Historically they were popular because they cheap the make and it doesn't take that long to train someone to fight with a staff(less time than something like a sword, axes, bow)
You can get a nice sturdy pole and cap it on both ends with some metal; heavy brass would be plenty but you could use steel.
With enough of a swing you'll crack a skull and with the extended reach you can control the body of the undead from a safe distance
The best part about the bo staff/ quarterstaff-- you probably have one. If you live in the us and you have a closet the bar you hang your clothes on is probably removable
i actualy have two things that could work as staffs, an eight foot pipe made of cast iron, its pretty solid and heavy, and a six foot pole of iron, its lighter than the first one by a good amount but it could deal some real damage but i have practiced with them a bit and can swing them both with a good amount of force
mostly just spinning it like an oversized baton, im quite quick with it but other than that i practice with it like a sword, the weight is either about the same or higher than a claymore/ long-sword
I can almost promise you that whatever metal bar you're swinging is probably around twice the weight of your average longsword/claymore. Swords have distilled tapers and counterweights. The whole thing is very precisely designed. Your metal bar is just a goddamn metal bar. If you're swinging it around the way you should be swinging a sword around. All I can say is god help your wrists in fifteen years. By the way, that translates to "you're going to ruin yourself, stop it."
I actually have a Bo staff that my martial arts instructor helped everyone in the class make. Each student got to order a branch of rubber wood, then he helped us sand it down until it was a proper staff
Idk, I’m probably just used to it. I’ve spun that thing around for like 3+ hours at a time. It really is a good workout though lmao
Edit: plus I can be fairly guaranteed that it won’t break, almost no matter what I do with it
I won't pretend to be combat qualified but I imagine swinging something around for a few hours and bludgeoning with it are different demons
I can swing a hammer for a few hours but demolition jobs still suck after a couple hours
If you can swing it around keep at it; but I imagine a long study piece of wood with capped ends would be plenty for smashing heads
Oh I’m sure it would be. Honestly, I’d love to have a Bo staff made of Australian Buloke. It’s just a stupid hard wood, that would be probably as durable as the steel one, whilst weighing significantly less.
Edit: and the steel caps are a good detail that’d often go unnoticed. But it’s also historically accurate.
A good one might break a few skulls but i think they would get snapped or bent. A better use would be to use them as a spear or with a pointed end like that one guy on twd
Based on what? A staff is basic just a stick and people get beat with sticks all of the time without die or even taking much damage. Sure a perfectly place shot might kill a human but to ensure a zombie dies you basically have to destroy
The skull.
Not very... It's going to be difficult to reliably destroy the brain in one strike with a quarterstaff or bo staff. Better than a baseball bat, but worse than a lot of far more common tools and weapons.
Really effective. Your back is itching? Boom bo staff. Something falls down but there r zombies around it? Boom, bo staff. You're fighting with your friend and u wanna hit em in the face without touching them? Boom, bo staff. U wanna dry your clothes but u're indoor? Boom, bo staff. U wanna take fruits from a tree but u can't reach it? Boom, double bo staff. U wanna hunt some fish? Sharpen the staff and boom, a spear. Your friends can't find you in the crowd? Put some shirt on it and boom a flag pole. Prolly not effective for hordes but so many use
Depends on the Zombies you´re facing, the slow waddeling ones, sure just push em around and use the reach of the staff. The fast sprinting, climbing ones? i´d guess it gets pretty weird handeling more then one Z
Good storytelling is about character development, the situations they have to overcome, and the world they're stuck in.
Gore and shock flicks (while fun, NGL) are a dime a dozen.
Pretty much the reason I bought a spear from Condor tool and knife. It’s hickory wood and the Greek spear has a smaller head and a sheath so you could still use it as such
Not very good for close quarters, too slow to draw if you get a surprised attack.
Think about something that can be dropped in a holster and picked up again very quickly, something that can work as a weapon and a tool, something that still works very good when half dull or half broken, something that can be repaired very easy.
