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"Shaun of the Dead" was just on TV (comedy central), and it got me thinking about the various ways of destroying the stumbly forms of undead. I've read a little bit on the subject online describing the various factors to consider, though it was a while back. I'd say there are six factors (roughly; there's some overlap, such as between speed and weight, etc.).
Damage/stopping power: Most obviously, you want something that can pierce the remnants of the skull and destroy the brain, or else cut the head cleanly off, or render the body sufficiently deformed as to be no longer capable of motion.
Weight: Weight may be a factor in damage, especially with a blunt weapon such as a hammer. However, too much weight tires you out with each swing as well as increasing the time between swings (for melee weapons), and forces you to carry around a heavy load while fleeing the hordes. You need that stamina to survive and repopulate the human race.
Range: You don't want to get any closer than absolutely necessary. Duh.
Speed: Zombies come in groups. You want to be able to attack repeatedly without stopping to reload or what-have-you.
Reliability: One zombie-weapon guide I stumbled across long ago pointed out that some weapons, while seemingly desirable, might have a tendency to get stuck in the zombie's twitching corpse, leaving you helpless. That's bad, so you want something that comes out of the brainpan smoothly. Also in this general category are accuracy, lack of jamming problems, and durability.
Availability: A harpoon strikes me as a rather good weapon: its barbs would risk getting stuck, but you can file those away during the hide-at-home stage, and it's got plenty of range and power without requiring ammunition. It's also quite cool. Unfortunately, it's hard to get a harpoon in this day and age. You want something found in a common garage, like a baseball bat. For firearms, you want something using common ammunition, since a fancy military-issue assault rifle is useless once you've expended all the clips.
I've made this open-ended since there really are an almost infinite number of options. I suppose projectiles and bashing weapons should be in separate categories. Any thoughts?
Damage/stopping power: Most obviously, you want something that can pierce the remnants of the skull and destroy the brain, or else cut the head cleanly off, or render the body sufficiently deformed as to be no longer capable of motion.
Weight: Weight may be a factor in damage, especially with a blunt weapon such as a hammer. However, too much weight tires you out with each swing as well as increasing the time between swings (for melee weapons), and forces you to carry around a heavy load while fleeing the hordes. You need that stamina to survive and repopulate the human race.
Range: You don't want to get any closer than absolutely necessary. Duh.
Speed: Zombies come in groups. You want to be able to attack repeatedly without stopping to reload or what-have-you.
Reliability: One zombie-weapon guide I stumbled across long ago pointed out that some weapons, while seemingly desirable, might have a tendency to get stuck in the zombie's twitching corpse, leaving you helpless. That's bad, so you want something that comes out of the brainpan smoothly. Also in this general category are accuracy, lack of jamming problems, and durability.
Availability: A harpoon strikes me as a rather good weapon: its barbs would risk getting stuck, but you can file those away during the hide-at-home stage, and it's got plenty of range and power without requiring ammunition. It's also quite cool. Unfortunately, it's hard to get a harpoon in this day and age. You want something found in a common garage, like a baseball bat. For firearms, you want something using common ammunition, since a fancy military-issue assault rifle is useless once you've expended all the clips.
I've made this open-ended since there really are an almost infinite number of options. I suppose projectiles and bashing weapons should be in separate categories. Any thoughts?
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