Editing v0.31:Block

{{quality|Exceptional|15:59, 30 September 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}

:''For area blocks of 48x48 tiles on a game map, see {{L|Region}}.''
:''For "blocking" in combat, see {{L|Armor}}.''

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A '''block''' is a type of building material. {{L|Stone}} and {{L|wood}} can be shaped into blocks at a {{L|mason's workshop}} or {{L|carpenter's workshop}}.  {{L|Glass}} can be formed as blocks at a {{L|glass furnace}}, and {{L|metal}} blocks can be made at a {{L|forge}} from a single metal {{L|bar}} (or, in the case of {{L|adamantine}}, from '''four''' wafers).  Blocks do not have {{L|quality}} levels.

A single block is required in order to build a {{L|well}}, {{L|screw pump}}, or {{L|ashery}}. Blocks can also be used in place of raw stone or wood in {{L|road}}s, {{L|bridge}}s, {{L|workshop}}s and {{L|construction}}s (but not in items like {{L|craft}}s or {{L|furniture}}).  Stone blocks are sometimes used as materials during {{L|strange mood}}s.

==Blocks vs Rocks==

Building a bridge out of blocks instead of rocks cuts the building time by two thirds, independent of clearing and hauling time.  This difference in building time presumably extends to other buildings and constructions where you can choose between blocks and rocks.

Blocks, unlike raw stone or wood, can stack in {{L|bin}}s in bar/block {{L|stockpile}}s.

Blocks are more valuable than rocks.  Blocks have a {{L|Value#Items with material but without quality|base value}} of 5, compared to the raw material value of 3 for stone, wood or glass.  Metal bars already have a base value of 5.

{{L|Bridge}}s, {{L|pillar}}s, {{L|road}}s, and {{L|construction}}s built from rocks are called "rough" while the same built from blocks are not given that adjective.

Some players prefer to build workshops from blocks instead of rocks to avoid a surprising feature of forbidding.  Players often want to control which types of stones their workers use, especially at {{L|mason's workshop}}s and {{L|mechanic's workshop}}s, to control the color of the resulting furniture.  One way to achieve that control is by mass forbidding whole types of rocks from the {{L|stocks}} menu.  But if you forbid the stone (or block) that a workshop is made of, then that workshop will no longer function.  So a player forbidding stones to produce a particular color of chair or lever is often surprised when other seemingly workshops suddenly stop working.  Building workshops exclusively from blocks allows the player to mass forbid rocks from the stocks screen without encountering this problem. Building out of blocks also increases the value of the workshop, which increases the {{l|wealth}} of your fortress.

Blocks of {{L|flux}} '''cannot''' be used for making {{L|steel}}.

{{Category|Materials}}