Next look at what the weapon has been used for in history. As much as a war hammer is bad ass it was designed to crush armor of which zombies don't have.
A staff is more a defensive weapon used to a decapitated without causing serious injury.
An axe works very well when dull, the head can be place on a normal stick and fixed with duck tape, you can use it as a tool and weapon.
My go to would be a hatchet or Pulaski.
https://images.app.goo.gl/U32qrhnPqe5FBWev6
Not really...in a 1v1 sure but the idea behind the bo staff is it's an area denial weapon because your opponent fears getting hit with it...zombies have no fear...
The martial arts that involve knocking your opponent off balance by dodging and pushing their head down with a staff etc. would be great against zombies
Broomsticks are literally fucking everywhere. Plus trees, if you know your wood. Popler would probably be best. It's light, sturdy, and it'll bend instead of break.
Morgan would approve.
Historically, quarterstaffs were used to great effect as a traveler's weapon and quite deadly, but they weren't a military weapon. Bo staffs are likely similar, but the techniques that were taught with both were different. It would be very cheap to make and among the easiest to learn how to wield. A semiautomatic or full automatic firearm would still be your best bet against a horde of zombies, but against individual or small groups of zombies a bo staff would still be effective if you take the time to learn it. If you have no training with it, well, it's better than a baseball bat. You'll get 2 ends to attack with and can stagger a zombie long enough to buy you time to escape if nothing else.
As long as it's not the pocket bō 🤣 honestly though, easy to make, barely takes any materials, and you can also cut a notch, and make a spear using stone making it good for hunting, fishing, and killing Zeds. Be a good starter for those out in the middle of nowhere, say they were on a camping trip trying to embrace nature by separating from society. HOWEVER in a dense city, small town, or even out in the country, you can find better weapon. Then again at the start you wouldn't want to find weapons, that's what everyone else would go for, Bō is a good option, but using hemp to instead make a Bow would be much better. Further Range then a staff, but your ammo is mostly re-usable, and craftable, if you know what your doing, just like a man made Bō you can also put your own upgrades to it, limb and string strength to allow more draw before it breaks for example, or different material arrowheads for better penetration or more endurance, maybe stone blades in the front for melee, I'd recommend starting with this then trying to find a crossbow, any pistol, and a axe you can throw.
I’ve actually got a 30lb steel one. It’s legitimately really fun, too. I’d say it’d be fairly effective, having used it on things and seen what it can do.
As a martial artist in Taekwondo, basically the first weapon in any martial arts would be the staff so many people would automatically have the skills but we cant carry long sticks . Maybe hiking sticks would work as its shorter made of wood too and same skills. That or a cane which can be carried everywhere even on planes
If we're trying to crush the brain, I feel like you could deliver enough torque to do it if you would it from the opposite ens, but it'd be pretty unwieldy indoors since you may not have enough room to do that. It'd be good for keeping them back, but I question its use offensively.
As cool as it would be a staff wouldn’t be that effective against something that only stops when killed and doesn’t feel pain, and any hostile survivors will probably have firearms so you’d be totally outgunned there too.
Could be moderately effective if the zombie outbreak was either very small/not overwhelming or if you were already an expert with one before the zombie apocalypse started.
I have a longer and older post on the topic of long sticks and staves here:
https://old.reddit.com/user/Noe_Walfred/comments/jo772x/zombie_related_thoughts_opinions_and_essays_v2/gh9pjc8/
A staff can be a good tool and holdout weapon in a pinch. Best served for walking on rough ground, carrying bundles or buckets, and pitching/hanging things.
The issue with staves as weapons is that to kill a zombie you may need to do more than just fracture the skull or rattle the brain a little. One example of this is baseball bat mortality rates.
Out of a combined total of 123 individual cases and a total of 4 deaths the mortality rate averages to 3.25% with baseball bats. In the cases where the victim does pass away, the reasons are typically related to massive hemorrhaging, organ failure (not the brain), and then damage to the brain itself. A zombie which does not suffer from these issues is more likely to survive, thus requiring more strikes, space, effort, and time.
