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Zombie Survival Guide By OZORT
1. The Virus
A. Real Viruses
i. Rabies
ii. Ebola
B. Fictional Viruses
i. Lyssa X
ii. Filonecrosis
C. Fantasy Viruses
i. Solanum
ii. T-Virus
2. The Zombies
A. Voodoo Zombies
i.
ii.
B. Drug Zombies
i.
ii.
C. Viral Zombies
i.
ii.
3. The Epidemic
A. DEMCON IV - Observe
B. DEMCON III - Prepare
C. DEMCON II - Persevere
D. DEMCON I - Overcome
E. PLAGCON - PLAGue CONdition
i. National - Strike
ii. Global - Eliminate
4. Weapons
A. Hand to Hand
B. Projectiles
C. Guns
D. Ammo
E. Fire
F. Misc
G. Reinforcements
5. Retreat
A. Equipment
B. Vehicles pro's cons
i. typical vehicles
ii. atypical vehicles
C. Terrains
6. Defend
A. At Home
i. converting a house into a keep
a. rush job
b. thorough job
ii. necessary supplies
iii. warding off an attack
a. killing attackers
b. keeping more from coming
B. Public Buildings
i. different buildings
ii. dealing with crowds
C. At the Fortress
i. different buildings
ii. dealing with crowds
7. Attack
A. Planning an attack
B. Finding targets
C. Weapons/vehicles
8. Mopping Up
A. Finding the last zombie
B. Returning order
C. Rebuilding society
D. Preparing for future attacks
1. The Virus
When talking about any "zombie virus" it is important to understand the difference between real, fiction, and fantasy. A real virus is one that already exists, a fictional virus is one that does not exist, and a fantasy virus is one that can not exist. The main difference between fiction and fantasy is that a fictional virus is based on a real virus, but is slightly different in a few key ways. A fictional virus is possible. A fantasy virus is completely made up by a storyteller, defiant of all current medical knowledge, and is simply used in order to create a work of fantasy horror. Fantasy viruses are for all intents and purposes impossible.
A. Real Viruses
These viruses already exist, and there are cases still reported every year. Our knowledge of how to treat and contain these viruses currently keeps them under control, but an outbreak of these viruses is entirely possible. These viruses are included as "zombie viruses" because the symptoms, effects, and the end result of a widespread infection are virtually identical to what would happen if there was an outbreak of a fictional zombie virus.
i. Rabies
The Rabies Virus is a species of the genus "Lyssavirus". Lyssavirus derives its name from a Greek word meaning "frenzy". All members of the Lyssavirus are RNA viruses that are characterized by their bullet shape and their numerous spines. Rabies victims are typically depicted or stereotyped by a foaming mouth, but this is not necessary.
Rabies can also be present in a "paralytic" form, which causes the infected animal or person to be quiet and withdrawn. Rabies is primarily transmitted through saliva via bite. The virus guarantees transmission by causing the infected individual to be exceptionally aggressive, often leading to a situation whereby the infected individual will bite and spread the virus to an uninfected individual. Transmission has occurred via an aerosol through mucous membranes, meaning it may be possible to transmit via a particularly salavous sneeze, but it would be nearly impossible for it to pass this way.
ii. Ebola
A severe, often fatal hemorrhagic fever that affects humans and non-human primates. Initially recognised in 1976. Named after a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), this virus is one of the two filoviridae (along with Marburg virus). Ebola comes in four known flavors: Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, Ebola-Ivory Coast (aka Ebola-Tai), and Ebola-Reston, the fourth of which has only ever caused disease in nonhuman primates. The origin of this virus is unknown. As far as research dictates, it only came into existence 30 years ago, however, it's very probable that this disease has been around for hundreds if not thousands of years. This virus spreads through minimal fluid contact, primarily found in blood and saliva. The most deadly form is Ebola-Zaire, which has a fatality rate of around 90%.
B. Fictional Viruses
These are viruses that do not actually exist yet, but could mutate or be bioengineered fairly easily from existing viruses, and would still result in a catastrophic zombie outbreak. These are the viruses OZORT focuses on most, as they are both plausible and relatively likely to happen.
i. Lyssavirus X / Lyssa X
A virus based on a mutation of the Lyssavirus, which is the broad category that Rabies belongs to. Lyssavirus X's primary mutation is a much shorter incubation period, but other than that, is pretty much identical to rabies.
ii. Filonecrosis
Filonecrosis is a member of the Filoviridae family, along with the Ebola Virus and the Marburg Virus. Filoviridae are viruses that cause severe hemorrhagic fever, causing bleeding from every orifice of the body. Necrosis is a condition characterized by the death of cells and living tissue. Whereas Ebola is characterized by incapacitating the internal organs and causing them to die while the patient bleeds from the inside out, Filonecrosis is almost the opposite, causing the lymphatic system to fail before the internal organs do, and causing the skin to turn black or grey, rot, and slough from the infected victim. A person with this condition is extremely contagious, as the entire outside of their body is essentially covered in the virus, however the person isn't especially violent, though may be suffering from extreme shock as their face and eyes begin to die and rot out while they are still able to walk around. The primary danger here is that infection will cause mass hysteria, overreaction, and possible dangerous or irrational behavior from infected individuals that may lead to further infection.
C. Fantasy Viruses
A fantasy virus is a type of virus that is scientifically or medically impossible, without needing to completely rewrite everything we know about physiology. This would include viruses that make humans able to fly, or control water with their minds, that impart supernatural powers beyond simply enhanced senses, or in this case, that allow corpses to move around like puppets on a string. Most fantasy virus zombies are equally as impossible as animated skeletons. They work great in movies, and give us a good "worst case scenario", but they also will probably never happen.
i. Solanum
A fictional virus invented by Max Brooks (the son of Mel Brooks, director of "Spaceballs" and "Blazing Saddles"), and featured in his book "The Zombie Survival Guide" and probably in his upcoming book "World War Z". This virus somehow reanimates dead tissue and allows muscles to flex without the use of ATP, oxygen, or blood flow. A medically impossible fantasy virus, its primary value is in its "it can't possibly get any worse" factor. Strongly based on the Hollywood movies "Night of the Living Dead", by George Romano, which features a radioactive space virus from the planet Venus.
ii. T-Virus
Another fictional virus, this one featured in Resident Evil. It is capable of reanimating dead tissue, and again produces zombies that seem capable of surviving just fine under water, have no nerve sensation at all, and a complete loss of memory of their former lives. This virus also seems capable of infecting dogs. Most viruses that can affect dogs also can affect cats, foxes, bears, and other similar mammals. They seem to only move particularly quickly while attacking.
2. Zombies
There are a lot of different types of "Zombies", as well as a number of common variations within the categories of virus. Later I'll be coming up with more scientific names for them, but basically, we have three main types.
A. Voodoo Zombies
B. Drug Zombies
C. Viral Zombies
A viral zombie is a specific type of zombie that becomes infected with a virus, and is capable of spreading the virus to others it comes in contact with. The viral zombie is the most common kind portrayed in movies and video games (such as Dawn of the Dead and Resident Evil).
When a zombie outbreak does occur, we're going to have to treat them like angry, mentally retarded bears with rabies and Ebola, loaded up on PCP. This will be about how they will behave. The atrophy and open sores will be apparent, blood will seep from their gums and their mouths will bleed, bullet wounds to the chest, stomach, legs and arms will not slow them down or even catch their attention, you'll hack one of their arms off and they probably won't notice until they try to grab you with a stump, their brain functions will be shot, they'll be agitated, and their one and only goal will be to bite and infect you. They will be highly infectious, even without any teeth or finger nails, and they will not need sleep. When they overpower you, they will probably engage in cannibalistic D. Fantasy Zombies
Slow moving flesh eating ghouls rising from the grave to feast on the flesh of the living, zombies that don't need food, water, or oxygen, yet somehow live forever, never needing sleep, with superhuman strength, and sometimes with the ability to jump 20-50 feet. Definitely the most dangerous type of zombie that you will most likely never encounter. These are the types of zombies we sometimes talk about, because if you can handle a zombie that can jump 20 feet up in the air and flip over a school bus, you can handle anything.
3. epiDEMic CONdition
The DEMCON system is loosely based on the system established by the United States in the 60's. The DEFCON (DEFensive CONdition) was designed to keep everyone on the same page as to the level of threat regarding a nuclear attack. DEMCON (epiDEMic CONdition) is a system that we have devised in order to keep people informed as to the current state of any zombie outbreaks. The six levels are informally referred to as Observe, Prepare, Perservere, Overcome, Strike, and Eliminate (O.P.P.O.S.E.).
A. DEMCON IV - Observe
This is the lowest state of alert. At this stage, we still can not simply lie back and wait for something to happen. It's always important to maintain a state of readyness. It's better to prepare for something that never happens than to be caught offguard when it does. At this point, you simply need to familiarize yourself with home defense, weaponry, and the layout of your town. Stay current on the local political state and try to anticipate what your local police officials will do in the event of a low level breakout in your town. Remember, a zombie outbreak starts with one single zombie, and while chances are good it will happen miles away, it may be your next door neighbor.
Are your local police the kind of people who will arrest and lock a zombie up in jail where he will proceed to infect other inmates, including jailers and police officers? Will they shoot to kill at a salavating nutcase who attacks them? Remember, arresting a zombie will be next to impossible, as they will easily break handcuffs and, being immune to blood loss or unconsciousness, will put up a hell of a fight to even 4-5 police officers.
B. DEMCON III - Prepare
This level means that a small outbreak is occuring somewhere in the world. Since it may only take up to 24 hours for the virus to replicate, and given the ease of transportation cross country, it may only be a few days or weeks before an outbreak comes to your home town. Any outbreak anywhere in the world must be dealt with by preparing at home. If you haven't already begun purchasing weaponry and preparing your home for a siege, this is the stage at which you will want to do so. Chances are good that the outbreak will be stifled in it's location, but theres still a fair chance that an infected individual will carry the virus across a few hundred miles before he is turned. If this outbreak is happening in your home town, you may have less than 24 hours to prepare. Now is a good time to proceed to the Retreat section of this guide.
C. DEMCON II - Perservere
It's official. The infection has spread, and there are several small outbreaks happening across the globe (or perhaps one massive one occuring in a given region). National guard has been called out to deal with a domestic crisis, and there may be light army response. If you're in an area where one of these outbreaks is occuring, chances are you can't walk the streets safely without running across a small band of zombies. There is going to be confusion as people try to figure out what is going on. As many as 20-100 zombies are in your home town, and there may be up to several thousand across the world. At this point you will want to proceed to the defend section of this guide.
D. DEMCON I - Overcome
At this point, all bets are off. The entire military and national guard has been deployed, there will be a curfew, churches are converted to hospitals, rampant chaos at the grocery stores, in the event the outbreak is occuring domestically foreign friendly military troops may even be deployed domestically to try to keep order. The government is in over its head, and your small town didn't make the list of towns the military decided were "worth" saving. At this point, it's time to either make a stand, or throw in the towel, because if every citizen doesn't start pulling the weight, we may have a serious crisis. Zombies are numbering in the hundreds of thousands. At this point, you should weigh the merits of the attack and defend sections of this guide.
E. PLAGCON - PLAGue CONdition
The PLAGCON (PLAGue CONdition) is only called when the level of emergency has exceeded preparation and is now demanding action. The viral outbreak has become a plague. These are similar to the EMERCON system employed by the USA for nuclear alertness. This catastrophy will probably take one of two possible faces.
i. National - Strike
Your country has fallen. The military is eliminated (or at least you haven't seen hide nor hair of them in weeks). You remember hearing on the news about how in a nearby town a few months ago, French, British, Russian, and Korean military forces have been deployed in your country. The few American soldires you've run across are nothing but grateful for this foreign presence. At any rate, the central body of the military is in no position to try to say no. It's been a few days since you last saw a French tank roll through your downtown streets, but it didn't slow or stop when civilans ran out into the street waving desperately for help.
You and a few people have claimed outpost at the local jail (which your ownership of is now uncontested). All those who were going to fight have fought, and lost. A national plague is occuring. At this point, your course of action is relatively irrelevant, because there will be no overcoming the zombie hoard, as there are now hundreds of millions, if not billions of zombies roving through most of North America. Do what's best for you and your team, which at this point is probably to follow the defend section of this manual.
ii. Global - Eliminate
The local threat has been halted. Nobody gets in to your country for any reason. The borders are secured, and any outbreaks are now occurring in foreign countries. The risk of them finding a way back in is present, but the local military and government have acknowledged and accepted the fact (at the very least) that a horrible plague has been spreading like wildfire. There has been talk on the news channels (which is roughly every channel on the television anymore) of the American Military being deployed to Panama to prevent zombies from wandering in from South America, and there's been further talk of trying to save the remaining civilians in England by deploying a huge army force (the largest thats been deployed since World War II) to hold the few remaining outposts. This only concerns you if you plan on joining the military to put a stop to this outbreak before it worsens. Your military officials will brief you on exactly the nature of the plague you'll be up against (remember, the virus may take different forms), but the general rules of the defend and the attack sections will serve you well.
4. Weapons
First off, let me advise you that it is never advisable to go "zombie hunting". That is an endeavor best left to trained professionals. In any case where you have a choice between avoiding and attacking a zombie, you should choose the former. Direct confrontation with a zombie is never a wise decision. Should you however find yourself in a situation where fighting a zombie is necessary, you need to be prepared.
A. Hand to Hand Combat
Hand to hand combat is a last case scenario. Of course it's safer to shoot at a zombie from 50 yards than to tackle one. However, the difference between life and death may be your ability to defend yourself in a scrap. When selecting a weapon, remember, the only sure way to kill a zombie is via a massive head wound. It needs to be light, durable, and able to pierce through a skull, which is a difficult task. When choosing your weapon, be sure to consider all these variables. Remember, almost any weapon is better than your fists.
i. Chainsaw
Except the chainsaw. The chainsaw is useful in only a few situations. If you're at your compound with a limitless fuel supply and are engaging a limited number of zombies, the chainsaw can be a handy tool. Its loud roar drones out the moan of zombies, and fills the mind numbing silence with a constant reminder that you are holding a deadly weapon. Don't expect the roar noise to even slow a zombie down or cause it pause, as a zombie will not be able to distinguish the chain saw from a vacuum cleaner.
There are a few downfalls to this weapon however. The first being the noise it generates; enough to attract the attention of zombies miles away, as well as making it impossible to hear cries from your friends or the noise of a zombie sneaking up behind you. Second, if you're inexperienced, they can be a little hard to operate and control. Aiming one at the proper part of a zombie can be difficult in a fight. If you hit an arm or stomach area, the zombie can push straight through the blade and still bite you. Not to mention slicing through a zombie with a spinning blade will spray you with blood, which will likely get in your eyes, mouth, and ears, possibly leading to eventual infection. Just think to yourself, "Would I hack up someone who had a bad case of Ebola with a chainsaw?". As with any blade or ranged weapon, if the zombie gets too close (sneaks up behind you, gets a hold of you), the weapon becomes useless. Furthermore, they can be heavy, and if you run out of fuel in the middle of a fight, you'd better have something else to fall back on.
Pros: Makes you feel powerful, slices through flesh and bone quickly, lots of weight behind the swing.
