The Zombie Combat Manual (26 page)

3.
It is overkill:
You are not auditioning for a barbarian film. An effective neutralizing blow is one that does just enough damage to the zombie brain to prevent it from attacking further. Any additional damage beyond what is minimally required needlessly expends energy, energy that can be put to better use to dispatch another zombie.

Combat Techniques

Because of their significant length and heavier weight, fighting with long-range destructive weapons requires more strength and skill than fighting at other distances. If you find yourself equipped with such a weapon, you can use certain techniques to make your battles with the undead quicker and easier. Recall the vulnerable attack points of the undead physique covered in the section on anatomy. Given the physical properties of your weapon, nearly all of those points can be effectively targeted when fighting at long-range distance. Here are several tested techniques that you can use to target those vulnerabilities.

THE BLINDSIDE

TARGET AREA: TEMPORAL REGION
MOST EFFECTIVE WITH: HEAVY POLEARMS AND BATTLE-AXES
TECHNIQUE: WHILE STANDING IN FRONT OF YOUR OPPONENT

1. Hold your weapon near the middle and end of the shaft with both hands.

2. Raise your weapon and pivot at the waist.

3. Strike the side of the skull in the region above the ear.

4. Follow through on your swing.

THE SKULLCAPPER

TARGET AREA: NASAL/ORBITAL REGION
MOST EFFECTIVE WITH: FLAT-BLADED POLEARMS (SPADES, SHOVELS,
AND SCRAPERS)
TECHNIQUE: WHILE STANDING IN FRONT OF YOUR OPPONENT

1. Hold your weapon near the middle and end of the shaft.

2. Aim for the bridge of the nose.

3. Thrust forward aggressively, driving the blade through the skull.

4. Retract your weapon to ensure that it does not get stuck within the skull cavity. A powerful enough thrust can shear the top of a ghoul’s head clean off.

THE MUSASHI

TARGET AREA: NECK/DECAPITATION
MOST EFFECTIVE WITH: BLADED POLEARMS, BATTLE-AXES, AND
GREAT SWORDS
TECHNIQUE: SIMILAR TO THE BLINDSIDE ATTACK, WITH THE EXCEPTION
OF YOUR FINAL TARGET

1. Raise your weapon and pivot at the waist.

2. Strike the side of the neck, following through on your swing.

3. Repeat until the head is separated from the torso.