Hello People, Zeds, Honored Guests, and etc. etc. ad infinitum. I, Caleb 'The Hammer' Young, do solemnly swear to randomly post on this blog in no obvious pattern, governed by the lack of time and the exegencies of the service.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Hammer's in the house!
Hello People, Zeds, Honored Guests, and etc. etc. ad infinitum. I, Caleb 'The Hammer' Young, do solemnly swear to randomly post on this blog in no obvious pattern, governed by the lack of time and the exegencies of the service.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Melee weapons for Z-day
1: The Crowbar.
No, not the flat, short stubby piece of bendy barstock- that's a prybar. a crowbar is between 2 and 5 feet long, made of round or hexagonal tempered steel, and weighs about 8-12 pounds.
Wielded like a sledge-hammer, using quick over head blows.
devastatingly effective against smaller groups of shamblers.
not all that effective against runners, as they understand that their head is their weak point.
2: The Axe.
the axe displayed here, while not the ideal axe. will do in a pinch, If you can- hunt down an axe with a solid, heavy glass reenforced polymer haft, usually the haft will be florescent yellow. the full poly haft allows you to use the haft as a quicker bludgeon then if you were using the blade. if your saying "What is he talking about"
well, if you have an axe, go get it, and hold it just above the head, blade out in-front of your knuckles- and swing it like a sword. see how fluid it moves and how the head counterweights the haft? now get a few water melons and bust them with the haft as fast as you can. now try that with the blade. see? Yes, busting the skull is easier with the blade, so use that against small groups of shamblers. but, if in a pinch- say fighting a runner- switch to the haft and beat the ever living snot out of 'em!
3: the shovel.
One of the most used anti-zeke weapon.
and also- the most impractical.
Blasphemy says you? well- chew on this since you're gonna be a zeke soon.
almost all shovels are is a thin piece of sheet steel wrapped around a wooden handle, why did I specify almost all shovels? well, I know A guy, who knows a guy, who is related to a guy who hand crafts the most wicked awesome combat spades on the face of this Zeke infested planet. 'course those are technically shaolin combat spades.
Bludgeons:
1: The Shillelagh.
basically any hardwood stick as thick as a grown mans wrist, and as one one-half arms length.
best used against small groups of shamblers while listening to celtic rock like flatfoot56.
Bring out your inner Celt and bust some 'heads!
2: Hammers.
the usefulness of a hammer against Zekes are usually governed by weight, handle length, and handle material.
while most folks don't own a 3 pound 30 inch handle war hammer, or a comically over sized mallet. but most will own a claw hammer or a sledge. for lunatic blacksmiths such as me, we have massive collections of sledge hammers, ball peen, cross peen, and lumps of steel put on blocks of wood that we call hammers.
your average 12-16 oz. claw hammer won't cut the mustard.
where as the 4 pound 20 inch handle cross peen I forge with is a bit much for most. I find a good, long handled Stanly, estwing, cobalt or other big name tooling co. (hickory or steel haft) 24-32 oz. framing hammer with waffle patten face and a modified pulling claw (welded together and ground to a point.) excels at head bustin.
3: Demo bars
the lovechild of a war-club, crowbar, and framing hammer.
some think that it was given to mankind by saint Eloi, the patron saint of metalworkers, Others that it was a gift from sammael, the arch-angel of destruction.
but what ever first thought of it, or what gave it to us- this thing freaking LOVES Zeke slaying and door busting. standard issue to all acquisition teams and recon squads, and Havoc approved weaponry.
Avalon's Swords:
Guess what? GUEST WRITER! Here's Avalon to tell us about swords VS Zekes.
Only one shot of these, because the light was fading, and Havoc was trying to steal my weaponry.
Generally speaking, we at point B prefer to use ranged techniques to keep Zombies far away from our bunker, but sometimes there's not much you can do and you must engage in hand to hand or melee combat. when this happens I'm generally one to carry steal [though a shillelagh is always nice].
I prefer two swords when standing against 'Zekes' or 'Zeds' or Zombies, mainly because I like the concept of attacking with one and defending with the other. I generally use the shorter to block with, and the longer to reach with, unless a zombie gets inside my guard.
The two swords shown in the picture are my fighting blades- The smaller is Kilgorn, 'The Sword of Darkness' by Kit Rae, the larger is 'Aletheia', which was designed after the sword of King Alphonso the X of Spain. Both are one handed weapons. I know a lot of guys who love the big bulky two handed claymore style swords- These are pretty, they look macho, and honestly- Who doesn't love Cloud's Buster Sword?? -However, I may need to point out that I was once eaten by zombies because my sword was 1. Too big for me, 2. Too heavy and 3. Not fast enough.
