It's not just about which weapons would be best, though. If so, I'd carry a big freakin' laser around with me. It's more about which weapons would you be able to find and use realistically. I know I have my little weapons cache (a machete, knife, and some shuriken for good measure), but they're weapons I could get my hands on. Not only that, but a good katana would have to be imported from Japan, since the replicas one would find at any traditional weapon's store that only cost a few hundred bucks wouldn't nearly be as effective as the real thing. I real katana would cost somewhere in the thousands, and the replicas that one might find around here (since there is a sword shop at the local mall I go to) wouldn't be sharp enough to actually cut through a zombie's skull, not without enough force. Besides, if you had enough force, any random pipe or baseball bat you find would be just as effective. Guns are a different story. If you were to find a gun, it would be easier to find a shotgun or hunting rifle in someone's home than a .45 or a 9mm. So if you're stocking up weapons for a zombie invasion, it'd be easier and more cost effective for you to get machetes and rifles than say a real katana or any other kind of sword. If you have the choice, though, I'd say to stick with more guns than melee, since they'd be more effective. Still, you'd have to keep atleast one melee weapon with you at all times.
Can't anybody just consider a pickax? Regardless of what someone said earlier, a forward thrusting motion seems more tiring and less forceful than a side-swing. A pickax is reasonably light, but can have a great deal of piercing force to penetrate a skull. The down side is that it could be more difficult to remove it from that skull afterwards and a pickax would have a bit of a shorter range. The alternative is a good spear. It'd lack the penetrating power of a pickax, but it has more range and can be pulled back easier. You can't just go buy a spear proper all that easy though, so lacking a good weapon store, you may have to build one yourself which shouldn't be too hard.
I would think building a sturdy spear would be really difficult. The shaft might not be too hard, but finding a head that would be sharp and wouldn't break would be tough. It's a shame we have so few blacksmiths around.
I'm sure in an ideal situation we'd all be expert katana-wielders, but most of us probably aren't. Even the sharpest sword around needs a decent amount of force to cut through someone's neck, and I know that I personally would be ill-equipped for the task. Ammunition constraints aside, firearms are going to be the only viable option.
Or I could learn to wield a sword I guess. But even then, who's gonna have the stamina to hold off an army of zombies with a sword? I'll probably hold onto a sword as a backup weapon when the ammo runs dry, but I wouldn't depend on it in the beginning when a gun would yield much better initial results.
That's why I'm saying we should all actually learn how to fight with melee weapons. If we learn, then we can build up the stamina necessary for prolonged fights.
Any jackass can pick up a katana and start swinging wildly. He might get a few good clean kills, but then he'd fatigue slightly, miss his swing, and get eaten.
Someone who knows what the hell they're doing will make quick, clean cuts while pacing himself over a period of time.
Really, the melee weapons are just for cutting down the few roaming zombies you find in close quarters. If you're running through the woods and a zombie steps out from behind a tree and is suddenly 3 feet in front of you, I'd rather have the sword in my hand than the gun. It's easier to retreat while pushing back with the sword than trying to aim and fire. Unless you're super awsome at quick-fire competitions. I personally am faster (with accuracy) with a sword or just my hands or feet than a firearm. OH! That's what I forgot. I need gloves and forearm guards of some sort. Any material that'll protect your extended arm from being bitten. Then you can just punch all of the zombies.
Plate armor wouldn't actually be that good. The zombies could just rip off all the plates at the seams, and then you'd be defenseless. What you REALLY need is a bear or shark suit. If a shark can't bite through it, you can be sure a zombie can't either.
Yeah, I think the zombies would eventually dogpile you, and you'd be stuck there until you starved to death and became a bear-suit zombie. Oh well, at least you wouldn't be in any position to bite anyone while stuck in a bear-suit.
Hmm, maybe muzzles would help alleviate our zombie woes.
You wouldn't be a bear suit zombie. You'd just be a dead guy in a bear suit. Unless you're following the "hell is full" pattern, then you would become a zombie.
I'd still say a good spear would be a preferred backup option. Empires have risen and fallen by the humble spear. Heavy gloves and forearm guards would be smart addition as long as they didn't disrupt your ability to use any firearms you might have.
EDIT: And the image of a bear-suit zombie made me laugh also.
I've never considered real zombies to be much of a threat. People aren't all that stupid, the outbreak would probably be recognized for what it is within a day. Unsuspecting civilians are easy prey for zombies, but the national guard or a similarly trained force probably wouldn't have too much trouble fighting the hordes as long as their not taken by surprise.
Plus anybody with a hummer, snowplow, or bus could take out their fair share. Just imagine what a battalion of tanks could do.
So, this is necrotheading, certainly, but I found something I just can't resist posting... check THIS out. It's a scholarly paper on what would happen if a zombie outbreak actually occurred from a mathematical perspective... I haven't read it yet but will soon. But enjoy.
So, this is necrotheading, certainly, but I found something I just can't resist posting... check THIS out. It's a scholarly paper on what would happen if a zombie outbreak actually occurred from a mathematical perspective... I haven't read it yet but will soon. But enjoy.
I finally got around to reading that. But something that bugs me is that he says that people in the 'removed' class (dead people) can turn into zombies, and people in the 'zombies' class are removed once defeated. Thing is, if you defeated the zombie by removing the head or destroying the brain as indicated in the paper, wouldn't the corpse be unable to come back to life since it's lacking a head or brain right from the start? You should only have to defeat each zombie once.
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That, and any bullet you use should really be a hollow-point, if you can manage.
Or I could learn to wield a sword I guess. But even then, who's gonna have the stamina to hold off an army of zombies with a sword? I'll probably hold onto a sword as a backup weapon when the ammo runs dry, but I wouldn't depend on it in the beginning when a gun would yield much better initial results.
or something like that....
Any jackass can pick up a katana and start swinging wildly. He might get a few good clean kills, but then he'd fatigue slightly, miss his swing, and get eaten.
Someone who knows what the hell they're doing will make quick, clean cuts while pacing himself over a period of time.
Hmm, maybe muzzles would help alleviate our zombie woes.
EDIT: And the image of a bear-suit zombie made me laugh also.
http://cataclysm.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
I made the first article. I'm hoping you guys can branch off of it nicely.
Plus anybody with a hummer, snowplow, or bus could take out their fair share. Just imagine what a battalion of tanks could do.
I finally got around to reading that. But something that bugs me is that he says that people in the 'removed' class (dead people) can turn into zombies, and people in the 'zombies' class are removed once defeated. Thing is, if you defeated the zombie by removing the head or destroying the brain as indicated in the paper, wouldn't the corpse be unable to come back to life since it's lacking a head or brain right from the start? You should only have to defeat each zombie once.