Ch. 2: Zed Combat

**Zed Tzu** Thu Mar 29, 2012 5:30 pm

Inevitably, you will find yourself in a situation where you have to fight. Note that this is not a fight to kill Zeds, but a fight to survive. Should you find yourself in unfortunate situation, proper tactics will minimize/prevent casualties.
Missions are where most unavoidable combat will take place. Your routes are pre-determined, the Zeds know essentially as much as you do about the mission, and they'll be organized and out in force. With the 10 Cardinal Rules for Survival in mind, you've taken every precaution to avoid this fight. You remember that your survival is the most important objective, and that no mission reward is worth human lives. With that said, you've found yourself trapped by Zeds with the enemy closing in. You've found your center. Fleeing at this point is unwise: the Zeds will run your team down as they route and you'll suffer massive casualties. Standing your ground is your best option.
Often, the natural reaction for humans is to bunch together. This concentrated mass of weapons will both provide a 360 degree firing cone and will protect your back (I imagine you think you look something like this), so it's the best, right? Wrong. Movement in this formation almost always fails due to a lack of coordination, and as soon as one side falters, the Zeds will move in.
The best formation to take when fighting a group of Zeds is to space yourselves out with about 5 ft. between each person. This way, if a Zed reaches your ranks, they won't be able to take multiple humans as quickly because they won't be able to reach more than one at a time. So now that you have your formation, do you stand and fight until either the horde or the humans are wiped out? No. This strategy will only lead the arrival of more Zeds and stunned Zeds returning. The humans should proceed towards a location (mission objective/safe zone) at a steady (walking) pace. Stopping or running in panic are not options. As you advance steadily, the Zeds will either pull back or they will charge. If the Zeds charge, you're only dealing with the inevitable. If the Zeds fall back, you're successfully making your way towards safety.
War cries and other theatrical acts are typically used by those humans who are not survivors, or for the Zeds to try and scare us. Do not let them succeed. War cries alert you of the enemy, and take away the element of surprise that much sooner. Humans engaging with Zeds should not yell, as they must maintain communications with each other.
However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. For instance, if a smaller group of humans is about to be engaged by a large group of Zeds, a flanking force of humans that charges and yells will disrupt the momentum of the Zeds as some of their attention is diverted to the new threat. This could buy the other humans more time or at the very least make sure they aren't hit by such a harsh force all at once. With that said, if the group of humans being attacked is capable of surviving until the flanking force actually engages, then the flanking force should not make their presence known until the Zeds fall victim to tunnel vision and are struck down by darts before they can react to the new threat. In this way the element of surprise is best utilized and ambushes are most successful.

Countering single-file line tactic has been given its own chapter.