Zombicide Season 3 Survivors and Zombivors 01

I thought I'd take a short break from reviewing zombies. However, still sticking with my favourite zombie apocalypse game, Zombicide, here's a look at the first of my Season 3 Survivors and Zombivors. Three of them (Dick, Leroy and Paul) came from Survivor and Zombivor Set #5: Moustache Pack #2. The other figure (Lucius) was one of the free stretch goals I received for backing the Zombicide Season 3 Kickstarter project. He also sports a moustache, so he fits in well with the other three. All four bear remarkable similarities with well known film and TV stars.

First in line is Paul Rourke, the reality TV star. Discovered by TV producers during $2 Pitcher Night at his local bowling alley, Paul hit the big time in the African Safari Journey reality show, leading his team to a fourth place finish. His star rose as he starred in the inevitable sequels and reunions. When African Safari Journey was cancelled Paul hit the skids and was working as a short order cook at a local diner when the dead rose. Taking charge, he led his terrified patrons to safety. Paul doesn't have many useful survival skills, but people respond to his leadership skills and irascible persona. The world needs a hero, and Paul is glad to play his part.
Both Survivor and Zombivor Paul are armed with twin Knives. Paul's starting skill is Swordmaster, which allows him to treat all melee weapons as if they had the Dual symbol. The figure of Paul is clearly based on Mickey Rourke's character, Tool, in the film, The Expendables.

The tall African/American gent is Leroy Thompson, an accountant. Leroy always knew he wanted to be an accountant and he worked hard to make his dream a reality. The day he became a Certified Public Accountant was the greatest of his life. All was well in the world of spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations until he went on a mandatory team-building exercise set deep in the woods. The team-building exercise involved paintball and copious amounts of alcohol. Leroy woke the next morning with a hangover and a Mohawk haircut. Unfortunately, the zombies chose that day to attack. the sole survivor of his slaughtered team, Leroy traded in his paintball rifle for the real thing. His transformation from mild-mannered accountant to cold-blooded killer has been nothing short of astounding.
Survivor and Zombivor Leroy are both armed with 5.56mm M16 Assault Rifles. Leroy's starting Skill is Tough, which allows him to ignore the first Attack he receives from a single Zombie every Zombies' Phase. Leroy is unmistakably based on Mr. T's character, B.A. Baracus, from The A-Team TV series.

Surprisingly brightly dressed is Dick Johnson the undertaker. Voted undertaker of the year three years running, Dick Johnson's chain of cut-rate funeral parlours consistently buried the competition. When the dead actually rose, Dick hid in one of his coffins for three days hoping to ride it out. Re-emerging into a dead new world and realising that since nobody died anymore he was now the most useless man on Earth. Dick threw himself into the business of survival with the same vigour he displayed in building his one-man empire of the dead. Dick's knowledge of anatomy, embalming chemicals and obscure knowledge of undertaking lore will prove invaluable to any group he joins.
Survivor Dick is armed with a .44 Magnum Revolver, whilst Zombivor Dick has upgraded to a 7.62mm AK47 Assault Rifle. His starting Skill is Lucky, which allows him to re-roll once all the dice for each Action he takes. The new result takes the place of the previous one. This Skill stacks with the effects of other Skills (+1 Re-roll per Turn, for example) and Equipment that allows re-rolls. Dick's figure is based on Will Ferrell's eponymous character in the film Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgundy.

Finally, we come to Lucius Reno, aka the Weed Man. Lucius started growing marijuana soon after smoking his first joint. After flunking out of high school, Lucius discovered he had a green thumb and turned an enjoyable hobby into a full-fledged business. Everyone loved Lucius’s bud, and his nickname of the Weed Man stuck. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. Busted by the local cops, Lucius was being escorted to the police station when the zombie outbreak hit. The cops soon had other things to worry about and Lucius managed to slip away. Not a hero, Lucius ekes out a precarious existence bartering herb for life’s essentials.
Survivor Lucius and Zombivor Lucius are each armed with a 9mm Pistol. Lucius's starting Skill is +1 to Dice Roll: Ranged, giving him a handy bonus to all of his Ranged Attacks. The figure of Lucius is based on the character, Leone "Leon" Montana from one of my favourite films, Leon: the Professional in which he plays a hitman who befriends a young girl after her family is murdered by a corrupt police detective. Rather unusually, Zombivor Lucius has been sculpted in a running pose.

Zombicide Season 1 Survivors and Zombivors 02

I recently bought these two promo figures of Kyoko from Zombicide Season 1. The pack contained Survivor and Zombivor versions of her.

Before the zombie apocalypse, Kyoko had neither choice nor freedom. She studied the way her parents wanted, married the acceptable man instead of the one she loved, and hid her empty misery behind hollow smiles. While trying to conceive her first child with her husband, the zombies descended on the world in a gory whirlwind. For Kyoko, it was a release. Her universe has crumbled and she wants to enjoy it. Nobody can tell her who to be, what to do, what to wear. Kyoko has no regrets and now can be whoever she wants. New rules, for new times!

Kyoko the Survivor is armed with a Flamethrower, which is a very rare weapon in Zombicide. It is unusual to see a Season 1 character armed with a Flamethrower because it did not appear as an option until the release of the Season 2 Toxic City Mall expansion set and even then, there is only one Flamethrower card in the whole deck of weapons and equipment. Flamethrowers are like Molotov Cocktails in that they are one of the only weapons that can kill an Abomination. Indeed, they will kill anything and everything in a single Zone. Zombivor Kyoko is armed with a Katana. Kyoko starts the game with the +1 Free Search Action Skill, which grants her a bonus Search Action per Turn but which still limits her to one Search Action per Turn.
Kyoko was originally offered as a prize for those who designed scenarios for Zombicide Season 1. The prize winning scenarios are available online in the Guillotine Games website and in the Zombicide Compendium book Volume 1. Kyoko became the official mascot for this book. I saw that someone was offering her for sale on eBay and made a bid for her. My bid was accepted and she cost me £12.00, which is a lot of money to pay for two plastic 28mm scale figures but given her rarity and the fact that Season 1 Zombicide figures often sell for £30+ I think I got a bargain. She is the only Season 1 promo figure I own, so she has pride of place in my collection.

