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Difference between revisions of "Bolt"

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[[File:bolts_preview.png|right]]
  
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'''Bolts''' are a type of [[ammunition]] used by [[crossbow]]s. They can be made from either [[wood]], [[bone]], or weapons-grade [[metal]]s. As with all non-siege ammo, hunting and military dwarves must be equipped with [[quiver]]s to be able to carry bolts around for shooting.
  
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Bolts are a type of [[ammunition]] used by [[crossbow]]s. They can be made from either [[wood]], [[bone]], or weapons-grade [[metal]]s. As with all non-siege ammo, hunting and military dwarves must be equipped with [[quiver]]s to be able to carry bolts around for shooting.
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Wooden and bone bolts are produced in a [[craftsdwarf's workshop]] by a [[wood crafter]] or a [[bone carver]], respectively. Each job will produce a stack of 25 wooden bolts from a single log, or a stack of 5 bone bolts taking a single bone from a stack. Metal bolts are a weapon, not a craft, so require [[Weaponsmith|Weapon''smithing'']] (not Metal''crafting'') and a [[Metalsmith's forge]] or [[Magma forge]], creating a stack of 25 bolts from a single metal bar.
  
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Wooden and bone bolts are produced in a [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]] by a [[Wood crafter|Wood Crafter]] or a [[Bone carver|Bone Carver]], respectively. Each job will produce a stack of 25 wooden bolts from a single log, or a stack of 5 bone bolts taking a single bone from a stack. Metal bolts require [[Weaponsmith|Weapon''smithing'']] (not Metal''crafting'') and a [[Metalsmith's forge]] or [[Magma forge]], creating a stack of 25 bolts from a single metal bar.
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When fired, bolts have a chance of shattering on impact or bouncing off onto the ground as free-laying items. However, depending on [[standing orders]], they may be immediately [[forbidden]] after being fired (to prevent <s>suicidal</s> hauling dwarves from running into active battlefields), and have to be [[reclaim]]ed by the player, either directly or from the [[stocks]] screen.
  
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When fired, bolts have a chance of shattering on impact or bouncing off onto the ground as free-laying items. However, they are immediately [[forbidden]] after being fired (to prevent <s>suicidal</s> hauling dwarves from running into active battlefields), and have to be [[reclaim]]ed by the player, either directly or from the [[stocks]] screen.
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Like most edged weapons, fired bolts follow the [[weapon#Superior metal rule|superior metal rule]] [https://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/11w6lwm/science_the_effectiveness_of_metal_bolts_vs_armor/], often struggling to penetrate armor of equal or better material. [[Adamantine]] bolts are only superior to [[steel]] against steel-clad enemies, although they're also much less encumbering{{bug|3677}}.  Wooden and bone bolts are only useful for [[hunting]] and [[training]].
  
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Given that bolts are a projectile weapon, their weight influences their effectiveness (higher weight means higher inertia, making them harder to deflect). Tests show that where even masterwork wooden bolts bounce harmlessly off copper armor, iron bolts pierce without any issue. Bone bolts are significantly better than wood, but metal bolts are still recommended for military use [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=116151.0]. [[Adamantine]] bolts are effective despite their low density - it is offset by their superior sharpness/hardness (see [[Weapon#Material|weapon materials]]), which allows adamantine bolts to tear through all metal armors, with the notable exception of adamantine armor itself. When pitted against itself, the low-density adamantine bolts deflect 99.99% of the time. As comparison, bolts made out of non-adamantine metals fired at armor of equal or superior hardness do not deflect and simply deal converted blunt damage instead of edge damage.
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==Masterwork bolts==
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As with other items, high-skill dwarves can make masterwork-[[Item quality|quality]] bolts.  While they don't care if the bolts are fired and shatter on impact, they do get [[thought|upset]] if a bolt gets carried off the map - say, by a retreating enemy with the bolt stuck in them.
  
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==Masterwork Bolts==
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The simplest remedy for this is to simply '''make more bolts''' - a dwarf who has produced hundreds of masterwork bolts will be more annoyed by [[fly|flies]] than the loss of a masterwork. This is because the stress penalty for the loss of a masterwork is divided by the number of remaining masterwork items made by that dwarf (see [[thought]]s for more information).
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As with other items, high-skill dwarves can make masterwork-[[Item quality|quality]] bolts. While they don't care if the bolts are fired and shatter on impact, they do get [[thought|upset]] if a bolt gets carried off the map - say by a retreating enemy with the bolt stuck in him.
 
  
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The simplest remedy for this is to simply '''make more bolts''' - a dwarf who has produced hundreds of masterwork bolts will be more annoyed by [[fly|flies]] than the loss of a masterwork. This is because the happiness penalty for the loss of a masterwork is divided by the number of remaining masterwork items made by that dwarf (see [[List of Dwarven Thoughts]] for more information).
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==Weapon traps==
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Bone bolts are not advisable for [[weapon trap]]s as only a stack of 5 will be stored per crossbow, making frequent restocking necessary.
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==Weapon Traps==
 
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Bone bolts are not advisable for weapon traps as only a stack of 5 will be stored per crossbow, making frequent restocking necessary.
 
