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I have thought about this, and I have some problems about the first few weeks...
First, I sew together three backpacks with metal inside so they don't rip. Get the crude lawn weapons I have, (three Iron 1-foot bars, 15 HUGE knives, bush clippers, battery-powered, huge-teethed chainsaw, and a skate board and a bat) that will fill the first 1.5 backpacks, and take up 34 pounds, 1/3 my carring limit. Then, I'll get my airsoft gun, paint it, just in case I need to bluff. A phone also, to call my hunt-crazed uncle to see if he's still hunt-crazed instead of brain-crazed, go over and get a gun. I'll get with him, and then we'll start a group either in my shcool, or on the road. That's the plan for the first few months.

lord of the ghosts wrote:I have thought about this, and I have some problems about the first few weeks...
First, I sew together three backpacks with metal inside so they don't rip. Get the crude lawn weapons I have, (three Iron 1-foot bars, 15 HUGE knives, bush clippers, battery-powered, huge-teethed chainsaw, and a skate board and a bat) that will fill the first 1.5 backpacks, and take up 34 pounds, 1/3 my carring limit. Then, I'll get my airsoft gun, paint it, just in case I need to bluff. A phone also, to call my hunt-crazed uncle to see if he's still hunt-crazed instead of brain-crazed, go over and get a gun. I'll get with him, and then we'll start a group either in my shcool, or on the road. That's the plan for the first few months.

Ditch the battery powered weapons and skateboard. Also, you don't need so many knives - you will be able to find lots more later. Also, get a single, larger bag, preferably one which doesn't have loads of straps hanging off it, and which is comfortable and easy to slip in and out of (nothing worse getting caught by your bag and not being able to get out of it ).

Unless the airsoft gun is really good, I probably would not bother with it, though I guess you can use it to cause a distraction (shoot some pellets near zombies to draw them away from yourself (I imagine the gun itself is fairly quiet, and you will be shooting at glass, metal, anything that will make lots of noise)).

I would also suggest that your plan is essentially for the first couple of days, if that. Beware of jammed phone lines and lots of people heading for the school in the first few days.

Slarg232 wrote:Problem is, most Snowplows aren't really that fast, so would quickly be overwelmed by a horde.

Snowplows are purpose built on modified truck frames, like dump trucks and other construction type vehicles. They arent sports cars but they'll do 50-55 mph. They only go slow when theyre pushing a few tons of snow.... Dunno why you think it would be slower than zombies.

SilverMK2 wrote:

lord of the ghosts wrote:I have thought about this, and I have some problems about the first few weeks...
First, I sew together three backpacks with metal inside so they don't rip. Get the crude lawn weapons I have, (three Iron 1-foot bars, 15 HUGE knives, bush clippers, battery-powered, huge-teethed chainsaw, and a skate board and a bat) that will fill the first 1.5 backpacks, and take up 34 pounds, 1/3 my carring limit. Then, I'll get my airsoft gun, paint it, just in case I need to bluff. A phone also, to call my hunt-crazed uncle to see if he's still hunt-crazed instead of brain-crazed, go over and get a gun. I'll get with him, and then we'll start a group either in my shcool, or on the road. That's the plan for the first few months.

Ditch the battery powered weapons and skateboard. Also, you don't need so many knives - you will be able to find lots more later. Also, get a single, larger bag, preferably one which doesn't have loads of straps hanging off it, and which is comfortable and easy to slip in and out of (nothing worse getting caught by your bag and not being able to get out of it ).

Unless the airsoft gun is really good, I probably would not bother with it, though I guess you can use it to cause a distraction (shoot some pellets near zombies to draw them away from yourself (I imagine the gun itself is fairly quiet, and you will be shooting at glass, metal, anything that will make lots of noise)).

I would also suggest that your plan is essentially for the first couple of days, if that. Beware of jammed phone lines and lots of people heading for the school in the first few days.

