40d:Metal

v50.12 · v0.47 · v0.34 · v0.31 · v0.28.181.40d · v0.23 This article is about an older version of DF. More Info · V

Metal is a Template:L extracted from Template:L at a Template:L, turning the ore into bars* of pure metal. It is sometimes combined with other materials to form an alloy metal, which is also measured by the bar. An alloy usually improves on the properties of its components to give more uses and/or Template:L. The metal bars resulting from Template:L are used to make items such as Template:Ls, Template:L, Template:L, and Template:L at a Template:L.

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 Template:L of the metal.

(* except Template:L, which produces "wafers" instead of bars)

Alloys

There are only 11 pure metals in Dwarf Fortress (plus Template:L). 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 Template:L. (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, Template:L is Template:L) for furniture, colour-coding rooms or levers, or artistic constructions (including Template:L mosaics). In some cases (Template:L, 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 Template:L task, bypassing the need to first make bars of the pure metals (and thus using only 1 fuel to produce multiple bars). With one Template:L (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^{v0.28.181.40d} Template:L should be made into Template:L or Template:L or Template:L (depending on availability of the necessary ores), and Template:L should be made into Template:L. Almost all alloy reactions involve copper, so if Template:L is in limited supply on your map (and you wish to maximize value), it should be used for Template:L. If you wish to maximize armour and weaponry, use copper for bronze or (better, to stretch it more) bismuth bronze. Template:L and Template:L do not form monetarily profitable alloys.

Examples:

• 2 tin, 1 copper, plus 1 lead (worth 2 each, or 8) can form either:

4 Template:L (worth 3 each, or 12),

or

3 Template:L (worth 4 each, or 12) plus the 1 lead (14 total, a better value).

• 1 copper, 1 zinc, plus 2 nickel (worth 2 each, or 8) can form either:

4 Template:L (worth 3 each, or 12),

or

2 Template:L (worth 7 each, or 14) plus the 2 nickel (18 total, a better value).

However, nickel silver is Template:L, so it can be useful if you're short on nickel and Template:L and haven't found any Template:L. Lay pewter may be necessary for Template:Ls or Template:Ls, as is true for any material.

For a full chart of recipes for alloys, see Template:L.

List of metals

Pure Metals

Metal Name	Tile Color	Source Ore(s) or Reaction	Weapons/ Armor	Other Uses	Density	Material value	Difference
Template:L	*3:3:1	Template:L	x 5.00	Everything except beds	0.200	300	+50
Template:L	*7:7:1	Template:L			2.70	40	+0
Template:L	*5:5:1	Template:L		only for Bismuth Bronze	9.78	2	+1
Template:L	*6:4:0	Template:L, Template:L, Template:L	x 0.66		8.93	2	+0, +0, -1*
Template:L	*6:6:1	Template:L			19.32	30	+0
Template:L	*0:7:1	Template:L, Template:L, Template:L	x 1.00	Template:Ls	7.85	10	+2
Template:L	*0:7:1	Template:L			11.34	2	-3*
Template:L	*7:3:0	Template:L		cheap magma safe material	8.80	2	+0
Template:L	*7:7:1	Template:L			21.40	40	+0
Template:L	*7:7:1	Template:L, Template:L, Template:L (50%), Template:L (20%)	x .50*	No Template:Ls or Template:Ls	10.49	10	+0, +0, +5*, +7*
Template:L	*7:3:0	Template:L			7.28	2	+0
Template:L	*7:3:0	Template:L			7.13	2	+0

Alloys

(Unless specified, ores of the ingredients may be used instead of bars for alloy reactions)

Metal Name	Tile Color	Source Ore(s) or Reaction	Weapons/ Armor	Other Uses	Density	Material value	Difference
Template:L	*7:3:0	Template:L + Template:L			8.93	6	+0
Template:L	*6:6:1	2 Template:L + 1 Template:L + 1 Template:L !	x 0.75		8.25	6	+4
Template:L	*5:6:0	2 Template:L + 1 Template:L + 1 Template:L !			8.93	11	+0
Template:L	*6:6:1	Template:L + Template:L			8.55	7	+5
Template:L	*6:4:0	Template:L + Template:L	x 0.75		8.25	5	+3
Template:L	*6:6:1	Template:L + Template:L			8.65	20	+0
Template:L	*7:7:1	3 Template:L + 1 Template:L			7.28	5	+3
Template:L	*3:7:0	2 Template:L + 1 Template:L + 1 Template:L !			7.28	3	+1
Template:L	*7:7:1	2 Template:L + 1 Template:L + 1 Template:L !			8.65	3	+1
Template:L	*0:7:1	Template:L + Template:L stone + Template:L !		Only used to make steel	7.85	10	+0
Template:L	*5:5:1	3 Template:L + 1 Template:L !			19.32	23	+0
Template:L	*0:7:1	Template:L + Template:L + Template:L stone + Template:L !	x 1.33	Template:Ls	7.85	30	+20
Template:L	*7:7:1	3 Template:L + 1 Template:L !			10.49	8	+0
Template:L	*7:3:0	2 Template:L + 1 Template:L			7.28	4	+2

Legend:

• Tile Color corresponds to how items made from that metal are displayed in game, foreground and background colors.
• Reaction indicates the basic recipe for an alloy - this does not include the Template:L used in that creation. See the article for that alloy or Template:L for possible alternatives.

! - You can use only Template:Ls of metal in this reaction, not ores.

• Weapons/Armor is the damage/blocking multiplier for weapons and armor in combat. Unless otherwise noted, any metal that can be used for weapons can also be used to make ammo, picks, and crossbows.

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

• Density is used to determine the different weight of finished objects.
• Template:L is what the base value of an object made of this metal is multiplied by to determine it's worth.
• Difference indicates the difference between the average Template:L 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 Template:L or Template:L is +1.