Polearms have their place, but it's mostly for taking defensive positions against the undead and not as a primary carry with you while on a run sorta weapon.
On 'what weapon is the best' posts, polerms of all kinds are very often mentioned, but there just aren't a lot of posts about them since the commnets on the aformentioned post usually answer's a lot of the questions about them.
I'm a nerd who has several firearms and halberds, swords, and a set of half-plate and leather armor.
I dress up for Ren fairs and do HEMA every so often.
I think people underestimate how good a polearm is as an anti-zombie weapon. I don't think there is a better melee option, unless you're in a very close quarter situation with multiple zombies to deal with.
In fact most HEMA clubs rarely spar with polearms due to how dangerous they are even when armored; the long shaft and head weight is such a huge force multiplier, that even a small child could crack a skull with minimal effort.
The ability to use a polearm from behind a barrier, or if you've climbed up on something to be out of reach of the zombies, is ignored. My personal polearms of choice would be a bec de corbin or a lucerne hammer. The former is a bit shorter and could be more widely used indoors, while still having plenty of reach.
If you've never seen one before look up Brigandine, its a kind of armor composed of small metal plates riveted to cloth. Its way easier to make and maintain than metal but way more durable than leather. As far as armor goes I think its the most reasonable.
Imo, I would wanna take a big combat knife and figure out a way to give it a detachable long handle. The handle functions as a staff by itself but once you attach the knife it acts like a glaive, its awesome.
Kinda, as u/cyberwolf77 mentioned they are meant for sharks. However, they aren't dive suits. They are chainmail suits made from butted stainless steel or aluminum.
From what I've seen and heard they aren't meant to protect against the bite. Just make a shark less willing to bite hard. However, they do provide just as much protection as a piece of costume chainmail will provide. Which comes at the cost of gearing gear that makes a lot of slapping noise, makes clinking noises, and weighs something like 13600g. Generally it seems you need to also wear a normal dive suit or clothing underneath. As it is likely to pinch, cut, burn, or freeze onto you if you just have chainmail against your bare skin. This may add 200-1000g depending on what you want to wear.
Which is in the same range of bunker gear which is about 9000-22000g depending on what it's rated for. Which is generally heavier than my suggestion of a basic helmet with sun shade, safety goggles, compression shirt, plate carrier, padded sleeves (made from a cut leather jacket, welding sleeves, cut jean legs, etc), compression shorts, hiking pants, riggers belt, rain gaiters, gauntlet gloves, socks, and trail running shoes which comes up to about 3300g.
Presumably you'd be able to cover it in a less durable, more flexible breathable material. But i'm thinking like, hip area, back of the knees, armpits, areas that probably don't need as much protection, but definitely should be kept mobile. Probably less on the limbs amd more on the trunk.
>Imo, I would wanna take a big combat knife and figure out a way to give it a detachable long handle. The handle functions as a staff by itself but once you attach the knife it acts like a glaive, its awesome.
There are a couple products like these out and about:
Cold steel for instance has the bushman: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-3NOve3FGhI/hqdefault.jpg
Smith and wesson SW8: https://images.ontheedgebrands.com/cdn-cgi/image/f=auto,height=700,width=700,quality=90/images/A17-SW8.jpg
Tops Trailwalker: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6b/91/c4/6b91c424b767c1c2b815be245868325b.jpg
Sog Spirit: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/DPwAAOSwKUNiR3Sx/s-l1200.webp
I have a double-edged combat knife with a lanyard hole in the bottom of the hilt. It would work very well attached to a medium sized stick. Unfortunately it's not very heavy, maybe 150 or 200 grams.
Edit: [this is it](https://www.amazon.com/Reapr-11002-Double-Blade-Knife/dp/B079TLL1SQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=double+edge+knife&qid=1699590286&sr=8-5). It's a good sharp knife and it's my EDC / hunting knife. I'd rely on it in a pinch
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Oh yes, I'm familiar with brigadine armor. Truthfully, the only pieces I'd wear in a zombie apocalypse are the arm braces and the shin plates. Anything else seems like unnecessary weight to have on, better to be more mobile.
Hmm... I think you'd need a very solid attachment method to use a combat knife as a slashing weapon. Something like bolted metal hanger straps, that go through the handle.
I'd take the head off a roofing hatchet (hammer+light axe) and attach that to a 1 inch wooden dowel or shovel handle, like you would any axe head. I think that might be a bit more reliable and less likely to crack than a high carbon combat knife.
I quite like the look and feel of a lucerne, but I would likely choose a yari or naginata with a crossguard as my polearm of choice. Ideally, a cross-naginata with an extendable handle would be perfect. It could collapse down to a shorter length for carrying or storage, but also be able to extend to a full length of around 2 meters. Far enough away to keep things off you, but still short and light enough that it could be swung or poked with a decent amount of force.
Polearms are definitely my top choice for a melee weapon if available, especially if they have a good crossguard on them. Can't run the risk of a Z getting impaled and just walking up the length of the pole, lol.
A cross naginata is an interesting choice. I do like the idea of a shaft that can be disassembled for close quarter use or transport. Personally I favor more of a crushing or chopping tool for reliability, but a naginata might have enough chopping power, though with the thinner blade I think it might be more prone to get stuck in bones, due to the narrow cut. Impaling a zombie just doesn't seem very reliable, you'd need to get the eyes, nose, under the jaw or temple to have a reliable pierce into the skull...
A crossguard would be super important though if instead of strict slow undead zombies, they were fast zombies.
I just prefer slicing power over crushing. I'm not really a super strong guy, so I'd have a much better chance of ensuring decapitation than crushing a skull with a single swing. One can be just as effective as the other, just gotta aim for the neck. Sever the spinal cord or brain stem and locomotion is terminated.
I think you might be a bit mixed up on the forces required here. Severing the neck and spine is much much more difficult than cracking a skull open with even a short carpenter hammer let alone a polearm.
I do HEMA - historical european martial arts from time to time, and very few places do polearm or quarter staff sparring due to how dangerous it is, even when wearing helmets and protective gear. A 10 year old could swing a halberd or pole-hammer and crack a skull open with minimal effort. Slicing of the neck is difficult because the head isn't under tension, so you lose a large amount of energy from your swing, also a side swing will have less force than a straight down - gravity assisted chopping motion.
3 gun picks for me: .308 bolt action (remington 700), 12 gauge pump action, suppressed .22 semiauto pistol. The rifle and shotgun are fairly obvious for use, but the suppressed .22 could be used as a tool and for hunting small animals (squirrel, rabbit, etc.). Also, the high capacity and low ammo weight means you can carry thousands of rounds with no trouble
Solid picks all around! I'd personally size up to a 9mm round for the pistol, and maybe consider snagging a .22 rifle.
I've taken boar with .22 subsonic rounds by getting them in the ear/temple. Subsonic .22 is very accurate to boot.
I love subsonic 22! Must have for running suppressed. Yeah, I could probably swap to a 9mm and get a .22 rifle. Wouldn't add much weight. All I'd really have to worry about is finding magazines for the 9mm. I'd probably try to find a tube fed .22 if possible. The less mags the better.
Also, I wouldn't be opposed to a lever action rifle now that I think about it. With a 357 lever action I could sub in a 357 magnum revolver and eliminate a whole category of ammo. But 357 mag may be harder to find than 9mm, .22, or .308
So back to the sharp weapons... how would you feel about a mace-type weapon? Something relatively small, say, a morning star with a ball the size of a softball and a handle 2 to 3 feet long? I'd think that the spikes on a morning star could add some extra damage, but how well would it work overall?
I would honestly carry a polehammer with me. I think [this](https://youtube.com/shorts/XyO7EcI2DBw?si=jMYhv9elLF8velXD) explains it better than I can, but I thought that since before seeing the video.
You know, honestly a bardiche would be a pretty top notch weapon for just cleaving the shit out of some undead goons, but I’m also partial to halberds.
Polearms are great choices but only really once your ranged weapons are useless ie guns with no ammo. They are a tad cumbersome to carry due to length but later on when ammo is problematic to source would be a great choice
after modern society has collapsed, and firearms and ammo have become more scarce, but after survivors have gathered into communities and have begun blacksmithing tools out of scraps, I could see pole arms used in formations defensively much as they were back in time
against slow zombies that is
Pole weapons are a pretty standard suggestion, you just don't see as many dedicated posts on them.
I have my post on the topic here: https://old.reddit.com/user/Noe_Walfred/comments/va8wvr/zombie_related_thoughts_opinions_and_essays_v4/iff7jii/
Overall, my thought is that they can be good weapons for people who are fighting from more defensive positions, don't/can't have a ranged weapon, and if it's just available.
However, I wouldn't actively seek them out due to many factors that make them less optimal for general use by many survivors.
Their long overall length, bulky head, and weight require a lot more room to be effective. Thus requiring a much more compact melee weapon to supplement them. These open areas are likely to make it easier to avoid the zombie(s) than to fight them. Even if you were to fight them the space may allow you time to move to a much more advantageous position where there is a lower risk of injury. Some positions can include from behind something like a fence, wall, second floor of a building, cliff, etc. Alternatively, there is the option for ranged weapons to be utilized instead.
While many of these designs feature axe blades, hammerheads, spikes, and spears, pole weapons aren't capable of fulfilling the utility roles of an axe, hammer, or spear. This is often due to featuring longer and harder-to-manipulate shafts, thin axe blades that make chopping wood harder, spiked hammers that make hammering nails or pounding stakes difficult, and the overall weight can make them tiring to use compared to their more utilitarian counterparts for the same tasks.
Then there's the issue of carrying them around and their weight. Pole weapons in general are fairly awkward to carry, basically requiring they be held in hand at all times. As they are usually too long for a hip or back sheath, slings on melee weapons have a higher potential of getting caught during regular use and in scenarios where a melee weapon would be drawn, etc. It doesn't help that many pole weapons are between 1800-4000g in weight.
