I'm cross posting my responses to a myspace thread regarding what to do when the zombie attack finally comes, in hopes of generating some discussion that just might save some lives. First my original response to the general question:
Well you want to avoid major metropolitan areas of course, and also keep off major roads. Automobiles should only be used in open country, and all passengers should wear seatbelts to make sure they can't bite if they are infected and you don't yet know it. If you can, you want to make for somplace with tundra- zombies do not produce enough heat to keep themselves from freezing stiff, and cannot make use of fire. This helps isolate the spread, and makes the open country relatively safe.
Food, water, fever reducers (like Ibuprofen) and headache meds (like asprin and caffeine) should be high on the list of priorities. Hunger fatigue, dehydration, fever delirium and headache pains all limit your effectiveness in a fight, and prevent good tactical planning. Caffeine is of particular value, since it is also a stimulant and can be used to counteract sleep fatigue, but should not be used as an exclusive means of combating headaches, since withdrawl and overdose both result in more severe headaches.
In terms of weapons- decapitation is hard, particularly if you're using something improvised. More likely you'll want something blunt, since head trauma is almost as effective (and doesn't leave a live head bouncing around), and something that can be used as some other generic tool. Remember most swords these days are ornamental. If you find a sword, make sure it isn't too shiny- stainless steel and chrome plating are dead giveaways that it is not combat-ready. Try to determine if it has a full rivited tang, but if you suspect that it is not either live-steel or full-combat grade, drop it for something else ASAP.
Crowbars are fantastic, but take care to strike with the back end, since getting your weapon lodged in one zombie opens you to attack from annother, and make sure that it is large enough- minicrowbars get you too close to the mouth. Remember that the most dangerous part of a zombie is its teeth, and always aim for the head. Hatchets with the hammer on the back of the head are also effective, provided that the handle is long enough, and useful tools. Ordinary claw hammers are too likely to get hung up and should be avoided. Sledges and mauls should also be avoided as primary weapons, since they are slow to get ready again if you miss or of there is more than one zombie. Swinging too fast with any weapon will leave you tired- take care to use measured, precise swings. Weapons that require fuel/ammunition are to be taken only as secondary, unless it's something like a shotgun with a heavy stock that can be used as a club. Ladies, if you wear heels, they are light and can penetrate a skull, but remember to drop them after one use. Never hold on to a weapon once it has become hung up in a zombie.
Fire should be used with extreme caution, and you should always remember that lighting a zombie on fire does not kill it for several minutes at least. During these several minutes you are stuck fighting a flaming zombie. Fire CAN and possibly should be used to clear metal/cement bunkers with latching doors, eliminate contaminated buildings, and create clearings in forest environments, allowing an effective perimeter to be maintained. The ideal group size is more than three, but fewer than ten.
When it comes time to dispose of bodies, remember: the only way to be sure is to bury it in lava. If anything goes wrong in the burning process, it's ok because the zombie is still encased in stone. Also, zombies have difficulty escaping lava because the weight and viscosity of the molten stone slow them down. If lava is not available, ordinary fire is acceptable, but be certain of a complete burn, and restrain the body before burning. Dormant zombies can be roused by tactile stimulii, such as being on fire (see "flaming zombie", above). If no restraints are available, but you have an axe or maul, cut the zombie at the major joints, starting with the jaw. A zombie with all of its joints cut cannot move.
Large, still bodies of water should be avoided. While at first they appear to be a refuge, remember that zombies do not need to breathe. They can walk on the bottom, which makes them difficult to spot approaching an island, and boats are not safe either, since zombies will begin to float up from the bottom as they decay.
