Why do you need a mosin for zombies?

a_sock wrote: you would have to stop for supplies, food, gas, weapons of some sort.  it also makes noise, which means it will attract them. does anyone think if you cranked your paintball guns fps up as high as it will allow, put marbles in it, would it harm a zombie? what about pencils/pens or nails? I dont have any firearms... Ive got fully functional katana's though... And if we are to get deeper into this discusion we must clear up the origins of the zombies, if they are fast or slow, come back from dead or must be infected, and the situation with animals(Ive got 4 cats Id be dead and in the litter box by morning)

katanas are a horrible idea due to user's proximity to tainted blood.

not bad for a last resort I suppose.

The internet loves zombies and bacon.

yeah... but then again will blood on you turn you? that would suck, imagine massacering hundreds of zombies with your super sword skills and then turning because of all the blood....alternativly I could ducktape a knife to a long stick, get on my roof and just poke zombies in the head when the get close...

if you had no clue of how people got infected, but you were exposed to tainted blood would you tell someone or take your own life as a precaution? what about if you were bitten, scratched, etc.?  I think id try and wait it out, quarentine myself like in a closet with some veggies and a combination lock on the door. that way if I do change I cant get out because zombeis are too stupid/uncowardinated(sp) to use a lock.

a_sock wrote: you would have to stop for supplies, food, gas, weapons of some sort.  it also makes noise, which means it will attract them. does anyone think if you cranked your paintball guns fps up as high as it will allow, put marbles in it, would it harm a zombie? what about pencils/pens or nails? I dont have any firearms... Ive got fully functional katana's though...And if we are to get deeper into this discusion we must clear up the origins of the zombies, if they are fast or slow, come back from dead or must be infected, and the situation with animals(Ive got 4 cats Id be dead and in the litter box by morning)

Zack is animated by means of a retrovirus. This means that the infected must be alive at the time of infection for the virus to take effect. In essence, the retro-virus is similar to rabies in the way it concentrates in the brain, but continues to allow locomotion in the infected even after systemic shutdown of all other organs. In short, the zombie virus infects the brain and allows the brain to continue sending electrical pulses for the most basic of motive functions to the requisite muscles to allow the infected to spread the infection more readily. In a sense, it is taking the AIDS retro-virus a step further in the sense that the infection takes over the whole body for it's process of survival rather than just the immune system.

The myth of the "Fast Zack" is just that, a myth. The retrovirus is only capable of giving the brain low-level functionality which would impede the infected from being able to move at more than a shamble. Furthermore, lack of circulation and oxygen means increased cellular degeneration, weakening the muscles to a point where anything more than the basics of locomotion are impossible. Indeed, eventually the cellular degeneration would reach the point that the zombies would simply rot away if given enough time and the right environmental conditions. It must be remembered, however, that the severed head of a zombie is still active unless the brain has been damaged to the point of termination. The retro-virus controls the brain and through the brain controls all other motor functions. If bitten by the severed head of a Zack, you WILL be infected. Hence edged weapons should be used as a last resort and blunt weapons are a better alternative if hand-to-hand combat becomes necessary.

Furthermore, it must be realized that Zack uses his ominous 'moan' to alert others in the area to the presence of the uninfected. Zombies still retain the use of their hearing and sound is one of the tell-tail signs that prey is nearby. This is why large-scale military operations would be doomed to fail as the massive amount of noise generated by an army on the move would attract all of the zombies within hearing distance. The shear volume of zombies would overwhelm the front and make their way to the rear echelons where the C&C resources would be rendered helpless throwing the whole order of battle into disarray. It should also be noted that traditional military weapons of superiority (artillery, armor, and aircraft) have little affect on Zack as only the destruction of their brain will put them down. Shrapnel will take down a living soldier, but to Zack, it isn't even an annoyance. Furthermore, the idea of fire as a weapon against the zombie hordes is laughable at best. The vast majority of fire burning deaths can be attributed to shock from the pain, asphyxiation from the fire using up the oxygen in the immediate surroundings, and massive infection. None of these will affect Zack. Furthermore, due to cellular degeneration of the dermis, Zack may even be too soggy to set alight. Even if you do succeed in catching a zombie on fire, all you will do is create a walking torch which will pose even more of a threat to you and yours.

Since Zack has to bite you to infect you, wouldn't full body chainmill or knights armor would be best protection in close quarters?  Not made of steel maybe of titanium otherwise when they knock you over your screwed.

MeanMan wrote: 28 days later Zombies... They were freaky.

28 Days Later aren't textbook zombies though. They aren't dead. They are just filled with rage and want to kill. Hence the whole "Rage virus" thing they talk about.

Edited by Linus - 03 January 2009 at 2:32pm

Beil wrote: reloading equipment FTW. once i run out of steel/lead shot for my Mossberg 500, i can start loading nickels, dimes, whatever will fit into the cases. my brother can pick them off with his .308 savage.

Why invest in reloading equipment if you're going to do that? Just buy a blunderbuss and a lot of black powder.

JohnnyHopper wrote: How do you handle Thriller type zombies? You know, the smooth formally black undead child molestors with crazy moves? Zombie gators are no problem. It's the zombie squirrels and their relentless quest for fresh nuts that worry me.

Thats raaaaaaaacist

tallen702 wrote: Zack is animated by means of a retrovirus...

We've come across a problem:

Are we talking about the George Romero dead, slow, resilient zombies; or the 28 days later, alive, evolved-rabies-ish-virus infected? While the latter is thousands of times more likely, there are those who insist on talking about the former. Survival techniques against both are generally unimplementable at the same time in real life.

I've got my own solutions to both.

Against both types of infected, accurate and medium-small rifle calibers are ideal. A slow/dead zombie is already rotting away and is an easy target. Shooting at anything other than heads is near useless, unless you want to wade through a field of fallen zombies and take out their heads one by one after the battle (not at all safe). You're better off taking careful shots, even in close quarters.

Fighting fast/alive infected would also be wasteful with large calibers. With all that adrenaline pumping and all their hyperventilating and high heart rates, single shots can have infected bleeding out in no time. I would suggest larger calibers (around 7.62) for this type of threat, as we know what happens when drugged up people get shot with M-16s (nothing). Also remember, this type is still alive and still has a functioning body. If you're thinking of long term fort defense, single shots anywhere on the body will leave wounds that will quickly become infected.


The differences in survival come in fortifications. Slow/dead zombies are strong and never tire. A good first floor defense is paramount. Fast/alive infected tire, but can climb and jump and run. All of a building's windows and doors need to be fortified, and the walls had better have smooth sides if you want to hang out on the roof.

agentwhale007 wrote: Everglades.

Still water is a haven for bacteria and all those mosquitoes would greatly increase the chance of an infection (zombie or otherwise) of reaching you. It's great if you can find enough cheese cloth and a fresh source food and water, but only against fast/alive infected.

Styro and I were discussing this the other night.

We'd get a small group of friends, main weapon needs would be crowbar (for multi purpose use) automatic rifle, shotgun and a long range rifle.

I personally think being in a rural area would be the best bet, because A) less population to go zombie on you. and B) gun stores with ammo and guns (duh) are easy to find in more rural areas.

Ammo > you.

Unfortunatly im skinny beyond a normal level, so id b screwed in the cold. But i do great in the heat, so id probly try to hide in a tiny island waaaay far away from any other people.