Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Pan]

Well, this is a two part question. Firstly, what's the skill 'Military Tactics' used for?
And secondly, what are the usual military tactics people use? Like, for one, how do you group your squads? By weapons?

[dragoncurse]

'Military Tactics' is:


RAMIREZ, DO THIS. RAMIREZ, DO THAT.

[anqxyr]

I use independent squads composed of 4 axedwarfs, 4 pikedwarfs, and 2 hammerdwarfs. This is better then creating separate squads of axedwarfs, squads of pikedwarfs etc. because I can send one squad and don't worry that target immune to piercing damage. Of course, if it is immune, it bisects squads strength (and possibly some of the dwarves), but I can always send more squads. Oh, and this require more work to assign weapons. And they will learn more slowly because proficient axedwarf can't teach how to use a hammer. But I think this is not a problem with danger rooms.

[Fredd]

If you detest danger rooms, set up 3 squads of melee troops. Mace for armored,spears for penetrate,swords for multipurpose. This way, with proper scheduling, can have a squad always stationed at the entrance.Also each has 2 free months, either for patrol, training, or off duty.
 With training exercises, helps if all squad members use same weapon,in some cases. Have a marksdwarf squad too, for patrols, along the interior perimeter of wall, to spot ambushes. When fun approaches, station the squads via the Squad menu. When the squads are set up, set kill orders for the appropiatly equipped squad

[Artzbacher]

I build a hexagon-like shape on the surface, surrounding the downstairs to my fortress. At each of the six flat areas, I build a weapon rack and put one squad to train there (danger room). Right under the weapon racks each squad has a luxurous bedroom.

This way the soldiers train outside, always protecting the fortress. 3 hammersquads, 3 axesquads. Swords and spears feel elfish.

[Di]

I just use 1-3 full squads of whoever useless armed with whatever sharp. Can't say the latter is easier to obtain. 
Slightly off topic, how do I set free months for squads aside from setting them to inactive alert?
I usually set those as training with one dwarf min, but then the whole squad rushes on vacation leaving the one unlucky guy there training for whole furlough. Can't say he's happy about that.

Edit: Oh, nevermind.  You can create empty month by deleting scheduled order ('x')

[Mystery]

Point 1.
Your least armored (And the ones with the tiny weapons) can run the fastest. This isn't necessarily a problem as you want to be able to catch thieves but if you plan to intercept any goblin ambushers You will find you light weights brawling with the big boys long before the rest of you military can catch up.
Regroup with the move command near the point you want them to be at but out of sight of the enemy (Otherwise they will attack anyway) wait for everyone to arrive  and then attack.

Point 2.
Archers are assholes, you will be generally unable to match them with your own archer force as when goblins come, they come in numbers. bolt/arrows can do some damage perhaps not short term but generally causes problems after battle (With some of the "give water" bugs it's best to keep dwarfs out of the hospital ). You are better off sending your slower more armored dwarfs to the charge although i avoid sending my legendary ++ Axe dwarfs out first at the risk of a the lucky (Or really unlucky) shots.

Point 3.
Fortifications make your archers invincible to melee attacks, they are awesome.   
 

[Mickey Blue]

I don't use danger rooms, consider them an exploit at best and they make the game too easy at worst; that being said I tend to have multiple smaller squads divided up by weapons, Ideally one ranged, one blunt (hammer usually) and one bladed (axe usually, that way early on he can double as my woodcutter).  I do my best to keep them all (aside from sometimes the marksdwarves early on) armored to the highest level available*.  I also tend to keep 'reserves' which are just useless migrants that I don't really need in mixed squads doing general guarding and training with just 'individual choice weapon', if one of them shows real talent with one of the big three (blunt/blade/range) I let them into the proper military, if not they serve as fodder if the siege breaks my defenses.

-MB

*Sometimes I am limited by what the maps offers, sure I can trade but that takes time.  Sometimes I limit myself for challenge, such as only armor of copper or adamantine, nothing in between, or only armor up to and including iron, no steel or adamant, even kicked around the idea of no metal armor at all.

[mrtspence]

I don't use danger rooms, consider them an exploit at best and they make the game too easy at worst; that being said I tend to have multiple smaller squads divided up by weapons, Ideally one ranged, one blunt (hammer usually) and one bladed (axe usually, that way early on he can double as my woodcutter).  I do my best to keep them all (aside from sometimes the marksdwarves early on) armored to the highest level available*.  I also tend to keep 'reserves' which are just useless migrants that I don't really need in mixed squads doing general guarding and training with just 'individual choice weapon', if one of them shows real talent with one of the big three (blunt/blade/range) I let them into the proper military, if not they serve as fodder if the siege breaks my defenses.

-MB

*Sometimes I am limited by what the maps offers, sure I can trade but that takes time.  Sometimes I limit myself for challenge, such as only armor of copper or adamantine, nothing in between, or only armor up to and including iron, no steel or adamant, even kicked around the idea of no metal armor at all.

I play a self-modded version of the amazing Fortress Defense Mod. You need danger rooms or you will be ended.

[Soapalope]

RAMIREZ, DO THIS. RAMIREZ, DO THAT.

RAMIREZ! DO EVERYTHING WHILE WE WAIT AT THE LZ!

[Itnetlolor]

RAMIREZ, DO THIS. RAMIREZ, DO THAT.

RAMIREZ! DO EVERYTHING WHILE WE WAIT AT THE LZ!

That sounds more like X-Com if anything.

[Mickey Blue]

I play a self-modded version of the amazing Fortress Defense Mod. You need danger rooms or you will be ended.

Not sure what you mean by 'self modded', but I use fortress defense II, sure I tend to die but then I personally just consider them an exploit (I feel similarly about completely walling yourself in), not telling anybody else how to play, just saying what I feel.

-MB

[ext0l]

I seperate squads by weapons, that way I can tell which squad a dwarf belongs to by color. Nowadays, I try to have 2 axe squads, 1 spear/sword squad, and 1 hammer squad. One axe squad is the offensive while one stays by the gate. Spear/Sword and Hammer are usually reserved for Forgotton Beasts.

imo, axedwarfs are the most effective, though I did have one sworddwarf kill 3 elephants in ~5 seconds (Fortress Defense mod)

[Acperience]

I play a self-modded version of the amazing Fortress Defense Mod. You need danger rooms or you will be ended.

Not sure what you mean by 'self modded', but I use fortress defense II, sure I tend to die but then I personally just consider them an exploit (I feel similarly about completely walling yourself in), not telling anybody else how to play, just saying what I feel.

-MB

Self-modded as in he changed some of the settings because he didn't like all the features. I did the same thing with FDII

[twilightdusk]

I don't really consider Danger Rooms to be an exploit, in the sense of something that goes against how the game should work, for the simple reason that they should logically work, and the only way I can think of to stop upright spike traps from being used for training, while still keeping them viable for other uses, would be to blatantly prevent training weapons from being used in traps.

All a danger room is really is a contraption which attacks your dwarves with (nearly) harmless training spears as a way to help them realistically practice dodging and blocking, while not being in any (likely) danger. I see no way to stop this from working short of making upright spikes nearly useless, or outright and blatantly preventing training weapons from being used in them, and as such I see no reason not to use them, as they make perfectly logical sense within the game.

And frankly, given that training accidents don't happen anymore, they're the most viable way of using training weapons to actually train your soldiers.