  
 
==Bugs==
 
==Bugs==
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*If bolts claimed by a squad are forbidden, then the squad may not claim new bolts. Instead, they become stuck waiting for those bolts, indicated by a yellow bolt icon in the 'equip' menu. In this case, assigning a uniform again (even the same exact uniform that's currently assigned) will force them to find new, available bolts.
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* Sometimes dwarves refuse to pick up stockpiled ammo, especially if you have been hauling used ammo back to your bins. Try disabling your current ammo stockpile and making a new one temporarily. Failing that: craft new bolts.{{cite reddit|13323y}} One workaround is to dedicate less ammo for each dwarf to increase the chances that there will be enough for everyone ({{k|m}},{{k|f}}, use {{k|-}} to decrease dedicated ammo for each squad - 50 is more than enough). Disabling bins in ammo stockpiles may avoid this problem.{{bug|2706}}
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*If bolts claimed by a squad are forbidden ''and then made unreachable'', the squad will be unable to select new bolts. In this case, the bolt icon remains red in the 'equip' menu. The player will need to either allow them to acquire the bolts they have claimed or create a new squad.
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*If squad is assigned multiple ammo types, dwarves with "individual choice ranged" carry wrong ammo{{bug|1374}}.
 
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*Masterwork bolts cause unhappy thoughts when they get carried off the map or melted down{{bug|3169}}. The solution to this is to make more bolts, since the unhappy thought caused by "art defacement" becomes less significant the more masterpieces a dwarf has produced.
 
*Masterwork bolts cause unhappy thoughts when they get carried off the map or melted down{{bug|3169}}. The solution to this is to make more bolts, since the unhappy thought caused by "art defacement" becomes less significant the more masterpieces a dwarf has produced.
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*Bolts are not stored in a barracks, despite the tooltip for the 'store squad equipment' icon. Bolts will get dropped wherever the dwarf drops their quiver and promptly hauled to any stockpile where they are allowed.
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* If a squad is set to use two different materials of a certain kind of ammunition one for practicing, and one for combat, (an example of this would be metal bolts for combat and bone/wooden bolts for practicing.) Oftentimes the most expensive kind will be grabbed and stored inside a quiver, the dwarf then being unable to practice with the ammunition will be stuck on "Archery practice" and stand around doing nothing. Workarounds for this include only assigning one type of bolts at a time when in combat or training mode. Only [[military interface|assigning]] bone/wooden bolt and nothing else, or assign metal bolts and nothing else. {{Bug|4530}}
 
  
 
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Latest revision as of 09:15, 31 October 2023

xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼
v50.14 · v0.47.05
This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.
Bolts preview.png

Bolts are a type of ammunition used by crossbows. They can be made from either wood, bone, or weapons-grade metals. As with all non-siege ammo, hunting and military dwarves must be equipped with quivers to be able to carry bolts around for shooting.

Wooden and bone bolts are produced in a craftsdwarf's workshop by a wood crafter or a bone carver, respectively. Each job will produce a stack of 25 wooden bolts from a single log, or a stack of 5 bone bolts taking a single bone from a stack. Metal bolts are a weapon, not a craft, so require Weaponsmithing (not Metalcrafting) and a Metalsmith's forge or Magma forge, creating a stack of 25 bolts from a single metal bar.

When fired, bolts have a chance of shattering on impact or bouncing off onto the ground as free-laying items. However, depending on standing orders, they may be immediately forbidden after being fired (to prevent suicidal hauling dwarves from running into active battlefields), and have to be reclaimed by the player, either directly or from the stocks screen.

Like most edged weapons, fired bolts follow the superior metal rule [1], often struggling to penetrate armor of equal or better material. Adamantine bolts are only superior to steel against steel-clad enemies, although they're also much less encumberingBug:3677. Wooden and bone bolts are only useful for hunting and training.

Masterwork bolts[edit]

As with other items, high-skill dwarves can make masterwork-quality bolts. While they don't care if the bolts are fired and shatter on impact, they do get upset if a bolt gets carried off the map - say, by a retreating enemy with the bolt stuck in them.

The simplest remedy for this is to simply make more bolts - a dwarf who has produced hundreds of masterwork bolts will be more annoyed by flies than the loss of a masterwork. This is because the stress penalty for the loss of a masterwork is divided by the number of remaining masterwork items made by that dwarf (see thoughts for more information).

Weapon traps[edit]

Bone bolts are not advisable for weapon traps as only a stack of 5 will be stored per crossbow, making frequent restocking necessary.

Bugs[edit]

  • If bolts claimed by a squad are forbidden, then the squad may not claim new bolts. Instead, they become stuck waiting for those bolts, indicated by a yellow bolt icon in the 'equip' menu. In this case, assigning a uniform again (even the same exact uniform that's currently assigned) will force them to find new, available bolts.
  • If bolts claimed by a squad are forbidden and then made unreachable, the squad will be unable to select new bolts. In this case, the bolt icon remains red in the 'equip' menu. The player will need to either allow them to acquire the bolts they have claimed or create a new squad.
  • Masterwork bolts cause unhappy thoughts when they get carried off the map or melted downBug:3169. The solution to this is to make more bolts, since the unhappy thought caused by "art defacement" becomes less significant the more masterpieces a dwarf has produced.
  • Bolts are not stored in a barracks, despite the tooltip for the 'store squad equipment' icon. Bolts will get dropped wherever the dwarf drops their quiver and promptly hauled to any stockpile where they are allowed.
"Bolt" in other Languages Books-aj.svg aj ashton 01.svg
Dwarven: alåth
Elven: ene
Goblin: okom
Human: thora
V · T · E
Ranged and ammunition
Blowgun and blowdart · Bow and arrow · Crossbow and bolt
Blunt
Edged (slashing)
Edged (piercing)
Dagger · Morningstar · Pick · Pike · Spear
See also: Attack types
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