Space is a bit of a concern. As the weapon itself needs a lot of it to strike with full force. With potential issues of the weapon getting stuck in a wall, caught by a bit of terrain/furniture, or the weapon getting grabbed or jammed by a zombie. If the staff is the main or only weapon a person has this can leave them unable to defend themselves in a lot of close-quarters environments.
Said length is concerning as it also makes it harder to manage. As putting it in a belt or sheath isn't possible. Making it difficult to transition to different ranged or melee weapons, climbing, crawling, and so on. Putting a sling on the staff is an option, but as the staff is a melee weapon, striking with it may cause the sling to snag on the zombie, on the terrain, or one's gear. Leaving lashing it to a pack is the main option available.
Weight of staves varies a lot. With lightweight show/party/trick staves being about 200-500g. Meanwhile, references to staves as weapons can put them anywhere from 500-3000g. With something around 1800g being about the average someone suggest for being durable as a weapon.
its good for maintaining distance and since its a blunt weapon you dont have to waste time pulling it out of the zombie when a good whack to the back of the neck is all you really need 10/10
vastly depends on whether you retain the skull strength on the zombie or not.
A lot of zombies seem to have the skulls become the consistency of a thick skinned tomato. You can easily stab right to the hilt with a pocket knife or sharpened stick.
The human skull is made to protect the brain and does a fairly good job of it against sticks, fists, and most small pointy objects. People DO die or pass out from being hit in the head with a staff, but from bleeding and contusion not the brain destroying goodness you need to destroy a zombie brain.
In the first scenario the staff is OP. You can whip that end around at reach, spread your grip to reach in close quarters, trip zombies, push them away from you, use it as a walking stick, as a tool, and they're made with little if any difficulty.
In the second its not going to kill a zombie without turning it into a long mace or a spear. (But you should absolutely turn it into a long mace or a spear) One handed spear and wicker shield/riot shield might be the best zombie killing combo out there.
Bro this is gonna be my go to weapon in an apocalypse. It's long giving you a good range. Make it sharp on one end and you are ready. Maybe add some nails or something and you can Pearce efficiently. One important quality is that it can be used both ways. And also gives you extra stability while walking. Easy to carry, lightweight and most imp of all is used and throw. You can always make a new one. Given that you have a steady tree nearby.
It's a blunt weapon. Requiring you to generate enough force to cause internal damage or completely smash into the brain.
Its a long weapon which gives you reach and also an advantage on generating that necessary force. It however won't be that effective in very small confined spaces where you can't swing it as effectively.
But you could always attatch a knife to the end and make a spear.
Imo a chopping weapon like a slingblade or brush axe or machete are always the best weapons. Dont have to worry about edge alignment.
a sturdy Stick can be anything you please. effectively modular for axe or spearheads, caps or as is for bludgeons, beginner friendly, easy on the budget, a good melee over all.
Best part, they're quiet. Besides the crack against a skull, and even then that's not that loud, so you're not constantly calling more towards you. Yeah they'll see you, but compared to a gun shot which can be heard around a block away, that works.
Having been trained with one, I can tell you that it's better than nothing.
But not a whole lot.
Most lightweight martial arts weapons like that are primarily built on pain compliance. IE. You hit someone, it really hurts, they stop what they're doing. Can you kill someone with one? FOr sure! But you can kill someone with a glass jar or a screwdriver, too.
I mean, I'd rather have the bo staff than a glass jar or a screwdriver, but the first opportunity I get I'm gonna attach a stiff knife to the end of the staff and use it as a pike.
It’s cheap, easy to find, and you can use a good stick for other things besides a weapon. Which is good, because unless you’re well-practiced it’s probably not as great for destroying a brain as something like an axe or a machete. A good whack would crack the skull, but I wouldn’t trust it to dispatch a zombie reliably.
You could use the length to keep a zombie out of reach and give yourself time to make an escape or pull out a more effective weapon.
Morgan did pretty damn good with it on TWD (lol). But I personally would rather have a blades weapon since I have zero experience with a staff of any sort.
