Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

Training

2023-11-28T07:19:49Z

Fph: Added remark that all weaposn are safe (while avoiding spoilers)

{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
:''This article is about training the dwarven military in fortress mode.''
:* ''For information on training [[creature|animals]], see [[Animal trainer]]. ''
:* ''For information on training [[attribute]]s, see [[Cross-training]].''
:* ''For information on training [[skill]]s, see [[Experience]].''

Outside of actual mortal combat, '''training''' is how you improve the [[combat skill]]s of your [[soldier]]s in [[fortress mode]]. Training takes many forms, from a solo practice to group sparring, from individual instruction to actual live combat in a controlled, (hopefully) non-dangerous environment.

== Organized squad training ==
Military training takes place in [[barracks]] in the form of group demonstrations, individual training and sparring, and in [[archery range]]s for [[Advanced marksdwarf training guide|Archery training]].

* '''Demonstrations''' are group training sessions for a specific skill, led by a teacher with experience in that skill and observed by one or more squad members. Demonstrations need to be [[organizer|organized]] and require that all are students present for the demonstration to begin, those already present will wait or do individual training until that happens. In addition to the skill demonstrated, dwarves gain some [[teacher]] and [[student]] experience, causing future demonstrations to become more effective.

: Dwarves will only attend a demonstration if it teaches a fighting skill or the weapon they're currently equipped with (that is to say, if you have a squad of two dwarves, one with a spear, and one with an axe, you'll never get axe or spear demonstrations). Ranged dwarves will attend demonstrations for their weapons base skill; so marksdwarves will attend hammer demonstrations with archery demonstrations happening rarely. They will also start and attend wrestling demonstrations as all dwarves can wrestle; this is also why wrestling levels up as fast as it does via demonstrations; a dwarf can always wrestle.[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=150534.0]

: When a squad leader completes a demonstration, it fulfils the "help somebody" [[need]].

* '''Sparring''' is a form of practice melee [[combat]] performed by two or more members of a squad, and possibly others choosing to watch the match. Sparring is a mostly-safe way to get experienced soldiers. Sparring appears to train every usable combat skill (weapon, Fighting, Wrestling, Discipline, etc.) even when dwarves have weapons equipped. Sparring tends to confer skill increases faster than Demonstrations. Despite their name, [[training weapon]]s are not necessary for this purpose: all weapons are safe for sparring, even the sharpest of short swords. So there is no need to change weapon assignment.

: Dwarves will only begin sparring when there are at least 2 dwarves with at least 'competent' skill level in their [[fighter]] skill. It appears that Dwarves with unequal skill levels ''will'' spar, but not frequently. If two dwarves are very close in skill levels, they spar much more frequently, this may be maximized by using position assigning.[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=150534.0] It is currently believed that the best way to encourage sparring (rather than demonstrations) is to use 2 (or 3)-dwarf squads for training. Both dwarves should have the same weapon, to minimize useless cross-weapon teaching. It appears that the more experienced the training military dwarves are, the more likely they are to spar. However, sparring management is still a poorly understood science.

* '''Individual Training''' slowly improves one skill at time through self-training. Squad members may choose to conduct individual training ("Individual Combat Drill") when there is no one else to train with or on their spare time when there are no [[schedule]]d orders. The latter might be tied to [[Personality_trait|motivated]]{{verify}} and [[discipline]]d{{verify}} dwarves.

Designating a barracks and assigning a squad to train in it will allow squad members to train there individually instead of going idle, but they will never spar/demonstrate. In order to make them spar/demonstrate you need to activate the squad, either via the {{Menu icon|q}} squad menu and then clicking the 'axe' training button, or by activating a routine with training orders in the "Schedule" submenu.

=== Setup Walkthrough===
In order to train, your soldiers will need to be organized into squads. To create your first squad, a [[Militia commander|Militia Commander]] must be appointed from the {{Menu icon|n}} [[noble]]s screen. Once you have a commander, you can go to the {{Menu icon|q}} [[squad]] menu and click "Create new squad." You will be asked to pick a uniform from the default set, and your militia commander will automatically be assigned to the first squad position. You can assign more dwarves to the squad by clicking the 'positions' bearded face icon, then "Assign position X," and you can rename the squad with the 'customize name' icon: [[File:Quill.png]]. To create subsequent squads, click "Create new squad" again and select a uniform, then assign dwarves to the squad. The first position in these subsequent squads will have the title [[militia captain]].

You can directly assign a squad to train constantly with [[Squads#Orders|active orders]]. For a more complex passive training regimen, you need to [[schedule]] the squad to train. This is accomplished by opening the {{Menu icon|q}} squad menu, selecting an existing squad or squads with the checkbox next to their name(s), and clicking "Schedule." From here you can assign the squad to "Staggered Training," "Constant Training," or establish a more complex routine.

Now open the {{Menu icon|z}} [[zone]] menu and begin designating a "[[Barracks]]" by clicking the blue banner icon. Select an area on the map to define the barracks' boundaries and click "Accept." [[Bed]]s, [[weapon rack]]s, [[container]]s, and/or [[armor stand]]s are all useful within a barracks, and you may consider designating your zone around some of those pieces of furniture, but they are not necessary to begin training. While still in the {{Menu icon|z}} zone menu, click the barracks zone you just made and look at the barracks configuration menu which appears. From here, you can click the 'choose squads' button, which is a blue banner with a plus, and begin assigning squads to use the barracks by clicking the 'training' axe button next to the squad name. Now your squad is set to begin training, and has a place to train in.

A squad set to the default "Constant Training" routine (or a more complicated schedule using the advanced calendar system) will train in their assigned barracks. A squad with active orders delivered through the squad menu will carry out those orders, taking breaks to eat or sleep, but will not stop following another order to train.

#[[Squad#Forming_Squads|Form a squad]] with members (equip with whatever armor and weapons you like)
#Designate a [[barracks]] and have the squad set to train there.
#Using the {{Menu icon|q}} [[squad]] "[[Scheduling|Schedule]]" system, assign the squad to "Constant Training."

See also: [[Military F.A.Q.|Military frequent asked questions]].

=== Equipment ===
The weapons you wish your soldiers to use can be chosen through the {{Menu icon|q}} squad menu, and then the "[[Squad#Equipping_Soldiers|Equip]]" button. When soldiers spar or perform weapon drills, they practice (and thereby gain experience) with whatever [[weapon]] (plus [[armor]] and [[shield]] in the case of sparring) they currently have equipped. Your soldiers will ''eventually'' pick up the equipment assigned in the equipment menu, though it is not uncommon to find them wandering around weaponless and half-armored when first drafted. Aside from a few specific circumstances, [[wood]]en [[training weapon]]s are not necessary for training, and can actually be counterproductive.

==Other Notes==
=== Injury===
Dwarves do not hurt each other directly while sparring with any type of weapon. They can however have accidents due to certain Wrestling move(s), namely throwing. A thrown dwarf may skid along the ground and sustain injury. It can be lethal to a dwarf if their head skids on the ground or they slam into a wall, so have your sparring dwarves wear helmets and spar in open rooms. '''Note:''' ''all'' sparring dwarves may decide to do a bit of Wrestling, even if they have weapons equipped.

Also make sure they have a safe environment to train in. Avoid having your barracks near high cliffs, [[stairs]], open water, and [[well]]s because dwarves have a habit of dodging off of cliffs and injuring themselves or dodging into water and becoming stunned, which leads to drowning. Also, dwarves can dodge up one level if they are next to a wall. Make sure they can walk back down or build a roof, because otherwise you risk a military dwarf trapping himself and starving to death.

Due to a bug, dwarves can teleport through at least two solid wall tiles when using charge attacks.{{bug|7444}} To avoid problems, barracks should not be located close to cisterns, pits, magma reservoirs, sealed-off areas, or any other potential danger.

===Default Schedule===
The default Off Duty routine tells the squad to remain in civilian clothes and does not tell them to actively train. This can be changed from the [[Scheduling]] menu, if for some reason you only want part of a squad to train, or only to train during certain months, etc.

===Happy Soldiers===
Be kind to your soldiers. Civilians with no military experience will get bad [[thought]]s from going on duty. Soldiers will get a bad thought when going ''off'' duty if they don't have any civilian skills (if their title becomes "peasant"). In either case, [[cross-training]] can raise attributes while providing a larger and more flexible military.

=== [[Live training]] on disarmed prisoners ===
A very effective way to train your dwarves is to equip them with [[training weapon]]s and full armor and let them fight unarmed prisoners. This allows your dwarves to be "attacked" in real combat with relative safety, increasing their defensive skills rapidly. In other words: if you're interested in having your dwarves quickly train as Dodgers, Armor Users and Shield Users, it'll be worth the effort to set up some [[live training]] exercises. Keep in mind though that all combat in Dwarf Fortress comes with risks, and even a [[Legendary]] [[Axedwarf]] can be killed by an unlikely wrestling move or infected scratch.

See [[Cage#Remotely_opening_cages|Remotely Opening Cages]] for information on how to arrange for the training.

== See also==
* [[Archery]]
* [[Military]]

{{Military FAQ}}
{{Category|Jobs}}
[[ru:Training]]

Weapon

2023-11-27T17:28:55Z

Fph: /* Ranged weapons */

{{av}}
:''This page deals entirely with manufactured weapons. For natural weapons, see [[Natural weapon]].''
[[File:weapons_sprites_preview.png|right]]A '''weapon''', in the sense described on this page, is any [[item]] specifically designed to be wielded in [[combat]] against others. In [[fortress mode]], weapons can be made at a [[metalsmith's forge]] (all metal weapons, including [[crossbow]]s, and [[bolt]]s in stacks of 25) using a single bar of metal*, a [[bowyer's workshop]] ([[wood|wooden]] and [[bone]] crossbows and bolts in stacks of 25 or 5 respectively) with a single [[log]] or [[bone]], or at a [[craftsdwarf's workshop]] (obsidian short swords* only) with one stone of obsidian plus one log.

: (* No "wooden handle" is required for most non-wooden weapons. The unique [[obsidian]] option for [[short sword]]s is the sole exception to this. Any metal weapons, including short swords made from metal, need no wood for their production.)
Graphically, each weapon's color palette will change according to the material used to make them, though this is currently the case with only dwarves. With [[kobold]]s, [[human]]s and [[goblin]]s, all wielded weapons will appear as steel-made. A slight exception to this is [[elves]], where they can also appear with grown wood weapons.

Many creatures with a humanoid form ([[giant]], [[magma man|magma men]], [[animal people]], etc.), or even some non-humanoid creatures with hands can also wield weapons, which can be seen in the items tab after clicking on a creature, although their sprite will not reflect this. This is because only dwarves, humans, elves, goblins and kobolds currently have dedicated sprites to resemble what they're wearing and wielding.

== Basics ==
=== Native vs. foreign ===
In fortress mode, weapons can be split into two categories: those that you can produce, and those that you can't. [[Weaponsmith]]s can produce seven types of native weapons at a [[metalsmith's forge]], but there are also fourteen foreign weapons that can be found in the hands of enemy combatants, or bought from trading caravans (note, however, that due to bugs, several foreign weapons currently are effectively unusable by dwarves). These may use skills your dwarves are unfamiliar with, it is impossible to buy them in bulk, and they are of variable quality and material. Like all weapons, they tend to be expensive as trade goods. They may be worth using if you can secure a high-quality specimen (see [[#Quality and strange moods|Quality]] below). Since they are common for other nations, it is important to understand their properties when you have to fight enemies wielding them.

=== Types of weapons ===
{{main|Attack types}}
Mechanically, all weapon attacks are separated into "edge" and "blunt" types, although these can be further split into four practical categories:
*Slashing
*Piercing
*Crushing
*Ranged

(Weapons that are native to dwarven culture, that dwarves can create for themselves, are listed first, with ''foreign weapons'', types that must be looted off dead enemies or traded for, listed in parentheses and italics. Dwarves can use many types of foreign weapons, but finding a good-[[quality]] one is rare.)

====Slashing weapons====
* [[battle axe]]s, [[short sword]]s ''(also [[scimitar]]s, [[scourge]]s, [[great axe]]s, [[halberd]]s, [[long sword]]s and [[two-handed sword]]s)''

These work by concentrating their force along a sharp edge, allowing them to cut gashes in or to completely sever body parts. Severing is most likely when the body part's thickness is smaller than the weapon's contact edge. They make the quickest work of unarmored opponents who are not tremendously large. They are far less effective against armored targets, however, as armor will usually prevent the cutting, converting strikes into weaker blunt damage. An advantage of severing parts is that they cannot be targetted again, allowing dwarves to better focus on more vital parts.