Zombicide Season 3 - What I Got

Okay, so I was going to post a review of the A Touch of Evil board-game today but something cropped up that I very much want to share with you. I received a massive parcel late yesterday afternoon that contained everything that I had ordered for Zombicide season 3.

As you can see from the photo above what I got just about covers my dining room table. I have waited a long time for this parcel to arrive but believe me, it was well worth waiting for. I am just so happy! This was way more happier than Christmas Day!

So, let's take a closer look at what's on the table. In the upper left corner is the season 3 expansion set, Angry Neighbors (note the American spelling of Neighbours). This comes with a Full Colour Rulebook, 18 Seeker Zombie Miniatures, 4 Survivor Miniatures with ID Cards, 4 Zombivor Miniatures with ID Cards, 8 Companion Miniatures (4 types, 2 of each), 63 Cards (27 Equipment Cards, 12 Zombie Cards, 8 Companion Cards and 16 Wounded Cards), 3 Double-Sided Game Boards and a Sheet of Game Counters.
Below Angry Neighbors are two boxed sets, each containing 20 Very Infected People Zombie Miniatures, 12 Zombie Cards, 3 Equipment Cards and a Sheet of Rules.
In the upper right corner is my box of Infected Miniatures. This box contains a stack of figures including 10 Skinner Walkers, 4 Skinner Runners, 2 Skinner Fatties, 10 Skinner Crawlers, 2 Skinner Abominations (1 male, 1 female), 9 Zombie Seekers, 16 VIP Zombies, 5 sets of Zombie Crows, 9 Heroes, 9 Zombivors and 2 Barricades.
Finally, in the lower right corner is Moustache Pack 2, which contains 3 Moustachioed Hero Miniatures and 3 Moustachioed Zombivor Miniatures.

I'll ignore the Infected and Moustache Pack 2 sets from this photo as I've already described them. In the top right is the biggest box that I got - Rue Morgue. This is a stand alone expansion set and comprises a Full Colour Rulebook, 80 Zombie Miniatures, 12 Survivor Miniatures with ID Cards, 9 Double-Sided Game Boards, 155 cards (86 Equipment Cards, 48 Zombie Cards, 9 Team Cards and 16 Wounded Cards), 2 Sheets of 92 Counters, 8 Dice and 11 Tent Cards.
Moving down, are two boxed sets of figures. Lost Zombivors contains 12 Zombivor Miniatures of the 12 Survivors found in Rue Morgue. Ultimate Survivors contains 6 Miniatures of the 6 Survivors found in the original Zombicide boxed set but upgraded to heroic levels. This was the one set I wanted the most out of everything I ordered here.
In the bottom of the photo are my Yellow Dice Bag, Purple Box which came with one of each of every promo ID card used in all three seasons of the game (extremely useful, although the box is rather naff) and two of my four boxed sets of figures sculpted by Special Guests. Each box contains 2 Survivor Miniatures and 2 Zombivor Miniatures.

In this last photo at the top left corner are eight boxes each containing 1 Survivor Miniature and 1 Zombivor Miniature (Audrey, Benny, Curro, Kris, Miss Trish, Nikki, Oksana and Patrick).
Below them is my red plastic Folding Dice Tower and 110 ID Cards for every character produced for Zombicide (note that I have added ID Cards from other sets to form one complete deck).
Just below my Dice Bag are a Team Building Deck of Cards and a Deck of Experience Cards.
Moving right are 5 stickers, one of which can be fitted to the Folding Dice Tower. To the right of them are two packs of Zombicide Dice. At the far right of the photo are my four boxed sets of figures sculpted by Special Guests. And last, but not least, is my Zombicide Compendium Book, which is full of scenarios to use with Zombicide Season 1.
I'm sure you'll agree that is quite a haul. Painting all of the figures here is going to be a massive task but I'm up to the challenge. Thankfully, I have just recently got back to painting Zombicide zombies (from season 2) so we'll see how far my enthusiasm for painting zombies lasts. I am immensely looking forward to reading the new rules and scenarios but most of all, I want to get back to playing Zombicide, my all time favourite board-game.

Zombicide Season 2 Survivors and Zombivors 08

And so I present the last six season 2 Zombicide pairs of survivors and zombivors. These are all original characters designed by three artists - Karl Kopinski, Adrian Smith and Kevin Walker. I had not heard of Adrian Smith before but I certainly knew of the other two. Karl used to work as an illustrator for Games Workshop and Kevin did some amazing artwork for 2000AD comic. All three were born in England.

I'll start with the two characters created by Karl Kopinski. At the left of the two photos directly above and below is "Angry Mary" Lucchesi. Mary used to lead a peaceful life in retail, with a husband (cop), two kids and a house with a white picket fence. Then the zombies came and took it all. Returning home to an almost empty house one day, she narrowly escaped becoming zombie chow by dispatching the untidy interlopers of her lovely home. Something snapped and the wild energy of her misspent youth came roaring back. Mary emptied her husband's gun safe and turned into an urban warrior. She does seem to have a special grudge against zombies though and never passes up a chance to kill them. Survivor Mary is armed with a 9mm Pistol, 9mm Sub-Machine Gun and a Knife, whilst zombivor Mary is just armed with a 9mm Pistol. Angry Mary begins the game with the Reaper: Ranged skill, which is used when assigning hits that resolve a Ranged Combat action. One of these hits can freely kill an additional identical zombie in the same Zone. Only a single additional zombie can be killed per Action with this skill.

Next up is "Red Cap Ben" Koplinski. Yes, I gave him the same surname as the artist who created him. As a young boy, Ben was strongly influenced by the Cold War and the fashion for survival that abounded from the 60's to the 80's. he went from job to job, knowing the inevitable would happen and preparing for it. He didn't really expect zombies to show up, though, and still suspects it might be a government conspiracy. Nowadays, Ben is best known as "the Red Cap" - a hardcore survivalist with numerous successes on what seemed impossible missions. As grumpy as he acts, Ben likes the nickname. Both survivor and zombivor Ben are armed with a Pump-Action Shotgun, an Axe and a Knife. "Red Cap Ben" starts the game with the Blitz skill, which allows him to get a +1 free Move Action to use immediately whenever he kills the last zombie in a Zone.

