Editing 40d:Metal

There are only 11 pure metals in Dwarf Fortress (plus [[Adamantine]]).  Many of these can be mixed together to create '''alloys''' of one type or another, of which there are another 14.  In some 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, though many alloys result in no overall increase in utility or [[Wealth|created wealth]]. (These increases in value can be compared in the "Difference" column of the table, below.)

The main use of these alloys is to allow you to stretch any useful metals you have too few of, to increase the value of the bars created, and/or to create items with distinct colours (for instance, [[rose gold]] is [[Color schemes|magenta]]) for furniture, colour-coding rooms or levers, or artistic constructions (including [[floor]] mosaics). In some cases ([[bronze]], for example) an additional benefit is reduced fuel consumption, as you can create multiple bars of some alloys directly from raw ores with only one [[smelter]] task, bypassing the need to first make bars of the pure metals (and thus using only 1 fuel to produce multiple bars).  With one [[Billon|exception]] (which can be viewed as a bug), the number of bars used to create an alloy always equals the number of bars produced; # in = # out.

In terms of maximizing total material value, currently [[tin]] should be made into [[fine pewter]] or [[bronze]] or [[bismuth bronze]] (depending on availability of the necessary ores), and [[zinc]] should be made into [[brass]]. Almost all alloy reactions involve copper, so if [[copper]] is in limited supply on your map (and you wish to maximize value), it should be used for [[fine pewter]]. If you wish to maximize armour and weaponry, use copper for bronze or (better, to stretch it more) bismuth bronze.  [[Nickel]] and [[lead]] do not form monetarily profitable alloys.

 

 

{{Metal table row|name=[[Adamantine]]|color={{Tile|≡|3:1}}{{Tile|‼|3:3:1}}<span style="display:none">3:3:1</span>|ore=[[Raw adamantine]]|wpn=x 5.00|other=Everything except beds|dens=0.200|val=300|valinc=+50}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Aluminum]]|color={{Tile|≡|7:1}}{{Tile|‼|7:7:1}}<span style="display:none">7:7:1</span>|ore=[[Native aluminum]]|wpn=|other=|dens=2.70|val=40|valinc=+0}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Bismuth]]|color={{Tile|≡|5:1}}{{Tile|‼|5:5:1}}<span style="display:none">5:5:1</span>|ore=[[Bismuthinite]]|wpn=|other=only for Bismuth Bronze|dens=9.78|val=2|valinc=+1}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Copper]]|color={{Tile|≡|6:0}}{{Tile|‼|6:4:0}}<span style="display:none">6:4:0</span>|ore=[[Native copper]], [[Malachite]], [[Tetrahedrite]]|wpn=x 0.66|other=|dens=8.93|val=2|valinc=+0, +0, -1*}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Gold]]|color={{Tile|≡|6:1}}{{Tile|‼|6:6:1}}<span style="display:none">6:6:1</span>|ore=[[Native gold]]|wpn=|other=|dens=19.32|val=30|valinc=+0}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Iron]]|color={{Tile|≡|0:1}}{{Tile|‼|0:7:1}}<span style="display:none">0:7:1</span>|ore=[[Hematite]], [[Limonite]], [[Magnetite]]|wpn=x 1.00|other=[[Anvil]]s|dens=7.85|val=10|valinc=+2}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Lead]]|color={{Tile|≡|0:1}}{{Tile|‼|0:7:1}}<span style="display:none">0:7:1</span>|ore=[[Galena]]|wpn=|other=|dens=11.34|val=2|valinc=-3*}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Nickel]]|color={{Tile|≡|7:0}}{{Tile|‼|7:3:0}}<span style="display:none">7:3:0</span>|ore=[[Garnierite]]|wpn=|other=cheap magma safe material|dens=8.80|val=2|valinc=+0}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Platinum]]|color={{Tile|≡|7:1}}{{Tile|‼|7:7:1}}<span style="display:none">7:7:1</span>|ore=[[Native platinum]]|wpn=|other=|dens=21.40|val=40|valinc=+0}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Silver]]|color={{Tile|≡|7:1}}{{Tile|‼|7:7:1}}<span style="display:none">7:7:1</span>|ore=[[Native silver]], [[Horn silver]],<br />[[Galena]] (50%), [[Tetrahedrite]] (20%) |wpn=x 0.50*|other=No [[pick]]s or [[crossbow]]s|dens=10.49|val=10|valinc=+0, +0,<br />+5*, +7*}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Tin]]|color={{Tile|≡|7:0}}{{Tile|‼|7:3:0}}<span style="display:none">7:3:0</span>|ore=[[Cassiterite]]|wpn=|other=|dens=7.28|val=2|valinc=+0}}

 

{{Metal table row|name=[[Zinc]]|color={{Tile|≡|7:0}}{{Tile|‼|7:3:0}}<span style="display:none">7:3:0</span>|ore=[[Sphalerite]]|wpn=|other=|dens=7.13|val=2|valinc=+0}}