'''Short swords''' are, generally speaking, less effective than axes. Although categorized as a "slashing" weapon, analysis of combat statistics shows that short swords also deliver piercing and bludgeoning blows (the latter from the butt-end of the handle). However, they do all of these less effectively than other weapons in those categories, making them the "Jack of all trades, master of none" weapon. However, if going against heavily armored opponents, they do have that occasional piercing attack as an advantage over axes, if only that. Also, if [[obsidian]] is available (along with spare wood), obsidian short swords can be produced outside of the usual metal industry chain of production.

====Crushing weapons====
* [[war hammer]]s, [[mace]]s, training weapon attacks (see below), melee attacks with [[crossbow]]s ''(also [[flail]]s, [[maul]]s, [[whip]]s)''

Also known as "blunt" or "bludgeoning" weapons, these work by concentrating their force behind a tiny, blunt point, (notably, war hammers have half the contact area of spears), smashing right through armor and breaking bones beneath their blows. As broken bones cause extreme pain, living creatures that can feel it will often "give in" to it and fall unconscious very quickly. Attacks against such helpless targets will always result in perfectly accurate and perfectly square strikes to the head, which will usually cause fatal brain injury. Nevertheless, blunt weapons are still slower to kill unarmored enemies than slashing weapons are.

====Piercing weapons====
* [[spear]]s, [[pick]]s, [[crossbow]] bolts ''(also [[dagger]]s, [[Pike (weapon)|pikes]], [[morningstar]], [[arrow]]s and [[blowdart]]s)''

These work by concentrating their force at a point, allowing them to punch through armor and damage internal organs. They often get stuck in the opponent, forcing their wielder to spend valuable time pulling the weapon back out between uses.

====Ranged weapons====
* [[crossbow]]s ''(also [[bow]]s and [[blowgun]]s)''

These are effectively lightweight piercing weapons which work from a distance. When opponents engage the user in melee, the users are then forced to wield these weapons as melee weapons. Bows and crossbows both do extremely bad blunt damage over a contact area 100 times as wide as a war hammer, meaning it's far less likely for them to get through armor than such weapons.

====Training weapons====

There exists one more umbrella category of weapon: the so-called "'''training weapon'''". Training weapons are wooden, and are made at a [[carpenter's workshop]]. Training axes, spears, and short swords can be constructed in fortress mode. They all do blunt impact damage, but only a tiny amount due to the poor [[material science|material properties]] of wood for a combat weapon. While every weapon is actually safe to use in [[Training|sparring]], the primary purpose of training weapons in fortress mode is to allow your dwarves to start training before you have a working metal industry. They can also be used during live combat exercises (beating upon a disarmed goblin, etc.) to extend the training session's length. Finally, they may be issued to the guards to reduce the lethality of a [[justice|criminal beating]].

=== Weapon skill ===
{{main|Combat skill#Weapon skill}}
Every type of weapon has its own associated [[military]] [[skill]]. The higher a dwarf is in his skill with a weapon, the better he will be able to use it in combat, connecting hammer blows to more advantageous sweet spots and sending spears right through enemy hearts and lungs with greater accuracy. The higher the weapon skill, the better at fighting the dwarf will be.

Once a dwarf has reached "Great" skill in a certain weapon, they become '''[weapon] lords''' for that specific weapon. They are listed as such on the [[status]] screen, will love fighting, and will no longer complain about long patrol duties. Weapon skill is trained in fighting enemies in combat, demonstrations, and combat drills, but if you leave your dwarves shield-less, a [[danger room]] will train their skill very, very quickly. Note that this does not quite work for marksdwarves - danger rooming ranged weapons increases their melee skill, increasing their hammerdwarf skill, although [[Cross-training|this may be the point]].

=== Attachment ===
A dwarf that has used a particular weapon for a long time will grow [[Attachment|attached]] to it, equipping it whenever their uniform allows them to. This is fine if they are wielding a ☼steel mace☼, but a major problem if they are wielding what is meant to be a training weapon (be it a wooden axe or a copper spear). You can avoid this pitfall by not using training weapons and not forging weapons until you have real weaponsmithing underway. These events generate [[announcement]]s. If a dwarf does become attached, you can easily force him to relinquish the weapon by assigning a 'specific weapon' instead in his equipment view.

In addition, dwarves that reach a certain number or level of kills, or train long enough with a weapon, will name it. This prompts a major announcement. The weapon in question may have no kills associated with it (legendary dwarves occasionally name their weapons while training with them). Once named, the weapon will appear in the artifact list, albeit in blue. It is unknown if named weapons perform better than unnamed weapons. Dwarves may also become attached to shields and name them in the same way.

=== Quality and strange moods ===
The [[quality]] of a weapon has a significant impact on its combat performance, as well as its [[value]].

{{DF2014:Item quality/Table}}

Weaponsmithing is a [[moodable]] profession, which means that you can get [[artifact]] weapons. Artifact weapons have a 3x combat bonus and can be made out of a wide range of materials; ordinarily a [[hippo]] [[bone]] spear is impossible, but a moody dwarf can create one with a stack of hippo bone. Artifact weapons made of totally inappropriate materials are inferior to regular ones made of weapons-grade metal, although the exact balance is still under discussion. As with other moodable skills, a dwarf who creates an artifact using the weaponsmith skill stands a [[DF2014:Strange_mood#Skills_and_workshops|high chance]] of becoming a legendary weaponsmith.

=== Weapons as tools ===
[[Hunter]]s use crossbows, [[wood cutter]]s use [[battle axe]]s (wooden training axes worked prior to version 0.43.01), and [[miner]]s use [[pick]]s. They must be in possession of these items to do their jobs, and it's as simple as that.

Hunters gain [[marksdwarf]] skill from hunting, but wood cutters do not gain [[axedwarf]] weapon skill from cutting trees. Miners gain [[mining]] skill, which is not considered a military skill, but is used as a weapon skill when fighting with a pick. A dwarf using a weapon as a tool will not use the same tool as a military weapon, instead dropping their tool to pick up another for military use.{{bug|1451}} Dwarves may carry only one weapon as a tool at a time; for example, woodcutters/hunters will drop their axes then go and pick up crossbows every time they begin hunting.

=== Ammunition ===
:''Main article: [[Ammunition]]''

[[Crossbow]]s and other ranged weapons require [[ammunition]] (in the case of the crossbow, [[bolt]]s). This ammunition is carried in a [[quiver]] in packs of about 25, and when they run out they will switch to using their ranged weapons as crude hammers. It's often a good idea to try to get them to retreat once they run out of ammo — crossbows are meant for shooting, not bashing.

=== Secondary weapons ===
Although it sounds like a cool idea, equipping a marksdwarf with a backup short sword "just in case" doesn't often work, as dwarves are just as quick to run up to their foes and start bashing them with a crossbow as they are to draw their swords and do it properly.

=== "Best" weapon choices ===
To put it simply, the combat system behind ''Dwarf Fortress'' is ''very'' complicated. It's not just a question of ''"What is the weapon with the biggest number?"'' - no such thing here. If you want technical specifics, that's addressed in the bottom half of this article (and elsewhere), but for now, from both study of the formulae and observed behavior, there are some patterns for what weapons seem to work "best" against certain targets, and what don't, and (basically) why.

''Dwarf Fortress'' combat is rarely "one-shot", nor is it a long process of whittling away a huge pile of "hit points" (which do not exist in DF). Your best tactic is to try to quickly cripple or stun an opponent, so that you can then deliver a killing blow against a (momentarily) defenseless target, and then move on to the next opponent. The recommended weapons are chosen with this in mind.

==== Superior metal rule ====
As a general rule, if a weapon slashes or pierces, it wants to be made from a "better" metal than the [[armor]] it's trying to penetrate. If it is, it goes through more easily; if it is equal, it has some problems, and if it's inferior, it has some real problems. That does '''not''' mean that a copper spear can't hurt a superior-metal-clad target - just understand that the odds drop compared to weapons of equal metal, and, similarly, superior weapons start to ignore armor of inferior metal.

Also, note that this effectively works in steps - copper is weak against bronze/iron targets, but feeble against steel.

(Note: In this section, if 2 metals are equivalent to each other, they will be placed together in parentheses for ease of comparison.)

* [[steel]], the clear best*
* ([[bronze]] or [[iron]]), very respectable, roughly equivalent** to each other
* [[copper]], a distant third
* [[silver]], a ''very'' distant last (included only because silver is listed to make slashing/piercing weapons)

: (* There is also [[adamantine]], which is late game only, in a different league from the rest. That is not the subject of a "basic" discussion.)
: (** There are some "X weapon vs Y armor" situations where iron is slightly better, but a couple where bronze is actually better than iron - but each is a very specific case. "Roughly equivalent" is a good rule of thumb.)

Ranged attacks (for dwarves, [[crossbow]]s, but also bows and arrows for enemies) are also piercing, and suffer even more from the "superior metal" rule, especially since everything except adamantine has essentially equal density when it comes to bolts due to their max velocity and force. It can be very disheartening to see all those cheap bolts bounce off their armored targets when it matters most.

==== vs. unarmored ====
This includes most wild [[animal]]s, [[siege]]-mounts, [[thief|thieves]], [[kobold]]s, etc. Leather/bone armor helps against animal attacks, not against metal weapons.

It may also include some [[semi-megabeast]]s and [[megabeast]]s, depending on specifics.

* recommended weapon: any sharp weapon

Most unarmored creatures are biological beings much larger than dwarf, a situation where spear excels at reaching the vitals. Axes have 60% the penetration and swords 40% of the penetration of spears, but much larger areas, which leads to much more bleeding and more chance of pulping. In theory, all edged weapons follow the "superior metal" rule, but, against unarmored targets, skin and bone will always lose to ''any'' edged metal weapon - even silver! (However, see "vs. undead", below.)

Blunt weapons can break bones, which stuns the target and allows a killing blow, but removing a limb is obviously better. War hammers break bones more easily than maces, causing pain, though maces achieve total pulping blows sooner. However, unless you're facing small enemies even the best blunt weapon is going to lose to the worst sharp weapon.

Crossbows can hit a vital organ, knee or guts if lucky, but otherwise are slow to cripple and may get off only 2-3 shots before melee combat begins. They are, however, excellent for chasing down fleeing targets, making them ideal against various thieves/wildlife.

And the bonus lesson here is... armor your military.

==== vs. [[armor]]ed ====

Usually showing up only during a [[siege]] or [[ambush]]. [[Quality]] has a significant effect, but copper chain pieces have much less stopping power than bronze/iron plate pieces.

* recommended weapon: steel spear
* other choices: any steel sharp weapon, any warhammer or pick

Your typical goblin or human sieges will never have steel. Even when undead have it, the coverage is only partial.

Steel spears are the only edged weapon that can consistently pierce armor. Unless held by an extremely strong dwarf or made of adamantine, a sword will have difficulty getting through a breastplate, and an axe '''never''' will.

Steel swords have biggest variety of attacks, allowing them to both stab organs and remove limbs. Picks have the velocity of a blunt weapon with the edge of a sharp weapon, giving them extra punch. Functionally, having "superior metal" will make the battle much like removing enemy armor.

(Note also that piercing weapons have a chance to get stuck in an opponent, which can lead to [[wrestling]] to get the weapon out, or to apply more punishment.)

Blunt weapons work on flexible chain just as well as against an unarmored opponent, and can deform solid armor (which is everything "not chain") to land a killing blow. Warhammers are superior to maces in penetrating solid, "non-chain" armor and breaking bones.

Slashing weapons really suffer here, and especially so against non-chain targets. It's critical that they be superior metal if you want any chance of them having much reliable effect against heavy armor. A lucky blow can still take a limb, but often slashing blows just do little more than anger the target, even with steel.

