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[ohgoditburns]

I started a new fort yesterday with the intent of trying out some novel (?) architecture for dealing with ranged baddies.

I use Tweak with For Each Tile to make fortress planning easier. My fortress entrance is at the end of a rather long ravine. (I will try and post a screenie when I get home from work). What I did was dig out 3-4 wide rolling waves. The idea is that as my bloodthirsty dwarves rush towards the goblins, the hills will prevent the goblins and elves from effectively fire arrows. (I used tweak + ForEachTile to designate my waves)

I plan on eventually building some high towers which should be able to shoot onto hill and valley equally well.

This could also be implemented underground, something like...
___W___W___
RWR_RWR_RWR

With the hanging walls to completely screw with invading archers while still allowing caravans easy and direct access.



I suspect this falls more within the realm of human engineering than "dwarfy", but I'll let the forum judge.

How do you thwart ranged attackers?

[Hyndis]

Build a twisty passage with not more than 3-4 tiles in a row in any direction so archers cannot get off any shorts.

Then fill the maze with angry, drunken axedwarves.

You can leave the trade depot outside the maze. Also keep the maze outside, so if there is any siege you can just order your civilians inside and they will flee to safety.

Alternatively, train up your soldiers to legendary wrestling and shield user, then give them a nice steel shield, and they will be able to dodge/block all incoming shots.

[Hyndis]

Another anti-archer method I use is to simply spawncamp them.

See Snaketributes on DFMA.

My army of champions spawncamps the goblins at the edge of the map, so as soon as they spawn they are being chopped apart by my champions.

[Time Kitten]

Well, just so happens I had a blind legendary swordsdwarf, so I put him to work guarding my entrance against archers.

First, once inside the wall, my road curves around the statuary, making that the shortest route.  There's a simple pattern of one right, two down of statues, so nothing can get a clear line of sight.  The blind swordsdwarf patrolls these areas, and later instead of statues, I used walls, with puppycages and wardogs breeding atop them, ready to cascade down upon any ambush

[ohgoditburns]

Well, just so happens I had a blind legendary swordsdwarf, so I put him to work guarding my entrance against archers.

First, once inside the wall, my road curves around the statuary, making that the shortest route.  There's a simple pattern of one right, two down of statues, so nothing can get a clear line of sight.  The blind swordsdwarf patrolls these areas, and later instead of statues, I used walls, with puppycages and wardogs breeding atop them, ready to cascade down upon any ambush

I didn't realize... do statues block arrows?

[Vattic]

If you get the bow wielding foes into a corridor set up like bellow it might do well to limit their sight allowing melee forces to get nice and close.


##############     | Key
++++#++++#++++     |
++#++++#++++#+     | # - Walls
#++++#++++#+++     |
+++#++++#++++#     | + - Doors
+#++++#++++#++
++++#++++#++++
++#++++#++++#+
#++++#++++#+++
##############

[Heliman]

0_o

Fearing the random damage arrow menace, I actually used the Ramp wall ramp method in my first fort, it works beautifully but sometimes causes my dwarves to path out of my fortress and loiter outside my beautiful Limestone walls. Upon reflection it could be because I have a meeting area right up against the inside of the edge of my fort, but it's something to look at, ramps are known to cause pathing problems.

[moosejuice]

I fight archers/crossbowmen by simply unleashing multiple war dogs to act as a cannon fodder and then use my drafted military to charge the enemy head on into the bastards

[ohgoditburns]

If you get the bow wielding foes into a corridor set up like bellow it might do well to limit their sight allowing melee forces to get nice and close.


##############     | Key
++++#++++#++++     |
++#++++#++++#+     | # - Walls
#++++#++++#+++     |
+++#++++#++++#     | + - Doors
+#++++#++++#++
++++#++++#++++
++#++++#++++#+
#++++#++++#+++
##############

I initially looked at doing the same thing, but I was worried about the long diagonals.

Instead I came up with something involving pinwheel patterns so that there were no paths longer than about 4 tiles in any direction. It was more difficult to designate though. The long diagonals may not be an issue if, as you've shown, it's in a cavern with walls on the edge directing the general flow of traffic. I'm not sure it would work as well in the outdoors.

The other thing my current fort is using, which has worked beautifully through two 10-gobbo ambushes, is that the entrance is not a straight path, but instead a curved one. The meeting area is currently just on the inside of the curve, so ambushers walking through immediately get assaulted by war dogs. My unarmored champions then rush in and finish them off with their obsidian short swords. (I haven't got a metal industry set up yet... just starting the second year) I expect this will need some refinement when attacks get a little more serious.

[Hyndis]

You could create a breeding pit full of dogs. Do not have access into or out of the pit but make sure any invaders will have to walk by the edge of the pit, such that any ranged invaders will unload their ammo into the pit.

You could also dump cats into the pit, so you have 100+ animals breeding quickly to replenish their own numbers to function as a self sufficient arrow magnet.

[Dwarf]

Well, just so happens I had a blind legendary swordsdwarf, so I put him to work guarding my entrance against archers.

First, once inside the wall, my road curves around the statuary, making that the shortest route.  There's a simple pattern of one right, two down of statues, so nothing can get a clear line of sight.  The blind swordsdwarf patrolls these areas, and later instead of statues, I used walls, with puppycages and wardogs breeding atop them, ready to cascade down upon any ambush

So you've got a... Blind Guardian?
Awesome.

[Martin]

I just put my ranged units on the 2nd floor and wipe them out. Alternatively, make a double-back entrance where ranged units need to path and then double back 1-2 z-levels below and stick all your melee guys there with 'don't chase' set. They'll have nothing to shoot at because your guys are underneath them.

[Biag]

If you get the bow wielding foes into a corridor set up like bellow it might do well to limit their sight allowing melee forces to get nice and close.


##############     | Key
++++#++++#++++     |
++#++++#++++#+     | # - Walls
#++++#++++#+++     |
+++#++++#++++#     | + - Doors
+#++++#++++#++
++++#++++#++++
++#++++#++++#+
#++++#++++#+++
##############

I've considered the same thing with statues, like so (S = statue):

Code: [Select]

S S S S
 S S S
S S S S

All down a narrow hallway in my barracks. The idea is to exploit movement on diagonal tiles, forcing the marksmen to get in close and get crushed by hammerdwarves (hammers to maximize smashing into obstacle damage). Behind the statues would be the part of the barracks stocked with beds, and behind that would be the meeting hall- this way even if they get through my champions, the entire fortress can tear apart the invading army with their teeth.

[Vattic]

I've considered the same thing with statues, like so (S = statue):

Code: [Select]

S S S S
 S S S
S S S S


I'd imagine you'd only have trouble with long diagonals which is why I have doors on mine.

I initially looked at doing the same thing, but I was worried about the long diagonals.

I haven't tested it but wouldn't the doors solve that problem?

[Hyndis]

Doors would work fine as well. It might be a problem if a builder destroyer attacks, but at least it would keep them busy for a while as they go on a door smashing frenzy.

Just don't use any fancy doors. Use the cheap ones your newbies are practicing on.

I don't really have that many issues with enemy archers though, considering all of my dwarves must train to legendary at wrestling and shield using before being assigned to their patrol station. Once there they do all of their weapon training with live blades on live targets.