 

|}

===Alloys===

{{Metal table head}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Billon]]|color={{Tile|≡|7:0}}{{Tile|‼|7:3:0}}<span style="display:none">7:3:0</span>|ore=[[Copper]] + [[Silver]]|wpn=|other=|dens=8.93|val=6|valinc=+0}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Bismuth bronze]]|color={{Tile|≡|6:1}}{{Tile|‼|6:6:1}}<span style="display:none">6:6:1</span>|ore=2 [[Copper]] + 1 [[Tin]] + 1 [[Bismuth]] '''!'''|wpn=x 0.75|other=|dens=8.25|val=6|valinc=+4}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Black bronze]]|color={{Tile|≡|5:0}}{{Tile|‼|5:6:0}}<span style="display:none">5:6:0</span>|ore=2 [[Copper]] + 1 [[Silver]] + 1 [[Gold]] '''!'''|wpn=|other=|dens=8.93|val=11|valinc=+0}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Brass]]|color={{Tile|≡|6:1}}{{Tile|‼|6:6:1}}<span style="display:none">6:6:1</span>|ore=[[Zinc]] + [[Copper]]|wpn=|other=|dens=8.55|val=7|valinc=+5}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Bronze]]|color={{Tile|≡|6:0}}{{Tile|‼|6:4:0}}<span style="display:none">6:4:0</span>|ore=[[Tin]] + [[Copper]]|wpn=x 0.75|other=|dens=8.25|val=5|valinc=+3}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Electrum]]|color={{Tile|≡|6:1}}{{Tile|‼|6:6:1}}<span style="display:none">6:6:1</span>|ore=[[Silver]] + [[Gold]]|wpn=|other=|dens=8.65|val=20|valinc=+0}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Fine pewter]]|color={{Tile|≡|7:1}}{{Tile|‼|7:7:1}}<span style="display:none">7:7:1</span>|ore=3 [[Tin]] + 1 [[Copper]]|wpn=|other=|dens=7.28|val=5|valinc=+3}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Lay pewter]]|color={{Tile|≡|3:0}}{{Tile|‼|3:7:0}}<span style="display:none">3:7:0</span>|ore=2 [[Tin]] + 1 [[Copper]] + 1 [[Lead]] '''!'''|wpn=|other=|react=|dens=7.28|val=3|valinc=+1}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Nickel silver]]|color={{Tile|≡|7:1}}{{Tile|‼|7:7:1}}<span style="display:none">7:7:1</span>|ore= 2 [[Nickel]] + 1 [[Copper]] + 1 [[Zinc]] '''!'''|wpn=|other=|dens=8.65|val=3|valinc=+1}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Pig iron]]|color={{Tile|≡|0:1}}{{Tile|‼|0:7:1}}<span style="display:none">0:7:1</span>|ore=[[Iron]] + [[flux]] stone + [[refined coal]] '''!'''|wpn=|other=Only used to make steel|dens=7.85|val=10|valinc=+0}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Rose gold]]|color={{Tile|≡|5:1}}{{Tile|‼|5:5:1}}<span style="display:none">5:5:1</span>|ore=3 [[Gold]] + 1 [[Copper]] '''!'''|wpn=|other=|dens=19.32|val=23|valinc=+0}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Steel]]|color={{Tile|≡|0:1}}{{Tile|‼|0:7:1}}<span style="display:none">0:7:1</span>|ore=[[Iron]] + [[Pig iron]] + [[flux]] stone + [[refined coal]] '''!'''|wpn=x 1.33|other=[[Anvil]]s|dens=7.85|val=30|valinc=+20}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Sterling silver]]|color={{Tile|≡|7:1}}{{Tile|‼|7:7:1}}<span style="display:none">7:7:1</span>|ore=3 [[Silver]] + 1 [[Copper]] '''!'''|wpn=|other=|dens=10.49|val=8|valinc=+0}}

{{Metal table row|name=[[Trifle pewter]]|color={{Tile|≡|7:0}}{{Tile|‼|7:3:0}}<span style="display:none">7:3:0</span>|ore=2 [[Tin]] + 1 [[Copper]]|wpn=|other=|react=|dens=7.28|val=4|valinc=+2}}

::''*Silver has a 50% armor multiplier, but can't voluntarily be used to make armor. However, a dwarf with a [[strange mood]] might forge armor out of any material, including silver.''  

:*'''Difference''' indicates the difference between the average [[value]] of the required bars of metals vs. the value of the resulting bars of alloy - what went in vs. what comes out, measured per bar. "+0" indicates that the resulting alloy is a perfectly average value of the component metals. For pure metals, this indicates the difference in value between the metal and the ore, separated with commas in cases where multiple ore values differ.  Values marked with an asterisk denote ores that can yield multiple metals; on average, the difference in value from smelting either [[tetrahedrite]] or [[galena]] is +1.