Crossbows suffer doubly from superior metal issues against chain, and it only gets worse against plate [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=160814.msg7192083#msg7192083 3]

==== vs. [[undead]] ====

* recommended weapon: mace only if you want to have a single corpse, axe if you want effiency.
* other choices: sword and spear will do a fine job.

u/MrNorrelDoesHisPart:

"Maces did indeed perform the best in terms of creating the smallest number of additional reanimated opponents. They always scored perfectly and thus don’t have a margin of error. Axes produced the largest number of additional reanimated opponents, and spears produced relatively few reanimated body parts...(However) Axes and spears tie for fastest and maces come a distant third. Although it is true that an axe is much messier than a mace, it seems that an axe’s greater killing ability more than compensates for this problem. Maces thus appear to be the best choice when cleanliness is a priority but the worst choice when combat efficiency is important."

*Newest Dwarven [https://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/11bh54h/combat_science_iii_fighting_the_undead/ !!Science!!] shows that while axe create a messy pile of reanimated corpse, the axe generally takes only 1/3 the time to kill all the reanimated bits. Therefore without considering the extra hauling labor, battle axe is the superior solution to reanimated corpse.

==== vs. Undead Megabeast and other large fleshy creature ====

** recommend weapon: if has access to steel: large army with steel spears.
** recommend weapon: if has access to adamantine: adamantine axe.
** not recommend weapon: anything inferior than steel.

The result varies between axe, spear and sword. When a squad of 4 armored dwarves fight an undead cyclops with metal inferior to adamantine, only the ones armored with steel spear has a chance of winning. The squads with axe, mace and sword stand no fighting chance.

With an adamantine weapon however, axe and sword outperforms spear. Even one grandmaster axe dwarf with an adamantine axe stands a chance to defeat the undead cyclops.

==== vs. others ====
This category consists of the rare "not like anything else" creature, the type you get when you breach the [[cavern]]s or [[magma]] (or deeper), or once your fortress is large enough to get their attention.

* recommended weapon: (varies)
* other choices: any steel axe (depending), crossbow (from behind fortifications), whip

There are many different types here, and no one approach works for all. Some are merely gigantic but (more or less) "normal", but many are non-organic, and most enjoy the "[[No Pain|don't feel pain]]" tag, including [[titan]]s, [[forgotten beast]]s, [[bronze colossus]]es, [[Iron man|iron men]], and [[HFS|hidden fun stuff]]. Many of these enemies ''have'' no internal organs while being huge, weakening the effectiveness of pain and pierce. Some are still flesh and blood, and they're functionally like unarmored wildlife, but some are made from some material that may be very difficult to slash at.* In the worst case of being made of steel, it leaves chipping away at the target until they collapse from cumulative damage, which means either penetrating a LOT of armor (warhammer or ideally whip) or breaking everything (mace). Some few megabeasts are metal (e.g. [[bronze colossus]]), and the "superior metal" rule goes ''strongly'' in effect there - use steel sharp weapons for them, though whip would be best if you don't have those.

(* although a forgotten beast made of, for instance, "mud" is laughably easy to kill)

Ranged attacks are useful for taking care of the ones who are unapproachable themselves while being incredibly fragile. And at the very least, you're at less risk when raining down bolts from above, even if it won't do much damage.

==== Final verdict ====
Now, all that said, overall, if you had to choose one "least worst" weapon, it would probably have to be... the steel short sword. It has no true counters, no enemy it cannot ever defeat - while axes falls to iron men and copper armor and maces/hammers/spears falls to big creatures. If you cannot get steel, a second option would be the goblin-made whip, which is still somewhat effective against bronze colossuses and big beasts, and maces and hammers will always be effective no matter what they're made of.

Outside that, for edged/piercing weapons (axe, spear, bolts, and sword) against unarmored (and non-"unusual" targets) any metal will be overpowered, easily cutting/chopping/piercing all equally. Soft targets aside, make edged/piercing weapons out of the best metal you can (steel > iron > bronze > copper > silver) for use against armor, if/when you meet that. Crushing weapons (in order: hammer, mace, and crossbow in melee) can be any metal, with silver or steel each ''slightly'' preferable. If you want to add megabeasts into the consideration, go with steel to be safe, for any weapon type.

= Technical =
From here down, there are tables of values pulled from the raws, some technical analyses, a few statistical observations, and some solid and some speculative inferences and conclusions.

Insert obligatory "math warning" here.

== Weapons ==
=== Native weapons ===
{| class="wikitable" border="border"
! Type
! Graphic
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
! Hands Used
! [[Weaponsmith|Metal]]
! [[Bowyer|Wood]]
! [[Bowyer|Bone]]
! [[Stone crafter|Obsidian]]
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[battle axe|Battle Axe]]
|rowspan="3"| [[File:battle_axe_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 800
| Hack || Edge || 40000 || 6000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| one
|rowspan="3"| Yes
|rowspan="3"| No
|rowspan="3"| No
|rowspan="3"| No
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 40000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|-
| [[Crossbow]] (Melee)
| [[File:crossbow_sprite.png]]
| 400
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25×
| Hammer
| two
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| No
|-
| [[Mace]]
| [[File:mace_sprite.png]]
| 800
| Bash || Blunt || 20 || (200) || 2.0×
| Mace
| one
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|-
| [[Pick]] (foreign)
| [[File:pickaxe_sprite.png]]
| 500
| Strike || Edge || 100 || 4000 || 2.0×
| Mining
| one
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[short sword|Short Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| [[File:short_sword_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 4000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| one
|rowspan="4"| Yes
|rowspan="4"| No
|rowspan="4"| No
|rowspan="4"| Yes
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0×
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[Spear]]
|rowspan="2"| [[File:spear_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="2"| 400
| Stab || Edge || 20 || 10000 || 1.0×
|rowspan="2"| Spear
|rowspan="2"| one
|rowspan="2"| Yes
|rowspan="2"| No
|rowspan="2"| No
|rowspan="2"| No
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|-
| [[war hammer|War Hammer]]
| [[File:war_hammer_sprite.png]]
| 400
| Bash || Blunt || 10 || (200) || 2.0×
| Hammer
| one
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|}

Note that although the [[pick]] is a foreign weapon, it can be produced by dwarves and is therefore considered native.{{bug|680}}

=== Details ===
*If you find your dwarves wearing more than one weapon – or any unwanted [[armor]], for that matter – one way to get rid of them is to dump the weapon from their {{k|v}}-{{k|i}} inventory screen. This does not always work, as they might re-equip the item. Another option is to remove any weapons and/or shields listed on their military equip screen. This too does not always work. At least "left-handedness" seems to not pose a problem. If you cancel the work by {{k|v}}-{{k|p}} and selecting a job that needs a tool they will sometimes put it back in the pile. Example: Miners use picks, cancel their mining job and they will put the pick away AFTER you ordered it to be dumped.
* Using weapons is much more effective than unarmed combat – an untrained swordsdwarf with an [[iron]] weapon can defeat a grand master [[wrestler]], provided neither is wearing armor. Larger weapons tend to do more damage due to the [[Material science#Attack Momentum|momentum formula]]
* The size for a weapon is its volume in cm3.
* Attacks of type EDGE will either slice or pierce their target, depending on the contact area and penetration depth, while BLUNT attacks tend to damage internal organs without necessarily causing significant damage to outer layers.
* The contact area represents the area of contact of the weapon, and the penetration determines how deep the attack goes (and is apparently ignored entirely for BLUNT attacks – indicated by numbers in parentheses). The game does not distinguish between "piercing" and "slashing" attacks, despite this page using those terms often--the only difference is that piercing weapons have small contact area and slashing ones have large contact area. Penetration tends to be the same between either, but large contact area makes it much more difficult for weapons to get through armor--armor that a spear can barely pierce would require '''400 times''' as much momentum for an axe to pierce.
* The velocity is a direct multiplier on the attack's [[Material science#Attack Momentum|momentum]] - for example, war hammers have a 2x velocity multiplier, presumably to model the fact that the hammer's mass is concentrated at the tip which, when combined with a long handle, permits swinging it harder than a weapon whose mass is evenly distributed (such as a sword).
* Crossbows can be made of metal, wood, and bone. Metal crossbows are made by a [[weaponsmith]] at a [[forge]], while wood and bone crossbows are made by a [[bowyer]] at a [[bowyer's workshop]]. The material of a crossbow does not affect its firing ability, only its melee damage. A dwarf's marksmanship skill is only affected by the core [[item quality|quality]] of the bow. This may be a consideration when deciding which dwarf you want outfitting your marksdwarves: a [[experience|legendary]] bowyer is a better choice than a proficient weaponsmith.
* Dwarves will never select a pick for a weapon if allowed "individual choice." You must specify picks as part of their uniform, or on the individual equip screen, if you wish to utilize them as weapons.

=== Training weapons ===
All [[training weapon]]s must be made of [[wood]] at the [[carpenter's workshop]].

{| class="wikitable" border="border"
|-
! Type
! Graphic
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Training Axe
|rowspan="3"| [[File:training_axe_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 800
| Hack || Blunt || 30000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 30000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| Training Sword
|rowspan="4"| [[File:training_sword_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25×
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|-
| Stab || Blunt || 50 || (2000) || 1.0×
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| Training Spear
|rowspan="2"| [[File:training_spear_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="2"| 400
| Stab || Blunt || 200 || (10000) || 1.0×
|rowspan="2"| Spear
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|}

=== Foreign weapons ===
Using any multi-grasp weapon in a single hand (i.e. with a shield in the other hand) gives you a disability to hit - do not equip two-handed swords with a shield, for instance. '''The game will not stop you from doing this''', so be wary about it.

In adventurer mode, however, it is possible to wield a two-handed sword, or any multi-grasp weapon, in one hand without penalty (allowing for the simultaneous use of a shield) if your character passes the one-handed check for single-handing a multi-grasp weapon. For example, if you create a human character, and manage to spawn into a world with a "broad body" or a "tall body" in the character description, you will be able to single-hand any multi-grasp weapon (and will be forced to, much like you are forced to single-hand any single-grasp weapon), which allows for the simultaneous, disability-free use of a shield, thus making your damage and defensive capabilities much higher than they would be with a single-grasp weapon and shield. Note that upping Strength to Superior (and eventually Superhuman) will make all attacks more likely to deal extra damage, making cutting off the limbs of your enemies much easier.

{| class="wikitable" border="border"
|-
! Type
! Graphic
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
! Used by
! Hands Used (average human)
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[Two-handed sword]]
|rowspan="4"| [[File:two_handed_sword_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="4"| 900
| Slash || Edge || 100000 || 8000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="4"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 4000 || 1.0×
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 100000 || (8000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
| [[Blowgun]] (Melee)
| [[File:blowgun_sprite.png]]
| 150
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25×
| Sword
| Subterranean [[animal people]]
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
| [[Bow]] (Melee)
| [[File:bow_sprite.png]]
| 300
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25×
| Sword
| [[Elf]], [[Goblin]], [[Human]], [[Kobold]]
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
| [[Flail]]
| [[File:flail_sprite.png]]
| 500
| Bash || Blunt || 200 || (4000) || 2.5×
| Mace
| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[great axe|Great Axe]]
|rowspan="3"| [[File:great_axe_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 1300
| Hack || Edge || 60000 || 8000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="3"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 60000 || (8000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[Halberd]]
|rowspan="3"| [[File:halberd_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 1200
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 8000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="3"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0×
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 20000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[Dagger]] (Large)
|rowspan="3"| [[File:dagger_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 200
| Slash || Edge || 1000 || 800 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Dagger
|rowspan="3"| [[Goblin]], [[Kobold]]
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 5 || 1000 || 1.0×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 20 || (600) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[long sword|Long Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| [[FIle:long_sword_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="4"| 700
| Slash || Edge || 60000 || 6000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| [[Elf]], [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="4"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 3000 || 1.0×
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 60000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
| [[Maul]]
| [[File:maul_sprite.png]]
| 1300
| Bash || Blunt || 100 || (6000) || 2.0×
| Hammer
| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
| Multi-grasp
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[Morningstar]]
|rowspan="2"| [[File:morningstar_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="2"| 500
| Bash || Edge || 10 || 500 || 2.0×
|rowspan="2"| Mace
|rowspan="2"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="2"| Single-grasp
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 50 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[pike (weapon)|Pike]]
|rowspan="2"| [[File:pike_weapon_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="2"| 800
| Stab || Edge || 20 || 12000 || 1.0×
|rowspan="2"| Pike
|rowspan="2"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="2"| Multigrasp
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[Scimitar]]
|rowspan="4"| [[File:scimitar_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 4000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="4"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0×
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 50 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
| [[Scourge]]
| [[File:scourge_sprite.png]]
| 300
| Lash || Edge || 10 || 50 || 2.0×
| Whip
| [[Goblin]]
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
| [[Whip]]
| [[File:whip_sprite.png]]
| 100
| Lash || Blunt || 1 || (10) || 5.0×
| Whip
| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Stone axe
|rowspan="3"|[[File:stone_axe_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 400
| Hack || Edge || 800 || 400 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| Player in [[adventurer mode]]
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Slap|| Blunt || 800|| 400 || 1.25×
|-
| Strike || Blunt || 20|| 400 || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Carving knife
|rowspan="3"|[[File:carving_knife_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 150
| Slash || Edge || 800 || 600 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Dagger
|rowspan="3"| Non-warrior NPCs in [[adventurer mode]]
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 4 || 800 || 1.0×
|-
| Strike|| Blunt || 15|| 400 || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Boning knife
|rowspan="3"|[[File:boning_knife_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 50
| Slash || Edge || 500 || 300 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Dagger
|rowspan="3"| Non-warrior NPCs in [[adventurer mode]]
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 2 || 400 || 1.0×
|-
| Strike|| Blunt || 10 || 200 || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Slicing knife
|rowspan="3"|[[File:slicing_knife_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 150
| Slash || Edge || 900 || 700|| 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Dagger
|rowspan="3"| Non-warrior NPCs in [[adventurer mode]]
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 3 || 900 || 1.0×
|-
| Strike|| Blunt || 15 || 400 || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Meat cleaver
|rowspan="3"|[[File:meat_cleaver_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 300
| Hack|| Edge || 800 || 400 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| Non-warrior NPCs in [[adventurer mode]]
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Clap || Blunt || 800 || 400 || 1.25×
|-
| Strike || Blunt || 20 || 400 || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| Carving fork
|rowspan="2"| [[File:carving_fork_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="2"| 150
| Stab|| Edge || 1 || 100 || 1.25×
|rowspan="2"| Dagger
|rowspan="2"| Non-warrior NPCs in [[adventurer mode]]
|rowspan="2"| Single-grasp
|-
| Strike || Blunt || 15 || 400 || 1.0×
|}

