Who would make the best zombiekilling army?

[Concray]

What kind of ancient soldiers would work best against zombies?

Huns, fast, sharpshooting skirmishers?

Roman legionaires, shieldwalls, short sword, tight formations?

A chapter of knight templars, mounted knights, heavy armors, religious fanatics?

Spartans, maybe not as badass as in the movies, but still, a warrior people?

Samurai, masters of the bow and the overhyped katana?

Vikings, once masters of the sea, raiders and sometimes berserks?

Scottish spearmen, men without pants but long fucking spears?

English longbowmen, the ancient eqavilent of a machinegun-nest?

Shaolin battlemonks, just because?

Something else I haven't thought about?
What do you think?
Can't really decide myself...
And what could we learn from them to help us combat the undead menace?

[MikeM]

Roman Legion:
A-Disciplined and organized for long term warfare
B-Well trained, and appropriate tactics to the job at hand
C-Weapons that could do the job (gladius, lead sling stones, heavy javelin)

You know, this calls for a new show on Spike TV: Deadliest Warrior Vs. Undead can't be any sillier than Deadliest Warrior

-Mike

[Concray]

Roman Legion:
A-Disciplined and organized for long term warfare
B-Well trained, and appropriate tactics to the job at hand
C-Weapons that could do the job (gladius, lead sling stones, heavy javelin)

You know, this calls for a new show on Spike TV: Deadliest Warrior Vs. Undead can't be any sillier than Deadliest Warrior

-Mike

But the romans do have a weakness.
Their infantry fought in very tight formations, their armors had quite a lot of exposed skin, if one gets bit, it would probably split up the ranks quite quickly...
But I guess those big shields and short weapons are pretty close to what modern day riot-cops use, and that's quite useful.

And I would watch the shit out of that show! Two of my favorite things, ancient warfare and zombies! Who could not love it!

[LowKey]

Any of the ancient warriors that used the phalanx (interlocking shields in formation) with a combination of long spears and short swords.
Most of those forces, particularly the Romans were well disciplined enough that I wouldn't foresee them having any problem with putting down one of their own that became infected/turned.

[Concray]

Any of the ancient warriors that used the phalanx (interlocking shields in formation) with a combination of long spears and short swords.
Most of those forces, particularly the Romans were well disciplined enough that I wouldn't foresee them having any problem with putting down one of their own that became infected/turned.

No matter how diciplined you are, battlefields are chaotic, and a howling horde of horrendous Zombies probably makes it even worse.
Chances are that they wouldn't even notice it before the entire front row was down....

[MikeM]

The tightness of the formation is the base of their success. Picture the overlapping shields, and the helms just exposing the eyes. Now imagine the gladiuses thrusting out into a body already hammered and off balanced by the impact of the shield.

The armor is secondary defensive technology to the shield, and the soldier would typically attack off line, thrusting to kill the opponent that faced the man next to him, and knowing that the man next to him would do the same.

Behind this line are the slingers casting lead pellets capable of shattering the skull, and centurions who have iron batons of office used to keep the lines in place, but could just as easily dispatch the infected.

The power of the Roman Legion was that it turned humans into pieces of a machine, and every piece was completely replacable. This was not "hero warfare" such as the Vikings, or samurai waged, where a battle was a series of individuals pairing up to fight, but instead very modern in its impersonal, business like approach.

You know, Concray, now you have me thinking that I really need to get in touch with some of my fellow European Medieval and Rennaissance Martial Arts instructors and try to do a pilot episode of this concept, or at least some kind of YouTube thing.

-Mike

[Concray]

The tightness of the formation is the base of their success. Picture the overlapping shields, and the helms just exposing the eyes. Now imagine the gladiuses thrusting out into a body already hammered and off balanced by the impact of the shield.

The armor is secondary defensive technology to the shield, and the soldier would typically attack off line, thrusting to kill the opponent that faced the man next to him, and knowing that the man next to him would do the same.

Behind this line are the slingers casting lead pellets capable of shattering the skull, and centurions who have iron batons of office used to keep the lines in place, but could just as easily dispatch the infected.

The power of the Roman Legion was that it turned humans into pieces of a machine, and every piece was completely replacable. This was not "hero warfare" such as the Vikings, or samurai waged, where a battle was a series of individuals pairing up to fight, but instead very modern in its impersonal, business like approach.

You know, Concray, now you have me thinking that I really need to get in touch with some of my fellow European Medieval and Rennaissance Martial Arts instructors and try to do a pilot episode of this concept, or at least some kind of YouTube thing.

-Mike

One of the most important things about the roman shield wall was the illusion of impenetrabillity. They stood there, seemingly unmovable as waves of "softer" infantry washed against them.
This was extremely demoralising, and an important part of the romans success.
But zombies do not get demoralized, they just keep piling up, they are more like a wave of meat than an army.
The weight alone would break the romans formation.