Cons: Covers you in zombie goo, attracts the attention of more zombies, heavy, may run out of fuel, possible danger to user in a struggle, mutes out surrounding sounds you may need to listen for.
Conclusion: If you're by yourself engaging a few zombies and don't have any other weapons other than whats in your tool shed, it's a little more useful than a rake or pitch fork, but not much.
ii. Stun Guns/Mace
The haven of the woman alone returning from a bar, warding off a thief or rapist. Sadly, like mace, the stun gun is a relatively useless weapon. A direct hit to the head may stun a zombie for a short period of time, allowing escape, and it's usage will not cause a spray of blood. However, hitting a zombie in the head with a stun gun is difficult. Also, as with the chainsaw, running out of power makes this weapon slightly less useful than a brick. May possibly be successfully used on a zombie who is attacking someone, if you can get behind and get a head shot with it, but for the most part completely useless.
Pros: No blood = no disease, relatively quiet and compact, may stun a zombie for a short period of time with a direct head shot.
Cons: No batteries = no use, body hits are useless, short range exposes user to zombies grasp.
Conclusion: If you already have one in your purse or glove box, keep it in mind, but if a zombie starts rushing you, don't go digging for it. This weapon will probably be most often used on other panicking humans or humans assaulting you. Remember, in a full on zombie outbreak, often your worst enemy is going to be opportunists.
iii. Brass Knuckles
Adds a lot of impact to your punch. A direct punch to the eyes may damage them or shatter the face around them, obscuring a zombies vision. Also, a zombie with no teeth isn't going to be biting you. A blind zombie is still a danger though, and it's going to take a lot of punching to kill a zombie. Plus, even without teeth, a zombie is capable of holding you down while another zombie bites you. A zombie isn't going to be aware of his lack of teeth and will proceed to attempt biting you and holding you as normal. If your goal is a hand weapon of this nature, you may be better off pistol whipping a zombie with your handgun than having yet another weapon to worry about. I would disregard this unless it's all you have.
Pros: Compact, light weight, easy to conceal, still better than knuckles
Cons: Broken bones aren't going to slow a zombie down much, and you won't be doing much brain damage with this weapon. Not to mention carrying one with you is illegal in many places, so actually obtaining and keeping one is going to be tricky.
Conclusions: More trouble than it's worth.
iv. Clubs
Now we're getting into something that may actually be useful in a zombie encounter. A baseball bat, a 2x4, any type of solid weapon that adds range and leverage to the impact is going to be something to consider as a possibility. Clubs can require relatively extensive beatings to be effective. One classic example that comes to mind was the incident a few years back involving a young man who had taken a bunch of PCP painkiller and after a thorough beating from four police officers during which he sustained numerous hits to the head, he kept standing up. A zombie is going to be completely numb to pain and broken bones, and enough head bashing to crack a skull and subsequently destroy the brain can take a bit of work. Your average zombie is not going to be able to catch a club, and will be pretty easy to crack in the face. Don't expect them to go down after you hit them though. A good baseball hit to the head is enough to send any zombie packing, but to actually kill one and stop its advance is going to take a lot more work than you probably expect it will, so be ready to hit it a good 25 or more times with the weapon. Another issue will be when they get close enough, a club is going to be rendered ineffective.
Pros: Lots of impact, power behind a swing, typically light weight, easy to find a makeshift one in a pinch. Relatively quiet, and gives you a little range to do your business.
Cons: Possibility they may break, requires a LOT of beating to cause a fatal head wound, hard to engage multiple zombies with a single club. Lots of work may lead to physical exhaustion (try hitting a punching bag with the same force required to crack a skull 100 times with a baseball bat). Also good to ward off a single zombie, but makes multiple engagements next to impossible.
Conclusion: If you've only got a single zombie to work with, it's a better choice than a stun gun, will probably last longer and be safer to use than a chainsaw, and gives you more range than brass knuckles. Still though, not the best choice.
v. Knives
Killing a zombie with a knife is next to impossible. A typical knife isn't going to be enough to puncture the skull and do significant damage once inside. Beyond this, after stabbing a knife significantly deep into human flesh, it can be really hard to pull back out. You'd have to come in through the top of a zombies head or through his temple, jiggle it around, get him onto the ground, put your foot on his head, and yank the knife out. You'd probably be better off holding the knife by the blade and hitting the zombie with the handle. Possibly less useful than brass knuckles.
Pros: Easy to hide, allows quick hand movements, can lead to a one hit kill if you hit the zombie just right.
Cons: Hard to score a temple hit, doesn't do much damage once in the brain, and hard to pull back out. You're better off with a chair leg or a frying pan.
Conclusion: Keep one around for utility purposes, but don't get it dull stabbing zombies. If you are cornered and all you have is a knife, you might be better off going hand to hand with the zombie. All cutting is going to do is expose blood to you and probably end up costing you your knife when you miss the stab and can't get it pulled back out.
vi. Swords
Right out. Slashing is pointless, stabbing through an eye socket requires too much precision (unless you can puncture an airborne tin can 100% of the time with your sword, or stab through a grape at 3 feet range). Anything short of a true samurai sword is entirely useless. An extremely sharp sword may be used to decapitate a zombie if you can get his arms out of the way, but unless you've cut off a handful of heads or are a samurai, this is not something you're going to be successful at. If you miss and hit the skull, your sword is going to be stuck, and if his arms get in the way, now the zombie is shy an arm and 2 feet away from you, teeth and right arm gnashing. A properly made (not a hedge cutting) machete may serve a more useful purpose, as they have enough weight behind the blade to hack pretty deep, but unless you can hack through bone in a single swipe (try cutting through a 2x4 with a machete to test it out), it's not going to be much use on a zombie.
Pros: They look pretty cool hanging on the wall. A perfectly placed slash across the eyes or through eye socket is going to slow the zombie down, but a sword stab through the brain isn't going to be enough to kill a zombie unless it's a very lucky shot.
Cons: Everything listed above. A sword is designed to remove blood, and you're not going to have any luck doing this with a zombie.
Conclusion: Hang it on the wall and forget it exists.
vii. Hatchet/axe
This is probably the first weapon I've listed that I would actually be willing to use in combat with a zombie. An axe is not a good choice, as they are large, cumbersome, and since they're only sharp for about 3 inches of the 4 foot long handle, a head shot is difficult. If you have an axe, choke up on it and try to bury it into a skull. A full range swing is going to probably bring the axe head down on the wrong spot, or end up bouncing the handle off the head, leaving the head behind his shoulder and difficult to retrieve, maybe even pulling him in closer. A hatchet though is a very useful tool, as well as a handy weapon. It's shorter range allows for more control, and many of them possess weight comparable to that of a full sized axe. Generally the heavier the head, the better (within reason), and a range of more than a foot is not necessary. Hatchets smash their way right into a head and are capable of caving in a skull, as well as splitting through it once in. You're not going for a cut here, you're going for a wedge that can be driven into the skull. A hatchet probably one of your best hand to hand weapons.
Pros: Small, relatively lightweight, compact, can kill in a single blow, useful as a tool, can be used multiple times, provides enough range to stay out of a zombies grasp while allowing you to get close enough to actually hit.
Cons: If you hit them in the shoulder, you may as well cut your own throat because there is no way you're going to be pulling it back out except in the case of an extreme wedge (we're talking the blade is around a 30 degree angle wedge). With an extreme enough wedge, the blade won't actually pierce the skin, it will simply drive a lot of impact into a very small area. In the case of a skull, this means splitting, in the case of an arm, this means a broken shoulder. A broken shoulder won't stop a zombie, but it will make the grabbing process a little more inhibited.
Conclusion: If you have to go hand to hand, consider this an option.
viii. Martial Arts Weapons
This section is painful for me to write, because as much as I've always been a fan of martial arts weapons, most of them are completely useless against a zombie. Nunchaku: useless, Throwing Stars: useless, Tri-staffs: useless, Katana/wakazashi/tanto/etc: useless, ball bearings: useless. There are a few you may be able to put to use however.
A wooden tonfa (must be wooden or metal, police batons are essentially glorified plastic) adds about 6 inches to a punch, can be swung around to catch a zombie in the temple, and you can hold the back side and use it as a makeshift hammer to pound your way into a zombies skull. It provides a bit of defense on the side as it lies against your arms, and if you catch a zombie in the teeth with a tonfa backed up by a forearm, you're going to be making it a lot harder for him to bite. Still not a lot more useful than a club however.
A staff can be used as a thrusting weapon (in the fashion of a spear), a club type weapon which you can snap from one side, then immediately from the other, and if they get close you can hit them in the face with the middle part to push them away. If they grab it, you're probably going to lose it. Fortunately, they're easy enough to find in the form of pool cue's, barstool legs, broom handles, and closet hanger poles.
Sai can be tremendously useful as they have a lot of weight and can puncture a skull pretty easily. They can be tricky to pull out, but even if you miss with the main blade, the side blade can still inflict some damage. These also provide a bit of defense as they can catch wayward limbs. A set of Sai will allow you to kill a group of 2-3 zombies pretty quickly if you use them properly. If you have to go with a martial arts weapon, you'll probably want this one, but these are in a way much like an unsharpened knife. If you sharpen the points properly however, these can be almost as effective as a trench knife.
There are a number of chain weapons with blades and weights on the end that you swing around. If you aren't already an expert with one of these, you won't be able to use it properly. If used properly, the cutting end won't do much damage. The weighted end can hit a zombie pretty hard in the head, but if you miss, you may be losing your chain. Also if used wrong and it wraps around the zombie you won't be able to pull it back.
Pros: You can probably find a place to train you to use it properly.
Cons: Most of them are illegal to purchase or carry, depending on where you are, and they suffer from the same flaws as knives and clubs. Weapons of this nature rely on the ability to hurt and break the bones of your opponent, or to dazzle them with flashy moves, none of which are going to be effective on a zombie. If Bruce Lee and his famous nunchaku were pitted against a zombie, it would be a tough battle, and chances are you aren't Bruce Lee.
Conclusion: Grab something a little easier to use.
ix. Scythes
There's been a bit of discussion about this particular weapon. If sharpened and held right, it works like a sword on the end of a stick. Gives the user a lot of leverage, and a lot of weight near the end of a blade. You can cut a zombie in half if you use one of these properly. Range allows the user some safety. You can treat it like an axe though; if you get it stuck, you're out of luck. If you make the mistake of stabbing with the end of a scythe, it's going to be hard to pull out (though good for swinging the zombie about). Plus, it's far less useful for utility. A properly made sword is probably a better weapon. Regardless, a properly made longsword and a scythe are both clumsy, impractical, hard to run with, and if any crawling or navigating tight areas is involved, you're going to have a hard time with it. Last thing you want to do is run through a doorway and have the scythe clothesline you.
Pros: Immense cutting power, capacity to slice a zombie into large chunks. As deadly as a chainsaw (maybe more deadly), while silent and generally not too hard to find.
Cons: If you miss, you're dead. If it breaks, you're dead. It has almost zero usefulness in terms of utility, and it can be heavy and cumbersome.
Conclusions: If you happen to be out in the field harvesting wheat and you spot a zombie, it may be more useful than a pitchfork. Gives you a wide range of swing with deadly results. I wouldn't go out of my way to get my hands on one though. There's a million better choices that are far less exotic.
x. Hammer
Hammers may be treated similarly to axes with a few exceptions. The crowbar like claw on the end of a hammer is small and sharp, so can pierce easily, and the hammering end is enough to push a nail through a wooden board, so with a proper whack, can push a skull fragment into the brain. The hammer can also be a very useful tool, serving to nail things together or pry things apart. Generally they're highly available and most people have one or more of these at their house already. Think about it, I bet you could find your hammer in about two minutes right now. Still, requires you to get really close to a zombie, though unlike a sword or a chainsaw, they remain useful in a grappling situation (choke up and whack at the zombie with the claw end while holding their head back with a forearm in the neck).
Pros: Hard hitting, cheap, useful, immensely available in almost any household, can be used either by the handle as a hitting weapon, or by the head as a stabbing weapon.
Cons: Limited reach, limited usefulness at close range.
back of the head Conclusion: If you were to look out the window right now and see a zombie, and you haven't already started building an anti-zombie arsenal, this is likely the most useful weapon you have in your garage/closet.
xi. Crowbar
If you don't already have one of these, go right now and get one. They're generally cheap and immensely effective. Hitting with the back end of one produces results similar to that of a club, the hooked end can be used in the fashion of a hatchet to swing down into a zombies skull, and once in, you now have something at the end of a lever to scramble some brains. The Straight end can be used to rush a zombie and drive straight through an eye socket and into the brain. They're relatively easy to pull back out, lightweight, can hang from a belt, and most of all are useful tools. You can use it to pry open or smash in a door or a window, and can even work as a makeshift hammer in a pinch. If you score a skull hit that doesn't kill a zombie, you can use your weight to throw him around by the end you're holding. In the event of a head hit though, if the zombie stumbles back or you lose your grip, you're out a crowbar. Maybe the best weapon household weapon for a one on one encounter with a zombie. There are few more effective weapons, and the few that are better are not as readily available or as cheap as the crowbar. If you don't have any anti-zombie weapons in your collection right now that rate a B+ or better, this is probably your best first weapon.
Pros: All the best things about clubs, hatchets, hammers, and spears, with a lot fewer of the bad. All metal assembly makes them immensely durable.
Cons: Not a lot of weight behind the swing, so you'll have to swing pretty hard. Also, after killing the first, if you use the claw end, sometimes it can be tricky to get it back out. Be sure they're dead when you put your hands right next to their face to pull the claw out. Remember, it only takes one bite.
xii. Trench Knife
If you get the right one, this is one of the most deadly zombie killing weapons available. If you get the wrong one, it's going to be little more useful than a standard knife, and will suffer the same draw backs. Any flat blade knife is going to be hard to pull out, and hard to stab in. A properly constructed trench knife is going to be almost as thick as it is wide, and about 7 inches long. These were designed to puncture metal helmets and kill soldiers in WW1, so will likely be tremendously useful in puncturing a zombies skull. The brass knuckle style handle also adds a lot of power to your punch. If you can find one (the antique ones may have worn down in strength over the last 90 years, and they don't make many of them any more), these are probably the only weapons more useful than a crowbar other than the space mace.
Pros: Quick kill, quick retrieval, fingers protected for a punch, adds weight to the hand, light weight, compact, easily concealed in a simple sheath, thicker skinnier blade does more brain damage, and can enter easier than a wider flatter blade.
Cons: Good luck finding one.
xiii. Space Mace
Easily the best weapon for hand to hand combat. Designed by Tom Anderson, this weapon is a zombie killing machine. The weight is more than enough to get a hell of a swing out of it, the spikes can puncture a skull like a hot sewing needle through butter, the axe end will split a skull as well as being a useful tool. The ball part (in the event you manage to miss with the spikes) is enough to crack a skull. The design by Tom Anderson, which is becoming increasingly available is made of 440 stainless steel, with an interchangeable blade and interchangeable spikes. The tool for removing and changing the blade and spikes is actually hidden in the handle. This allows you to replace a dull blade or broken spike with relative ease. It's sharp on every side. In a grapple, you can use your hand on the ball part and use the blade to push back with, cutting a throat, or simply holding the axe head and shoving a spike into a zombies eye socket. Combines the usefulness of a hand axe, a mace, a spear, and a trench spike, plus in a pinch can be used as a hammer.
