Dwarf Fortress Weapon Damage Comparison (Base DMG)
Compare 14 Dwarf Fortress weapon damage stats, from the whip at 20 to the maul at 160. Classic Bay12 raw values with slash, pierce and bludgeon types noted.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whip Lowest here. 20 damage, gore type, no crit boost. | 20 damage | Goblin lasher, tiny contact area | DF Wiki 40d Weapon page: Whip damage 20, gore |
| Scourge 30 damage, gore type, no crit boost. | 30 damage | Goblin lasher, chain tails | DF Wiki 40d Weapon page: Scourge damage 30, gore |
| Bow Melee use only. 40 damage, bludgeon. | 40 damage | Elf and human bow used in melee | DF Wiki 40d Weapon page: Bow melee damage 40, bludgeon |
| Pick 70 damage, pierce, crit boost plus 2. | 70 damage | Dwarf mining tool, doubles as spear | DF Wiki 40d Dwarven weapon page: Pick damage 70, pierce, crit plus 2 |
| Short sword 100 damage, slash, crit boost plus 1. | 100 damage | Dwarf sidearm, obsidian option | DF Wiki 40d Dwarven weapon page: Short sword damage 100, slash, crit plus 1 |
| Spear 100 damage, pierce, crit boost plus 2. | 100 damage | Dwarf polearm, organ damage | DF Wiki 40d Dwarven weapon page: Spear damage 100, pierce, crit plus 2 |
| Battle axe 110 damage, slash, no crit boost. | 110 damage | Dwarf woodcutter axe, limb severing | DF Wiki 40d Dwarven weapon page: Battle axe damage 110, slash |
| War hammer 120 damage, bludgeon, no crit boost. | 120 damage | Dwarf blunt hammer, armor piercing | DF Wiki 40d Dwarven weapon page: War hammer damage 120, bludgeon |
| Mace 120 damage, bludgeon, no crit boost. | 120 damage | Dwarf blunt mace, bone breaking | DF Wiki 40d Dwarven weapon page: Mace damage 120, bludgeon |
| Long sword 120 damage, slash, crit boost plus 1. | 120 damage | Elf and human sword, usable by dwarves | DF Wiki 40d Weapon page: Long sword damage 120, slash, crit plus 1 |
| Flail 130 damage, bludgeon, no crit boost. | 130 damage | Goblin and human ball chain | DF Wiki 40d Weapon page: Flail damage 130, bludgeon |
| Halberd 140 damage, slash. Dwarves cannot wield it. | 140 damage | Goblin and human polearm, too large | DF Wiki 40d Weapon page: Halberd damage 140, slash |
| Great axe 150 damage, slash. Dwarves cannot wield it. | 150 damage | Goblin and human great axe, too large | DF Wiki 40d Weapon page: Great axe damage 150, slash |
| Maul Highest here. 160 damage, bludgeon. | 160 damage | Goblin and human maul, too large | DF Wiki 40d Weapon page: Maul damage 160, bludgeon |
About this converter
Classic Dwarf Fortress raw files rate melee weapons from 20 to 160 base damage. The whip sits at 20, the scourge at 30, the bow in melee at 40, the pick at 70, short swords and spears at 100, the battle axe at 110, war hammers, maces and long swords at 120, the flail at 130, the halberd at 140, the great axe at 150 and the maul at 160. That makes one maul hit equal eight whip hits on paper. Every figure here is the 40d item_weapon.txt damage stat quoted on the Bay12 wiki. Material and quality multiply these bases in game.
How to use it
Pick two weapons and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. One box holds strikes of the first weapon, one holds strikes of the second, one holds total base damage. Try 1 maul against whips to see the eight to one gap between top and bottom.
Modern Dwarf Fortress replaced this single stat with contact area, penetration and velocity physics, so these rows pin the classic 40d series values and say so. Crit boost rides in notes: picks and spears carry plus 2, short swords and long swords plus 1, axes and hammers none. Blowdarts at 10 and bolts and arrows at 100 are ammo, not melee rows, and stay out of the ranked list. Trap parts like the giant axe blade at 220 belong to traps and stay out too.
FAQ
Which weapon hits hardest?
The maul at 160 base damage. The great axe follows at 150.
Which weapon hits weakest?
The whip at 20 base damage. The scourge follows at 30.
How do material and quality change damage?
Steel multiplies base damage by 133 percent and copper by 66 percent. Quality adds up to double at masterwork.
Do current versions still use these numbers?
Modern versions compute hits from contact area, penetration depth and velocity instead. This page ranks the classic single stat and labels it as such.
Sources
- DF Wiki 40d Weapon page: melee weapon statistics table from item_weapon.txt (whip 20 to maul 160)
- DF Wiki 40d Dwarven weapon page: native weapon table (axe 110, mace 120, pick 70, sword 100, spear 100, hammer 120)
- DF Wiki DF2014 Weapon page: modern contact area, penetration and velocity system (why classic stats are labeled legacy)
Last verified: 2026-10-15 · 14 entries
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