-----------------------
Later in the thread, someone made suggestions about fielding pike formations, using power stations as a base of operations (particularly as a resource for well-maintained tools), and the efficacy of machinegun fire with regard to zombie targets. I won't cross post his stuff since I didn't ask, but here is my response:
I have to disagree with John here. While I agree that the Swiss square pike formation is unrivaled for mobility and protection on the field, zombies on the field are not much of a threat anyway. When it comes time to fight in the truely dangerous zombie environments, like dense forest or urban settings the pike formation is disrupted and loses most of its mobility. I also caution strongly against the use of polearms in particular, and pikes specifically. These weapons limit your ability to face foes from multiple directions (which is a particularly serious issue in a tight military formation of 100- an infection in that scenario, however unlikely, would be catastrophic), and leave you at a severe disadvantage to anything closer than 6 feet or so. At least a halberd has a decent chance of inflicting the fatal head trauma, and can be dislodged from foes closer than striking distance- a pike is simply a death sentence. The only way to inflict a fatal blow to a zombie with a pike is a direct hit in the face (remember the skull is round, and will deflect any hits that are not dead-on) from pike-distance. A pike will not cleave joints, and will become hung up in the zombie, rendering it ineffective against other targets. Hits in places other than the face will do nothing except provide a means for one person to keep a single zombie at bay. Even that is limited if we remember that zombies are not hindered by pain and are often stonger than their original human host- the zombie could simple impale itself further on the pike and close the distance to the pikeman.
I have to say though the power station is a good thought. In addition to tools, nuclear power stations and dams are always well supplied with water. If it is still operational, this provides several further benefits. Power can be used to sanitize water on a large scale, which may help prevent mutation and science zombification (see below). Also if you have gas equipment, the large voltages can be used with the water to produce hydrogen, an abundance of which can help to ensure total cremation of fallen zombies. Also if appropriate equipment is available, you can vaporize large quantities of water and put it under high pressure for a makeshift steam-cutter, which is a wonderful way to quickly cut the joints of any zombie.
Also remember with your machine gun (and large-calibur firearms in general) that while the removal of large volumes of flesh is encouraging for morale, removing the spine and other central joints does not result in a full neutralization. It's helpful, to be sure, but the most important joint to a zombie is the jaw- if this is removed it cannot bite, and will find it nearly impossible to infect others. Aiming high in the chest might not be a good plan because, in combination with other injuries the zomie may have sustained, this may result in decapitation at long range. Zombie heads are still very dangerous, and are difficult to keep track of at distance. Always aim for the head, and attempt to eliminate either the brain or jaw.
The most important peice of intelligence is zombie speed. If you are dealing with slow zombies, then a highly mobile strategy is ideal- continual motion will prevent zombies from surrounding you, which is the most dangerous situation that slow zombies present.
If you are dealing with fast zombies, fortification is a must- stock supplies and such as needed, but get yourself to a secure location and hold the fort. Keep in mind that zombie animals are almost always of the fast type, even if infected by slow type human zombies. With this in mind, if there is any doubt as to the infection status of any animal, isolate or eliminate it immediately. Fast zombies are much more dangerous, and can often turn victims before death.
The next most important thing to determine is how the zombie was raised. Science zombies are often relatively controllable- sometimes only a certain segment of the population can be infected, and sometimes the zombie cannot pass on the infection at all. Rarely a science zombie may not even be violent, but it should be treated with caution nevertheless. There is some debate over the classification of these cases as zombies, but they basically include any brain-dead individual whose body and tissues are kept alive by unnatural and unsustainable means.
Mutation zombies (the Resident Evil zombies fall into this category) are slightly more dangerous. It is fairly certain that anything they bite will become a zombie, and containment is therefore more difficult.
Magic/ritual/curse zombies are the most dangerous of the three. In such an outbreak, every corpse is a potential zombie, even if it was killed before the initial event. Night of the Living Dead zombies fall here. These zombies pose special threats, in that head trauma, and severing limbs from the main body does not always work. Eliminating the jaw is still a good plan, and total severing of every join is effective, but this must be done to completion with every corpse encountered. Even animals killed for food must be completely butchered, and the butcher should restrain the animal before slaughtering. As always, burial in lava is the only way to be sure.
