Best anti-zombie weapons

Whips

Don't forget the cream.

A Michael Jackson CD and a stereo.

edited 24th Jan '12 1:19:42 PM by Carciofus

I propose the humble longsword.

Most people are ignorant of the fact that a longsword's pommel is meant to be used as a weapon, and that one can even grip it by the blade for this purpose. Such a strike also imparts more kinetic impact than a bullet, all the while allowing you to directly defend yourself from immediate-range zombie attacks.

The blade itself can be used to cut and disable limbs or otherwise compromise a zombie's structural integrity. Basic steel oils or animal fats work fine to keep the weapon clean, and a whetstone will keep it sharp — not that it matters that much, given that the kinetic energy of even a dull sword strike can break bones and cleave flesh.

Combine this with biking leathers and helmet. As long as you don't get swarmed, you'll be immune to any kind of offense a zombie can throw at you while being able to defend yourself extremely well at immediate range. Plus, as noted, guns are noisy as hell, you don't need that shit when heavily outnumbered.

Better yet, a poleaxe. You can keep your sword at your belt as backup as the hammerside of the the poleaxe mists zombie skulls all over the place.

Certainly I'd rather place my faith in a long stick which could hold large numbers of zombies off than in a katana or longsword. Besides, these things aren't "infinite ammo" tools; or in this case, infinite use; you cut through too many limbs with a longsword and your sword is going to break. Its not like you can cut your enemy and they'll bleed; to disable the zombie you need the room to give it a hefty whack; enough to sever tendons and the like.

I often wonder how a medieval society would deal with a zombie outburst.

I just want to be somewhere near this guy.

Best zombie apocalypse character EVER.

Don't polearms have the problem of being relatively exhausting to use? And wouldn't the longsword have similar, but lesser problems?

I'm still going to call poleaxe range too close for comfort, and god forbid you're in a hallway and can't really get a good swing on anything.

Exactly. Melee weapons require just as much if not more upkeep than guns, and can break, just as guns can run out of ammo. They may be slightly quieter (provided you don't grunt with exertion), but they provide less range for equal or lesser benefit.

edited 24th Jan '12 1:40:35 PM by KSPAM

If we go by a sheer Zombies Killed over How Long You Last scale, you can't beat a bunch of nukes.

Your length may be tiny, but the number of zed dead will be astronomical.

Silver Bullets

Basically, my zombie survival kit, weapons-wise, would include the following.

• Hunting rifle.
• Back-up pistol, in case rifle jams.
• Ammo for both.
• Sword with oil on it (so it doesn't get stuck in things so easily. Double edged, but still a last resort.
• Sheathed combat knife; if grappled, it easy to draw, is designed for cutting things, and is sturdy enough not to leave me with the handle. Of course, if it comes to a knife, I'm already dead; just hope I can disable the bastard who got me.
• Couple of grenades if in the very unlikely case that they're available. Just got to try not to blow myself up. (Throw behind the zombies so they shield me from the shrapnel.)
• Face mask and full body covering to prevent blow-back from infecting me.

I'd foregoe heavy armour because if I let them get that close to me, I'm dead, armour or no.

Tanks.

That scene with the tank in The Walking Dead irritates me for that reason. Until it runs out of ammunition and fuel, it's the ultimate anti-zombie weapon because it's utterly invulnerable to them and provides a rolling high-point for the cupola-mounted gunner to scythe through zombies left and right (because fuck Max Brooks, the effect that heavy-calibre machine guns would have on rotting corpses would be beyond messy). Not to mention that the main gun is an enormous shotgun with canister rounds. The treads alone should have been positively dripping with gore.

I'll do you one better (at least if you want safety from zombies): A fucking blimp/zeppelin. Zombies can't fly and you can use whatever guns you want in the damn thing to take potshots at the undead, provided that you can make some firing ports, and you can remain aloft nearly indefinitely.

edited 24th Jan '12 2:28:16 PM by Balmung

Crowbar would be a terrible anti-zombie weapon. It's short, so you have very low range, even for a melee weapon, which means you will easily be overrun.

Machete is even worse. Contrary to popular belief, they aren't very sharp. And it's lightweight, so very little damage.

Those are both very useful as tools however. As far as melee weapons goes, baseball bat. More realistically though, your best weapon in a Zombie Apocalypse is a gun and one bullet.

*Grabs sack and puts bricks in it*

*Ties sack closed*

Bam, instant working flail.

And it weighs a fucking ton. Sure it'll do a lot of damage, but good luck using it for any length of time. And it's range would be extremely limited.

I still say that something to bludgeon or slow done, and then something to finish the job, plus, say, some grenades to clear out large groups is your best bet.

Why have an extra step? Just shoot the fucking bastards and be done with it.

Other golden rule of zombies: aim for the extremities. Not the head or the chest. Leg shots and arm shots are your friends, as well as the pelvis and shoulders.

Yeah, if you're bludgeoning zombies, you're too damn close. If you're in melee with zombies, you've made a mistake somewhere, or you're an idiot.

Yes, but unlike video games, it's not that easy to find ammo/guns everywhere. I'm thinking what I would use, and have readily available.

Guns run out of ammo.

You live in the United States of America. In light of this fact, your statement is nonsensical.

I don't have a gun either. A gun is, however, a generally preferable weapon to any melee weapon in the event of zombies, and in the US, guns and ammo are relatively plentiful.

Look on the flip side: Knives and swords dull and break, and blunt instruments still break. I'm pretty sure you can only crack so many skulls with a baseball bat before it splinters.

edited 24th Jan '12 3:14:36 PM by Balmung

This is why it's best to lock yourself away and only go out in you need to restock on supplies. Malov cocktails might work as long ranged weapons, as would fireworks, maybe.

Best weapon to use in a zombie attack is an assault or hunting rifle. I would rather face 500 zombies with 100 bullets than face ten with any melee weapon. I have a spent a day swinging around a sledgehammer to break apart trees trunks, and that shit wears you out fast, and that's only over the head and I was taking my time.