Editing 40d:Dwarven weapon

There are only 7 [[weapon]]s that dwarves can manufacture in [[Fortress mode]].  Although they can wield others (gained from dead [[invader]]s or [[trade]]), these seven are considered the "'''basic dwarven weapons'''", as opposed to [[other weapon]]s.  

For melee combat, these are the...

:* '''battle axe'''
:* '''mace'''
:* '''pick'''
:* '''short sword'''
:* '''spear'''
:* '''war hammer'''  

...and also the [[crossbow]], which can be used for both ranged attacks and, if/when necessary, melee combat as well.  

Each of these weapons is governed by its own skill - [[axeman]] (aka "axedwarf") for axes, [[maceman]] skill for maces, etc. etc. - which also govern (most) [[other weapon]]s.  As with any weapon, both [[material]] and [[quality]] have an influence on their effectiveness in [[combat]].

All weapons can be manufactured at a [[metalsmith's forge]] by a dwarf with the [[weaponsmith]] [[labour]] enabled, and using that [[skill]], with one [[bar]] of a [[weapons-grade]] metal.  (Shortswords can also be made from [[obsidian]] with a [[wood]]en handle - see below.)

''In [[Adventure mode]], this distinction is nearly meaningless, as adventurers (dwarven or otherwise) don't need to manufacture their own weapons, and are not nearly as limited in what they can wield. (See [[weapon]] for a full discussion of the mechanics behind all weapons.)''

==Weapon Statistics==
{|cellpadding="2" border="1" class="wikitable sortable"
! Name !! Damage !! Damage Type !! Skill Used !! Crit. Boost 
|-
| Battle axe || 110 || [[Slash]] || Axe || none
|-
| Mace || 120 || [[Bludgeon]] || Mace || none
|-
| Pick]]&dagger; || 70 || [[Pierce]] || Mining || +2
|-
| Short sword || 100 || [[Slash]] || Sword || +1
|-
| Spear || 100 || [[Pierce]] || Spear || +2
|-
| War hammer || 120 || [[Bludgeon]] || Hammer || none
|-
|-
| [[Crossbow]] (melee only)&dagger; || 70 || [[Bludgeon]] || Hammer || none
|-
| Crossbow [[bolt]] || 100 || [[Pierce]] || Marskdwarf || none
|}
&dagger; ''Dwarves wield weapon two-handed (set number of weapons to 2 in fort mode ({{k|v}}-{{k|p}}-{{k|s}}-{{k|m}}))''

==Melee weapons==
===Battle axe===
A '''battle axe''' is both a [[weapon]] and a tool for [[wood cutting]].  Without at least one battle axe, your fortress will be unable to cut down any [[trees]] for [[wood]].  

They do [[slashing]] damage, which tends to sever limbs (or heads) on criticals. All axes are equally good at cutting down trees, but stronger metals or those of higher [[item quality]] will do more [[damage]] in [[combat]].

[[Wood cutter]]s who [[immigration|immigrate]] to your fort will often come with an axe of some type.  When [[starting build|starting a new fort]], however, you must decide whether or not to "buy" axes out of your starting points for your woodcutters (and early protection).  An alternative is to take the necessary raw materials and [[Make your own weapons|forge axes on site]]; this is ''much'' cheaper than buying the actual axe, if you are going to bring along the anvil anyway.  The only axes available on embark screen are steel ones, which are expensive at 300 starting-points each, and are only available as standard [[quality]] (the lowest).

Any [[dwarf]] that performs wood cutting will pick up an axe (if one is available) and not put it down until they are no longer assigned the Wood Cutting [[labor]], whether or not any trees are [[designate]]d for cutting.  You can make use of this to arm many (or all) of your non-[[military]] dwarves with axes, although if you do a section of trees for wood-cutting ( {{key|d}}, {{key|t}} ), all those dwarves will soon rush out to cut them down.


=== Mace === 

Does the same [[damage]] as the war hammer, tied for the highest among these weapons. Uses the [[maceman]] skill.


=== Pick === 

A '''pick''' is a tool used by [[dwarves]] to [[mining|mine]] areas you have designated for mining.  Dwarves without picks cannot mine.  Picks can be made from [[copper]], [[bronze]], [[bismuth bronze]], [[iron]], [[steel]] or [[adamantine]].  The [[material]] used only affects the weight of the pick and the damage it deals when used in combat; mining speed and product are not affected by material nor quality of the pick.

[[Miner]]s can use picks as [[weapon]]s using their mining skill.  Only a dwarf who is set to fight "unarmed" and who is holding a pick at the time he or she is drafted will use it in combat.  Picks may appear (and are) weaker than proper weapons like spears or axes, but are still amply effective in the hands of a highly skilled miner.

Picks can be obtained through [[trade]] with [[Dwarves]] or [[Humans]], can be created at a [[Metalsmith's Forge]] by a dwarf with the [[Weaponsmithing]] labor enabled, and are also available on the Fortress Mode embarkation screen.


=== Short sword === 

The '''short sword''' does [[slashing]] damage, which tends to sever limbs (or heads) on criticals.

==== Stone short sword ====
Stone short swords can be made from [[obsidian]] at a [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]], and make a great alternate weapon if you are short on [[Weapon#Material_damage_modifiers|weapons-grade metal]]s. 

These deal the same damage as [[steel]], so they are extremely useful for early military and [[trap]]s. However, they require one unit of [[wood]] and one unit of [[obsidian]] in their construction, which may not be available in abundance on many maps. They are produced with the [[Stonecrafter]] skill, not [[Weaponsmith]], and are produced in a Craftsdwarf's workshop.

Unwanted low quality short swords can be assigned to weapon [[trap]]s, which can hold up to 10 of any combination of weapons each.

According to [[Toady One]], the weapons are supposed to wear very quickly but this functionality has not yet been implemented.{{version|0.28.181.40d}}

''(They are most likely based on Aztec [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macuahuitl Macuahuitl.] The weapons are described as being clubs with a sharp stone edge affixed to the side.)''


=== Spear === 

'''Spears''' do [[piercing]] damage, which tends to destroy organs (if the opponent has any) on criticals.  A spear's critical boost is tied with the highest of any melee weapon, making them potentially quite lethal. Spears are more likely to get stuck in enemies than [[sword]]s. They are also less likely to dismember enemies, leaving fewer [[Chunks|body parts]] for the [[dwarf]]s to clean up. 

Occasionally [[elf|elven]] traders may have [[wood]]en spears to sell.

Besides the usual weapons traps, spears can also be used in [[Trap|upright spear traps]].


=== War hammer === 

A '''war hammer''' is a hammer designed for combat purposes, and uses the [[Hammerdwarf]] skill.

War hammers deal a base damage of 120, the highest of the basic dwarven weapons. They deal [[bludgeon]]ing damage, and therefore have a higher chance of breaking body parts, and a low (if any) chance of severing limbs. They have a Critical boost stat of 0, as compared to 1 for [[Short sword]]s and 2 for [[Spear]]s, which means that they are not as likely to create such injuries as some other weapons.

War hammers are also used by the [[Hammerer]] to dispense [[justice]].

== Crossbow ==

The crossbow has a range of 20 tiles, and is quite deadly against any creature with internal organs.  Missile accuracy is improved by the quality of the weapon, but damage is based on the quality and material of the bolt.  If a [[marksdwarf]] is pressed to fight hand-to-hand with an opponent, they will use their crossbow as a [[bludgeon]] weapon, using the [[hammerdwarf]] skill. 

See [[crossbow]] for a complete discussion.


'''See also:'''
:*[[military]]
:*[[quality]]

[[Category:Weapons]]
[[Category:military]]