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[hagbard]

If my squad of marksdwarfes gets the order to kill, they're simply idling instead of attacking, despite having a red flashing kill order, and being fully equipped (seems to be known bug #481). I tried several things, including disbanding and reassigning the squad, but i still couldn't get them to follow their kill order. Did anyone find a method for working around this bug for using the kill command?
While the typical Urist Mc Insubordinator doesn't obey to kill orders, he is gladly following any move orders, so I simply ordered the squad to move  to that titan, so that they at least have do defend themselves. But instead of using their crossbows and bolts they were carrying, all four dwarfs were wrestling(!) that titan, quickly raising their wrestling skills and dying. So how do I get them to shoot?

[GaxkangtheUnbound]

Are you certain that ammunition is assigned to 'em?

[hagbard]

Are you certain that ammunition is assigned to 'em?

In the military screen, I assigned 100 (not enough?) bolts to them; somewhat later, there  was a green hook behind the assignment of different bolt types (does it have to be all the same material?), so I thought this is a confirmation that they've got it (is it not?). Does it need something else to properly assign the ammunition?

[GaxkangtheUnbound]

Are you certain that ammunition is assigned to 'em?

In the military screen, I assigned 100 (not enough?) bolts to them; somewhat later, there  was a green hook behind the assignment of different bolt types (does it have to be all the same material?), so I thought this is a confirmation that they've got it (is it not?). Does it need something else to properly assign the ammunition?

Just to be sure, remove all assigned ammunition to hunters.

[Orkel]

Do they have quivers? Check their inventory and the quiver to see if there are bolts in them.

[Ricky]

Toady_One charges at the Military with a new version!
The Military has exploded in a massacre of bugs!
The Military has been struck down
 
 
 

[Nil Eyeglazed]

Assignment of bolts is pretty haywire right now.  If you want to check to see if a given dwarf has bolts, look at its inventory, and inspect its quiver.

I'm not sure the checkmark means that the bolts have been picked up.  If it does mean that, it's inconsistent with other equipment, which just means that the item has been verified as existing, and assigned-- not necessarily picked up.

Unless you assign lots and lots of bolts to the squad, there are going to be dwarfs wandering around without any bolts.  If dwarfs are wandering around with empty quivers, make lots more bolts.  I don't know exactly what keeps them from picking up bolts, but generally, if you drown them in bolts, they'll pick some up.

[Gatleos]

I've managed to get melee soldiers to attack, but not marksdwarves. I gave the squad a kill order, and they just ran in circles. Then, I gave them a move order (no where near the creature I wanted them to attack), and suddenly they went through with the previous kill order. So that works with them... kind of. Most of the time. As for marksdwarves, I'm not sure a direct kill order is a good idea anyway. Don't they stay in one place and fire At anything they can with a move order?

Of course, I can't even get my marksdwarves to train. They won't use the archery range. I'm sure shooting at titans walking by from behind fortifications is good enough training, though.

[jjdorf]

First... When you assign 100 bolts to a squad, you assign no more than 100 bolts to be distributed among your dwarves.  A squad of ten will carry 10 bolts each at that time.  You want at least 1000 if not more bolts assigned to a full squad.

Second, I have far better luck giving a move order to a spot where my military will naturally engage the enemy.  Kill orders seem a little buggy so I don't use them.

As for training marksdwarves, each needs the following: a crossbow (obviously), an archery target each, set for their squad to train at (so, about 10 of them), a quiver (mine refused to train until they had quivers, despite having bolts), and of course, bolts, preferrably bone or wooden.  Set the squad to have 100 bolts or more per marksdwarf (1000+).  Also, marksdwarves seem to train far slower than melee dwarves, and they use unbelievable amounts of bolts to do it.  I decided on setting up a meat industry just for the bones alone, and I intend to crank out bone bolts until every one of my marksdwarves are legendary.  The surplus meat from this industry will be sold off as lavish meals.  To trade for bronze and steel bolts.

Meanwhile, my axedwarves will be training up to prepare for more hands on gobbo killing.

[Bryan Derksen]

Since marksdwarves are so unreliable, I decided not to rely on them. I've had a lot of success in my current long-running fort just using plain and simple axedwarves as the bulk of my military (mixing in a handful of macedwarves for variety, and to potentially help out against armored foes that axes aren't supposed to be good against. Though I've not met any such yet).

Of course, it also helps that I've got ample steel and a legendary armorsmith. All of my dwarves are in full steel plate armor, masterwork or exceptional. I sent them to take on a squad of bowgoblins led by a master crosbowgoblin and I only took a single casualty thanks to the armor and their dodging skill. My best axedwarves are kept together in a forgotten-beast-killing squad that often scores a decapitation in the first page of combat.

Maybe my next fort will have archers. This one's committed to axes now.

[timtek]

I agree with bryan, I'm pretty new to this game an my hunters seem useless, but my 5 dorf squad of leather clad axe carriers have been running around and killing every groundhog and cougar i tell them to. They take a while chasing them down but once they get a hold of them it's really fun to watch. Ditch the crossbows and pass em a melee weapon.

[Hyndis]

Why are you using the kill or move orders?

Unless there is some unique threat for them to deal with you shouldn't even need to.

Just order them to defend burrow(s). Note that there is no limit to the number of burrows you can order them to defend, nor is there any limit to the size of a burrow. Dwarves on defend burrow duty will automatically seek and engage threats with no problems whatsoever.

[timtek]

Because my hunters weren't bringing home dinner, hell they weren't even killing dinner. I find my military is much more useful for this.

[hagbard]

Just to be sure, remove all assigned ammunition to hunters.

There wasn't any ammo assigned to hunters.

Do they have quivers? Check their inventory and the quiver to see if there are bolts in them.

They all had quivers.
But despite properly assigned bolts and abundant supply of bolts, the marksdwarves simply do not pick them up.

[billw]

Read this, hopefully it will help:
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=61653.0