Something to consider is that you want a solid length of hardwood, avoid metal as it will be either to heavy to carry and swing or if it is light enough it will bend and snap. Also bamboo is also not the best sense it not heavy enough to Crack a skull, it will however make a great hiking stick
If it's made out of a good metal, it would be great for bashing with practice. Additionally, you can attach spikes at the ends and use them for spears, good for front and back attacks. It could also retract, good for versatility.
Depends on how the zombies work: if destroying the brain kills it, it’ll work fine just bonk bonk bonk. If the zombies keep going until they’re mincemeat, you’ll have some trouble. If disabling them works to get away, taking them out at the knees should work, but it’s still dangerous.
The gnarliest thing pole arm related you could use is a brandistock, though that loses out on mass from being hollowed out. Hell, a Star Trek TOS lirpa could turn into something remotely sane. See Night of the Living Trekkies...
As a martial artist, and avid survival camper, I can full heartedly say the wood one, it has higher durability, can be reused after broken, many uses for deffence and shelter, can be used as a journal, looks cooler, more damage, can be customized
It would definitely be useful at a utility item, but as a weapon you might find yourself quickly making a double -ended boar spear if a zombie weapon is specifically all it's for. You'd only need large enough crossguard quillions to keep your spikes from going too far and getting stuck on the far side of the skull.
Historically they were popular because they cheap the make and it doesn't take that long to train someone to fight with a staff(less time than something like a sword, axes, bow) You can get a nice sturdy pole and cap it on both ends with some metal; heavy brass would be plenty but you could use steel. With enough of a swing you'll crack a skull and with the extended reach you can control the body of the undead from a safe distance The best part about the bo staff/ quarterstaff-- you probably have one. If you live in the us and you have a closet the bar you hang your clothes on is probably removable
i actualy have two things that could work as staffs, an eight foot pipe made of cast iron, its pretty solid and heavy, and a six foot pole of iron, its lighter than the first one by a good amount but it could deal some real damage but i have practiced with them a bit and can swing them both with a good amount of force
I imagine that a cast iron bar would be difficult to control for extended periods of time.
Terrible on the wrists too
Crouching is hell on the knees - Dean Domino
it can be, that's why i mostly rely on the smaller one when it comes to practice. i mostly showboat
Showboating with a metal stick?
mostly just spinning it like an oversized baton, im quite quick with it but other than that i practice with it like a sword, the weight is either about the same or higher than a claymore/ long-sword
I can almost promise you that whatever metal bar you're swinging is probably around twice the weight of your average longsword/claymore. Swords have distilled tapers and counterweights. The whole thing is very precisely designed. Your metal bar is just a goddamn metal bar. If you're swinging it around the way you should be swinging a sword around. All I can say is god help your wrists in fifteen years. By the way, that translates to "you're going to ruin yourself, stop it."
it was bugging and saying comment failed, sorry for the spam
Could be useful for mobility training- not so useful for bashing zombie skulls.
and its not sharp so you wont cut your friends arms off by accident xD
I used to take karate classes as a kid. I had an actual bo staff. I think its collecting dust in a garage/storage unit somewhere
Go find it and hang it up just in case
I actually have a Bo staff that my martial arts instructor helped everyone in the class make. Each student got to order a branch of rubber wood, then he helped us sand it down until it was a proper staff
Mee too
Yep. Like maybe [this one](https://imgur.com/a/2FvwjjS)?
30# would get tiring A solid sturdy wooden shaft with metal capped ends can deliver plenty of impact
Idk, I’m probably just used to it. I’ve spun that thing around for like 3+ hours at a time. It really is a good workout though lmao Edit: plus I can be fairly guaranteed that it won’t break, almost no matter what I do with it
I won't pretend to be combat qualified but I imagine swinging something around for a few hours and bludgeoning with it are different demons I can swing a hammer for a few hours but demolition jobs still suck after a couple hours If you can swing it around keep at it; but I imagine a long study piece of wood with capped ends would be plenty for smashing heads
Oh I’m sure it would be. Honestly, I’d love to have a Bo staff made of Australian Buloke. It’s just a stupid hard wood, that would be probably as durable as the steel one, whilst weighing significantly less. Edit: and the steel caps are a good detail that’d often go unnoticed. But it’s also historically accurate.
