Editing 40d:Soldier

Dwarves in your [[military]] will be one of the following types of '''soldiers'''. What type of soldier they are will be determined by whichever [[weapon]] they are most [[skill]]ed at using. All soldiers can carry [[shield]]s, regardless of what weapon they use. Weapon, armor, and squad choices are controlled from the Military screen ({{key|m}}). The dwarven military is organized via use of the [[squad]] system.

==Weapon & Military Skills==

In Fortress mode, any dwarf can be assigned any weapon and try to use it, with or without the skill - but the better the skill, the better the soldier.  If a dwarf's highest skill is a weapons skill, that will determine the dwarf's [[profession]].  It's quite possible to order an axedwarf, or any untrained peasant, to pick up a short sword and order them to fight - they just won't be as good.


:* [[Axedwarf]]
:* [[Hammerdwarf]]
:* [[Macedwarf]]
:* [[Marksdwarf]]
:* [[Speardwarf]]
:* [[Swordsdwarf]]
:* [[Wrestler]]

:* [[Armor user]]
:* [[Shield user]]

Note that in Fortress Mode, dwarfs cannot wield knives or larger versions of the above weapons, nor can they learn the skills to do so.

== Training ==

Soldiers will train when not on duty. Marksdwarves will shoot at [[archery target]]s if they are correctly set up and you have wood or bone [[bolts]] available. Melee dwarves (including wrestlers) will [[sparring|spar]] with their weapons in a [[barracks]] if you have built one. For full information, see the article on [[sparring]].

== Squads ==

You may organize your dwarves into squads of troops through the {{k|m}}ilitary menu. Select the squad commander, then press {{k|Enter}}. Select another dwarf, and press {{k|Enter}} to add this dwarf to the first soldier's squad. When you are finished adding to a particular squad, use the {{k|Spacebar}} to end the assignments. Adding an unenlisted dwarf to a currently active squad will activate this new soldier. Adding dwarves to an inactive squad will not activate the squad.

You may also select sub-commanders in this manner, creating an established chain of command.

Active squads will stay close to the leader of their squad. If he takes a break to Eat or Drink, his squad will follow him.  They will also follow him back to his bed if he goes to rest or heal.  If a squad leader is hospitalized, the dwarves under his command will do nothing useful until he is healed, or a different leader is assigned.  Squads will work towards a single goal -- if attacking an group of hostiles that scatter in several directions, the entire squad will follow one hostile.{{verify}}

=== Duty Roster ===

You must activate and deactivate your squads through the {{k|m}}ilitary menu's "{{k|v}}iew squad" sub-menu. Some dwarves will grow unhappy if left on patrol duty too long, and they will not have a chance to improve their skills. A squad that is off-duty will spar in a [[barracks]] or train at [[archery target]]s with wooden or bone bolts.

You may wish to design outdoor training areas so that your soldiers do not fall prey to [[Cave adaptation]].

=== Rations ===

You may also specify if the squad should carry food and water, using [[backpack]]s and [[waterskin]]s respectively, using the military menu.

== Soldier professions ==

Every weapon has an associated skill. Soldiers will have professions according to what [[Weapon damage|weapon]] they are most skilled at using, as long as they are at least a novice rank in one. Thus a soldier whose highest weapon skill is with a spear will be known as a Speardwarf, even if the soldier has been reassigned to train with an axe instead.

=== [[Marksdwarves]] ===

Marksdwarves, thought of as the wimpiest soldiers, are armed with [[crossbow]]s and deal pierce damage from afar. A [[bolt]] does a fine job at piercing the internal organs of a creature while also doing some damage to outside parts. This is of limited use against creatures without organs, such as [[Magma man|magma men]]. Occasionally a bolt will get stuck in a target. The only known use for this is that a [[wrestling]] dwarf may grab the bolt and twist it in the [[wound]].

A Marksdwarf who is forced into melee will use the [[hammer]] skill to bash enemies with their crossbow, so you may consider crosstraining them as hammerdwarves.

Immigrating [[Trapper]]s often arrive with a Novice Marksdwarf skill.

=== [[Speardwarves]] ===

Speardwarves specialize in pierce damage and will puncture an enemy's organs quickly and critically once in range. The spear doesn't hit as hard as an axe, but it has a higher chance of piercing organs, making it a better choice against large, living creatures like demons or dragons.

=== [[Axeman|Axedwarves]] ===

Axedwarves, thought by some to be the only true dwarven soldier, specialize in slash damage, also known as the fine art of mangling and severing limbs. This damage type is useful for taking away opponents' mobility and means of attack while eventually causing them to bleed to death on the ground. Battle axes move slower than swords but do more damage per stroke.

=== [[Swordsman|Swordsdwarves]] ===

Swordsdwaves deal both slash and pierce damage. Swords can cut off limbs, like an axe, but also reasonably good at hitting internal organs, like a spear.

