Another game at Melbourne HvZ. We had some pretty good games and a solid turnout, and I had an opportunity to give some of the new Buzz Bee blasters a go in combat.
Gamemodes.
Regular:
- (Regular Survival Standard Gametype), humans attempt to survive for a certain amount of time or until the last person falls. Upgrades are available to zombies. We used Husk at 15 minutes, Tanks in 10 minutes, and Infectors in 5 minutes. The last human to fall wins.
- Secret VIP There are 3 special players in this game: the VIP, the General and the Traitor. The VIP is a human that other humans want to protect. It is limited to a specific area (we used the tambark area), while Traitor is a zombie disguised as a human. When stunned, zombies must move outside of the VIPs area before counting down their stun. Only the General knows the identity of VIPs, but all original zombies are aware of the Traitors‘ identity. The General’s identity is known by everyone, so they are the only human that can be trusted. The Traitor acts as a human, but can at any point do a single Traitor zombie tag, revealing that they are the Traitor, and thus turning into a regular zombie. Additionally, if a human hits another human, the hit human is stunned as if they were a zombie, however they can still fire their blaster. The VIP is protected by the humans for a set time period (e.g. The humans win if the VIP is protected for a set time (e.g., 15 minutes). If the zombies successfully tag the VIP, the zombies win. Zombie upgrades are unlocked on a timer like Survival, with Infectors available from the start, 5 minutes for Tanks and 10 minutes for Husk. If a human is hit by a grenade, they are instantly turned into a zombie.
This is the only way to actively eliminate the Traitor.
Infrequent/New:
- Bounty Hunt Three humans are designated as VIPs, known to all players, and allocated a particular zombie upgrade. If a VIP is tagged, their allocated zombie upgrade is made available. Otherwise, the game operates as a normal Survival round. In the second round of Bounty Hunt, a Traitor was added, operating on the same rules as in Secret VIP.
Zombie Rules:
Zombies tag humans with their hands onto any body part, blaster, tactical gear, etc, turning the human into a zombie. If a human hits a zombie with a dart, the zombie is stunned for a count of 25.
There are three standard upgrades/mutations/perks for zombies:
- Infector Zombies can use pool noodles and foam swords. Tags with said foam melee weapons on humans count as regular tags. Said melee weapons can also be used to block darts.
- Tank zombies get to use shields, which block darts. Shields are not allowed to be used to tag people, probably as protection against shieldbashing that could cause serious injury.
- Husk a zombie gets to use a ranged attack, in this case two Vortex Mega Howlers for two Husks. A ranged Husk attack counts as a regular zombie tag. The Husk may move from the place they were stunned to retrieve their ammo, but do not count down their stun timer until they return to their original stun place.
If in play, grenades can stun a zombie with a hit to a shield, and can be reused at will.
If human vs human rules are in effect, a grenade hit to a human will turn that human into a zombie immediately.
Blasters
Since there were a lot of different blasters there, Ive generalised them and only listed down the ones that I saw as significant or noteworthy, or remember for that matter. Being that I cant be everywhere at once, its entirely possible I completely missed some blasters.
Regulars/Recurring:
Elite Rapidstrike (various motors, LiPos) typical high-ROF blaster at MHvZ. Can eat through a lot of ammo very quickly and easily without good trigger discipline, but can also hose down zombies very effectively.
Elite Stryfe is a popular and well-known all-round flywheeler at MHvZ. A little less ammo-hungry than Rapidstrikes, though can also easily eat through a lot of ammo with poor trigger discipline. There were several Stryfes equipped with full-auto kits, which behaved much like Rapidstrikes.
Elite Retaliator/Modulus Recon MkII (various Springs, Pump Grips) A typical all-round springer from MHvZ. It is very easy to construct and can be quite effective if used correctly.
