New Weapons Briefing Released: The Staff

A new Weapons briefing has been released, covering one of the most basic of long-range weapons: the Staff

Review this briefing in the Long-range Weapons section at this link.

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Long-range Weapon: Staff

The staff has a long history in both Asian and Western combat arts. Known as the bo in Japan, the guin in China, and the quarterstaff in Europe, it is generally hewn from different varieties of hardwood and six to eight feet in length.

With no sharp edges to cut, nor weighted ends to increase striking damage or penetration, the staff is primarily considered a non-lethal weapon popular with individuals, such as monks or friars, who would typically show mercy (or “quarter,” hence its English namesake) towards their attackers. Mercy, however, is a trait that cannot afforded to the living dead.

The skill required to deliver a single neutralizing blow with a staff, with its lack of an aggressive point and equal weight distribution, is very high indeed. Individuals who can do so consistently have typically trained with this weapon for years.

Target Areas

Given the staff’s weight, dimensions and the skill required to wield it effectively, thrusting attacks to the cranium have limited effect on the undead. It is extremely difficult to penetrate a ghoul’s brain case with a thrust from a staff, even if directed towards vulnerable areas, such as the eye socket. The circumference of the weapon is typically larger than that of the average eye socket, not to mention the precision required to deliver such a blow. Centrifugal attacks will also do minimal damage on the undead skull, mostly superficial in nature depending on your strength and ability to generate momentum with the weapon.

Combat Strategy

With a limited ability to quickly deliver a neutralizing blow, how useful is this weapon in undead combat? The most effective use of the staff, or any staff-like implement, is using it to obstruct an attacker’s onslaught by using the length of the weapon to keep the ghoul at bay. This can be done by grasping the middle and end of the staff with both hands and forcing the tip into the midsection of the zombie.

In executing this technique, there is a slight chance of the ghoul grabbing or pushing the weapon out of the way. Should this occur, pull back and reset your weapon, and force the tip back into the corpse’s midsection. Most zombies will be too focused on reaching their prey to execute such a defensive maneuver.

Using this strategy, you can keep a zombie at an adequately safe distance indefinitely, as long as you have the strength to continue to do so. Do not underestimate the usefulness of this tactic, as it may provide a small window of time for you or your party to escape. This technique can be also used in coordination with another human to pin the ghoul against a surface while your teammate delivers a finishing blow. If you have a sufficient strength and weight advantage over your attacker, you can also use this technique to maneuver the zombie backward and drive it over a ledge, cliff or embankment.

Given the limited destructive power provided by the staff, it should be your last resort if no other weapons are available. It does provide some advantage over being completely unarmed, and can be used effectively in a team-based operation.

New Briefing Released: Strafe-Circle-Strike

A new Technique briefing has been released, detailing a specific melee combat strategy exclusively developed by the Zombie Combat Club.

Review this briefing in the Melee Techniques section at this link.

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Melee Technique: Strafe-Circle-Strike

When engaging a zombie at melee distance, you’re faced with the following combat dilemma: How do you deliver a terminating blow to an oncoming corpse while simultaneously remaining outside of its hostile reach?

A frontal assault is, for the most part, not recommended. If you initiate your attack directly face-to-face with your opponent, you must have 100% confidence that you will be able to end your attacker’s onslaught with a single blow. Should your strike fail to neutralize your opponent, you will most likely find yourself within a range where the ghoul can grab you with its outstretched hands, turning the conflict from a melee engagement to a close quarters confrontation - the most perilous of ranges to engage the undead.

A better strategy is to take advantage of your superior, and your opponent’s lack of, motor skill and coordination. This is defined by the ZCC as “Passing the Grasp” - getting around, over or under the reaching, infectious hands of the ghoul and delivering a finishing strike.

An effective ZCC melee technique which you can employ is the SCS - Strafe-Circle-Strike:

1) Strafe - when confronting a zombie at midrange, you will most likely be facing each other directly. With the ghoul’s arms outstretched, it may be difficult to attack its skull without coming in danger-close proximity to its grasp, especially if you face a taller attacker with a longer reach than yourself. Your first move should be to side-step, or “strafe” left or right of your attacker. This word in this context originates from the first-person shooter video game genre, meaning to shuffle side-to-side while continuously facing your adversary. The intention is to move out of reach of the opponent’s grasp while not losing sight of it at all times. Do not turn away from your attacker during this movement. At melee range, ghouls have been known to lurch suddenly in an attempt to grab their victim.

2) Circle - once you have positioned yourself to either side of your attacker, begin to pivot clockwise or counterclockwise, ending at the left or right side (you could potentially continue circling, eventually ending up directly behind the attacker, but this obviously takes more time.) With this movement, you are taking advantage of the zombie’s lack of coordination. Recall the zombie’s coordination weaknesses in “Anatomy.” A normal human attacker would most likely turn, pivot, and track your movement should you attempt to circle him. Using the ghoul’s lack of speed against it, you are able to remain out of reach while exposing several prime anatomical targets for your assault.

3) Strike - from your finishing position, you have several melee striking options: the occipital, temporal, and nasal/orbital region of the skull and the neck are all available targets. Remember, the zombie does not possess the intelligence to block an oncoming strike, so choose whichever target suits you and your weapon best.

As you become proficient in this technique, you will be able to combine the first two movements into one smooth clockwise or counterclockwise transition, known also as the “Circlestrafe.”

ZCC Site Launch Contest Winners

Thanks to all of you who participated in the site launch contest for October!

The winners of the Zombie Combat Club stickers are:

Darthjoe8, ZombieMan, scottfriday, ldlredhed, Calaverajoe, Queue, zombob, O-Day, Hieronymus, and Neos.

Each of you will receive a Zombie Combat Club sticker, feel free to send us a picture of where you eventually post it:

And the winner of the audiobook, The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - And Why, is dudeguadalupe!

Congratulations to all the winners!

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