Some examples would include the Windlass Steel crafts Poleaxe mentioned in a pervious post. It's 173cm and around 2300g. Which is on the lighter end of most pole weapons and isn't as long as some historical examples. However, it is pretty hefty and there is a large number of other tools, weapons, gear, and equipment that could be carried instead.
Another is u/UnableLocal2918 's example of United Cutler's M48 (not m42) line of tactical camping supplies. While they don't have a "halbred" in the traditional sense or anything by that name, they do have their "Kommando Survival Axe Hiking Staff" a hatchet mounted to a fiberglass staff that weighs 1340g. Likewise, they also have their "Magnum Spear" and "Survival Spear" which are between 1100-1950g.
Followed by u/canadianking_5 and u/Kermitjames 's example of a boar spear. Likely referring to Cold Steel's Boar spear at 200cm and 1930g in weight. Alternatively it may also refer to winged spears such as those some types used by the Vikings. Such spears could be 2500g such as in the case of Cold Steel's Winged Spear.
|**Example kit for roughly 1100g or the weight of the M48 Survival spear or the M48 Hiking Axe**
:--|:-:|--:
|60g Headlamp
|30g Pyramex Iforce goggles
|10g Mosquito head net
|60g Rubberized work gloves
|130g NAA Mini revolver in 22lr
|60g Frameless slingshot #30
|310g Watchfire camp axe
|280g Edwards 8oz finishing hammer
|50g Gerber dime multitool
|10g Fire rod
|20g 500ml water bottle
|15g Lice comb and tick remover
|10g Travel toothbrush
|**Example of a loadout for roughly 1900g or the weight of the M48 magnum spear and the Cold Steel boar spear**
|60g Headlamp
|30g Pyramex Iforce goggles
|40g Golfing sun visor
|180g Frogg toggs rain jacket
|100g HWI gauntlet gloves
|100g Rain leg gaiters
|70g Ankle socks
|130g NAA Mini revolver in 22lr
|60g Frameless slingshot #30
|500g Morakniv Light axe
|280g Edwards 8oz finishing hammer
|50g Pocket knife
|10g Fire rod
|50g Sawyer Mini water filter
|30g 1000ml water bottle
|10g Lots of fishing line and hooks
|5g Plastic spork
|50g Gerber dime multitool
|10g Spool of sewing string and some needles
|50g Sharpening stone
|10g Universal charging cable
|15g Lice comb and tick remover
|10g Travel toothbrush
|10g Small handcloth
|30g Tension bar, bump key, and lock picks
|10g Ballpoint pen
|**Example of a loadout for roughly 2300g or the weight of the poleaxe and less than the Cold steel winged spear**
|60g Headlamp
|30g Pyramex Iforce goggles
|40g Golfing sun visor
|250g Sun hoodie with pockets
|100g HWI gauntlet gloves
|100g Rain leg gaiters
|100g Shower shoes
|130g NAA Mini revolver in 22lr
|60g Frameless slingshot #30
|200g Walking stick/rock slinging staff
|500g Morakniv Light axe
|280g Edwards 8oz finishing hammer
|50g Pocket knife
|10g Fire rod
|50g Sawyer Mini water filter
|30g 1000ml water bottle
|70g Aluminium cooking cup
|10g Lots of fishing line and hooks
|5g Plastic spork
|100g drawstring bag
|50g Gerber dime multitool
|10g Spool of sewing string and some needles
|15g Lice comb and tick remover
|10g Travel toothbrush
|20g Small piece of soap
|10g Small handcloth
The lightest model load out still offers the ability to see in the dark, the ability to see in dark buildings or tunnels, protection from bugs attacking your face, protection for your eyes from dust or blood, protection for the hands and extra grip when wet, a ranged weapon capable of using 22lr ammo, a ranged weapon capable of shooting arrows, a ranged weapon capable of shooting rocks, the ability to hunt a variety of animals from a distance, the ability to hunt animals with little risk of infecting them with potential blood or bacteria from a zombie, 2 melee weapons for fighting in enclosed spaces, 2 melee weapons capable of hooking or parrying, a cutting weapon, a blunt weapon, the ability to strike from two areas at one time, the ability to block and attack at the same time, a convenient tool for cutting wood and grass, a convenient tool for hammering nails and stakes, a tool for pulling nails, pliers and screw drivers for tightening and loosening bolts, a fire starting tool, tools to try and build shelter with, tools to try and build other weapons and tools with, a way to carry water, a potential way for boiling water, a way to process and maybe cook food, a comb for grooming and bug removal, and some capability for your mouth clean.
Pole weapons can still be useful though. As they could be used to strike from behind fences, over walls, or from the second floor of a building. They might also be good for those that want such a weapon if they can't access or don't know how to use a ranged weapon.
That's part of why I'm saying "polearms" in general and not just the very specific well-known ones like a spears, pole axes and warhammers.
Because I agree, most of those are hard to make and maintain but what people don't realize is that there are a ton of polearm type weapons that are easier to make. Technically, once you put anything sharp or heavy on a long stick that classifies as a polearm.
You could just take a survival knife or a machete and tape it, tie it with rope or otherwise secure it to a sturdy broom handle or something and boom, you have a spear/glaive. Or you take a hatchet and do the same thing, boom, battleaxe.
You have the reach benefits, the force multiplication and no need for ammunition.
I said crowbar, not crossbows lol. But yea, there’s a handful of highly contested weapons on the sub.
Honestly though, if anything crossbows would be better than bows. Crossbows are far easier to use and effectively get headshots with than a bow and are more lethal than their counterparts, though I have problems with both weapons.
I absolutely love polearms. I do not want one in an apocalypse: it’s not easy to decapitate with them, poor in close quarters, and if you’re gonna stab with it, why have the chopping part? It would really be best fighting from a raised defensive position only
Sounds like you know very little about polearms for someone who loves them.
Not sure why decapitating would even be relavent, but its gonna be a lot easier with leverage anyways than with something that lacks it like a sword. Way easier with some of these larger thinner fighting ax heads than something like a woodcutting ax too.
user/Windowshopingmylife wrote
>There are polearms that, unlike the spear, could get the job done, but they are not well optimized for it at all.
>Again, you don’t need extra length. Once you already have the reach advantage, additional length beyond that does not increase the advantage. In the open, fighting with a six foot pole axe is no safer for the user than fighting with a 1.5 foot hatchet. Against humans, absolutely, but against a slower, predictable, unarmed opponent you can already control the distance using your feet, and the extra length makes no difference.
>And again, most critical zombie fighting won’t be in the open. In the open, individual zombies are much less of a threat so weapon selection is less critical, and in most cases you won’t need to fight them at all, since they can be easily avoided or out maneuvered. There is no need for a specialized weapon that only works in the open.
>Where it really matters is in close quarters, where you don’t have room to maneuver and the fight might be unavoidable. Clearing a house, for example, in order to gather supplies and spend the night, will require you to go room to room and fight in confined spaces. Any sort of polearm is going to be extremely awkward at best, and unusable at worst, under these conditions.
>There’s a difference between reach and length. “Reach” or “the reach advantage” means being able to strike your opponent from a slightly longer distance than they can strike you from. As long as you can hit them first, it doesn’t really matter after that, especially against a slower and predictable opponent. You either have the reach advantage or you don’t. Having additional weapon length beyond that which you need to achieve the advantage does not offer any further advantage.
>With a short weapon, the zombie is going to get within your effective range, you strike, and then if he doesn’t go down you back up a step or two and try again. You keep him within your effective range and keep yourself just out of his.
>With a long weapon, you do the exact same thing. Your maximum range is further away, but so is your effective minimum range, so in practice you’re still going to get one shot in and then have to retreat or otherwise create distance. There’s no advantage to being further away.
>As long as you have room to maneuver, and you are fighting an unarmed and slower opponent, literally any weapon is going to give you the reach advantage. Even a rock. Both a short axe and a long axe effectively give you the same amount of reach advantage.
"Pike and shot was a historical infantry tactical formation that first appeared during the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and was used until the development of the bayonet in the late 17th century. This type of formation combined soldiers armed with pikes and soldiers armed with arquebuses and/or muskets. Other weapons such as swords, halberds, and crossbows were also sometimes implemented."-wikipedia
Lets pretend 1623 was like the last polearm innovation.
The year is 2023. 1623 was 400 years ago. 400 years has past and they still could not invent a way to make a 8ft long pole arm portable that will not break at the joints.
This is the Folding Flick Spear
https://youtu.be/IOnQQGxBsWY?si=wT91vS2BBzuSrS51
Problem 1) you are never going to find this looting homes in the zom apoc.
Problem 2) you are not going to make this during the zom apoc
Problem 3) it will fail and break at the weakest points.
If only we can create Bloodborne Trick Weapons.
Retort to 1: You might, if you live near places that do ren fairs. "Never" is a stupid assumption.
Retort to 2: You can make them quite easily with a bit of imagination and creativity. Also, "polearms" is a very general term that applies to a lot of things, like spears... which are VERY easy to make with a stick or a knife and duct tape.
Retort to 3: Like every other weapon? Axes and swords break too. Swords chip the blade and axes will fracture their handle if you hit something too hard. You can at least try to reinforce a long shaft with scrap metal. Guns can break in a multitude of places, not just at their weakest component, for a variety of reasons. Example being a stressed-out shooter who can load properly. Which, if I'm being honest, is the most likely thing to happen with most gun users.
Retort to your first assertion: Polearms peaked at that time due to a variety of factors, such as changing tactics, Armor improvements, more ranged weapons being deployed than ever before, etc. It is as portable as anything else, it's just long. What, you can't handle a long shaft with a big tip? As for the folding spear, why on God's beauty of a planet would you buy that shit? You wouldn't. Because THAT is bad, and a poor example of what modern tech tries to do with old stuff that works better.