Silver summed this up fairly well,battery powerd weapons are to much trouble,save battery powerd items for things like a radio.
Knives are terrible anti zombie weapons,if your close enough to stab them (which is pointless anyway,unless you penetrate the skull) they are close enough to bite you,one good k-bar and perhaps a swiss army knife will suit your needs.
The baseball bat is ok,aliminium is much better than a wooden one though,but the airsoft gun(?),using it to "bluff" will likely get you killed,and as a distraction technique...meh,throw a rock.
Also,phone lines are going to be pretty useless after all hell breaks loose,so a phone might be pointless,and as noted,while schools may be safe areas,they also may fill up quick...and eventualy become one big buffet.
Finding your "hunting crazy" uncle ,or even better,some fire power of your own,would possibly be your first best step.

FITZZ wrote:Finding your "hunting crazy" uncle ,or even better,some fire power of your own,would possibly be your first best step.

I would suggest that hiding out until most of the crazy has finished would be the best idea.

Mistress of minis wrote:

Slarg232 wrote:Problem is, most Snowplows aren't really that fast, so would quickly be overwelmed by a horde.

Snowplows are purpose built on modified truck frames, like dump trucks and other construction type vehicles. They arent sports cars but they'll do 50-55 mph. They only go slow when theyre pushing a few tons of snow.... Dunno why you think it would be slower than zombies.

In my area, Snowplows are the type of thing that no matter what weather it is, it's a traffic jam behind it.

.... But then in my area, a traffic jam is also only like..... 4 cars going less than 40 MPH, too.

The problem with a snow plow if you'll eventually be pushing several tons of zombies.

If you really want to go this route, use a mine flail. You can make them out of every day angle iron and lengths of chain. All you need is a PTO to spin it. And a rain coat. It's going to be messy.

And the mace is better then the zweihander. You don't beat the m up with it, you crush their skulls. A footman's flanged mace can get some terrific force behind it, since they're designed to stave in plate armor. And it's lighter and more portable.

BaronIveagh wrote:The problem with a snow plow if you'll eventually be pushing several tons of zombies.

The snow plow will push the zombies aside, even a digger will to some extent.

BaronIveagh wrote:
If you really want to go this route, use a mine flail. You can make them out of every day angle iron and lengths of chain. All you need is a PTO to spin it. And a rain coat. It's going to be messy.

Mine flail, I am sure you can pick one up at your local garage.

BaronIveagh wrote:
And the mace is better then the zweihander. You don't beat the m up with it, you crush their skulls. A footman's flanged mace can get some terrific force behind it, since they're designed to stave in plate armor. And it's lighter and more portable.

The mace is a nasty weapon for use against living targets, but traditionally blunt vs zombies is a poor choice. A smashed skull is not going to do much to a zombie short term, you will need lots of hits to do enough accumulative damage to take one down. You need to obliterate the brain stem, cut straight to it.

Ummm, snowplows are designed to push stuff aside- not pile it up like a bulldozer blade.

And a mine flail, I think thats like antiquated tech that was phased out in the 50's. Regardless, it would be on a military base- and would require knowing how to operate a tracked vehicle which would also eat through alot more fuel.

Mistress of minis wrote:Ummm, snowplows are designed to push stuff aside- not pile it up like a bulldozer blade.

And a mine flail, I think thats like antiquated tech that was phased out in the 50's. Regardless, it would be on a military base- and would require knowing how to operate a tracked vehicle which would also eat through alot more fuel.

It would be on very specific military bases too, its is not standard equipment by a longshot. Most other things people have asked for can be sourced, by one or more community groups.

My swords are magical, guys.

They don't get blunt.

Lol.

Actually, you're thinking of the big cow catcher style plows, which, at least in New York, have been largely replaced by the bulldozer style plows. For moving snow, they're good, and cheap, and are bolted to non-renforced frame trucks that happen to have stainless steel salt beds.

Zombies are heavy and would easily pile up in front of them. Heck, we had a case here a year or so ago where just one person being run over wrecked one. Imagine forty or fifty piled up in front of it!





Nope, totally outdated. They'd never use them now. Can't imagine where you'd find one.

Point of fact: you can make one in your OWN HOME to mount on any vehicle that has a winch or a power take off. The original ones were improvised in the field in North Africa. And believe me, Rommel was a lot scarier then zombies back then!