Next up are the two characters created by Adrian Smith. Bobby "Bones" Smith was the lead guitarist of a heavy metal band famous the world over... but lately things have been getting a little stale. World tours, sell out stadiums, groupies, even the drugs and booze just weren't that fun anymore. In his darkest and most sober moments, "Bones" knew he hadn't really done anything creative for the best part of a decade - just rehearsing the same old thing over and over... The zombie apocalypse changed all of that of course, and ironically, "Bones" is now incredibly inspired to create songs about death, blood and liberation! Unfortunately, electricity is hard to come by so he's perfecting his strictly acoustic metal for now. Survivor "Bones is armed with an AK47 Assault Rifle and a hand axe. Zombivor "Bones" is only armed with a 9mm Pistol. I have a story  to tell about Zombivor "Bones." I never realised until two months ago that I'd been sent two survivor figures of "Bones" and no zombivor version. Bummer! What to do? I decided to convert one of the survivors into a zombivor. I carefully cut off his guitar and hand axe. I cut down his AK47 to turn it into a pistol. I re-sculpted his left hand with it holding the battered remains of his guitar. I added modelling putty to the back of his hair, coat and trousers to hide where the guitar had been. Finally, I drilled a large hole in his stomach. Once painted, I figured who would know? (Well, all of you now that I've told you!) "Bones" starts the game with the Tactician skill, which allows him to take his turn at any time during the player's phase.

Padre Ezekiel Johnson led his small flock during the first days of the apocalypse, until they were finally, inevitably overrun. The Padre was the only survivor, miraculously emerging from the ruins of his church. Now he spreads the good Word amongst other survivors, albeit slightly unhinged from his narrow escape from death. Still, he's handy with a shotgun and a quick prayer, and is always a welcome sight. The survivor version of Padre Johnson is armed with a Pump-Action Shotgun and a Flail, whilst the zombivor version is armed with a pump-Action Shotgun and a large Mallet. He starts the game with an extremely useful skill - Super Strength. This raises the damage caused by any Melee Weapon he uses to 3. Awesome! Bring on that Abomination!

Last but by no means least are the two characters that Kevin Walker created. After graduation, Mitch Walker held down a dead end job for a while before embracing the biker life. For him, it wasn't really about the one percenter life, but more about getting some freedom of choice, a little room to breathe in a constricted world. Better to die young with stories to tell than as a senile fool in a gloomy hospital, right? Living on the edge taught Mitch a useful trick or two that let him survive when the zombies invaded. Absolute freedom is now at hand, and despite all the slaughter, life is good! Both survivor and zombivor Mitch are armed with a baseball bat and a Pump-Action Shotgun. Mitch starts the game with the +1 Free Move Action, which gives him an extra Move Action per turn.

Finally, and rather creepily, is Uncle Honk. Little is known about Uncle Honk, as he likes to call himself. Most people think that he used to work in a circus. Some mutter that, more likely, he was a patient in a psychiatric hospital. What everyone knows for sure, however, is that Uncle Honk is a brute with a taste for the circus world and zombicide. If he likes you, you can rely on him and all his formidable might. He'll expect the same in return, of course. Uncle Honk likes to taunt zombies every once in a while, to get in a "funny" during a fight. With his blood-chilling laugh, Uncle Honk is both your best friend and worst nightmare. Both survivor and zombivor versions of Uncle Honk are armed with a Machete and a horn. He starts the game with the Taunt skill, which counts as free action, allowing him to select any Zone he can see. All zombies in that Zone gain an extra activation as they try to reach him. They ignore all other Survivors, making this a useful skill if used correctly.
You have to admit that this is a very eclectic mix of characters and I'm curious to know how they'd work together as a team. I do like Angry Mary, simply because she looks hard ass and can handle herself in a fight. I particularly like Padre Johnson, purely for his most outstanding skill - Super Strength. Imagine him armed with nothing more than a frying pan, which he then uses to kill a Zombie Abomination. Totally ludicrous in reality but quite feasible in the game. I would laugh myself silly if that happened! Fans of my blog will know that I have an unhealthy interest in circus clowns. Who can possible forget the demon from Hell that was Sunny the Clown? Having a clown like Uncle Honk as one of the good guys does not sit well with me. I just couldn't trust him... even if I was playing him! Everyone knows that clowns are evil... right?

Zombicide Season 2 Survivors and Zombivors 07

I'm almost at the end of my reviews of the Zombicide season 2 survivors and zombivors. After this review there will be just one more to show, but that will have to wait until I photograph them. This lot features three characters from the "Moustache Pack" set (Don, Frank and Rob). Smith came from the Survivors and Zombivors Set #3. Two of these (Smith and Rob) are based on characters from films and the other two (Frank and Don) are based on characters from TV shows.

First in line is Kurt Smith the dog of war (I think they mean mercenary), who should be recognisable to most of you as Bob "Snake" Plissken, played by Kurt Russell in the post apocalypse films, Escape From New York and Escape From L.A. Smith mustered out of the special forces straight into private "security" working all over the world for the highest bidder. Specialising in wetwork and asking no questions, Smith was in town for a contract when all hell broke loose. Fortunately for him, and unfortunately for the zombies, he had his arsenal stashed away nearby. Though used to working alone, even Smith knows he doesn't have enough bullets to take on the zombie hordes by himself. Forced to co-operate with other survivors, he's finding it hard on his limited social skills. Survivor Smith is armed with a 5.56mm Colt Commando assault rifle and a .44 Magnum revolver. Zombivor Smith is armed with a pair of .44 Magnum revolvers. He starts the game with the +1 Free Combat Action skill, which gives him an extra combat action per Turn, which he can use for Melee or Ranged Combat.

Another military type is Rob Connery the security expert, who is based on Sean Connery's character, John Mason from the film, The Rock. After decades as an anti-intrusion expert, testing security systems the world over, Rob reluctantly retired to a life of idyll on a sunny beach. The boredom was just getting to him when the zombies appeared. This was exactly what he needed to make a new start. Rob doesn't feel old at all. With a gun in each hand, he'll prove it, anywhere, anytime. Survivor Rob holds a 9mm Uzi sub-machine gun in each hand but his zombivor counterpart only holds one Uzi. Rob starts the game with the Break-in skill, which means he does not need any equipment to open doors. He also does not make any noise when using this skill. However, other prerequisites are still mandatory (such as taking a designated objective). Moreover, Rob has one extra free door opening action, which can only be used for opening doors.