===Special variations===
Some rare entities have their own [[divine equipment|procedurally generated variations]] of weapons. Currently, these weapons are produced by copying the default properties of the "base" weapon, and adding an adjective ("bulky", "large-headed", "branching", etc.) or renaming the weapon altogether ("blade", "curved sword"). Dwarves in [[strange mood]]s which select from all weapons with a certain tag may produce one of these procedurally generated weapons. Since they retain the properties of their base items, these weapons should be as usable as a standard weapon of the base type.

== Size ==

Weapons have a minimum size to use at all, and a minimum size to use one-handed. Adult dwarves vary in size between 33750 and 93750 (average 60000) based on their height and broadness. Unfortunately, this is currently bugged in fortress mode.{{Bug|0005812}} 'One-handed' vs. 'two-handed' checks are performed correctly, but 'can wield' vs. 'can't wield' ignores height and broadness modifiers. So dwarves in fortress mode will never equip two-handed swords, great axes, halberds, mauls, or pikes. Other weapons have a minimum wielding size of less than 60000, and are wielded one-handed if the individual dwarf is large enough. See [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=119068.msg3790913#msg3790913 this] forum post.

The following table shows approximately how many dwarves ''should be'' able to use each weapon one- or two-handed (see [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=101379.msg3029579#msg3029579 this forum post] for details), with all fractional numbers being approximate. While there are seven categories each for height and broadness, the number used is chosen randomly from within each category.

Note that there are other factors (such as fat and muscle mass) affecting dwarf size, and e.g. [[DFHack]] {{k|Alt}}+{{k|I}} will take them into account, but (at least in adventure mode) only base height and broadness appear to determine weapon wieldability.

Additionally, even if a creature is large enough to wield a weapon with one hand/appendage, it is still possible to wield it with both/more through [[Wrestling#Bugs|wrestling]] by first lodging it into a target, then grabbing it with a free hand/appendage, and then pulling it free.

Where the size checking bug affects weapon wielding for dwarves, correct approximate figures are given in brackets.
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="border"
|-
! Type
! Min Size
(Two-Handed)
! Min Size
(One-Handed)
! Dwarves
Can't Wield
! Dwarves Wield
Two-Handed
! Dwarves Wield
One-Handed
|- valign="top"
| [[battle axe|Battle Axe]]
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Crossbow]] (Melee)
| 15000
| 0
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Mace]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Pick]]
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[short sword|Short Sword]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Spear]]
| 5000
| 47500
| -
| 11/49
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[war hammer|War Hammer]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| Training Axe
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| Training Sword
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| Training Spear
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[two-handed sword|2H Sword]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Blowgun]] (Melee)
| 15000
| 0
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Bow]] (Melee)
| 15000
| 0
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Flail]]
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[great axe|Great Axe]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Halberd]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Dagger]] (Large)
| 5000
| 27500
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[long sword|Long Sword]]
| 52500
| 57500
| 11/49 (0)
| 7/49 (18/49)
| 31/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Maul]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Morningstar]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[pike (weapon)|Pike]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Scimitar]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Scourge]]
| 22500
| 27500
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Whip]]
| 22500
| 27500
| -
| -
| 49/49
|}

==Material==

Weapons and armor (with a few exceptions) can only be forged from weapon-grade metals (adamantine, steel, iron, silver, bronze, bismuth bronze, copper, and divine metal), wood, or bone. The exceptions include obsidian short-swords and items created during a strange mood.

{{v0.31 material metal table head}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Adamantine|color={{Tile|/|3:1}}3:3:1|source=[[Raw adamantine]]|notes= |soliddensity=0.200|mp=25000|val=300|valinc=+50|impactyield=5000|impactfracture=5000|impactelasticity=0|shearyield=5000|shearfracture=5000|shearelasticity=0
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Divine metal|notes= |soliddensity=1.0|val=300|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=2000|impactelasticity=0|shearyield=1000|shearfracture=2000|shearelasticity=0
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Steel|color={{Tile|/|0:1}}0:7:1|source=[[Iron]] + [[Pig iron]] + [[flux]] stone + [[fuel]] '''!'''|notes= |soliddensity=7.85|val=30|valinc=+20|mp=12718|impactyield=1505|impactfracture=2520|impactelasticity=940|shearyield=430|shearfracture=720|shearelasticity=215
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Bismuth bronze|color={{Tile|/|6:1}}6:6:1|source=2 [[Copper]] + 1 [[Tin]] + 1 [[Bismuth]] '''!'''|notes= |soliddensity=8.25|val=6|valinc=+4|mp=11868|impactyield=602|impactfracture=843|impactelasticity=547|shearyield=172|shearfracture=241|shearelasticity=156
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Bronze|color={{Tile|/|6:0}}6:4:0|source=[[Tin]] + [[Copper]]|notes= |soliddensity=8.25|val=5|valinc=+3|mp=11868|impactyield=602|impactfracture=843|impactelasticity=547|shearyield=172|shearfracture=241|shearelasticity=156
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Iron|color={{Tile|/|0:1}}0:7:1|source=[[Hematite]], [[Limonite]], [[Magnetite]]|notes= |soliddensity=7.85|mp=12768|val=10|valinc=+2|impactyield=542|impactfracture=1080|impactelasticity=319|shearyield=155|shearfracture=310|shearelasticity=189
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Copper|color={{Tile|/|6:0}}6:4:0|source=[[Native copper]], [[Malachite]], [[Tetrahedrite]]|notes= |soliddensity=8.93|mp=11952|val=2|valinc=+0, +0, -1*|impactyield=245|impactfracture=770|impactelasticity=175|shearyield=70|shearfracture=220|shearelasticity=145
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Silver|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=[[Native silver]], [[Horn silver]], [[Galena]] (50%), [[Tetrahedrite]] (20%) |notes= |soliddensity=10.49|mp=11731|val=10|valinc=+0, +0, +5*, +7*|impactyield=350|impactfracture=595|impactelasticity=350|shearyield=100|shearfracture=170|shearelasticity=333
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Platinum|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=[[Native platinum]]|notes= Only available as artifact weapons.|soliddensity=21.4|mp=13182|val=40|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=350|impactfracture=700|impactelasticity=152|shearyield=100|shearfracture=200|shearelasticity=164
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Bone|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=Creatures|notes= |soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=200|impactfracture=200|impactelasticity=100|shearyield=115|shearfracture=130|shearelasticity=100
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Wood|color={{Tile|/|6:0}}7:7:1|source=Trees|notes= |soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=10|impactfracture=10|impactelasticity=1000|shearyield=40|shearfracture=40|shearelasticity=1000
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Shell|color={{Tile|/|2:0}}7:7:1|source=Creatures|notes= Only available as artifact weapons.|soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=200|impactfracture=200|impactelasticity=100|shearyield=115|shearfracture=130|shearelasticity=100
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Leather|color={{Tile|/|2:0}}7:7:1|source=Creatures|notes= Material data added for comparison.|soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=10|impactfracture=10|impactelasticity=50000|shearyield=25|shearfracture=25|shearelasticity=50000
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Obsidian|color={{Tile|/|0:1}}7:7:1|source=Lava|notes= Only available for Short Swords.|soliddensity=2.67|mp=13600|val=3|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=35|shearfracture=35|shearelasticity=114
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Crystal glass|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=Sand|notes= Only available as trap components.|soliddensity=2.6|mp=13600|val=10|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=33|shearfracture=33|shearelasticity=113
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Clear glass|color={{Tile|/|3:0}}7:7:1|source=Sand|notes= Only available as trap components.|soliddensity=2.6|mp=13600|val=5|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=33|shearfracture=33|shearelasticity=113
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Green glass|color={{Tile|/|2:0}}7:7:1|source=Sand|notes= Only available as trap components.|soliddensity=2.6|mp=13600|val=2|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=33|shearfracture=33|shearelasticity=113
}}

|}

*''Combat information'' is used internally by the game to determine the combat properties of weapons and armor made from this metal:
**'''Density''': Used in conjunction with other factors - heavier weapons (higher numbers) hit with a bit more force, very light weapons tend to have less penetration. Value shown here is g/cm3, which is the raw value divided by 103
**'''Impact yield''': Used for blunt-force combat; ''higher'' is better for blunt weapons, but ''lower'' is better for armor. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Impact fracture''': Used for blunt-force combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Impact elasticity''' (or '''strain at yield'''): Used for blunt-force combat; ''lower'' is better. This is the raw value.
**'''Shear yield''': Used for cutting calculations in combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Shear fracture''': Used for cutting calculations in combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the most important indicator of edged strength. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Shear elasticity''' (or '''strain at yield'''): Used for cutting calculations in combat; ''lower'' is better. This is the raw value.

*General Term Explanations (from Wikipedia)
**'''Yield Strength''' - The stress at which material strain changes from elastic deformation to plastic deformation, causing it to deform permanently.
**'''Fracture Strength''' - The stress coordinate on the stress-strain curve at the point of rupture.
**'''Stress''' - Force per area = F/A
**'''Strain''' - Deformation of a solid due to stress = Stress/Young's Modulus

=== Explanation ===
* '''Yield Strength''' is the amount of stress required to permanently deform (bend) a material (plastic deformation).
* '''Fracture Strength''' is the amount of stress required to permanently break (rupture) a material.
* '''Elasticity''' or '''Strain at yield''' is the amount of deformation (bending) that occurs at the yield point.

=== Implications ===
Yield strength combined with strain at yield can tell what a material will do under stress (be it from a hammer, axe, or arrow); higher yield means that it takes more stress to deform, while lower strain at yield means that it will deform less when stress is applied.

== Combat formulae ==

Penetration is poorly understood, but most of the rest of combat is fairly well understood. Maybe it defines how deep blade may go thru layers of armor and flesh and bones and even cut off limbs. This may explain why it does not apply for blunt attacks that do not go thru layers.

First, you need to calculate your weapon's momentum.

Melee Weapon Momentum: M = Skill * Size * Str * Vel / (106 * (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size) ))
* Dwarf Melee Momentum: M = 0.06 * Str * Vel / (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size) )
* Quick attacks halve melee momentum, wild and heavy attacks multiply it by 1.5
* Attacking a prone opponent in melee doubles momentum.