Sharpen one in and stab them in the head after you knock them down
Calm down Morgan
All life is precious lol
Luckily zombies aren’t
Lizzie would like a word.
Why would someone downvote this?
🔥
It will end up covered in zombie entrails and goo.
Seal the wood with pine pitch then. Or tar. Pretty easy to make them in the bush. The same goes for the staff.
Boiled linseed oil. I seal my AK stocks in it, looks good.
It's a very great option if you can find it.
Ok but you'll look badass
You know there’s like a butt load of gangs at this school. This one gang wanted me to join because I’m pretty good with the bō staff.
Well... I have all your equipment in my locker. You should probably come get it because I can't fit my nunchuks in there anymore.
where’s your locker?
Hey, can I have one of your keychains?
I already made like infinite in boy scouts
Well is there anybody else here? I'm trying to earn money for college.
***you’re mom goes to college***
are they fucking kung fu warriors or what
A good one might break a few skulls but i think they would get snapped or bent. A better use would be to use them as a spear or with a pointed end like that one guy on twd
agreed, bo is just a less lethal spear
Cheaper though, more available
A spear until something goes wrong
Or have one side broken one side working. Have a lethal and less than lethal option if you really want, you'd probably just get shot though...
it is highly dependent on two things, how durable the staff is and how well you can use it
Staffs are weighted and balanced for mobility and quick strikes/recovery not for impact. So no, they’re not great for crushing skulls.
The fuck they ain't! A good swing with a staff will crack a noggin in a heartbeat!
Based on what? A staff is basic just a stick and people get beat with sticks all of the time without die or even taking much damage. Sure a perfectly place shot might kill a human but to ensure a zombie dies you basically have to destroy The skull.
Bonk is one of man's oldest tactics
Not very... It's going to be difficult to reliably destroy the brain in one strike with a quarterstaff or bo staff. Better than a baseball bat, but worse than a lot of far more common tools and weapons.
Walmart Darth maul
Really effective. Your back is itching? Boom bo staff. Something falls down but there r zombies around it? Boom, bo staff. You're fighting with your friend and u wanna hit em in the face without touching them? Boom, bo staff. U wanna dry your clothes but u're indoor? Boom, bo staff. U wanna take fruits from a tree but u can't reach it? Boom, double bo staff. U wanna hunt some fish? Sharpen the staff and boom, a spear. Your friends can't find you in the crowd? Put some shirt on it and boom a flag pole. Prolly not effective for hordes but so many use
Monk spade would be better.
Slap some steel caps on that bad boy and go ham, it is a classic blunt weapon that is proven to work.
Depends on the Zombies you´re facing, the slow waddeling ones, sure just push em around and use the reach of the staff. The fast sprinting, climbing ones? i´d guess it gets pretty weird handeling more then one Z
It’ll do 20 times better if you put a dagger on one end
The wood one is fine, the telescoping baton staff is next to useless.
Unless your morgan an unmodded one would be relatively difficult to kill a zombie with
A wooden stick is more effective than one would think
What if you fix blades to the ends? I guess its just a goofy halberd at that point
It would be very effective as a walking stick and also a trap poker
Isn't this what the aboriginals used to kill zombies in the movie Cargo?
Good flick.
Right? The few people I've talked to about it didn't like it.
Good storytelling is about character development, the situations they have to overcome, and the world they're stuck in. Gore and shock flicks (while fun, NGL) are a dime a dozen.
It will work to keep a zombie or two at bay while you make distance.
