One Problem i have with Melee weapons

[KnightoftheRoc]

I'm in the camp that melee combat would have to be an absolute last resort... Especially if the blood is infectious. Stealth would probably be the safer route. However, under circumstances where melee has to be used, I wouldn't go for a pole arm. The reach on one is great but is also a big weakness. All a zed has to do is get in close enough and your pole arm is rendered useless and unwieldy.

My go to choice would have to be some sort of shield and a machete/short sword. Something like the Gladius comes to mind.

I'm a sword and board fighter, myself, and would be more effective this way, but a polearm is NOT useless in close combat, if you know how to use it. Just how effective depends on the style of polearm and your level of training, but "getting inside their reach" is of no advantage against someone who knows the weapon well. That tactic is only useful against someone who is not yet comfortable with the weapon and it's uses, something a zed would have no way of determining, since they no longer have the capacity for higher-level thinking (we assume, and HOPE)- you never see a zombie movie where the zeds are led by some super-tactician.

[NATO21]

lol, I say go to home depot and pick up a clear face shield for weed whacking, put on a neoprene baklava and know your weapon well. If you have it for survival you should know how to use it and well (weapon wise). Guns do run out of ammo and depending on how long and how many zombies there are you might what to get to know how to use a particular bladed weapon. As well as work in groups while using them if you have too. I wouldn't want to go lone wolf per-say in zombie type scenario.

Second of all why doesn't some one just develop a melee weapon for killing zombies. The evolution of weapons was due to weapons not being as effective because of people developing things like armor and tactics. Hence the evolution of clubs to axes, ax to blades, blades to guns (or something like that). I know i'm a new guy to the group, but why look for something close to what your looking for in a melee weapon when we can just make what were comfortable with. Some like hammers as a back up, some like swords, and some like guns. But every one agrees when worst comes to worst, grab anything that will work and make your last stand for humanity. lol

Everything aside, I agree that melee just isn't a good word for what it describes.

Nato21

[squinty]

lol, I say go to home depot and pick up a clear face shield for weed whacking, put on a neoprene baklava and know your weapon well. If you have it for survival you should know how to use it and well (weapon wise). Guns do run out of ammo and depending on how long and how many zombies there are you might what to get to know how to use a particular bladed weapon. As well as work in groups while using them if you have too. I wouldn't want to go lone wolf per-say in zombie type scenario.

Second of all why doesn't some one just develop a melee weapon for killing zombies. The evolution of weapons was due to weapons not being as effective because of people developing things like armor and tactics. Hence the evolution of clubs to axes, ax to blades, blades to guns (or something like that). I know i'm a new guy to the group, but why look for something close to what your looking for in a melee weapon when we can just make what were comfortable with. Some like hammers as a back up, some like swords, and some like guns. But every one agrees when worst comes to worst, grab anything that will work and make your last stand for humanity. lol

Everything aside, I agree that melee just isn't a good word for what it describes.

Nato21

Hmmm. Ruckus? Brawl? Throw-down? Punch-up? Tussle? Glorious cranial hammerfest? Old school ass-kickathon? What word to use instead?

[Gambino]

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[NATO21]

I like to say HTH (Hand to Hand). Melee just sounds acword. Then again some people would say the same about HTH.

Nato21

[squinty]

Mano-a'-Zombie?

[zombietacgear]

Cold Steel makes a long-handled Katana Machete. Its just about sword length, but the blade is made like a machete and it costs about as much. The handle is long so you can swing it like an axe. You dont have to be an expert swordsman to use or maintain one, and it wont break your bank like a well-made, functioning sword. It is, however, not as effective in close quarters, and is hard to use with one hand. there's a detailed review here: http://zombietacgear.com/?p=1

[Angry Sapper]

One of the only weapons that forced the Romans to change their ways was a beastie called a "Dacian falx" specifically designed to reach over their shields and seperate their brains from latin skulls. In reverse I reckon it must be one of the best medieval zombie killers ever made. Reach over your shield wall and let the brain drain begin.

[Duke Raze]

My problem? I have swung a machete enough to know that I am not going to wade through the crowd. I might be able to pop one or two to get away but blades go dull, everything gets heavy, and hands hurt and get tired. Turn me in to Kratos or something and we will talk.

[Quartermaster]

A couple of weapons that have rarely been mentioned on this thread are the flanged mace and the medieval warhammer/pick. The modified crowbar is more usefule than a flanged mace but the latter is a useful melee weapon if you limit the flanges to four space equally around the core on a 30-32" ash or hickory shaft. The flanges should be 1/4" steel in a triangular shape. For very close HTH with a Zed or human, add a 4" spike to the top of the mace to shove into an eye socket.

Cold Steel offers a nice war hammer with pick but I'd replace the shaft with something longer so it could be use 2-handed and add a spike to the top like on the mace for very close HTH. The warhammer is actually more useful for mundane uses than the mace.

Quartermaster

[Tater Raider]

I dunno on this. So I looked aorund a bit on teh interwebz to see what modern armies used. I found a merc unit that uses mêlée weapons. They train hard with them and I wouldn't want to go up against them.



The Swiss Guard know how to put a hurt on people with these and Swiss Mercenaries have a reputation for this sort of violence that is well earned. Yes, they have firearms training use the SIG Sauer P220 and the SIG SG 550. They also carry, in uniform, the following mêlée weapons: long sword, rapier, flamberge, partisan, and halberd. Primarily they are halberdiers, though, which is how the Swiss mercenaries earned their reputation.

I'll use a baseball bat if it comes down to it because getting fluids on me may turn me into a zombie but getting bitten surely will turn me.

There is something else to consider here too. Not all of us on Zombie Squad own firearms, not even among the paying membership here. There are many reasons for this. These folk need options as well. Ranged is preferable, of course, but that requires ammunition and it's always good to have a fall-back plan.

Worth noting: Zombies don't care what you are using, so you better know how to effectively use whatever it is you may have to use.