09: Defenses and Burrows

It is hard for me to choose where to start; having lost so many fortresses I am wary to the point of paranoia. So, I dig/build my defenses as soon as possible. The way I see it, I need a base that has one or more controlled entrances and zero unmonitored entrances. So, I use some combination of walls, channeling, bridges, chained animals and traps to ensure no creatures get in without my consent. Choosing where to start can be a big decision.

One must remember that enemies spawn at the edge of the map, just like everything else. So, putting a wall up isn't that bad an idea. The real problem comes when the land won't allow for a nice clean one-z-level wall, but undulates and rolls so that one must build walls above and below as well. In this case, one must decide upon a "bottom level" for the outside of the fort. It is necessary to have some space outside for your dwarves, so choose a bottom level that allows for some space to put refuse, pens, and some farms, above.


In my current fort, I have embarked on a volcano, and the top of the mountain only touches one edge of the map. Also, it does so on a flat plane, so building a wall against the edge and removing the up-ramps suits just fine. This way, a wall of some sort protects every edge of my fort. Now, there is the problem of archers shooting upward, and flying creatures, but that's it! Nothing can get in. Not even trade caravans.

In order to fix that, we need an opening that allows a trade depot. The thing is, you can make this many z-levels below your upper area. In my case, I put the entry about four levels down. I dug out space to put a depot as well as a stockpile for mechanisms (only non-magma-safe, non-colored mechanisms, at first, then some colored when I started getting too many). I installed a drawbridge to allow complete cut-off from outside, during sieges. Also, a bridge to separate the depot from the base, and a couple of staging areas for the depot itself, in case enemies get trapped in that space.

Next to build is the enemy entrance. Yes, they need their own, complete with welcome mat (cage traps), foyer/sitting room (magma pool), and guest accommodation (arena). The guest wing can actually be built in a separate area, but keeping it close to the guests' foyer makes the individual guest easier to relocate, resulting in more efficient movement by our staff. Their entry will consist of a long, slender path. Slender to funnel enemies, and long to discourage use by dwarves. The thing about an enemy entrance is that it actually has to be connected to the interior of your base, somehow. But, it doesn't have to be close, or a short path. So, we build a long, twisting road separated by moats or walls, lined with our welcome mats of choice, and ending in a foyer/sitting room in which they will have a place to rest their weary bones while our army staff prepares to slaughter welcome them.

As you see, I have provided a healthy bit of entryway, though I have yet to install any welcome mats. The path twists over a large room that eventually will be filled with magma. The path is connected by retracting bridges that are normally retracted. When staging an attack from the adjacent staging areas, the bridges are extended to provide a large surface on which to fight. Until then, the archers behind the fortifications will be feathering the goblins as they walk along the path, dodging into the magma on occasion.