So far we’ve learnt what zombies are, the risks they pose to the living and how they can be killed or at least the theory of how to kill them. But now it’s time to face up to some unpleasant facts.
Firstly, when the zombies take over humanity will no longer be top of the food chain. We will no longer be able to wander the streets confident that, unless savaged by an escaped tiger, we can safely handle any wildlife around. Sure, some folks will live in the wilds and will be wary of bears or snakes, but for most, an angry squirrel or moody rabbit holds no fear. This will all change after the zombie apocalypse.
Secondly, whilst you may have already realised that a single zombie can be clumsy, slow and not particularly well furnished in the brain department, it is nonetheless a potentially deadly opponent. Add to this that zombies frequently cluster and will often attack in ‘hordes’ then you soon realise the importance of understanding how to fight these creatures. They aren’t going to leave you alone. There won’t be any uneasy truce. They will come at you, your family and any survivors for as long as they are able.
This is why zombie combat should be central to any survival preparation, as sooner or later you will find yourself facing the walking dead.
Before considering combat and weapons any further, it is important to be clear that the majority of zombies killed by human survivors are killed by clubbing weapons. In a recent Ministry of Zombies survey more than 43% of zombie kills were made using a club-like weapon. We strongly advise that you always carry a clubbing weapon as a reserve to your main weapon.
Every fighter has their own favourite technique or specialised weapon but the advice for beginners is to work your way methodically through the next few pages. Learn about S.T.E.N.C.H., absorb the information about your enemy and practise both the unarmed and armed combat moves. Hopefully, you’ll never face the dead without a weapon, but be prepared just in case and you’ll have a better chance of staying alive. You should schedule zombie combat practice sessions for at least an hour a day.
Finally, remember to adapt these plans and tips to your own needs or those in your group. These are general guidelines, but you can always ‘spice’ them up with your own homemade weapons or adapt them so that others can defend themselves.
Saliva Infected fluid – saliva and blood
Teeth Sharp, jagged incisors
ENERGY Consistent level of power
NAILS Jagged weapons, like claws
Ceaseless Won’t stop, won’t be scared off
Hunger Driven 100% by this hunger
Infected SALIVA dripping from the mouth. Where this is dry, it may be replaced by putrid bile or pus, which is just as deadly.
The dead have poor dental hygiene. TEETH tend to yellow under the zombic condition and endless gnawing on human bones frequently creates sharp and jagged incisors. Some zombiologists see this as nature’s way of arming the carnivore!
The dead have seemingly boundless ENERGY. There are chemical and biological processes at work enabling zombie muscle mass to ‘feed’ on any fat within the corpse.
Whilst the finger NAILS do tend to grow after death, it is a slight retraction in the skin around the nail which gives it that dagger-like appearance. Again, endless scratching and foraging create sharp weapons riddled with infection and bacteria. With time, however, the nails may fall off.
A zombie is CEASELESS in its quest for human flesh. Zombie psychologists suggest that the dead see the living as having a warm golden glow around them. They are therefore obsessed with ingesting this ‘lost life force’.
This HUNGER can never be abated. A zombie will cram living flesh into its mouth until its stomach cavity is at bursting point. How the dead break down food into energy is not yet fully understood. Few have the constitution to open up a zombie gut and review what’s inside.