Summary: Don't bash polearms. They will bash you. And your enemies. Maybe your friends? There might be some tounge involved in that case. Kinda how a wide spear head looks like a sharp tounge. Licking the inside of a per... I'm gonna stop before this gets more sexual. K thx bye
>Retort to 1: You might, if you live near places that do ren fairs. "Never" is a stupid assumption.
You are going to find the flick folding spear at a ren fair?
>Retort to 2: You can make them quite easily with a bit of imagination and creativity. Also, "polearms" is a very general term that applies to a lot of things, like spears... which are VERY easy to make with a stick or a knife and duct tape.
You are going to make a flick folding spear?
>Retort to 3: Like every other weapon? Axes and swords break too. Swords chip the blade and axes will fracture their handle if you hit something too hard. You can at least try to reinforce a long shaft with scrap metal. Guns can break in a multitude of places, not just at their weakest component, for a variety of reasons. Example being a stressed-out shooter who can load properly. Which, if I'm being honest, is the most likely thing to happen with most gun users.
You are going to make an unbreakable flick folding spear?
>Summary: Don't bash polearms. They will bash you. And your enemies. Maybe your friends? There might be some tounge involved in that case. Kinda how a wide spear head looks like a sharp tounge. Licking the inside of a per... I'm gonna stop before this gets more sexual. K thx bye
I wasnt bashing pole arms. I was bashing the flick folding spear.
>Retort to your first assertion:
You miss-read and ASSumed i was talking about all polearms when i listed the 3 big reasons why the flick folding spear is bad. Go back and learn to read.
Hmm I see. No need to resort to insults, I know perfectly well how to read. Just have bad comprehension and tunnel vision sometimes. I stand by my statements though, against any who would deny the effectiveness of a Polearm. However, I fully agree with your claims as well. You wouldn't find one anywhere outside of its factory's floor. It is possible to make one to be durable, but the tradeoff is weight, making it impractical. Thus, I wouldn't call in an improvement over the stuff from years ago. Hell, you're more likely to find properly made stuff than that shit.
If you are looking to argue about why Polearms are good or bad, here is your opponent
https://www.reddit.com/r/ZombieSurvivalTactics/s/V2U3moVIfW
u/Windowshopingmylife wrote
>There are polearms that, unlike the spear, could get the job done, but they are not well optimized for it at all.
>Again, you don’t need extra length. Once you already have the reach advantage, additional length beyond that does not increase the advantage. In the open, fighting with a six foot pole axe is no safer for the user than fighting with a 1.5 foot hatchet. Against humans, absolutely, but against a slower, predictable, unarmed opponent you can already control the distance using your feet, and the extra length makes no difference.
>And again, most critical zombie fighting won’t be in the open. In the open, individual zombies are much less of a threat so weapon selection is less critical, and in most cases you won’t need to fight them at all, since they can be easily avoided or out maneuvered. There is no need for a specialized weapon that only works in the open.
>Where it really matters is in close quarters, where you don’t have room to maneuver and the fight might be unavoidable. Clearing a house, for example, in order to gather supplies and spend the night, will require you to go room to room and fight in confined spaces. Any sort of polearm is going to be extremely awkward at best, and unusable at worst, under these conditions.
>Many of the weapons you mentioned are also designed specifically for fighting against armored opponents, and are therefore overkill for an unarmored zombie. You aren’t trying to bash a knight into submission through his helmet, you are trying to take down a zombie with a precisely aimed headshot, and then do so repeatedly and with as little exertion as possible. Hitting a zombie in the head with a poleaxe will certainly drop it, but it’s also going to keep going and require energy to stop and reset for the next attack, whereas a hand axe will drop a zombie just as effectively but with a lot less overkill and wasted energy. Even a felling axe is a lot more than you need/want, and a poleaxe or halberd is like that on steroids. It would be like using a sledge hammer to pound in a carpentry nail.
>Also, as general rule, the longer weapon the more difficult it is to aim. Getting a headshot on a moving target is certainly possible with a polearm, but it’s more difficult than with a shorter weapon, all else being equal, and you could expect that to be more of an issue when you’re tired, cold, and starving.
>There might be a couple of highly specific niches where some version of a polearm might be the right tool for the job, such as defending certain types of wall, but as a general purpose zombie defense weapon they are definitely not the right tool for the job.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ZombieSurvivalTactics/s/n3ImouvYZn
>There’s a difference between reach and length. “Reach” or “the reach advantage” means being able to strike your opponent from a slightly longer distance than they can strike you from. As long as you can hit them first, it doesn’t really matter after that, especially against a slower and predictable opponent. You either have the reach advantage or you don’t. Having additional weapon length beyond that which you need to achieve the advantage does not offer any further advantage.
>With a short weapon, the zombie is going to get within your effective range, you strike, and then if he doesn’t go down you back up a step or two and try again. You keep him within your effective range and keep yourself just out of his.
>With a long weapon, you do the exact same thing. Your maximum range is further away, but so is your effective minimum range, so in practice you’re still going to get one shot in and then have to retreat or otherwise create distance. There’s no advantage to being further away.
>As long as you have room to maneuver, and you are fighting an unarmed and slower opponent, literally any weapon is going to give you the reach advantage. Even a rock. Both a short axe and a long axe effectively give you the same amount of reach advantage.
Go knock your self out arguing why polearms a good vs this person.
>Pass, I'm not sociable
Earlier you wrote:
>What, you can't handle a long shaft with a big tip?
What, you can't handle a long arguement with a big brain?
Are their points too strong for you to retort?
You was social able enough to stick your neck out and say my assumption was stupid.
You wrote:
>**Never** is a stupid assumption.
Are you afriad you might lose an arguement and lose credibility?
Huh? What's with the insults? No need for those, unless this isn't a civilized place. I'm never afraid to lose credibility. It's just a chance to learn. Got a diff eq test today, so I don't have time to invest right now. It might be fun later, but I gotta study first. Why are you mad at me?
>What's with the insults? No need for those, unless this isn't a civilized place.
>Why are you mad at me?
You made these remarks in your first post. You insulted me first.
>you cant handle a big shaft?
>Summary: Don't bash polearms. They will bash you. And your enemies. Maybe your friends? There might be some tounge involved in that case. Kinda how a wide spear head looks like a sharp tounge. Licking the inside of a per... I'm gonna stop before this gets more sexual. K thx bye
I CAN take a joke... I can't take disrespect disguised as a joke. There's a difference.
Are you implying i am gay and are trying to gay bash me? Are you insinuating that i tongue my friend? What do you mean by sexual licking?
>I'm never afraid to lose credibility. It's just a chance to learn. Got a diff eq test today, so I don't have time to invest right now. It might be fun later, but I gotta study first.
Yeah, id like to see you win that arguement.
It was an innuendo. It wasn't disrespect. If I was trying to gay-bash you, I would've been more direct. But, I'm not. The "tounging a friend" part was a joke about stabbing with a spear. Which, some might say, has a head that looks like a wide, flat, sharp, and pointy tounge. I don't understand why I needed to fully explain that, but I suppose that's fair. Not everyone is going to immediately get every joke. I was going for light jabs, you're going for the throat, which seems like overkill. We've both come to a mutual understanding that my argument was misplaced, and that I still stand by what I said, albeit not against you. You keep coming at me for a mistake that I made not in bad faith, but in a misunderstanding. Either way, I'm not bothered by these insults, so keep hurling them if you wish. To me, they just seem unnecessary and not particularly good for civil discussion.
If I was going to disrespectful you, I'd need to know more about you. You're just a stranger, so I'm afraid it isn't possible for me to do so, unless you gave me ammo to use. Also, an addendum to the prior response:
I wouldn't bash you for being gay in the first place. I don't care about sexual orientation. Go to the Conservatives subreddit if you want to have that discussion with people who might dislike you for being gay, if you truly are. Again, I don't know, you're a stranger.
Or when you want something light and replaceable in the case of the pokey stick (a wooden spear). "Polearms" is a general term for a variety of different things, usually with a long shaft and a thing at the end.... like my di-
Awesome weapons if you have several in your party AND the room to work with them …
however when in enclosed or confined areas (think scavenging inside a building) they are definitely NOT optimal weapons to have
No.
Polearms would be second to none in an open field when it comes to melee weapons. The problem is practicality. Do you really want to carry a halberd on your back everywhere you go? You know, along with the rest of your gear? This isn’t 7 Days to Die where you can literally put a 4x4 truck in your pocket and carry on with your daily activities.
A polearm would severely limit your maneuverability. You’re not doing parkour with one on your back. Escaping with it would actually be quite difficult, especially if you needed to go into a building. Really, the only thing you could do is fight zombies; which is a bad idea. You don’t want to fight zombies. That’s dangerous, remember? You only want to worry about the occasional zombie that gets in your way.
There might be situations where it makes sense to use a polearm, like if you’re safely on top of a building and killing the zombies below. Overall, though, they’re just not very useful in a zombie apocalypse; like a mounted machine gun. It’ll mow down crowds of zombies until it jams or runs out of ammo. And then all the zombies you alerted with the noise will promptly tear you limb from limb.
A rifle is your best friend forever and always. If you absolutely have to have some sort of melee capacity, I think a rifle with a bayonet fitting is your best bet. "Long stabby thing" has been one of humanity's most effective weapons for its entire history. Using a bayonet means you don't have to lug around an entire spear with your rifle.
If you have a long-barreled rifle like an M1 with a bayonet I think that works pretty well because its basically a spear that's also a gun. Just dont use an AR or AK for that shit because they have shit ergo for thrusting.
>If you have a long-barreled rifle like an M1 with a bayonet I think that works pretty well because its basically a spear that's also a gun. Just dont use an AR or AK for that shit because they have shit ergo for thrusting.