I don't care how fast you can bring it down: if it takes more that 0.25 seconds to get it into another swing- it's too slow. If you want to stake your life on being able to do that with a sword that is simply too big for you it's your business and I'll be seeing you soon, -probably in my rifle's scope.
If you have the option of swords- Go for a Rapier. They're springy and enable very quick motion, mainly stabbing, but they also have significant slashing power behind them. They're one handed, so they can be dual wielded.
Havoc Dual wielding Kilgorn and Aletheia |
Therefore; If I'm not on sentry in an orange or red zone I'll generally just pack some heat and the smaller cold steal. Aletheia is prettier perhaps, and bigger, but I know my limitations. Kilgorn is smaller, lighter, faster- perfect for me.
Now, Back to Havoc.
Havoc's custom weapons
1: The Pig, Blade and bludgeon.(sounds like a pub...)
The Pig is a brick of sharpened steel, at 1/4th inch thick 11 inches long and 3 pounds of indestructible death. the pig is nearly perfect for dismembering Zekes and stoveing in skulls,
hand crafted in the forges of khazad-dum by the dwarven steel masters. [read: crudely carved out of a leaf spring with an angle grinder by yours truly.] it can punch through steel doors and pry off pad locks nearly as well as the Demo bar.
2: 'the Punisher'
simple, crude, handy, effective.
the Punisher is just 18-24 inches of 5/8th inch re-bar with parachute cord wrapped around the base to make a grip.
quick enough in the hand to take on a runner, hefty enough to put down a shambler. like a nightstick on steroids, it busts skulls like teeth bust grapes, easily turning the turned into the dead.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
the virus, runners, and shamblers.
First- the Virus:
No, its not solanum. Solanum is a genus of plant life that includes tomatoes and eggplants.
in fact, Zombism is not even a real virus - at least not at first... and 'zombies' aren't really dead. You say, "Wait WHAT? not the living dead?" No, not the living dead. Not human anymore either.
Our biologists have examined the parasite that causes Zombism, and found that it includes DNA and long strand RNA from Leucochloridium paradoxum, a parasite that causes snails and slugs to leave the safety of home and get their eyes eaten by birds.
Spinochordodes Tellinii, a parasite that causes grasshoppers and crickets to go commit suicide into lakes.
Toxoplasma Gondii a protozoic parasite found in cats, mice and, occasionally, humans.
Piggybacked on this parisitic cocktail are the viruses necrotizing fasciitis, the flesh-eating disease; Hydrophobia, or rabies; and parts of the Ebola virus.
From what we can tell, the Ebola is a dormant strain used simply for its resistance to modern medicine.
And all this is grafted on to a cleaned set of human RNA.
now then, on to the different types of zombies-
first, note that there is only one strain of the zombie virus, which is Toxoplasim sanguis paradoxum. Runners are simply people who are immune to parts of the virus, usually an immunity to necrotizing fasciitis along with a thickened brain-blood barrier do the trick, this means that runners keep most of their facultys, EG: fine motor skills, hearing, sight, smell, tactical thought, Ect. it also means that they can be cured, as the parts of the virus that damage the brain can't get to it. like say for instance, Avalon was a runner, and she's human now, (exams of her blood show traces of antigens, hammerhead ribozyme, and ambidextrous amino acids.)
where as shamblers are completely infected, they can move fast, but they stumble, they have spotty vision, and no sense of smell. along with poor motor skills and no coordination, most people could easily out strip even the most athletic zeke. unlike runners, theres no point in trying to cure complete infection. as all that would come out of it would be a coma bound Vegetable.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Weaponry: when you don't have options
Hey Thespis here to give you a crash course at weapons improv. In order to master the art of improv you need to be fast on your feet and be able to keep your wits about you. If you're being chased by a hoard of Zombies the last thing you want to do is panic and “choke” your brain. If you do you will lose your brain.... permanently. Some basic rules of weaponry improv are:
Use your environment to your advantage, turn your surroundings against your opponents.
When in doubt, turn about, and run !
Anything has the potential to be a weapon if you can chuck it, swing it, shoot it or if you think you can do any of these things.
Always leave the base with some weapons to reduce the amount of improv needed in an attack situation
Using your environment to your advantage
Zombies are not very agile or good on their feet, so try to knock stuff behind you and make a big mess for them to trip behind you ! Note throwing stuff in front of you is not recommended because you might trip. If you have trees or a wooded area run in there and try to lose them in the trees, tree branches also make great zombie whackers.Note roots may also cause zombies or yourself to trip so mind your feet. Have you heard the saying head for the hills ? Zombies are not fast runners when it comes to inclines also their knees don't work so well and they tend to have accidents while running down hill.
