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[Mandango]

The great fortress of Osteral, "Foldvessels" is much like Helm's Deep, almost impenetrable defenses (for me it's rows upon rows of weapon traps at the entrance completely stocked with large serrated discs, I refer to it as The Goblin Blender) save one thing, one sewer opening.  Granted mine is more of a tunnel under a lake that supplies the wells of the fortress with water.

It didn't occur to me that this spot was a weakness until some alligators outside suddenly showed up in the grand meeting hall.  They had climbed out of the well and a few were struck down before soldiers could come and dispatch of these vile creatures.  Some engravers felt this something worth carving into the walls, so as to warn all future dwarves, but I thought my troubles were over as long as I kept an eye out for any more alligators.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(I would love to see that engraving of the alligator poking it's head out of a well and attacking a dwarf)

But just like Helm's Deep, invading goblins have been exploiting this weakness.  Nearly every units during any given siege are mounted atop Giant Toads.  A few more dwarves died within the grand meeting hall when I first learned of the Giant Toads and their riders also being able to climb through the well.

Now I'm trying to decide whether I should wall off the pond that provides water for the fortress or if I should endeavor to put a grate up somewhere to block invaders and alligators out.

[GreatWyrmGold]

The great fortress of Osteral, "Foldvessels" is much like Helm's Deep, almost impenetrable defenses (for me it's rows upon rows of weapon traps at the entrance completely stocked with large serrated discs, I refer to it as The Goblin Blender) save one thing, one sewer opening.  Granted mine is more of a tunnel under a lake that supplies the wells of the fortress with water.

It didn't occur to me that this spot was a weakness until some alligators outside suddenly showed up in the grand meeting hall.  They had climbed out of the well and a few were struck down before soldiers could come and dispatch of these vile creatures.  Some engravers felt this something worth carving into the walls, so as to warn all future dwarves, but I thought my troubles were over as long as I kept an eye out for any more alligators.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(I would love to see that engraving of the alligator poking it's head out of a well and attacking a dwarf)

But just like Helm's Deep, invading goblins have been exploiting this weakness.  Nearly every units during any given siege are mounted atop Giant Toads.  A few more dwarves died within the grand meeting hall when I first learned of the Giant Toads and their riders also being able to climb through the well.

Now I'm trying to decide whether I should wall off the pond that provides water for the fortress or if I should endeavor to put a grate up somewhere to block invaders and alligators out.

Grate.
Creatures sometimes get shoved through, but if you get rid of flow somehow it's no big deal. Although greenskins won't die when their mounts swim through your sewers.

Alternatively, make a new well. It leads to a river, but the twists and turns along the way mean that when the toad reaches your well, it has a drowned corpse on its back.
Fun.

[krenshala]

I have a simple solution!

STEP 1) Make a new Great Hall, just down the hall.
STEP 2) Convert the Great Hall with the Well of Doom into ... a barracks for your best squad of soldiers.

The next baddie to try to "sneak" into your fort that way will run smack into your elite troops during their live-steel sparring sessions.  After a short, bloody interlude, the sparring should continue.

[Lagslayer]

The only problem with that plan is if you suddenly need all your troops at the front lines, and your barracks is vacant...

[NotPete]

Heh, reminds me of my (poorly designed) perpetual motion generator. I didn't use anything to block the entrance and a troll got in. Wreaked shit up pretty good too. The pumps stopped working/ where destroyed, and since it was on the same level as the water source, it flooded. I had to wall off the area to make sure that the water didn't spread to the rest of the fort, then dig a tunnel under the device, because the wall blocked off the hallway.

Thats why I use fortifications with all my water needs! They're guaranteed to stop alligators, trolls, and aquatic beasts/building destroyers of all kinds! Can a grate do that? NO! So call now, and for the low low price of one of your mason dwarves, YOU TOO can stop shit from climbing through your water works to kill you!

[krenshala]

Hmmm ... fortifications will stop stuff a grate won't?  I guess I'll just have to shift from vertical bars blocking the water in-flow to vertical bars with fortifications behind them.

[MarcAFK]

The solution is more alligators, make the gobbos crawl past your legendary alligator breeding facility. figure out a way of filtering teh alligators out from your well but while still leaving an open path for your enemies to reach.
maybe a narrow corridor with wooden training spears surrounded by a pit leading back to your sewers, making the gobbos/alligators dodge back down..

[Mandango]

Alternatively, make a new well. It leads to a river, but the twists and turns along the way mean that when the toad reaches your well, it has a drowned corpse on its back.
Fun.

I have a simple solution!

STEP 1) Make a new Great Hall, just down the hall.
STEP 2) Convert the Great Hall with the Well of Doom into ... a barracks for your best squad of soldiers.

The next baddie to try to "sneak" into your fort that way will run smack into your elite troops during their live-steel sparring sessions.  After a short, bloody interlude, the sparring should continue.

I love both ideas, only problem is that my fortress is 30 z-levels above the river so that forges can be built on the top of the volcano.  So I think I'm going to go with krenshala's idea, pics will be posted when completed.

The only problem with that plan is if you suddenly need all your troops at the front lines, and your barracks is vacant...

not a problem, refer to The Goblin Blender. Currently I have 11 rows of these weapon traps and nothing has gotten past row 6.

[Mkombat]

I sent this mini story to my friend! Great read, I keep picturing this in my head.

[Jacob/Lee]

This is why I have a cistern inside my base. I feed water from the river into it, stop the flow, build a wall and make all water related structures draw from the cistern.

Try to get me now, assholes! *maniacal laughter*

[Traece]

Why would your first solution not be to force the alligators to guard the entrance and kill unsuspecting goblins?

Most undwarvenly...

[white_darkness]

Stuff gets shoved through fortifications too unfortunately, as I found out after a forgotten beast slid through the fortifications into my well in a fledgling fort and came to pay a visit.

Now I either seal everything off with lever controlled bridges or use a dual arrangement of fortification then grate (purely aesthetics for the choice).  Stuff doesn't seem to get pulled through two sieves in a row.

[Mister Always]

Tsk, tsk. OP, OP, OP. Should've used a floodgate so you coulda set up some cage traps in the tunnel, doc.

[Mandango]

Osteral, "Foldvessels" is experiencing quite a bit of fun right now.  The plan worked and the next siege was cut down but some how resulted in a tantrum spiral.  Guess one of the soldiers was really popular.  I'm now waiting for everything to die down and see who's left alive and then we'll rebuild from there.  There were too many lazy dwarves anyway, just sitting around drinking all the booze that others worked so hard to make.  Maybe this will be the end of Foldvessels or possibly a new beginning.

[Fredd]

If you do use a fortification /grate set up, make sure the fortification is positioned where the baddies encounter it first.