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Editing v0.31:Military design

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You will need:  
 
You will need:  
  
* 10 sets of bone/leather armour, or any cheap but reasonably effective armour you can get your hands on... it does not have to be anything pretty... suggestions on armour can be found further below
+
<br />
* 10 melee weapons, axes work great and make these dwarves additionally useful as cave woodcutters later on, spears only work for military and hammers if you plan to draft the survivors as future marks-dwarves. If you can try to mix axes spears and hammers though... crossbows or any ranged weapon + ammo takes too long to set up for it to be useful and most importantly, DO NOT USE TRAINING WEAPONS!  
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- 10 sets of bone/leather armour, or any cheap but reasonably effective armour you can get your hands on... it does not have to be anything pretty... suggestions on armour can be found further below
* 10 expendable dwarves... really important is to have as close to 10 as possible (+10 is overkill, 9 or 8 works, 5 or 3 does not...) their stats do not matter other than you do not want to use your best dwarves for this, use peasants/cheesemakers that have no or only 1 or 2 friends, become ill quickly, heal slow or are weak and flimsy.
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<br />
* 1 bed or other "barracks" building (armor stands, weapon racks etc etc all work)
+
- 10 melee weapons, axes work great and make these dwarves additionally useful as cave woodcutters later on, spears only work for military and hammers if you plan to draft the survivors as future marks-dwarves. If you can try to mix axes spears and hammers though... crossbows or any ranged weapon + ammo takes too long to set up for it to be useful and most importantly, DO NOT USE TRAINING WEAPONS!  
 +
<br />
 +
- 10 expendable dwarves... really important is to have as close to 10 as possible (+10 is overkill, 9 or 8 works, 5 or 3 does not...) their stats do not matter other than you do not want to use your best dwarves for this, use peasants/cheesemakers that have no or only 1 or 2 friends, become ill quickly, heal slow or are weak and flimsy.
 +
<br />
 +
- 1 bed or other "barracks" building (armor stands, weapon racks etc etc all work)
 +
<br />
  
 
Lets start!
 
Lets start!
 
<br />
 
<br />
# Make a 10 man squad in the [[military|panel]], the sole purpose of this squad is to prevent an early goblin attack to cripple your military before its even trained and equipped properly. Try to pick people with as few friends as possible for this, it does not matter if they are flimsy in stats or if they are extremely susceptible to disease, we literally do not expect these dwarves to survive a decent siege.
+
'''1 A:''' Make a 10 man squad in the [[military|panel]], the sole purpose of this squad is to prevent an early goblin attack to cripple your military before its even trained and equipped properly
# Assign them the predefined "leather armour" uniform in the military panel by pressing (or make your own cheap and fast uniform, anything you have fast on hand is good, even metals if you brought it with embark, have an anvil, wood, and have enough of it). If you do not have everything for the uniform for every dwarf then stick to leather and bone, and let a dwarf or 2 be dedicated solely to crafting everything those cannon fodder dwarves need, once they trained crafting stats you can use them to craft the leather parts of the armour the "real" military squad is going to need.
+
try to pick people with as few friends as possible for this, it does not matter if they are flimsy in stats or if they are extremely susceptible to disease, we literally do not expect these dwarves to survive a decent siege.
# Once you have your 10 man "Suicide Squad", make a barracks with your barracks item (bed, armour stand weapon rack etc...) next to your entrance or next to your most busy area (preferably outside) and assign our roughnecks to it, now make them active in the squad menu so they will hang around in the barracks constantly, waiting for their chums to show up for training (and sometimes even train!)
+
<br />
 +
'''1 B:''' Assign them the predefined "leather armour" uniform in the military panel by pressing  
 +
(or make your own cheap and fast uniform, anything you have fast on hand is good, even metals if you brought it with embark, have an anvil, wood, and have enough of it)  
 +
If you do not have everything for the uniform for every dwarf then stick to leather and bone, and let a dwarf or 2 be dedicated solely to crafting everything those cannon fodder dwarves need, once they trained crafting stats you can use them to craft the leather parts of the armour the "real" military squad is going to need
 +
<br />
 +
'''1 C:''' Once you have your 10 man "Suicide Squad", make a barracks with your barracks item (bed, armour stand weapon rack etc...) next to your entrance or next to your most busy area (preferably outside) and assign our roughnecks to it, now make them active in the squad menu so they will hang around in the barracks constantly, waiting for their chums to show up for training (and sometimes even train!)
  
 
Try to have only 1 entrance in this stage, or at least only 1 "outside camp", it's easier to defend.
 
Try to have only 1 entrance in this stage, or at least only 1 "outside camp", it's easier to defend.
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'''You will need:'''  
 
'''You will need:'''  
* 6 Sets of decent armour, more info about it below
+
<br />
* 6 Weapons, preferable "something" like 2 spears, 2 axes and 2 hammers, if you 'really' want marksdwarves flip the hammers for crossbows and also craft some bolts but I advise against it for now.
+
-6 sets of decent armour, more info about it below
* Your roughneck squad from step 1
+
<br />
* 6 New dwarves with decent to good stats, basically anything goes as long as they are not susceptible to diseases, not weak or flimsy, do not tire fast or have some other military related traits handicap.
+
-6 weapons, preferable "something" like 2 spears, 2 axes and 2 hammers, if you 'really' want marksdwarves flip the hammers for crossbows and also craft some bolts but I advise against it for now.
 +
<br />
 +
-your roughneck squad from step 1
 +
<br />
 +
-6 new dwarves with decent to good stats, basically anything goes as long as they are not susceptible to diseases, not weak or flimsy, do not tire fast or have some other military related traits handicap
 +
<br />
 +
<br />
 +
'''2A:''' Create 2 (yes, 2...) new squads, put in each squad 3 dwarves and try to make em "compatible" (don't put dwarves that are friends or hate each other together, don't put spouses together)
 +
give them the decent armour as a uniform
  
