Fortifying in TWD - The Hilltop, Alexandria, The Saviors, or something else?

[Ronald_55]

So just thinking during a long drive today. If you ended up in the zombie apocolypse like in TWD, how would you fortify a compound?

A lightpole perimeter wall like The Hilltop, a Metal perimeter wall like Alexandria, the chain link walker moat like the Saviors, the bus, tire and other wall of Woodbury, or something else?

Seeing as the shtf quick, materials and equipment would still be around. So that makes options more plentiful. And "whatever is around" is not an answer. LOL

[GlockSpock]

I mean, "What is, Whatever is Around".


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[GlockSpock]

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[Billrube]

On 7/5/2017 at 11:38 PM, Ronald_55 said:

So just thinking during a long drive today. If you ended up in the zombie apocolypse like in TWD, how would you fortify a compound?

A lightpole perimeter wall like The Hilltop, a Metal perimeter wall like Alexandria, the chain link walker moat like the Saviors, the bus, tire and other wall of Woodbury, or something else?

Seeing as the shtf quick, materials and equipment would still be around. So that makes options more plentiful. And "whatever is around" is not an answer. LOL

Well as you said - it depends on what you have around. Assuming that you had no time to prep and nothing prepared your options would be slim. Probably the best that most could do would be create obstacles to block "walkers" or impede progress of "bad guys". Falling trees, using vehicles, barb wire, sharpened poles, etc. 

One would have to keep in mind that obstacles such as vehicles creates cover for an "enemy" force. 

If I could wave a magic wand, I'd have a conex container compound on a small cleared hill surrounded by fencing topped with Razor wire. Inside of that would be obstacles, barb wire, pungi pits with a clear field of fire. If it's solid, defensible and safe someone else will want it. 

AND you can lose all of those preps in heartbeat when a large better armed opposing force shows up. In TWD, the prison was a great location with the following exception: it was too big to defend the entire perimeter. Even if there was not a tank involved, the fence could have been breached. Minus the tank, the Gov's people would never have got into the inner compound. They would have paid a high price in casualties to breach two fences without a tank. 

What was it General Patton said? "Fixed fortifications is a monument to the stupidity of man." 

On the same token, Gov's force could have laid seige and picked them off one by one. Water source was outside the fence. 

Edited July 12, 2017 by Billrube

[A.J. Holst]

Head to a local marina and pirate a lake yacht?

Or snag the Star of Knoxville

With a small tender, you have a landing craft.

Do zombies swim?

 

[bersaguy]

2 minutes ago, Gotthegoods said:

Head to a local marina and pirate a lake yacht?

Or snag the Star of Knoxville

With a small tender, you have a landing craft.

Do zombies swim?

 

Well since they are for the most part already dead means they don't need to breath O2 so why would they not be able to walk on the bottom of the lake to the boat or just float to it. The one thing I have never figured out is why are they called the walking dead yet a bullet or arrow or even a club can kill an already dead person. I guess I think to logically and that is why I have never gotten into watching the program "Walking Dead".............

[RED333]

In a new movie the dead fly!!!

[JAB]

19 minutes ago, bersaguy said:

Well since they are for the most part already dead means they don't need to breath O2 so why would they not be able to walk on the bottom of the lake to the boat or just float to it. The one thing I have never figured out is why are they called the walking dead yet a bullet or arrow or even a club can kill an already dead person. I guess I think to logically and that is why I have never gotten into watching the program "Walking Dead".............

The Walking Dead does not refer to the reanimated corpses.  Instead, the survivors are 'the walking dead'.  That reinforces that, at its best, the show (and especially the comic) is NOT a show/comic about reanimated corpses.  It is a show/comic about the survivors and their story of survival in a world filled with reanimated corpses.  I think that is part of the reason people who tune in expecting - and want to insist - that it is supposed to be 'a show about zombies' are often disappointed - because they are wrong.  The zombies are simply a plot device.  It could be aliens or mutant, malicious chihuahuas (but I am glad it is zombies.)  Although the main characters refer to the reanimated corpses as 'walkers', the actual term 'the walking dead' is only used once or twice in the show or comic and to the best of my knowledge/recollection the only time that term is used in the comic or the show is when it is used to refer to the survivors, as in this scene:

 

 

 

 

[Ronald_55]

As you said, if you make a good location, people will come and try to take it. On the other side, living day to day with no protection is a recipe to be zombie chow.

 

One idea that came up reading your post is that a large warehouse might be nice. Ans I know the perimeter would be difficult to defend, but the plan would be to build the levels of fortification INSIDE. That way it is less likely to be noticed, but still protected. Maybe a armored up conex as the central "keep". Still would nto deal with a tank, but hopefully tanks woudl be in short supply.

[JAB]

I think you would also have to be careful not to do - at least figuratively - what the characters in the show/comic did literally.  By that, I mean you would have to be careful to avoid making your 'sanctuary' also become your 'prison'.  Think about it - one of the best places they found to live in the show was a prison - a place that most people who are in prisons in our world want to get out of.  I mean, safety is important but if you are basically 'imprisoned' inside your safe cocoon how long will it take before people start going stir crazy and you start having unrest in the group that has the potential to eventually become as dangerous as the zombies outside?

For that reason, I think a setup more like Woodbury or, even better, Alexandria would be better.  Security is important to survival but so is morale and the mental well-being of you and your fellow survivors - especially in a world where even individuals who were very well-balanced from a mental standpoint before the outbreak are likely hanging onto sanity by their fingernails, especially those who are able to survive the first, couple of years and get through the things they might have to do in order to survive.

Edited July 12, 2017 by JAB

[Ronald_55]

51 minutes ago, Gotthegoods said:

Head to a local marina and pirate a lake yacht?

Or snag the Star of Knoxville

With a small tender, you have a landing craft.

Do zombies swim?

 

Boats have been thought of and are a good idea, but unless the river or lake is really big then people can still see you and a good .308 would wreck havoc. Now on the ocean is nicer, but water become a HUGE issue since you can't drink it. The biggest worry I would have for a boat is mechanical issues shutting you down. Fuel would also need to be a concern at some point. I don't want to be adrift with no power to move about.

Zombie swimming depends on the "universe" you are in. In the World War Z book, the walk on the bottom or float, but sometimes get lucky and climb up anchor chains into boats.

 

One internal concern that was an issue at the Prison in TWD is that people need to be segregated physically so that if someone dies, they do not re-animate and kill others who them re-animate, etc. It also would assist in keeping down illness if you could keep people separate if there was a need. Hygiene is going to be pretty bad, so illness is going to happen.

 

There are very few setups, that we could not find a way to breach given an unlimited supply of men and weapons. If I raided an air base, a few pieces of rigged up air ordnance would wipe out most any place the could be built int he apocalypse. The idea would be to be able to hold out and and do away with realistic live threats while keeping the zombies well at bay.