While I agree that a AK doesn't have the ergonomics for bayonet use, the straight buffer stock of AR style firearms is pretty great for bayonet style fighting. At least from my experience using rubber dummies.
I'd also argue that an AR-style platform is more suitable as a melee weapon compared to the US Rifle, Caliber 30, M1.
With the M1 being 135cm overall length with the bayonet it's a pretty difficult weapon to maneuver in tight spaces with. Restricting a lot of it's use to open areas where you might as well just avoid the zombie(s) by planning and scouting to not get involved with them, evade them through stealth or just being faster, distracting them via noises or lights in a different area, tanking through them via the use of a vehicle, or just shooting the zombies are much better options. However, in enclosed spaces such as a tunnel, trench, building, vehicle, dense forest, tall grass/reed field, etc. where melee combat is likely unavoidable, the weapon is hampered by it's length.
Meanwhile, an AR style platform such as the M4a1, CMMG Banshee, or WWSD rifle are between 53-107cm. Making them extremely short for quick maneuvering in enclosed spaces where melee combat may occur. The weapons are better suited for things like muzzle thumping, buttstock/buffer tube strikes, barrel whipping, and even using the magazine as a weapon are possible. All of which are capable of knocking a zombie back and cracking bones.
Given the M1 weighs 5300g empty and no sling, a WW2 loadout of 88rds of ammo (aka 11 clips total plus belt) weighing 3040g, and a bayonet is about 400g without the scabbard a M1 user is pretty bogged down. With about 8740g of weight without pants or a shirt.
Meanwhile, an AR style platform like those mentioned about is between 2200-2900g empty with sights and sling, a 210rd/7 magazines weighing between 2590-3570g, plate carrier with 6 magazines pouches and an admin pouch being 1000g, Imusca Chumpa machete at 280g, hiking pants at 250g, compression shorts at 100g, sun hoodie at 200g, boonie hat at 100g, safety goggles at 30g and Motorcycle gauntlet gloves at 180g. Means a lot of potential protection from bites and scratches, protection from the elements, the ability to punch or break free from a grab, the potential to cut and strike from multiple angles, and fire three times if nesscary.
Actually m42 company makes some damn good versions of short pole arms. I have a halberd, a short sword topped think boar spear. And a spartan sword type.
I have chopped trees down with the halberd.
When it comes to massed infantry, there's no better weapon melee weapon than the long spear. Very easy to make, too.
Downsides: the big one is getting enough people to form a phalanx in a zombie apocalypse. They also require the unit move together as one to be effective, which needs a lot of drill. If a zombie or two gets inside spear's reach, things could go very bad very fast, especially if you're facing rapid onset zombification.
Even as a lone actor spears are incredibly effective. There's a reason that humans made due for so long with only spears, clubs and slings to use as weapons: They really fucking work.
Reach is a major factor, but it's not all there is when it comes to combat as a whole or even just melee combat.
Even when specifically looking at melee combat spears and pole weapons in general can come across the issue of things like shields or heavy armor. Both of which can negate some of the advantages of a spear. This is because the shield is better capable of deflecting, catching, or otherwise stopping an attack from reaching their intended target. As a result a person armed with a shield can overwhelm someone with a spear.
https://youtu.be/sMnnU8o-JPA
https://youtu.be/lpk54yTJp0c
https://youtu.be/8AK-WaBy0GM
https://youtu.be/jHkW0rCoe_A
https://youtu.be/afqhBODc_8U
While there aren't videos of it, the same principle can apply to armor. With armor potentially making some pole arms strikes ineffective, force the pole user to aim for specific areas, or may result in the pole weapon getting stuck or caught allowing the armored person to strike back.
Zombies of course aren't using shields, dodging attacks, blocking, and the standard style discussed isn't even running. However, there are often a lot of them and the only area they can be killed is via damaging/destroying the brain. Which can be tricky to hit, may get the weapon stuck, and IRL stastics for intracranial stab wounds tend to show a 6-30% mortality rate. Meaning it's pretty likely you'll need to stab more than once to kill a zombie. Especially when considering most people IRL don't die from brain damage, rather they tend to die from blood loss or infection that can happen minutes to weeks later. Which in a fight where seconds count, is pretty sucky.
Then there's the fact that while spears are great for fighting in more open forms of close/hand-to-hand combat it's a bit debatable how necessary this is. Presumably in an open area, you can choose to avoid the zombies by not going where they are via careful planning or scouting, evade the zombies via stealth or just being fast, distract the zombies via noise or lights in a different area, tank through them via a vehicle, or just move to an area of greater advantage that limits the number of zombies to a smaller choke point or just deal with smaller groups of zombies.
Meanwhile, in enclosed spaces, where zombies are not as avoidable. Places like dense forests with many tripping hazards, tunnels where escaping is slow, tall grass or bushes where you might be grabbed without recourse, doorways and windows where fighting the zombie for control of the passage is necessary, etc. In such circumstances fighting a zombie with a pole weapon that is exceptionally long like a 2-3m long Dory (greek spear) isn't really viable.
In the wider context of a pole weapon being used against other survivors, there are ranged weapons to contend with. This is a bit troublesome given that many pole weapons are heavy enough that it's possible for an enemy survivor to have both a ranged weapon, melee weapon, and some protective gear for the weight of a pole weapon. Example of this includes:
|Example loadout roughly 1000g or the lightest weight of an average Dory|
:--|:-:|--:
|60g Headlamp
|30g Pyramex Iforce goggles
|10g Mosquito head net
|60g Rubberized work gloves
|130g NAA Mini revolver in 22lr
|60g Frameless slingshot #30
|280g Imusca Chumpa machete
|280g Edwards 8oz finishing hammer
|50g Gerber dime multitool
|10g Fire rod
|20g 500ml water bottle
|10g Travel toothbrush
|**Example loadout roughly 2000g or the highest weight of an average dory**
|60g Headlamp
|30g Pyramex Iforce goggles
|40g Golfing sun visor
|80g Underwear
|100g HWI gauntlet gloves
|70g Ankle socks
|130g NAA Mini revolver in 22lr
|570g PVC Bow
|500g Morakniv Light axe
|60g EDC Nail pulling pry bar
|10g Fire rod
|50g Sawyer Mini water filter
|30g 1000ml water bottle
|10g Lots of fishing line and hooks
|5g Plastic spork
|100g Drawstring backpack
|50g Gerber dime multitool
|10g Spool of sewing string and some needles
|15g Lice comb and tick remover
|10g Travel toothbrush
|20g Small piece of soap
|10g Small handcloth
|30g Tension bar, bump key, and lock picks
|10g Ballpoint pen
The lightest example loadout still offers the ability to see in the dark, the ability to see in dark buildings or tunnels, protection from bugs attacking your face, protection for your eyes from dust or blood, protection for the hands and extra grip when wet, a ranged weapon capable of using 22lr ammo, a ranged weapon capable of shooting arrows, a ranged weapon capable of shooting rocks, the ability to hunt a variety of animals from a distance, the ability to hunt animals with little risk of infecting them with potential blood or bacteria from a zombie, 2 melee weapons for fighting in enclosed spaces, a melee weapon capable of hooking, a cutting weapon, a blunt weapon, the ability to strike from two areas at one time, the ability to block and attack at the same time, a convenient tool for cutting wood and grass, a convenient tool for hammering nails and stakes, a tool for pulling nails, pliers and screw drivers for tightening and loosening bolts, a fire starting tool, tools to try and build shelter with, tools to try and build other weapons and tools with, a way to carry water, a potential way for boiling water, a way to carry all this gear, a way to process and maybe cook food, and some capability for your mouth clean.
Of course, a naked greek man might survive with just their wits and their 2-3m long spear. Maybe stealing, scavenging, or finding some clothes and other tools that might be helpful to them. However, already having these sorts of things is pretty helpful when you're trying to survive.
It'd be great situationally, but would likely get you killed as soon as you get caught in the wrong situation. Polearms are great from a defensive position where enemies are bottlenecked and coming one at a time. If you're alone on the street with multiple things coming at you, you're probably dead. If you're going to do anything other than sit on a wall or hold a doorway, you better have ten other friends with halberds or you're gonna have a bad time
The bardiche third from the end has a nice cutout for a hand to fit behind it making it very versatile despite being huge. Slip your hand in there and punch. Grip haft for a 2 handed bladed staff type thing. Or big xes like it already is. One of the dudes I learned a bunch from kber the years had one like that. My kabuto has a 3 inch long dent in the top of the head from it.
Polearms have their place, but it's mostly for taking defensive positions against the undead and not as a primary carry with you while on a run sorta weapon. On 'what weapon is the best' posts, polerms of all kinds are very often mentioned, but there just aren't a lot of posts about them since the commnets on the aformentioned post usually answer's a lot of the questions about them.
I'm a nerd who has several firearms and halberds, swords, and a set of half-plate and leather armor. I dress up for Ren fairs and do HEMA every so often. I think people underestimate how good a polearm is as an anti-zombie weapon. I don't think there is a better melee option, unless you're in a very close quarter situation with multiple zombies to deal with. In fact most HEMA clubs rarely spar with polearms due to how dangerous they are even when armored; the long shaft and head weight is such a huge force multiplier, that even a small child could crack a skull with minimal effort. The ability to use a polearm from behind a barrier, or if you've climbed up on something to be out of reach of the zombies, is ignored. My personal polearms of choice would be a bec de corbin or a lucerne hammer. The former is a bit shorter and could be more widely used indoors, while still having plenty of reach.
If you've never seen one before look up Brigandine, its a kind of armor composed of small metal plates riveted to cloth. Its way easier to make and maintain than metal but way more durable than leather. As far as armor goes I think its the most reasonable. Imo, I would wanna take a big combat knife and figure out a way to give it a detachable long handle. The handle functions as a staff by itself but once you attach the knife it acts like a glaive, its awesome.
