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Wanda the waitress

Survivor #6

History

“Hands off, or I chop them off!”

Wanda served burgers and beer at the local drive-in. The zombie apocalypse hasn’t changed her routine much; she still has to dodge grabby hands, scoot around on rollerskates and firmly reject inappropriate advances. The new chainsaw is a perk though.

Skills

  • 2 Zones per Move Action
  • +1 dice: Combat
  • +1 Action
  • +1 free Move Action
  • Slippery
  • +1 Zone per Move
  • +1 to dice roll: Melee

Gameplay

• Wanda is Zombicide’s fastest Survivor. If you need to grab something that’s far away, she’s the woman of the situation. With the two Zones per Move Skill, she travels fast, really fast. And don’t think she’ll have to evade bad encounters: she has what it takes to deal with any Zombie crossing her path.

• Thanks to her extraordinary speed, Wanda is the team scout, opening doors, grabbing objectives, and driving Zombies in the appropriate direction. Slippery is a good choice at the Orange Level, making her difficult to grab by Zombies. Depending on the situation and the mission, she can either choose “+1 Zone per Move” or “+1 free Move Action” on the Red Level. “+1 Zone per Move” offers an unmatched movement speed. With 12 Zones per turn, Wanda can go anywhere and back while the other Survivors are just half way there. “+1 free Move Action” offers Wanda more flexibility. She can take more Movement Actions with less speed, which can be useful on little maps. This “fast Wanda” has no favored weapon. In her scouting role, Wanda counts more on experience points granted by objectives than those gained through Zombie extermination.
Wanda has offensive options too: melee fighting. Her “+1 to dice roll: Melee” combined with her “2 Zones per Move Action” is a priceless combination. Wanda can move to any group of Zombies really fast. When Survivors are stuck in a bad melee, she’s the first to jump in and deliver punishment. The chainsaw is then the best weapon: combined with “+1 to dice roll: Melee” at Orange Level, it gives her a strong advantage in melee. Ma’s shotgun is a good alternative, or two machetes or a katana. Reaching the Red Level, Wanda can choose any of her three Skills. All are useful: of course, “+1 dice: Combat” gives her even more punch, but “+1 free Move Action” can be interesting to move even faster.

• Wanda is maybe one of the most precious members of any team. She can either be the scout, giving a quick end to any objective-driven mission – or be a special force speeding to anywhere she is needed.

wanda's Survivor ID card

Doug, the Salaryman

Survivor #5


History

“On the plus side, no more TPS reports.”

4 hour commutes, 12 hour days, uncooperative colleagues and unappreciative bosses are a thing of the past for Doug. Sure, dealing with zombies is a little stressful, but frankly quite a pleasant change from the daily grind. An Uzi in each hand helps in dealing with troublesome ex-colleagues and ex-bosses, most of whom Doug is pretty sure were already zombies before any of this anyway.

Skills

  • Matching Set!
  • Slippery
  • +1 Action
  • +1 to dice roll: Combat
  • +1 free Combat Action
  • Ambidextrous
  • +1 die: Ranged

Gameplay

• Doug is twitchy, has lots of guns and no fear. Doug is a dual weapons specialist, and has a great starting ability that assures that he finds all weapons in pairs! This works with ranged weapons and with melee weapons, so Doug quickly becomes the team’s armory. Doug doesn’t care, he is as proficient in ranged combat as in melee combat.

• Doug relies on what weapons he gets rather than on a predefined playstyle. Whatever he uses, dual Sub MGs, dual sawed-offs or dual machetes, he deals an amazing number of shots (or strikes) to destroy anything facing him quickly and efficiently. He can follow several paths but it always ends the same way, the graveyard! The first and most obvious choice has Doug search for ranged weapons having a high rate of fire. With his “+1 free Combat Action” at the Orange Level, the more dice he can throw, the more efficient the additional Action. The SMGs are the best choice in this case, but dual sawed-offs will work too. This logically leads Doug to choose “+1 to dice roll: Combat” at the Red Level. If he has two SMGs, he hits his targets on a 4+ instead of a 5+, which means he will really blast away; if he uses two sawed-offs, he hits on a 2+, which means that he will shoot down anything he’s aiming at. Alternatively, Doug can specialize in melee combat. In this case, his “+1 free Combat Action” is always useful, and a pair of machetes is the second best choice, just after the chainsaw.
In this case, “Slippery” will be a wise choice at the Red Level. Doug will be able to “snipe” Fatties or Runners at point-blank range before falling back unhindered by any surviving zombies. Two machetes, a chainsaw, a katana or Ma’s shotgun are Doug’s best friends if he should choose to fight this way. But Doug achieves his greatest potential if he manages to get TWO chainsaws at Red Level. With his “Ambidextrous” ability, he can throw FIFTY dice per turn (5 attacks with 10 dice each)!
Doug can do lots of fun things with “Ambidextrous”. For example, he can use two sniper rifles or two shotguns at the same time; in this case, “+1 die: Ranged” is a better choice at the Orange Danger level.
One final interesting combination of Doug’s abilities is that with Ambidextrous, Doug considers all weapons as being dual. “Matching set!” allows him to find all dual cards in pairs … You see what I mean?