Moving on, we come to Frank Selleck the repo man, and he's based on Tom Selleck's detective character, Thomas Magnum, from the TV series, Magnum P.I. Frank is a laid back guy who used to repossess stuff that folks didn't make their payments on. In his case, his specialty was cars, usually getting into them and driving off before the previous owners even realised what was going on. Not usually a dangerous job, Frank still found it best to carry some protection with him when on a job - his handy baseball bat has since saved him countless times. He's got a fondness for loud Hawaiian shirts and may make small side trips into stores looking for fresh ones to add to his wardrobe. Both survivor and zombivor Frank are armed with a baseball bat. As you'd expect, he starts the game with the Starts With a Baseball Bat skill.

And finally, is Don Cleese the civil servant, who is a dead ringer for John Cleese's bumbling hotel owner, Basil Fawlty, from the classic British comedy TV series, Fawlty Towers. Good old reliable Donald was until recently an under-secretary at an obscure ministry. Pushing papers his entire career, Donald enjoyed his calm, ordered life. Governments might come and go, but whoever happened to be in power always needed the civil bureaucracy. Of course, Don noticed things were amiss when, instead of nodding off while he gave his daily briefing, his Minister tried to have him as a light snack. This was terribly impolite and improper, and so, with some reluctance, he stove her head in with a bust of Winston Churchill. Now the weighty responsibility of organising a new society rests on Don's shoulders. Things have to be done properly of course - ammo requisition, food rationing, sleeping arrangements and the like. He does quite enjoy executing the unruly zombie constituents, though. Both survivor and zombivor Don are armed with a double-barreled shotgun. Don starts the game with the Born Leader skill, which allows him to give one free action to another survivor to use as he or she pleases. This action must be used during the recipient's next turn or it is lost.
Well, this is certainly an eclectic group of characters. I was surprised to see the not-Basil Fawlty lookalike character included but actually, he's quite a useful chap. He is certainly NOT Basil Fawlty! All of them would make fine additions to any party of survivors.

Zombicide Season 2 Survivors and Zombivors 06

And so my review of all of the Zombicide season 2 survivors and zombivors continues with a look at six more characters. These are all based on characters from films and TV, some more recognisable than others.

I'll start with Mack Cage the car salesman, who is based on Nicholas Cage's character, Cameron Poe from the film, Con Air. Mack's story, like most, began when the zombies came and killed his wife and two daughters. After burying them, he took a car from his lot, and began a cross-country zombicide, eventually joining a motley crew of survivors. His fighting spirit has made him a precious resource for any team and his manic grin gets even wider the worse the odds are! Mack the survivor is armed with a pair of Kukri knives, much favoured by the Gurkha army. Mack the zombivor only has one Kukri knife. He starts the game with the Starts With 2 Kukris skill, which needs no explanation.

Looking quite manic is Mike Nicholson the misfit, who is based on the psychopathic Jack Torrance as played by Jack Nicholson in the film, The Shining. Once again there is some confusion over this person's name. His character record sheet calls him Mike but the background info provided on the back of the box he comes from calls him Gary. It seems like Guillotine Games have mixed up his name with that of Gary/Mike the miniature games sculptor that I reviewed earlier (he's the character based on Jeff Lebowski from The Big Lebowski). Anyway, I've decided the character record cards are right and the background blurb is wrong. So, Mike was not well educated and struggled to find a job before the apocalypse struck. Now, however, Mike has done well and thrived on his own. He has always been a survivor and the zombies didn't really change his habits. Survivor Mike is armed with a chainsaw (yes, another chainsaw wielding hero!), whilst zombivor Mike is armed with a one-handed axe. He begins the game in both forms with the Starts With a Chainsaw skill. 'Nuff said!

Next up is a character who is instantly recognisable. This is Brad Eastwood who is inexplicably known as a crime lord when he is clearly based on Clint Eastwood's iconic detective, Harry Callahan from the Dirty Harry series of films and books. From his very youth, Brad could not live by the rules and wished he was born in the Wild West. Retraining anyone's potential has always been anathema for him. So, he became a mobster and climbed the crime ladder, eventually becoming a crime lord until he was betrayed and imprisoned. Brad allied with the prison director when the apocalypse came and they escaped together. Now Brad is free in a world that doesn't have rules anymore... just like the Wild West! Survivor and zombivor Brad are each armed with a .44 Magnum revolver and indeed, he starts the game with the Starts With a .44 Magnum skill. I just can't imagine using him as a criminal and not as "Dirty Harry." "Go ahead, zombie. Make my day!"

Kirk Torrez the old sensei is based on Stephen Seagal's character, Rogelio Torrez in the film, Machete. This is not the lean and mean Seagal of his early career but Seagal from more recent times with an expanding belly! Kirk gained some fame twenty years ago when learning martial arts was considered cool, and he was the best teacher in town. That respect faded over time as people found new idols among the rich and famous. Kirk became a nobody and nearly abandoned his passion. Wealth and fortune are useless against zombies, however, and Kirk surprised himself upon discovering he hadn't lost his martial arts skills. Sure, he's older now, but once again his abilities are in high demand. Both survivor and zombivor Kirk are armed with a katana. Kirk starts the game with the +1 Damage: Melee skill, which grants him a +1 bonus to the damage of all Melee Attacks.

Rose Lansbury the old aunt is based upon Angela Lansbury's sleuthing amateur detective, Jessica Fletcher from the popular TV series, Murder, She Wrote. Rose was your ideal loving, caring, cooking, lovable aunt, always smiling and giving out wise words to the whole family. Some people, however, started to worry about her after a few memory lapses. They were wrong to underestimate Aunt Rose. When the zombies came, she was horrified at first but adapted to the situation faster than many youngsters. Sure, there is blood and mayhem, and sure, she sometimes forgets her reading glasses in the fridge, but Rose has found a brand new family of survivors to care for. Survivor Rose is armed with a flamethrower (yeah, I couldn't believe it, either!) but zombivor Rose is totally unarmed, which is unusual as both types start the game with the Starts With a Flamethrower skill. Go figure!