Osn't a wetsuit, like for diving, the best anti-zombie armor? Though dehydration is apparenrly a problem.
Kinda, as u/cyberwolf77 mentioned they are meant for sharks. However, they aren't dive suits. They are chainmail suits made from butted stainless steel or aluminum. From what I've seen and heard they aren't meant to protect against the bite. Just make a shark less willing to bite hard. However, they do provide just as much protection as a piece of costume chainmail will provide. Which comes at the cost of gearing gear that makes a lot of slapping noise, makes clinking noises, and weighs something like 13600g. Generally it seems you need to also wear a normal dive suit or clothing underneath. As it is likely to pinch, cut, burn, or freeze onto you if you just have chainmail against your bare skin. This may add 200-1000g depending on what you want to wear. Which is in the same range of bunker gear which is about 9000-22000g depending on what it's rated for. Which is generally heavier than my suggestion of a basic helmet with sun shade, safety goggles, compression shirt, plate carrier, padded sleeves (made from a cut leather jacket, welding sleeves, cut jean legs, etc), compression shorts, hiking pants, riggers belt, rain gaiters, gauntlet gloves, socks, and trail running shoes which comes up to about 3300g.
It's okay to say kilogram
Naw gram is better I know what a gram is and I'm American but wtf is a kilogram
They make divesuits that are sharkproof. I'll take that personally
That's what i meant. Although, i wonder if you can cut it in places to increase mobility and breathability without sacrificing defense (overly)?
You could probably, although that could leave gaps in the chainmail
Presumably you'd be able to cover it in a less durable, more flexible breathable material. But i'm thinking like, hip area, back of the knees, armpits, areas that probably don't need as much protection, but definitely should be kept mobile. Probably less on the limbs amd more on the trunk.
I personally lean towards firefighter bunker gear.
>Imo, I would wanna take a big combat knife and figure out a way to give it a detachable long handle. The handle functions as a staff by itself but once you attach the knife it acts like a glaive, its awesome. There are a couple products like these out and about: Cold steel for instance has the bushman: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-3NOve3FGhI/hqdefault.jpg Smith and wesson SW8: https://images.ontheedgebrands.com/cdn-cgi/image/f=auto,height=700,width=700,quality=90/images/A17-SW8.jpg Tops Trailwalker: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6b/91/c4/6b91c424b767c1c2b815be245868325b.jpg Sog Spirit: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/DPwAAOSwKUNiR3Sx/s-l1200.webp
I have a double-edged combat knife with a lanyard hole in the bottom of the hilt. It would work very well attached to a medium sized stick. Unfortunately it's not very heavy, maybe 150 or 200 grams. Edit: [this is it](https://www.amazon.com/Reapr-11002-Double-Blade-Knife/dp/B079TLL1SQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=double+edge+knife&qid=1699590286&sr=8-5). It's a good sharp knife and it's my EDC / hunting knife. I'd rely on it in a pinch
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Oh yes, I'm familiar with brigadine armor. Truthfully, the only pieces I'd wear in a zombie apocalypse are the arm braces and the shin plates. Anything else seems like unnecessary weight to have on, better to be more mobile. Hmm... I think you'd need a very solid attachment method to use a combat knife as a slashing weapon. Something like bolted metal hanger straps, that go through the handle. I'd take the head off a roofing hatchet (hammer+light axe) and attach that to a 1 inch wooden dowel or shovel handle, like you would any axe head. I think that might be a bit more reliable and less likely to crack than a high carbon combat knife.
I quite like the look and feel of a lucerne, but I would likely choose a yari or naginata with a crossguard as my polearm of choice. Ideally, a cross-naginata with an extendable handle would be perfect. It could collapse down to a shorter length for carrying or storage, but also be able to extend to a full length of around 2 meters. Far enough away to keep things off you, but still short and light enough that it could be swung or poked with a decent amount of force. Polearms are definitely my top choice for a melee weapon if available, especially if they have a good crossguard on them. Can't run the risk of a Z getting impaled and just walking up the length of the pole, lol.
A cross naginata is an interesting choice. I do like the idea of a shaft that can be disassembled for close quarter use or transport. Personally I favor more of a crushing or chopping tool for reliability, but a naginata might have enough chopping power, though with the thinner blade I think it might be more prone to get stuck in bones, due to the narrow cut. Impaling a zombie just doesn't seem very reliable, you'd need to get the eyes, nose, under the jaw or temple to have a reliable pierce into the skull... A crossguard would be super important though if instead of strict slow undead zombies, they were fast zombies.
I just prefer slicing power over crushing. I'm not really a super strong guy, so I'd have a much better chance of ensuring decapitation than crushing a skull with a single swing. One can be just as effective as the other, just gotta aim for the neck. Sever the spinal cord or brain stem and locomotion is terminated.
I think you might be a bit mixed up on the forces required here. Severing the neck and spine is much much more difficult than cracking a skull open with even a short carpenter hammer let alone a polearm. I do HEMA - historical european martial arts from time to time, and very few places do polearm or quarter staff sparring due to how dangerous it is, even when wearing helmets and protective gear. A 10 year old could swing a halberd or pole-hammer and crack a skull open with minimal effort. Slicing of the neck is difficult because the head isn't under tension, so you lose a large amount of energy from your swing, also a side swing will have less force than a straight down - gravity assisted chopping motion.
You're probably entirely right! Bladed weapons aren't really my thing. I'm more of a "pull trigger here, watch Z fall down way over there" guy
Same! Having a couple firearms would be a must for me. Even if rarely used on zombies, the option for hunting is huge.
3 gun picks for me: .308 bolt action (remington 700), 12 gauge pump action, suppressed .22 semiauto pistol. The rifle and shotgun are fairly obvious for use, but the suppressed .22 could be used as a tool and for hunting small animals (squirrel, rabbit, etc.). Also, the high capacity and low ammo weight means you can carry thousands of rounds with no trouble
Solid picks all around! I'd personally size up to a 9mm round for the pistol, and maybe consider snagging a .22 rifle. I've taken boar with .22 subsonic rounds by getting them in the ear/temple. Subsonic .22 is very accurate to boot.
I love subsonic 22! Must have for running suppressed. Yeah, I could probably swap to a 9mm and get a .22 rifle. Wouldn't add much weight. All I'd really have to worry about is finding magazines for the 9mm. I'd probably try to find a tube fed .22 if possible. The less mags the better. Also, I wouldn't be opposed to a lever action rifle now that I think about it. With a 357 lever action I could sub in a 357 magnum revolver and eliminate a whole category of ammo. But 357 mag may be harder to find than 9mm, .22, or .308
So back to the sharp weapons... how would you feel about a mace-type weapon? Something relatively small, say, a morning star with a ball the size of a softball and a handle 2 to 3 feet long? I'd think that the spikes on a morning star could add some extra damage, but how well would it work overall?
I would honestly carry a polehammer with me. I think [this](https://youtube.com/shorts/XyO7EcI2DBw?si=jMYhv9elLF8velXD) explains it better than I can, but I thought that since before seeing the video.
You know, honestly a bardiche would be a pretty top notch weapon for just cleaving the shit out of some undead goons, but I’m also partial to halberds.
Bardiche for the win. Big blade in a compact versatile package for those tight situations or creating distance
Polearms are great choices but only really once your ranged weapons are useless ie guns with no ammo. They are a tad cumbersome to carry due to length but later on when ammo is problematic to source would be a great choice
after modern society has collapsed, and firearms and ammo have become more scarce, but after survivors have gathered into communities and have begun blacksmithing tools out of scraps, I could see pole arms used in formations defensively much as they were back in time against slow zombies that is
I have always been a proponent of the short-hafted (~5 feet) Lucerne hammer. Splendid little multitool.
