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[Kavalion]

On most games I get a few goblin kidnappers that get slaughtered when I recruit the dwarf spotting them into the military and have them tear the goblin thief limb from limb.

I recently created a new world, however, and I'm seeing a different story.  Somehow they've been taking a lot of babies without being spotted.  Sometimes the dogs find and rip the goblin to pieces, but other times they somehow avoid detection completely.

They quickly began sending ambush parties against my poor dwarves.  A lot of them.

I checked after a recent ambush and the goblin civilization is called The Dishonest Witch with three elves as local rulers.  I believe it may have had a human as a ruler as well, since I just killed a flashing human pikemaster in the most recent ambush.  They've also been sending two ambush parties of 5-8 soldiers each.

Just now I discovered the one I believe to be the reason behind the more powerful goblin civilization.  A master thief with highly decorated equipment.  The only stat I could see on it was "Mighty" and nothing else.  Since the farmer that spotted it was also mighty as well as perfectly agile and tough, I immediately drafted her into the military to wrestle with the thief.  This worked with a few of the goblin thieves I caught previously, as well as the other master thief.

The farmer immediately falls over and the master thief makes his escape.  I check the farmer's wounds and she's been critically stabbed in the guts - they were listed as red.  She bleeds to death a few moments later.  The goblin escapes with her baby.

Of course, only six of my dwarves and three dogs were killed by the ambushes so far - none of them actual soldiers.  A couple brain-damaged macedwarves stuck at competent skill level seem to handle the ambushes all too easily.  My kill count, meanwhile, is growing impressive.  But the sheer number of ambushes is very unlike typical goblin behavior for me.

Ambushers I've killed:
11 goblin spearmen
2 goblin crossbowmen
18 goblin wrestlers
1 goblin axeman
2 human guards
4 goblin pikemen
1 human pikemaster

Thieves I've killed:
8 goblin thieves
1 goblin master thief


The only difference I can think of is that in this world the dwarf civilization was already at war with the goblin civilization.  Has anyone else encountered particularly aggressive goblins?

[Glacial Eidolon]

Your children are being stolen... Isn't that a good thing? Except for the tantrums, that is.

I really envy you.

Now you just have to cave in fifty tons of rock on their heads and you're good to go.

[Kavalion]

Actually, they never seem to care when their babies are stolen - at least, not enough to tantrum.

I turned off immigration after 50 dwarves and figured child birth would steadily unlock the population dependent features.  Although I've never had a fortress long enough to see how long it takes kids to grow up.  At the rate they're being stolen, I may never find out.

[Glacial Eidolon]

It takes babies a year to grow into kids, and it takes kids 12 years (!) to grow into adults. Until then, they're pretty much useless for everything - they're essentially philosophers, in that regard. In fact, they're exactly like philosophers only they don't migrate and they don't even need a room to live in.

So yeah, it's pretty useless to have them around unless you get any mood other than possessed on them. Besides, they grow up into peasants otherwise (except for the nobles, but we don't like to talk about them).

Ack.

[Shiv]

Although I've never had a fortress long enough to see how long it takes kids to grow up

Several years.  I'll have maybe one or two grow up over a 3 year period.  And these are immigrant children so who knows how old they started at.   

If you're wanting your fortress to be stocked by children growing up, you're in for the long haul.


Also did ya'll know that dwarves can have miscarriages?  I didn't know that, but I'd imagine that would hurt your population growth as well.

[Elliott_Thinas]

Wait 12 years and you'll be seeing dwarf led goblin military squads.

[Eduren]

Wait 12 years and you'll be seeing dwarf led goblin military squads.

"Mama? It me, Urist."

[Forumsdwarf]

Militia makes short work of snatchers.  There's nothing more satisfying than seeing half a dozen bolts converging on a wannabe kidnapper.

If you can't arm a militia yet traps also work.

[Rowanas]

By the second immigration wave EVERYONE can equip a militia. My population leaps rapidly and then tends to become entirely military, so after the 50 dwarf mark I assign about 30% of new immigrants new jobs, and the rest become military dwarves.

[milaga]

There's nothing more satisfying than seeing half a dozen bolts converging on a wannabe kidnapper.

Except an Axe Lord leaping at it, chopping it's head off and the head flies over a two-story wall into a sculpture garden where a child had just organized a party.

Happy birthday, Urist McUselesschild.

[kilakan]

just to bring this back on topic if the goblins are at war with the local dwarves then they ignore the whole money based attack thing and become really aggressive I have a fort that's by 3 goblins cities that we are at war with when I setteled thanks to adventure mode and at only 40,000 wealth I got 3 near simultaneous ambushes each with 5 goblins luckily the trade caravan had just arrived so they ripped em to shreds. 

[Forumsdwarf]

By "Militia" I don't mean "large military", I mean armed civilians.

I keep a very small active-duty army up until my population hits the 100+ mark, but every citizen not tasked with a time-sensitive occupation is armed with a crossbow.  This you accomplish by assigning the "Hunting" task to everyone you wish to be armed.

They're going to interrupt what they're doing anyway, so they might as well take a few pot shots.

[Slogo]

That's not a bad idea until you settle in an area that has a chasm, or a river with carp, or skeletal monsters.

[ToonyMan]

Keeping your dwarves closer together helps stop snatches too.  Or you can throw all the babies in a pit and throw them food every once in a while.

If the baby is still being carried, think about asigning war dogs onto the mother.

[Quietust]

It takes babies a year to grow into kids, and it takes kids 12 years (!) to grow into adults. Until then, they're pretty much useless for everything - they're essentially philosophers, in that regard. In fact, they're exactly like philosophers only they don't migrate and they don't even need a room to live in.

At least the philosopher is willing to Pull the Lever...