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[UnexpectedSalad]

Splitting them into squads of 3, a question regarding sparring. I'm don't know the difference between demonstrations and sparring, but when sparring. Do the 3 dwarfs take turns with eachother? I was playing an older version while learning the basic basics, and one dwarf in my 7 man squad didn't level up much at all and the others were all champions. It seemed like I needed to have all the squads have even amounts of soldiers.

[Loud Whispers]

Only two Dwarves will ever spar at a time, so it's best to put them in squads of three set to train in pairs. Also, make sure you set them to be on duty in the alerts section

[UnexpectedSalad]

Only two Dwarves will ever spar at a time, so it's best to put them in squads of three set to train in pairs. Also, make sure you set them to be on duty in the alerts section

Thank you. I think I need to read up on managing the military some more.

[Zahariel]

Regarding weapon traps, uhhh. You use to to 'soften' them up for your military? I was throwing in as many obsidian swords and serrated discs as I could in each one to kill them when they stood on it.
...
I've been chaining my wardogs around the corner to the entrance of my fortress to take care of any weak enemys who can avoid traps, is this a bad use for them?

A trap with one large serrated disc and one spiked ball (plus maybe a goblinite halberd or pike) almost always kills invaders, or at least frightens them enough to run away. It doesn't mince them into a fine red paste like it does if you have 5 of each, but a gobbo or troll with "only" two limbs cut off is still not long for this world. And if they dodge, by putting only 2 weapons in each trap instead of 10 I can afford to have far more traps. Plus they don't jam as often, as I mentioned.

That's a great use for war dogs. I do the same. Don't expect them to hold off actual attacks though; put them behind the traps (and around a corner to stymie bowgoblins) so that they only ever see lightly-armed thieves and snatchers.

[Loud Whispers]

Regarding weapon traps, uhhh. You use to to 'soften' them up for your military? I was throwing in as many obsidian swords and serrated discs as I could in each one to kill them when they stood on it.
...
I've been chaining my wardogs around the corner to the entrance of my fortress to take care of any weak enemys who can avoid traps, is this a bad use for them?

A trap with one large serrated disc and one spiked ball (plus maybe a goblinite halberd or pike) almost always kills invaders, or at least frightens them enough to run away. It doesn't mince them into a fine red paste like it does if you have 5 of each, but a gobbo or troll with "only" two limbs cut off is still not long for this world. And if they dodge, by putting only 2 weapons in each trap instead of 10 I can afford to have far more traps. Plus they don't jam as often, as I mentioned.

That's a great use for war dogs. I do the same. Don't expect them to hold off actual attacks though; put them behind the traps (and around a corner to stymie bowgoblins) so that they only ever see lightly-armed thieves and snatchers.

Or in the event of a really serious siege, buy enough time for your 90 man strong military to form up

[Sting_Auer]

*Ahem*

Cage traps.

That is all.

[Zahariel]

Cage traps are actually sometimes a problem because of the idiosyncrasies of goblin pathfinding. To wit: Goblin soldiers always follow their captain, who helps them find a way into the fortress. If the captain gets caught in a cage trap, his squaddies will all just stand around him instead of charging lemming-like into the rest of your traps. This is because the captain is still alive, although imprisoned, so the rest of the goblins still follow him rather than doing their own pathfinding. They will stay there, without advancing or retreating, for a long, long time before giving up. Unless you send the militia into harm's way, of course, thus completely defeating the point of the traps in the first place.

Cage traps are pretty good at the end of the deathtrap area to catch that one lucky gobbo that managed to dodge or parry every single trap on the way in. This doesn't happen that often though until you're considered dangerous enough to get full squadrons of chosen warriors; normal goblins don't have high enough skills to have a meaningful chance of surviving multiple traps.

[Fredd]

The big thing to remember, is that a ambush will path to any citizen of the fort, either a dorf or a animal. With the entrances closed via drawbridges, nothing is getting in. With a little engineering, you can set a ambush alert outside the fort, by dumping a animal into a pit, which consists of walls and a pet proof door. Also a drawbridge to reset it after ambush is sprung.
 The ambushers kill the animal, the ambush is sprung, You then ready your corridor of doom for the unwelcome visitors. Since you can see them now, a long winding corridor will give you enough time to close the exit, and entrance. Disposal method is up to you.I prefer a nice drowning trap

[Loud Whispers]

Fun fact, it's possible to track ambushers using lots, and LOTS of doors.

[UnexpectedSalad]

I've got another question.

I'm on my new fortress at this volcano and theres only two flat-ish areas very high up where I've constructed my entrance to my fortress.

About 30-40 levels down is a very large flat area near a small stream, if I constructed another entrance down there and locked my first one with a drawbridge would invaders walk down to that other entrance? or just stand around infront of my locked one?

The reason I want to construct another is there isn't any room up here to improve my defences past what I currently have. I've only managed to make enough room to build a pair of small towers for my marksdwarves and a set of walls with bridges along with my hall filled with traps. But in the latest siege I had they nearly got past the traps and I've no more room for any new traps.

Good news is I've survived 3 sieges since I made this thread though! only one ended with a slightly bad amount of deaths ( 7 of my pretty good military dwarfs and 3 stupid peasants not even trying to run to the safety of the fortress. )

Could anyone offer any ideas? the mountain/volcano I'm on is practically a pyramid, minus the two small flat areas and the one medium sized one at the very bottom. I'm not sure what to do.

[Triaxx2]

Depends. If the siege appears near the lower entrance, it's more likely to head for that one. If it's near the higher entrance, they'll stand around.

[jaxler]

my advice is

FALL TRAPS HUNDREDS OF FEET OF FALL TRAP!!!

yes the best thing sense cage traps, you need nothing but fall traps drawbridge over a 100 foot deep drop to death its perfect YOU NEED THIS TRAP IT WILL KILL ALL GOBLINS and then you get there armor FOR FREE.

I can use this trap for anything and it will kill anything

if you need to be 100% safe from all things green then fall traps, though those flying bats might just get you... in which case see
http://df.magmawiki.com/index.php/Large,_serrated_disc  these will kill all things, also you can use glass

[Garath]

if you close a gate where invaders were heading for, they will hang around doing nothing, untill one says "hey, lets try the back door, it's still open"

presure plates wired to some harmless things can alert you to ambushes as well
"spike one just popped up, visitors from the north east."

[dakenho]

When a good time to start creating the military is? I relied on traps up till this point, figured out the military thing but they where not well trained or equiped enough.

Day 1. The first thing coming out of your carpenter workshop shouldnt be a bed, barrel or bin but a SHIELD.

I do not typically go this far but he is correct, you should always have your military on the brain, although 80 dwarfs are required to get siege. many a fortress can fall to ambushes.     I tend to find my fortress stabilizing some place between 14 and 20 dwarfs, which is about when I hope to start.   a war dog and making my wood cutter a military dwarf seems to work till then

[Loud Whispers]

When a good time to start creating the military is? I relied on traps up till this point, figured out the military thing but they where not well trained or equiped enough.

Day 1. The first thing coming out of your carpenter workshop shouldnt be a bed, barrel or bin but a SHIELD.

I do not typically go this far but he is correct, you should always have your military on the brain, although 80 dwarfs are required to get siege. many a fortress can fall to ambushes.     I tend to find my fortress stabilizing some place between 14 and 20 dwarfs, which is about when I hope to start.   a war dog and making my wood cutter a military dwarf seems to work till then

I've had Kobolds, Elves and Mandrills all ambush me at the same time with a population of thirty something Dwarves :|
The Mandrills fought the Kobolds while the Elves killed the Kobolds o-o