Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[mikelon]

Ive had trouble getting my marksdwarves to actually use their crossbows for shooting rather than as hammers. One recently became a legendary hammerdwarf...

Heres what ive done so far


Active training---->check
Armor----> archer
Crossbow Equipped---->check
Archery Target the right way to train---->check
Barracks assigned to them to train---->check
holding a quiver---->check
not holding anything else like a barrel---->check
the quiver has arrows?---->check
5 of them are now dead from attacking a goblin siege swinging their wooden crossbows--->check

[Kofthefens]

Turn hunting on for them. Trains nearly as fast as archery ranges, and far more productive.

Or do you mean killing goblins?
Station them instead of giving a kill order, preferably behind fortifications.

[Urist Da Vinci]

Ive had trouble getting my marksdwarves to actually use their crossbows for shooting rather than as hammers. One recently became a legendary hammerdwarf...

Heres what ive done so far


Active training---->check
Armor----> archer
Crossbow Equipped---->check
Archery Target the right way to train---->check
Barracks assigned to them to train---->check
holding a quiver---->check
not holding anything else like a barrel---->check
the quiver has arrows?---->check
5 of them are now dead from attacking a goblin siege swinging their wooden crossbows--->check

Use bolts instead of arrows?
Train only at the archery range instead of at the barracks?
Station them behind fortifications so they can't run into melee?
Don't wear armor because it slows them down?

[mikelon]

id like them to train to begin with as a dabbling marksman is basically useless

[krenshala]

id like them to train to begin with as a dabbling marksman is basically useless

Thats what the archery target is for -- training marksdwarf skills.  The barracks would be used to learn how to mash goblin faces in with the butt of the crossbow, and thus not what you (or I, for that matter) consider constructive markdwarf training.  Useful, but not what we want them to be doing.

[mikelon]

i have serveral archery targets

they refuse to use them

[krenshala]

i have serveral archery targets

they refuse to use them

Is the target configured to allow their squad to train there? (I'm assuming this is a yet, but figured I'd get the obvious out of the way.)

Do you have limitations on what type of bolts the squad can use for training versus combat? [military screen, ammunition]

Have your hunters laid claim to your entire stockpile of bolts, depriving your fledgling marksdwarf horde of their rightfully designated crossbow bolts? (I've heard some folks state that hunters allocate bolts first, then squads, though I haven't independently verified this.  i do, however, limit my hunters to 30 bolts, which may be why i haven't experienced the problem.)

[mikelon]

yep i designated the archery targets
yep, they all have bolts in their quivers. They refuse to use them

[bombzero]

Thats what the archery target is for -- training marksdwarf skills.  The barracks would be used to learn how to mash goblin faces in with the butt of the crossbow, and thus not what you (or I, for that matter) consider constructive markdwarf training.  Useful, but not what we want them to be doing.

I make Black Bronze crossbows (genesis), so its arguable which method is more effective.

[thegoatgod_pan]

There is an obvious problem in your checks, surprised no one noted it:

Active training---->check

This.

If active training is on they will train melee weapon skills at a barracks.  Turn it to inactive. Then they will train nothing but archery, and they will do so constantly--whenever they have free time (which should be always).  Just to be sure, disallow use of the normal barracks for the marksdwarf squads, otherwise your legendary ones might just linger and train useless skills anyway, out of habit.

Also make sure the archery targets are correctly oriented to shoot--I think default is right to left, adjust as appropriate

[Garath]

turn off their training at barracks - check?

they prefer to spar and watch demonstrations at a barracks instead of emptying their quivers

[Monkeyfacedprickleback]

Make archery positions. Fortifications around them to guard against bowelves/goblins. Put a two wid burrow around you positions and assign the marxdorfs to defend burrow. Make sure that there is an ammo/food stockpile in your archer burrow. Finally make sure your archers can't path to the enenies. When a marksdwarf can path to the enemy they'll charge into melee combat, Especially if they are better at using hammers then using crossbows. Also if they can path when they run out of ammo they charge in regardless of skill. If they can't path they go get more ammo an continue firing.

[Garath]

if you captured some gobbos, take their weapons and put them in a slaughter room, your marksdwarfs will have no choice but to shoot and will level up a lot faster. This also works on many wild animals

[Loud Whispers]

This.

If active training is on they will train melee weapon skills at a barracks.  Turn it to inactive. Then they will train nothing but archery, and they will do so constantly--whenever they have free time (which should be always).  Just to be sure, disallow use of the normal barracks for the marksdwarf squads, otherwise your legendary ones might just linger and train useless skills anyway, out of habit.

Also make sure the archery targets are correctly oriented to shoot--I think default is right to left, adjust as appropriate

My on duty Marksmen still train at the archery range... So no. Although making sure the archery targets are correctly oriented is the biggest problem I've seen so far in getting them to train. Also, make sure you have individual targets set as rooms for each squad member you'll need to train.

[Broseph Stalin]

I make Black Bronze crossbows (genesis), so its arguable which method is more effective.

Unrelated but Genesis crossbows have bayonets so making them out of edge metals is actually better than dense metals.