=== [[Hammerman|Hammerdwarves]] ===

Hammerdwarves, the other true dwarven soldiers, specialize in blunt damage, which breaks the bones of the enemy and will often repel the enemy some distance, causing extra damage if they are bashed into a wall.

Human Hammermen use a two-handed maul instead of a war hammer. More powerful, mauls focus on breaking bones rather than mangling limbs, though that does also happen on the occasion. They have a greater chance to knock back an opponent than a mace does but comes at the cost of speed. Also should someone be knocked back into an obstacle, they'll take extra damage.

=== [[Maceman|Macedwarves]] ===

Macedwarves are exactly like hammerdwarves, but use a weapon with a different name and skill, though exactly the same in game terms.  Assuming none of your weaponsmiths have a preference for maces, hammers are slightly better, since the hammer skill is also used by a marksman who has run out of bolts (he bashes enemies with his crossbow.  This is the only time when it's good to have a metal crossbow, by the way.)

=== [[Wrestlers]] ===

Wrestlers focus on tying the opponent into knots, choking them, and breaking limbs. Creatures tied up in [[wrestling]] will do nothing else and remain immobile, perfect for a marksdwarf to pick off the creature at a range or an armed dwarf to carve into bite-sized pieces. Also note that this skill determines how much a dwarf will evade/dodge attacks, so it can be useful even for a dwarf with a weapon equipped. Wrestlers are much weaker than any other soldier type, but forcing powerful opponents to wrestle can exhaust them and make them easy prey for other soldiers.

Wrestler skill will be improved somewhat even while practicing with a weapon.

=== Recruits ===

Any dwarf without at least one of the above skills at [[skill|Novice]] level or better will be classified as recruits. If you keep them off duty, they will train at their selected weapon until they reach Novice skill in it, at which point they will turn into one of the above weaponsdwarves.

== Heroes and Champions ==

Once soldiers reach [[skill|Great]] skill level in any weapon (or wrestling), they will become '''heroes''', will be called Lord/Master/Elite, have a different colour shade and can no longer be removed from the military. Their "Pref" menu will be replaced by the text "This hero need not work", and you will not be able to deactivate them (make them civilians again), transfer them into or out of the [[Fortress Guard|Guard]], or assign work [[dog]]s to them. Note that armor user skill and shield user skills ''do not'' make a hero.

You can still change their weapon and armor settings via the {{key|m}}ilitary screen ({{key|w}}eapons), and to change their soldiering orders ({{key|v}}iew squad). Heroes in either the Fortress or Royal Guard cannot be given military orders via the Squads screen ({{key|x}}) and will become permanently useless. If you have any Expert, Professional, or Accomplished soldiers in the Guard, and don't wish them to be locked into the military, transfer them out. Alternatively, a dwarf on the verge of becoming a hero in one weapon skill can be assigned another weapon and will continue training there; the attribute bonuses from gaining each weapon skill do stack. This is one method of making a legendary shield user/armor user without making a hero. Heroes cannot trade, so it is advisable for your trader not to be given military training.

Upon reaching [[legendary]] skill level in any weapon, a hero will become a '''champion''', with the following [[announcement]]: <tt>"''<dwarfname>'' has become a legendary champion! Hail ''<dwarfname>''!"</tt>. Champions behave the same as heroes, although they are additionally exempt from the [[dwarven economy]], like all legendary dwarves. Champions cannot serve under heroes or normal soldiers, but willingly serve under other Champions.

:'''''Exception:''''' From observed behaviour, it seems that if a dwarf gains Great skill (or above) in a weapons skill while a civilian (as a [[Hunter]]), they will not become a Hero (or Champion), not even when Activated ''as'' military.  To become a Hero or Champion, some experience over the limit must be gained ''while'' activated as a soldier.  Any weapon skill can be improved while a civilian is [[Marksdwarf]], while [[Hunting]].  If the dwarf is then activated as military and gains any experience in a weapon that is at rank 15 or better, the dwarf becomes a Champion or Hero ("Elite Marksdwarf") as usual and cannot then be de-activated.

Heroes will gain a special job title related to their weapon proficiency (Hammer Lord, Axe Lord, etc.) Champions will use Champion as their job title regardless of weapon proficiency.

Once a dwarf becomes a Hero, his profession cannot change to become a hero of another weapon type and will not become a Champion until the original weapon skill reaches Legendary - for example, a Hammer Lord can train to become a Legendary Marksdwarf but will remain a Hammer Lord, only becoming a Champion once the Hammerdwarf skill is also trained to Legendary.

Only Heroes and Champions can wear [[artifact]] weapons and armor.


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'''See Also:'''

:* [[Weapons]]
:* [[Armor]]

{{Military FAQ}}

[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:Military]]