Pros: Dangerous on every side, heavy crushing power, useful at range or close up, lots of utility purpose.
Cons: If you have to travel a long distance with it, you can't easily hang it on your belt unless you take the spikes off and sheath the blade. If you for some reason suddenly need to abandon your stronghold and know you're going to be traveling a long distance, without a hand made sheath, it's going to be a little bit of a hassle to travel with. Well worth it if you can manage. If you have to flee and you're going to be wandering/camping for a few days, you may find it easier to take a trench knife or crowbar with you (crowbar being the easiest to carry in a method where it's readily available, trench spike being the most deadly), but if you're willing to deal with carrying it around, there is no better weapon for an encounter with a single or even multiple zombies.
B. Projectiles.
If you're not an experienced hunter, don't even waste your time with projectiles. Even if you are, I would put serious consideration into finding something a little more reliable. Projectile weapons are useful in a handful of scenarios: hunting game and fighting a war. If you have a group of 20 people, 15 of them with hand to hand weapons and 5 of them with projectile weapons, and a pack of zombies are nice enough to cluster together, you may find some use with being able to drop 2-3 of them before they get close. Chances are however that these 5 rangers would be better off equipped with spears or something of that nature.
i. Slingshot
You aren't going to be able to hid a zombie in the head with a slingshot and puncture his brain. The power to kill someone with a head shot isn't there, the accuracy is probably not there, and if you don't score a kill shot, now you have to drop the slingshot and grab for the knife. Slingshots have no utility purposes, and you're not going to kill anything bigger than a squirrel with one (if you can kill a squirrel at all with one).
Pros: None
Cons: Too many to list. Don't even consider it.
Conclusion: Dennis the Menace has to date never killed Mr. Wilson with his slingshot.
ii. Compound Bow
This may posess the power to kill a zombie with a head shot. If you can hit a pumpkin being hurtled through the air at 20 yards 100% of the time with a compound bow, this may be a useful weapon for you. Getting another arrow ready can be time consuming, and carrying a quiver will interfere with a backpack. The plus side is that they're dead silent, and if you know what you're doing you may be able to kill 2-3 zombies before they can even figure out where the arrows are coming from. Use it to deal with a small group of zombies who don't know where you are, but remember, only a shot through the brain counts, and a brain is about the size of two fists. A neck shot or a shot through the mouth doesn't count, and a head shot isn't a guaranteed kill. Chances are good a zombie will be running at you with an arrow sticking out of its head, and as it eats you, you'll mutter to yourself what a great shot that was. See the ammunition section for types of arrows.
Pros: Silent, capable of piercing a skull with the right type of arrows, murderously accurate in the right hands.
Cons: Hard to aim, a head shot doesn't guarantee a kill, quivers are clumsy, limited ammunition (try carrying 60 rounds of arrows. much easier to do with a gun clip than a quiver).
Conclusion: Handy to have in your fortress if guns and silencers aren't available. A very quiet killer. Don't take one unless you have a short range weapon to back you up and are traveling with a group of at least four or five people who aren't relying on your arrow shooting abilities.
iii. Long Bow
Very similar to a compound bow with a few differences: Nearly impossible for a novice to aim properly, and provides less power at full swing. On the upside they're a more simple construction, and if a string breaks at an inopportune time, you can restring them fairly quickly. Plus, if you get the right one, you can cut the string and use it as a makeshift staff weapon, saving the trouble of carrying multiple weapons. See the ammunition section for types of arrows.
Conclusion: If you're experienced, they make a light weight and relatively hassle free addition to your arsenal, but don't make it your primary weapon.
iv. Cross Bow
Basically a rifle with a built in silencer, enormous ammunition, less power, and slower reload time. The crossbow delivers bolts at a very high velocity, and they're pretty easy to aim. A staple of zombie and vampire hunters in movies. The upside is that a head shot is going to do a huge amount of damage. I've yet to see a crossbow that can successfully deliver a flaming arrow (which is the main purpose in choosing an arrow weapon). Much heavier than a conventional bow, but the possession of sights (be it conventional or telescopic sights) offset this flaw. You probably won't be carrying this PLUS a rifle. Only use if you're traveling with a group, and only as an opening shot on an unsuspecting zombie. A silenced rifle can be difficult to come by, but all crossbows may be considered "silenced".
Pros: Massive power, sights make it easy to aim, silenced (compared to a rifle).
Cons: Heavy, bolts are still bigger than bullets, lacks the firepower of a rifle, slow reload time.
Conclusion: Use only to surprise a very small group of zombies, but have the handgun and the crowbar at the ready for when they start rushing you.
v. Throwing Stars/Throwing Knives/Tomahawks
Despite their depiction in movies, a throwing star has never been a killing weapon. It's a weapon where you stop down the alleyway, wait for your opponent to round a corner, let one fly, and continue running away. Finding a well made one in the USA is very difficult (that cute little star you got in china town with the picture of a dragon on it isn't going to kill anything). If you have a set of about 30 professional throwing stars you want to let fly into a group of zombies, even with 4-5 head shots, you probably won't kill one.
Same goes for throwing knives. They generally aren't heavy enough, and sticking one in the lung or neck doesn't count against a zombie. Throwing knives to date have never to my knowledge been used successfully in any sort of fight other than to scare someone, or cause someone to bleed. You're not going to be able to stick someone in the face with a throwing knife and kill them like they do in the movies.
A tomahawk can be a dangerous weapon, as they're much heavier than any other throwing weapon, but sticking one in the head of a moving target is going to take years of practice. Other than the ninja star, any thrown weapon is going to take a fixed number of rotations, and the finesse required to adjust that and take into consideration the movement of a target getting closer or running across your field of vision is one that you won't be able to just LEARN because you feel like using a thrown weapon. If you're already an EXPERT, there's probably nothing I can say to stop you anyway, just consider your ability to puncture through a skull into a moving brain before you take other peoples lives into your hands.
Pros: They're quiet, light weight, and can be used in the mean time for utility purposes.
Cons: A dove is also quiet, and throwing a dove at the zombies is going to be just about as dangerous as throwing a knife or ninja star at one. Don't throw your tools away. If you get really good at throwing a tomahawk, hitting a zombie in the back of the head can be a quick kill without betraying your position, but it may be a while before you can get your tomahawk back.
vi. Rocks/Ball Bearings
No, I'm just kidding. A rock? Who would use a rock to fight a zombie? Ever seen a professional pitcher hit someone with a baseball? Chances are good you aren't a professional pitcher, and even a professional pitcher isn't going to be able to hit a running target in the head every time. The ball bearing (the industrial, golf ball sized one) was used as a weapon in China by rebels some fifty years ago (if anyone knows this story, please tell me; I don't remember the details). They were readily available, easy to conceal, and legal to possess and easy to get after all their farm tools were taken away. They add a lot of weight to a punch, plus double as a projectile. Unfortunately, a zombie isn't going to chew you up any more slowly with a broken jaw and a missing tooth. If you manage did manage to drop a really really big rock on a zombies head, you can cause it a pretty severe head wound. Plus a hand sized rock doubles as a quick bludgeoning weapon. But seriously, a rock? If that's the best weapon you can come up with, you're probably better off using it to knock yourself unconscious so you don't have to worry about being awake while you're being eaten. If you're Andre the Giant or that guy from Brave heart, and you can hurtle a boulder, you can mess a zombie up pretty good with that. Assuming you can't accurately throw a 30 pound boulder 20 yards and hit something accurately, leave the rocks on the ground.
Pros: You can hold it in your hand, and they're everywhere.
Cons: A zombie is going to kill you shortly after you bank one off it's head. Doing this won't even piss the zombie off like you probably hope it will. It will simply get it's attention. At least you'll be able to get a good laugh before you die.
Conclusion: Don't throw rocks.
vii. Sling
The first (and I think last) recorded case of it's successful use in a fight was David vs Goliath. If you know how to use a sling, you can deliver a rock or ball bearing with way more power than you can with a slingshot or thrown with your bare hands. Also, takes a minute to prepare and launch. These are a LOT harder to aim than you think, and hitting a critter in the head hard enough to kill it in one shot is going to be tricky.
Pros: You can make a sling out of a pair of pants or a bed sheet.
Cons: Now they're going to find you covered in bite marks and cold because you have no bedsheets.
Conclusions: Use only if you have access to no other projectile weapon. This is far less useful than a bow.
viii. Harpoon
This could be useful to build your peoples morale in certain situations. If you have the time and want to bolt one to the back of your War Wagon, it can provide many fun hours of dragging zombies behind your truck. You probably aren't going to be killing a zombie with a harpoon, it merely serves to get a hold of one from a distance. Don't consider this as a weapon, just a toy if you're bored. You'd be better off affixing a machine gun to your vehicle and putting a gunner up on the tower than having Captain Ahab on the roof spearfishing zombies.
Pros: after an extended war with zombies, it can be fun to drag one behind your vehicle for a few miles.
Cons: It stops being fun when the zombie you're dragging gets wrapped around a tree and rips the bumper off your truck.
ix. Blowguns/Poison
Poison doesn't work on zombies.
C. Guns
Your gun is going to be the staple of your arsenal, so selecting the weapon thats right for you is going to be crucial. Don't start thinking that a gun is a substitute for a hand to hand weapon, because there are a number of things that can go wrong with a gun that are not present in a handy steel weapon. Guns can jam, run out of ammo, you may drop your clip, reloading can be difficult when your hands start shaking, etc. Granted, in a struggle with a zombie, placing a gun to it's head and squeezing the trigger requires the least amount of effort and provides some of the worst damage as compared to any close combat weapon. Still, the risk of accidentally shooting one of your group in a melee is a very present risk. Please note: If you're in one of the many countries that has banned all firearms, I would strongly advise against attempting to purchase one.
The number and variety of guns are way too extensive to go into much detail here, so I'm going to provide you with a few pointers to selecting a proper weapon and briefly detail you in when it's appropriate to use the different types of guns.
-How strong is the impact? A good way to ask this without saying "can I blow a humans brains out with this bullet?" would be to ask if it's enough to puncture a hog's skull and drop it during butchering time. Just because a bullet can go through skin and collapse a lung doesn't mean it will go into a brain and cause damage.
-What time of ammunition can you use with it? Check into the ammo section below for suggestions on ammunition.
-What is the effective range?
-How hard is it to take apart and clean?
i. Handguns
Great close range weapons. Handguns are the staple of the American family and in many places are not terribly difficult to find. Most of them provide enough punch to kill a zombie (though a lot of the lower caliber ones do lack the power to puncture a skull, so be sure to look into that before selecting one).
ii. Rifles
To date one of the most dangerous weapons ever created. These come in an enormous variety, provide incredible accuracy to a skilled shooter, and can be rapidly reloaded for multiple targets.
iii. Shotguns
Good weapons, handy, easy to get a hold of, and not nearly as useful as a rifle. A shotgun is the staple of any zombie or demon hunter in the movies. They lack the range and accuracy of a rifle, however. There are some good uses for them which I will explore more thoroughly in the ammo section.
iv. Machine Guns
Anything that sprays bullets in a wild fire runs a high risk of jamming, consumes ammo like a starving hippo, and is going to be impossible to aim. The purpose of these weapons is mostly to generate a lot of noise (sort of like the chainsaw of guns). If you can lightly tap the trigger and limit your bullet output to 3 bullets or less, these can potentially be aimed, but you need to resist the urge to just squeeze down the trigger.
v. Assault Rifles
Same rough rules apply for all the other guns. Be sure you pick something out that you can fire accurately. A hail of bullets is no substitute for an accurately placed shot. If used properly, these are capable of killing a TON of zombies. Get good at counting your rounds so you don't have to check your clip repeatedly and don't end up pulling the trigger in a pinch situation with no bullets in the gun.
D. Ammo
After selecting the appropriate weapon, you need to consider the ammunition you will be firing from it. This can be as crucial a decision as the actual weapon you select, so be sure to consider your options.
i. Projectile Weaponry
a. arrows
An interesting thing about arrows as opposed to bullets: They weight a lot more. There's a lot of weight behind a foot of arrow shaft. With a properly designed tip, a head wound will put this straight into the brain of a zombie. You need deadly accuracy however, as penetrating a skull with an arrow requires a sharp tip and a direct hit. A hit to the jaw or neck will be mostly useless.
b. flaming arrows
Good compensation for a lack of accuracy. Necrotic flesh of the zombie will dry out over time, providing an opportunity to set one aflame with an arrow. Zombies generally will not know to pull the arrow out, resulting in extended exposure to fire, and a possibility they will ignite other nearby zombies. Be careful though, because fighting hand to hand with a flaming zombie can be difficult, as you increase your chance of being burned. Also, consider your terrain. Don't use if there's a risk of a flaming zombie setting your compound on fire, or starting a forest fire nearby. See our archery section for a guide to making and firing flaming arrows.
ii. Handgun Ammo
a. FMJ (Full Metal Jacket)
A strong metal jacket encases this lead cored bullet. These are non expanding and deep-penetrating bullets. Designed primarily for piercing armor. Basically, they'll go through anything and out the back. Good for making small holes in zombies.
b. JHP (Jacketed Hollow Point)
Has an exposed lead tip that expands as you work your way farther into the bullet. Designed for maximum energy transfer into the target. Rather than going in and out the other side in the same small hole, these will either stop inside the target or make an exit wound much larger than its entrance wound.
c. SJHP (Semi Jacketed Hollow Point)
Lots of exposed lead at the tip, causing it to expand more than a regular jacketed hollow point. This will remove a LOT of brain matter with a head wound.
d. FMC (Full Metal Case ,Truncated Cone)
A light copper jacket encases the lead core of this bullet, giving it more penetration than a JHP, but more expansion than a FMJ. This is also an excellent choice if your guns power is low, and you're finding difficulty getting a JHP bullet to penetrate the skull.
e. SP (Soft Point)
Large amounts of exposed lead at the tip with a copper jacket, provides deeper penetration than hollow points, but expands more than a full metal case.
iii. Rifle Ammo
a. FMJ (Full Metal Jacket)
Designed for target shooting and armor penetration. Small hole in, small hole out. End result: Head shot may not prove fatal. Ignore this type of ammo.
b. FMJBT (Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail)
Boat Tail reduces drag to provide greater range and higher velocity at the point of impact. Still makes a small hole in and a small hole out. Use it for sniping at zombies a long distance away. OK support type ammo for a sniper.
c. HPBT (Hollow Point Boat Tail)
High range, high accuracy, hollow point increases energy dispersal. Great long range support ammunition.
d. SP (Soft Point)
Exposed flat lead tip results in bullet expanding to up to twice its size as it penetrates. This is an awesome bullet for opening up large wounds in zombie heads.
iv. Shotgun Ammo
a. Buckshot
Provides great stopping power at short distances. The shot scatters quickly, making a lot of small holes. Selection of shot size is important, as various sizes will result in a different penetration power and scatter (not to mention quantity of the shots). #00 is most common among law enforcement. The pellets are larger and there are fewer of them. #1 shot provides more stopping power, less penetration (meaning a lower chance of shot passing through and out the other side, which may damage whatever is behind what you're shooting at, either part of your house or one of your team). Be careful using #00 shot, as you're putting whatever or whoever is on the other side of the zombie at risk. It's a toss up as to whether you want greater penetration or more controlled penetration, so the decision should be based on what context you're fighting in. Zombies require a controlled head shot and nothing take a zombies head off quicker than #00 shot, but if there are going to be several people with you and you want the ability to stop or slow a zombie that is between you and a team mate, you'll want #1 shot or you may end up killing the zombie and your partner. Anything smaller than #1 is going to be relatively useless other than to momentarily slow a zombie down. Effective range on buckshot is 25 yards and less.
b. Slug
Provides higher range than buckshot with greater power than a rifle. Shot has a much higher caliber (.70). Not all types of slug will work in all types of shotgun (smooth bored barrels require a rifled slug, just for example). You should familiarize yourself with your gun and your ammo before you start loading up and shooting.