• As you can see, whatever the weapon, Doug will deliver a huge number of attacks, but he needs the team to cooperate efficiently, at least to give him the weapons he will use! On the other hand, with the right weapons, he has the potential to take care of huge amounts of Zombies, which will be more than useful at Orange and Red Level.

doug's Survivor ID card

Phil, the cop

Survivor #4


History

“I’ll cover you. Stay out of my line of fire! Go go go!”

Phil is a policeman through and through, even though there isn’t really a police force any more. He still wears his uniform, keeps his issued sidearm and sees it as his duty to protect civilians; at least, those that are still human. Being a cop keeps him sane, if a bit of a stick in the mud.

Skills

  • Starts with a pistol
  • Born leader
  • +1 Action
  • +1 die: Ranged
  • +1 free Search Action
  • Sniper
  • +1 to dice roll: Ranged

Gameplay

• Phil is a cop, which means that in a fight, he’s primarily a gunfighter. He starts with a pistol – and it isn’t a small advantage since he has, without even searching, a real, deadly weapon. Most of his Skills are related to ranged combat, so Phil may become an efficient sniper, but that’s not his only use. He can also offer lots of support to the team. The choice is yours!

• Phil is a well balanced guy. He can follow two major careers and these paths can blend the way you want. On the first hand, he can choose the easiest way, the shooter’s way, with a “+1 to dice roll: Ranged”. Phil can become a “sure” shooter, using rifles or sawed-offs that nearly never miss the target (they hit on a 2). He can also choose less precise ranged weapons, like the shotgun or the SMG. In this case, he becomes a specialized shooter, taking care of fatties (with his shotgun) or groups of walkers (with SMGs). He can achieve a more specialised role when he reaches the Red Danger level: the “Sniper” Skill will make him a short range sniper. This means, for example, that Phil equipped with a shotgun will take care of fatties no matter how many walkers are protecting them. He can also destroy huge amount of runners despite an escort if he uses a pair of SMG. “+1 die: Ranged” makes Phil more comfortable with a rifle (or sniper rifle), each Ranged Action being able to destroy two targets.

• Phil isn’t just another shooter. He is a real help for a group from the very beginning of the game. First of all, he begins with a pistol. That’s a real advantage, since it adds an efficient weapon that can be used in pairs with the other pistol of the group. Opening a door at the Blue Level is incredibly less dangerous when Phil is there to offer some covering fire. Then, when Phil becomes more skilled, he can also offer lots of help. His “free Search Action” Skill is a real plus in any mission requiring to find some food. It’s also useful to deal with an Abomination through the use of a Molotov cocktail. And of course, if the group is lacking any equipment, Phil will do the job. Once he reaches the Red Level, Phil can choose the “Born Leader” Skill. An extra Action, anytime, to anyone who needs it will open a wide area of tactical options. Suddenly, a lonely survivor left behind, may go through a group of zombies.
Phil is the helpful guy. He is of course a skilled shooter, but in fact his real talent is helping anybody who needs it. Taking care of dangerous zombies, no matter the odds, no matter if the game begins or is about to finish, finding the last canned food needed to achieve the scenario, giving one more Action to another Survivor in order to make him survive… Phil is a cop. A real one. He protects and serves!

phil's Survivor ID card

Josh the thug

Survivor #3


History

“I don’t want your money. What am I supposed to do with it?”

Josh was a street thug, growing up poor in a tough neighborhood. Surviving day to day was all he could do before the zombies. Now there’s no more law and no one can tell him what to do, Josh finds his street smarts in high demand by other survivors. Respect, worth more than all the money in the world…

Skills

  • Slippery
  • +1 free Move Action
  • +1 Action
  • +1 to dice roll: Combat
  • +1 die: melee
  • Lucky
  • 1 re-roll per turn

Gameplay

• Josh is the apocalypse’s coolest maverick. He’s the only one who can allow himself to play the free spirit from the beginning of the game thanks to his starting Skill: Slippery. With this Skill he can cross zombie-infested zones without penalty. This allows him to play the bait when his teammates are hidden, to prowl for objectives and, when he has the opportunity, to be a peerless assassin. According to the choices made during his progression, Josh can also become the luckless player’s best friend: his rerolling Skills get him the best results of demanding weapons like the chainsaw, the sub-MG or machete.