NStrike/Elite Rayven (various engines, LiPos), performs essentially the exact same as a Stryfe. They are solid, all-round flywheelers. However, there are some physical issues that the Rayven platform has that may affect performance and user-friendliness. These are not present in Stryfe. In particular, the very poor stock trigger mechanism and magwell-flywheel cage alignment issues.
N-Strike Modulus (assumed overhaul) again, essentially the same as a Stryfe, just in a larger package.
N-Strike Vulcan (unknown mods, assumed overvolted) as has been mentioned many times previously, a blaster that is more for looking cool and being fun than actual practical performance, at least in its current form. Its capacity isn’t particularly impressive without an extended belt. Worker 22 dart magazines are also available. The ROF is also not as high as full-auto flywheelers. Muzzle velocity is also somewhat lacking without a flywheel afterburner or similar technology.
ZS sledgefire (various modifications, usually singled or upgrade spring) single-shot high-powered springer. Effective at efficiently picking off single zombies at mid-to-long range, however quite ineffective in close range against multiple zombies due to its single shot nature.
(Assumed elite) Alpha trooper (assumed up-grading spring) solid all-round springer, with stock pump action.
Although it is a little less powerful than a Retaliator/Recon MkII in terms of power, it is still very effective in HvZ.
ZS Slingfire (upgrade spring) notable for its one-handable prime with practice, allowing for somewhat effective on-the-run combat. Otherwise inferior to a Retaliator/Recon MkII/etc in most ways performance wise.
Doomlands Lawbringer (unknown modifications if any), a reasonably large one-handable revolver. Great for on-the-run combat against a couple of zombies, but struggles when faced with larger numbers.
New/Infrequent:
Buzz Bee Thermal Hunter (double Spring, Accepts Nerf Mags) gave it a shot in the first round. It was able to withstand HvZ combat even with only weak double springs. I however had a lot of jamming issues, which I believe is related to how I cut the shell to make it accept Nerf mags. I have done a little further trimming and sanding since, and I believe it is more reliable now, though it has not been combat-tested in its current state.
Buzz Bee Rail Raider is a fun, but not very practical blaster. 6 darts is not much, especially considering the blaster’s size. It also doesn’t make for the most reliable blaster. Feeding can be finicky, and often results in blank shots if it is not loaded full with 6 darts. It was fun to use against single zombies and it allowed you to load multiple darts in the same spot. This was useful for refilling after each engagement.
ZS Drreadbolt (stock), a dumb, inefficient, bulky, and unnecessarily heavy blaster that uses an uncommon ammo type. It is not superior to any other blaster in practical use.
Rival Apollo (pump grasp) is quite powerful for a stock blaster and has excellent accuracy up to 15 metres. Rival balls lose speed very quickly however, and beyond that range become extremely floaty and slow. The Nerf Rival mag that holds the largest compatible Nerf Rival magazine can hold only 12 balls. This limits your capacity. I also personally find the pump stroke to be uncomfortably long and rough, though this may be more due to lack of experience with it.
Dart Zone Magnum Superdrum (stock) a very good non-mag-fed stock blaster.
A huge capacity of 40 darts, backed up with good power and ROF makes the Magnum Superdrum all round a very good blaster. Although it can withstand several zombies, and can be easily topped up, its greatest weakness is the inability to reload a lot of darts. In the absence of spare cylinders, which are more difficult to procure than Nerf mags (especially in Australia), reloading the Magnum can take quite a while. However, the cylinders can be quite heavy so it is easier to carry multiple spares than a few mags. The Magnum Superdrum is a great stock blaster, and it’s not mag-fed.
It was only 15 degrees Celsius, which was quite cool. It was partly cloudy, with the sun often providing some warmth on the field if not blocked by the occasional cloud. Wind played a significant role, picking up speed and throwing darts off of their flight paths at great speeds. This often made longer ranged engagements difficult, if not near impossible, however had minimal impact on close range combat. The peak player count was around 35. This is a lower number than the previous months, but still a solid turnout.