E. Fire/Explosives
Fire has long been considered mans greatest asset; critical to warding off predators and cooking meat. Take great care in employing fire as a weapon however, because countless individuals have found that fire can quickly turn on you and become an enemy instead of an ally. Fire can and will destroy everything in its path, so be sure to use with caution. Explosives, in this respect, may be regarded as a type of fire. Be careful with them, as accidental detonation can cause injury or death. All fire and explosives are strongly discouraged.
i. Flame Thrower
These are often flaunted in video games and popular fiction. They spray unholy death on anything that comes in their path, mercilessly reducing a crowd to a pile of cinders. Sound too good to be true? It is. Illegal, decommissioned, hard to find, limited fuel supply (the fuel will also be hard to find), and weighs as much as a television. If you're standing in an open field, the last human left alive, facing a hoard of thousands of zombies, this may be the only weapon that will save you. In any other circumstances, however, you're going to have a hell of a time putting this to good use (assuming you managed to get your hands on one).
ii. Bazookas/Rocket Launchers
"Sweet Jesus, look at the zombie bits fly! Now quick, everyone back in the... where the hell did our compound go?" Common sense should tell you that this weapon stands too high a chance of destroying something or someone that shouldn't be destroyed. Furthermore, your chance of actually killing a zombie is going to be somewhat low. These are designed for anti-building anti-vehicle use. Even when shot into a mob of zombies, chances are good the rocket will fly right through the crowd and keep going until it finds itself a target a few hundred yards down the line. Unless zombies start driving tanks around, or unless you're planning on trying to blow up a fuel canister or power plant packed with zombies, don't waste your energy tracking one down
iii. Grenades
Seems like these would be tremendously useful. During times of warfare, one of these is capable of flushing out a foxhole, or killing a handful of unfortunates who are nearby. In reality these are far less useful. Grenades are shrapnel weapons, which send bits of metal flying in every direction, which penetrate flesh and shatter bone. A zombie will not fear shattered bone or penetrated organs, and your chance of a head shot is slim. You may find a use for your grenades, but killing zombies isn't one of them.
iv. Molotov Cocktails
The icon of the oppressed commoner. Readily constructed from household ingredients, basically all you need is a bottle full of something flammable, and a towel stuffed in the mouth (also flammable). Be sure to plug the mouth completely with the rag so it doesn't fall out when thrown. This will not burn unless the glass shatters, so be sure to throw hard and don't use thick glass (a Snapple bottle will not shatter easily, a 40 ounce bottle of malted liquor will hold a ton of fluid and shatter easily). Common household flammable ingredients include gasoline, isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, Bacardi 151 will burn like crazy (as will most 100+ proof hard alcohols). Some types of nail polish remover burn, there's lighter fluid, some types of hairspray... Use your imagination. It's not hard to find stuff that burns, just be careful. One point to note: it's always good to wipe off the sides of the bottle before you ignite. If the fluid spills out while you light it, you may have a serious problem (as well as third degree burns) on your hands.
F. Booby Traps
For defending the compound, it never hurts to set a few traps to stand guard for you while you sleep. Numerous booby traps can be constructed. Here we will only be discussing a few that you may find particularly useful.
i. Foot Snare
A clamp trap or a foot snare is a good way to get a hold of a zombie and keep it in place. The Freemont Bear Foot Snare has been used to catch and release over 200 bears in the last 5 years. Obviously if it can hold a large angry bear, it can hold a zombie. A clamp trap snaps shut like a mouse trap and holds the zombie tight. Be careful with both of these though, because a determined zombie will rip its own foot off struggling to get free, and will not be deterred by the pain these traps inflict.
ii. Net
If you can rig a net up to fall from a tree or pick a zombie up into a tree when he crosses it, this is a sure way to hold it tightly and keep it restrained. Can be reused multiple times (as with a foot snare). Lower likelihood of a zombie struggling his way out or breaking off a foot to get free. We will be including a section later detailing how to rig a net trap.
iii. Tiger Pit
The easiest and most crudely effective trap. Dig a deep hole, cover it in thin branches and leaves. When a zombie stumbles onto this spot, down he goes. A zombie will fall in a clumsy fashion and will likely break a leg or ankle even falling a short distance, plus, zombies are going to be unable to climb and will likely break its fingers or bury itself trying to claw its way out. Digging an adequate tiger pit will be time consuming, and should not be tackled as a solo project. If you're going to be holed up for a while, it never hurts to stick one of these by your front door.
G. Reinforcements
For serious defense of your compound, you need to employ more adequate measures of protection than simply a tiger pit. Anyone with a shovel can construct a tiger pit rather quickly. A number of booby traps can be constructed with a little intuition. The following may be harder to make or come across, but are crucial for serious defense of a compound.
i. Tripwires
A thin wire, barely visible, that when stumbled into causes something to happen. This something can be anything you like, from pulling a heavy object down on a zombie (you could try using it to pull a door open holding heavy logs or boulders), to simply causing an approaching zombie to fall flat on its face. The most simple and probably useful utilization of this technique is to attach one end to a bell (if you don't have a bell, rocks in a glass bottle or tin can will work in a pinch) to act as an alarm system to notify you of an approaching stranger. They take minimal time to set up and can be established with any kind of rope or wire. Be sure to set up an alarm tripwire as soon as you establish a base to make sure you don't get caught by surprise.
ii. Land Mines
Bury and forget, land mines have long been employed by the military to slow and destroy approaching forces. A minefield is enough to stop an army including tanks dead in its tracks with minimal exposure. There is an added advantage to dealing with zombies in that they won't read warning signs, and won't avoid big red flags marking the land mines locations. Be sure to mark your land mines so you don't step on them in accidents. A red spray painted X on the ground, or a flag will suffice, but be aware that in a heavy rain, your markers may be lost, so have a chart that details the quantity of land mines buried and their exact locations on a grid, or you may find yourself stumbling into your own mines.
iii. Electric Fences
A simple electric wire used to herd in cattle or keep a horse from chewing on a wooden fence is not going to even slow a zombie down. This will be roughly as effective as a waist high wire in slowing down a zombie (which, by the way, can be a lot more effective than you'd imagine simply for slowing them down, as they're not good at ducking or climbing). A high grade electric fence (think Jurassic Park) will be enough to fry any zombie that tries to force its way through and stays in contact with the fence for too long. Don't rely on being able to get enough electricity from your power plant though, as power will likely be going out, and using a secondary generator is going to consume fuel as well as create noise to draw zombies to you. These probably aren't worth the time it would take to set them up.
iv. Moats
What better way to protect your castle than a moat? If you are short on alligators, crocodiles, sharks, and thousands of gallons of water, simply dig a world war 1 style trench around your residence. This should be around 6-8 feet deep if possible, and about 4 feet wide. A zombie who stumbles into a properly made ditch will be unable to crawl out. If nothing else, this will keep it held for a while until you can come execute it. If time and manpower permits, this can be an invaluable asset. In areas with high rainfall, be aware that the moat may end up caving in, causing a sloped bank next to the moat that the zombies can simply walk out of. The walls have to be sheer. This is basically an advanced version of the tiger pit.
v. Barbed Wire/Razor Wire
As a zombie can't climb, don't bother lining your fences with these. The primary use for razor and barbed wire will be to tangle the zombie up. Blood loss will not be an issue however, and unless there are a number of hooks on the barbed wire (if you tie thousands of fishhooks to your barbed wire, maybe it would work), a zombie will eventually struggle its way past the barbed wire and on to your compound. Great to slow them down, but don't expect it to stop them.
5. Retreat
A. Equipment
B. Vehicles pro's cons
i. typical vehicles
ii. atypical vehicles
C. Terrains
6. Defend
A. At Home
i. converting a house into a keep
a. rush job
b. thorough job
ii. necessary supplies
iii. warding off an attack
a. killing attackers
b. keeping more from coming
B. Public Buildings
i. different buildings
ii. dealing with crowds
C. At the Fortress
i. different buildings
ii. dealing with crowds
7. Attack
So you've been bunkered in for a few weeks now. Most of the major cities have fallen. You're in a secure location in a remote area, your garden is flourishing, and any more you're only seeing a zombie every few days. You've heard word that the military has figured out how to sweep zombies out, and they're going through exterminating them by the hundreds of thousands. Casualties are high. Of course they're starting with big cities and working their way out. It may be a while before they get to you. They're calling for all citizens to take up arms and begin reclaiming their home towns, as it may be months before they can get through even the major cities. Your group has decided that you're going to launch an offensive against the zombies that are still in a nearby major town about an hour away. There can't be more than a few hundred there. So how are you going to travel to a major city, launch an offensive, and return home safely? This can be accomplished, but there are a few points you're going to have to consider; how to get there, how to fight without suffering a single casualty, and how to return home in one piece.
A. The War Wagon
The first and foremost thing you will need to construct is going to be your war wagon. You need something on wheels that is basically zombie proof and allows you to fight back as they close in on you. A tank would be nice, but you don't have a tank, and besides that, a tank doesn't afford you much in the way of space (tanks are very cramped inside), and it's hard to fire at zombies behind and to the sides by the tank. Besides that, even if you had a tank, you're not sure you know how to steer one. What you need to build is a civilian war wagon. There are several templates available to an average individual for fighting, and for general transportation.
i. The 18 Wheeler
If your goal is to get to the center of the city and have 30 armed people pour out the back of a truck, the 18 wheeler will allow this to happen. Hard to navigate around corners, and not meant for city travel, you may have some trouble getting this around, but it will bring you in a main road to the center of town, and back again. Designed for long hauls, these things will allow you to carry a TON of provisions and ammo, and will take you long distances. Not a bad choice for hauling across the country, but not the best for navigating around town.
ii. The Swat Bus
If you have a swat bus, you're basically already set. Fast, mobile, massive space to hold dozens of armed individuals, and durable. The swat bus gets poor gas mileage, but is not meant for long hauls. You could probably rig up a system to refuel the bus without having to get off, and it'll be hard for a hoard of zombies to tip you over. If they mob up on your bus, there's a chance they may be able to tip you over, but the chance is remote at best. Most buses will require you to barricade the door, as it is low to the ground and mostly glass. Solder a piece of sheet metal over the door, and now your group of 10 people can each pick windows on the sides and in the front (say 1 in front, 1 in back, 4 on each side), and fire out the windows at the zombies. If anything your problem is going to lie in power, ability to navigate off road, and through road blocks. Gas may be short, so load some extra gas and provisions in case the bus breaks down and you end up having to walk.
iii. The Armored Car
Very durable, bulletproof, and easy to navigate in cities. These get comparatively good mileage, and if they break down, the people in the back can stay safe as long as provisions hold out. Even if the zombies manage to tip this thing over, other than possibly a few head wounds, the passengers are still safe inside. The durable body doesn't allow for much in the way of modification, but too many modifications aren't necessary. The problem with one of these is that you can't easily fire while moving. The body is meant to encase and protect, not to allow for mobile fortressing, and it's going to be a while before you can cut slits in the side to aim a gun out of. Good enough for defensive transportation or being on the run, but if you run out of gas, it may be difficult to hop out of the back and fill back up. Not to mention limited cargo capacity.
iv. The Garbage Truck
This monster will provide the ultimate war wagon with a little modification. Built out of heavy, durable, tough steel, lots of wheels, designed for navigation through city and suburban streets, capable of smashing through a road block without taking any damage, HUGE cargo space in the back. To transform this to the ideal war wagon, first be sure you wash it out really good. The lingering stench is going to draw zombies to you (in fact, if you wanted to throw a corpse in the back to draw zombies out, that would be a good way to get some attention. You're going to want to the sides completely shut. The last thing you want is a zombie hopping in. Disable the crush feature so the back doesn't accidentally compact your provisions. The ample space in the back allows for you to carry more than enough fuel, ammo, and supplies for an extended trip. The trash truck is designed for extended trips without refueling, stop and go driving, and maximum carrying capacity.
After you've got it washed out, saudered shut, and sealed up, you're going to want to cut a hole in the roof above the passenger side. This is going to be the hatch you use to get in and out of your truck. This also allows someone to get from the drivers area to on top of the truck. From the top of the truck, you can shoot in all four directions, and you're lifted way up off the ground to provide protection from any zombies that may approach. The low center of gravity of the truck along with it's enormous weight will make it nearly impossible to tip over other than through excessively negligent driving. Basically, drive it anywhere you want (the noise alone will send the zombies running to you), have a passenger hop out on top of the truck, engage in slaughter. When your supplies are exhausted, if you so desire you can even load dozens of corpses into the back and haul them off to a burial site. It would be a good idea to collect corpses as you go anyway, since the goal is to someday make the city habitable again, and millions of disease infested rotting corpses aren't the most sanitary thing in the world.
If you really want to be fancy, set up a system so the person on top can belt themselves down and you can become a mobile tower. Simply sit up top with a rifle and drop zombies one by one as they chase after you while you drive at low speeds. This is the only war wagon that is also effective even if you are by yourself. The zombies inability to climb will keep them off the top, and the sealed doors will keep them out of the drivers cab. Plus the trunk is designed to carry moist, wet, foul contents, so don't worry about piling the bodies in there. Hell, there's even a crush feature so if you're running out of space for more corpses, you can just flip a switch and you're good to pack at least 20 more in there.
8. Mopping Up
This is perhaps the most important process in zombie elimination: The mopping up phase. Just like cancer cells, with zombies, if even ONE is left alive, the outbreak process will begin all over again as people start moving back into the cities and living closer together. As people begin putting their lives back in order, the threat of a re-introduction of the virus will be very high, as peoples guard will be down, and they'll be living closer together.
During this phase, there will not be a police force initially, so it will be the responsibility of the people to organise and cooperate in order to have their community survive. In this modern day, most people have been raised under the mindset "what can I get out of this community". This mindset will need to abruptly change to "what can I give to this community" if there's any hope of survival.
FULL CREDIT GOES TO OZORT: Order of Zombie Outbreak Resistance Tacticians
A. Real Viruses
i. Rabies
ii. Ebola
B. Fictional Viruses
i. Lyssa X
ii. Filonecrosis
C. Fantasy Viruses
i. Solanum
ii. T-Virus
2. The Zombies
A. Voodoo Zombies
i.
ii.
B. Drug Zombies
i.
ii.
C. Viral Zombies
i.
ii.
