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[bobhayes]

If I create a uniform and assign my soldiers a melee weapon AND a crossbow, and have them train with both...will they use any kind of intelligence in fighting?

For example, I assume that if I tell them to fight monster X who is 20 squares away, they'll whip out the crossbow and start shooting. When they're out of bolts, will they switch to their melee weapon or just go in and start clubbing?

Or am I assuming too much, and they'll just start clubbing right away and ignore the fact that they have a ranged weapon?

I ask because I'm thinking of doing a militia fort, and it'd be kind of cool to be able to deploy 200 marksdwarves, even if at low skills - but it'd be a waste of time if they never use their better melee weapons, they'd all get slaughtered.

[Necro910]

Not sure. I never cross-train or anything like that, so I don't know.

Their intelligence is what makes it questionable 

[Kassil]

My money is on them using the crossbow as a club without firing a bolt or switching to their melee weapon.

[BurnCruise]

My money is on them using the crossbow as a club without firing a bolt or switching to their melee weapon.

You are correct sir! My commander was a hunter/axedwarf. I thought i would give him a bronze crossbow so he would be a god of battle. Instead he ran headlong into a group of about 10 goblin hammermen. Didnt fire a single shot, seeing as how he didnt have a quiver, thats not surprising.

Off topic: It seems my marksdwarves are incapable of carrying quivers either. I thought that was part of the uniform as its never been a problem before. Any way to ensure they equip themselves properly?

[Bathunter]

It depend on their combat skill. They will use their crossbows at range, but when it comes to melee, they will use whatever weapon that they have the highest skill in. So if they have highest hammer skill, and are carrying a crossbow and an battle axe, they will mostly use the crossbow in melee (they randomly switch weapons in combat sometimes.). If the highest skill was in axing, they will mostly use the ax in melee.

As a general rule, giving your markdwarves war hammer as melee weapons will make them use the hammer instead, since both weapon use the hammer skill, and they pick the stronger weapon (the hammer).

[Lagslayer]

Really? I read that each weapon gets an attack roll and the one with the best to hit roll is the one the dwarf used, regardless of which was better. SO a dwarf with a masterwork adamantine crossbow and a no quality silver warhammer would not be a good idea.

[Vandersleld]

I have done this, and it works quite well when properly implemented. The trick, as stated above, is to carefully manage the quality of the weapons. Dorfs always use the highest-quality weapon in close combat, even if it's not the one best suited for hand-to-hand fighting. Give them a masterwork battleaxe and an exceptional crossbow (and a quiver). They should shoot at enemies until they run out of ammo, then charge into battle provided that they're close enough to an enemy. I'm going to make sure that this works in my current fortress, once I get the military set up.

[bobhayes]

I have done this, and it works quite well when properly implemented. The trick, as stated above, is to carefully manage the quality of the weapons. Dorfs always use the highest-quality weapon in close combat, even if it's not the one best suited for hand-to-hand fighting. Give them a masterwork battleaxe and an exceptional crossbow (and a quiver). They should shoot at enemies until they run out of ammo, then charge into battle provided that they're close enough to an enemy. I'm going to make sure that this works in my current fortress, once I get the military set up.

Fantastic. So basically I just need to magma my high-skilled bowyers and make sure their crossbows are crap.

[dirty foot]

My money is on them using the crossbow as a club without firing a bolt or switching to their melee weapon.

This.

The military in this game still needs some work.

[psychologicalshock]

Ideally sandwich your crossbowmen between a wall and a Fortification and lock the door, best option imo.

[Ipwnurmom221]

Marksdwarves are for feeding captured dragons, silly!

You kill seiges by catapulting a pissed off dragon at the goblins