• Is it portable?

Portability is probably the easiest one to consider.  Your primary weapon should be something that is light and hand held. Anything that is going to slow you down is better left behind, because in a zombie survival scenario, you spend more time running than gunning.  This extends beyond range weapons, close quarters weapons are also a consideration.  Most mêlée weapons will not get you in trouble, but things like riot shields and body armor could.  Most modern body armor is ballistic armor; it is designed to stop high velocity impacts, and will only serve to weigh you down.  However, a light Kevlar mesh would be very beneficial in that it would protect you from being bitten and weigh no more then a normal coat.  Riot shields are great when you are backed into a corner, but can instantly become a great big object that can be used to drag the wielder to the ground.  No matter how strong you may be, a hoard will always win the tug-of-war.  It is best to be as close to naked and greased up as you can get when dealing with groups of zombies.  Long range, high powered rifles are great and it is fun to watch a zombie get reduced to a fine red dust, but they will get you into trouble with their size and weight of both the weapon and the ammunition.

• Is it common?

For those trained in combat, it is a trivial thing to pick up anything with an edge or a trigger and wield it to great effect. For those not trained in combat methods and techniques, you will want to find a weapon and stick with it.  The reason for this is that each weapon will have its own learning curve, and you want to avoid that as much as possible, because often, every second counts.  For mêlée weapons you want something that is common and not prone to breaking.  This is usually something as simple as choosing a metal bat over a wooden one, or a fireman’s axe over a wood chopping axe.  These are very common in most urban settings, so they are replaceable and sturdy.  A fireman’s axe is made from heat resistant molded plastic, which is superior in durability to the wooden handle of most wood chopping axes.  Try to avoid getting used to swords and other rare weapons, as once they break or become too dull, they will be difficult to replace.  If edge weapons are your thing, combat and kitchen knives are a better option in a modern setting.  Many of these suggestions also apply to firearms.  Given a choice, choose a firearm that will take as common an ammunition as possible.  Things like smaller caliber semiautomatic pistols, shotguns, and hunting rifles are your best bet.  In choosing a weapon, you also need to consider your ability as a marksman.  Novice shooters should wield the highest caliber with a manageable recoil.  The reason for this is that unless you can make regular, accurate head shots under pressure, you will want to have a weapon with greater stopping power to avoid being overrun.  Marksmen should always choose a lower caliber because higher caliber rounds are very heavy and being mobile and quick is of supreme importance.

• How much does it weigh?

Any soldier will tell you that running around with 50lbs. of gear is no picnic.  And each round you carry represents one dead zombie, half that if your aim is off.  So keep in mind the effectiveness if your weapons based on weight.  Some of the lightest ammunition is low calibur pistol rounds and arrows for bows and crossbows.  Crossbows and bows have a number of advantages, the first of which is the light and easy to reach for ammunition.

• How loud is it?

Grabbing every gun on the shelf seems like a smart move, and most zombie survival games, films, and television reaffirms this, but every loud noise you make will bring the nearest horde shambling your direction.  Each weapon also has a different decibel level and carrying power.  Silencers or silenced weapons are not the easiest to come by in most places.  Though a silencer is quite easy to make with only basic machinist tools, most do not have the know-how to make one.  For these reasons, mêlée weapons, bows and arrows and any chemical weapons will be your best friends.  A crossbow may sound like a contradictory choice, since I just stated that commonly available ammunition is important, but remember with more noise you get zombies in greater number, and what ammo you have will be stretched that thinner.

I hope this guide on choosing the best weapons in a zombie apocalypse has been enlightening and useful.  Be safe out there and survive as best you can.

Giving survivors the tools is so critical in survival scenarios and letting them do with them what they will.  I am making this rather obvious distinction now because up until now, Gigax gave survivors all the qualities of a hero and none of the training.  We touched on what I am hinting at with Ammo Saver and missed the mark completely with Parkour.  Character qualities are the best way for a player to become attached to a survivor, but they need to compliment the character’s ability and skills or they are hardly qualities.

Our last website was a pretty dismal affair.  But, thanks to our fantastic artists and enough time, we have been able to put together a nice new one.  This is a great step for us, because now we will finally be able to make regular updates on Gigax and our other projects to come.  It is also going to be a wonderful online-community building experiment for us.