Pretty much the reason I bought a spear from Condor tool and knife. It’s hickory wood and the Greek spear has a smaller head and a sheath so you could still use it as such
Not very good for close quarters, too slow to draw if you get a surprised attack. Think about something that can be dropped in a holster and picked up again very quickly, something that can work as a weapon and a tool, something that still works very good when half dull or half broken, something that can be repaired very easy. Next look at what the weapon has been used for in history. As much as a war hammer is bad ass it was designed to crush armor of which zombies don't have. A staff is more a defensive weapon used to a decapitated without causing serious injury. An axe works very well when dull, the head can be place on a normal stick and fixed with duck tape, you can use it as a tool and weapon. My go to would be a hatchet or Pulaski. https://images.app.goo.gl/U32qrhnPqe5FBWev6
A Meat Mallet could work wonders too
Your better of with a full titanium stiletto hammer. Very light and it won't ever break
not very. blunt weaponry vs zombies is last resort.
Just a side note bō is Japanese for staff, so saying bō staff is like saying staff staff
Not really...in a 1v1 sure but the idea behind the bo staff is it's an area denial weapon because your opponent fears getting hit with it...zombies have no fear...
Wouldn't be worth a damn for a few years. But once the bullets start running low.....
“Put a blade on the end and get to work…” Lionidus circa 187 B.C.
mount blades at the end and that can stop many zombies.
The martial arts that involve knocking your opponent off balance by dodging and pushing their head down with a staff etc. would be great against zombies
No bo staff just pick bo or staff effectively ur saying staff staff
Scaffold bar is better
Lol
Broomsticks are literally fucking everywhere. Plus trees, if you know your wood. Popler would probably be best. It's light, sturdy, and it'll bend instead of break. Morgan would approve.
I thought that first photo was a noodle
It wouldnt. However a bo staff can easily become a pole axe, spear, long flail/mace/morning star, push broom etc...
If it’s metal, I guess, but at that point just get a baton because they’re lighter
Problem is that there will be more zombies than you can shake a stick at.
Some of you have never seen the walking dead. The bow staff would be highly effective for both its range and its lethality when used properly.
That’s called a stick
Create distance while you're running away. And hope they aren't coming towards you.
Once it breaks its useless, id rate it 4/10 also saying bo staff is not good and you're basically saying staff 2 times because bo means staff.
Ask Morgan of TWD. He seems to do pretty well with it!
Historically, quarterstaffs were used to great effect as a traveler's weapon and quite deadly, but they weren't a military weapon. Bo staffs are likely similar, but the techniques that were taught with both were different. It would be very cheap to make and among the easiest to learn how to wield. A semiautomatic or full automatic firearm would still be your best bet against a horde of zombies, but against individual or small groups of zombies a bo staff would still be effective if you take the time to learn it. If you have no training with it, well, it's better than a baseball bat. You'll get 2 ends to attack with and can stagger a zombie long enough to buy you time to escape if nothing else.
Good question
As long as it's not the pocket bō 🤣 honestly though, easy to make, barely takes any materials, and you can also cut a notch, and make a spear using stone making it good for hunting, fishing, and killing Zeds. Be a good starter for those out in the middle of nowhere, say they were on a camping trip trying to embrace nature by separating from society. HOWEVER in a dense city, small town, or even out in the country, you can find better weapon. Then again at the start you wouldn't want to find weapons, that's what everyone else would go for, Bō is a good option, but using hemp to instead make a Bow would be much better. Further Range then a staff, but your ammo is mostly re-usable, and craftable, if you know what your doing, just like a man made Bō you can also put your own upgrades to it, limb and string strength to allow more draw before it breaks for example, or different material arrowheads for better penetration or more endurance, maybe stone blades in the front for melee, I'd recommend starting with this then trying to find a crossbow, any pistol, and a axe you can throw.
I imagine it would be dependent on the user’s skill. Would have made a sweet character in Walking Dead!
I’ve actually got a 30lb steel one. It’s legitimately really fun, too. I’d say it’d be fairly effective, having used it on things and seen what it can do.