And yes, do that! And send me the link if you do!

[masterblaster666]

Well what is ancient? Anything from the last 1000 years? I would think that the flaw with the Romans would be one of their best defenses the helmet. So they get bit in the leg by a crawling zombie now you have a guy that is zombiefied and you cant destroy the brain.
I think the best ancient army against them would be Saladin's army that fought in the Crusade only because they were desert people and were light and fast but hardy enough to live in and fight in one of the harshest environments in the world.

[SurvivalGearDepot]

A dozen women on the rag.

Case closed.

[Finch]

[Concray]

A dozen women on the rag.

Case closed.

In ancient times, they did not have rags, the used pinecones, thus making the women even more irritable and incomprehensibly more dangerous.
Three would be enough.

[Concray]

Men in full-face helmets, wearing nothing but thongs and overcome with a lust for glory?
Are you sure?

[Finch]

Men in full-face helmets, wearing nothing but thongs and overcome with a lust for glory?
Are you sure?

Its the thongs that give them the winning edge

[Ad'lan]

Huns are the only ones who stand a decent chance. Mobile, and swift enough to avoid the zombies, and with their bows they can kill them without needing to get too close, and risk infection. Depending on the Era, we might include Samuri

Next, with a good chance if they remain willing and able to retreat, are Longbowmen, though they would have to be more defensive. Fixed positions with swift lines of retreat to avoid getting up close and personal.

All the others are gonna die. Infantry, hand to hand, against zombies.

Boned.

[ozwyn]

I am think WWII russian T-34 flamethrower tank batallions. Flamethrower knockdown power is sadly underrated. Every tank is a bunker, older tanks are heavy on machineguns too.

Of course, by the same measure, a large unit of WWII engineering shermans with the bulldozer/hedgerow spikes and flamerthrowers and machineguns do well. (burn them, shoot them, blast them, crush them under tracks, Loud music and a six pack for each tank. Shit, don't need soldiers... SELL TICKETS for people to train up and do it for you)


Zombies as a rule are not organized enough to go up against armor. As long as they don't play too much with the main guns, they are at little risk of friendly fire either. Of course, swapping out the main gun for a minigun and a f-ton of ammo might turn it into 5 star entertainment.

Back it up with close air support. C-130 gunships and the old c-47 versions (which were all miniguns).

As long as the terrain supports the fighting, the zombies have no hope.
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edit - ancient army? I would go with the mongols for the same reason as the huns - shoot and scoot. Mongols might have some rocket artillery too.

[Bluito23]

I would say English longbowmen. Only because they can engage the zombies from a safe distance, and often from tall castles that zombies cannot breach, due to moats.



Mark

[DFWMTX]

Actually, I'd want a nice mix. Roman soldiers to hold the front lines, English archers, Mongol cavalry, and the US airforce with some cluster bombs.

[animalu]

Mmm. Dacians' falxes (here and here:3rd paragraph) seem among the right answers. If the disciplined romans reinforced their helmets when they encountered this weapon, imagine their effects on heads. Behind the lines of falxmen, (pole)slingers that throw rocks at a great height, so that they accumulate enough inertia falling (instead of a flatter trajectory like a sling or bow). Considering the roman affinity for war machines, I'm sure they could have "mass"-produced miniature trebuchets, so that one man could realistically operate 5-10 slings. Accuracy wouldn't be an issue as long as the Horde would be channeled in some predictable area. So my answer is: Dacian & Roman warriors.

[Murph]

I'd let some of the finest Gladiators have a go at the undead horde.

They might not last, but it would be awesome to watch.

[PCP]

Turtles

[Ninja Master]

Chuck Norris, Mr T., and the TechnoViking. [/debate]

[Morgo]

A legion of men armed with crossbows

[The Punisher]

Roman Legion:
A-Disciplined and organized for long term warfare
B-Well trained, and appropriate tactics to the job at hand
C-Weapons that could do the job (gladius, lead sling stones, heavy javelin)

You know, this calls for a new show on Spike TV: Deadliest Warrior Vs. Undead can't be any sillier than Deadliest Warrior

-Mike

I was working on a story... don't ask... and I thought the Romans would be good too. But with their short weapons that were meant for thrusting, I doubt they could keep from getting bit or overwhelm the masses of dead. Not only that but their thought process back in the day they probably would flee the battlefield if they saw walking dead.

Now if you could avoid the fleeing part and take that out of equation then I'd go with the Greeks. With long spears they'd at least keep them at a distance longer and hopefully finish up with their short swords.

The absolute best bet would be forces that were chariot mounted. They could just ride over them and cripple the majority of them.

[Explorer]

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