Killing zombies

Guide created using an unknown version of Cataclysm DDA.
The information present here might not apply to the current version of CDDA.

Zombies can be killed in various ways, this article will line out some methods.

Burn them

One of the easiest way to kill a zombie is to KILL IT WITH FIRE. First acquire some two by fours by smashing furniture, and throw them in a line. Set them to fire using a lighter or matches. Now watch the zombies walk trough the fire and getting burned, or at least be heavily damaged. Once said zombie is dead you can loot it and set the remaining clothes on fire, more zombies getting burned means more zombies to burn. this can be a safe way to kill regular zombies for now.

Burn them in a building

You can also attract lots of zombies to follow you and set a whole house on fire, looted or not. To prepare, you might want to Unload some gasoline around the place to make sure the whole thing gets burned quickly. This might also work in other buildings. You may want to be creative with gas stations and be a real pyromaniac. Watching the world burn is a fun thing to do from time to time.

Smash it!

Getting a good melee weapon is not hard in early game. You can get a pipe pretty quickly by Smashing a locker. After that's done you can go outside and pick up a rock, with this you can craft a crowbar by pressing : &. Cutting weapons like machete are rare but if you manage to find a blade then you can make some makeshift-weapons using duct tape and blade, a crude sword can be more easily made using some scrap-pieces and a 2-by-sword at Fabrication-2. Stabbing and Piercing weapons can be more easily made, to make a makeshift knife, get a rag or some duct tapes, craft a spike using scrap or chunks of steel, then craft the makeshift knife. The recipe for the knife spear is given below (see "Poke-a-Zombie" section).

To kill the zombie you must simply just walk into them, your character will now attack the zombie with said weapon. For higher damage and a higher chance of hitting the thing, you will want to have a high melee skill. Progression in the bashing, Cutting and Piercing weapons skill will also help.

Poke a zombie

What?! Yes poke it! The pointy stick can be useful as a makeshift-weapon for poking zombies. Smash apart a bench, and enter the crafting menu (&), then find the recipe for 'Pointy Stick'. They can also make effective throwing weapons at close range but make sure you've plenty of them before you start using them as a throwing weapon. The knife spear is even better for early-game fighting, the knife spear takes some time and skills to make but is entirely doable for early survivors. It requires Survival-1 so before starting make sure to raise it (it can be easily increased early, by Butchering corpses or by Foraging). Begin by finding a heavy stick, by smashing apart a window. A window will also provide you with string and a sheet. Cut the sheet into rags. You must then make a spike for the tip. Pick up a rock from outside and smash a locker or two to gain 9 scrap metal or 3 chunk of steel. Use the rock as your improvised hammer to crank out a twisted, metal spike. Once you have obtained all four components you can then fashion a knife spear. Later you can craft Javelins and better-spears are more dependable but this one will keep you protected in your early-days. Using the knife spear will also raise your Piercing/Stabbing skill thus you can upgrade to Knives or Spears at your choice which are mostly better than cutting-ones if used against un-armored enemies. 28 pierce will sure as hell poke the hell out of it! With 'poke' I actually mean Pierce. Be wary of weapons getting stuck.

Drive them flat!

Finding a working car with just a tiny amount of gas could just save your life! Having that bottle of gasoline with you while wandering in the city is actually recommended as most cars have just a tiny amount of gas left. Just Examine some cars you find and you will be bound to find one with a working engine.

Get in the car and take control with ^, the game will tell you if you're in the right position. Accelerate with the movement keys, for more information see the car controls article. To kill the zombie, just bump into them causing damage to be inflicted. Driving faster will make sure that the zombies are pulped, guaranteeing that the zombie will not get up the next day. Killing zombies using vehicles is probably one of the most efficient ways of eliminating.