In a little over a month, Reign will be one year old. In the past year, we have established many traditions with the monthly State of the Guild, Karaoke Fridays, and the Reign Member Spotlight to name only a handful. Thus, it is my hope to establish yet another Reign tradition with the yearly Zombie Survival Team.

Each year when the Halloween season (my absolute favorite season) draws near, we are again brought to terms with that most insidious of eventualities: The Zombie Apocalypse. The Zombie Survival Team concept was started by the great Troy Hickman of the CoH/V forums several years ago and it is designed to celebrate zombie lore during the Halloween season.

How it works:
Firstly, the purpose of this thread is to enjoy a motivated freeform discussion on zombie culture and lore. The idea here is to think about what you would do to survive in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse. On Saturday, October 15th, I will select and announce a team of 10 Zombie Survivalists. Selections will be based on discussion within this thread, as well as listed qualifications within the template provided below. These 10 Survivalists will receive a special badge marking them as such which they will sport proudly for one year. This time next year, those survivalists will lose that badge and the 2012 Zombie Survival Team will be chosen. Additionally, I will be handing out code names (a la Zombieland) to the survivors so we don't get attached. As always, feel free to ask away if you have any questions.


Personal Survival Information Template:
Location: (Be sure to denote whether you are rural or urban, proximity to methods of egress such as large bodies of water, airports, etc.)

Equipment: (List items that you intend to bring with you. This includes firearms, survival gear, and portable amenities. You are welcome to list items that you do not currently own, but have a plan in place to acquire. Please note these items as such.)

Personality Traits: (List social skills/traits you possess that will enable you to endure the Zombie Apocalypse with your fellow survivalists.)

Knowledge: (List the books read and/or TV/movies watched that contribute to your overall knowledge of how to survive the Zombie Apocalypse. Also include any survival knowledge you might have, such as camping experience, or weapons qualification.)

General Health: (Prior to the Zombie Apocalypse, do you have any health issues that require special consideration. Do you smoke? On average, how many times a week to you exercise?)

Zombie Plan: (Give a detailed account of your zombie survival plan. Note that this is your personal plan, and it will be assumed this is how you initially escaped and survived long enough to meet up with the other members of the survival team.)

To get things rolling, here's where I am as far as zombie survival:

Personal Survival Information Template:
Location: I live in the Houston area, so being that I'm in a large population area, I'll need to be a bit more vigilant. Luckily, the suburb I live in is in close proximity of a body of water that feeds into the Houston Ship Channel (approximately a 5-8 minute drive). Additionally, I live 1 mile away from my city's municipal airport.

Equipment: As far as weapons go, I have a 9mm handgun, a Mossberg pump-action (currently at my dad's house, so I'll need to grab this before things get crazy), and a few swords (2 of which are quality enough to be usable for any stretch of time).

As far as survival gear that I can grab right now, I have matches, camping utensils, about 1-2 week's worth of MREs, and a battery-less flashlight. I also have access to military supplies, so depending on the specifics and forewarning of the outbreak, I could possibly have access to some nice camping/survival gear. I actually have a hurricane bugout kit in my car which includes a local map, bottled water, and a first aid kit. One final benefit is the fact that I have a military uniform, which means I will be able to move freely should there be posted guards channeling people out of the effected areas and into evac routes (I've actually done this during a hurricane to get back home before they'd let people come back in).

Personality Traits: The only other person I'll have had to worry about during my egress would be my wife, so being that we're assuming I'm meeting the other survivalists alone, her loss would be absolutely devastating to me. However, I tend to empathize well with people, so I would expect to turn my pain into an opportunity to bond with others experiencing similar loss. I'm also quite used to being a mediator, and have leadership experience in the military.

Knowledge: As for Zombie lore, I'm currently reading Max Brooks' The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead, and I've seen most of the pertinent zombie films, such as Sean of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, and Dawn of the Dead.

When it comes to practical knowledge, I can start a fire, and I have working knowledge of how to maintain and repair residential power circuits. I also have a fairly extensive knowledge of radio systems, to include LMR systems. I've always had a mechanical bent, so I know how to use a fairly wide array of hand and power tools.

