Introduction
Another Sunday in October; here's another Zomtober post. As ever, the rules are that I have to show at least 1 zombie or 1 survivor. However, I've made a habit of showing one of each, posed as a duel. This week, its "B.B." versus "Cocktail Waitress Zombie" (CWZ).
The Duel
I've talked before about the possibility of zombies retaining some form of instinctive need to finish a task, notably with my zombie ballerina. I imagine that in a few, extreme cases, a fresh zombie may attempt to carry on with some activity in which they were engaged before they were "converted", at least for a short time. This might be used to explain those rare cases where the living dead wield a weapon including, on rare occasions, a firearm.
Thus it is with Cocktail Waitress Zombie: she's attempting to carry a tray of drinks without spilling them. This is complicated by the fact that her high heels have caught in a drain cover. The proximity of the interfering human isn't helping either!
"B.B." is a young hooligan with a catapult. Some may sneer at this as a weapon, but it has many advantages:
- It's quiet.
- Ammunition is free and readily available.
- A powerful catapult using 1/2" steel ball bearings will do a lot of damage to a target. Not as much as a powerful handgun, admittedly, but perhaps equal to a .22 rifle?
Of course, there are some disadvantages as well:
- Effective (accurate) range is quite short.
- Once the rubber perishes, you probably can't replace it in an apocalypse.
CWZ is a Wargames Factory "Zombie Vixen", built straight out of the box. I've added a couple of wine glasses to her tray; these come from Black Cat Bases.
B.B. is one of Offensive Miniatures "Street Kids", from their near-future rioters section. I made the catapult elastic from a length of plastic rod, but otherwise he is also unmodified.
Both models are mounted on resin urban bases from Escenorama.
Here are the questions in my mind about this encounter:
- Is B.B. trying to fell the zombie, or is he just interested in plinking at the wine glasses as a form of target practice?
- At what point will CWZ give up her balancing act, discard the tray and just go for the human?
- When CPZ finally tries to eat B.B., will she be able to catch him by surprise, or will he be nimble and alert enough to escape her clutches?
- Will B.B be able to kill the zombie with his catapult? If not, will he keep trying, or will he get bored and run off?
Great duo. Often wondered about the effectiveness of a catapult against zombies.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd prefer not to find out! However, as always, it would depend on what you had to hand when the apocalypse begins. I'd use a catapult if I had one :-) .
DeleteB.B wins as CWZ gets caught in the grate and slows her down....
ReplyDeleteI think you're probably right, but B.B. seems the cocky sort to me; perhaps he'll make a mistake?
DeleteMaybe he would trip himself up when his trousers that we're halfway down the back of his thighs slip down around his ankles....
DeleteGreat paintjob!
ReplyDeleteThanks, HW. I don't think that either model is my best work, but they're not too bad, are they?
DeleteFabulous! I just love the idea of a zombie waitress sill trying to balance her order! BB to win this one for me.
ReplyDeleteI think that CWZ must only just have come out of her workplace, as I can't imagine her balancing the drinks for long!
DeleteThat is a cool diorama. I once used a Survivor armed with a catapult in an ATZ campaign and it proved to be quite effective at killing zombies, with the added bonus of being completely silent. This time, my money is on B.B. winning. Even if he doesn't kill he can easily outrun her. She doesn't seem so nimble in those high heels.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember you writing about a catapult-armed human in your blog. Is my memory faulty>
DeleteHmm, I agree that B.B. *should* win, if he does the right things. However, I believe him to be an arrogant little sod, so maybe he'll be over-confident and do something stupid?
I think it was little Billy in his ATZbdtz campaign mate
DeleteNice paint job Colgar. Love to see this guy in a ATZ campaign.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you will, David. I really must do another ATZ campaign (but then again, I've been saying that for at least a year now :-( ).
DeleteWhy shoot her at all, at least until she's delivered your order (but perhaps before the bill arrives?)
ReplyDeleteCheers Roger.