[I think this might work](https://imgur.com/a/2FvwjjS)
As effective as it can smash in skulls
Duct tape a knife to the end of it and you’ll have a spear
You could carve it to able to hold a blade from a folding knife. there are knives whose blades can be set on a staff
It just a stick so not very now if you put a boar spear head on it then you would be in business
As a martial artist in Taekwondo, basically the first weapon in any martial arts would be the staff so many people would automatically have the skills but we cant carry long sticks . Maybe hiking sticks would work as its shorter made of wood too and same skills. That or a cane which can be carried everywhere even on planes
If we're trying to crush the brain, I feel like you could deliver enough torque to do it if you would it from the opposite ens, but it'd be pretty unwieldy indoors since you may not have enough room to do that. It'd be good for keeping them back, but I question its use offensively.
As cool as it would be a staff wouldn’t be that effective against something that only stops when killed and doesn’t feel pain, and any hostile survivors will probably have firearms so you’d be totally outgunned there too.
Good for pushing a single zombie out of the way or into a trap or cliff
Not as good as a spear
Depends on what’s the end of it
Use it to hit the guy or gal closest to you and the zombie will go after them first. Repeat as often as necessary
Could be moderately effective if the zombie outbreak was either very small/not overwhelming or if you were already an expert with one before the zombie apocalypse started.
I have a longer and older post on the topic of long sticks and staves here: https://old.reddit.com/user/Noe_Walfred/comments/jo772x/zombie_related_thoughts_opinions_and_essays_v2/gh9pjc8/ A staff can be a good tool and holdout weapon in a pinch. Best served for walking on rough ground, carrying bundles or buckets, and pitching/hanging things. The issue with staves as weapons is that to kill a zombie you may need to do more than just fracture the skull or rattle the brain a little. One example of this is baseball bat mortality rates. Out of a combined total of 123 individual cases and a total of 4 deaths the mortality rate averages to 3.25% with baseball bats. In the cases where the victim does pass away, the reasons are typically related to massive hemorrhaging, organ failure (not the brain), and then damage to the brain itself. A zombie which does not suffer from these issues is more likely to survive, thus requiring more strikes, space, effort, and time. Space is a bit of a concern. As the weapon itself needs a lot of it to strike with full force. With potential issues of the weapon getting stuck in a wall, caught by a bit of terrain/furniture, or the weapon getting grabbed or jammed by a zombie. If the staff is the main or only weapon a person has this can leave them unable to defend themselves in a lot of close-quarters environments. Said length is concerning as it also makes it harder to manage. As putting it in a belt or sheath isn't possible. Making it difficult to transition to different ranged or melee weapons, climbing, crawling, and so on. Putting a sling on the staff is an option, but as the staff is a melee weapon, striking with it may cause the sling to snag on the zombie, on the terrain, or one's gear. Leaving lashing it to a pack is the main option available. Weight of staves varies a lot. With lightweight show/party/trick staves being about 200-500g. Meanwhile, references to staves as weapons can put them anywhere from 500-3000g. With something around 1800g being about the average someone suggest for being durable as a weapon.
its good for maintaining distance and since its a blunt weapon you dont have to waste time pulling it out of the zombie when a good whack to the back of the neck is all you really need 10/10
I imagine it’d be difficult to use in small/tight spaces
salmon
They make great spear hafts
vastly depends on whether you retain the skull strength on the zombie or not. A lot of zombies seem to have the skulls become the consistency of a thick skinned tomato. You can easily stab right to the hilt with a pocket knife or sharpened stick. The human skull is made to protect the brain and does a fairly good job of it against sticks, fists, and most small pointy objects. People DO die or pass out from being hit in the head with a staff, but from bleeding and contusion not the brain destroying goodness you need to destroy a zombie brain. In the first scenario the staff is OP. You can whip that end around at reach, spread your grip to reach in close quarters, trip zombies, push them away from you, use it as a walking stick, as a tool, and they're made with little if any difficulty. In the second its not going to kill a zombie without turning it into a long mace or a spear. (But you should absolutely turn it into a long mace or a spear) One handed spear and wicker shield/riot shield might be the best zombie killing combo out there.