Ranged Weapon Momentum: M = (w_density*w_size)/105 * min(105*(SHOOT_FORCE/20)/(w_density*w_size), SHOOT_MAXVEL/10)
* Bow and Crossbow Momentum: M = (w_density*150)/105 * min(105/(w_density*3), 20)
** If 20 is smaller because the ammunition is density 1666 or less, M = w_density*3/100 = w_density*0.03
** If 20 is larger because the ammunition is density 1667 or larger, M = 50
* Blowgun Momentum: M = (w_density*20)/105 * min(105/(w_density*4), 100)
** If 100 is smaller because the ammunition is density 250 or less, M = w_density/50 = w_density*0.02
** If 100 is larger because the ammunition is density 251 or more, M = 5

where:
* '''M''' is the momentum.
* '''Skill''' is a gradual multiplier based on skill level, from 1x base up to 2x at Grand Master.
* '''Str''' is the creature's strength (e.g. 1250 for the average dwarf)
* '''Vel''' is the weapon's velocity modifier if present (e.g. 1.25x, 2x)
* '''Size''' is the average creature size (e.g. 60000 for dwarves)
* '''i_Size''' is the specific creature's size
** Dwarves range from a minimum size of 33750 to a maximum size of 93750, with an average size of 60000.
* '''F''' is "fatness modifier" (also includes muscle) = i_Size/Size; dwarf with size of 66150 will have F=66150/60000=1.1025
* '''w_density''' is the weapon's material's density for melee weapons, or the ammunition's density for ranged weapons
* '''w_size''' is the weapon's size for melee weapons, or the ammunition's size for ranged weapons
* '''SHOOT_FORCE''' is the ranged weapon's SHOOT_FORCE constant, which is used to determine its maximum momentum.
* '''SHOOT_MAXVEL''' is the ranged weapon's SHOOT_MAXVEL constant, which is used to determine its maximum velocity, where ammo momentum = ammo mass * ammo velocity.

An edged weapon undergoes the following comparison:

M >= (aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF) * (10 + 2*a_quality) / (Sha * w_quality),

where:
* '''aSY''' is the armor's SHEAR_YIELD, which is based on its material
* '''wSY''' is the weapon's SHEAR_YIELD, which is based on its material
* '''aSF''' is the armor's SHEAR_FRACTURE, which is based on its material
* '''wSF''' is the weapon's SHEAR_FRACTURE, which is based on its material
* '''A''' is attack [[DF2014:Material_science#Contact_Area|contact area]]
* '''Sha''' is weapon material [[edge|sharpness]] multiplier (1x for most metals, 1.2x for [[divine metal]], 1.5x for [[glass]], 2x for [[obsidian]], 10x for [[adamantine]] and 0.1x for all other materials)
* '''w_quality''' is weapon [[quality]] multiplier (1x for normal quality, 1.4x for fine, 2x for masterwork, etc.)
* '''a_quality''' is armor [[quality]] multiplier

Expressed in the above terms,

* 0.06 * Str * Vel / (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size)) >= (aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF) * (10 + 2*Qa) / (Sha * w_quality)
* 0.06 * Sha * w_quality * Str * Vel / (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size)) >= (aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF) * (10 + 2*a_quality)
* 0.06 * Sha * w_quality * Str * Vel / ((1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size)) * (10 + 2*a_quality)) >= aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF

Because Shear Yield and Shear Fracture are always within a power of 10 of each other for actually available materials, but the smallest possible A value is 20 (a blowgun dart, which is smaller than the smallest item of clothing/armor a dwarf can wear), this means that in practice, Shear Fracture is significantly more important than Shear Yield, and you can reliably compare weapons and armor without paying attention to Shear Yield. In both cases, higher is better on both weapons and armor, as is quality. Sharpness only matters to the weapon, and smaller contact area is better for the attacker.

If the test is passed, attack momentum is decreased by some 5% and the layer is considered punctured/severed, and the process continues to the next layer, including working through layers of the defender's body. If the test is failed, the attack becomes blunt for this layer.

If the attack is blunt, either due to starting off blunt or due to failing the above test, it is then subjected to this test:

2 * w_size * wIY > A * a_density

where:
* '''a_density''' is the armor material's density
* '''wIY''' is the weapon's impact yield in MPa (i.e. raw value divided by 106). {{verify}}

Failure means the attack bounces off, meaning denser, larger armor resists blunt attacks better, but larger blunt weapons with smaller contact areas and higher impact yields get through armor better. This also means adamantine armor is some of the worst in the game at outright deflecting attacks, due to its poor density, but this is not typically relevant, as impact yields are typically at least 10 times larger than density values for the actual metals available, so this step is routinely passed by most weapons regardless of relative materials.

On success, the following test is applied:

M >= (2*aIF - aIY) * (2 + 0.4*a_quality) * A,

where:
* '''aIF''' is the armor's impact fracture in MPa (i.e. raw value divided by 106)
* '''aIY''' is the armor's impact yield in MPa (i.e. raw value divided by 106).

Note that the armor wants as high impact fracture as possible to make this test fail. The armor also wants low impact yield, although the weapon's impact fracture does not matter, and high quality and high contact area.

On a success, attack momentum is decreased by some 5% and the layer is considered punctured/severed, and the process continues to the next layer, including working through layers of the defender's body. If the attack was edged, it becomes edged again. On a failure, the momentum is multiplied by SHEAR_STRAIN_AT_YIELD/50000 for edged attacks or IMPACT_STRAIN_AT_YIELD/50000 for blunt attacks, then it becomes *permanently* blunt, and is passed on to the next layer. This means most rigid metal armor will reduce blocked attacks by 98%-99%, but elastic armor, such as a mail shirt, has both strain at yield values raised to 50000, so it multiplies by 1 at this step (i.e. does nothing to the momentum, but does still convert it to blunt) regardless of material.

== Combat testing ==
In regards to edged weaponry: [[adamantine]] and [[steel]] take first and a distant second place respectively, with [[iron]] a slightly less distant third best material in the game, nearly matched by the [[bronze]]s. Beyond that is [[copper]], the second worst material, and [[silver]] is the worst weapon material available (and due to the existence of training weapons, not even useful in that regard).

Additionally, with regards to blunt weapons, almost all of the non-adamantine materials perform equally well, with a very slight edge towards steel and silver. Here is the thread with the details: [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=53571.0].

Keep in mind with how unbelievably complicated this system is very little should be taken as word of law yet.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
! Best
! Better
! Good
! Fair
! Poor
! Terrible
! Notes
|-
| Armor
| Adamantine
| Steel
| Iron
| Bronze, Bismuth Bronze
| Copper
|
|
|-
| Edged Weapons
| Adamantine
| Steel
| Iron
| Bronze, Bismuth Bronze
| Copper
| Silver
| For piercing iron armor, copper is better than bronze, but when piercing copper or bronze armor, bronze is better than copper.
|-
| Ammunition
| Steel, Iron, Bronze, Bismuth Bronze, Copper, Silver
|
| Adamantine
|
|
|
| Adamantine bolts deflect off of adamantine armor, but otherwise their performance is on par with bolts made out of other metals.
|-
| Blunt Weapons
| Platinum, Slade
| Steel, Silver
| Copper, Bismuth Bronze, Bronze, Iron
|
|
| Adamantine
| All six standard weapon metals perform nearly identically. Steel has a slightly higher rate of critical wounds, while silver is slightly more likely to penetrate armor. Platinum (only available as [[artifact]] weapons) has twice the density of silver and several other improved properties, making it the best metal for impact weapons, though very limited in production. Adamantine's light weight makes it a terrible choice for blunt weapons, roughly the same as making a weapon out of [[featherwood]] or cork.
|}

Cross referencing this table with the table at the top of this section seems to indicate that low densities, high impact fractures, and high shear fractures contribute to the killing power of edged weapons.

===Analysis===
Testing of weapons (15 dwarves-versus-15 dwarves combat) in the [[object testing arena]] shows that the best dwarven-made weapon against unarmored humanoids is the battle axe, while the war hammer performs the best against armored targets. {{version|0.31.12}}.

Even in 15×(steel armor+silver war hammer) versus 15×(adamantine armor+adamantine battle axe) matches, hammerdwarves won with less than 50% casualties (mostly one-strike kills). However, when the dwarves in question were without armor or only wearing leather/cloth, the result was inverted — axedwarves won with less than 50% casualties. In battles against megabeasts, 6 silver hammerdwarves were barely able to scratch a [[bronze colossus]] (attacks were glancing away) due to bronze being a better "weapon" material.

This is because silver has the highest solid density of all materials that can regularly be made into weapons by dwarves. Tests show that indeed [[gold]] and [[platinum]] (increasingly dense) do increasing amounts of damage, and that war hammers remain the tool of choice, however they can only be produced by a moody dwarf (and a very lucky one at that).

For more on ranged ammunition see the forum thread [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=116151.0 Dwarven Research: A Comparison Study on the Effectiveness of Bolts vs Armors].

More arena tests are available in the [[Main:Military testing|Military testing]] article.

==Bugs==
*Equipping weapons/armor on military is erratic. This is likely due to a single piece of weapons/armor being erroneously assigned to multiple dwarves and seems to occur when dwarves are upgrading their equipment or going on raids. Removing and reassigning equipment for all military dwarves can temporarily fix this problem.{{Bug|535}}
*'One-handed' vs. 'two-handed' checks are performed correctly, but 'can wield' vs. 'can't wield' ignores height and broadness modifiers, so dwarves in Fortress mode cannot equip two-handed swords, great axes, halberds, mauls, or pikes.{{bug|5812}}
*In the Premium version, the sprite sheets for equipped gear are mostly incomplete. The material of equipped gear is currently distinguished for [[dwarf|dwarves]], for [[elf|elves']] and [[kobold|kobolds']] [[armor]] (including metal armor), and for elves' wooden weapons; everything else has a default, 'gray' color palette.
*The Premium version has placeholder sprites for equipped artifact gear (which can be any material), but these are not used for gear of nonstandard materials spawned in the [[object testing arena]], resulting in creatures that use them appearing un-equipped.

==See also==
* [[User:Shinziril#Weapons_and_Armor|Outstanding research]] on weapons and armor by Shinziril

{{Weapons}}
{{Industry}}
{{Category|Weapons}}

Squad

2023-11-27T17:27:19Z

Fph: /* Creating and assigning uniforms */

{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}

: ''For enemy squads, see [[ambush]] and/or [[siege]].''

[[File:dwarf_army.jpg|thumb|300px|right|A dwarf squad ready to deliver permanent deaths.]]A '''squad''' is a group of [[military]] dwarves who share the same [[scheduling|schedule]] and active military orders. Squads are a fundamental part of your fortress' military — they are the units who carry out all the orders you give them. Your ability to manage these iron-blooded dwarves could spell the difference between a healthy fort's life and death.

For quick reference: from the main game screen the '''squads''' menu is accessible through the {{Menu icon|q}} key and the '''[[burrow]]s''' menu is accessible through {{Menu icon|U}}. The squad menu and all its sub-menus are designed to be navigated almost exclusively with mouse rather than keys.

For simple, ''very'' basic, unarmed and unarmored instructions on how to attack a creature, see [[attack]].

==Forming squads==
Before you do anything with your military, you must go into the {{Menu icon|n}} [[noble]]s screen and appoint a '''[[militia commander]]'''. Your fortress can only have one militia commander, who acts as the commander-in-chief of all squads. The militia commander also serves as the leader of your first squad.

Each squad after the first will have its own [[militia captain]], who reports to the militia commander. Squad captains can be designated through the nobles screen, or by creating a new squad in the {{Menu icon|q}} squad menu and then assigning a dwarf to the first position of that squad.

Once you have a militia commander appointed, when going to the squad menu you'll notice an option to "'''Create new squad.'''" When you click this button to create a squad, you may be asked which militia captain should lead this new squad if you have appointed captains that are not currently leading one, other wise you will be asked which uniform to give the squad. The game creates three uniforms by default; if you aren't sure what to use, or if you want to customize their uniform, choose "'''No uniform'''". (See [[#Equipping soldiers|equipping soldiers]], below, for details.)

Once the first squad has been created, you can then fill out the squad with any militarily-capable dwarves in your fort, of which no more than ten (10) can be assigned to any one squad. When you add a dwarf to one squad they will be removed from another; for this reason you will always see the majority of your dwarves in the assignment menu. Dwarves that are already in a military squad will have the name of that squad and their position within it listed in yellow text above their name, allowing you to skip over them if necessary. The assignment menu is found by clicking on the 'positions' bearded face icon above the squad name.

