Tactic - Aim for the Head

http://bit.ly/LXfsnj by Viktor Leonovisk

Strategies and Tactics

Aim for the Head

Probably one of the most recognized but most important tactics to dealing with all range of zombie types is to aim for the head. Now, while this rule of thumb is well known, some people are not entirely sure on the why.

As anyone with an even basic knowledge of human anatomy can tell you, the brain is the most important organ in the entire body; acting as a control center for literally everything. If the brain is damaged than the body is damaged. This same rule of thumb holds true to the undead, since they still inhabit a human-like body. The brain continues to be the most important , hell, sometimes the only important, area of the body and massive trauma or destruction will lead to the destruction of the zombie. While there are some zombies that can be killed without a clear hit to the head, namely the "Infected" type zombie, we always recommend destruction of the brain just for safe bets.

There are some things to remember. Given that our brain is the most important organ in our body, our body is naturally designed to protect it. While video games and movies try and make it look simple, showing people killing the undead with a simple swing of a pipe or a baseball bat, consider the context in reality. How often have you known someone to be killed when getting hit in the head by your average baseball bat? Sure, it may hurt like a sumbitch and it very well knock the unfortunate individual unconcious, but it won't necessarily cause major damage. Zombies don't feel pain and if the blow isn't fatal, it probably won't be enough to put it down: thus putting you in serious danger and very possibly wasting the one chance you had to get a good hit in.

Destruction of the brain requires heavy, if not penetrating hits if you will be trying to go through bone. Much easier would be to utilize, as disgusting as it may sound, the soft spots of our head including eye sockets, mouth, and the underside of the chin where a penetrating blade or tool might cause damage. With a variety of tools and weapons are your disposal, keep these recommendations in mind.

To this same point, we must reiterate a ground rule. "Never assume". If you do manage to drop a zombie with a good solid hit, never work on the assumption that it is down the count just because you have a nice golf swing. Unless you are in immediate danger from one or more other undead, give that nasty bugger a "double tap", as coined in the movie Zombieland; meaning hit it a second time to ensure that it is dead for good.

As always, we never recommend dealing with the undead at close range. Whenever possible you should always try and dispatch zombies utilizing either long range tactics and weaponry or traps. The thing to remember when using long range options such as firearms is that the head is a much smaller target than many people are used to. Even individuals trained in the military and law enforcement are most often taught to aim for the chest as this provides a much larger target and, in humans, will tend to be fatal. With this in mind, make sure that you don't simply walk into a crowded city street and expect to start dropping the undead like you're playing a video game at an arcade. If you can, always use whatever time and spare equipment you have to train repeatedly before you are ever dropped into a situation where life and death could be the difference of a single headshot.

Stay safe out there, Survivors.