And since they were found to tear apart bocage, I think they'll do a number on zombies.

Mistress of minis wrote:
And a mine flail, I think thats like antiquated tech that was phased out in the 50's.

No, they're still in current use, and are frequently found in the inventories of humanitarian organizations.

BaronIveagh wrote:Actually, you're thinking of the big cow catcher style plows, which, at least in New York, have been largely replaced by the bulldozer style plows. For moving snow, they're good, and cheap, and are bolted to non-renforced frame trucks that happen to have stainless steel salt beds.

Zombies are heavy and would easily pile up in front of them. Heck, we had a case here a year or so ago where just one person being run over wrecked one. Imagine forty or fifty piled up in front of it!

Flat plows don't push snow straight ahead, they are angled towards the side you wish the snow to be pushed. It doesn't matter though, if a massive crowd of bodies is in front of you, you aren't going to drive through it.

BaronIveagh wrote:
And since they were found to tear apart bocage, I think they'll do a number on zombies.

They will also break quickly as the chains become stuck in the zombies. Concussion blasts and shrapnel are nowhere near as difficult to pass through as human flesh. There's also the issue of covering everything you need to be able to touch in infected blood; requiring sterilization.

http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=915

dogma wrote:
They will also break quickly as the chains become stuck in the zombies. Concussion blasts and shrapnel are nowhere near as difficult to pass through as human flesh. There's also the issue of covering everything you need to be able to touch in infected blood; requiring sterilization.

Depends if it's an old or new style, and the thickness of the chain. A Sherman Crab could tear apart a hedgerow (and the guys on the other side), which is a hell of a lot tougher then any group of people, and only loose a few links if that. I totally agree about the blood thing. I've never understood why heroes could be smeared in gore and never get infected. Maybe it's only transmitted via saliva?

But believe me, if you hit group of zombies with the heavy gauge chain ones, it'd look like feeding a cat into a chipper shredder. I mean, hell, it does that with live men, I can't imagine it would be any different for dead ones.

BaronIveagh wrote:
Depends if it's an old or new style, and the thickness of the chain. A Sherman Crab could tear apart a hedgerow (and the guys on the other side), which is a hell of a lot tougher then any group of people, and only loose a few links if that.

I've never heard of Sherman crabs being used against hedgerows, not in significant numbers anyway. The bulk of the work was done by bulldozers, and Cullen Cutters. The Bocage hedgerows were hundreds of years old, and composed of trees, bushes, and shrubs with deep root systemss. I doubt any flail would be useful against it.

Additionally, as far as this argument is concerned, the crab is nearly useless as an example. Its mine flail was powered by the main engine and, when engaged, slowed the tank to a maximum speed of ~1 mph. This design gave the crab's flail a lot of power, which allowed it to pass through barbed wire obstacles. You might be able to mulch the zombies in front of you, but the ones that will soon be at your sides will pose a nominal threat given the reduction in speed caused by such a drive system.

Its also important to remember that earlier mine flails were highly unreliable, and prone to tangling in barbed wire. Unless you plan on mounting a large secondary power plant on your vehicle, or drawing from an auxiliary transmission, your flail won't be doing much to a wall of zombies. It may take out a few, but is highly likely to become overburdened. Note what happens when you take an electric weed-whacker to the base of tall grass.

No, not in numbers, but they could (and did) in a pinch, according to my grandfather's best friend, who drove one.

... I'm trying to picture the zombies threatening a buttoned up Sherman... and not succeeding...

...well, unless they're Nazi zombies with panzerfausts and magnetic mines... then yes...


Hmmm... I was thinking of using the engine out of a Case VAC to power the flail, with twin Hercules multifuels to push an armored frame.




I just realized that I was building something suspiciously like a battlewagon.

We'll call it da WAAAGHMACHINE!

You can never escape them when they actually come.

*puts a bullet in the brain*

Your Nurgle shall not get me you xenos!

