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[GhostSade]

According to the wiki, Trolls have buildingdestroyer: 2 and those types will destroy floodgates. I tested this because my arena closes off it's entrances using floodgates and I need to get rid of the Trolls as I haven't struck magma yet. (ever actually) anyways I tested this by digging a 1 tile wide 10 or so long hall way, putting a troll cage at the end, hooking it up to a lever, putting a floodgate about 6 in front of him and a wall a few behind that in case he does break the floodgate.
I eventually pull the lever and he just stands there. So, I'm going to assume they cannot destroy closed floodgates. What about open ones? I didn't hook it up to a lever (the floodgate), so I can't tell. Are all buildingdestroyer: 2 creatures the same in things like this?

[Ghills]

Closed floodgates act exactly like walls, so they can't be destroyed by building destroyers.

[Sphalerite]

Closed floodgates act exactly like walls, so they can't be destroyed by building destroyers.

You're thinking of bridges.  Floodgates usually can be destroyed by building destroyers.  However, there is some weirdness in which building destroyers sometimes will destroy buildings and sometimes won't, depending in part on where the building destroyer can stand relative to the building.  There was a thread about it some time back about it.

[geail]

I've had experienced that when my magma trap (just a reservoir of lava with floodgates towards enemies) is full, trolls don't attack them.  However, when it is empty, the floodgates are almost always destroyed.

[Sphalerite]

It may be that the troll will only bother attacking the floodgate if there's something it wants to reach on the other side - a troll won't bother attacking a floodgate if there's a dead-end or magma chamber beyond it.  Someone should test this.

[Greiger]

I've also observed that they can often take a very long time to destroy a building (usually while actually standing 2 tiles away from it instead of adjacent.)

I wanna say it takes about a 5 ingame days but my estimate is probably way off.  I often one step through entire sieges, so time estimates made by me during a siege are probably wildly off.

You can also 't' over the building to observe damage.   If the building is damaged there will be x-es appearing around the item's name.  It goes from xgranite floodgatex to XGranite FloodgateX to XXGranite FloodgateXX and then boom, no more floodgate.

[IT 000]

It appears to depend on quality. From my observations the quality on the item deteriorates until it reaches XX then it gets destroyed, a masterwork furniture will last longer then base quality.

[Sphalerite]

And artifact floodgates are apparently indestructible, since they can't wear.  Although if one is locked with a mechanism, it could still be deconstructed by virtue of the mechanism being destroyed instead.

[GhostSade]

Wow. I just looked back at the fortress. No more floodgate. Wow. That's weird, must've took him at least a few in-game weeks before he destroyed it. Well how should I create an arena then? One that I can hook up later to Magma and possible water? Specifically one that can house building destroyers as well as allow an entrance for my dwarves to enter.

[Greiger]

I hear good things about floor hatches at the top of stairs.  And I can personally vouch for raising drawbridges with a pit in front of it.  Can't break it if they can't reach it.

[IT 000]

Vertical bars work, only needs a single metal bar and it appears any metal will keep them out. From nickel to iron. You can hook them up to levers or station marksdwarves behind them to have them act like fortifications.

[GhostSade]

I hear good things about floor hatches at the top of stairs.  And I can personally vouch for raising drawbridges with a pit in front of it.  Can't break it if they can't reach it.

Ah duh, never even considered drawbridge (massive d'oih) but I thought that building destroyers can destroy things from an extra tile away?

I thought building destroyers went after vertical bars? And I'm assuming bars hooked up to a lever just sink/rise when on/off, right?

[Greiger]

Never had a troll (or anything else for that matter, fliers included) break a bridge behind a one tile pit.  Might have to be able to path to right beside it, but not need to actually be there.  Making a gap between what they can do, and what they think they can do.  Wouldn't be the first thing in the pathing behavior that does that.

Could always make the pit more than 1 tile long too for some extra assurance.  But even if it does somehow fail and they destroy the bridge they won't get past the hole with the bridge destroyed.

[GhostSade]

Never had a troll (or anything else for that matter, fliers included) break a bridge behind a one tile pit.  Might have to be able to path to right beside it, but not need to actually be there.  Making a gap between what they can do, and what they think they can do.

Could always make the pit more than 1 tile long too for some extra assurance.  But even if it does somehow fail and they destroy the bridge they won't get past the hole with the bridge destroyed.

True, true. Alright off to modify my extremely gory arena. I've built fortifications around 1/2 of the walls so my marksdwarves can get some practice. Sound OK right? the fortifications are at EDIT: the same level the arena ground floor is on.

[Greiger]

Long as you don't pit marksgobs it should be ok. 

Donno about breath attacks, but my guess is that your guys should be safe as long as the breath using critter can't path to them to cause it to target them and realize "Hey, I can breath fire through that."