Dwarf Fortress > DF Dwarf Mode Discussion

Militia Defense: Giving EVERYONE Crossbows

(1/13) > >>

NRDL:
Wondering if this is viable.  I read in some topic that even with untrained marksman, a dozen or so shooting at the same target is like the line formation used in the era of the musket.  Innaccurate weapons, fired by inexperienced men, but in such great amounts that a hit is guaranteed.  I guess I can do this my adding everyone to the military, just inactive.  People still get weapons and ammo right?

Please give any tips and advice. 

Duuvian:
Yes. You will require a significant bolt industry though because your dwarves don't set priority to assembling a full loadout, and instead any dwarf with a quiver will take your limited number of bolts instead of a dwarf + quiver + crossbow.

Loud Whispers:
Well any application of marksdwarves really in the long term scale requires an extensive bolt industry, which granted, is actually quite easy to manage providing the resources can be found.
Personally I'd say a dozen untrained marksdwarves aren't going to win any battles by themselves, as opposed to anywhere around a dozen to 20 trained marksdwarves. But I guess that's not really fair, considering how a dozen untrained recruits isn't any better either. But let's say, the entire fortress... Yes, yes that would end every siege conceivable, barring absolute ragnarok.
Hell, you could even outfit your marksdwarf militia with any individual melee weapon on top of the crossbow, and have the literal formation fighting... Just make sure the crossbow is assigned first.

Oaktree:
I tend to draft most of my citizens in at least a partial militia - training them in dodge, fighting, and wrestling if nothing else.  I've also built large squads of marksdwarves who train up a level or two and do carry around a crossbow, quiver, and shield all the time. 

This approach does eat through bolts once you give them firing ranges or other targets to practice at.  It also gives you a local defense against intruding wildlife, snatchers and prison breaks by the held goblins.  Some bolts get tossed their way while a squad is coming from the local barracks.

All part of my approach of putting a pile of at least partially trained military back into the civilization pool when I abandon the fortress.  So when you get that Level 5 Thresher next fort he also is competent with a crossbow or another weapon and ready for a reserve military unit when he arrives - assuming you have equipment for them.

RanDomino:
I do this.  It's annoying to keep track of which squads are 'real' and which ones only exist so civilians will carry crossbows and bolts, but it works.  I'll usually build a decoy entrance (a courtyard, floodgates/bridges on either end, surrounded by fortified walkways that can be accessed from inside the fort) to trap sieges in for annihilation by the whole fort.  It's kind of like a picnic.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page