FM Ninja 048 wrote:I see your castle and raise you, a castle on a cliff
in my backpack i would carry water, trail mix, survival tin, three clips for the gun, gas mask and multi vitamin tablets
my attitude towards other survivors would be somewhat commisar like with a "shoot first, ask questions later" attitude
the vehicle would be used to collect food & suplies from all the shops on the royal mile incuding the GW. yey, i can carry the hobby into the new age

Grrr, Edinburgh was my idea for 6 years, you steal my idea!!!

fallen_wolfborn wrote:

FM Ninja 048 wrote:I see your castle and raise you, a castle on a cliff
in my backpack i would carry water, trail mix, survival tin, three clips for the gun, gas mask and multi vitamin tablets
my attitude towards other survivors would be somewhat commisar like with a "shoot first, ask questions later" attitude
the vehicle would be used to collect food & suplies from all the shops on the royal mile incuding the GW. yey, i can carry the hobby into the new age

Grrr, Edinburgh was my idea for 6 years, you steal my idea!!!

don't worry all dakkites are welcome, we'll just have to watch out for the glaswegien cannibals but other than that we'll be fine just load the 1 o'clock gun with cutlery

FM Ninja 048 wrote:we'll just have to watch out for the glaswegien cannibals

Well, that is an issue even before the zombie invasion...

The school is a good diea, i don't see why people keep thinking it's not.

Most schools, sadly for the education system but not the apocalypse, are quite fortress like.

My school was built on top of a mountain to prevent kids from ditching classes to go somewhere, as it's to far from anyplace to do that.
It has several large doors designed to take heat levels from explosions (the school board was worried about kids going on rampages using homemade explosives.) for a consatsnt 24 hours,
and has several gates that are sued in malls to close down the shop.

Add to that you can use the woodshop, which most schools have, to build barricades or weapons.

Or just use the desks, tables, computers, tvs, and bookshelves to make defensvie perimeters in a pinch, and you're set for at leats a little while.

And you've got a steady supply of food and drinks if you find and turn on the emergency generators quick enough to power the freezer and home ec rooms back up.
If the school has a rifle team as well, it isn't that hard to open the gun safe and take the weapons and ammo from inside to use.

Sure, they're only .22s, but it's a good enough weapon for a beginner to use, and the ammo is light enough that it cna be carried for a long time with a lot of it.

Obviously there are flaws to the plan, if someoen would point them out I'm sure there'd be a way to work aorund these.

SilverMK2 wrote:

FM Ninja 048 wrote:we'll just have to watch out for the glaswegien cannibals

Well, that is an issue even before the zombie invasion...

WIN!
All is forgiven, as long as I get the tablet shops to raid.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

SilverMK2 wrote:Axes can be quite dangerous - if you are not careful the blade can turn and you can either thus miss, or really hurt yourself.

Plus you still have to keep them sharp.

Hatchets, not battle axes.

fallen_wolfborn wrote:Hatchets, not battle axes.

Ever used an axe? Of any size or type? They still need to be kept sharp

And they can all turn in an unexperienced persons hands.

SilverMK2 wrote:

fallen_wolfborn wrote:Hatchets, not battle axes.

Ever used an axe? Of any size or type? They still need to be kept sharp

And they can all turn in an unexperienced persons hands.

I can vouge for that. Not a fun experiance.

Yes I have used axes before. I have thrown them at targets before and used them in scouts when I was younger.
But I will admit defeat on the missing hands clause because I happen to like my hands.
Although why throw them when I can simply decapitate?

The same thing about turning is also true of splitting mauls. (Combining the thrill of both axe and sledge!)

By the way, don't use one of those to fight zombies. Yes, they would shatter like glass, but, you would get tired within an hour or two of combat with it as your weapon.

fallen_wolfborn wrote:Yes I have used axes before. I have thrown them at targets before and used them in scouts when I was younger.
But I will admit defeat on the missing hands clause because I happen to like my hands.
Although why throw them when I can simply decapitate?

Just my own opinion,but I would avoid axes/hatchets all together for CC with zombies (wich in itself should be avoided,unless absulotely needed),in favor of maces,flails or even aluminum baseball bats,crushing the skull is going to be a lot easier than decapitating the zombie.

So hand axes for the win in melee at least... or katanas.