It might be a little tricky to get the drinks from the waitress without them spilling, though. And the bill is quite a high cost, if she bites you...
Deletehard enough for Zombies to walk in high heels I should imagine let alone carry a tray with drinks/ice-creams!
ReplyDeleteI agree entirely, Clint. She's completely off-balance. Finally, I found a way to use the "I need to pee" pose from the zombie vixens set in a way that doesn't seem too contrived!
DeleteI think you've created a fantastic metaphor for the difficulties of modern parenting: trying to keep work and home balanced, whilst life tries to trip you up and your kids keep firing problems out that you need to deal with. All the time feeling so tired that you could be dead.
ReplyDeleteVery deep. Nice work!
This certainly made me laugh - thanks, Kieron! I don't imagine that being a waitress is the greatest job in the world in normal circumstances either, but during the Z-apocalypse it must be even worse.
DeleteAnother cool vignette - I do love seeing these duels. :) Great stuff. :)
ReplyDeleteAh, we're not even half way through Zomtober 2016 yet. I've got to keep coming up with new ideas for several more weeks yet :-) !
DeleteExcellent duo once again. Brilliant entry for week 2 :) I'd like to think he'd find a better weapon or of been eaten by the time the elastic perishes though :D
ReplyDeleteWell, he should be all right for now, I think. But I can't help wondering if a little urban thug like this is really smart enough to survive for long in such a changed world?
DeleteThere pairings are great.
ReplyDeleteIf the "Deadliest warrior" program is re-animated for a 4th series. these would all be excellent concepts.
And no more absurd than the Shaka Zulu against William Wallace nonsense they were treating as serious documentary.
I found an interesting article about Roman sling bullets found at Burnswark Hill. It suggested the heavier projectiles (60 grammes) carried similar energy to a .45 Pistol bullet. So perhaps there's some life in the sling family of weapons.
Reference http://www.livescience.com/55050-whistling-sling-bullets-from-roman-battle-found.html
Yes, I saw that article as well. I think that slings are often overlooked by modern man, but they were by far the simplest & cheapest missile weapon of ancient times. Their popularity is only dampened by the skill needed to use one effectively.
DeleteSimilarly, I think that most modern people think of a catapult as a child's plaything; not many realise that there are serious weapons of that form available...
Back at Stirling (2nd year) one of the guys in my wing at Murray hall had brought an "adult" version of the kids catapult back form Sth Africa. Apparently used by farmers to discourage the wildlife form their herds. Big thing with a brace that fitted the forearm, and multiple bungee strands.
DeleteHis party piece was to launch a hard-boiled egg out of the kitchen window and reach the grounds right across the loch.
Strictly speaking these have more in common with a handheld harpoon gun or a crossbow than the traditional David Vs Goliath slingshot.
Another fine pairing. I am pretty sure BB has this one.
ReplyDeleteAs long as B.B. doesn't do anything stupid then he should survive. But, as I've expressed above, perhaps he might be just too young and arrogant to do the sensible thing?
DeleteAnother great pairing. The waitress is a great figure, made more beleivable with the simple addition of those glasses!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joe. I did wonder how plausible it might be for a zombie to be balancing glasses on a tray, but I made the model anyway. Perhaps she's only just come a few yards from the bar where she works?
DeleteThe figures are a great pairing, and the waitress zombie adds a nice touch of character to the undead. Your ideas of them still attempting to complete a task makes for some interesting zombie ideas... I don't know how effective the catapult would be, but with the right ammo and it being effectively silent, it could be useful I think. Great figs!
ReplyDeleteThe folklore of ghosts is very much about those killed in highly emotional circumstances continuing to haunt an area until released from their task (or until they are revenged?). I'm not suggesting that zombies would be affected in quite the same way, but maybe people who were heavily involved in an activity might have vestigial urges to carry on in some way after they are infected?
DeleteSince all zombie lore is modern and made up anyway, I don't see why I can't have this if I want :-) !