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Short sword
v50.12 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF.Note that some content may still need to be updated. |
- For a comparison of different weapons, see Weapon.
A short sword is an edged weapon larger than a knife, with a blade long enough to make slashing effective, but shorter than other swords. Short swords have the same basic attacks as other swords, but suffer slightly because of their reduced size. As with all edged weapons, metals with good edge properties are most effective.
Properties
Short swords use and train the swordsman skill (called "Swordsdwarf" in dwarf mode). They have stabbing and slashing attacks, along with a blunt pommel strike. Swords can be useful for dealing with all kinds of foes, although they're not as good at any of these attacks as more specialized weapons.
Fortress mode
Dwarves can forge short swords out of any weapon-grade metal, but those with superior edge properties are more effective. "Rock short swords" are a special type of short sword that are constructed out of obsidian (with wooden handles) by a stonecrafter at a craftsdwarf's workshop. Rock short swords may be based on the Aztec Macuahuitl, described as being a club with rows of sharp stone edges affixed to the sides. All dwarves can equip short swords, but a tiny fraction must use two hands.
Forging and Melting
- Metal short swords cost one metal bar to forge, or three adamantine wafers.
- When a non-adamantine metal short sword is melted down, it will return 0.9 metal bars, for an efficiency of 90%.
- When an adamantine short sword is melted down, it will produce 0.9 wafers, for an efficiency of 30%
Adventurer mode
As an adventurer, it is possible to play as a swordsman. If you're an elf or a dwarf, a short sword is a good all-round weapon. which can be used successfully on a wide variety of foes, but is most effective against lightly armoured creatures. Generally, it's best to slash when fighting relatively small unarmoured foes (goblins, kobolds, and humans for example), and to stab larger unarmoured foes, such as megabeasts. Short swords are a fine choice against heavily-armoured foes, too; stabbing is strictly better than pommel striking due to the low contact area, so it should be ignored.
A drawing of an obsidian shortsword.
"Short sword" in other Languages 
|
[ITEM_WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_SWORD_SHORT]
[NAME:short sword:short swords]
[SIZE:300]
[SKILL:SWORD]
[TWO_HANDED:37500]
[MINIMUM_SIZE:32500]
[CAN_STONE]
[MATERIAL_SIZE:3]
[ATTACK:EDGE:20000:4000:slash:slashes:NO_SUB:1250]
[ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3]
[ATTACK:EDGE:50:2000:stab:stabs:NO_SUB:1000]
[ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3]
[ATTACK:BLUNT:20000:4000:slap:slaps:flat:1250]
[ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3]
[ATTACK:BLUNT:100:1000:strike:strikes:pommel:1000]
[ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3] |
| Ranged and ammunition | |
|---|---|
| Blunt | |
| Edged (slashing) | |
| Edged (piercing) | |
| See also: Attack types | |