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[Melting Sky]

I'm not sure if the results still apply to this version but I did a lot of max layer armor vs one layer + chest plate armor testing in DF2012 and the conclusion I came to is that it is situation dependent whether a dwarf will be helped or hindered by extra layers of armor and clothing. The weight and associated slow down can often outweigh the slight increase in protection that is offered particularly in fights involving weapons and armor combinations that tend to cause serious injury or death with every hit. In those cases getting in early and extra hits is far more important than a slight defense boost. For dwarves that have high strength and armor skill multiple layers work much better since the slow down they suffer is greatly mitigated. Multilayer armor is better for extremely long fights where neither combatant can penetrate the others armor with the weapon they have. Fights where it becomes death by a thousand bruises favor those in maxed out layering.

Anyway that was how things were last version. I hear that encumbrance might have an even heavier speed penalty in this new version but I haven't actually done any testing to see if that's true or not. Weak, heavily burdened dwarves seem to go a lot slower than they used to.

My advice would be to start by outfitting your melee dwarves in a basic medium weight uniform of chain mail shirt, grieves, helmet, gauntlets and high boots along with a good quality wood or leather shield to begin with. Hopefully this doesn't slow them down too much. As the dwarf's armor user and physical attributes improve add a chest plate and a good metal shield for bashing. Both are surprisingly heavy. If your dwarves get to the point where adding even more layers doesn't seem to slow them down then keep on going but these extra layers don't grant that much more protection.

[celem]

Lots of good suggestions here.  I've had the same go-to armor set forever which combines leather layering without going to the full stacking extremes of multiple mails/cloaks.

Melee:
Metal Helm, Leather Cap, Leather Hood
Metal BPlate, Metal Mail, Leather Cloak
Metal Gauntlets, Leather Mittens
Metal Greaves, Leather Leggings
Metal Low Boot

You can squeeze leather socks in but its generally more hassle than it's worth due to old bugs, I think its leather leggings...might be trousers, the non shaped one.  I forget what I once decided about the high/low boot decision, theres a better ubstep on the highboot (it protects legs too) but I seem to remember discarding them for some reason.

Archers get a full leather set with metal helm and mail for survivability

[TerryDactyl]

Best armour is leather everything plus a steel helmet, sword, and shield. The absence of heavy armours give your dwarves greater mobilitiy, and ease in dodging. Well-trained swordsdwarves can butcher targets very, very quickly. I came to this conclusion after running some arena tests 10v10.

Lightly armoured troops are much better at intercepting thieves too.

But don't take my word for it...
Run some tests. The best way to discern what is useful in a given circumstance is to run arena tests against the sort of opponent you expect to be up against. I found fencers worked best against moderately-armoured goblins at similar skill levels.

These interceptors are your kill team.
In a more complex siege, you may have multiple entry points. It can help to have a few heavily armoured dwarves stand guard at an entrance. With a high enough armour skill, they will be more durable against invaders, effectively slowing them down... while your interceptors clean up elsewhere. Just be sure that your 'tanks' engage first - so that the goblins concentrate on them, rather than on your leathers.

Might be good to have a couple of hunters out and about searching for ambushes...

And then, if you have enough lumber, you might want to load out all of your civilians with cheap crossbows. For effect.

[Lagslayer]

But it's a good, productive necropost.

[Swonnrr]

The best uniform is magm
I wonder how usefull would be a candy everything layered armor? Since candy is so light, and can be used for both armor and cloth.
(now, using such massive amounts for clothes that will wear out is either completely retarded or completely dwarven, but the idea only of candy legions is awesome anyway.)

[Lagslayer]

The best uniform is magm
I wonder how usefull would be a candy everything layered armor? Since candy is so light, and can be used for both armor and cloth.
(now, using such massive amounts for clothes that will wear out is either completely retarded or completely dwarven, but the idea only of candy legions is awesome anyway.)

Candy is unparalleled armor material. It's extremely hard, and the light weight doesn't reduce it's effect like with weapons. If you are really budgeting, though, you can prioritize head and torso protection, as those are the most crucial areas.

I wouldn't waste the strands on mere clothing, though. It degrades, and supply is too limited.

[Bumber]

Is candy armor now properly effective against bolts? It's been mentioned as fixed for DF2014, but has anyone verified it yet?

If I'm not mistaken, it was best to have your dorfs wear a steel breastplate over candy mail shirts in DF2012. Steel helm, too.

[Bognor]

Lots of good suggestions here.  I've had the same go-to armor set forever which combines leather layering without going to the full stacking extremes of multiple mails/cloaks.

Melee:
Metal Helm, Leather Cap...

Does that actually still work though?  I thought some time in 0.34 caps were given the "shaped" tag which made them incompatible with helmets.

[KingKaol]

How can you get marksdwarves to train armor use by the way?

[greycat]

How can you get marksdwarves to train armor use by the way?

Same way melee dwarves train it -- sparring and demonstrations in a barracks.  Or getting hit by things, e.g. in a coinstar chamber.

[igotsmeakabob!!]

But it's a good, productive necropost.

Ya don't say.