3. The Epidemic
A. DEMCON IV - Observe
B. DEMCON III - Prepare
C. DEMCON II - Persevere
D. DEMCON I - Overcome
E. PLAGCON - PLAGue CONdition
i. National - Strike
ii. Global - Eliminate
4. Weapons
A. Hand to Hand
B. Projectiles
C. Guns
D. Ammo
E. Fire
F. Misc
G. Reinforcements
5. Retreat
A. Equipment
B. Vehicles pro's cons
i. typical vehicles
ii. atypical vehicles
C. Terrains
6. Defend
A. At Home
i. converting a house into a keep
a. rush job
b. thorough job
ii. necessary supplies
iii. warding off an attack
a. killing attackers
b. keeping more from coming
B. Public Buildings
i. different buildings
ii. dealing with crowds
C. At the Fortress
i. different buildings
ii. dealing with crowds
7. Attack
A. Planning an attack
B. Finding targets
C. Weapons/vehicles
8. Mopping Up
A. Finding the last zombie
B. Returning order
C. Rebuilding society
D. Preparing for future attacks
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1. The Virus
When talking about any "zombie virus" it is important to understand the difference between real, fiction, and fantasy. A real virus is one that already exists, a fictional virus is one that does not exist, and a fantasy virus is one that can not exist. The main difference between fiction and fantasy is that a fictional virus is based on a real virus, but is slightly different in a few key ways. A fictional virus is possible. A fantasy virus is completely made up by a storyteller, defiant of all current medical knowledge, and is simply used in order to create a work of fantasy horror. Fantasy viruses are for all intents and purposes impossible.
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A. Real Viruses
These viruses already exist, and there are cases still reported every year. Our knowledge of how to treat and contain these viruses currently keeps them under control, but an outbreak of these viruses is entirely possible. These viruses are included as "zombie viruses" because the symptoms, effects, and the end result of a widespread infection are virtually identical to what would happen if there was an outbreak of a fictional zombie virus.
i. Rabies
The Rabies Virus is a species of the genus "Lyssavirus". Lyssavirus derives its name from a Greek word meaning "frenzy". All members of the Lyssavirus are RNA viruses that are characterized by their bullet shape and their numerous spines. Rabies victims are typically depicted or stereotyped by a foaming mouth, but this is not necessary.Rabies can also be present in a "paralytic" form, which causes the infected animal or person to be quiet and withdrawn. Rabies is primarily transmitted through saliva via bite. The virus guarantees transmission by causing the infected individual to be exceptionally aggressive, often leading to a situation whereby the infected individual will bite and spread the virus to an uninfected individual. Transmission has occurred via an aerosol through mucous membranes, meaning it may be possible to transmit via a particularly salavous sneeze, but it would be nearly impossible for it to pass this way.
ii. Ebola
A severe, often fatal hemorrhagic fever that affects humans and non-human primates. Initially recognised in 1976. Named after a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), this virus is one of the two filoviridae (along with Marburg virus). Ebola comes in four known flavors: Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, Ebola-Ivory Coast (aka Ebola-Tai), and Ebola-Reston, the fourth of which has only ever caused disease in nonhuman primates. The origin of this virus is unknown. As far as research dictates, it only came into existence 30 years ago, however, it's very probable that this disease has been around for hundreds if not thousands of years. This virus spreads through minimal fluid contact, primarily found in blood and saliva. The most deadly form is Ebola-Zaire, which has a fatality rate of around 90%.
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B. Fictional Viruses
These are viruses that do not actually exist yet, but could mutate or be bioengineered fairly easily from existing viruses, and would still result in a catastrophic zombie outbreak. These are the viruses OZORT focuses on most, as they are both plausible and relatively likely to happen.
i. Lyssavirus X / Lyssa X
A virus based on a mutation of the Lyssavirus, which is the broad category that Rabies belongs to. Lyssavirus X's primary mutation is a much shorter incubation period, but other than that, is pretty much identical to rabies.
ii. Filonecrosis
Filonecrosis is a member of the Filoviridae family, along with the Ebola Virus and the Marburg Virus. Filoviridae are viruses that cause severe hemorrhagic fever, causing bleeding from every orifice of the body. Necrosis is a condition characterized by the death of cells and living tissue. Whereas Ebola is characterized by incapacitating the internal organs and causing them to die while the patient bleeds from the inside out, Filonecrosis is almost the opposite, causing the lymphatic system to fail before the internal organs do, and causing the skin to turn black or grey, rot, and slough from the infected victim. A person with this condition is extremely contagious, as the entire outside of their body is essentially covered in the virus, however the person isn't especially violent, though may be suffering from extreme shock as their face and eyes begin to die and rot out while they are still able to walk around. The primary danger here is that infection will cause mass hysteria, overreaction, and possible dangerous or irrational behavior from infected individuals that may lead to further infection.
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C. Fantasy Viruses
A fantasy virus is a type of virus that is scientifically or medically impossible, without needing to completely rewrite everything we know about physiology. This would include viruses that make humans able to fly, or control water with their minds, that impart supernatural powers beyond simply enhanced senses, or in this case, that allow corpses to move around like puppets on a string. Most fantasy virus zombies are equally as impossible as animated skeletons. They work great in movies, and give us a good "worst case scenario", but they also will probably never happen.
i. Solanum
A fictional virus invented by Max Brooks (the son of Mel Brooks, director of "Spaceballs" and "Blazing Saddles"), and featured in his book "The Zombie Survival Guide" and probably in his upcoming book "World War Z". This virus somehow reanimates dead tissue and allows muscles to flex without the use of ATP, oxygen, or blood flow. A medically impossible fantasy virus, its primary value is in its "it can't possibly get any worse" factor. Strongly based on the Hollywood movies "Night of the Living Dead", by George Romano, which features a radioactive space virus from the planet Venus.
ii. T-Virus
Another fictional virus, this one featured in Resident Evil. It is capable of reanimating dead tissue, and again produces zombies that seem capable of surviving just fine under water, have no nerve sensation at all, and a complete loss of memory of their former lives. This virus also seems capable of infecting dogs. Most viruses that can affect dogs also can affect cats, foxes, bears, and other similar mammals. They seem to only move particularly quickly while attacking.
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2. Zombies
There are a lot of different types of "Zombies", as well as a number of common variations within the categories of virus. Later I'll be coming up with more scientific names for them, but basically, we have three main types.
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A. Voodoo Zombies
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B. Drug Zombies
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C. Viral Zombies
A viral zombie is a specific type of zombie that becomes infected with a virus, and is capable of spreading the virus to others it comes in contact with. The viral zombie is the most common kind portrayed in movies and video games (such as Dawn of the Dead and Resident Evil).
When a zombie outbreak does occur, we're going to have to treat them like angry, mentally retarded bears with rabies and Ebola, loaded up on PCP. This will be about how they will behave. The atrophy and open sores will be apparent, blood will seep from their gums and their mouths will bleed, bullet wounds to the chest, stomach, legs and arms will not slow them down or even catch their attention, you'll hack one of their arms off and they probably won't notice until they try to grab you with a stump, their brain functions will be shot, they'll be agitated, and their one and only goal will be to bite and infect you. They will be highly infectious, even without any teeth or finger nails, and they will not need sleep. When they overpower you, they will probably engage in cannibalistic D. Fantasy Zombies
Slow moving flesh eating ghouls rising from the grave to feast on the flesh of the living, zombies that don't need food, water, or oxygen, yet somehow live forever, never needing sleep, with superhuman strength, and sometimes with the ability to jump 20-50 feet. Definitely the most dangerous type of zombie that you will most likely never encounter. These are the types of zombies we sometimes talk about, because if you can handle a zombie that can jump 20 feet up in the air and flip over a school bus, you can handle anything.
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3. epiDEMic CONdition
The DEMCON system is loosely based on the system established by the United States in the 60's. The DEFCON (DEFensive CONdition) was designed to keep everyone on the same page as to the level of threat regarding a nuclear attack. DEMCON (epiDEMic CONdition) is a system that we have devised in order to keep people informed as to the current state of any zombie outbreaks. The six levels are informally referred to as Observe, Prepare, Perservere, Overcome, Strike, and Eliminate (O.P.P.O.S.E.).
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A. DEMCON IV - Observe
This is the lowest state of alert. At this stage, we still can not simply lie back and wait for something to happen. It's always important to maintain a state of readyness. It's better to prepare for something that never happens than to be caught offguard when it does. At this point, you simply need to familiarize yourself with home defense, weaponry, and the layout of your town. Stay current on the local political state and try to anticipate what your local police officials will do in the event of a low level breakout in your town. Remember, a zombie outbreak starts with one single zombie, and while chances are good it will happen miles away, it may be your next door neighbor.
Are your local police the kind of people who will arrest and lock a zombie up in jail where he will proceed to infect other inmates, including jailers and police officers? Will they shoot to kill at a salavating nutcase who attacks them? Remember, arresting a zombie will be next to impossible, as they will easily break handcuffs and, being immune to blood loss or unconsciousness, will put up a hell of a fight to even 4-5 police officers.
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B. DEMCON III - Prepare
This level means that a small outbreak is occuring somewhere in the world. Since it may only take up to 24 hours for the virus to replicate, and given the ease of transportation cross country, it may only be a few days or weeks before an outbreak comes to your home town. Any outbreak anywhere in the world must be dealt with by preparing at home. If you haven't already begun purchasing weaponry and preparing your home for a siege, this is the stage at which you will want to do so. Chances are good that the outbreak will be stifled in it's location, but theres still a fair chance that an infected individual will carry the virus across a few hundred miles before he is turned. If this outbreak is happening in your home town, you may have less than 24 hours to prepare. Now is a good time to proceed to the Retreat section of this guide.
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C. DEMCON II - Perservere
It's official. The infection has spread, and there are several small outbreaks happening across the globe (or perhaps one massive one occuring in a given region). National guard has been called out to deal with a domestic crisis, and there may be light army response. If you're in an area where one of these outbreaks is occuring, chances are you can't walk the streets safely without running across a small band of zombies. There is going to be confusion as people try to figure out what is going on. As many as 20-100 zombies are in your home town, and there may be up to several thousand across the world. At this point you will want to proceed to the defend section of this guide.
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D. DEMCON I - Overcome
At this point, all bets are off. The entire military and national guard has been deployed, there will be a curfew, churches are converted to hospitals, rampant chaos at the grocery stores, in the event the outbreak is occuring domestically foreign friendly military troops may even be deployed domestically to try to keep order. The government is in over its head, and your small town didn't make the list of towns the military decided were "worth" saving. At this point, it's time to either make a stand, or throw in the towel, because if every citizen doesn't start pulling the weight, we may have a serious crisis. Zombies are numbering in the hundreds of thousands. At this point, you should weigh the merits of the attack and defend sections of this guide.
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E. PLAGCON - PLAGue CONdition
The PLAGCON (PLAGue CONdition) is only called when the level of emergency has exceeded preparation and is now demanding action. The viral outbreak has become a plague. These are similar to the EMERCON system employed by the USA for nuclear alertness. This catastrophy will probably take one of two possible faces.
i. National - Strike
Your country has fallen. The military is eliminated (or at least you haven't seen hide nor hair of them in weeks). You remember hearing on the news about how in a nearby town a few months ago, French, British, Russian, and Korean military forces have been deployed in your country. The few American soldires you've run across are nothing but grateful for this foreign presence. At any rate, the central body of the military is in no position to try to say no. It's been a few days since you last saw a French tank roll through your downtown streets, but it didn't slow or stop when civilans ran out into the street waving desperately for help.
You and a few people have claimed outpost at the local jail (which your ownership of is now uncontested). All those who were going to fight have fought, and lost. A national plague is occuring. At this point, your course of action is relatively irrelevant, because there will be no overcoming the zombie hoard, as there are now hundreds of millions, if not billions of zombies roving through most of North America. Do what's best for you and your team, which at this point is probably to follow the defend section of this manual.
ii. Global - Eliminate
The local threat has been halted. Nobody gets in to your country for any reason. The borders are secured, and any outbreaks are now occurring in foreign countries. The risk of them finding a way back in is present, but the local military and government have acknowledged and accepted the fact (at the very least) that a horrible plague has been spreading like wildfire. There has been talk on the news channels (which is roughly every channel on the television anymore) of the American Military being deployed to Panama to prevent zombies from wandering in from South America, and there's been further talk of trying to save the remaining civilians in England by deploying a huge army force (the largest thats been deployed since World War II) to hold the few remaining outposts. This only concerns you if you plan on joining the military to put a stop to this outbreak before it worsens. Your military officials will brief you on exactly the nature of the plague you'll be up against (remember, the virus may take different forms), but the general rules of the defend and the attack sections will serve you well.
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4. Weapons
First off, let me advise you that it is never advisable to go "zombie hunting". That is an endeavor best left to trained professionals. In any case where you have a choice between avoiding and attacking a zombie, you should choose the former. Direct confrontation with a zombie is never a wise decision. Should you however find yourself in a situation where fighting a zombie is necessary, you need to be prepared.
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A. Hand to Hand Combat
Hand to hand combat is a last case scenario. Of course it's safer to shoot at a zombie from 50 yards than to tackle one. However, the difference between life and death may be your ability to defend yourself in a scrap. When selecting a weapon, remember, the only sure way to kill a zombie is via a massive head wound. It needs to be light, durable, and able to pierce through a skull, which is a difficult task. When choosing your weapon, be sure to consider all these variables. Remember, almost any weapon is better than your fists.
i. Chainsaw
Except the chainsaw. The chainsaw is useful in only a few situations. If you're at your compound with a limitless fuel supply and are engaging a limited number of zombies, the chainsaw can be a handy tool. Its loud roar drones out the moan of zombies, and fills the mind numbing silence with a constant reminder that you are holding a deadly weapon. Don't expect the roar noise to even slow a zombie down or cause it pause, as a zombie will not be able to distinguish the chain saw from a vacuum cleaner.There are a few downfalls to this weapon however. The first being the noise it generates; enough to attract the attention of zombies miles away, as well as making it impossible to hear cries from your friends or the noise of a zombie sneaking up behind you. Second, if you're inexperienced, they can be a little hard to operate and control. Aiming one at the proper part of a zombie can be difficult in a fight. If you hit an arm or stomach area, the zombie can push straight through the blade and still bite you. Not to mention slicing through a zombie with a spinning blade will spray you with blood, which will likely get in your eyes, mouth, and ears, possibly leading to eventual infection. Just think to yourself, "Would I hack up someone who had a bad case of Ebola with a chainsaw?". As with any blade or ranged weapon, if the zombie gets too close (sneaks up behind you, gets a hold of you), the weapon becomes useless. Furthermore, they can be heavy, and if you run out of fuel in the middle of a fight, you'd better have something else to fall back on.
Pros: Makes you feel powerful, slices through flesh and bone quickly, lots of weight behind the swing.
Cons: Covers you in zombie goo, attracts the attention of more zombies, heavy, may run out of fuel, possible danger to user in a struggle, mutes out surrounding sounds you may need to listen for.