=== Aesthetic customization ===
[[Image:Menu_squad_symbol_v50.07.png|300px|thumb|right|The squad symbol selection menu]]

The squad menu {{menu icon|q}} allows you to edit the name and the graphical symbol assigned to any created squads, by clicking on the quill and symbol icons, respectively. These options are purely cosmetic, unlike [[Squad#Equipping_soldiers|equipping soldiers]] and [[Squad#Order_scheduling|order scheduling]].

===Nobles in squads ===
Here's a link to the DF forum, with old{{version|0.34.11}} but potentially still relevant speculation on which nobles should not be assigned to the military due to the importance of their civilian role:
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=113639.msg3467517#msg3467517

==Equipping soldiers==
===Accessing the Equip screen===
In the squad menu, select one or more squads by clicking the checkbox next to their name, then click "'''Equip'''" to view a summary of their assigned equipment. The following icons are used:
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Types of equipment
|-
| '''Icon''' || [[File:squad_weapon_icon.png|center]] || [[File:squad_shield_equipped.png|center]] || [[File:squad_upper_body_icon.png|center]] || [[File:squad_lower_body_icon.png|center]] || [[File:squad_head_icon.png|center]] || [[File:squad_hands_icon.png|center]] || [[File:squad_feet_icon.png|center]] || [[File:squad_backpack_icon.png|center]] || [[File:squad_flask_icon.png|center]]
|-
| '''Meaning''' || Weapon || Shield || Upper body || Lower body || Head || Gauntlets || Boots || Backpack || Flask
|}
Equipment icons will change colors and display a symbol depending on the equipment's status. Using the shield icon as an example:
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Equipment status
|-
! '''Symbol''' !! Meaning !! Probable cause
|-
| [[File:squad_shield_equipped.png|center]] || The dwarf has a shield assigned, and currently has it equipped. || N/A
|-
| [[File:squad_shield_pending.png|center]] || The dwarf has a shield assigned, but doesn't have it equipped right now. || The dwarf's activity does not require this equipment, the dwarf physically cannot wear the item, the item's slot is already full (due to e.g. excessive layers of clothing), or the dwarf cannot access the assigned item.
|-
| [[File:squad_shield_unable.png|center]] || The dwarf does not have a shield assigned or equipped. || The fortress does not have enough pieces of equipment for every dwarf in the squad.
|}
Pressing "'''Details'''" lets you see ''precisely'' what items an individual dwarf has been assigned.

===Creating and assigning uniforms===
From this menu, uniforms can be created and saved using the "'''Add uniform'''" button or assigned to squads to overwrite their existing equipment with the "'''Assign uniform'''" button. Uniforms are essentially a pre-designed set of equipment that you can quickly apply to any individual soldier or entire squad. You may wish to create new uniforms, and add or remove items from any uniform (even the standard ones). While using the "'''Add uniform'''" menu, uniforms are only ''created'' or ''modified'', not applied.

While still in the "'''Equip'''" menu, "'''Assign uniform'''" to open the choose uniform sub-menu and select one of your uniform templates to apply to all selected dwarves. Squads can be selected or deselected at any point in this process to change who you are assigning the uniform to without closing any of the sub-menus. Once you have all the squads selected whom you want to use the same uniform, you can click the uniform's name to apply it. The choose uniform sub-menu will close and the squads' previous uniform will be overwritten. You can also edit one position's uniform at a time by selecting the "'''Details'''" menu next to the position name. It is important to remember that this uniform is applied to that squad position rather that a particular dwarf. The uniform can be changed as discussed below and/or saved as a new uniform by typing a name into the textbox at the top of the menu, pressing {{k|enter}} the clicking "'''Confirm and save uniform'''."

In the "Details" or "Add uniform" sub-menus, you can select pieces of equipment to create a uniform with the equipment buttons - "'''New [[Armor#Upper_Body|bodywear]]'''", "'''New [[Armor#Headgear|headwear]]'''", "'''New [[Armor#Lower_Body|legwear]]'''", "'''New [[Armor#Hands|handwear]]'''", "'''New [[Armor#Footwear|footwear]]'''", "'''New [[Armor#Shield|shield]]'''", and "'''New [[weapon]]'''". You can also specify the "'''Mat'''"erial and "'''Color'''" of the equipment by clicking one of these buttons next to it. In case metal is not specified, dwarves will equip the best item available (e.g., steel rather than iron rather than copper).

Finally, there are two settings that can be toggled in the bottom left of the menu: "'''Uniform worn over clothing'''" and "'''Partial matches okay'''". These are both on by default. "'''Over clothing'''" means the dwarf will do their best to wear their uniform in addition to their civilian [[clothing]]; if toggled, it becomes "'''Replace clothing'''", and the dwarf will strip naked before donning their military gear. "'''Partial matches okay'''" means that if a dwarf cannot satisfy an equipment assignment, they'll substitute it with something close; if toggled to "'''Exact matches only'''", they'll go that piece of equipment rather than making do with a substitute.

To select a specific piece of equipment for an individual position (such as an artifact), select "'''specific _____'''" under that equipment type (e.g. "'''specific armor'''" in the Armor field); for your convenience, highest-value equipment is listed first.

===Wearing equipment over clothing===
You have the option to wear equipment over clothing or to replace clothing using the "'''Uniform worn over clothing'''" button on the equipment screen. Wearing armor over clothing can cause problems as some civilian clothing (caps, gloves, and shoes) will conflict with their military counterparts (helms, gauntlets, and boots). Even though the '''Uniform''' menu will show that these items have been assigned to a solider, they will not actually be able to wear them. To avoid this use the "'''Replace clothing'''" option. As armor counts as clothing, dwarves will not get bad thoughts if only wearing armor as long as their feet, lower body, and upper body are covered.

===Ammunition and marksdwarf squads===
Currently{{version|0.50.04}}, when a squad is created, it takes note of the amount of ammunition in the fortress but never updates this figure. This seemingly causes dwarves to never use ammunition{{bug|0012008}}, if there wasn't enough when the squad was created. To work around this bug, disband the squad and create a new squad, giving it a uniform which includes a ranged weapon. This will refresh the squad's knowledge of how much ammunition is available. Set the squad to train with a schedule of your choice, and the dwarves should equip ammunition. (Note: [[Ambusher|Hunter]] dwarves "reserve" roughly 100 to 200 bolts each. Your ammo stockpile must include more bolts than 200 x number of hunters. This extra ammo will be used by your marksdwarves.) ([https://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/10mwqtw/dwarves_not_equipping_boltsarrows_learn_from_my/ Source])

The dwarves will decide for themselves what ammunition to use, so they may waste all the nice metal bolts training and end up fighting battles with only wooden bolts, although the AI is intended to favor worse ammo for training. Also note that [[quiver]]s must be available for marksdwarves to equip bolts/arrows. They are not assigned in the "'''Uniform'''" menu tab and are automatically retrieved by dwarves that require them.

===Equipment use and storage===
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#0a0|float=right|Storing equipment in barracks|In previous versions soldiers who have more than one item to put on would not use distance to determine which of the remaining items will be equipped next. Therefore it was best to keep all dwarf-usable equipment within a small area, ideally near your [[barracks]]. The way dwarves equip gear has changed slightly{{version|0.50.01}}, so it is uncertain if this is still necessary.}}
Dwarves do not share weapons and armor even if in the same squad and even if the equipment is currently unused by another squad-mate who is off duty. This means, for example, that you cannot have one set of armor for a squad of four dwarves who share guard duty one at a time. When one dwarf is relieved from duty, he may take off his armor (if set to wear civilian clothes) but the new dwarf going on duty will not then pick it up and wear it. Each dwarf in a squad needs his own uniform.

===Changing equipment===
Let's suppose you started with the "'''Leather armor'''" uniform and then smithed some metal armor, and now you want to change your squads to the metal armor. From the "'''Equip'''" menu, you can access the "'''Assign uniform'''" sub-menu, which will show the standard Leather, Metal, and Archer uniforms on the left (if you haven't deleted them). To change a full squad, select the squad using the checkbox to the right of their name, then select the uniform (metal) on the left, and it will be applied. Just hope you have enough metal armor and that Urist goes and picks it up!

Equipment can also be changed on an individual level e.g. if you would like to add metal gear or artifacts as they are produced. This is done from the "'''Equip'''" menu by pressing the "'''Details'''" button to the right of a squad member's position, then changing "'''Mat'''"erial, "'''Color,'''" or even the type of equipment assigned. This must then be saved by clicking the "'''Confirm'''" button or by entering a name into the textbox and pressing "'''Confirm and save uniform.'''"

Dwarves will not always pick up their military equipment immediately. An off-duty dwarf will sometimes prefer to perform one of his civilian jobs rather than putting on armor, and by default squads are assigned to wear civilian clothes when not on duty, so they will not equip their gear until an active order is assigned or the [[Scheduling#Routines|routine]] is changed to force equipping gear while off duty. Giving squads an [[#Orders|order]] will put them on duty and force them to gather their equipment with a bit more hustle.

===Equipping bone and shell armor===
One peculiarity for equipping [[bone]] and [[shell]] armor is that they are not explicitly listed in the "'''Mat'''"erial of the "'''Uniform'''" sub-menu. A partial workaround for this problem is that bone and shell are almost the only materials of their respective colors that can be used to make armor by default. So, to add bone or shell armor items to a preset uniform template, you need to add a specific type of armor (a helm, for instance) with the modifiers of "'''Color'''" as "'''white'''" for bone or "'''dark green'''"/"'''gray'''" for shell (thus, e.g., a "'''white helm'''"). This workaround is only partially effective for shell armor, as, for example, the armor made of iron is gray, and for bone it is ONLY effective if you also have no unique artifact armor made out of a white metal (such as an Aluminum Breastplate, Platinum Helm, or Silver Low Boot). It also requires that the armor template be for "'''Exact matches only'''" (not "'''Partial matches okay'''") using the buttons at the bottom of the "Uniform" sub-menu.

Some shell colors taken from raws (not guaranteed to be in the uniform color settings list):
* Pond turtle – dark green
* Mussel – gray
* Oyster – gray
* Nautilus – stripes brown white
* Giant tortoise – ecru
* Armadillo – mottled gray pink
* Desert tortoise – brown
* Snapping turtle – dark green
* Alligator snapping turtle – dark green
* Giant snail – brown
* Giant moon snail – red

===Equipping leather shields===
[[Leather]] is not a selectable material in the "'''New shield'''" screen. However, its uniformly brown colour means that you can order dwarves to use only brown-coloured [[shield]]s and be reasonably confident that they will choose only leather shields. Leather and wood are quite similar as shield materials, but if your leatherworkers make better shields than your carpenters you may want to use their products instead. [[Highwood]] shields are also an option with this uniform setting, and will be chosen if their value is appropriately high.

==Orders==
[[File:Squad menu v50 04.png|right]]
Getting your military to actually ''do'' something is the second step. Squads receive '''passive orders''' through [[scheduling]], and you can give '''direct orders''' to '''attack''' one or more specific targets or to '''station''' at a specific location at will through the {{Menu icon|q}} squads menu.

Passive orders are programming that a squad will follow in the absence of direct orders. Passive orders are typically used for training and defense, while direct orders are used for taking the fight to the enemy. The main ''squads'' menu is predominantly used for direct orders, and the ''Schedule'' sub-menu is used for passive orders. This article will focus on active commands; for more information on passive orders, see [[scheduling]].

A squad that is following a direct command is free to go wherever it is ordered to go, unhindered by any [[burrow]] restrictions.

===Selecting squads/soldiers===
When needed, soldiers can be sent to do specific tasks to <strike>satiate the blood god</strike> defend your fortress. Once these orders have been cancelled, your dwarves will return to their passive orders (if on duty), or their civilian lives (if off duty). Note, however, that your dwarves may continue to move towards their prior objective and mill about for some time afterwards. For this reason (and because canceling orders causes your dwarves to immediately drop any [[wear|worn-out]] clothing) it is best to order your dwarves back to a safe area '''before''' canceling their orders.

In the {{Menu icon|q}} '''squad''' menu, you can click the checkboxes to the right of the squad names to select one or more squads to give orders to. To give orders to individual dwarves within a squad: click the third button (bearded dwarf face) on the squad to view the positions in the squad, click the checkbox next to one (or more) dwarf’s name, and then the order, equip, and schedule buttons will appear at the bottom of the menu and apply only to the selected dwarves.

