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[Thatdude]

So in my latest siege, the goblins did the weirdest thing I have ever seen. It was a small siege of 1 unit of trolls, hammer-goblins and swords-goblins led by 2 elite bowmen all mounted. But instead of actually engaging my dwarves in hilariously bloody combat, the trolls ran into their deaths while the goblins got into sight of my dwarves then turned tail and ran? They just hovered around doing their best to avoid my dwarves while not leaving the map. Does this have something to do with their mounts? Because that's what I'm thinking right now.

While I've seemed to of answered my own question, my real question is: has this happened to you?
Also, I think this could actually be a really nasty tactic to fight against if there were any number of marks-goblins because the only two deaths and 1 injury were from the 2 elite bowmen leading the goblins. With this in mind is there any effective counter measure that you could take in these circumstances? Because relying on your own marksdwarves is a bit risky because of how many more of them there would be (unless you enjoy conscripting your entire fort) and their tendency to stand in the wrong place (no stand BEHIND the fortifications! *sigh* another dead dwarf).

thanks

[Quietust]

On what creatures were the goblins mounted?

[Thatdude]

All on Rutherers. What are Rutherers anyway....

[Necro910]

All on Rutherers. What are Rutherers anyway....

http://df.magmawiki.com/index.php/Rutherer 

[darkflagrance]

If invaders ride mounts that do have have the LARGE_PREDATOR or LIKES_FIGHTING tags, the mount will usually flee and take the rider with it. Elven horses and unicorns tend to exhibit the same behavior, for example.

[Hreidmar]

As the above poster has explained, this is an extension of the fact that invaders' mounts determine pathfinding (which also leads to such hilarity as goblin super-elites drowning as their mounts try to path through your aqueducts). But the awesome thing is that Toady won't have to do a damned thing to get semi-intelligent horse archers. I, for one, can't wait until I can't just send four axedwarves laden with three tons of steel armor to dispose of anything the goblins send at me.

Granted, there is the distinct probability that all the aforementioned shock troops will have to do to counter the goblins' mobility is to trap them in the corner of the map, and that seems distinctively unsporting.

[twwolfe]

As the above poster has explained, this is an extension of the fact that invaders' mounts determine pathfinding (which also leads to such hilarity as goblin super-elites drowning as their mounts try to path through your aqueducts). But the awesome thing is that Toady won't have to do a damned thing to get semi-intelligent horse archers. I, for one, can't wait until I can't just send four axedwarves laden with three tons of steel armor to dispose of anything the goblins send at me.

Granted, there is the distinct probability that all the aforementioned shock troops will have to do to counter the goblins' mobility is to trap them in the corner of the map, and that seems distinctively unsporting.

Since when has"being sporting" been a dwarven thing?

[Hreidmar]

As the above poster has explained, this is an extension of the fact that invaders' mounts determine pathfinding (which also leads to such hilarity as goblin super-elites drowning as their mounts try to path through your aqueducts). But the awesome thing is that Toady won't have to do a damned thing to get semi-intelligent horse archers. I, for one, can't wait until I can't just send four axedwarves laden with three tons of steel armor to dispose of anything the goblins send at me.

Granted, there is the distinct probability that all the aforementioned shock troops will have to do to counter the goblins' mobility is to trap them in the corner of the map, and that seems distinctively unsporting.

Since when has"being sporting" been a dwarven thing?

Perhaps "sporting" is not the word, but Dorfiness as a virtue does preclude a certain kind of behavior. No self-respecting, Dorfy dwarf would be caught dead using a wall of cage traps as his only defense. The said cage traps, however, become permissible as long as the dwarf is planning on doing something suitably cruel, cunning, and/or impractical with the prisoners he thereby amasses.

Cage traps are unDorfy by themselves, but become Dorfy when the poor goblins are stored in a 100 z-level tower, to be dropped from the very top all the way down to the third cavern layer, their progress being halted 3 stories at a time by retracting bridges in order to maximize their pain before death.

Taking advantage of the ability to make physics-defying buildings for the sake of laziness or slovenliness (i.e. ugly, asymmetrical abortions of architecture), especially in order to make some aspect of the game easier is unDorfy. But building an utterly impossible orbital magma cannon, preferably supported by a single column of soap submerged in yet more magma, is VERY, VERY Dorfy.

Similarly, cornering the goblins' crack team of horse-archers in the corner of the game screen is unDorfy. However, making a needlessly-complex series of ditches and walls to achieve exactly the same end, especially if those ditches are filled with magma and the walls are made from the tallow of thousands of ducks, would be considered quite Dorfy. 

[FrisianDude]

Cage traps are not undorfy, but who says a fortress can't use weapon traps to defeat ruther-riding Goblins?

[Hreidmar]

Cage traps are not undorfy, but who says a fortress can't use weapon traps to defeat ruther-riding Goblins?

Really? You don't think the newbie strategy of just making a long 3-tile wide entranceway to your fortress and just spamming it with cage traps isn't a bit cheap? Isn't a bit... unDorfy? In the context of a greater system, sure, cage traps are fine; that's just my point. All I'm saying that taking advantage of unfinished game mechanics in a cheap or lazy (as opposed to time-consuming/improbably-bloody/hilarious) way is unDorfy. So just cornering the goblin missile calvary on the edge of the arbitrary game-map is probably not the most Dorfy strategy one could use to dispose of the threat.

[Teneb]

Cage traps are not undorfy, but who says a fortress can't use weapon traps to defeat ruther-riding Goblins?

/snip

Cage traps are fine... as long as you make the prisioners fight in the arena or use them for !!SCIENCE!!. Or maybe use them as FB/Clown/Titan fodder. Killing POWs outright is a waste of good meat.

[Necro910]

Cage traps are not undorfy, but who says a fortress can't use weapon traps to defeat ruther-riding Goblins?

/snip

Cage traps are fine... as long as you make the prisioners fight in the arena or use them for !!SCIENCE!!. Or maybe use them as FB/Clown/Titan fodder. Killing POWs outright is a waste of good meat.

Amen to that.

Release the clowns!

[FrisianDude]

Cage traps are not undorfy, but who says a fortress can't use weapon traps to defeat ruther-riding Goblins?

Really? You don't think the newbie strategy of just making a long 3-tile wide entranceway to your fortress and just spamming it with cage traps isn't a bit cheap?

Cheap? Sure, but that's not the same as 'undorfy.'

[Naryar]

Isn't it considered super-dwarfy to toss gobbos into a volcano to please Armok ?

[FrisianDude]

No, what kind of Dwarfs gives a shit about what their masters want? Not mine, I can assure you.