General Health: Overall, I would say I'm in good health. I do not smoke and I run at least twice a week, which I'm working on kicking up to 5 times a week. I'm slightly overweight for my height, although its barely worth mentioning (180 @ 5'10"). I've never been terribly physically strong, however.

Zombie Plan: The current plan is to grab the supplies and head to the water. Its a straight shot from my house for 5-8 minutes. Once at the marina, acquire a boat and keep a safe distance from the shore. From there, I am able to have a fairly safe base of operations while I figure out the best route to safety.

If for whatever reason the roads are blocked leading that direction, plan B is to double back to the airport and try to barter passage.

Personal Survival Information Template:
Location: I currently live in Denver Colorado. Sadly I am land locked so plans would have to revolve around a fairly secluded mountain fortress.

Equipment: For weapons I have an Ak-47 with 3 30 round magazines and plan on picking up a few more, a 9mm pistol, a 45 caliber 1911, and a snub nose 38. I also have a few swords and a machete. Only one sword would be fighting quality ( I have fought with it.....not to the death...sigh) but the machete and the other swords should be enough to cut through flesh.

For equipment I have a couple tents, cold weather clothing, lighters, flashlights, batteries, Climbing gear (harness, ropes, clips) and I live within 10 minutes of several sporting goods stores, to obtain whatever else I might need.

Personality Traits: I have several friends but typically feel more comfortable on my own. Depending on the situation I would do my best to survive without a huge a group. My 5 closest friends live within a 5 minute drive of me so it wouldnt be hard to round them up if the situation called for it.

Knowledge: I have seen most of the Zombie movies out there. As an avid camper and survival show addict I have a good working knowledge of starting fires and maintaining them. I am also a decent hunter and can fish faily decently. I have shot guns my entire life and am a pretty damn good shot. i know my way around many of the mountain towns and surrounding wooded areas.

General Health: As a smoker I take a knock to overall health. other than that Im tip top. I currently work as a valet so I run 3 days a week for approx. 3 hours with about a 2-5 minute break between each sprint. my overall strength is good aswell. Im Currently geting back into a workout schedule that should have me back in the gym 5 days a week aswell as running 2 more days on top of what I do at work

Zombie Plan: My plan is to establish a base of operations. There is a ski area about 45 minutes from my house and a semi secluded wooded area behind the ski area. I would head that way off the main highway. This are should provide a good place to start. with the ski area decently close to my base of operations I should be able to get supplies when needed. As this has been talked about with most of my friends they know a general location of where to find me, if they survive the intial zombie attack. There are alot of small towns around my ski area and if my friends make it to me we will slowly try to take over these said towns. Without help i will have no other option then to just try to hold up at my ski locale, and wage hit and run attacks on the town until I either wipe the town out or find other survivers.

Personal Survival Information Template:
Location: Rural area, Surround by at least 100 acres of corn fields on each side of my house. Gravel road about 1 mile long connecting to a not very active paved road. There is a small creek in the corn fields. Closest neighbor is half a mile down the the road. My property is 5 acres very open, very little trees, and one hella scary barn. Town is about a 8 min drive away population only 1000.

Equipment:1x Backpack Swiss, 1x samurai sword, 1x 8gauge shotgun, 1x .22 rifle, 1x colt .45 revolver, 1x sushi grade cleaver, 1x combat knife, 1x 150pound draw crossbow, 1x box of ammo for each firearm listed above, 1x 20 pack of 16in. arrows for crossbow, 1x Mag light flashlight, 8x bottles of fresh water, 1x 250 pack of strike anywhere water proof matches, 1x canteen, 1x bag of cotton balls, 1x bottle of rubbing alcohol, 5x standard military issued freeze dried meals. 1x multi-tool(comes with scissors,screwdriver,file,knife,saw,fingernail clippers,bottle opener, can opener, corkscrew, and pliers), 1x 50ft nylon rope, 20x tablets of hydrocodne(painkillers), 1x pair military quality boots, 1x pair of very thick overalls, 2x tee shirts, 1x winter coat, 2x pants, 3x boxer shorts, 5x pairs of socks, 1x winter hat, 1x broad range 2 way radio, 1x cell phone. 1x box of bandages and splints. 1x 5ft. long stick with rubber grip, 1x pair of leather gloves, 1x roll of duct tape, 1x crowbar, 1x lockpick set, 1x glasses turn into sunglasses, 1x combat shovel. 1x ATV/car, and 1x compass. Total weight about 180lbs ATV not included.
*EDIT* I forgot to mention that I really do own all these items.

