop with the bait animal, thus the burst of flames becomes a burst of flames + explosion. Due to the layout of my current system, this usually scores me 2 dead imps and 2 dead GCS, and a fort full of burning orks and dwarves.
I always felt using marksdwarfs was unfair and made things too easy, but that fighting Orks face to face is too hard. My goal is to somehow cripple the orcs before engaging them. Ideally, my final defense will be as follows:
1. Orks enter hallway and get showered in webbing
2. Orks get shot with flames + 1 large explosion
3. Orks get doused in water, extinguishing flames and leaving behind wounded Orks
4. Orks drop a few z levels into a glass arena in the center of the dining hall, in which my Elite Hammerdwarfs/Wrestlers await. Maybe I can design a badass arena as well. Hopefully stunning them and breaking their legs? I have yet to experiment with this part yet so help is appreciated.