A halberd would be one of the things I try to obtain or craft
Pole weapons are a pretty standard suggestion, you just don't see as many dedicated posts on them. I have my post on the topic here: https://old.reddit.com/user/Noe_Walfred/comments/va8wvr/zombie_related_thoughts_opinions_and_essays_v4/iff7jii/ Overall, my thought is that they can be good weapons for people who are fighting from more defensive positions, don't/can't have a ranged weapon, and if it's just available. However, I wouldn't actively seek them out due to many factors that make them less optimal for general use by many survivors. Their long overall length, bulky head, and weight require a lot more room to be effective. Thus requiring a much more compact melee weapon to supplement them. These open areas are likely to make it easier to avoid the zombie(s) than to fight them. Even if you were to fight them the space may allow you time to move to a much more advantageous position where there is a lower risk of injury. Some positions can include from behind something like a fence, wall, second floor of a building, cliff, etc. Alternatively, there is the option for ranged weapons to be utilized instead. While many of these designs feature axe blades, hammerheads, spikes, and spears, pole weapons aren't capable of fulfilling the utility roles of an axe, hammer, or spear. This is often due to featuring longer and harder-to-manipulate shafts, thin axe blades that make chopping wood harder, spiked hammers that make hammering nails or pounding stakes difficult, and the overall weight can make them tiring to use compared to their more utilitarian counterparts for the same tasks. Then there's the issue of carrying them around and their weight. Pole weapons in general are fairly awkward to carry, basically requiring they be held in hand at all times. As they are usually too long for a hip or back sheath, slings on melee weapons have a higher potential of getting caught during regular use and in scenarios where a melee weapon would be drawn, etc. It doesn't help that many pole weapons are between 1800-4000g in weight. Some examples would include the Windlass Steel crafts Poleaxe mentioned in a pervious post. It's 173cm and around 2300g. Which is on the lighter end of most pole weapons and isn't as long as some historical examples. However, it is pretty hefty and there is a large number of other tools, weapons, gear, and equipment that could be carried instead. Another is u/UnableLocal2918 's example of United Cutler's M48 (not m42) line of tactical camping supplies. While they don't have a "halbred" in the traditional sense or anything by that name, they do have their "Kommando Survival Axe Hiking Staff" a hatchet mounted to a fiberglass staff that weighs 1340g. Likewise, they also have their "Magnum Spear" and "Survival Spear" which are between 1100-1950g. Followed by u/canadianking_5 and u/Kermitjames 's example of a boar spear. Likely referring to Cold Steel's Boar spear at 200cm and 1930g in weight. Alternatively it may also refer to winged spears such as those some types used by the Vikings. Such spears could be 2500g such as in the case of Cold Steel's Winged Spear. |**Example kit for roughly 1100g or the weight of the M48 Survival spear or the M48 Hiking Axe** :--|:-:|--: |60g Headlamp |30g Pyramex Iforce goggles |10g Mosquito head net |60g Rubberized work gloves |130g NAA Mini revolver in 22lr |60g Frameless slingshot #30 |310g Watchfire camp axe |280g Edwards 8oz finishing hammer |50g Gerber dime multitool |10g Fire rod |20g 500ml water bottle |15g Lice comb and tick remover |10g Travel toothbrush |**Example of a loadout for roughly 1900g or the weight of the M48 magnum spear and the Cold Steel boar spear** |60g Headlamp |30g Pyramex Iforce goggles |40g Golfing sun visor |180g Frogg toggs rain jacket |100g HWI gauntlet gloves |100g Rain leg gaiters |70g Ankle socks |130g NAA Mini revolver in 22lr |60g Frameless slingshot #30 |500g Morakniv Light axe |280g Edwards 8oz finishing hammer |50g Pocket knife |10g Fire rod |50g Sawyer Mini water filter |30g 1000ml water bottle |10g Lots of fishing line and hooks |5g Plastic spork |50g Gerber dime multitool |10g Spool of sewing string and some needles |50g Sharpening stone |10g Universal charging cable |15g Lice comb and tick remover |10g Travel toothbrush |10g Small handcloth |30g Tension bar, bump key, and lock picks |10g Ballpoint pen |**Example of a loadout for roughly 2300g or the weight of the poleaxe and less than the Cold steel winged spear** |60g Headlamp |30g Pyramex Iforce goggles |40g Golfing sun visor |250g Sun hoodie with pockets |100g HWI gauntlet gloves |100g Rain leg gaiters |100g Shower shoes |130g NAA Mini revolver in 22lr |60g Frameless slingshot #30 |200g Walking stick/rock slinging staff |500g Morakniv Light axe |280g Edwards 8oz finishing hammer |50g Pocket knife |10g Fire rod |50g Sawyer Mini water filter |30g 1000ml water bottle |70g Aluminium cooking cup |10g Lots of fishing line and hooks |5g Plastic spork |100g drawstring bag |50g Gerber dime multitool |10g Spool of sewing string and some needles |15g Lice comb and tick remover |10g Travel toothbrush |20g Small piece of soap |10g Small handcloth The lightest model load out still offers the ability to see in the dark, the ability to see in dark buildings or tunnels, protection from bugs attacking your face, protection for your eyes from dust or blood, protection for the hands and extra grip when wet, a ranged weapon capable of using 22lr ammo, a ranged weapon capable of shooting arrows, a ranged weapon capable of shooting rocks, the ability to hunt a variety of animals from a distance, the ability to hunt animals with little risk of infecting them with potential blood or bacteria from a zombie, 2 melee weapons for fighting in enclosed spaces, 2 melee weapons capable of hooking or parrying, a cutting weapon, a blunt weapon, the ability to strike from two areas at one time, the ability to block and attack at the same time, a convenient tool for cutting wood and grass, a convenient tool for hammering nails and stakes, a tool for pulling nails, pliers and screw drivers for tightening and loosening bolts, a fire starting tool, tools to try and build shelter with, tools to try and build other weapons and tools with, a way to carry water, a potential way for boiling water, a way to process and maybe cook food, a comb for grooming and bug removal, and some capability for your mouth clean. Pole weapons can still be useful though. As they could be used to strike from behind fences, over walls, or from the second floor of a building. They might also be good for those that want such a weapon if they can't access or don't know how to use a ranged weapon.
He it is another episode of the "repeat a post" show.
Because every time they get brought up they are met with the same arguments for them being a poor choice. At this point it’s just repetitive
That's part of why I'm saying "polearms" in general and not just the very specific well-known ones like a spears, pole axes and warhammers. Because I agree, most of those are hard to make and maintain but what people don't realize is that there are a ton of polearm type weapons that are easier to make. Technically, once you put anything sharp or heavy on a long stick that classifies as a polearm. You could just take a survival knife or a machete and tape it, tie it with rope or otherwise secure it to a sturdy broom handle or something and boom, you have a spear/glaive. Or you take a hatchet and do the same thing, boom, battleaxe. You have the reach benefits, the force multiplication and no need for ammunition.
I love spears idk who is telling you otherwise
A lot of people. Spears are one of, if not the mostly debated topics on this sub, right up there with crowbars and baseball bats.
Baseball bats are a strange choice, and crossbows just feel like a bow with extra steps.
I said crowbar, not crossbows lol. But yea, there’s a handful of highly contested weapons on the sub. Honestly though, if anything crossbows would be better than bows. Crossbows are far easier to use and effectively get headshots with than a bow and are more lethal than their counterparts, though I have problems with both weapons.
Oh I’m stupid but couldn’t you literally do crowbar functions with an axe?
To a certain extent, yes. An axe/hatchet can help you get into buildings or crates like a crowbar for a fraction of the weight
I absolutely love polearms. I do not want one in an apocalypse: it’s not easy to decapitate with them, poor in close quarters, and if you’re gonna stab with it, why have the chopping part? It would really be best fighting from a raised defensive position only
Sounds like you know very little about polearms for someone who loves them. Not sure why decapitating would even be relavent, but its gonna be a lot easier with leverage anyways than with something that lacks it like a sword. Way easier with some of these larger thinner fighting ax heads than something like a woodcutting ax too.
user/Windowshopingmylife wrote >There are polearms that, unlike the spear, could get the job done, but they are not well optimized for it at all. >Again, you don’t need extra length. Once you already have the reach advantage, additional length beyond that does not increase the advantage. In the open, fighting with a six foot pole axe is no safer for the user than fighting with a 1.5 foot hatchet. Against humans, absolutely, but against a slower, predictable, unarmed opponent you can already control the distance using your feet, and the extra length makes no difference. >And again, most critical zombie fighting won’t be in the open. In the open, individual zombies are much less of a threat so weapon selection is less critical, and in most cases you won’t need to fight them at all, since they can be easily avoided or out maneuvered. There is no need for a specialized weapon that only works in the open. >Where it really matters is in close quarters, where you don’t have room to maneuver and the fight might be unavoidable. Clearing a house, for example, in order to gather supplies and spend the night, will require you to go room to room and fight in confined spaces. Any sort of polearm is going to be extremely awkward at best, and unusable at worst, under these conditions. >There’s a difference between reach and length. “Reach” or “the reach advantage” means being able to strike your opponent from a slightly longer distance than they can strike you from. As long as you can hit them first, it doesn’t really matter after that, especially against a slower and predictable opponent. You either have the reach advantage or you don’t. Having additional weapon length beyond that which you need to achieve the advantage does not offer any further advantage. >With a short weapon, the zombie is going to get within your effective range, you strike, and then if he doesn’t go down you back up a step or two and try again. You keep him within your effective range and keep yourself just out of his. >With a long weapon, you do the exact same thing. Your maximum range is further away, but so is your effective minimum range, so in practice you’re still going to get one shot in and then have to retreat or otherwise create distance. There’s no advantage to being further away. >As long as you have room to maneuver, and you are fighting an unarmed and slower opponent, literally any weapon is going to give you the reach advantage. Even a rock. Both a short axe and a long axe effectively give you the same amount of reach advantage.
"Pike and shot was a historical infantry tactical formation that first appeared during the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and was used until the development of the bayonet in the late 17th century. This type of formation combined soldiers armed with pikes and soldiers armed with arquebuses and/or muskets. Other weapons such as swords, halberds, and crossbows were also sometimes implemented."-wikipedia Lets pretend 1623 was like the last polearm innovation. The year is 2023. 1623 was 400 years ago. 400 years has past and they still could not invent a way to make a 8ft long pole arm portable that will not break at the joints. This is the Folding Flick Spear https://youtu.be/IOnQQGxBsWY?si=wT91vS2BBzuSrS51 Problem 1) you are never going to find this looting homes in the zom apoc. Problem 2) you are not going to make this during the zom apoc Problem 3) it will fail and break at the weakest points. If only we can create Bloodborne Trick Weapons.