Conclusion: If you're by yourself engaging a few zombies and don't have any other weapons other than whats in your tool shed, it's a little more useful than a rake or pitch fork, but not much.
ii. Stun Guns/Mace
The haven of the woman alone returning from a bar, warding off a thief or rapist. Sadly, like mace, the stun gun is a relatively useless weapon. A direct hit to the head may stun a zombie for a short period of time, allowing escape, and it's usage will not cause a spray of blood. However, hitting a zombie in the head with a stun gun is difficult. Also, as with the chainsaw, running out of power makes this weapon slightly less useful than a brick. May possibly be successfully used on a zombie who is attacking someone, if you can get behind and get a head shot with it, but for the most part completely useless. Pros: No blood = no disease, relatively quiet and compact, may stun a zombie for a short period of time with a direct head shot.
Cons: No batteries = no use, body hits are useless, short range exposes user to zombies grasp.
Conclusion: If you already have one in your purse or glove box, keep it in mind, but if a zombie starts rushing you, don't go digging for it. This weapon will probably be most often used on other panicking humans or humans assaulting you. Remember, in a full on zombie outbreak, often your worst enemy is going to be opportunists.
iii. Brass Knuckles
Adds a lot of impact to your punch. A direct punch to the eyes may damage them or shatter the face around them, obscuring a zombies vision. Also, a zombie with no teeth isn't going to be biting you. A blind zombie is still a danger though, and it's going to take a lot of punching to kill a zombie. Plus, even without teeth, a zombie is capable of holding you down while another zombie bites you. A zombie isn't going to be aware of his lack of teeth and will proceed to attempt biting you and holding you as normal. If your goal is a hand weapon of this nature, you may be better off pistol whipping a zombie with your handgun than having yet another weapon to worry about. I would disregard this unless it's all you have.Pros: Compact, light weight, easy to conceal, still better than knuckles
Cons: Broken bones aren't going to slow a zombie down much, and you won't be doing much brain damage with this weapon. Not to mention carrying one with you is illegal in many places, so actually obtaining and keeping one is going to be tricky.
Conclusions: More trouble than it's worth.
iv. Clubs
Now we're getting into something that may actually be useful in a zombie encounter. A baseball bat, a 2x4, any type of solid weapon that adds range and leverage to the impact is going to be something to consider as a possibility. Clubs can require relatively extensive beatings to be effective. One classic example that comes to mind was the incident a few years back involving a young man who had taken a bunch of PCP painkiller and after a thorough beating from four police officers during which he sustained numerous hits to the head, he kept standing up. A zombie is going to be completely numb to pain and broken bones, and enough head bashing to crack a skull and subsequently destroy the brain can take a bit of work. Your average zombie is not going to be able to catch a club, and will be pretty easy to crack in the face. Don't expect them to go down after you hit them though. A good baseball hit to the head is enough to send any zombie packing, but to actually kill one and stop its advance is going to take a lot more work than you probably expect it will, so be ready to hit it a good 25 or more times with the weapon. Another issue will be when they get close enough, a club is going to be rendered ineffective. Pros: Lots of impact, power behind a swing, typically light weight, easy to find a makeshift one in a pinch. Relatively quiet, and gives you a little range to do your business.
Cons: Possibility they may break, requires a LOT of beating to cause a fatal head wound, hard to engage multiple zombies with a single club. Lots of work may lead to physical exhaustion (try hitting a punching bag with the same force required to crack a skull 100 times with a baseball bat). Also good to ward off a single zombie, but makes multiple engagements next to impossible.
Conclusion: If you've only got a single zombie to work with, it's a better choice than a stun gun, will probably last longer and be safer to use than a chainsaw, and gives you more range than brass knuckles. Still though, not the best choice.
v. Knives
Killing a zombie with a knife is next to impossible. A typical knife isn't going to be enough to puncture the skull and do significant damage once inside. Beyond this, after stabbing a knife significantly deep into human flesh, it can be really hard to pull back out. You'd have to come in through the top of a zombies head or through his temple, jiggle it around, get him onto the ground, put your foot on his head, and yank the knife out. You'd probably be better off holding the knife by the blade and hitting the zombie with the handle. Possibly less useful than brass knuckles.Pros: Easy to hide, allows quick hand movements, can lead to a one hit kill if you hit the zombie just right.
Cons: Hard to score a temple hit, doesn't do much damage once in the brain, and hard to pull back out. You're better off with a chair leg or a frying pan.
Conclusion: Keep one around for utility purposes, but don't get it dull stabbing zombies. If you are cornered and all you have is a knife, you might be better off going hand to hand with the zombie. All cutting is going to do is expose blood to you and probably end up costing you your knife when you miss the stab and can't get it pulled back out.
vi. Swords
Right out. Slashing is pointless, stabbing through an eye socket requires too much precision (unless you can puncture an airborne tin can 100% of the time with your sword, or stab through a grape at 3 feet range). Anything short of a true samurai sword is entirely useless. An extremely sharp sword may be used to decapitate a zombie if you can get his arms out of the way, but unless you've cut off a handful of heads or are a samurai, this is not something you're going to be successful at. If you miss and hit the skull, your sword is going to be stuck, and if his arms get in the way, now the zombie is shy an arm and 2 feet away from you, teeth and right arm gnashing. A properly made (not a hedge cutting) machete may serve a more useful purpose, as they have enough weight behind the blade to hack pretty deep, but unless you can hack through bone in a single swipe (try cutting through a 2x4 with a machete to test it out), it's not going to be much use on a zombie.
Pros: They look pretty cool hanging on the wall. A perfectly placed slash across the eyes or through eye socket is going to slow the zombie down, but a sword stab through the brain isn't going to be enough to kill a zombie unless it's a very lucky shot.
Cons: Everything listed above. A sword is designed to remove blood, and you're not going to have any luck doing this with a zombie.
Conclusion: Hang it on the wall and forget it exists.
vii. Hatchet/axe
This is probably the first weapon I've listed that I would actually be willing to use in combat with a zombie. An axe is not a good choice, as they are large, cumbersome, and since they're only sharp for about 3 inches of the 4 foot long handle, a head shot is difficult. If you have an axe, choke up on it and try to bury it into a skull. A full range swing is going to probably bring the axe head down on the wrong spot, or end up bouncing the handle off the head, leaving the head behind his shoulder and difficult to retrieve, maybe even pulling him in closer. A hatchet though is a very useful tool, as well as a handy weapon. It's shorter range allows for more control, and many of them possess weight comparable to that of a full sized axe. Generally the heavier the head, the better (within reason), and a range of more than a foot is not necessary. Hatchets smash their way right into a head and are capable of caving in a skull, as well as splitting through it once in. You're not going for a cut here, you're going for a wedge that can be driven into the skull. A hatchet probably one of your best hand to hand weapons.
Pros: Small, relatively lightweight, compact, can kill in a single blow, useful as a tool, can be used multiple times, provides enough range to stay out of a zombies grasp while allowing you to get close enough to actually hit.
Cons: If you hit them in the shoulder, you may as well cut your own throat because there is no way you're going to be pulling it back out except in the case of an extreme wedge (we're talking the blade is around a 30 degree angle wedge). With an extreme enough wedge, the blade won't actually pierce the skin, it will simply drive a lot of impact into a very small area. In the case of a skull, this means splitting, in the case of an arm, this means a broken shoulder. A broken shoulder won't stop a zombie, but it will make the grabbing process a little more inhibited.
Conclusion: If you have to go hand to hand, consider this an option.
viii. Martial Arts Weapons
This section is painful for me to write, because as much as I've always been a fan of martial arts weapons, most of them are completely useless against a zombie. Nunchaku: useless, Throwing Stars: useless, Tri-staffs: useless, Katana/wakazashi/tanto/etc: useless, ball bearings: useless. There are a few you may be able to put to use however.
A wooden tonfa (must be wooden or metal, police batons are essentially glorified plastic) adds about 6 inches to a punch, can be swung around to catch a zombie in the temple, and you can hold the back side and use it as a makeshift hammer to pound your way into a zombies skull. It provides a bit of defense on the side as it lies against your arms, and if you catch a zombie in the teeth with a tonfa backed up by a forearm, you're going to be making it a lot harder for him to bite. Still not a lot more useful than a club however.
A staff can be used as a thrusting weapon (in the fashion of a spear), a club type weapon which you can snap from one side, then immediately from the other, and if they get close you can hit them in the face with the middle part to push them away. If they grab it, you're probably going to lose it. Fortunately, they're easy enough to find in the form of pool cue's, barstool legs, broom handles, and closet hanger poles.
Sai can be tremendously useful as they have a lot of weight and can puncture a skull pretty easily. They can be tricky to pull out, but even if you miss with the main blade, the side blade can still inflict some damage. These also provide a bit of defense as they can catch wayward limbs. A set of Sai will allow you to kill a group of 2-3 zombies pretty quickly if you use them properly. If you have to go with a martial arts weapon, you'll probably want this one, but these are in a way much like an unsharpened knife. If you sharpen the points properly however, these can be almost as effective as a trench knife.
There are a number of chain weapons with blades and weights on the end that you swing around. If you aren't already an expert with one of these, you won't be able to use it properly. If used properly, the cutting end won't do much damage. The weighted end can hit a zombie pretty hard in the head, but if you miss, you may be losing your chain. Also if used wrong and it wraps around the zombie you won't be able to pull it back.
Pros: You can probably find a place to train you to use it properly.
Cons: Most of them are illegal to purchase or carry, depending on where you are, and they suffer from the same flaws as knives and clubs. Weapons of this nature rely on the ability to hurt and break the bones of your opponent, or to dazzle them with flashy moves, none of which are going to be effective on a zombie. If Bruce Lee and his famous nunchaku were pitted against a zombie, it would be a tough battle, and chances are you aren't Bruce Lee.
Conclusion: Grab something a little easier to use.
ix. Scythes
There's been a bit of discussion about this particular weapon. If sharpened and held right, it works like a sword on the end of a stick. Gives the user a lot of leverage, and a lot of weight near the end of a blade. You can cut a zombie in half if you use one of these properly. Range allows the user some safety. You can treat it like an axe though; if you get it stuck, you're out of luck. If you make the mistake of stabbing with the end of a scythe, it's going to be hard to pull out (though good for swinging the zombie about). Plus, it's far less useful for utility. A properly made sword is probably a better weapon. Regardless, a properly made longsword and a scythe are both clumsy, impractical, hard to run with, and if any crawling or navigating tight areas is involved, you're going to have a hard time with it. Last thing you want to do is run through a doorway and have the scythe clothesline you.
Pros: Immense cutting power, capacity to slice a zombie into large chunks. As deadly as a chainsaw (maybe more deadly), while silent and generally not too hard to find.
Cons: If you miss, you're dead. If it breaks, you're dead. It has almost zero usefulness in terms of utility, and it can be heavy and cumbersome.
Conclusions: If you happen to be out in the field harvesting wheat and you spot a zombie, it may be more useful than a pitchfork. Gives you a wide range of swing with deadly results. I wouldn't go out of my way to get my hands on one though. There's a million better choices that are far less exotic.
x. Hammer
Hammers may be treated similarly to axes with a few exceptions. The crowbar like claw on the end of a hammer is small and sharp, so can pierce easily, and the hammering end is enough to push a nail through a wooden board, so with a proper whack, can push a skull fragment into the brain. The hammer can also be a very useful tool, serving to nail things together or pry things apart. Generally they're highly available and most people have one or more of these at their house already. Think about it, I bet you could find your hammer in about two minutes right now. Still, requires you to get really close to a zombie, though unlike a sword or a chainsaw, they remain useful in a grappling situation (choke up and whack at the zombie with the claw end while holding their head back with a forearm in the neck).
Pros: Hard hitting, cheap, useful, immensely available in almost any household, can be used either by the handle as a hitting weapon, or by the head as a stabbing weapon.
Cons: Limited reach, limited usefulness at close range.
back of the head Conclusion: If you were to look out the window right now and see a zombie, and you haven't already started building an anti-zombie arsenal, this is likely the most useful weapon you have in your garage/closet.
xi. Crowbar
If you don't already have one of these, go right now and get one. They're generally cheap and immensely effective. Hitting with the back end of one produces results similar to that of a club, the hooked end can be used in the fashion of a hatchet to swing down into a zombies skull, and once in, you now have something at the end of a lever to scramble some brains. The Straight end can be used to rush a zombie and drive straight through an eye socket and into the brain. They're relatively easy to pull back out, lightweight, can hang from a belt, and most of all are useful tools. You can use it to pry open or smash in a door or a window, and can even work as a makeshift hammer in a pinch. If you score a skull hit that doesn't kill a zombie, you can use your weight to throw him around by the end you're holding. In the event of a head hit though, if the zombie stumbles back or you lose your grip, you're out a crowbar. Maybe the best weapon household weapon for a one on one encounter with a zombie. There are few more effective weapons, and the few that are better are not as readily available or as cheap as the crowbar. If you don't have any anti-zombie weapons in your collection right now that rate a B+ or better, this is probably your best first weapon.
Pros: All the best things about clubs, hatchets, hammers, and spears, with a lot fewer of the bad. All metal assembly makes them immensely durable.
Cons: Not a lot of weight behind the swing, so you'll have to swing pretty hard. Also, after killing the first, if you use the claw end, sometimes it can be tricky to get it back out. Be sure they're dead when you put your hands right next to their face to pull the claw out. Remember, it only takes one bite.
xii. Trench Knife
If you get the right one, this is one of the most deadly zombie killing weapons available. If you get the wrong one, it's going to be little more useful than a standard knife, and will suffer the same draw backs. Any flat blade knife is going to be hard to pull out, and hard to stab in. A properly constructed trench knife is going to be almost as thick as it is wide, and about 7 inches long. These were designed to puncture metal helmets and kill soldiers in WW1, so will likely be tremendously useful in puncturing a zombies skull. The brass knuckle style handle also adds a lot of power to your punch. If you can find one (the antique ones may have worn down in strength over the last 90 years, and they don't make many of them any more), these are probably the only weapons more useful than a crowbar other than the space mace.
Pros: Quick kill, quick retrieval, fingers protected for a punch, adds weight to the hand, light weight, compact, easily concealed in a simple sheath, thicker skinnier blade does more brain damage, and can enter easier than a wider flatter blade.
Cons: Good luck finding one.
xiii. Space Mace
Easily the best weapon for hand to hand combat. Designed by Tom Anderson, this weapon is a zombie killing machine. The weight is more than enough to get a hell of a swing out of it, the spikes can puncture a skull like a hot sewing needle through butter, the axe end will split a skull as well as being a useful tool. The ball part (in the event you manage to miss with the spikes) is enough to crack a skull. The design by Tom Anderson, which is becoming increasingly available is made of 440 stainless steel, with an interchangeable blade and interchangeable spikes. The tool for removing and changing the blade and spikes is actually hidden in the handle. This allows you to replace a dull blade or broken spike with relative ease. It's sharp on every side. In a grapple, you can use your hand on the ball part and use the blade to push back with, cutting a throat, or simply holding the axe head and shoving a spike into a zombies eye socket. Combines the usefulness of a hand axe, a mace, a spear, and a trench spike, plus in a pinch can be used as a hammer.
Pros: Dangerous on every side, heavy crushing power, useful at range or close up, lots of utility purpose.
