Source
r/dwarffortress•
optomas

Postmortem analysis of fun. Novice spoilers ahead, but I figure you need as much help as me, so read away.

The dwarf swordsdwarf corpse strikes the mayor in the head with her ({bismuth bronze shield}) and the injured part is crushed! An artery has been opened by the attack!

So ... zombie attack. Had everything sealed up. Unfortunately no water inside. Everybody is dying of thirst. Make a small hole in the bottom of the lake, set it as a water source, and the drunken idiots swarm outside to the above ground water source. Ooops.

... If the dwarves can swim out ... ARGH! Recall everybody and destroy the stair down. Not happening. Wall off the stair! Yep, the undead can swim down alright. They are through the lake and into the corridor. Wall almost done!

Here's Jonnhy! Wall has gap two spaces wide. So close! Everybody piles on to the single zombie, who shreds everybody apart with ease. Run away! And the rest of the zombies pour through the gap.

Better military. Secure water source. Had bridges for sealing up, but not for squashing. Need squashing bridges, and a way to lure enemies into squashing area.

Most importantly: Don't Make Holes In A Secure Fort!

Any seasoned pros please chime in with your methods for undead sieges, if you please.

Posted Feb 8, 2019, 6:24 PM UTC

3221
chucktheninja•

How early was it in the fort? Could you have dug to a cavern for water? There are so excited nasties down there, but it better than opening up to an undead drive.

14
optomasOP•

Fourth year, but that's four "I have NFC what I am doing years." I built some copper armor and swords and got my squad to train with them!

Opened once to save a stoopit child who didn't get in fast enough. Managed to airlock her in without any fun. But yeah, zombies are Bad News. I don't think I'd try to save her again, it was pretty dicey.

10
chucktheninja•

Well, for future reference if you have no drink, caverns usually have water, and you should set up an underground farm for plump helmets to eat and turn into wine. (Dwarfs can live off only alcohol if you didn't know. In fact they prefer it)

13
optomasOP•

can live off only alcohol if you didn't know. In fact they prefer it

I did know this. I can't seem to brew enough to keep them through the winter. Got barrels, fertilizing the fields ... They just drink it all too fast. Maybe more farms.

8
lukeasaur•

Are you making sure to designate planting year-round, and to forbid cooking brew crops? I usually go with one 4x4 year round plump helmet farm, two pig tails/syrup/plump helmet depending on seasons, and a syrup/helmets depending on season. That’s been enough for some pretty large fortresses with enough skilled planters. I mostly brew the helmets, with the occasional extra pig tails into the still so dwarves don’t get tired of the same old same old.

6
Malachi108•

In case of zombie siege:

  1. Seal all entrances at any cost.

  2. Set up massive farming area underground so you don't run out of food and booze. Dig down to the caverns for water, than wall of access with bridges in case some nasty FBs show up.

  3. Dig up a 1-tile wide leading almost up to the surface. Fill it with 30, 40 or as many as needed cage traps.

Then break the last tile, recall everyone inside with a civilian alert and let the zombies walk in.

12
optomasOP•

Thank you.

2
NuclearKoala•

If you don't have 1000 drink after a year or two, you're playing wrong. Great dining hall is my safe spot. Wrap it in a military layer that can seal up.

8
CoffeeJunkie88•

Well to be honest with you man, you should always plan your forts in a way that you dont need to go outside, ever, if a situation arises. Never fully rely on an above ground water source, farms or pastures. Pigs are a good food source that do not require grass. Carve an area just below the surface, channel one block out so that the space is considered above ground, then floor it over. I'm pretty sure flooring it over wont take away its above ground status.

I never make entrances that are carved into the side of sloped terrain more than a few blocks wide so it can be quickly walled off. If I embark in a flat biome, I make the entrance on the ground, then a series of long, thin tunnels that lead into fortress proper so it can also be easily walled off with one or two blocks.

There have been times where I turned 4 or 5 pages of invaders into 1 page because I quickly walled myself in and waited for the majority of them to get bored and leave.

6
optomasOP•

Having a hard time digging down fast enough to get to water.

The pig-pen is a great idea, thanks!

Ya, that was the plan, seal it up and wait for them to go away. Dwarves started dying from thirst. Trying walled access to water this time.

1
CoffeeJunkie88•

Unfortunately, I dont think zombies will get bored and leave, though I could be wrong... I tend to stay away from towers, Haha. Next fort, be sure to dig down after you get the basics set up and find that water. If you aren't ready to leave the caverns open you can always just wall them off too. You could also look into getting a decently large well set up too. Best place to do so would be as near to your hospital as possible.

2
optomasOP•

Probably right, they wandered around outside for a very long time. I couldn't brew fast enough to keep everyone from dehydrating, so it was only a matter of time.

1
NordicNooob•

Zombie sieges do eventually leave, just like any regular siege. It takes like two or three seasons, though.

2
superradishcancels build: interrupted by zombie badger•

just do a single shaft of up/down stairs straight down. Doesn't take any time at all. Your dwarf will stop if it hits a cavern ceiling, then you can make a more gradual descent. A floor file will plug the hole so things can't fly in.

2
bankshot•

Set up a few 3x3 or 4x4 farms. Designate one or two dwarves as full-time farmers, forbid general harvesting so they get all of the experience. I go with four 3x3 farms so that I can have 4 crops/season. Make sure you have something planted each season in each plot. Forbid cooking of your underground plants so you retain seeds. Designate two dwarves as your primary brewers and make sure you have enough empty barrels or jugs. set up a manager and some conditions so you don't have to remember to keep drinks and barrels supplied.

​

Now that food/booze is secure - build towers a couple of Z levels above the horde and have your crossbow dwarves practice on live undead targets. Crossbows aren't very effective against zombies, but if they can't fight back you will slowly wear them down.

4