Finally, is Thaissa Hayward, who is probably the hardest character to identify. Apparently she is based upon Bridget Fonda's assassin character, Maggie Hayward, from the film Point of No Return aka The Assassin, a pointless and dire US remake of the excellent French film, Nikita. Thaissa was a successful entrepreneur when the zombies came and tried to change the deal. She kept her cool and slightly altered her terms of service to fit the situation. Thaissa now grows her network among local survivors, dealing in equipment, information and weapons. Of course, her beauty and unusual attire help a lot. After all, a new world means new opportunities. Survivor Thaissa is armed with a pair of 9mm pistols, whilst zombivor Thaissa is armed with a pair of knives. She starts the game with the +1 Free Search Action, which may only be used to search and can still only be used once per Turn.
Most of the characters based upon movie and TV characters have been male, so it was especially nice to see a couple of females amongst this lot. Note that four of these characters start the game with the Start with a... skill, which gets them well armed from the very beginning. That makes them useful for starting players wishing to learn the game and I'm sure more experienced players will appreciate having the character armed exactly as the figure is. My criticisms of these figures are as follows - Mike with a chainsaw. Why not a large axe? Brad the crime lord? No way! Not in my games. For me, he can only ever be detective "Dirty Harry" Callahan. Rose armed with a flamethrower? WTF! Who's idea was it to give a little old granny a freaking flamethrower?!!!!! And why hasn't the zombivor version got one when she's supposed to start the game with it? Even if she lost it when she died as a human she gets it back as soon as she reanimates.
I do like Mack's choice of weapons. Kukris are very unusual and very lethal. Now that is being original and different. All in all, they are a nice collection of figures, well sculpted and all are very usable.

Zombicide Season 2 Survivors and Zombivors 05

I continue my review of Zombicide season 2 survivors and zombivors with another four characters. Three of these guys are based on characters from films - The Big Lebowski (Ross and Gary) and Zombieland (Ralph), whilst one is from the TV series, The Big Bang Theory (Will).

I begin with Ross Goodman the warehouse manager, who is obviously based on John Goodman's character, Walter Sobchak from The Big Lebowski. Ross is more than he appears. He left the army twenty years ago with scars and PTSD but believed he had moved on. Now that the zombie apocalypse is here his soldier's instincts have come roaring back along with his tactical awareness and skill with weapons. Now if he would just put down his bowling ball... Survivor Ross is armed with a .44 Magnum revolver and a bowling ball, which he keeps in a shoulder bag. Note that he comes with a unique equipment card for his bowling ball, which can inflict a massive 3 points of damage! Zombivor Ross is armed with a .38 revolver. He starts the game with the +1 die: Ranged skill, which gives him an extra die to roll for all Ranged Weapon Attacks.

Next up is Gary Bridges the miniature sculptor, and he is based on Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski as played by Jeff Bridges in the film, The Big Lebowski. Note that in the descriptive text about him on the back of the survivors and zombivors boxed set he comes in, he is called Mike. Clearly some confusion here. On his character record card he is called Gary. Being obsessed with his sculpting work, he never noticed when his wife left and took their daughter with her or even the arrival of the zombie apocalypse. That was until he wandered outside and joined a small group of survivors, who find it odd that he quite readily accepts that zombies are "finally" running around. Survivor and zombivor Gary/Mike are each armed with a double-barreled sawn-off shotgun. Note that survivor Gary/Mike has a  torch tucked into his belt. He starts the game with the Slippery skill, which means he does not have to spend extra actions when he performs a Move action through a Zone occupied by zombies.

Moving on, we come to Will Wolowitz the game designer, who is based on Simon Maxwell Helberg's character, Howard Joel Wolowitz in The Big Bang Theory TV series. Will served his stint at a video game design company as a noob trainee, spending more time carrying coffee than programming. After three difficult years, he finally got a full time job and his own noob trainee. Only his passion for video games - and above all, zombie video games - gave him the will to endure this. Now that the zombies have come for real, everything is perfect. Survivor Will is armed with his unique comet launcher. Just like Ross's bowling ball, this weapon comes with its own stat card and it is a mighty powerful weapon. It will kill ALL zombies in a single Zone at a range of 2 to 3 Zones. And, yes, that does include Abomination zombies! Zombivor Will is armed with a hunting rifle with scope sight. Will starts the game with the +1 Damage: Ranged skill, which gives him a +1 bonus to the damage of all Ranged Weapon attacks.

Finally, is Ralph Wood the cowboy and he is based on Woody Harrelson's character, Tallahassee in the film, Zombieland. After a successful investment, Ralph earned enough money to buy a quiet ranch and retire. When he heard zombies had come from the city to invade the country, he fortified his house and armed his family to face anything. Later, he decided to return to the city to help his friends there. The situation is even worse then expected but, so far, wilderness lessons apply very well to urban survival. Survivor Ralph is armed with a hunting rifle with fitted scope sight, whilst zombivor Ralph carries a baseball bat. Ralph's starting skill is Steady Hand. which allows him to ignore allied characters when making a Ranged Attack or driving a car through a Zone.
As always these are nicely sculpted figures although I'm not too happy with my paint work on Ross and Gary/Mike. They're adequate I suppose, but once I get my eyesight fully restored I'll probably redo them. Oddly enough, I painted Will and Ralph at the same time and I'm much happier with them. Ross and Will are unique in Zombicide due to them having their own personal weapon cards. Mind you, once they get mixed in with the other decks anyone could find and use them. Both weapons are extremely powerful and are able to take out a zombie abomination, which makes them well worth owning. Who'd have thought a bowling ball could wreak such carnage!

NOTE. I'll be taking a short break from all hobby related activities for the next three weeks as I'll be spending my time entertaining my beautiful new girlfriend. I'll try to keep up with your blogs but I hope you'll understand if I don't leave a comment. I haven't had a proper holiday this century so this is long overdue. Take care and have fun. I know I will!

Zombicide Season 2 Survivors and Zombivors 04

Here are another batch of Zombicide season 2 survivors and zombivors. These figures are based on starring characters from two well known films - Shaun of the Dead (an obvious choice) and The Silence of the Lambs.

