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[Dutchling]

I only have iron and I'm at war the elves, so what would be the best weapon to put in my traps? I assume it's one of the Trap Weapons.
Another question: how many should I put in the trap? just 10?

[Levi]

Wooden training spears, and then put deep pits on either side.

Then watch them dodge.   

[Dutchling]

yeah, but it is outside and underneath is my fortress so that's gonna happen another time

[NecroRebel]

Whatever you have, basically. The bigger the weapon, the better, generally, though with some caveats. In particular, the triple-strike capability of serrated discs makes them more deadly against lightly-armored creatures than the larger giant axe blades, though against more heavily-armored creatures giant axe blades are better slashing weapons due to their improved ability to bypass armor.

Piercing weapons are generally somewhat undesirable in a weapon trap, as they appear to be more prone to jamming. Blunt weapons would be the best in terms of jamming resistance, but there's no blunt trap components. Since you're discussing dealing with elves and you've got iron, you'll probably want to load up traps with serrated discs. Once goblins start to be a problem, you'll want to either upgrade to steel or switch to warhammers or giant blades, as iron serrated discs won't penetrate their armor as effectively.



As far as how many weapons to put in each trap, it depends on how much area you need to cover and how many weapons you've got. It's better to have one or a few weapons in each trap in a mid-sized area than ten weapons in each trap in a very small area simply because then you'll at least wound most or every invader rather than killing just a few of them and then having the rest of the fresh enemies coming over your now-jammed traps. However, if you've got, say, 300 spare weapons/trap components sitting around, it's better to have a 3x10 area completely covered in 10-weapon weapon traps than a 3x100 area covered in 1-weapon traps since then you'll actually kill everything coming through instead of just wounding them all repeatedly.

[Dutchling]

thx for the explenation, I have a 2x10 area to cover, but before that there is a 2x10 area with cage traps. I already have 6 weapon traps with 5 iron great axes (or whatever theyre called), so I'll just make the discs as soon as I have steel or in another halllway

[CaptRory]

Since the question has been answered I'll add a caveat that some enemies avoid traps so you will need additional defenses. You probably already know that but some of the things that are immune to traps are dangerous enough that it is worth repeating.

[Dutchling]

Since the question has been answered I'll add a caveat that some enemies avoid traps so you will need additional defenses. You probably already know that but some of the things that are immune to traps are dangerous enough that it is worth repeating.

I know thieves and humans (usually) are immune to traps, some mega beasts and other large things probably too.
But goblins/elves and everything they come with are never trap immune right?

btw: I am training up my military, I have the equipment and I'm almost ready with the danger room but it goes kinda slow with 8 dwarves (no migrants for 2 years now :S)

[Lord Darkstar]

Elves have no significant armor, so iron weapons will be more than enough to do them in.

I generally start with 2 weapons per weapon trap (large iron serrated discs is my preference). Once my entire area of weapon traps are emplaced (each with 2), I then start replacing the forward weapon traps so with 4 weapons per weapon trap or start replacing the iron discs with steel discs (if my steel industry is up and running). I find this "staging" meets a fortress's typical defense needs, as the first attacking goblins start small in number and slowly increase over time. But I also deploy cage traps as soon as I can (where they'll form my "second line" of traps behind my eventual weapon traps) when I start a fortress, and I deploy layers of drawbridges as soon as possible--- allowing me to close off the entire fortress (protecting the trade depot and allowing dwarves to unjam weapon traps), or just the "inner" fortress (allowing the silly merchants to TRY to run for the border when under seige, rather than have them go beserk in my fortress).

Drawbridges right now are immune to most building destroyers. Only DWARVES can break them. Using drawbridges to close off the only entrance to your fortress will allow you to at least prevent trap immune building destroyers from walking into your fort and killing everything. If you want to keep out FLYING trap immune attackers, best to box in your entrance so there's no openings into the air (build a ceiling over your entrance and make sure you can make your entrance "air tight" when the drawbride is up).

[CaptRory]

I never understood how flying creatures worked and how to keep them out.

[Lord Darkstar]

Flying creatures can move anywhere there is air or ground.

To keep a flying creature out of your fort entrance, you must wall and roof it, and have a DRAWBRIDGE (not Retracting bridge, which is the default option selected when you are designating where and how to build a bridge).

I'll make a simple example of how to build a flyer proof entrance.

Top view:
Ground level
+++++++
+.....+
|.>>>.+
|.>>>.+
|.>>>.+
+.....+
+++++++
<

Top view:
Z+1 level
+++++++
+++++++
+++++++
+++++++
+++++++
+++++++
+++++++
>


Legend:
+ = Wall
| = Draw Bridge (Raises ->)
. = Ground
> = Down Stairs
< = Up Stairs

Your walls on the ground level will act as a floor on the z level above. You can build a ramp or stairs by the wall, then build a floor over the entrance stairs. At the opening into your fortress's  entrance box, you put a draw bridge (as indicated above).  Note: You will need to build floor tiles on the z level above your drawbridge. When a drawbridge is raised, it does NOT form a floor on the tiles above it, so you have to cover those tiles to make your fortress secure from flying attackers.

When the bridge is down, everything can move between the outside and your fortress entrance stairs. When goblins riding giant bats attack, set your civilian alert level to send your dwarves scrambling inside your safe zoned burrow inside your fortress, and once they are in, pull the lever that raises the drawbridge. A few ticks later, the bridge raises, and turns into a wall, plugging your entrance. Now nothing can get into or leave your fortress.

[CaptRory]

So you need to make sure that the z level above is covered over to protect against flying going up and over.

Gotcha. Wah~ I have a lot more floors to build @_@

[shlorf]

I never get any flying attackers to begin with ~~

[Uristocrat]

I only have iron and I'm at war the elves, so what would be the best weapon to put in my traps? I assume it's one of the Trap Weapons.
Another question: how many should I put in the trap? just 10?

Depends on the purpose of the trap.  If you make a dodge trap, where the intent is not to kill them, but instead to make them dodge into a nearby pit, use green glass serrated disks or spiked balls.  You can also use wooden ones, if you fear the glass becoming infinitely sharp due to that bug.

If you want to kill unarmored opponents, go with steel serrated disks, which will shred them.  If you want to kill armored opponents, make silver hammers.  If you want to kill opponents in general, use a mix in the two based on what kind of opponents you usually see.  Also, use high quality mechanisms.

Lastly, to fight off thieves, chain some animals to the sides of the entrance, behind some walls and a few layers of traps, so that archers don't just shoot them from afar.  Thieves are wimpy, so these don't even have to be war dogs (though I do recommend war dogs).  Even some spare horses or whatever will do.

[ltprifti]

i like the combo or 5 serrated iron discs and 5 large iron axes.  i have my main entrance hall 2 spaces wide and i have 10 (2 rows of 5) weapon traps, then 10 cage traps then more weapon traps and more cages, noting has gotten by so far in this fortress