Personality Traits:I Have a very self centered mindset probably would kick you down the stairs so I could get away. People say that I have a "silver tongue" so I might be able to convince some people to do what I want. The only person I would really care to look out for is my mom. Maybe my cousin but, he lives a whole 15 min away... sorry (><)

Knowledge:I know how to pick locks, kill a man with a cotton ball, and have knowledge on how to use all the weapons I listed above and I am a decent shot. I also Have a large understanding of electronics and computers/networking. So I assume given the right tools could break into most electronic devices. I also know how to read schematics and floor plans to buildings so that could come in handy. Also, as a child I was quite the pyromaniac so I know how to make explosives,napalm,mustard gas,ect. out of house hold products. Ive read many novels about zombies including the zombie survival guide. I most likely have seen well over 100 zombie movies including all the classics. I also read/watch a lot of post apocalyptic movies and books and I love watching the show surviorman/bear grills learn lots of neat stuff from them. I also went to a survivalist camp as a kid. learned loads of stuff there how to make a fire,shelter,how to treat water to make it drinkable, know what plants are edible. Also I know how to swim may seem stupid but a lot of people don't know how to.

General Health:Im tall 6'4" and pretty bulky. My health is Ok, I don't smoke, I sometime exercise when the mood strikes me rarely. But, most of my exercise is when I go out with my friends and we go to the driving range and such.

Zombie Plan: For me It really depends on the season if its summer/fall I would try to get as far as possible from the corn Fields giant death traps IMO. But, if it was in the winter all the corn fields are down I would go to this cell phone tower down the road about 5 miles away it is fully fenced and is climbable. It also has a service house at the base so its perfect. It has a tall vantage point, small shack like house, protection that being the fence with razor wire, not to mention that you could potentially use the antenna from the tower to boost your signal and call for help or look for survivors. If it was in summer/fall I would start heading for the Mississippi river and try to acquire a boat. From there I would try to go down to the gulf of Mexico. The reasoning behind this is that you would be safe and need almost no gas to float down the river. When I arrive at the gulf I would look for supplies then try to make my way out to an oil rigger. That being the safest place I could think of.

Personal Survival Information Template:
Location: Currently live in Lancaster SC, about 8 miles from the Catawba River with boat ramps. Live less than 5mi from WalMart and 3 gun shops.

Equipment: Got a 300 Weatherby Magnum rifle and recently got a 10/22. I have 3 portable tree stands, camping gear and tons of led flashlights. Magnesium fire starters. About a years supply of Ramen noodles (lightest weight food and cheapest for such an occasion) Aluminum baseball bat (gotta stay light) Machete of coarse, camo hunting gear and my ugly stick with weedless worm (catches anything in that river) 5gallon gas can in back of my F-150.

Personality Traits: I will be getting in touch with my buddy Randell. He has more guns and ammo for a small 15 man army. I want to keep my group to no more than 5 people. Everyone HAS to know how to shoot a gun well. If you are bit, we will say a prayer for you, then bye bye. Sorry, I ain't going out by friendly biting.

Knowledge: I can drive automatic, stick, atvs, boats, forklifts/scissor lifts(never know), tractors and motor cycles. I took some automotive classes at a tech school on basic electrical. Took electrical theory, wiring and Nation Electric Code class for residential housing. Also took a carpentry/wood working class. Know how to build and wire basic houses and run some electrical cable lines. Have some hand radio usage and know SOS on a flashlight/morris code. Also know how to make shelters in the woods and hunt/fish. If needed, I could saddle up a horse and ride one, not very well, but I could. I know about some of the edible berries and one plant I've ate in the past. I think zombie/terrorist/airplane crashes/natural disasters all the time where ever I have worked at...You see a CNC machine, I see: this is where I'm going to hide if someone comes into the building shooting it up. Maybe I'm just weird. As for Zombie movies, I'm seen almost everyone, both scary and funny ones. I also watch the survival shows on TV all the time, and NO I don't walk around barefoot.