I'll kick off with Fred Pegg, whom we all know as the eponymous Shaun from Shaun of the Dead, as played by actor, Simon Pegg. However, in Zombicide, Fred was a Wall Street trader. He was a mathematical genius with intuition and an aggressive instinct. When the zombies came, he was the first on the trading floor to understand what was going on and what he needed to do. Fred was the only one to get out alive and being a natural predator at heart he feels his life now has real meaning. Both survivor and zombivor Fred are armed with a cricket bat. Fred starts the game with the Reaper: Combat skill, which is used when he assigns hits while resolving a Combat Action (Melee or Ranged). One of his hits can freely kill an additional identical zombie in the same Zone. Only a single additional zombie can be killed per action when using this skill.

Shaun without Ed is like fish without chips so here we have Chuck Woodhead, who is clearly modelled on Ed played by Nick Frost in Shaun of the Dead. In Zombicide, Chuck is disparagingly referred to as a momma's boy. Living in his parent's basement, this 30+ man child's lack of real world experience hasn't been much of a disadvantage because civilisation has gone tits up. Armed with his knowledge of zombie survival lore gleaned from video games and the Internet, Chuck is an unlikely chubby ally - and possible food source if things get desperate! Survivor Chuck is armed with a double-barreled sawn-off shotgun and a frying pan. Zombivor Chuck has acquired a pair of gunblades - large calibre pistols with underslung blades - very rare weapons. Chuck's starting skill is Low Profile, which prevents him from being the target of allied Ranged Attacks and car attacks ignore him.

Next, we come to Achille Hopkins, a serial killer who is clearly based on Hannibal Lector as played by Anthony Hopkins in the 1991 film, The Silence of the Lambs. Achille is every bit as insane and demented as Hannibal. He would be a danger to every survivor if he hadn't changed his mind when the apocalypse came and he decided to focus his murderous instinct on zombies. he finds being surrounded by potential victims that are actively hunting him terribly exciting. As a survivor, Achille is armed with a nightstick and a .44 Magnum revolver. Zombivor Achille retains the nightstick but has lost the revolver. Achille starts the game with the Zombie Link skill, which allows him one extra turn each time an extra activation card is drawn from the zombie deck. He plays before the extra activated zombies.

Finally, is FBI agent Helen Foster, a dead ringer for Jodie Foster's character, Clarice Starling from the film, The Silence of the Lambs. Helen's inquisitive nature and logical mind led her into investigations and she became a terror to the nation's organised crime syndicates. She finally managed to anger the wrong people and she was under investigation for trumped up corruption charges when the zombies rose. The game had changed but Helen found her skills and experience still applied. She finds it refreshing not having to wait for a warrant before breaking into wherever she needs to go. Survivor Helen is armed with twin 9mm pistols but zombivor Helen is only armed with one 9mm pistol. Helen starts the game with the Starts With a Flashlight skill, which is self-explanatory
Fred and Helen were part of the free stretch goals offered during the season 2 promotion. Achilles and Chuck come from the third boxed set - Survivors and Zombivors. These are all iconic characters and it is hard to shake off the fact that they are not meant to be exact copies of their film counterparts. I can understand why Guillotine Games have had to change the names of them but I wonder how many players adopt the figure's Zombicide names or use their film character's names instead. Chuck, Achille and Helen are virtual clones of their film characters in everything but name. Fred at least has been given a different background but he is still a trader at the end of the day. Also, I suspect that if you choose one of these figures, you'd have to choose the other from the same film. They are pretty much double acts who should be kept together.

Zombicide Season 2 Survivors and Zombivors 03

The six Zombicide season 2 survivors and their zombivor versions that I'm reviewing this time all came from the Prison Outbreak expansion set. This set introduced Berserker Zombies to the game.
The figures shown below are all original characters and are not based on characters from film or TV. As always, they are only known by their first names in the game (with one exception), so I have come up with surnames for them all.

First up is Belle Parker the Parkour specialist. I called her Parker because it is the closest name to Parkour. For those of you who have never heard of Parkour, it is a holistic training discipline using movement that developed from military training. Practitioners aim to get from A to B in the most efficient way possible.They do this using only their bodies and their surroundings to propel themselves. Furthermore, they try to maintain as much momentum as is possible in a safe manner. Parkour can include obstacle courses, running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, rolling, quadrupedal movement, and the like, depending on what movement is deemed most suitable for the given situation. Belle is the daughter of a former drill instructor and she uses the city as her obstacle course. Survivor Belle is armed with a katana and wakizashi, whilst zombivor Belle is armed with twin axes. She starts the game with the +1 Free Move Action skill, which is self explanatory. 

Next up is Grindlock the heavy metal headbanger. No one knows his real name. For him, heavy metal is not just a musical style, it's a way of life and it's the path Grindlock chose. When the zombies came for him, he moshed them like moths, grabbed a chainsaw and went out to face doomsday with  a smirk on his face. Suffice to say, both survivor Grindlock and zombivor Grindlock are armed with a chainsaw each. Grindlock starts the game with the Taunt skill, which counts as free action, allowing him to select any Zone he can see. All zombies in that Zone gain an extra activation as they try to reach him. They ignore all other Survivors: they do not attack them and cross the Zone they stand in if needed to reach the taunting survivor.

The guy in the green T-shirt is Joshua Harris. Joshua is well versed in zombie lore, having read many books about them, watched many zombie movies and played lots of zombie video games. When the apocalypse came he vowed to save as many people as he could. He joined a group of survivors and his mission in life  is to protect them all. Survivor Joshua is armed with a pump-action shotgun. Zombivor Joshua is armed with a katana and wakizashi. He starts the game with the Lifesaver skill, which he can use as a free action  once during his turn. He can select a zone containing at least one zombie at Range 1 from him. All friendly survivors in the selected Zone can be dragged to his Zone without penalty. This does not count as a Move action. A survivor can chose to be saved or not, depending on the controlling player's wishes.