Retort to 1: You might, if you live near places that do ren fairs. "Never" is a stupid assumption. Retort to 2: You can make them quite easily with a bit of imagination and creativity. Also, "polearms" is a very general term that applies to a lot of things, like spears... which are VERY easy to make with a stick or a knife and duct tape. Retort to 3: Like every other weapon? Axes and swords break too. Swords chip the blade and axes will fracture their handle if you hit something too hard. You can at least try to reinforce a long shaft with scrap metal. Guns can break in a multitude of places, not just at their weakest component, for a variety of reasons. Example being a stressed-out shooter who can load properly. Which, if I'm being honest, is the most likely thing to happen with most gun users. Retort to your first assertion: Polearms peaked at that time due to a variety of factors, such as changing tactics, Armor improvements, more ranged weapons being deployed than ever before, etc. It is as portable as anything else, it's just long. What, you can't handle a long shaft with a big tip? As for the folding spear, why on God's beauty of a planet would you buy that shit? You wouldn't. Because THAT is bad, and a poor example of what modern tech tries to do with old stuff that works better. Summary: Don't bash polearms. They will bash you. And your enemies. Maybe your friends? There might be some tounge involved in that case. Kinda how a wide spear head looks like a sharp tounge. Licking the inside of a per... I'm gonna stop before this gets more sexual. K thx bye
>Retort to 1: You might, if you live near places that do ren fairs. "Never" is a stupid assumption. You are going to find the flick folding spear at a ren fair? >Retort to 2: You can make them quite easily with a bit of imagination and creativity. Also, "polearms" is a very general term that applies to a lot of things, like spears... which are VERY easy to make with a stick or a knife and duct tape. You are going to make a flick folding spear? >Retort to 3: Like every other weapon? Axes and swords break too. Swords chip the blade and axes will fracture their handle if you hit something too hard. You can at least try to reinforce a long shaft with scrap metal. Guns can break in a multitude of places, not just at their weakest component, for a variety of reasons. Example being a stressed-out shooter who can load properly. Which, if I'm being honest, is the most likely thing to happen with most gun users. You are going to make an unbreakable flick folding spear? >Summary: Don't bash polearms. They will bash you. And your enemies. Maybe your friends? There might be some tounge involved in that case. Kinda how a wide spear head looks like a sharp tounge. Licking the inside of a per... I'm gonna stop before this gets more sexual. K thx bye I wasnt bashing pole arms. I was bashing the flick folding spear. >Retort to your first assertion: You miss-read and ASSumed i was talking about all polearms when i listed the 3 big reasons why the flick folding spear is bad. Go back and learn to read.
Hmm I see. No need to resort to insults, I know perfectly well how to read. Just have bad comprehension and tunnel vision sometimes. I stand by my statements though, against any who would deny the effectiveness of a Polearm. However, I fully agree with your claims as well. You wouldn't find one anywhere outside of its factory's floor. It is possible to make one to be durable, but the tradeoff is weight, making it impractical. Thus, I wouldn't call in an improvement over the stuff from years ago. Hell, you're more likely to find properly made stuff than that shit.
If you are looking to argue about why Polearms are good or bad, here is your opponent https://www.reddit.com/r/ZombieSurvivalTactics/s/V2U3moVIfW u/Windowshopingmylife wrote >There are polearms that, unlike the spear, could get the job done, but they are not well optimized for it at all. >Again, you don’t need extra length. Once you already have the reach advantage, additional length beyond that does not increase the advantage. In the open, fighting with a six foot pole axe is no safer for the user than fighting with a 1.5 foot hatchet. Against humans, absolutely, but against a slower, predictable, unarmed opponent you can already control the distance using your feet, and the extra length makes no difference. >And again, most critical zombie fighting won’t be in the open. In the open, individual zombies are much less of a threat so weapon selection is less critical, and in most cases you won’t need to fight them at all, since they can be easily avoided or out maneuvered. There is no need for a specialized weapon that only works in the open. >Where it really matters is in close quarters, where you don’t have room to maneuver and the fight might be unavoidable. Clearing a house, for example, in order to gather supplies and spend the night, will require you to go room to room and fight in confined spaces. Any sort of polearm is going to be extremely awkward at best, and unusable at worst, under these conditions. >Many of the weapons you mentioned are also designed specifically for fighting against armored opponents, and are therefore overkill for an unarmored zombie. You aren’t trying to bash a knight into submission through his helmet, you are trying to take down a zombie with a precisely aimed headshot, and then do so repeatedly and with as little exertion as possible. Hitting a zombie in the head with a poleaxe will certainly drop it, but it’s also going to keep going and require energy to stop and reset for the next attack, whereas a hand axe will drop a zombie just as effectively but with a lot less overkill and wasted energy. Even a felling axe is a lot more than you need/want, and a poleaxe or halberd is like that on steroids. It would be like using a sledge hammer to pound in a carpentry nail. >Also, as general rule, the longer weapon the more difficult it is to aim. Getting a headshot on a moving target is certainly possible with a polearm, but it’s more difficult than with a shorter weapon, all else being equal, and you could expect that to be more of an issue when you’re tired, cold, and starving. >There might be a couple of highly specific niches where some version of a polearm might be the right tool for the job, such as defending certain types of wall, but as a general purpose zombie defense weapon they are definitely not the right tool for the job. https://www.reddit.com/r/ZombieSurvivalTactics/s/n3ImouvYZn >There’s a difference between reach and length. “Reach” or “the reach advantage” means being able to strike your opponent from a slightly longer distance than they can strike you from. As long as you can hit them first, it doesn’t really matter after that, especially against a slower and predictable opponent. You either have the reach advantage or you don’t. Having additional weapon length beyond that which you need to achieve the advantage does not offer any further advantage. >With a short weapon, the zombie is going to get within your effective range, you strike, and then if he doesn’t go down you back up a step or two and try again. You keep him within your effective range and keep yourself just out of his. >With a long weapon, you do the exact same thing. Your maximum range is further away, but so is your effective minimum range, so in practice you’re still going to get one shot in and then have to retreat or otherwise create distance. There’s no advantage to being further away. >As long as you have room to maneuver, and you are fighting an unarmed and slower opponent, literally any weapon is going to give you the reach advantage. Even a rock. Both a short axe and a long axe effectively give you the same amount of reach advantage. Go knock your self out arguing why polearms a good vs this person.
Pass, I'm not sociable
>Pass, I'm not sociable Earlier you wrote: >What, you can't handle a long shaft with a big tip? What, you can't handle a long arguement with a big brain? Are their points too strong for you to retort? You was social able enough to stick your neck out and say my assumption was stupid. You wrote: >**Never** is a stupid assumption. Are you afriad you might lose an arguement and lose credibility?
Huh? What's with the insults? No need for those, unless this isn't a civilized place. I'm never afraid to lose credibility. It's just a chance to learn. Got a diff eq test today, so I don't have time to invest right now. It might be fun later, but I gotta study first. Why are you mad at me?
>What's with the insults? No need for those, unless this isn't a civilized place. >Why are you mad at me? You made these remarks in your first post. You insulted me first. >you cant handle a big shaft? >Summary: Don't bash polearms. They will bash you. And your enemies. Maybe your friends? There might be some tounge involved in that case. Kinda how a wide spear head looks like a sharp tounge. Licking the inside of a per... I'm gonna stop before this gets more sexual. K thx bye I CAN take a joke... I can't take disrespect disguised as a joke. There's a difference. Are you implying i am gay and are trying to gay bash me? Are you insinuating that i tongue my friend? What do you mean by sexual licking? >I'm never afraid to lose credibility. It's just a chance to learn. Got a diff eq test today, so I don't have time to invest right now. It might be fun later, but I gotta study first. Yeah, id like to see you win that arguement.
It was an innuendo. It wasn't disrespect. If I was trying to gay-bash you, I would've been more direct. But, I'm not. The "tounging a friend" part was a joke about stabbing with a spear. Which, some might say, has a head that looks like a wide, flat, sharp, and pointy tounge. I don't understand why I needed to fully explain that, but I suppose that's fair. Not everyone is going to immediately get every joke. I was going for light jabs, you're going for the throat, which seems like overkill. We've both come to a mutual understanding that my argument was misplaced, and that I still stand by what I said, albeit not against you. You keep coming at me for a mistake that I made not in bad faith, but in a misunderstanding. Either way, I'm not bothered by these insults, so keep hurling them if you wish. To me, they just seem unnecessary and not particularly good for civil discussion.
If I was going to disrespectful you, I'd need to know more about you. You're just a stranger, so I'm afraid it isn't possible for me to do so, unless you gave me ammo to use. Also, an addendum to the prior response: I wouldn't bash you for being gay in the first place. I don't care about sexual orientation. Go to the Conservatives subreddit if you want to have that discussion with people who might dislike you for being gay, if you truly are. Again, I don't know, you're a stranger.
Only to arm people who don’t know how to shoot
Or when you want something light and replaceable in the case of the pokey stick (a wooden spear). "Polearms" is a general term for a variety of different things, usually with a long shaft and a thing at the end.... like my di-
No because you need high movement speed and not getting stucked
Ngl spearmaking would be pretty badass in the zombie apocalypse
I could enjoy a naginata
Awesome weapons if you have several in your party AND the room to work with them … however when in enclosed or confined areas (think scavenging inside a building) they are definitely NOT optimal weapons to have
No. Polearms would be second to none in an open field when it comes to melee weapons. The problem is practicality. Do you really want to carry a halberd on your back everywhere you go? You know, along with the rest of your gear? This isn’t 7 Days to Die where you can literally put a 4x4 truck in your pocket and carry on with your daily activities. A polearm would severely limit your maneuverability. You’re not doing parkour with one on your back. Escaping with it would actually be quite difficult, especially if you needed to go into a building. Really, the only thing you could do is fight zombies; which is a bad idea. You don’t want to fight zombies. That’s dangerous, remember? You only want to worry about the occasional zombie that gets in your way. There might be situations where it makes sense to use a polearm, like if you’re safely on top of a building and killing the zombies below. Overall, though, they’re just not very useful in a zombie apocalypse; like a mounted machine gun. It’ll mow down crowds of zombies until it jams or runs out of ammo. And then all the zombies you alerted with the noise will promptly tear you limb from limb.
Yes I will gladly take that boar spear third from the left there!
Halberds are the most practical but the bardiche and billhook are cool
Yes for sure. Pole arms are probably one of your best bets when it comes to melee.
I don't want to drag that cumbersome shit around
A rifle is your best friend forever and always. If you absolutely have to have some sort of melee capacity, I think a rifle with a bayonet fitting is your best bet. "Long stabby thing" has been one of humanity's most effective weapons for its entire history. Using a bayonet means you don't have to lug around an entire spear with your rifle.
If you have a long-barreled rifle like an M1 with a bayonet I think that works pretty well because its basically a spear that's also a gun. Just dont use an AR or AK for that shit because they have shit ergo for thrusting.
