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40d:Metal
Metal is a material extracted from ore at a smelter, turning the ore into bars* of pure metal. It is sometimes combined with other materials to form an alloy metal. An alloy usually improves on the properties of its components to give more uses and/or value. The metal bars resulting from smelting are used to make items such as weapons, armor, furniture, and crafts at a forge.
Smelting pure ores into the corresponding bars raises the base value from that of a stone (3) to that of a bar* (5). This value is then multiplied against the value multiplier of the metal.
- (* except adamantine, which produces "wafers" instead of bars)
Alloys
Many metals can be mixed together to create alloys. In a few cases these alloys will result in an overall increase in value, or the resultant alloy will be more powerful when used to forge weapons or armour. Many alloys result in no overall increase in wealth. The main use of these alloys is to allow you to dilute any valuable metals you import, or to create items with interesting colours: for instance, rose gold is purple. An additional benefit is reduced fuel use as in some cases you can create alloys from raw ores.
In terms of maximizing total material value, currentlyv0.28.181.40d tin should be made into fine pewter or bronze (depending on availability of copper), and zinc should be made into brass. If copper is limited, it should be used for fine pewter. Nickel and lead do not form valuable alloys:
- 2 tin, 1 copper, and 1 lead can form 4 lay pewter worth 12, or 3 trifle pewter and 1 lead worth 14.
- 2 nickel, 1 copper, and 1 zinc can form 4 nickel silver worth 12, or 2 nickel and 2 brass worth 18.
On the other hand, nickel silver is magma-safe, so it can be useful if you're short on nickel and iron and haven't found any bauxite.
List of metals
"Reaction" indicates the recipe for an alloy metal; this does not include the fuel used in their creation. "Difference" indicates the difference between the value of the resulting metal and the weighted average of the required metals. Unless otherwise noted, any metal that can be used for weapons can also be used to make ammo, picks, and ranged weapons.
| Metal | Colors | Value | Density | Weapon/Armor | Other uses | Reaction | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | * |
2 | 8.93 | 66%/66% | |||
| Nickel | * |
2 | 8.80 | ||||
| Zinc | * |
2 | 7.13 | ||||
| Tin | * |
2 | 7.28 | ||||
| Lead | * |
2 | 11.34 | ||||
| Bismuth | * |
2 | 9.78 | Only used to make Bismuth Bronze | |||
| Nickel silver | * |
3 | 8.65 | Nickel x2 + Copper + Zinc | +1 | ||
| Lay pewter | * |
3 | 7.28 | Tin x2 + Copper + Lead | +1 | ||
| Trifle pewter | * |
4 | 7.28 | Tin x2 + Copper # | +2 | ||
| Fine pewter | * |
5 | 7.28 | Tin x3 + Copper # | +3 | ||
| Bronze | * |
5 | 8.25 | 75%/75% | Tin + Copper # | +3 | |
| Billon | * |
6 | 8.93 | Copper + Silver # | +0 | ||
| Bismuth bronze | * |
6 | 8.25 | 75%/75% | Tin + Copper x2 + Bismuth | +4 | |
| Brass | * |
7 | 8.55 | Zinc + Copper # | +5 | ||
| Sterling silver | * |
8 | 10.49 | Silver x3 + Copper | +0 | ||
| Pig iron | * |
10 | 7.85 | Only used to make steel | Iron + Flux stone + Coal | +0 | |
| Iron | * |
10 | 7.85 | 100%/100% | Anvils | ||
| Silver | * |
10 | 10.49 | 50%/* | No picks or ranged weapons | ||
| Black bronze | * |
11 | 8.93 | Copper x2 + Silver + Gold | +0 | ||
| Electrum | * |
20 | 8.65 | Silver + Gold # | +0 | ||
| Rose gold | * |
23 | 19.32 | Gold x3 + Copper | +0 | ||
| Steel | * |
30 | 7.85 | 133%/133% | Anvils | Iron + Pig iron + Flux stone + Coal | +20 |
| Gold | * |
30 | 19.32 | ||||
| Aluminum | * |
40 | 2.70 | ||||
| Platinum | * |
40 | 21.40 | ||||
| Adamantine | * |
300 | 0.200 | 500%/500% | Everything except beds |
*Silver has a 50% armor multiplier, but can't be used to make armor. However, a dwarf with a strange mood can forge a silver armor.