Next to Joshua is Kim Nakamura who used to work in an underground casino. She was noted for her incredible luck and she could earn in one night what most folk could earn in ten years. She already led a dangerous life before the zombies came and for her the  apocalypse is just a new game of cards. Survivor Kim is armed with twin hammers. Zombivor Kim is armed with a pair of 9mm Uzi sub-machine guns. Kim starts the game with  the Lucky skill, which allows her to re-roll all the dice of any one action she takes. This skill stacks with other skills or equipment cards that also allow re-rolls.

Skinhead Shannon Flynn is a woman of action. Gang wars, police, militia, the army, she had it all but never found a fight that could engage her body and soul. Back in civilian life, Shannon was looking for a job when the zombies came and gave her life real meaning. She now has many causes to fight for - survival, protecting untrained people and exterminating zombies with extreme prejudice. As a survivor she is armed with twin double-barreled sawn-off shotguns and as a zombivor she is armed with twin .44 Magnum revolvers. Shannon starts the game with the Point Blank skill which allows her to shoot at any target she chooses at Range 0. Obviously her weapon has to do enough damage to kill any zombie she chooses.
Last of all is Hal Watts the family man. Oddly enough, in Zombicide he is known by his surname, Watts. I decided to call him Hal. After a tumultuous youth, Watts decided to lead a normal life with a casual job, a wife, two kids and a Jack Russell. It almost worked. Ten years later he was fired by his company as part of a cost cutting exercise. His life spiraled downwards but the zombie apocalypse saved his life. He sent his family away from the dangerous city they lived in and armed himself with his old baseball bat, ready to kill as  many zombies as he could. Survivor Watts is armed with  a spiked baseball bat. So too is zombivor Watts but he has also gained a .44 Magnum revolver. Watts starts the game with the Starts With a Baseball Bat skill, which is self explanatory.
I always like to see a 50/50 split between males and females in a game and it's great to see that the females are every bit as tough as the males. There seems to be a good mix of characters here with some very useful starting skills. Once again, I have not used any of these characters in a game - something I must remedy soon. As usual, the sculpting of the figures is very good and I'm hard pressed to pick one as my favourite figure.

Zombicide Season 2 Survivors and Zombivors 02

I'll be spending the next few weeks reviewing my Zombicide season 2 survivors and zombivors. Here are four of each. These were all part of the stretch goals for season 2 and each pair was packaged in a separate box. What distinguishes these from the previous survivors and zombivors I have reviewed is that these are all based on characters from film and TV, but given different names to avoid copyright problems. Even so, they are very recognisable. Note that all the characters are known only by their first names. I have come up with their surnames, usually based on the surname of the actor/actress playing that particular character.

First up is Adriana Knowles, who is based on Beyonce Knowles as Foxxy Cleopatra in the film, Austin Powers: Goldmember. Adriana worked as a shop-girl during the day and sang in a chorus at night. She dreamed of fame but once the dead began returning to life her dreams were shattered forever. Survivor Adriana is armed with a katana and a one-handed axe. Zombivor Adriana has lost her katana but kept the one-handed axe. Adriana starts the game with the Loud skill, which allows her to make more noise in the Zone she uses this skill in than any other Zone on the board. At first this may seem like more of a disadvantage but as zombies are attracted by noise it can be useful to lure them away from other potential targets or to shepherd them to a desired location.

Next in line is Dakota Anderson, based on Pamela Anderson as Barbara "Barb Wire" Kopetski from the film Barb Wire. With her stunning looks and wits, Dakota could have lived a comfortable life but she chose a life of crime. She did time for everything from robbery to car theft. The zombie apocalypse helped ensure her escape from prison and she is determined to turn her life round and start afresh. Survivor Dakota is armed with a double-barrelled sawn-off shotgun, whilst zombivor Dakota is armed with two double-barrelled sawn-off shotguns. Dakota begins the game with the Taunt skill, which counts as free action, allowing her to select any Zone she can see. All zombies in that Zone gain an extra activation as they try to reach her. They ignore all other Survivors, making this a useful skill if used correctly.

Moving on, we have Lea Stone, based on Emma Stone as Wichita in the film, Zombieland. Lea is a headstrong and resourceful teenager who has been forced to accept that life can be easier when you have friends you can rely on. Lately, she has found she is afraid to be left alone. As a survivor, Lea carries a pump-action shotgun. Zombivor Lea is armed with a .44 Magnum Revolver. Lea starts off with the Slippery skill, which means she does not have to spend extra actions when performing a Move action through a Zone containing zombies.

Last in line is Rick Statham, based on Jason Statham as Chev Chelios in the film, Crank. Rick is a stuntman, who was recovering from a chest injury in hospital when the zombies came and got most of his friends. He is wary of others but realises he will need help in order to survive the zombie apocalypse. As a survivor, Rick is armed with a pump-action shotgun. As a zombivor, he is armed with a pair of 9mm pistols. Rick's starting skill is Steady Hand, which allows him to ignore allied survivors when making a Ranged Weapon attack or driving a car through a Zone. Normally, when making a Ranged Weapon attack, survivors are the first target priority. I know, it does not make sense, but that is the way the game plays and it forces you to think tactically when moving and shooting.
Adriana looks like she has just stepped out of a 1970's blaxploitation movie. Dakota is showing a LOT of underboob and if she attempts any physical activity she's going to show a whole lot more of her boobs. Lea is my favourite figure out of this group of four. Her mini skirt is so short it could be classed as a belt! Note how it has ridden up to expose her backside on her Zombivor version. She obviously doesn't care! Rick is such a cool figure and can become a serious hard ass, once he's killed enough zombies.
I have not used any of these characters in a game but Lea and Rick seem more useful than Adriana and Dakota. But I guess a lot can depend on circumstances. Look out for more Zombicide season 2 survivors and zombivors next time.

Zombicide Season 2 Survivors and Zombivors 01

Following on from my previous post, which looked at some of the Survivors and Zombivors from Zombicide season 1, I'm now moving on to season 2. Sadly, I did not support season 1 and I bitterly regret not doing so. The extra Survivor and Zombivor figures that were produced for season 1 are selling for insane prices on evil-Bay. £50 for a single plastic 28mm scale figure - no way! However, I did see the light when season 2 was launched last year and I bought every figure that was produced for it. I'm going to start by reviewing the four Survivors and their Zombivor versions from the Toxic City Mall expansion set.