Well you want to avoid major metropolitan areas of course, and also keep off major roads. Automobiles should only be used in open country, and all passengers should wear seatbelts to make sure they can't bite if they are infected and you don't yet know it. If you can, you want to make for somplace with tundra- zombies do not produce enough heat to keep themselves from freezing stiff, and cannot make use of fire. This helps isolate the spread, and makes the open country relatively safe.
Food, water, fever reducers (like Ibuprofen) and headache meds (like asprin and caffeine) should be high on the list of priorities. Hunger fatigue, dehydration, fever delirium and headache pains all limit your effectiveness in a fight, and prevent good tactical planning. Caffeine is of particular value, since it is also a stimulant and can be used to counteract sleep fatigue, but should not be used as an exclusive means of combating headaches, since withdrawl and overdose both result in more severe headaches.
In terms of weapons- decapitation is hard, particularly if you're using something improvised. More likely you'll want something blunt, since head trauma is almost as effective (and doesn't leave a live head bouncing around), and something that can be used as some other generic tool. Remember most swords these days are ornamental. If you find a sword, make sure it isn't too shiny- stainless steel and chrome plating are dead giveaways that it is not combat-ready. Try to determine if it has a full rivited tang, but if you suspect that it is not either live-steel or full-combat grade, drop it for something else ASAP.
Crowbars are fantastic, but take care to strike with the back end, since getting your weapon lodged in one zombie opens you to attack from annother, and make sure that it is large enough- minicrowbars get you too close to the mouth. Remember that the most dangerous part of a zombie is its teeth, and always aim for the head. Hatchets with the hammer on the back of the head are also effective, provided that the handle is long enough, and useful tools. Ordinary claw hammers are too likely to get hung up and should be avoided. Sledges and mauls should also be avoided as primary weapons, since they are slow to get ready again if you miss or of there is more than one zombie. Swinging too fast with any weapon will leave you tired- take care to use measured, precise swings. Weapons that require fuel/ammunition are to be taken only as secondary, unless it's something like a shotgun with a heavy stock that can be used as a club. Ladies, if you wear heels, they are light and can penetrate a skull, but remember to drop them after one use. Never hold on to a weapon once it has become hung up in a zombie.
Fire should be used with extreme caution, and you should always remember that lighting a zombie on fire does not kill it for several minutes at least. During these several minutes you are stuck fighting a flaming zombie. Fire CAN and possibly should be used to clear metal/cement bunkers with latching doors, eliminate contaminated buildings, and create clearings in forest environments, allowing an effective perimeter to be maintained. The ideal group size is more than three, but fewer than ten.
When it comes time to dispose of bodies, remember: the only way to be sure is to bury it in lava. If anything goes wrong in the burning process, it's ok because the zombie is still encased in stone. Also, zombies have difficulty escaping lava because the weight and viscosity of the molten stone slow them down. If lava is not available, ordinary fire is acceptable, but be certain of a complete burn, and restrain the body before burning. Dormant zombies can be roused by tactile stimulii, such as being on fire (see "flaming zombie", above). If no restraints are available, but you have an axe or maul, cut the zombie at the major joints, starting with the jaw. A zombie with all of its joints cut cannot move.
Large, still bodies of water should be avoided. While at first they appear to be a refuge, remember that zombies do not need to breathe. They can walk on the bottom, which makes them difficult to spot approaching an island, and boats are not safe either, since zombies will begin to float up from the bottom as they decay.
