Wow, first successful raid today - it was a blast!! 6 goblin crossbowmen and a goblin captain with an axe. They first proceeded to slaughter my tamed animals that could not run away fast enough, but at some point I managed to close my drawbridge.
I quickly studied how to define a burrow, and did so. Activated my 5 squads (17 soldier dwarves in total) and thought about the next move...
...only problem: I have, like, a total of 2-3 valid weapons among ALL my dwarves as I am just starting the smelting process right now.
But never mind: I decide to try anyway, with the help of my drawbridge and traps I feel confident.
First two goblins go on the bridge: I had the idea, after practicing a bit, to leave the one mechanic in charge of the levers locked inside the room with the lever (the barracks), so that I could stage a fast reaction between the time I ask the command and the time it gets executed. It works: the two goblins get flung REALLY FAR in the air, one of them breaking its spine (!!) and the other a leg. I laugh, and lower the bridge again.
The goblin chieftain easily dodges rock traps (those are REALLY worthless...), while his men shoot puppies and cats inside my fortress through the entrance (note to self: make a "L" turn entrance soon. Like, really soon.). Lucky me, I had prepared two layers of cage traps: the leader and one of the crossbowmen are taken prisoner this way.
Three other crossbowmen are lagging behind, so I send my dwarves in! One manages to enter the fortress and is ambushed by (unarmed) soldiers, who manage to throw him through the ground and, after some bruising, successfully beat him to death (with the help of a guy with a morning star that came on later).
My militia captain is the one brandishing a steel battle axe, and pretty much by himself proceeds to slaughter the other two single-handedly! It was really awesome to watch step-by-step.
We eventually find the two guys flung in the air before (one of them even went on to kill one of my cows, the bastard).
Casualties: about 20 tamed animals, a few bruises among my boys, and a broken leg with nerve damage in one of the wrestlers. Saved the game, tomorrow I will continue.
This fight prompts questions though:
1) How do I safely bring my wounded away? Is there a way to carry him away without risking to make his fracture worse?
2) How do I clean the mess? Blood, body parts, broken bolts..?
3) How do I kill the caged goblins (and loot them)? Ideally I would use them as target practice for my future crossbowmen. How do I keep them alive until then?
4) What is the standard practice to keep your animals away from the slaughter? Walled grazing area?
Now that I'm thinking, as I do not know how to open cages of animals, I have about 16+ livestock caged downstairs. Surprised they are still alive - never bothered checking how to open as I always had something important to think to...