Let's start with Derek Foster the locator. What that means is that he is good at finding people, objects and places. He has eagle eyes and not much escapes his vision. Survivor Derek is armed with a 9mm pistol, a hammer and a bag full of wooden stakes. Zombivor Derek has replaced the pistol with a double-barrelled sawn-off shotgun and his stakes with a  baseball bat. His hammer is now tucked in his belt. He starts the game with the +1 Max Range skill, which allows him to increase the range of any ranged weapon he uses by one Zone - very useful for shooting zombies at a distance.

Next up is Raoul Nicholas the contractor. He used to be an army medic but when the zombie apocalypse began and he lost a lot of close friends he became a freelance mercenary. Survivor Raoul is armed with a 5.56mm M16 assault rifle and a machete. Zombivor Raoul is armed with a pair of 9mm pistols. He starts the game with the Webbing skill, which means that any weapon or piece of equipment he carries counts as being in his hands. Normally, a character can carry up to five items but only two are ever considered being in his hands. So you can see why this is a very useful skill to have.

Now we move onto the female characters and first up is Elsa Bryce-Howard the cat burglar. Elsa was born beautiful but came from a poor family. She soon learned that agility, attractiveness and subtlety could open the doors to fabulous wealth. Although gold and money are now worthless her lock picking skills are just as useful as ever. Survivor Elsa is armed with a pair of Magnum revolvers, whilst Zombivor Elsa is armed with a katana. Elsa starts the game with the Break-in skill, which allows her to open any locked door without special equipment and without making any noise. In addition, opening a door counts as free action for Elsa. There's handy! Incidentally, I used gloss black paint to paint her cat suit. I think it looks very cool and sexy.

Finally, is Neema Freeman the executive. After ruthlessly climbing to the top of the corporate ladder, Neema proved she was a born survivor. When the zombies ruined her former life, they triggered something inside her, something feral. She is now an alpha female leading her pack with wise words and rightful fury. Survivor Neema is armed with a 9mm Uzi sub-machine gun and a .44 Magnum revolver. Zombivor Neema is armed with a katana and a .44 Magnum revolver. She starts the game with the Born Leader skill, which means that during her turn she may give any other Survivor or Zombivor a free action, which must be used in the recipient's next turn.
Once again, these are nicely sculpted and well detailed. I have yet to use any of them in a game but I can see that they all have useful starting skills. As such, I have not formed an opinion on which one I like best.

Zombicide Season 1 Survivors and Zombivors 01

I have currently been painting loads of Survivors and Zombivors from the Zombicide board-game. I know I have posted the original six Survivors before, but what you have not seen are their Zombivor versions, What is a Zombivor? It is a cross between a Survivor and a Zombie - essentially a good zombie with intelligence who fights as a player character against the undead menace. Survivors start with two wounds and when they are wounded a second time they are dead. Game over. Now, however, they can come back, but only if their second wound was caused by a Zombie. On the turn after they die, the character is resurrected as a Zombivor. Zombivors keep the equipment cards that the dead survivor had and all their previous experience points. They can choose skills up to their experience level, which may or may not be different from those previously chosen. Best of all, they now have five wounds, making them much harder to kill. Zombivors are great for beginners, campaign-driven players and for super-heroic missions. I like their inclusion in the game.

To start off with, we have Amy Goddard, the Goth Girl. Please note that in Zombicide most characters do not have a surname, so I have had to invent surnames for all my Survivors. Survivor Amy is armed with a katana and a double-barreled sawn-off shotgun tucked into her belt. Zombivor Amy keeps her katana but has lost her shotgun... and her backpack. Bear in mind that the weapons shown on a figure are probably not the weapons you'll use in a game, as weapons and equipment are determined randomly from a deck of cards.

Wanda Jane Ventura was a waitress at a drive-thru restaurant before the zombie apocalypse came. Her roller skates make her one of the fastest characters in the game. Survivor Amy is armed with a chainsaw (a devastatingly effective weapon, even if it is noisy) and a double-barreled sawn-off shotgun tucked into her apron. Like Amy, Zombivor Wanda retains her melee weapon but loses her shotgun.

Doug Michaels was once an officer worker doing a mundane and boring job he hated. Now he kills zombies for a living. Doug is a two-gun specialist and his Survivor version is armed with a pair of 9mm Uzi sub-machine guns and tucked into his belt, a pair of 9mm pistols. Zombivor Doug uses the twin 9mm pistols and has lost his twin Uzis.

Josh Snyder was a street thug growing up in a tough neighbourhood. He finds his street smarts in high demand with other Survivors. Survivor Josh is armed with a pair of 9mm pistols and has a machete hanging on his left leg. Meanwhile, Zombivor Josh has lost the twin pistols and machete but found a pair of double-barreled sawn-off shotguns.

Ned Moore is more often known as "Crazy Ned" because no one believed his predictions about an impending zombie apocalypse. But Ned KNEW! He is a street person skilled in the art of urban survival. He is armed with a hunting rifle with scope-sight, a baseball bat and a frying pan. Yes, a frying pan is a weapon, albeit, not a very good one. Zombivor Ned has a double-barreled sawn-off shotgun and a torch.

Finally, is Phil Walsh, a police patrolman who has sworn to uphold the law, even though the law has virtually ceased to exist. Survivor Phil retains his .357 Magnum service revolver and his 12 gauge pump-action shotgun. Zombivor Phil still has his Magnum revolver but has lost the shotgun.
The level of sculpting on these figures is very high and to be honest, I really like all twelve figures. However, my favourite character out of them all still remains Wanda the waitress. Try to arm her with a chainsaw as soon as possible, even if it means another character finding it then swapping it with her. With her extra movement and chainsaw she is perfect for scouting ahead and killing zombies. All of the characters have their plus points. Both Amy's starts with a free Move action. Both Doug's start with a Matching Set (great if you can find them early on). Survivor and Zombivor Josh begin by being Slippery (he can move freely through zones occupied by Zombies). Both Ned's start with a free Search action, which you should ALWAYS use. Both Phil's start the game with a Pistol. Finally, Survivor Wanda and Zombivor Wanda get to move 2 Zones per Movement action.
Look out for a lot more Zombicide Survivor and Zombivor reviews in the  coming weeks.