7 Famous Zombie Killing Weapons That Would Get You Killed

[Mike70]

I think that so far as a sizable group engaged in an operation to say, clear a walled & gated subdivision of the undead tenants (assuming they have the manpower, nerve, necessary equipment etc.) could use a group-centric formation to systematically eliminate a FIXED number of zombies in an otherwise geographically secure area. wyld, you've just hit on something i've been thinking about for years. i live in a subdivision where all the roads end in cul-de-sacs. there are only two roads that lead in or out. i've often thought of what it would take to both seal the neighborhood off from the undesirables from the outside, but also to clear the area of the undead. the area around my subdivision is wooded, some of it quite heavily, and since the whole place is on top of a ridge, the terrain off-road is difficult. there is also a wooded park inside the neighborhood that could be converted to agricultural purposes. the other thing that might make this doable is that my subdivision is rather small, just a few streets - maybe a 75-100 houses at most, possibly less. there is easy access to water from multiple sources, etc. anyway, this is a subject i've thought about for ages.

[Wyldwraith]

Mike70: In varied but relatively isolated terrain such as that you're describing your home subdivision to be, I believe that a concerted effort by even a small group with strong nerves and effective cooperation could collectively eliminate a succession of even 200-300 zombies without firearms, and perhaps twice that with firearms (to break up groups of undead too large to confront manually by eliminating a portion of the herd from a distance). Given the sensory screen of broken terrain and wooded lots, it would be a far different story than say, Anna's neighborhood in Dawn '04 (which was flat as a pancake and utterly uniform). The key, I believe, would be (perhaps counter-intuitively) a slow thoroughly repetitive removal routine that sacrifices greater efficiency or numbers neutralized in exchange for greater safety. This is where I think groups like the rednecks in hunting gear you see at the end of Night go wrong. Sooner or later each little knot of rednecks would chance upon a dense knot of ghouls at uncomfortably (dangerously so) close range due to an oddity in the terrain, and would get numerous people bitten because of their volume-of-fire-related overconfidence. Additionally, the large number of "hunters" spread all over an area would have the zombies scattering every which way due to these 3 over here sighting Hunters 1, 2 through 5, and these 7 zombies over there becoming aware of Hunters 6-10... A removal plan that allows a % chance to Infection to exist is a removal plan that does double duty as a death sentence for significant numbers of people. Far better to utilize a plan thats 10x less efficient and 10x more time-consuming if its also a plan that is 10x less likely to get someone bitten. An effective suburban elimination effort essentially comes down to stupefying levels of patience.

[Ragnarr]

@Mike70: If you are not as well stocked on supplies as your nearest shopping mall (and my gut would think this likely), then I suggest that you'd survive at such a location much longer, with less physical defensive effort AND with greater comfort. Both Dawns had the original strategic concept right in my opinion, but the character's moronic decisions made it turn out badly. A good alternative to a shopping mall would be any one of a number of supermarket warehouses. They are already designed with security in mind (fences, security doors, etc.), and contain a crap load of supplies for you and your group to live on until the end of the outbreak.

[babomb]

A good alternative to a shopping mall would be any one of a number of supermarket warehouses. They are already designed with security in mind (fences, security doors, etc.), and contain a crap load of supplies for you and your group to live on until the end of the outbreak. Wal-Mart distribution centers in small areas. The ones around here are huge, and heavily secured. Or public works buildings and old phone company switch buildings. Not too much on supplies but they're hardened from the public. Big heavy doors and most have no outside handles, no windows or tiny windows at the top, solid cement construction, roof access.

[Ragnarr]

Wal-Mart distribution centers in small areas. The ones around here are huge, and heavily secured. Or public works buildings and old phone company switch buildings. Not too much on supplies but they're hardened from the public. Big heavy doors and most have no outside handles, no windows or tiny windows at the top, solid cement construction, roof access. Sounds like some good alternatives. The most important variable survivors will face is the duration of the zombie outbreak as this will affect the amount of supplies they will need. Securing your neighborhood might be good in the short term, but relying solely on hunting or limited raids for supplies is far more dangerous than simply sitting on a HUGE SUPPLY of goods in a relatively secure location. The other important variable would be of a medical nature. Even the simplest cut could develope into an infection that would require antibiotics, not to mention those in your survivor group who may have an ongoing medical condition requiring perscription medicine (diabetes, heart conditions, etc.). If we're talking long term survival or at least survival as long as possible, I'd much rather be kicking back with my feet up at my local mall or supermarket warehouse cleaning my gun and listening to Mozart than sneaking about the hordes of undead just to (hopefully) find some food, water or perhaps a pack of smokes.

[babomb]

If we're talking long term survival or at least survival as long as possible, I'd much rather be kicking back with my feet up at my local mall or supermarket warehouse cleaning my gun and listening to Mozart than sneaking about the hordes of undead just to (hopefully) find some food, water or perhaps a pack of smokes. That would be the ideal situation. I wouldn't be able to count on that being a possibility though. If you happen to already be in the mall or warehouse with a group of other people you have a good advantage and could possibly defend it well enough to hold it. If you're trying to get into a place like that you'd have to worry about there already being people in there ready to defend it from intruders(in this case you). You'd likely find yourself in a few smaller level safe houses before getting a prize like a mall or supermarket. Those will be coveted locations.

[Ragnarr]

That would be the ideal situation. I wouldn't be able to count on that being a possibility though. If you happen to already be in the mall or warehouse with a group of other people you have a good advantage and could possibly defend it well enough to hold it. If you're trying to get into a place like that you'd have to worry about there already being people in there ready to defend it from intruders(in this case you). You'd likely find yourself in a few smaller level safe houses before getting a prize like a mall or supermarket. Those will be coveted locations. Oh crap, I think you're right babomb about other people heading for the same places. Well hopefully, if they arrived BEFORE I did, they'd see the wisdom of strength in numbers and let my lame buttocks in. If however I'm the first to arrive, I'd let them in I think. Hmm... now you have me thinking to sell my house and buy another one closer to the warehouse... like just across the street closer.