'''Proceed to...'''
+
Now go in the schedule panel and make it so 2 dwarves minimum train year round for both squads (in other words, 1 can break from training and can eat//drink/be useful while 2 train)
# Create 2 (yes, 2...) new squads, put 3 dwarves in each squad and try to make them "compatible" (don't put dwarves that are friends or hate each other together, don't put spouses together). Give them the decent armour as their uniform. Now go in the schedule panel and make it so 2 dwarves minimum train year round for both squads. (in other words, 1 can break from training and can eat//drink/be useful while 2 train)
+
<br />
# Now make it so your roughneck squad gets some breaks in their training, something like only half of them have to train each month, so they can be used as haulers or whatever you need dwarves for at this point... If you haven't gotten an ambush by now expect one to show up any day, defend with your roughneck squads only, keep your conscripts as last resort and preferably never counter-attack any enemy further then 20 blocks from your entrance.
+
'''2B:''' Now make it so your roughneck squad gets some breaks in their training, something like only half of them have to train each month, so they can be used as haulers or whatever you need dwarves for at this point...
 +
if you haven't gotten an ambush by now expect one to show up any day, defend with your roughneck squads only, keep your conscripts as last resort and preferably never counter-attack any enemy further then 20 blocks from your entrance
  
 
== Step 3: Standing army ==
 
== Step 3: Standing army ==
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'''You will need:'''  
 
'''You will need:'''  
  
* Your roughneck squad (if some survived)
+
<br />
* Your 2 "conscript" squads
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- your roughneck squad (if some survived)
* 3 or so more decent armour sets
+
<br />
* 3 or so crossbows and for each crossbow 1 quiver
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- your 2 "conscript" squads
* Minimum of 100 bone bolts or 50 metal ones and 200 wooden bolts per crossbow
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<br />
* Flasks and backpacks for everyone
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- 3 or so more decent armour sets
* 3 Archery targets
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<br />
'''Proceed to...'''
+
- 3 or so crossbows and for each crossbow 1 quiver
#* Once your 2 squads of 3 dwarves with decent armour show they are battle worthy (at least "competent" at their weapon and armour but more is better), take out 1 dwarf from each squad, and put them in a new 3rd squad (set the new squad up just like the other 2). Disband your roughneck squad if some survived up until now and spread them over the 3 squads evenly, make sure you are not using any seriously wounded dwarves!  
+
<br />
#* Add in 1 new dwarf in each squad, give him a crossbow and decent armour. Try to aim for at least 3 squads at this time, each holding 2 melee dwarves and 1 crossbow dwarf.  
+
- minimum of 100 bone bolts or 50 metal ones and 200 wooden bolts per crossbow
#* Make lots of wood bolts and some bone or metal bolts, metal is by far better but can still be too costly at this point, bone bolts are very easy to make and do reasonable damage but come in small stacks...
+
<br />
# Now set those marksdwarves to carry the bone or metal bolts for combat in the ammunition panel and the wooden for training, a total of 100 combat and 200 training bolts will do, be sure to make a quiver! This is also a good time to be making backpacks and flasks for each of your military dwarves.
+
- flasks and backpacks for everyone
# Make sure any squad is set so 2/3th is training while 1/3 is off duty throughout the year, keep check on your bolt supplies and any medical "incidents".
+
<br />
 +
- 3 archery targets
 +
<br />
 +
<br />
 +
'''3A:''' once your 2 squads of 3 dwarves with decent armour show they are battle worthy (at least "competent" at their weapon and armour but more is better) .
 +
 
 +
Take out 1 dwarf from each squad, and put them in a new 3th squad (set the new squad up just like the other 2).
 +
 
 +
Disband your roughneck squad if some survived up until now and spread them over the 3 squads evenly, make sure you are not using any seriously wounded dwarves!  
 +
 
 +
Add in 1 new dwarf in each squad, give him a crossbow and decent armour.
 +
 
 +
Try to aim for at least 3 squads at this time, each holding 2 melee dwarves and 1 crossbow dwarf.
 +
 
 +
Make lots of wood bolts and some bone or metal bolts, metal is by far better but can still be too costly at this point, bone bolts are very easy to make and do reasonable damage but come in small stacks...
 +
<br />
 +
'''3B:''' Now set those marksdwarves to carry the bone or metal bolts for combat in the ammunition panel and the wooden for training, a total of 100 combat and 200 training bolts will do, be sure to make a quiver! this is also a good time to be making backpacks and flasks for each of your military dwarves.
 +
<br />
 +
'''3C:''' Make sure any squad is set so 2/3th is training while 1/3 is off duty throughout the year, keep check on your bolt supplies and any medical "incidents".
  
 
Once a squad has reached "talented" for everyone, start melting 2 squads together, but keep the basic makeup of 3 melee dwarves for every 1 marksdwarf in each squad, add in a fortress guard of weak and flimsy dwarves that wear the same armour as our roughneck squad, but also get crap wooden crossbows (so they suck at melee, they will beat people with them occasionally and you dont want your dwarves to die from them).
 
Once a squad has reached "talented" for everyone, start melting 2 squads together, but keep the basic makeup of 3 melee dwarves for every 1 marksdwarf in each squad, add in a fortress guard of weak and flimsy dwarves that wear the same armour as our roughneck squad, but also get crap wooden crossbows (so they suck at melee, they will beat people with them occasionally and you dont want your dwarves to die from them).

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