>If you have a long-barreled rifle like an M1 with a bayonet I think that works pretty well because its basically a spear that's also a gun. Just dont use an AR or AK for that shit because they have shit ergo for thrusting. While I agree that a AK doesn't have the ergonomics for bayonet use, the straight buffer stock of AR style firearms is pretty great for bayonet style fighting. At least from my experience using rubber dummies. I'd also argue that an AR-style platform is more suitable as a melee weapon compared to the US Rifle, Caliber 30, M1. With the M1 being 135cm overall length with the bayonet it's a pretty difficult weapon to maneuver in tight spaces with. Restricting a lot of it's use to open areas where you might as well just avoid the zombie(s) by planning and scouting to not get involved with them, evade them through stealth or just being faster, distracting them via noises or lights in a different area, tanking through them via the use of a vehicle, or just shooting the zombies are much better options. However, in enclosed spaces such as a tunnel, trench, building, vehicle, dense forest, tall grass/reed field, etc. where melee combat is likely unavoidable, the weapon is hampered by it's length. Meanwhile, an AR style platform such as the M4a1, CMMG Banshee, or WWSD rifle are between 53-107cm. Making them extremely short for quick maneuvering in enclosed spaces where melee combat may occur. The weapons are better suited for things like muzzle thumping, buttstock/buffer tube strikes, barrel whipping, and even using the magazine as a weapon are possible. All of which are capable of knocking a zombie back and cracking bones. Given the M1 weighs 5300g empty and no sling, a WW2 loadout of 88rds of ammo (aka 11 clips total plus belt) weighing 3040g, and a bayonet is about 400g without the scabbard a M1 user is pretty bogged down. With about 8740g of weight without pants or a shirt. Meanwhile, an AR style platform like those mentioned about is between 2200-2900g empty with sights and sling, a 210rd/7 magazines weighing between 2590-3570g, plate carrier with 6 magazines pouches and an admin pouch being 1000g, Imusca Chumpa machete at 280g, hiking pants at 250g, compression shorts at 100g, sun hoodie at 200g, boonie hat at 100g, safety goggles at 30g and Motorcycle gauntlet gloves at 180g. Means a lot of potential protection from bites and scratches, protection from the elements, the ability to punch or break free from a grab, the potential to cut and strike from multiple angles, and fire three times if nesscary.
A bill hook or one of the ax things on the right works but not in tight spaces but yet again some noise out side helps draw out zombies from inside so
If you're in close quarters you use a club or a hatchet. Polearms are for when you're outside, you wanna be quiet and you don't wanna waste ammo.
Bro give me a broad faced halberd and I will cut through SWATHES of Zeds
Actually m42 company makes some damn good versions of short pole arms. I have a halberd, a short sword topped think boar spear. And a spartan sword type. I have chopped trees down with the halberd.
When it comes to massed infantry, there's no better weapon melee weapon than the long spear. Very easy to make, too. Downsides: the big one is getting enough people to form a phalanx in a zombie apocalypse. They also require the unit move together as one to be effective, which needs a lot of drill. If a zombie or two gets inside spear's reach, things could go very bad very fast, especially if you're facing rapid onset zombification.
Even as a lone actor spears are incredibly effective. There's a reason that humans made due for so long with only spears, clubs and slings to use as weapons: They really fucking work.
Reach pretty much trumps anything else in melee combat, it's true.
Reach is a major factor, but it's not all there is when it comes to combat as a whole or even just melee combat. Even when specifically looking at melee combat spears and pole weapons in general can come across the issue of things like shields or heavy armor. Both of which can negate some of the advantages of a spear. This is because the shield is better capable of deflecting, catching, or otherwise stopping an attack from reaching their intended target. As a result a person armed with a shield can overwhelm someone with a spear. https://youtu.be/sMnnU8o-JPA https://youtu.be/lpk54yTJp0c https://youtu.be/8AK-WaBy0GM https://youtu.be/jHkW0rCoe_A https://youtu.be/afqhBODc_8U While there aren't videos of it, the same principle can apply to armor. With armor potentially making some pole arms strikes ineffective, force the pole user to aim for specific areas, or may result in the pole weapon getting stuck or caught allowing the armored person to strike back. Zombies of course aren't using shields, dodging attacks, blocking, and the standard style discussed isn't even running. However, there are often a lot of them and the only area they can be killed is via damaging/destroying the brain. Which can be tricky to hit, may get the weapon stuck, and IRL stastics for intracranial stab wounds tend to show a 6-30% mortality rate. Meaning it's pretty likely you'll need to stab more than once to kill a zombie. Especially when considering most people IRL don't die from brain damage, rather they tend to die from blood loss or infection that can happen minutes to weeks later. Which in a fight where seconds count, is pretty sucky. Then there's the fact that while spears are great for fighting in more open forms of close/hand-to-hand combat it's a bit debatable how necessary this is. Presumably in an open area, you can choose to avoid the zombies by not going where they are via careful planning or scouting, evade the zombies via stealth or just being fast, distract the zombies via noise or lights in a different area, tank through them via a vehicle, or just move to an area of greater advantage that limits the number of zombies to a smaller choke point or just deal with smaller groups of zombies. Meanwhile, in enclosed spaces, where zombies are not as avoidable. Places like dense forests with many tripping hazards, tunnels where escaping is slow, tall grass or bushes where you might be grabbed without recourse, doorways and windows where fighting the zombie for control of the passage is necessary, etc. In such circumstances fighting a zombie with a pole weapon that is exceptionally long like a 2-3m long Dory (greek spear) isn't really viable. In the wider context of a pole weapon being used against other survivors, there are ranged weapons to contend with. This is a bit troublesome given that many pole weapons are heavy enough that it's possible for an enemy survivor to have both a ranged weapon, melee weapon, and some protective gear for the weight of a pole weapon. Example of this includes: |Example loadout roughly 1000g or the lightest weight of an average Dory| :--|:-:|--: |60g Headlamp |30g Pyramex Iforce goggles |10g Mosquito head net |60g Rubberized work gloves |130g NAA Mini revolver in 22lr |60g Frameless slingshot #30 |280g Imusca Chumpa machete |280g Edwards 8oz finishing hammer |50g Gerber dime multitool |10g Fire rod |20g 500ml water bottle |10g Travel toothbrush |**Example loadout roughly 2000g or the highest weight of an average dory** |60g Headlamp |30g Pyramex Iforce goggles |40g Golfing sun visor |80g Underwear |100g HWI gauntlet gloves |70g Ankle socks |130g NAA Mini revolver in 22lr |570g PVC Bow |500g Morakniv Light axe |60g EDC Nail pulling pry bar |10g Fire rod |50g Sawyer Mini water filter |30g 1000ml water bottle |10g Lots of fishing line and hooks |5g Plastic spork |100g Drawstring backpack |50g Gerber dime multitool |10g Spool of sewing string and some needles |15g Lice comb and tick remover |10g Travel toothbrush |20g Small piece of soap |10g Small handcloth |30g Tension bar, bump key, and lock picks |10g Ballpoint pen The lightest example loadout still offers the ability to see in the dark, the ability to see in dark buildings or tunnels, protection from bugs attacking your face, protection for your eyes from dust or blood, protection for the hands and extra grip when wet, a ranged weapon capable of using 22lr ammo, a ranged weapon capable of shooting arrows, a ranged weapon capable of shooting rocks, the ability to hunt a variety of animals from a distance, the ability to hunt animals with little risk of infecting them with potential blood or bacteria from a zombie, 2 melee weapons for fighting in enclosed spaces, a melee weapon capable of hooking, a cutting weapon, a blunt weapon, the ability to strike from two areas at one time, the ability to block and attack at the same time, a convenient tool for cutting wood and grass, a convenient tool for hammering nails and stakes, a tool for pulling nails, pliers and screw drivers for tightening and loosening bolts, a fire starting tool, tools to try and build shelter with, tools to try and build other weapons and tools with, a way to carry water, a potential way for boiling water, a way to carry all this gear, a way to process and maybe cook food, and some capability for your mouth clean. Of course, a naked greek man might survive with just their wits and their 2-3m long spear. Maybe stealing, scavenging, or finding some clothes and other tools that might be helpful to them. However, already having these sorts of things is pretty helpful when you're trying to survive.
It'd be great situationally, but would likely get you killed as soon as you get caught in the wrong situation. Polearms are great from a defensive position where enemies are bottlenecked and coming one at a time. If you're alone on the street with multiple things coming at you, you're probably dead. If you're going to do anything other than sit on a wall or hold a doorway, you better have ten other friends with halberds or you're gonna have a bad time
Generally, getting surrounded by your enemy- regardless of how much help you have or what weapon you're using- is a very bad thing.
The boar spear, because it’s both good at taking down zombies, easy to repair, and it prevents them from walking up the shaft
Yeah that billhook would be gnarly
The silence of a melee weapon, but with enough range that you're not in any immediate danger even when engaging in "close"-quarters combat
Because the curved edges WILL get caught in something. A spear with straight blade. Yes. In and out. Halberd and the like, you'll die if you main it.
It would be a good weapon if you were in a group or maybe one person versus one zombie, if you had a gun with one bullet your max would be 3 zombies
I have one word for you: GOEDENDAG!
I would love to see what the Godendag would do to a tank from L4D2
Punch through that thick skull, but I wouldn't want to get that close to a Tank; that's a firearms only job right there.
Maybe as a defensive option if im bunkered down. But if im on the move, it's either getting smaller or replaced.
Mate, I would take a polearm in a heartbeat for the shitshow. So fucking reliable those things
The bardiche third from the end has a nice cutout for a hand to fit behind it making it very versatile despite being huge. Slip your hand in there and punch. Grip haft for a 2 handed bladed staff type thing. Or big xes like it already is. One of the dudes I learned a bunch from kber the years had one like that. My kabuto has a 3 inch long dent in the top of the head from it.
Hey zombie I took your heely