We started with a normal Survival round, as usual. I took along my Rail Raider and Thermal Hunter, using the Rail Raider for the first couple of minutes before Tank shields were made available. It worked well against a couple of zombies. They only needed a few darts to stun them. The Rail Raider was easily topped up immediately after each skirmish. After Tank shields became available, however, I decided to ditch the Rail Raider and switch to my Thermal Hunter to combat Tanks more effectively. I encountered a number of jamming issues with it, which I believe are related to the cuts I made to the magwell not being deep enough, and my priming stroke being too fast for the already iffy feeding position. It was still able to sustain me for a decent time. About halfway through the game, a friend was injured. I took their Stryfe and disposed of the Thermal Hunter. With it and my Sweet Revenges, I survived long enough to be the last survivor.
We then played two rounds of Secret VIP.
I was the VIP in the first round. The round was quite successful for humans. They were able hold off the zombies well even with Tank shields, Husk and in play. The General was tagged in the final stages of the game. This revealed my identity to the Zombies. The Traitor was still active, so I kept my identity secret from the rest. To maximise my chances of survival, I gravitated away from human-dense areas, and in particular avoided the Husk and tended away from Tanks. The zombies revealed my identity to their Traitor in the final seconds of the game. The Traitor, distracted by one zombie charging at my face, also charged at me. I turned in time to stun them, however from their momentum made it within tagging distance of me, a good several metres away from where I had actually stunned them. While I had assumed that while stunned, the Traitor is a non-threat, this was apparently not the case as the stunned Traitor tagged me for a zombie victory with ~10 seconds left.
I am particularly annoyed with what happened at the end of the game, partly given that we lost with a mere 10 seconds to go, but primarily that we lost because of a detail that to me does not make sense, and has never been stated in the rules of the game when I have attended. Every other rule regarding human vs human combat is designed to render a human helpless against other humans, particularly with the latest addition. A stunned human must drop any grenades they are carrying (the only weapon usable by humans that eliminates other humans), and when stunned they can still fire their blasters, but can no longer stun other humans. Essentially then, a stunned human is completely helpless against any other humans except the Traitor.
The Traitor can still use their Traitor tags, even though they are stunned. This I discovered to my own dismay. To me this goes against everything else that has been established about HvH combat, and I think that the Traitor should not be treated any different. A Traitor being able to use their tag while stunned makes no sense as either a human or zombie. As a human, if stunned, they should not be an immediate threat to the human group, in line with everything else about HvH combat. They should not be allowed to tag zombies as this goes against the purpose of zombie stuns. It is also extremely awkward if the Traitor was carrying the grenade.
The second round was also very successful for humans. Zombies made little progress even with Tanks or the Husk.
Late in the game, the Traitor tagged out the General, revealing the VIPs identity to both sides. While this helped to focus zombie attacks, this also left them without a Traitor on the inside to help destabilise the humans. The Human group held strong despite repeated Tank charges and Husk attack, and was rewarded with a very dominant victory.
We play more Secret VIP rounds and it becomes more obvious how vital the Traitor for the zombies. In the first game, the Traitor was able to obtain the grenade, not only preventing the humans from using it, but also giving them essentially a second, ranged Traitor tag. The General was also tagged during the game, giving the Traitor an opportunity to win the game for zombies. With the General turned, the zombies know the identity of the VIP, after which it is simply a matter of conveying that to the Traitor to win the game. Thus while I still believe that we should have won that first game given what happened at the end of the game, the Traitor put the zombies in a fairly good position considering their lack of numbers, and to be honest I would have been far less annoyed if theyd just tagged me at range with the grenade.