-----------------------
Later in the thread, someone made suggestions about fielding pike formations, using power stations as a base of operations (particularly as a resource for well-maintained tools), and the efficacy of machinegun fire with regard to zombie targets. I won't cross post his stuff since I didn't ask, but here is my response:
I have to disagree with John here. While I agree that the Swiss square pike formation is unrivaled for mobility and protection on the field, zombies on the field are not much of a threat anyway. When it comes time to fight in the truely dangerous zombie environments, like dense forest or urban settings the pike formation is disrupted and loses most of its mobility. I also caution strongly against the use of polearms in particular, and pikes specifically. These weapons limit your ability to face foes from multiple directions (which is a particularly serious issue in a tight military formation of 100- an infection in that scenario, however unlikely, would be catastrophic), and leave you at a severe disadvantage to anything closer than 6 feet or so. At least a halberd has a decent chance of inflicting the fatal head trauma, and can be dislodged from foes closer than striking distance- a pike is simply a death sentence. The only way to inflict a fatal blow to a zombie with a pike is a direct hit in the face (remember the skull is round, and will deflect any hits that are not dead-on) from pike-distance. A pike will not cleave joints, and will become hung up in the zombie, rendering it ineffective against other targets. Hits in places other than the face will do nothing except provide a means for one person to keep a single zombie at bay. Even that is limited if we remember that zombies are not hindered by pain and are often stonger than their original human host- the zombie could simple impale itself further on the pike and close the distance to the pikeman.
I have to say though the power station is a good thought. In addition to tools, nuclear power stations and dams are always well supplied with water. If it is still operational, this provides several further benefits. Power can be used to sanitize water on a large scale, which may help prevent mutation and science zombification (see below). Also if you have gas equipment, the large voltages can be used with the water to produce hydrogen, an abundance of which can help to ensure total cremation of fallen zombies. Also if appropriate equipment is available, you can vaporize large quantities of water and put it under high pressure for a makeshift steam-cutter, which is a wonderful way to quickly cut the joints of any zombie.
Also remember with your machine gun (and large-calibur firearms in general) that while the removal of large volumes of flesh is encouraging for morale, removing the spine and other central joints does not result in a full neutralization. It's helpful, to be sure, but the most important joint to a zombie is the jaw- if this is removed it cannot bite, and will find it nearly impossible to infect others. Aiming high in the chest might not be a good plan because, in combination with other injuries the zomie may have sustained, this may result in decapitation at long range. Zombie heads are still very dangerous, and are difficult to keep track of at distance. Always aim for the head, and attempt to eliminate either the brain or jaw.
The most important peice of intelligence is zombie speed. If you are dealing with slow zombies, then a highly mobile strategy is ideal- continual motion will prevent zombies from surrounding you, which is the most dangerous situation that slow zombies present.
If you are dealing with fast zombies, fortification is a must- stock supplies and such as needed, but get yourself to a secure location and hold the fort. Keep in mind that zombie animals are almost always of the fast type, even if infected by slow type human zombies. With this in mind, if there is any doubt as to the infection status of any animal, isolate or eliminate it immediately. Fast zombies are much more dangerous, and can often turn victims before death.
The next most important thing to determine is how the zombie was raised. Science zombies are often relatively controllable- sometimes only a certain segment of the population can be infected, and sometimes the zombie cannot pass on the infection at all. Rarely a science zombie may not even be violent, but it should be treated with caution nevertheless. There is some debate over the classification of these cases as zombies, but they basically include any brain-dead individual whose body and tissues are kept alive by unnatural and unsustainable means.
Mutation zombies (the Resident Evil zombies fall into this category) are slightly more dangerous. It is fairly certain that anything they bite will become a zombie, and containment is therefore more difficult.
Magic/ritual/curse zombies are the most dangerous of the three. In such an outbreak, every corpse is a potential zombie, even if it was killed before the initial event. Night of the Living Dead zombies fall here. These zombies pose special threats, in that head trauma, and severing limbs from the main body does not always work. Eliminating the jaw is still a good plan, and total severing of every join is effective, but this must be done to completion with every corpse encountered. Even animals killed for food must be completely butchered, and the butcher should restrain the animal before slaughtering. As always, burial in lava is the only way to be sure.
In Soviet ISB, NeS writes YOU!
