Trap component

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v53.10 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

Any weapon in fortress mode can be placed into a weapon trap, as constructed by a Mechanic. However, there are five trap components (aka trap weapons), that are specifically for weapon traps (and two also have additional uses). As with any weapon, a total of up to 10 of these can be put in a single weapon trap, creating a true "Indiana Jones" type of threat to beasts of any size, and potentially simply making a fine mince (or paste, depending on the weapons) of lesser creatures. However, trap components lack hand-held weapons' enhanced durability and can break after hitting only about 4 invaders (whereas a copper pick could deliver thousands of hits and keep swinging). The exception to this is upright spikes, which take less wear than other components, or even zero, depending on material.

In the order they appear on the various menus, they are the enormous corkscrew, the giant axe blade, the large, serrated disc, the menacing spike, and the spiked ball.

All trap component weapons can be made out of metals (by a weaponsmith) or glass (by a glassmaker), with appropriate damage. Three can also be made out of wood by a carpenter (as noted below), which can be useful in getting some heavy weapons traps set up before you have a steady smelting operation going, or if you are short on metal. Each trap component takes one unit of the material that you are using (e.g. Each menacing iron spike will take one bar of iron). Note that although it is not possible to make giant axe blades or serrated disks out of wood, wooden ones can sometimes be bought from the embark screen. This is presumably a bug.

Trap weapons also provide the highest return of any weapon for melting, 120%–150%, compared to 90%–120% for conventional weapons, which can be exploited for generating metal and training weaponsmiths. Trap components are a separate sub-section of a forge menu (where metal mechanisms can also be found), but found within the menus for the various glass types in the glass furnace, or in the main menu of the carpenter's workshop.

Trap weapons

There is no single "best" trap weapon for all purposes. Dwarf Fortress damage is not a simple, single "biggest number is best" system; a wide variety of variables add up to make some weapons better against non-/poorly-armored targets vs. well-armored, or against "living" targets vs. undead/constructions/demons, etc. For example, while a penetrating attack (bolts, spears, spikes, corkscrews, etc.) can destroy a vital organ for a true "insta-kill", they are far less effective against creatures without vital organs (undead, some forgotten beasts) - lots to consider and balance, depending what sort of uninvited guests your fortress might expect.

All five types of trap weapons are stored in a "Weapons/trap comps" stockpile.

Giant axe blade

The giant axe blade does massive slashing damage but only strikes once per attack. If the variables behave like those of the wieldable weapons (and that's generally accepted as a safe bet), size determines mass (along with material density) and mass determines impact (BLUNT) damage. An edged weapon, like the giant axe, deals this type of damage when it is unable to penetrate armor, or if the target is large compared to its penetration depth. So, if the target is too well armored for the Axe Blade to penetrate as expected, the attack still bashes the target to some effect.

Large, serrated disc

Think of a large, serrated disc as a giant circular saw blade. In game mechanics, it is a slashing weapon, very similar to the giant axe blade, although a smaller attack. However, they attack three times when a trap is triggered, giving them a very high damage potential.

They also have a tendency to sever their target's limbs, often multiples of limbs. While amusing and a nice combat handicap to give an intruder, this can create a wave of hauling tasks for your citizens as they go out to your welcome halls to move multiple severed macaque or kobold body parts from each original combatant to a butcher's shop or refuse pile. War is hell.

Axe Blade vs. Serrated Disc

This is very subjective; weapon material* and quality, target armor quality/material*, and target size, all play a factor. Due to its larger size, the single attack of the Axe Blade is stronger than each of the large, serrated disc's three attacks. However, a serrated disc's multiple attacks will outweigh the giant axe blade's advantage against no-/poorly-armored targets. However, if the target is leaning toward the "tank" category, the Large Blade is better to deliver at least some damage through that armor. If only inferior materials are available, the giant axe might be better at hurting armored targets, and any very large targets, but the disc's three attacks probably still outweigh this advantage in most cases.

(* see the "Superior Metal Rule")

Spiked ball

The spiked ball doesn't deal a blunt* attack at all, but it does do three piercing* attacks with its spikes. Like the menacing spike, it has only a small contact area, but has a very low penetration depth compared to the menacing spike.