In the second game however, the Traitor elected to simply take out the General, which as Ive mentioned many times before, I do not consider to be on its own a particularly effective or reliable tactic. This gives the zombies an individual human target. However, it also eliminates the most reliable human disruptor. If the zombies are able to cause reasonable damage to the human population, this tactic can be very effective. However, it is dangerous if they are not. It is unlikely that the zombies will be able to penetrate the human defenses sufficiently to identify the VIPs. Its not much use knowing who your target is if you cant get to them anyway. It is more efficient for the Traitor in such situations to locate a position from where they can fire on most of the human group and then let loose before another zombie charge. The subsequent chaos and stunned humans gives a struggling zombie group their best chance at breaking through and gaining an advantage. Although Traitor communications can be difficult to establish, coordinated Traitor attacks and zombie charges can cause massive damage to human groups. I have witnessed easy wins turn into crushing defeats when this tactic was used well.
After Secret VIP, we stopped for lunch. After lunch, we played Defence Survival. Unlike previous Defence Survival rounds, the zombies were given a Tank shield as well as some melee weapons from the start. This can greatly reduce the amount of time necessary for the zombies to get some momentum.
The zombies will spend most of their first game standing at the Defense areas‘ borders, trying to grab an upgrade and catch the defending people off guard. With a Tank shield already in play, the starting zombies not only have much better opportunities to grab other upgrades, but also much better ability to get some early tags. I think that allowing the zombies a starter shield is a good idea to help speed up games a little, as Defence Survival can drag on for a really long time if the humans stay vigilant.
I didn’t actually get to play much of the game. While near some other humans guarding a Defence area, I heard a zombie running at me from about 5 o clock, so I quickly turned to engage, firing off several darts and stunning them. The human next to me also turned to engage, however held their blaster at just the right position and turned just far enough to hit me in the side of the head with their blaster. Thankfully the injury wasnt serious, but it was sore for a time and did bleed a little bit. I also sat out the next round, which I believe was a 6 Mag Survival.
I felt better by the time I got to the last round of Bounty Hunt. This time around, the zombies were given a Tank shield to start with instead of having a Traitor. The VIPs were allocated to the remaining Tank shield and the two Husks. The VIP allocated the other Tank shield was given a Buzz Bee Flintlock pistol, while the Husk VIPs were given Dreadbolts.
This round of Bounty Hunt was a success. With the Tank shield, the zombies start with much more ability to harass the humans, removing the concern I had previously with this gametype. While the zombies must still tag VIPs in order to access their full upgrade arsenal, they are now in a better position than if they had no upgrades at all. The blaster allocations also helped substantially with VIP identification and the game dynamic in general. Since the blasters are deliberately poor in combat, a VIP on their own will struggle to defend themselves against more than one or two zombies. VIPs can be vulnerable if they are not protected by a Tank. This not only gives the humans much more incentive to help defend the VIPs, but also makes VIP tags much easier to achieve if the zombies can separate them from the other humans.
The round that we played saw the zombies initially focusing on the Tank VIP and their group defending people.
They were able break through human defenses to obtain the tag. This was partly due to drawing attention in multiple directions and also using their Tank shield to great effect. The majority of the game played out much like a regular Survival, with the main exception of the zombies being more target-focused. This works well as a Survival variant that plays much the same way as a regular Survival. The game’s start with a Tank shield helps balance the non-availability of the Tank shield and reduces the time it takes to complete.
Giving the zombies a Tank Shield at the beginning of the game can speed up or give them an advantage, if needed. As mentioned previously, Secret VIP has turned from a near guaranteed zombie victory when it was first introduced into a zombie struggle as it is now. The zombies have not been able to make the same impact in the last few events. This is despite having a poorly organized human team. I believe this is partly due to the increasing total player count giving the humans progressively more firepower to use, as well as more and more players learning and becoming more experienced. There is also a possibility of the chosen Traitors being less effective than past Traitors have been, as many of the games that have been decisive victories for the zombies had previously looked good for the humans. Having a Tank shield available to the zombies from the start may make Secret VIP more competitive without the zombies having to rely on the Traitor.
I had a lot of fun this event, barring my unfortunate injury incident and my annoyance at that Secret VIP round. I liked the new gametypes and would love to see them included in the standard rules.
You can find the same post on my own blog: Outback Nerf