If a squad is off duty when you give them an order, they will switch to on-duty status before carrying out the order. This may mean they need to pick up new equipment before they will carry out their orders, although they frequently will not pick up all of their assigned gear before giving up and moving toward the objective.

There are five types of active orders that can be given to your dwarves: attack, station, patrol, burrow defense, or train, as well as cancel order. They are selected by clicking one of the six icons along the bottom of the '''squad''' menu.

===Attack order===
The '''attack order''', sometimes referred to as the '''kill command''', instructs your squad to pursue and attack one or more specific targets. It is a very unsubtle way of beating into your dwarves' booze-addled minds that they are to kill your target or be killed in the attempt. An attack order can be used to chase a kobold thief or goblin snatcher who is running away with your precious loot, or it may very well be the last command your dwarves receive if things are getting desperate.

After selecting which squad will execute the kill command, click the sword icon to begin designating the Attack targets. You now have several options: by default (or by clicking the -> x icon in the bottom left) you will be in '''single select''' mode and can choose one or more individual targets by clicking on them. You can switch to '''box select''' mode by clicking the stamp icon in the bottom left of the attack menu and draw a selection area on the map. When you left click the box select, a new menu will appear with a list of possible targets inside the selection. To continue adding to your box selection, right click and designate more selections. Once you are happy with your targets from the single or box selections, you can click "'''Confirm'''" to issue the order and watch your dwarves happily run off to execute the order by executing the target, or "'''Cancel'''" to exit the menu without giving an attack order.

Each dwarf in the squad will attempt to move toward the target until they are within striking distance. Ranged attackers will not do anything clever, like climbing up to the top of your archery tower - if you want them to fire from a specific position, use a station order instead. If they're already somewhere they can fire from safely, one can also cut off access to the intended targets and THEN issue a kill order. If they're stationed in an archery tower and ordered to kill something they can path to, they might charge the enemy even if they have a clear shot from their current position.

This order will automatically be cancelled once the intended victim is killed. If the target is caught in a [[Trap#Cage_trap|cage trap]], though, your squad will stand over the cage waiting for new orders; when the caged target is hauled to the animal stockpile, the dwarves given the orders to kill it will follow the cage as it is hauled and wait around it once it is stockpiled until the kill command is cancelled.

Dwarves go about this with a little more vigor than required and will also attack any other creatures nearby. As a result, it is very difficult to attack members of an enemy group with any sort of precision, and if your dwarves cannot take down their target, there is no real way to get them out of combat; it's do-or-die. It is unknown whether this is a bug or a feature.{{version|0.34.07}}

===Station order===
From the {{Menu icon|q}} squad menu, a '''station order''' (also known as a '''move''' order) is issued by selecting a squad, clicking the green arrow icon, and clicking a location on the map.

Each dwarf in the squad will select a random ([[path|reachable]]) point within 3 tiles of the spot you specify, somewhere in that 7x7 box, and will move directly to that point. This can mean that, if they have a path, dwarves may obediently move to the "wrong" side of a wall or other barrier if those tiles are within the 7x7 box. Dwarves in the squad will stand there until you cancel the order, give a new order, or an enemy comes within sight. Also, if one is overcome by [[hunger]], [[thirst]], or [[exhaustion]], that dwarf will take care of their [[need]] and then return to their squad's current assignment.

On-duty soldiers will pursue and attack any hostile targets they see, either en route to their station point, or after arriving. Hostile targets may include certain wild animals that are deemed dangerous. If the dwarf loses sight of the enemy, they will return to their chosen station point.

===Patrol route order===
The '''Patrol Route''' order assigns a squad to walk along a defined path of your choice continuously while the order is active. This can be used to spread the dwarves out and increase their [[ambush]]-spotting potential, or to move your marksdwarves in and out of combat, allowing them to relax and reload before returning to the fray.

A '''Patrol''' order is issued by clicking the third order icon from left in the {{Menu icon|q}} squad menu (the one with three red X's connected by a dotted line). Clicking this icon opens the '''route''' sub-menu where any existing route can be selected from the list, inspected, or deleted. If no desirable '''routes''' exist, a new one can be started by clicking "'''Create new route'''." Because routes must be saved to be used and can be selected by other squads it is recommended to give the new route a descriptive name by typing in the textbox at the top of the sub-menu then pressing {{k|enter}}. Finally, you can begin clicking on the map to define which points you want the dwarves to walk to in order. It is important to remember that dwarves will not follow the displayed path exactly. Rather, they will path from their current location to a random point within 3 tiles of the spot you specify (the same rules as a station order) following the normal Fortress Mode [[Path|pathing rules]].{{verify}}

Similar to the '''station''' order, on-duty soldiers will pursue and attack any hostile targets they see, prior to arriving at their station, or along their route. Hostile targets may include certain wild animals that are deemed dangerous. If the dwarf loses sight of the enemy, they will return to their patrol route.

===Defend burrow order===
If you have '''[[burrow]]s''' defined through the {{Menu icon|U}} Burrows menu, you can order your soldiers to defend it. They will spread out around the zone and automatically attack any hostile creatures that enter the burrow or that they can see nearby. It is unknown if a soldier defending a burrow is limited to their line-of-sight or is simply aware that an enemy is present. This can be useful to set up a 'zone' defense that requires less intricate setup than creating multiple overlapping '''station''' or '''patrol''' orders.

The '''Defend Burrow''' order is issued by clicking the 'shield' icon at the bottom of the {{Menu icon|q}} squad menu, then selecting the burrow you want your squad to defend and clicking "'''Confirm'''."

===Train order===
Training is a necessary part of a successful military, but setting up a proper '''[[Scheduling|schedule]]''' can take more time than it is worth for a simple squad that just needs to train up quickly and get on duty. That's where the active '''Train''' order comes in. It allows you to quickly issue a continuous training order for any number of squads by selecting them in the {{Menu icon|q}} squads menu with the checkbox next to their name and clicking the 'training' axe icon.

For your dwarves to train, a they must be assigned to train at a valid '''[[barracks]]'''. This can be done through the {{Menu icon|z}} zone menu by clicking the "'''Barracks'''" blue banner button to designate a barracks zone. To train at the barracks, a squad must be assigned to it from the zones menu by clicking the '''add squad''' - banner with a plus icon then clicking the '''training''' axe icon next to your squads' name to assign them to train there.

===Cancelling orders===
Pressing the red circle with a line through it icon in the {{Menu icon|q}} squad screen will '''cancel''' the selected squads' active orders, sending them back to their civilian or pre-scheduled military lives. If a dwarf is actively engaged in combat when an order is cancelled, they may not immediately disengage subject to their [[Personality_trait#Facets|personality]]{{verify}}; as a result, your over-eager dwarves may get themselves into some trouble. Take caution when sending them deep into unfamiliar territory.

==Order scheduling==
''Full article: [[Scheduling]]''

From the {{Menu icon|q}} squad-"'''Schedule'''" menu you can activate any routines you have defined quite quickly by selecting the squads you wish to assign with the checkboxes to the right of their names then clicking on the routine you wish for the squad to follow. This will set the order schedule for the entire squad until you give them an [[#Orders|active order]] or change routines.

To edit an existing routine or create a new one you need to visit the squad schedule menu. This can be done directly from the squad menu by clicking "'''Schedule'''" then "'''Clear'''"ing and "'''Edit'''"ing one of the visible routines, clicking "'''Add/edit routines'''," or alternatively editing months individually with "'''View monthly schedule'''." The details of setting up an order schedule are described on the [[scheduling]] page.

==Bugs==
* When selecting new dwarves to place in a squad the cursor always returns to the first available dwarf instead of remaining where it is.
* Dwarves handle equipment conflicts poorly, often resulting in an ill-equipped military.{{bug|535}}
* Military dwarves may constantly perform "pickup equipment" jobs {{Bug|2687}}
* Military equipment interferes with civilian equipment (picks/axes/crossbows/quivers).{{bug|1451}}
* Marksdwarves may not equip ammunition automatically.{{bug|0012008}}

==Troubleshooting==
Getting dwarves to collect and wear their assigned equipment can be a challenge. Here are some known issues:
*Dwarves take forever to pick up their assigned equipment
**Issuing a "station" order near your equipment dump should motivate dwarves to collect their equipment before reporting for duty. If they are still not fully equipped then check the problems listed below.

*Some types of civilian clothing conflict with armor (caps and shoes are common culprits).{{bug|0010899}}
**Toggle "Replace clothing" to force dwarves to wear the assigned armor. (You can toggle it back after they are equipped and your dwarves will add back any non-conflicting clothing.)

*Dwarves don't equip hands and/or feet completely.
**To ensure dwarves are able to fully equip their feet, you will need to duplicate the FIRST foot layer. Your dwarves equipment list after confirming in details should read either "socks, socks, boots" or "boots, boots, socks". Handwear doesn't need this workaround for whatever reason, but footwear does. If you only equip "socks, boots", or "boots, socks" they will only get 1 of the first listing leading to either 1 sock with 2 boots, or 2 socks with 1 boot, respectively. This workaround also only applies to uniforms with "Uniform Replaces Clothing" set. Uniforms worn over clothing should refer to the next tip.
**Dwarves will also not equip multiple layers of equipment on their hands and feet even if they should be compatible.

*Dwarves drop their assigned equipment.
**Make sure they are ordered to wear their uniform when inactive, and disable all mining, hunting, and woodcutting labors (these labors conflict with military uniforms).

*Dwarves keep complaining of "[[equipment mismatch]]".
**This is an "informative" message that is frequently caused by dwarves attempting to swap their equipment for slightly better versions or finding their stored equipment temporarily inaccessible due to bugs with storage.{{bug|0038238}}

*Dwarves have tattered clothing equipped.
**Assigned clothing will generally not be swapped for new replacements, leading to stress. Remove clothing (equipment made of cloth) from the dwarf's uniform, and optionally toggle "over clothing" to allow the dwarf to collect, wear, and replace civilian clothing automatically.

*Dwarves don't pick up bolts.
**Make sure you have enough quivers and bolts. In previous version Hunters were assigned 100 bolts by default, which remained reserved whether you had any hunters or not. This number is no longer visible or editable,{{version|0.50.01}} so it may still be causing issues.
**When you initially create the squad and it asks for the squad's uniform, it uses this selection to determine how much ammo to reserve for the squad. Any squad with ranged dwarves must be created with a ranged uniform. There is no way to edit this post-creation, if you want to add ranged dwarves to the squad post-creation, you will have to delete and re-create the squad. You can edit or change the uniform post creation, even changing the dwarves from ranged to melee or back, as long as the squad is initially created with ranged weapons it will reserve ammo and the squad members will be able to get ammo.

*Dwarves have the wrong bolts stuck in inventory.
**Bolts cannot currently be assigned{{version|0.50.04}} for different uses (e.g. combat vs. training), and dwarves may not pick them up at all.{{bug|0012008}}

*Dwarves move extremely slowly after equipping themselves.
**This is due the weight of the armor - most metal armor is heavy. The best way to prevent this is training the [[armor user]] skill, which reduces encumbrance penalties from worn armor, as even the strongest dwarves can be slowed by a full set of armor. [[barracks|Combat training]] will increase a dwarf's armor user skill and [[main:strength|strength]] (as will training [[Attribute#Attributes_trained_by_skills|some other skills]]). The increase in strength will allow them to carry more weight, but it is a very slow process.

{{Military}}
{{Category|Interface}}
{{Category|Military}}
[[ru:Squad]]

Melt item

2023-11-19T18:00:55Z

Fph: Improved clarity in a couple of places

{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
[[File:melt_icon_preview.png|right]]Metal items can be '''melted''' at a [[smelter]] using the [[furnace operator]] labor, to recover some of the [[metal]] they were made of. [[Decoration]]s of a different metal are not recovered or considered; the metal recovered is the specific metal that the basic item was listed as being made from. The percentile return is fixed and known for each item type, and ranges from 10%-150% (or more), depending on the item. Higher skill levels in furnace operator speed up the process, but have no effect on the percentile return.
__ToC__
== Return ==
Recovered metal is measured in tenths (0.1) of a full [[bar]], and those fractions of a bar of each separate metal are saved at the smelter where the item was melted. Fractional bars are not "shared" between smelters, nor do they exist as usable objects as is. When 10/10ths of a type of metal are accumulated at the same smelter, 1 bar of that metal is produced. If the smelter is torn down or destroyed, all fractions are lost.