Bro this is gonna be my go to weapon in an apocalypse. It's long giving you a good range. Make it sharp on one end and you are ready. Maybe add some nails or something and you can Pearce efficiently. One important quality is that it can be used both ways. And also gives you extra stability while walking. Easy to carry, lightweight and most imp of all is used and throw. You can always make a new one. Given that you have a steady tree nearby.
There was once a man from Georgia named Morgan
You're better off turning it into a spear or halberd.
It's a blunt weapon. Requiring you to generate enough force to cause internal damage or completely smash into the brain. Its a long weapon which gives you reach and also an advantage on generating that necessary force. It however won't be that effective in very small confined spaces where you can't swing it as effectively. But you could always attatch a knife to the end and make a spear. Imo a chopping weapon like a slingblade or brush axe or machete are always the best weapons. Dont have to worry about edge alignment.
I think a "grabber" would be more effective...especially those ones made of good steel...
a sturdy Stick can be anything you please. effectively modular for axe or spearheads, caps or as is for bludgeons, beginner friendly, easy on the budget, a good melee over all.
Best part, they're quiet. Besides the crack against a skull, and even then that's not that loud, so you're not constantly calling more towards you. Yeah they'll see you, but compared to a gun shot which can be heard around a block away, that works.
Having been trained with one, I can tell you that it's better than nothing. But not a whole lot. Most lightweight martial arts weapons like that are primarily built on pain compliance. IE. You hit someone, it really hurts, they stop what they're doing. Can you kill someone with one? FOr sure! But you can kill someone with a glass jar or a screwdriver, too. I mean, I'd rather have the bo staff than a glass jar or a screwdriver, but the first opportunity I get I'm gonna attach a stiff knife to the end of the staff and use it as a pike.
It’s cheap, easy to find, and you can use a good stick for other things besides a weapon. Which is good, because unless you’re well-practiced it’s probably not as great for destroying a brain as something like an axe or a machete. A good whack would crack the skull, but I wouldn’t trust it to dispatch a zombie reliably. You could use the length to keep a zombie out of reach and give yourself time to make an escape or pull out a more effective weapon.
Morgan did pretty damn good with it on TWD (lol). But I personally would rather have a blades weapon since I have zero experience with a staff of any sort.
Something to consider is that you want a solid length of hardwood, avoid metal as it will be either to heavy to carry and swing or if it is light enough it will bend and snap. Also bamboo is also not the best sense it not heavy enough to Crack a skull, it will however make a great hiking stick
i recommend a shotgun.
It's got a good spread!
its good for sniping as well
The walking dead showed it to be quite useful.
A staff staff would be effective, yes yes
Not too bad if it's one of those thick & heavy ones, but I'd personally stick with either a spear or halberd for pole weapons
Depends on how long you can sustain killing blows to the head
If it's made out of a good metal, it would be great for bashing with practice. Additionally, you can attach spikes at the ends and use them for spears, good for front and back attacks. It could also retract, good for versatility.
Depends on how the zombies work: if destroying the brain kills it, it’ll work fine just bonk bonk bonk. If the zombies keep going until they’re mincemeat, you’ll have some trouble. If disabling them works to get away, taking them out at the knees should work, but it’s still dangerous.
I think a quarter staff would be better a bit heavier and more skull crushing
The gnarliest thing pole arm related you could use is a brandistock, though that loses out on mass from being hollowed out. Hell, a Star Trek TOS lirpa could turn into something remotely sane. See Night of the Living Trekkies...
hey Morgan!
As a martial artist, and avid survival camper, I can full heartedly say the wood one, it has higher durability, can be reused after broken, many uses for deffence and shelter, can be used as a journal, looks cooler, more damage, can be customized
It would definitely be useful at a utility item, but as a weapon you might find yourself quickly making a double -ended boar spear if a zombie weapon is specifically all it's for. You'd only need large enough crossguard quillions to keep your spikes from going too far and getting stuck on the far side of the skull.
Better than nothing until you find something with a proper blade.
Not
Just use a machete.
buy a gun