RUN !
Never ever stop if you have multiple zombies after you or if you have no weapons or a low supply of them. Keep moving until you lose them, they are all dead, or you find some back up.
Anything has the potential to be a weapon !
I was running from a hoard of zombies once and found myself at a junk yard at the top of a hill. The zombies were having a hard time making the incline so it gave me a second to think. I grabbed a big tire (I guess it was tractor tire. ) and a long metal pole. I rolled the tire near the edge of the hill,aimed right for the zombies, sat inside the tire, held the metal pole across my lap so about 4 to 5 foot of pole was sticking out either side of the tire, and I rolled down hill making a nice clean cut slicing the zombies legs right off. After a moment or two of disorientation I was able to see what I had done and run away before they could recover.
Never leave base without a weapon of some kind.
I know for a fact that during some reconnaissance missions and the like you can't go around with a rapier (My preferred sword.) sheathed at your hip, but at least have a hand gun or something concealable on your persons. Having a weapon on you keeps you so much safer and prepared than not having one at all. A nice long balanced stick makes a great quarterstaff that can at least offer you some protection while helping keep your distance. Lets face it not everyone is able to improv real well (its a sad fact of life and I pity them) so please people carry a weapon so your friends and team members won't have to write a nice tasteful eulogy about your unfortunate and untimely death.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Reporting from Bunker 257
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Weaponry: when you have options
So, let's say that you have the benefit of choosing your weaponry; great! This means that you're either well prepared, or UPS is still running their usual routes. [UPS guys will rule the world eventually; Join their coalition if you can.]
Anyway: so you're thinking: "Hey, we're in a zombie apocalypse. I need to start packin' some heat. I wonder what kind of weaponry I should invest in?" Honestly, it's all up to what you can get your hands on; but here's a list of weapons [although not comprehensive] that we've tried on our undead neighbors that have yielded results.
DISCLAIMER: These suggestions are for use against Zombies ONLY. Under no circumstance should you ever point a gun at a living human being; Even living enemies can become great assets in a zombie infested world.
DISCLAIMER: I don't care what proof you have, The Boom stick is ALWAYS loaded. ALWAYS. If you had any idea how many people have been shot and killed with 'unloaded' guns, you'd probably get sick.
DISCLAIMER: As havoc likes to say: KEEP THE BOOGER HOOK OFF OF THE BANG SWITCH. In other words: Don't touch the trigger unless you fully intent to eviscerate whatever is in front of you. If your finger is on that trigger the thing in front of the sight has a 1 second life expectancy. Note: Some guns have REALLY light trigger weights, a good jostle will set some off, so ALWAYS point the gun at the ground when not in use. Better to blow your own foot off than to go 'oops' and blow your friends head off.
On with the show.
Shotgun, any make, any model, any shot.
Havoc is a big advocate for Shotguns, they've got a lot going for them. Not much can take a full on or even a partial shot of Double-Aught Buck and still be smiling afterward, ya know? Not only that, but a Shotgun can be used as a bludgeon after you're done with the ammo, and can be used in hunting for food when you're not in combat. You can also use it for a signal to your friends if zombies find you while you're hunting; just set up a signal [such as three consecutive shots] to indicate that you're in distress, and your friends will hear and come with the cavalry [if you're not too macho to call your buddies].
Sniper Rifle
Normally I'd stay away from these, but if you have a bunker with a sighting tower then this can make or break a siege. A Sniper can be picking off the Zombies in the back of the pack while the cavalry in the fox holes are taking out the first wave. because of the sniper in the back, the more aware zombies will see that you have range, and move out. Because of the Herd instinct that zombies have, this is a good thing for you as the defender: Situationally aware zombie turns tail and runs away, less aware zombie goes 'huh? where's ed going? Brains?' and follows Ed the aware zombie, others think 'Ed and Fred are gone! There must be more brains!' and follow ed and fred. Soon you've dropped about ten of them Via Sniper, and twenty or thirty have dismissed themselves to hunt brains elsewhere, and that will leave you with between 100 and 120 zombies to take out. Not difficult to manage with a few grenades and a couple Automatic Weapons. Speaking of which:
AK47
Avtomat Kalashnikov 47 - designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1945-46 introduced to warfare in '47.