:''Example:''
:* If 2 items, worth .4 bars each, of the same metal are melted at the same smelter, that smelter now has .8 bars (2 x .4) of that specific metal waiting in it. Not enough to use - yet...
:* If a similar item of a ''different'' metal is then melted there, that smelter would still have .8 bars of the first metal, and .4 bars of the second metal.
:* If a similar item of the ''first'' metal is then melted at a ''different'' smelter, that other smelter will have .4 of that metal, and have no connection to the fractions in the first smelter.
:* If ''(finally!)'' a 3rd, similar item of the first metal is melted at the first smelter, that adds another .4 bars to the .8 waiting there. This gives a total of 1.2 bars of that type of metal, meaning 1 [[bar]] of that metal is produced, ready for forging or other use, and .2 of a bar is waiting (plus the .4 of the second metal, also waiting).

It is most efficient to designate one smelter as a "melting" smelter (or for one metal type), to guarantee that fractions will add up effectively. This becomes less important as more bars of a particular metal are accumulated.

==Designating items to melt==
[[File:DF-melt-button.png|thumb|42px|right|The melt button.]]To mark an item for melting when it is:
:* On the '''ground''': Click the tile the item is on, then if there is more than one item there, click the tab of the item on the right edge of the sheet window, and click the melt button.
:* In a '''workshop''': Click one of the tiles the workshop, find the item in the list of items in that workshop, and click the melt button.
:* '''Held''' by a dwarf: View the dwarf's sheet, select the Items tab, find the item in the list, click the button to view the item's sheet, and click the melt button.
:* Inside a '''container''': Display the container's item sheet, find the item in the list of items in that container, and click the melt button.
:* In the '''stocks''' menu: Type {{k|k}} or click the Stocks button, then either:
:** click the filter input at the top and enter text to match the item, then click the melt button for the desired item.
:** select the item category, scroll to the item, and click the melt button.

If the item is designated for melting and [[forbidden]] then the item will '''not''' be melted.

This process only marks items as available for melting; the job order will still need to be made at a smelter.

==Melting the items==
Items designated to be melted will be left alone until the "Melt a metal object" job is queued at a [[Smelter]]. Melting down an object requires the [[Furnace operator]] labor (and consumes a unit of [[fuel]] for a non-magma smelter).

The job gives the same experience to the [[furnace operator]] skill, regardless of % yield of the item melted.

If there are items in a container that is being melted, the items will be placed inside the smelter when the container is destroyed.

==Yield==
Testing is incomplete, but preliminary results show a yield of 0.3 bars*the object's material size for anything that has a material size, or 1 bar for most furniture (regardless of size).

Note that the Efficiency column is only accurate for ordinary metals: when using [[adamantine]], one needs a number of wafer equal to the content of the "Material size" column instead of "Bars to make", so if that number is larger, the efficiency will be reduced accordingly. For coins however, the number is accurate for adamantine, which only requires 1 wafers and returns 1.1 wafers when melted.

Note also that some items are always produced in twos (gauntlets, boots) or threes (flasks, goblets), or (in the case of ammo) stacks of 25 at a time, or (for coins) 500 at a time. In the case of crafts, from 1 to 3 are produced. These are shown as "1/x" below, although a single job will never use less than one bar, nor produce less than the pair/trio/etc. of items.

{| style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class="wikitable sortable"
! Item !! Material size !! Bars to make !! Bars returned !! Efficiency
|-
! colspan="5"|[[Armor]] (Armorsmith)
|-
| [[Armor#Headgear|Cap]] || 1 || 1 || 0.3 || 30%
|-
| [[Armor#Headgear|Helm]] || 2 || 1 || 0.6 || 60%
|-
| [[Armor#Hands|Gauntlet]] || 2 || 1/2 || 0.6 || '''120%'''
|-
| [[Armor#Lower_Body|Leggings]] || 5 || 1 || 1.5 || '''''150%'''''
|-
| [[Armor#Lower_Body|Greaves]] || 6 || 2 || 1.8 || 90%
|-
| [[Armor#Footwear|Low boot]] || 1 || 1/2 || 0.3 || 60%
|-
| [[Armor#Footwear|High boot]] || 2 || 1/2 || 0.6 || '''120%'''
|-
| [[Buckler]] || 2 || 1 || 0.6 || 60%
|-
| [[Shield]] || 4 || 1 || 1.2 || '''120%'''
|-
| [[Armor#Upper_Body|Mail shirt]] || 6 || 2 || 1.8 || 90%
|-
| [[Armor#Upper_Body|Breastplate]] || 9 || 3 || 2.7 || 90%
|-
! colspan="5"|[[weapon|Weapons]] (made by Weaponsmith)
|-
| [[Crossbow]] || 3 || 1 || 0.9 || 90%
|-
| [[Mace]] || 3 || 1 || 0.9 || 90%
|-
| [[Spear]] || 3 || 1 || 0.9 || 90%
|-
| [[Short sword]] || 3 || 1 || 0.9 || 90%
|-
| [[War hammer]] || 3 || 1 || 0.9 || 90%
|-
| [[Battle axe]] || 4 || 1 || 1.2 || '''120%'''
|-
| [[Pick]] || 4 || 1 || 1.2 || '''120%'''
|-
| [[Ammo]] (full stack of 25) || (1) || 1 || 0.3 || 30%
|-
| [[Ammo]] (single bolt) || (1) || 1/25 || 0.1 || '''''250%'''''
|-
! colspan="5"|Foreign Weapons
|-
| [[Blowgun]] || 2 || 1 || 0.6 || 60%
|-
| [[Bow]] || 3 || 1 || 0.9 || 90%
|-
| [[Dagger]] || 1 || 1 || 0.3 || 30%
|-
| [[Flail]] || 4 || 1 || 1.2 || 120%
|-
| [[Great axe]] || 5 || 1 || 1.5 || 150%
|-
| [[Halberd]] || 5 || 1 || 1.5 || 150%
|-
| [[Long sword]] || 4 || 1 || 1.2 || 120%
|-
| [[Maul]] || 5 || 1 || 1.5 || 150%
|-
| [[Morningstar]] || 4 || 1 || 0.9 || 90%
|-
| [[Pike]] || 4 || 1 || 1.2 || 120%
|-
| [[Scimitar]] || 3 || 1 || 0.9 || 90%
|-
| [[Scourge]] || 2 || 1 || 0.6 || 60%
|-
| [[Two-handed sword]] || 5 || 1 || 1.5 || 150%
|-
| [[Whip]] || 1 || 1 || 0.3 || 30%
|-
! colspan="5"|[[Trap_component|Trap Components]] (Weaponsmith)
|-
| [[Trap_component#Giant_axe_blade|Giant Axe Blade]] || 5 || 1 || 1.5 || '''''150%'''''
|-
| [[Trap_component#Enormous_corkscrew|Enormous Corkscrew]] || 5 || 1 || 1.5 || '''''150%'''''
|-
| [[Trap_component#Spiked_ball|Spiked Ball]] || 4 || 1 || 1.2 || '''120%'''
|-
| [[Trap_component#Large.2C_serrated_disc|Large, Serrated Disc]] || 4 || 1 || 1.2 || '''120%'''
|-
| [[Trap_component#Menacing_spike|Menacing Spike]] || 5 || 1 || 1.5 || '''''150%'''''
|-
! colspan="5"|[[trap_component|Trap Components]] (Mechanic)
|-
| [[Mechanisms]] || (3) || 1 || 0.5 || 50%
|-
! colspan="5"|Siege Equipment (Weaponsmith)
|-
| [[Ballista arrow]] || (4) || 3 || 0.5 || 17%
|-
| [[Ballista arrowhead]] || (4) || 3 || 0.5 || 17%
|-
! colspan="5"|[[tool|Tools]] (Metalcrafter)
|-
| [[Nest box]] || 1 || 1 || 0.3 || 30%
|-
| [[Jug]] || 1 || 1 || 0.3 || 30%
|-
| [[Pot]] || 1 || 1 || 0.3 || 30%
|-
| [[Hive]] || 1 || 1 || 0.3 || 30%
|-
| [[Minecart]] || 6 || 2 || 1.8 || 90%
|-
| [[Wheelbarrow]] || 6 || 2 || 1.8 || 90%
|-
! colspan="5"|[[Furniture]] (Blacksmith / Metalsmith)
|-
| [[Anvil]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Armor stand]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Barrel]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Bin]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Block]]s || (4) || 1 || 0.5 || 50%
|-
| [[Bucket]] || (3) || 1 || 1 || '''100%'''
|-
| [[Cabinet]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Cage]] || (6) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Chair]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Chest]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Coffin]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Crutch]] || (3) || 3 || 0.5 || 17%
|-
| [[Door]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Floodgate]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Grate]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Hatch cover]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Pipe section]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Splint]] || (2) || 3 || 0.5 || 17%
|-
| [[Statue]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Table]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Traction bench]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
| [[Weapon rack]] || (9) || 3 || 1 || 33%
|-
! colspan="5"|[[Furniture]] (Metalcrafter)
|-
| [[Chain]] || (4) || 1 || 1 || '''100%'''
|-
! colspan="5"|[[Furniture]] (Trapper)
|-
| [[Animal trap]] || (3) || 1 || 1 || '''100%'''
|-
! colspan="5"|Other objects (Metalcrafter)
|-
| [[Jewelry|Amulet]] || (1/3 to 1) || 1/3 to 1 || 0.1 || 10% to 30%
|-
| [[Jewelry|Bracelet]] || (1/3 to 1) || 1/3 to 1 || 0.1 || 10% to 30%
|-
| [[Coins]] (stack of 500) || (1) || 1 || 1.1 || '''''110%'''''
|-
| [[Coins]] (stack of 1) || (1) || 1/500 || 0.1 || '''''5000%'''''
|-
| [[Jewelry|Crown]] || (1/3 to 1) || 1/3 to 1 || 0.1 || 10% to 30%
|-
| [[Jewelry|Earring]] || (1/3 to 1) || 1/3 to 1 || 0.1 || 10% to 30%
|-
| [[Flask]] || (1/3) || 1/3 || 0.2 || 60%
|-
| [[Figurine]] || (1/3 to 1) || 1/3 to 1 || 0.2 || 20% to 60%
|-
| [[Goblet]] || (1/3) || 1/3 || 0.2 || 60%
|-
| [[Instrument]] || (1) || 1 || 1 || '''100%'''
|-
| [[Toy]] || (1) || 1 || 0.2 || 20%
|-
| [[Ring]] || (1/3 to 1) || 1/3 to 1 || 0.1 || 10% to 30%
|-
| [[Finished_goods#Crafts|Scepter]] || (1/3 to 1) || 1/3 to 1 || 0.2 || 20% to 60%
|}

All melting yields for items ''not'' specified in the raws (weapons, armor, tools, etc.) are hardcoded.

Metal bars are able to be melted and remade into half a bar at a smelter. (Melt 1 tin bar, return as 0.5 tin bar + experience.)
=== Exploit ===
Items that yield more than 100% can be used to increase the amount of a metal available by producing those items and then melting them down again, as many times as required. This is generally considered to be an [[Exploit#Infinite_Adamantine_.2F_Metals|exploit]] of an error in the game mechanics. However, using a dwarf with a high skill level to make the items will result in severe tantrums being thrown when all the ☼masterwork☼ creations start being melted, so it is best to utilize low-skill metalworkers and make sure their skill levels don't get too high to avoid masterwork items, or there will be tantrum spirals, fistfights, and/or lots of <s>useless junk</s> valuable trade goods lying around. (A [[workshop profile]] on the forge can be used to restrict production to dwarves below a certain skill level. Another option is to designate a nearby stockpile for meltable items that doesn't allow Legendary or Master items.)
For multiplying weapons/armor-grade metals, forging and melting giant axe blades, large serrated discs, and leggings will yield a 50% gain per item; *note that this does not work with adamantine, since adamantine goods require 3 times as many wafers, instead leading to a 70% loss per item.

==Bugs==
*A number of items produce more metal when melted than they cost to produce.{{bug|6027}}
*Designating items to be melted from the [[stocks]] screen can cause a crash.{{bug|6431}}

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[[ru:Melt item]]