Draven

The only shot they show of his "death" is him being "torn apart" right after they made a point of showing that he fell on the ground with Michael's body on top of him.

I don't know how you could watch that and NOT figure out what they were doing.

Navinabob

Umm... one of the reason a spear was so coveted was the cost to produce and the ease of use by regular Joes. It was a fodder weapon for peons. There were a lot of Qiang/Spear/Polearm variations, so you could conceivable find a good style that works on zombies... but realistically the standar army sidearms of daggers and axes probably would be more effective for killing. Maybe a mix of people pushing away with holding/pinning spears and others doing the killing with axes would work.

Personally, I'd go with this hacking & stabbing mix:

Shazam

So if you stab a walker with a spear in their body, they will simply keep moving towards you. That's why I don't like them.

Ky-Fi

In my test-cutting group, we referred to the dadao as "The Denogginizer."

That is a brutal weapon.

Josh-da-man

Yeah, that's another reason guns are a poor weapon against zombies. Without a decent head shot, there's no stopping power. When it comes to self-defense, you are trained to aim for the body mass. That won't do shit against a zombie. With head shots, you're aiming at a small mass on a moving target.

Also drives me nuts when they stab the zombies in the head. You're getting too damned close and run the risk of getting bitten on the hand or scratched.

A spear isn't a bad choice, but it might not be effective, and you still have to pull it out of the head, which is another move that could eat up time in a situation where time is critical.

The sword beats just about everything, as it works quickly, accurately, provides a safe distance, and won't run out of ammo.

Rob V

Michone has the right idea... a machete (or two) is clearly the choice of the zombie apocalypse, IMO.

devilshalo

I'd go with the Spartan sword and shield, myself.

Preterite

Boar spears are designed to prevent a charging animal from moving down the spear shaft towards the hunter. Of course, if the walker is rotted and squishy enough no crossbar is going to stop them.

Arming a team depends a lot on what their mission is. I think a mix of spearmen and "defenders" with shields & hammers would be good for clearing an area, but for a resupply run you don't want weapons that get in the way. Pistols and one-handed choppers (like a kukri, dao, or kopis) for the "workers" and longarms for the overwatch seem like a good combo.

Jason

I'll go with anything that keeps me from getting too close while delivering the killing blow. Using a hunting knife is insane, especially when they are wearing basically no protective clothing.

Shazam

Boar spear is basically a halberd.

Abob Teff

Are you questioning the power of a black man's stick?

You are well trained in the art of webfu!

That is good and all, but I don't know how wearing a condom is going to help.

dino88

Why not just use a really long flyswatter? It would do just as much damage as the weapons posted above on those mushy zombie heads.

Preterite

A zombie apocalypse would be an opportunity for martial artists and weapon nuts to try out some of the clunkier and/or wackier members of their arsenal.

"Today I'm packing a meteor hammer and an urumi."
"Well, I'm going with a three-section staff and a boomerang!"

Rob V

As mushy as the zombie head is, how are they able to bite with such force?

On a serious note, I think the living use such Minimal weaponry and protection because deep down they crave the fight and part of them wants their own life to be over.

Ky-Fi

Famous last words: "Look everyone, I'm going to prove that the Flying Guillotine really works."

Xiroteus

I have wondered from the start why more people are not using sword like weapons. Makes the most sense.

Breakfast with Girls

Keep in mind that the weapons humans have devised are to combat humans or animals, not a mindless advancing horde of zombies. You need to adapt your tactics accordingly.

I think an effective strategy involves having a defensive line and an offensive line behind them. The defensive line would wear heavy armor and be armed with T-shaped poles. The T on the end would curve slightly away from the defender so you could corral zombies. It would probably have a vertical handle in the middle and at the end, so you could hold it with two hands and brace against the crush of zombies pushing toward you. The offensive line is armed with spears, and they spear the corralled zombies in the head. You would need probably a total of 10 trained people to be minimally effective against a large group of zombies, but I think as long as everyone kept calm and didn't get too tired they would do well.

With any dystopian story like this you have strength in numbers. You need to get a large number of highly-trained warriors to hunt and combat zombies, and a group of farmers with basic survival training to support them.

Coral

We're a little preoccupied with something, aren't we?

Michael Corvin

Spartan armor would be a solid choice as well.

DaveNinja

episode question: I thought Rick cut his hand when the folding knife he used to stab a zombie in the head folded onto his fingers, did it really show him being cut by the knife that was sticking in the shoulder of the walker?

Navinabob

Because most of the swords people own that they purchased in the mall would be worthless after a few solid hits. Most knives are fairly study in comparison.

Preterite

We so need a Walking Dead/Into the Badlands crossover now.

Chinese Tiger Fork:




Japanese "sleeve-catchers":

Coral

Yep. The knife he used to stab the walker (with his right hand) in the head just broke off when he pulled it out. The top of his left hand got cut from the bottom of the knife that was sticking out of the next walker when he was trying to push it back. Logically, Rick should have Zombie AIDS now.

Now I have to believe they had that scene for a reason. I doubt they'd kill off Rick (although I wouldn't have a problem with it) - so I wonder if it'll be infected and they'll wind up cutting off his left hand to avoid it from spreading (ala Hershel). He'll could be TWDs version of Ash (Evil Dead) - just without the chainsaw.

Breakfast with Girls

Yeah, so like that except wider on the end, to corral a few at a time around the upper chest.

Shazam

The WWZ novel had the "lobo".