Low penetration depth piercing attacks can still break bones with impact damage, just like blunt attacks do. In addition, if a weapon is unable to cut the material of the target's armor, its attack is converted to blunt type. Because the small contact area concentrates the force, spiked balls should be more effective against targets in superior armor than either serrated discs or giant axes.

Spiked balls can also be made from wood.

(* see Attack types for more information)

Enormous corkscrew

Enormous corkscrews can be used as components in traps as well as for screw pumps. As a result, the corkscrews from unneeded screw pumps can be used to make serviceable weapon traps.

The enormous corkscrew performs a deeply penetrating attack with a small contact area, much like the menacing spike. It is currently unknown which of these two trap components is the strongest overall.

Enormous corkscrews can also be made from wood.

Menacing spike

The menacing spike has 3 distinct applications as a "trap weapon". It can be mounted in traditional weapon traps, as any of the others above. It can also be placed upright at the bottom of a pit, to add to the falling damage. Lastly, it can be incorporated into an automated upright spike traps, a more elaborate engineering project which automatically thrusts the spike upward as a target walks over it, preferably multiple times. Its small contact size and high penetration depth makes it a solid choice against enemies with impale-able internal organs.

Menacing spikes can also be made from wood.

Data & comparison

Name	Graphic	Size	Number of hits	Contact Area	Penetration Depth	Wood?	Base Value
Giant axe blade		1600	1	100000	10000	No	10
Enormous corkscrew †		1600	1	100	10000	Yes	10
Spiked ball		1000	3	10	200	Yes	10
Large, serrated disc		1000	3	100000	10000	No	10
Menacing spike ‡		1600	1	10	6000	Yes	10

† This trap component can also be used in screw pumps.
‡ This trap component can also be used in upright spike traps.

(Most of this data has been compiled from raw/objects/item_trapcomp.txt)

Forging and melting

Metal giant axe blades, enormous corkscrews and menacing spikes cost one metal bar to forge, or five adamantine wafers.

• When a metal version is melted down, it will return 1.5 metal bars, for an efficiency of 150%.
• When an adamantine version is melted down, it will produce 1.5 wafers, for an efficiency of 30%.

Metal spiked balls and serrated discs cost one metal bar to forge, or four adamantine wafers.

• When a metal version is melted down, it will return 1.2 metal bars, for an efficiency of 120%.
• When an adamantine version is melted down, it will produce 1.2 wafers, for an efficiency of 30%

See also

• Weapon
• Trap

Raws

item_trapcomp [OBJECT:ITEM] [ITEM_TRAPCOMP:ITEM_TRAPCOMP_GIANTAXEBLADE] [NAME:axe blade:axe blades] [ADJECTIVE:giant] [SIZE:1600] [HITS:1] [MATERIAL_SIZE:5] [METAL] [ATTACK:EDGE:100000:10000:slash:slashes:NO_SUB:1000] [ITEM_TRAPCOMP:ITEM_TRAPCOMP_ENORMOUSCORKSCREW] [NAME:corkscrew:corkscrews] [ADJECTIVE:enormous] [SIZE:1600] [HITS:1] [MATERIAL_SIZE:5] [IS_SCREW] [WOOD] [METAL] [ATTACK:EDGE:100:10000:drill:drills:NO_SUB:1000] [ITEM_TRAPCOMP:ITEM_TRAPCOMP_SPIKEDBALL] [NAME:ball:balls] [ADJECTIVE:spiked] [SIZE:1000] [HITS:3] [MATERIAL_SIZE:4] [WOOD] [METAL] [ATTACK:EDGE:10:200:strike:strikes:NO_SUB:1000] [ITEM_TRAPCOMP:ITEM_TRAPCOMP_LARGESERRATEDDISC] [NAME:disc:discs] [ADJECTIVE:large, serrated] [SIZE:1000] [HITS:3] [MATERIAL_SIZE:4] [METAL] [ATTACK:EDGE:100000:10000:saw:saws:NO_SUB:1000] [ITEM_TRAPCOMP:ITEM_TRAPCOMP_MENACINGSPIKE] [NAME:spike:spikes] [ADJECTIVE:menacing] [SIZE:1600] [HITS:1] [MATERIAL_SIZE:5] [IS_SPIKE] [WOOD] [METAL] [ATTACK:EDGE:10:6000:stab:stabs:NO_SUB:1000]