Honestly, I like Russian guns a lot. I dunno what it is. [Havoc will probably tell you 'brain rot' from being a zombie for so long...(Havoc: I actually rather like the AK series, I just prefer a Siaga in 12 gauge)] Anyway, my main complaint about automatic weaponry is that they blow through ammo way to fast for them to be really practical for survival unless you have ten bullets for ever zombie in the county, and five for every zombie in the neighboring counties... I generally call it overkill when you go to sweeping up the zombies on the lawn and you find eight or nine zombies with twenty or thirty rounds in/through their heads. The good thing about Automatic weaponry is that you can move from left to right and mow down a row of forty zombies in under ten seconds. Havoc really likes Automatic weaponry. We've actually switched most of our AK's to Semi Auto so that we get better range and conserve ammo.
AVS-36
Avtomaticheskaya Vintovka Simonova 1936 model. This one is an automatic rifle, but the thing I like about this one is that it also has a Bayonet. While working with zombies you need to understand that sometimes you will not be able to reload in time to fend off the undead- they'll get to close and you'll have to resort to either hand to hand [not suggested] or a close weapons based combat [Knife, staff, or Gun/bludgeon]. The nice thing about a weapon with a bayonet on the front is this- when they do get to close, you already have a close range weapon ready for usage. This has saved the lives of many people in the past, myself included.
Claymore
Large Scot/irish sword, two hands. Not quite as big as an English broadsword, but in the ball park. These are very heavy and will sap your energy quickly. For that reason I wouldn't use one if I had the option. I'd go for a lighter weapon like a hand and a half sword, or a long Dirk. I know a few guys who could easily handle a claymore, but I'm not one of them.
Katana
Obviously you've heard of the Japanese sword, the Katana. You're probably also familiar with the fighting style involved with that. I like this style because it's fast and fluid. There's a lot of chopping and hacking with a katana, but stabbing is not out of the question [as with a claymore...]
Past that, I really don't have much knowledge about really fighting with a Katana, I don't have one and have never gotten the chance to really observe anyone with one.
Rapier
Ok, it's French, Yeah. -But this is my first option when it comes to a sword against a zombie, and I'll tell you why. It's lighter than a claymore, hand and a half, or katana. It's more flexible than any of those swords too. Not only that, but it's made mostly for stabbing and slicing rather than hacking and cutting. It's a very fast weapon as well.
That's all I have for now, hopefully you can use some of this information in your apocalypse.
What you should stock for the Zombie Apocalypse
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Reloading your shotgun, Part 2
the combat reload is meant to be fast. for use in the heat of battle when the gun goes click. after the fight slows a touch you can quickly jam a few rounds into the magazine by using a Havoc speed load, which after practice allows you to load slightly more then one round per second.
Remember, the gun is just a tool, you are the weapon.
What should I put in my survival garden ?
Hey Thespis here to give you the lowdown on what you should and should not have in your survival garden. We hear at Point B know that not everyone is blessed with such a large facility as we have so we will give you tips and tricks for both rural and urban survivors.
During an outbreak of the Zombie infection it is important to protect yourself and your team from infection. Thus a trip to Walmart or Food Lion is out of the question. The solution is gardening, many plants can easily be grown for consumption; However, Plants can also have beneficial and hazardous properties. Certain plants might attract Zombies and others might act as a repellent. Many plants also have medicinal properties that can be a great help for cuts and minor field injuries. Note a cure for the Zombie infection has not been developed in this time,however, we have had limited success with a single use experimental formula from the future. So have hope that one day in the near or distant future we might discover a cure for the Zombie infection.
What will I need ?
You will ideally need:
Green House x2
Tilled land ( or 4ft x 4ft boxes/planters) x__
Seeds or plants x__
Fruit/Bean Trees x__
Dirt x a lot
Fertilizer/Compost x as needed
Time x a lot
Clean water access x a lot
Sunlight x varies from plant to plant
Where can I get it ?
You most likely can find the supplies you need laying around somewhere, be creative and use the resources at hand.
Is it going to cost ?
Nope, most of the things you can find laying around somewhere, you might however need to barter some seed or plants off another survivor if you can not find a suitable source.
Plants That Should Be AVOIDED.
Grains~ (Too many health conscious Zombies walking around these days, and grains require a complicated setup to protect them (and yourself) from the Zombies they will attract.)
Brussels Sprouts~ These tiny green vegetables can sometimes be mistaken by Zombies as brains, and like I said there are many health conscious Zombies walking around so better safe than sorry.
Corn~ Contrary to what many people believe corn is not a vegetable, it is a grain, see grains mentioned above for more info.
Plants that should be planted in ABUNDANCE.