Cons: If you have to travel a long distance with it, you can't easily hang it on your belt unless you take the spikes off and sheath the blade. If you for some reason suddenly need to abandon your stronghold and know you're going to be traveling a long distance, without a hand made sheath, it's going to be a little bit of a hassle to travel with. Well worth it if you can manage. If you have to flee and you're going to be wandering/camping for a few days, you may find it easier to take a trench knife or crowbar with you (crowbar being the easiest to carry in a method where it's readily available, trench spike being the most deadly), but if you're willing to deal with carrying it around, there is no better weapon for an encounter with a single or even multiple zombies.
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B. Projectiles.
If you're not an experienced hunter, don't even waste your time with projectiles. Even if you are, I would put serious consideration into finding something a little more reliable. Projectile weapons are useful in a handful of scenarios: hunting game and fighting a war. If you have a group of 20 people, 15 of them with hand to hand weapons and 5 of them with projectile weapons, and a pack of zombies are nice enough to cluster together, you may find some use with being able to drop 2-3 of them before they get close. Chances are however that these 5 rangers would be better off equipped with spears or something of that nature.
i. Slingshot
You aren't going to be able to hid a zombie in the head with a slingshot and puncture his brain. The power to kill someone with a head shot isn't there, the accuracy is probably not there, and if you don't score a kill shot, now you have to drop the slingshot and grab for the knife. Slingshots have no utility purposes, and you're not going to kill anything bigger than a squirrel with one (if you can kill a squirrel at all with one).Pros: None
Cons: Too many to list. Don't even consider it.
Conclusion: Dennis the Menace has to date never killed Mr. Wilson with his slingshot.
ii. Compound Bow
This may posess the power to kill a zombie with a head shot. If you can hit a pumpkin being hurtled through the air at 20 yards 100% of the time with a compound bow, this may be a useful weapon for you. Getting another arrow ready can be time consuming, and carrying a quiver will interfere with a backpack. The plus side is that they're dead silent, and if you know what you're doing you may be able to kill 2-3 zombies before they can even figure out where the arrows are coming from. Use it to deal with a small group of zombies who don't know where you are, but remember, only a shot through the brain counts, and a brain is about the size of two fists. A neck shot or a shot through the mouth doesn't count, and a head shot isn't a guaranteed kill. Chances are good a zombie will be running at you with an arrow sticking out of its head, and as it eats you, you'll mutter to yourself what a great shot that was. See the ammunition section for types of arrows.
Pros: Silent, capable of piercing a skull with the right type of arrows, murderously accurate in the right hands.
Cons: Hard to aim, a head shot doesn't guarantee a kill, quivers are clumsy, limited ammunition (try carrying 60 rounds of arrows. much easier to do with a gun clip than a quiver).
Conclusion: Handy to have in your fortress if guns and silencers aren't available. A very quiet killer. Don't take one unless you have a short range weapon to back you up and are traveling with a group of at least four or five people who aren't relying on your arrow shooting abilities.
iii. Long Bow
Very similar to a compound bow with a few differences: Nearly impossible for a novice to aim properly, and provides less power at full swing. On the upside they're a more simple construction, and if a string breaks at an inopportune time, you can restring them fairly quickly. Plus, if you get the right one, you can cut the string and use it as a makeshift staff weapon, saving the trouble of carrying multiple weapons. See the ammunition section for types of arrows.
| Pros: Faster to restring and simpler mechanism than a compound bow. | Cons: You have to pull harder for less power, making it harder to aim. |
Conclusion: If you're experienced, they make a light weight and relatively hassle free addition to your arsenal, but don't make it your primary weapon.
iv. Cross Bow
Basically a rifle with a built in silencer, enormous ammunition, less power, and slower reload time. The crossbow delivers bolts at a very high velocity, and they're pretty easy to aim. A staple of zombie and vampire hunters in movies. The upside is that a head shot is going to do a huge amount of damage. I've yet to see a crossbow that can successfully deliver a flaming arrow (which is the main purpose in choosing an arrow weapon). Much heavier than a conventional bow, but the possession of sights (be it conventional or telescopic sights) offset this flaw. You probably won't be carrying this PLUS a rifle. Only use if you're traveling with a group, and only as an opening shot on an unsuspecting zombie. A silenced rifle can be difficult to come by, but all crossbows may be considered "silenced".Pros: Massive power, sights make it easy to aim, silenced (compared to a rifle).
Cons: Heavy, bolts are still bigger than bullets, lacks the firepower of a rifle, slow reload time.
Conclusion: Use only to surprise a very small group of zombies, but have the handgun and the crowbar at the ready for when they start rushing you.
v. Throwing Stars/Throwing Knives/Tomahawks
Despite their depiction in movies, a throwing star has never been a killing weapon. It's a weapon where you stop down the alleyway, wait for your opponent to round a corner, let one fly, and continue running away. Finding a well made one in the USA is very difficult (that cute little star you got in china town with the picture of a dragon on it isn't going to kill anything). If you have a set of about 30 professional throwing stars you want to let fly into a group of zombies, even with 4-5 head shots, you probably won't kill one. Same goes for throwing knives. They generally aren't heavy enough, and sticking one in the lung or neck doesn't count against a zombie. Throwing knives to date have never to my knowledge been used successfully in any sort of fight other than to scare someone, or cause someone to bleed. You're not going to be able to stick someone in the face with a throwing knife and kill them like they do in the movies.
A tomahawk can be a dangerous weapon, as they're much heavier than any other throwing weapon, but sticking one in the head of a moving target is going to take years of practice. Other than the ninja star, any thrown weapon is going to take a fixed number of rotations, and the finesse required to adjust that and take into consideration the movement of a target getting closer or running across your field of vision is one that you won't be able to just LEARN because you feel like using a thrown weapon. If you're already an EXPERT, there's probably nothing I can say to stop you anyway, just consider your ability to puncture through a skull into a moving brain before you take other peoples lives into your hands.
Pros: They're quiet, light weight, and can be used in the mean time for utility purposes.
Cons: A dove is also quiet, and throwing a dove at the zombies is going to be just about as dangerous as throwing a knife or ninja star at one. Don't throw your tools away. If you get really good at throwing a tomahawk, hitting a zombie in the back of the head can be a quick kill without betraying your position, but it may be a while before you can get your tomahawk back.
vi. Rocks/Ball Bearings
No, I'm just kidding. A rock? Who would use a rock to fight a zombie? Ever seen a professional pitcher hit someone with a baseball? Chances are good you aren't a professional pitcher, and even a professional pitcher isn't going to be able to hit a running target in the head every time. The ball bearing (the industrial, golf ball sized one) was used as a weapon in China by rebels some fifty years ago (if anyone knows this story, please tell me; I don't remember the details). They were readily available, easy to conceal, and legal to possess and easy to get after all their farm tools were taken away. They add a lot of weight to a punch, plus double as a projectile. Unfortunately, a zombie isn't going to chew you up any more slowly with a broken jaw and a missing tooth. If you manage did manage to drop a really really big rock on a zombies head, you can cause it a pretty severe head wound. Plus a hand sized rock doubles as a quick bludgeoning weapon. But seriously, a rock? If that's the best weapon you can come up with, you're probably better off using it to knock yourself unconscious so you don't have to worry about being awake while you're being eaten. If you're Andre the Giant or that guy from Brave heart, and you can hurtle a boulder, you can mess a zombie up pretty good with that. Assuming you can't accurately throw a 30 pound boulder 20 yards and hit something accurately, leave the rocks on the ground.Pros: You can hold it in your hand, and they're everywhere.
Cons: A zombie is going to kill you shortly after you bank one off it's head. Doing this won't even piss the zombie off like you probably hope it will. It will simply get it's attention. At least you'll be able to get a good laugh before you die.
Conclusion: Don't throw rocks.
vii. Sling
The first (and I think last) recorded case of it's successful use in a fight was David vs Goliath. If you know how to use a sling, you can deliver a rock or ball bearing with way more power than you can with a slingshot or thrown with your bare hands. Also, takes a minute to prepare and launch. These are a LOT harder to aim than you think, and hitting a critter in the head hard enough to kill it in one shot is going to be tricky.
Pros: You can make a sling out of a pair of pants or a bed sheet.
Cons: Now they're going to find you covered in bite marks and cold because you have no bedsheets.
Conclusions: Use only if you have access to no other projectile weapon. This is far less useful than a bow.
viii. Harpoon
This could be useful to build your peoples morale in certain situations. If you have the time and want to bolt one to the back of your War Wagon, it can provide many fun hours of dragging zombies behind your truck. You probably aren't going to be killing a zombie with a harpoon, it merely serves to get a hold of one from a distance. Don't consider this as a weapon, just a toy if you're bored. You'd be better off affixing a machine gun to your vehicle and putting a gunner up on the tower than having Captain Ahab on the roof spearfishing zombies.Pros: after an extended war with zombies, it can be fun to drag one behind your vehicle for a few miles.
Cons: It stops being fun when the zombie you're dragging gets wrapped around a tree and rips the bumper off your truck.
ix. Blowguns/Poison
Poison doesn't work on zombies.
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C. Guns
Your gun is going to be the staple of your arsenal, so selecting the weapon thats right for you is going to be crucial. Don't start thinking that a gun is a substitute for a hand to hand weapon, because there are a number of things that can go wrong with a gun that are not present in a handy steel weapon. Guns can jam, run out of ammo, you may drop your clip, reloading can be difficult when your hands start shaking, etc. Granted, in a struggle with a zombie, placing a gun to it's head and squeezing the trigger requires the least amount of effort and provides some of the worst damage as compared to any close combat weapon. Still, the risk of accidentally shooting one of your group in a melee is a very present risk. Please note: If you're in one of the many countries that has banned all firearms, I would strongly advise against attempting to purchase one.
The number and variety of guns are way too extensive to go into much detail here, so I'm going to provide you with a few pointers to selecting a proper weapon and briefly detail you in when it's appropriate to use the different types of guns.
-How strong is the impact? A good way to ask this without saying "can I blow a humans brains out with this bullet?" would be to ask if it's enough to puncture a hog's skull and drop it during butchering time. Just because a bullet can go through skin and collapse a lung doesn't mean it will go into a brain and cause damage.
-What time of ammunition can you use with it? Check into the ammo section below for suggestions on ammunition.
-What is the effective range?
-How hard is it to take apart and clean?
i. Handguns
Great close range weapons. Handguns are the staple of the American family and in many places are not terribly difficult to find. Most of them provide enough punch to kill a zombie (though a lot of the lower caliber ones do lack the power to puncture a skull, so be sure to look into that before selecting one).ii. Rifles
To date one of the most dangerous weapons ever created. These come in an enormous variety, provide incredible accuracy to a skilled shooter, and can be rapidly reloaded for multiple targets.
iii. Shotguns
Good weapons, handy, easy to get a hold of, and not nearly as useful as a rifle. A shotgun is the staple of any zombie or demon hunter in the movies. They lack the range and accuracy of a rifle, however. There are some good uses for them which I will explore more thoroughly in the ammo section.iv. Machine Guns
Anything that sprays bullets in a wild fire runs a high risk of jamming, consumes ammo like a starving hippo, and is going to be impossible to aim. The purpose of these weapons is mostly to generate a lot of noise (sort of like the chainsaw of guns). If you can lightly tap the trigger and limit your bullet output to 3 bullets or less, these can potentially be aimed, but you need to resist the urge to just squeeze down the trigger.
v. Assault Rifles
Same rough rules apply for all the other guns. Be sure you pick something out that you can fire accurately. A hail of bullets is no substitute for an accurately placed shot. If used properly, these are capable of killing a TON of zombies. Get good at counting your rounds so you don't have to check your clip repeatedly and don't end up pulling the trigger in a pinch situation with no bullets in the gun. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
D. Ammo
After selecting the appropriate weapon, you need to consider the ammunition you will be firing from it. This can be as crucial a decision as the actual weapon you select, so be sure to consider your options.
i. Projectile Weaponry
a. arrows
An interesting thing about arrows as opposed to bullets: They weight a lot more. There's a lot of weight behind a foot of arrow shaft. With a properly designed tip, a head wound will put this straight into the brain of a zombie. You need deadly accuracy however, as penetrating a skull with an arrow requires a sharp tip and a direct hit. A hit to the jaw or neck will be mostly useless.
b. flaming arrows
Good compensation for a lack of accuracy. Necrotic flesh of the zombie will dry out over time, providing an opportunity to set one aflame with an arrow. Zombies generally will not know to pull the arrow out, resulting in extended exposure to fire, and a possibility they will ignite other nearby zombies. Be careful though, because fighting hand to hand with a flaming zombie can be difficult, as you increase your chance of being burned. Also, consider your terrain. Don't use if there's a risk of a flaming zombie setting your compound on fire, or starting a forest fire nearby. See our archery section for a guide to making and firing flaming arrows.
ii. Handgun Ammo
a. FMJ (Full Metal Jacket)
A strong metal jacket encases this lead cored bullet. These are non expanding and deep-penetrating bullets. Designed primarily for piercing armor. Basically, they'll go through anything and out the back. Good for making small holes in zombies.
b. JHP (Jacketed Hollow Point)
Has an exposed lead tip that expands as you work your way farther into the bullet. Designed for maximum energy transfer into the target. Rather than going in and out the other side in the same small hole, these will either stop inside the target or make an exit wound much larger than its entrance wound.
c. SJHP (Semi Jacketed Hollow Point)
Lots of exposed lead at the tip, causing it to expand more than a regular jacketed hollow point. This will remove a LOT of brain matter with a head wound.
d. FMC (Full Metal Case ,Truncated Cone)
A light copper jacket encases the lead core of this bullet, giving it more penetration than a JHP, but more expansion than a FMJ. This is also an excellent choice if your guns power is low, and you're finding difficulty getting a JHP bullet to penetrate the skull.
e. SP (Soft Point)
Large amounts of exposed lead at the tip with a copper jacket, provides deeper penetration than hollow points, but expands more than a full metal case.
iii. Rifle Ammo
a. FMJ (Full Metal Jacket)
Designed for target shooting and armor penetration. Small hole in, small hole out. End result: Head shot may not prove fatal. Ignore this type of ammo.
b. FMJBT (Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail)
Boat Tail reduces drag to provide greater range and higher velocity at the point of impact. Still makes a small hole in and a small hole out. Use it for sniping at zombies a long distance away. OK support type ammo for a sniper.
c. HPBT (Hollow Point Boat Tail)
High range, high accuracy, hollow point increases energy dispersal. Great long range support ammunition.
d. SP (Soft Point)
Exposed flat lead tip results in bullet expanding to up to twice its size as it penetrates. This is an awesome bullet for opening up large wounds in zombie heads.
iv. Shotgun Ammo
a. Buckshot
Provides great stopping power at short distances. The shot scatters quickly, making a lot of small holes. Selection of shot size is important, as various sizes will result in a different penetration power and scatter (not to mention quantity of the shots). #00 is most common among law enforcement. The pellets are larger and there are fewer of them. #1 shot provides more stopping power, less penetration (meaning a lower chance of shot passing through and out the other side, which may damage whatever is behind what you're shooting at, either part of your house or one of your team). Be careful using #00 shot, as you're putting whatever or whoever is on the other side of the zombie at risk. It's a toss up as to whether you want greater penetration or more controlled penetration, so the decision should be based on what context you're fighting in. Zombies require a controlled head shot and nothing take a zombies head off quicker than #00 shot, but if there are going to be several people with you and you want the ability to stop or slow a zombie that is between you and a team mate, you'll want #1 shot or you may end up killing the zombie and your partner. Anything smaller than #1 is going to be relatively useless other than to momentarily slow a zombie down. Effective range on buckshot is 25 yards and less.
b. Slug
Provides higher range than buckshot with greater power than a rifle. Shot has a much higher caliber (.70). Not all types of slug will work in all types of shotgun (smooth bored barrels require a rifled slug, just for example). You should familiarize yourself with your gun and your ammo before you start loading up and shooting.