#You can use both bars or ores for this reaction
Raw file
This is for reference until the metal articles are written. Then, it will be deleted.
matgloss_metal [OBJECT:MATGLOSS] [MATGLOSS_METAL:IRON] [NAME:iron][ADJ:iron][COLOR:0:7:1] [VALUE:10] [SPEC_HEAT:450] [MELTING_POINT:12768] [BOILING_POINT:15150] [WEAPON][WEAPON_RANGED][AMMO][DIGGER][ARMOR][ANVIL] [DAMAGE_PERC:100] [BLOCK_PERC:100] [SOLID_DENSITY:7850] [MATGLOSS_METAL:GOLD] [NAME:gold][ADJ:golden][COLOR:6:6:1] [VALUE:30] [SPEC_HEAT:129] [MELTING_POINT:11915] [BOILING_POINT:15141] [SOLID_DENSITY:19320] [MATGLOSS_METAL:SILVER] [NAME:silver][ADJ:silver][COLOR:7:7:1] [VALUE:10] [SPEC_HEAT:230] [MELTING_POINT:11731] [BOILING_POINT:13892] [WEAPON][AMMO] [SOLID_DENSITY:10490] [MATGLOSS_METAL:COPPER] [NAME:copper][ADJ:copper][COLOR:6:4:0] [VALUE:2] [SPEC_HEAT:385] [MELTING_POINT:11952] [BOILING_POINT:14611] [WEAPON][WEAPON_RANGED][AMMO][DIGGER][ARMOR] [DAMAGE_PERC:66] [BLOCK_PERC:66] [SOLID_DENSITY:8930] [MATGLOSS_METAL:NICKEL] [NAME:nickel][ADJ:nickel][COLOR:7:3:0] [VALUE:2] [SPEC_HEAT:444] [MELTING_POINT:12619] [BOILING_POINT:15243] [SOLID_DENSITY:8800] [MATGLOSS_METAL:ZINC] [NAME:zinc][ADJ:zinc][COLOR:7:3:0] [VALUE:2] [SPEC_HEAT:390] [MELTING_POINT:10755] [BOILING_POINT:11633] [SOLID_DENSITY:7135] [MATGLOSS_METAL:BRONZE] [NAME:bronze][ADJ:bronze][COLOR:6:4:0] [VALUE:5] [SPEC_HEAT:435] [MELTING_POINT:11868] [BOILING_POINT:14140] [WEAPON][WEAPON_RANGED][AMMO][DIGGER][ARMOR] [DAMAGE_PERC:75] [BLOCK_PERC:75] [SOLID_DENSITY:8250] [MATGLOSS_METAL:BRASS] [NAME:brass][ADJ:brass][COLOR:6:6:1] [VALUE:7] [SPEC_HEAT:377] [MELTING_POINT:11656] [BOILING_POINT:14068] [SOLID_DENSITY:8550] [MATGLOSS_METAL:STEEL] [NAME:steel][ADJ:steel][COLOR:0:7:1] [VALUE:30] [SPEC_HEAT:500] [MELTING_POINT:12718] [BOILING_POINT:14968] [WEAPON][WEAPON_RANGED][AMMO][DIGGER][ARMOR][ANVIL] [DAMAGE_PERC:133] [BLOCK_PERC:133] [SOLID_DENSITY:7850] [MATGLOSS_METAL:PIG_IRON] [NAME:pig iron][ADJ:pig iron][COLOR:0:7:1] [VALUE:10] [SPEC_HEAT:500] [MELTING_POINT:12106] [BOILING_POINT:13968] [BRITTLE] [SOLID_DENSITY:7850] [MATGLOSS_METAL:PLATINUM] [NAME:platinum][ADJ:platinum][COLOR:7:7:1] [VALUE:40] [SPEC_HEAT:130] [MELTING_POINT:13182] [BOILING_POINT:16885] [SOLID_DENSITY:21400] [MATGLOSS_METAL:ELECTRUM] [NAME:electrum][ADJ:electrum][COLOR:6:6:1] [VALUE:20] [SPEC_HEAT:180] [MELTING_POINT:11828] [BOILING_POINT:14968] [SOLID_DENSITY:8650] [MATGLOSS_METAL:TIN] [NAME:tin][ADJ:tin][COLOR:7:3:0] [VALUE:2] [SPEC_HEAT:210] [MELTING_POINT:10417] [BOILING_POINT:14684] [SOLID_DENSITY:7280] [MATGLOSS_METAL:PEWTER_FINE] [NAME:fine pewter][ADJ:fine pewter][COLOR:7:7:1] [VALUE:5] [SPEC_HEAT:210] [MELTING_POINT:10417] [BOILING_POINT:14684] [SOLID_DENSITY:7280] [MATGLOSS_METAL:PEWTER_TRIFLE] [NAME:trifle pewter][ADJ:trifle pewter][COLOR:7:3:0] [VALUE:4] [SPEC_HEAT:210] [MELTING_POINT:10417] [BOILING_POINT:14684] [SOLID_DENSITY:7280] [MATGLOSS_METAL:PEWTER_LAY] [NAME:lay pewter][ADJ:lay