Carrots (Zombies hate this little orange vegetable.)
Mint and other aromatic herbs ( Have you ever heard of a nice (minty fresh) smelling zombie ? I certainly haven't.
Coffee Trees (Gotta keep the team functioning during the watch shifts in the wee hours of the mornin.)
Tea Plants ( Some members don't like coffee.)
Cocoa Trees ( Chocolate ! Hot Chocolate ! Fudge ! Cakes ! Brownies ! Chocolate ! Chocolate ! )
Sugar Cane ( In a life of darkness and Zombies, something sweet always cheers you up.)
Beans and Peas (Many Zombies ignore these plants,and they make an abundant supply of veggies.)
Rice ( Who doesn't like rice ? )
Potatoes ( Us living humans can't live without taters.)
Tomatoes (Ketchup, Salads, Sandwiches, etc.)
Grapes and Berries ( Jellies, Jams, Snacks, Deserts )
Things you might want to consider as additions to your new garden.
Chickens ( Meat and Eggs )
Goats ( Milk, much smaller and less conspicuous than cows. )
Geese ( Have you seen how big a goose egg is ? You know how much gunpowder and C4 you could pack in there ? )
All of these will serve the purposes mentioned above as well as weed and insect control protecting your precious crops.
Hoping this helps you with your endeavor of surviving the zombie apocalypse,
J. Thespis Kellum
Reloading your shotgun, Part 1
The simple Admin reload allows you to load your weapon during a lull in the fight without losing situational awareness, this style uses a stock mounted shell carrier, but can be slightly modified to accommodate side-saddle carriers, belt carriers, bandoleers and dump pouches.
Remember the gun is just a tool, you are the weapon.
Missions
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Communications Array is up and running!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
The Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide
2. The few final survivors of the Zombie Apocalypse who are looking for information that may help you survive a little longer until the government can get the last few working helicopters out to drop the cure to your bunker.
3. A kid who has nothing better to do with your time, and is not threatened by zombies, but none of your friends are available on your IM, and your MMORPG Guild Raid was cancelled because the guild leader's youngest child is sick, so you're refreshing your zombie Apocalypse Survival guide.
All of these are unfortunate happenings, and have put you in a pretty desperate situation, so we here at the Point B Bunker will try not to waste your valuable time.
This is the Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide as written by The Point B Survivalist team. We're a small, but powerful part of the North Carolina Zombie Defense Mechanism. We partner mainly with the Young Division who are good friends of ours. They have helped in the building of the Point B Bunker, and Point B helped with the Building of the Young Division Bunker.
On the Point B Survivalist team we have several well qualified people who have a lot of experience with Zombie attacks and tactics.
Our team of Tactical specialists are as follows.
Rank: Assault Lead/maker of the big kabooms.
Primary Location: Point B Bunker (NC)
"Hydrostatic shock, its the shock-wave of the round hitting that does the damage, not the round itself, you don't have to completely destroy the brain, just damage the cell walls; and in the dead- that is extremely easy" - Havoc
Primary Location: Point B Bunker (NC)
"When all else fails: Cannon balls... Cannon balls and Grenades." - StasiStasi is one of our Intelligence officers, and communications gal on the inside. She makes sure we keep contact with the other divisions, particularly the Young division. She also coordinates meetings and joint assaults with the Kellum Bunker, the Driver bunker, and several others.
Primary Location: Point B Bunker (NC)
"I think it's time that we either feed the Zombies, or knock 'em out again..." - Avalon
Primary Location: Point B (NC)
Temporary Post: Bunker 257 Sanford (NC)
"Can we be a little bit more careful about where we place the charges?" - LyemiThe first addition to the Point B team who is NOT a Roper, Lyemi came to us several years ago around the time Avalon was zombified. Lyemi's kind of new to the whole zombie apocalypse thing, but with the help of the rest of the team she is altering her previous strategies for zombie warfare. She's the more cautious one of the group, and is always on the alert for impending attacks. Her strategy is extremely defensive, and she's likely to be near the bunker keeping a watch on the other members of the team, and ready to dart back to safety. Lyemi's esse
"Ahhhhh I'm not dead! However keep up what you're doing and I will be soon enough!" - Thespis
"The good news is- the zombies can be lured away with meat. The bad news is- y'all count as meat. So... who wants to volunteer?" - Eoin
Eoin is headquartered at Epsilon Station, so named because he has a flare for drama and, when combined with a colon, epsilon makes a goofy face Ɛ: ... however, he does not stay put for long and can often be found at other bunkers, training fresh survivors.