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E. Fire/Explosives
Fire has long been considered mans greatest asset; critical to warding off predators and cooking meat. Take great care in employing fire as a weapon however, because countless individuals have found that fire can quickly turn on you and become an enemy instead of an ally. Fire can and will destroy everything in its path, so be sure to use with caution. Explosives, in this respect, may be regarded as a type of fire. Be careful with them, as accidental detonation can cause injury or death. All fire and explosives are strongly discouraged.
i. Flame Thrower
These are often flaunted in video games and popular fiction. They spray unholy death on anything that comes in their path, mercilessly reducing a crowd to a pile of cinders. Sound too good to be true? It is. Illegal, decommissioned, hard to find, limited fuel supply (the fuel will also be hard to find), and weighs as much as a television. If you're standing in an open field, the last human left alive, facing a hoard of thousands of zombies, this may be the only weapon that will save you. In any other circumstances, however, you're going to have a hell of a time putting this to good use (assuming you managed to get your hands on one).ii. Bazookas/Rocket Launchers
"Sweet Jesus, look at the zombie bits fly! Now quick, everyone back in the... where the hell did our compound go?" Common sense should tell you that this weapon stands too high a chance of destroying something or someone that shouldn't be destroyed. Furthermore, your chance of actually killing a zombie is going to be somewhat low. These are designed for anti-building anti-vehicle use. Even when shot into a mob of zombies, chances are good the rocket will fly right through the crowd and keep going until it finds itself a target a few hundred yards down the line. Unless zombies start driving tanks around, or unless you're planning on trying to blow up a fuel canister or power plant packed with zombies, don't waste your energy tracking one down
iii. Grenades
Seems like these would be tremendously useful. During times of warfare, one of these is capable of flushing out a foxhole, or killing a handful of unfortunates who are nearby. In reality these are far less useful. Grenades are shrapnel weapons, which send bits of metal flying in every direction, which penetrate flesh and shatter bone. A zombie will not fear shattered bone or penetrated organs, and your chance of a head shot is slim. You may find a use for your grenades, but killing zombies isn't one of them.iv. Molotov Cocktails
The icon of the oppressed commoner. Readily constructed from household ingredients, basically all you need is a bottle full of something flammable, and a towel stuffed in the mouth (also flammable). Be sure to plug the mouth completely with the rag so it doesn't fall out when thrown. This will not burn unless the glass shatters, so be sure to throw hard and don't use thick glass (a Snapple bottle will not shatter easily, a 40 ounce bottle of malted liquor will hold a ton of fluid and shatter easily). Common household flammable ingredients include gasoline, isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, Bacardi 151 will burn like crazy (as will most 100+ proof hard alcohols). Some types of nail polish remover burn, there's lighter fluid, some types of hairspray... Use your imagination. It's not hard to find stuff that burns, just be careful. One point to note: it's always good to wipe off the sides of the bottle before you ignite. If the fluid spills out while you light it, you may have a serious problem (as well as third degree burns) on your hands. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
F. Booby Traps
For defending the compound, it never hurts to set a few traps to stand guard for you while you sleep. Numerous booby traps can be constructed. Here we will only be discussing a few that you may find particularly useful.
i. Foot Snare
A clamp trap or a foot snare is a good way to get a hold of a zombie and keep it in place. The Freemont Bear Foot Snare has been used to catch and release over 200 bears in the last 5 years. Obviously if it can hold a large angry bear, it can hold a zombie. A clamp trap snaps shut like a mouse trap and holds the zombie tight. Be careful with both of these though, because a determined zombie will rip its own foot off struggling to get free, and will not be deterred by the pain these traps inflict.
ii. Net
If you can rig a net up to fall from a tree or pick a zombie up into a tree when he crosses it, this is a sure way to hold it tightly and keep it restrained. Can be reused multiple times (as with a foot snare). Lower likelihood of a zombie struggling his way out or breaking off a foot to get free. We will be including a section later detailing how to rig a net trap.
iii. Tiger Pit
The easiest and most crudely effective trap. Dig a deep hole, cover it in thin branches and leaves. When a zombie stumbles onto this spot, down he goes. A zombie will fall in a clumsy fashion and will likely break a leg or ankle even falling a short distance, plus, zombies are going to be unable to climb and will likely break its fingers or bury itself trying to claw its way out. Digging an adequate tiger pit will be time consuming, and should not be tackled as a solo project. If you're going to be holed up for a while, it never hurts to stick one of these by your front door.
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G. Reinforcements
For serious defense of your compound, you need to employ more adequate measures of protection than simply a tiger pit. Anyone with a shovel can construct a tiger pit rather quickly. A number of booby traps can be constructed with a little intuition. The following may be harder to make or come across, but are crucial for serious defense of a compound.
i. Tripwires
A thin wire, barely visible, that when stumbled into causes something to happen. This something can be anything you like, from pulling a heavy object down on a zombie (you could try using it to pull a door open holding heavy logs or boulders), to simply causing an approaching zombie to fall flat on its face. The most simple and probably useful utilization of this technique is to attach one end to a bell (if you don't have a bell, rocks in a glass bottle or tin can will work in a pinch) to act as an alarm system to notify you of an approaching stranger. They take minimal time to set up and can be established with any kind of rope or wire. Be sure to set up an alarm tripwire as soon as you establish a base to make sure you don't get caught by surprise.
ii. Land Mines
Bury and forget, land mines have long been employed by the military to slow and destroy approaching forces. A minefield is enough to stop an army including tanks dead in its tracks with minimal exposure. There is an added advantage to dealing with zombies in that they won't read warning signs, and won't avoid big red flags marking the land mines locations. Be sure to mark your land mines so you don't step on them in accidents. A red spray painted X on the ground, or a flag will suffice, but be aware that in a heavy rain, your markers may be lost, so have a chart that details the quantity of land mines buried and their exact locations on a grid, or you may find yourself stumbling into your own mines.
iii. Electric Fences
A simple electric wire used to herd in cattle or keep a horse from chewing on a wooden fence is not going to even slow a zombie down. This will be roughly as effective as a waist high wire in slowing down a zombie (which, by the way, can be a lot more effective than you'd imagine simply for slowing them down, as they're not good at ducking or climbing). A high grade electric fence (think Jurassic Park) will be enough to fry any zombie that tries to force its way through and stays in contact with the fence for too long. Don't rely on being able to get enough electricity from your power plant though, as power will likely be going out, and using a secondary generator is going to consume fuel as well as create noise to draw zombies to you. These probably aren't worth the time it would take to set them up.
iv. Moats
What better way to protect your castle than a moat? If you are short on alligators, crocodiles, sharks, and thousands of gallons of water, simply dig a world war 1 style trench around your residence. This should be around 6-8 feet deep if possible, and about 4 feet wide. A zombie who stumbles into a properly made ditch will be unable to crawl out. If nothing else, this will keep it held for a while until you can come execute it. If time and manpower permits, this can be an invaluable asset. In areas with high rainfall, be aware that the moat may end up caving in, causing a sloped bank next to the moat that the zombies can simply walk out of. The walls have to be sheer. This is basically an advanced version of the tiger pit.
v. Barbed Wire/Razor Wire
As a zombie can't climb, don't bother lining your fences with these. The primary use for razor and barbed wire will be to tangle the zombie up. Blood loss will not be an issue however, and unless there are a number of hooks on the barbed wire (if you tie thousands of fishhooks to your barbed wire, maybe it would work), a zombie will eventually struggle its way past the barbed wire and on to your compound. Great to slow them down, but don't expect it to stop them.
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5. Retreat
A. Equipment
B. Vehicles pro's cons
i. typical vehicles
ii. atypical vehicles
C. Terrains
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6. Defend
A. At Home
i. converting a house into a keep
a. rush job
b. thorough job
ii. necessary supplies
iii. warding off an attack
a. killing attackers
b. keeping more from coming
B. Public Buildings
i. different buildings
ii. dealing with crowds
C. At the Fortress
i. different buildings
ii. dealing with crowds
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7. Attack
So you've been bunkered in for a few weeks now. Most of the major cities have fallen. You're in a secure location in a remote area, your garden is flourishing, and any more you're only seeing a zombie every few days. You've heard word that the military has figured out how to sweep zombies out, and they're going through exterminating them by the hundreds of thousands. Casualties are high. Of course they're starting with big cities and working their way out. It may be a while before they get to you. They're calling for all citizens to take up arms and begin reclaiming their home towns, as it may be months before they can get through even the major cities. Your group has decided that you're going to launch an offensive against the zombies that are still in a nearby major town about an hour away. There can't be more than a few hundred there. So how are you going to travel to a major city, launch an offensive, and return home safely? This can be accomplished, but there are a few points you're going to have to consider; how to get there, how to fight without suffering a single casualty, and how to return home in one piece.
A. The War Wagon
The first and foremost thing you will need to construct is going to be your war wagon. You need something on wheels that is basically zombie proof and allows you to fight back as they close in on you. A tank would be nice, but you don't have a tank, and besides that, a tank doesn't afford you much in the way of space (tanks are very cramped inside), and it's hard to fire at zombies behind and to the sides by the tank. Besides that, even if you had a tank, you're not sure you know how to steer one. What you need to build is a civilian war wagon. There are several templates available to an average individual for fighting, and for general transportation.
i. The 18 Wheeler
If your goal is to get to the center of the city and have 30 armed people pour out the back of a truck, the 18 wheeler will allow this to happen. Hard to navigate around corners, and not meant for city travel, you may have some trouble getting this around, but it will bring you in a main road to the center of town, and back again. Designed for long hauls, these things will allow you to carry a TON of provisions and ammo, and will take you long distances. Not a bad choice for hauling across the country, but not the best for navigating around town.
ii. The Swat Bus
If you have a swat bus, you're basically already set. Fast, mobile, massive space to hold dozens of armed individuals, and durable. The swat bus gets poor gas mileage, but is not meant for long hauls. You could probably rig up a system to refuel the bus without having to get off, and it'll be hard for a hoard of zombies to tip you over. If they mob up on your bus, there's a chance they may be able to tip you over, but the chance is remote at best. Most buses will require you to barricade the door, as it is low to the ground and mostly glass. Solder a piece of sheet metal over the door, and now your group of 10 people can each pick windows on the sides and in the front (say 1 in front, 1 in back, 4 on each side), and fire out the windows at the zombies. If anything your problem is going to lie in power, ability to navigate off road, and through road blocks. Gas may be short, so load some extra gas and provisions in case the bus breaks down and you end up having to walk.
iii. The Armored Car
Very durable, bulletproof, and easy to navigate in cities. These get comparatively good mileage, and if they break down, the people in the back can stay safe as long as provisions hold out. Even if the zombies manage to tip this thing over, other than possibly a few head wounds, the passengers are still safe inside. The durable body doesn't allow for much in the way of modification, but too many modifications aren't necessary. The problem with one of these is that you can't easily fire while moving. The body is meant to encase and protect, not to allow for mobile fortressing, and it's going to be a while before you can cut slits in the side to aim a gun out of. Good enough for defensive transportation or being on the run, but if you run out of gas, it may be difficult to hop out of the back and fill back up. Not to mention limited cargo capacity.
iv. The Garbage Truck
This monster will provide the ultimate war wagon with a little modification. Built out of heavy, durable, tough steel, lots of wheels, designed for navigation through city and suburban streets, capable of smashing through a road block without taking any damage, HUGE cargo space in the back. To transform this to the ideal war wagon, first be sure you wash it out really good. The lingering stench is going to draw zombies to you (in fact, if you wanted to throw a corpse in the back to draw zombies out, that would be a good way to get some attention. You're going to want to the sides completely shut. The last thing you want is a zombie hopping in. Disable the crush feature so the back doesn't accidentally compact your provisions. The ample space in the back allows for you to carry more than enough fuel, ammo, and supplies for an extended trip. The trash truck is designed for extended trips without refueling, stop and go driving, and maximum carrying capacity.
After you've got it washed out, saudered shut, and sealed up, you're going to want to cut a hole in the roof above the passenger side. This is going to be the hatch you use to get in and out of your truck. This also allows someone to get from the drivers area to on top of the truck. From the top of the truck, you can shoot in all four directions, and you're lifted way up off the ground to provide protection from any zombies that may approach. The low center of gravity of the truck along with it's enormous weight will make it nearly impossible to tip over other than through excessively negligent driving. Basically, drive it anywhere you want (the noise alone will send the zombies running to you), have a passenger hop out on top of the truck, engage in slaughter. When your supplies are exhausted, if you so desire you can even load dozens of corpses into the back and haul them off to a burial site. It would be a good idea to collect corpses as you go anyway, since the goal is to someday make the city habitable again, and millions of disease infested rotting corpses aren't the most sanitary thing in the world.
If you really want to be fancy, set up a system so the person on top can belt themselves down and you can become a mobile tower. Simply sit up top with a rifle and drop zombies one by one as they chase after you while you drive at low speeds. This is the only war wagon that is also effective even if you are by yourself. The zombies inability to climb will keep them off the top, and the sealed doors will keep them out of the drivers cab. Plus the trunk is designed to carry moist, wet, foul contents, so don't worry about piling the bodies in there. Hell, there's even a crush feature so if you're running out of space for more corpses, you can just flip a switch and you're good to pack at least 20 more in there.
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8. Mopping Up
This is perhaps the most important process in zombie elimination: The mopping up phase. Just like cancer cells, with zombies, if even ONE is left alive, the outbreak process will begin all over again as people start moving back into the cities and living closer together. As people begin putting their lives back in order, the threat of a re-introduction of the virus will be very high, as peoples guard will be down, and they'll be living closer together.
During this phase, there will not be a police force initially, so it will be the responsibility of the people to organise and cooperate in order to have their community survive. In this modern day, most people have been raised under the mindset "what can I get out of this community". This mindset will need to abruptly change to "what can I give to this community" if there's any hope of survival.
FULL CREDIT GOES TO OZORT: Order of Zombie Outbreak Resistance Tacticians
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| zompat121 | Wtf? | 0 | Jul 28 2008, 12:55 AM EDT by zompat121 | |
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Thread started: Jul 28 2008, 12:55 AM EDT
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what happened to chapter five and six?
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| EvilRedGrin | A new King? | 8 | Jul 21 2008, 12:31 AM EDT by Andering_J_REDDSON | |
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Thread started: Apr 14 2008, 7:21 PM EDT
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really makes Max Brooks Proud. No?
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| garnica | mixed feelings | 3 | Jun 8 2008, 4:33 AM EDT by CiberZSlayer | |
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Thread started: May 31 2008, 5:37 PM EDT
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if you compare this guide to some info of the same type on this wiki there are some opposing thoughts on things. i know one of the points is to have different views on things but it kind makes you get mixed feelings on which to believe.
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