• Josh lives in the shadows. Because he can get out of a sticky situation in a blink, he roams in the team’s periphery, waiting for his time to strike. Although he’s good with all weapons, his playstyle drives him to the hybrid style (ranged weapon + melee weapon). His career choices are clear : as an assassin, he’ll go for the machete and sawed-off (or Evil Twins), easy-to-get dual weapons he can easily invert in his inventory. If he takes the scout’s path, he’ll favor the axe (for door-opening) and rifle (or sniper rifle). If you prefer him as a prowler, equip him with a chainsaw and a sub-MG.

• In a team, Josh is called upon for special operations. He’ll discreetly separate from the team to get an objective while his companions are repelling a zombie crowd. He’s also the one to throw the Molotov cocktail in a compact group ready to split at the next crossroads. And most of the time, Josh will be the one to lure the zombies, getting out of the zone at his next activation. Beware, though, for zombie extra activations: amidst an infected crowd, Josh won’t stand a chance if he’s spotted or moves too late. Even with a goalie mask!

josh's Survivor ID card

Crazy Ned

Survivor #2


History

“….add a bit of bleach and BANG! Heh heh heh…”

Ned knew it. He knew THIS would happen. THIS was THEIR fault. But NOBODY ever listened. Boy are they SORRY now. Ned has been preparing for years: collecting food and weapons, building a bunker, all to survive THIS. Unfortunately for Ned, he’s lost his bunker key, so until he finds it he’s going to need every survival skill he’s got. And probably other people. Crap.

Skills

  • +1 free Search Action
  • +1 to dice roll: Combat
  • +1 Action
  • +1 die: Combat
  • +1 free Combat Action
  • Tough
  • +1 die: Ranged

Gameplay

• Do you like tinkering, playing the gunsmith, being the first to get the best weaponry? Then Ned’s the one for you. Thanks to his starting Skill, +1 free Search Action, this “crazy guy” will quickly find the equipment the team needs. He then has the duration of the game to specialize in either Melee or Ranged Combat. Ned is the best in equipment-oriented missions and is often the first to get an advanced weapon.

• Because he gets to search for free all the time, Ned can get good Equipment in just a few turns. He can get a ranged weapon in one hand and a melee in the other to be sure to get a firm experience progression until the Orange level, all the while upgrading his equipment! A first specialization takes place at Orange Level and is completed at Red Level. The player should make sure to pick the Skills best suited to the weapons Ned is carrying. In Ranged Combat, he’s particularly good with a rifle or sniper rifle. The fire axe and chainsaw are his favorites for Melee Combat.

• In a team, Ned is a valuable asset in the beginning and in the end of the game. In the first turns, he’ll get the team quality equipment. A savvy group will give him the flashlight to push this advantage even further! At the end of the game, Ned can find the missing Equipment you may need to complete the objective AND play the tank with the Tough Skill. Ignoring the first Wound taken allows him to go toe-to-toe with the Abomination and lock it down, an impressive feat!
If you think a good worker always has the best tools, just play Ned.

ned's Survivor ID card

Goth Amy

Survivor #1

History

“No, I don’t want to explain why we need to loot the makeup store.”

Amy was a goth girl who hated everything; from mindless consumerism to the pointlessness of daily existence. The world Amy despised so much has crumbled, but from it comes the promise of a fresh start and simpler times. Desperate zombie battles have sparked a will to live in Amy; but she still doesn’t feel comfortable without some white foundation on.

Skills

  • +1 free Move Action
  • +1 to dice roll: Combat
  • +1 Action
  • +1 die: Combat
  • +1 free Combat Action
  • Medic
  • +1 free Move Action

Gameplay

• The appealing goth is a “one man Amy”, Zombicide’s box character with the most potential. “Jack of all trades” doesn’t mean “master of none” here: it simply means she’ll be the best at what the player choose for her. In this aspect, she’s a valuable asset to beginner and expert players alike. The blue-level free Move Action allows Amy to quickly move to the combat zone where her remaining Actions will be best put to use, or to leave a dangerous area while strafing a few bullets.

• Thanks to her free Moves, Amy has quite a few Actions to spend in Search or Combat. Her Skills are good to optimize low-Dice rated or low-precision weapons. Even towards the end of a game, Amy can make a deadly use of common weapons! The only missing thing is Damage. Weapons with a Damage value of 2 are precious for Amy: axe, machete, shotgun, etc.

• Amy’s only relative flaw is a lack of group-oriented Skill outside of Combat. In a large group, she’s a bit too discreet. This flaw is corrected if the player makes a Medic of her at Red Level. Besides being an efficient and stand-alone fighter, she becomes an essential support in any aspect. Especially if she has two free Move Actions to quickly give support to endangered friends!

amy's Survivor ID card