pewter][COLOR:3:7:0] [VALUE:3] [SPEC_HEAT:210] [MELTING_POINT:10417] [BOILING_POINT:14684] [SOLID_DENSITY:7280] [MATGLOSS_METAL:LEAD] [NAME:lead][ADJ:lead][COLOR:0:7:1] [VALUE:2] [SPEC_HEAT:130] [MELTING_POINT:10589] [BOILING_POINT:13148] [SOLID_DENSITY:11340] [MATGLOSS_METAL:ALUMINUM] [NAME:aluminum][ADJ:aluminum][COLOR:7:7:1] [VALUE:40] [SPEC_HEAT:900] [MELTING_POINT:11188] [BOILING_POINT:14534] [SOLID_DENSITY:2700] temperature values unknown, used nickel [MATGLOSS_METAL:NICKEL_SILVER] [NAME:nickel silver][ADJ:nickel silver][COLOR:7:7:1] [VALUE:3] [SPEC_HEAT:444] [MELTING_POINT:12619] [BOILING_POINT:15243] [SOLID_DENSITY:8650] temperature values unknown, used copper [MATGLOSS_METAL:BILLON] [NAME:billon][ADJ:billon][COLOR:7:3:0] [VALUE:6] [SPEC_HEAT:385] [MELTING_POINT:11952] [BOILING_POINT:14611] [SOLID_DENSITY:8930] used copper temperature values unknown, used silver value is weighted average of 3 silver and 1 copper [MATGLOSS_METAL:STERLING_SILVER] [NAME:sterling silver][ADJ:sterling silver][COLOR:7:7:1] [VALUE:8] [SPEC_HEAT:230] [MELTING_POINT:11731] [BOILING_POINT:13892] [SOLID_DENSITY:10490] used silver temperature values unknown, used copper also called shakudo or hepatizon depending on the proportions (some have no silver) got the name from black corinthian bronze, though these proportions are more like regular corinthian bronze/brass I just wanted the liver-colored one, dropped "corinthian" because it sounds too location/culture specific value of 11 is the weighted average value of 2copper/1silver/1gold components [MATGLOSS_METAL:BLACK_BRONZE] [NAME:black bronze][ADJ:black bronze][COLOR:5:6:0] [VALUE:11] [SPEC_HEAT:385] [MELTING_POINT:11952] [BOILING_POINT:14611] [SOLID_DENSITY:8930] temperature values unknown, used gold value is weighted average of 3 gold and 1 copper [MATGLOSS_METAL:ROSE_GOLD] [NAME:rose gold][ADJ:rose gold][COLOR:5:5:1] [VALUE:23] [SPEC_HEAT:129] [MELTING_POINT:11915] [BOILING_POINT:15141] [SOLID_DENSITY:19320] used gold bismuth itself is brittle, but you can alloy it with tin/copper to make a light-colored bronze [MATGLOSS_METAL:BISMUTH] [NAME:bismuth][ADJ:bismuth][COLOR:5:5:1] [VALUE:2] [SPEC_HEAT:123] [MELTING_POINT:10488] [BOILING_POINT:12815] [BRITTLE] [SOLID_DENSITY:9780] you can make a lighter colored bronze by adding bismuth, used temp values from bronze, used by incas, at least according to one source ha ha [MATGLOSS_METAL:BISMUTH_BRONZE] [NAME:bismuth bronze][ADJ:bismuth bronze][COLOR:6:6:1] [VALUE:6] [SPEC_HEAT:435] [MELTING_POINT:11868] [BOILING_POINT:14140] [WEAPON][WEAPON_RANGED][AMMO][DIGGER][ARMOR] [DAMAGE_PERC:75] [BLOCK_PERC:75] [SOLID_DENSITY:8250] used bronze [MATGLOSS_METAL:ADAMANTINE] [NAME:adamantine][ADJ:adamantine][COLOR:3:3:1] [VALUE:300] [SPEC_HEAT:7500] [MELTING_POINT:25000] [BOILING_POINT:50000] [WEAPON][WEAPON_RANGED][AMMO][DIGGER][ARMOR][ANVIL][ANY_USE] [WAFERS] [DAMAGE_PERC:500] [BLOCK_PERC:500] [SOLID_DENSITY:200] [DEEP]