General Health: I don't smoke, I'm tall and my knees kind of suck. I can still run for a good while. For the past 12 years I have had a job where I had to stand on my feet all day on concrete floors 10-12hr a day. But when you have a good shot, you won't have to worry about running as much. Survive smarter not harder.

Zombie Plan: 1st and foremost, we will be raiding Wal-Mart for ammo and such. My gun idea is probably the MOST underrated survival gun, it's a 22. 22 ammo is DIRT cheap and most will over look it. 22s can go through skull for head shots, might need an extra head shot but anyone can shoot a 22 without any recoil and can save your limbs from huge groups of zombie. Get to the river and unload the SunTracker boat. We ride up it to a quiet neutral/inactive area, drop anchor and set up camp beside the river, after . The river can take you to a damn and into other counties. The river is near a local airport, this could possibly be a fall back point. There is also several cow pastures near the river, so meat might be on the menu in a pinch. Batteries should never be a problem, since Duracell in Lancaster is the only one that still makes AA batteries, also about 2miles from the river. The tree stands can be used for hunting (of coarse) or for daily/nightly lookouts with a nice height advantage.

Personal Survival Information Template:
Location: Currently: Shaw AFB, SC; Home: Lake Odessa, Michigan

Equipment:
Shaw AFB:Three ABU uniforms, Cold ABU gear, Rain ABU gear, 2 mole bags, 1 backpack, utility/hand knife, 1 cell phone (3 day charge), 1 pair military issue steel toe boots, 1 gas mask, approximately 200' 550 para cord, basic toiletry items, not owned items: USAF Armory, Commissary, BX, Military clothing).
Michigan: 1 full Multicam ABU/ghillie camoflage set, 1 tac vest, 2 backpacks, 2 duffel bags, 3 BDU full sets, 1 BDU chem. set, 3-4 utility/combat knives, matches, lighters, 2 blow torches, 1 compound bow (55 lb. draw) w/ approx. 18 broad-head arrows, 2 pair military issue boots, 1 pair steel toe work boots, cold gear clothing, Louisville slugger, 2 point-tip shovels, 1 square end shove, 1 hoe, 1 pickaxe, 1 axe, 1-2 garden rakes, 1 lawn rake, 1 acetaline torch, 4 fishing poles, 3+ tackle boxes, assorted tools (hammers, screws, nails, screwdrivers, etc.)
(not owned: AR-15 with mod kit for full auto, ACOG scope, 8" silencer (home-made), 4 mags, 1000 rounds, S & W double action .44, 4-6" silencer (home-made), 4 mags, 750 rounds)

Personality Traits:I'm friendly, and I would work well with other people. I have no aversion to killing. I'm resilient, I'll be able to bounce back from injuries that are bound to occur. I'm loyal to my friends, as I meet people I'd be looking after their welfare.

Knowledge:I've watched all of "Walking Dead" season 1, and I'm fairly familiar with Zombie lore. My biggest benefit to a team would be my survival knowledge; I've been raised in the country, I know how to hunt both large and small game (stalking, tree-stand, and pushing), I can shoot a bow accurately at 30 yards (3-5 inch pattern), I can bore-sight shoot a .22 accurately at 150 yards (3" pattern), (for the long term) I also know how to plant and grow a variety of crops (including corn, watermelon, squash, beans, peas, pumpkin, cucumber, tomatoes, wheat, peppers, grapes, there are more.), I'm a pyromaniac, I know how to make a couple varieties of bombs, I know how to make napalm, and smoke bombs, I can make and sustain a fire, I know how to make silencers for a variety of firearms, I can work with electronics well enough to rig trip wire explosives, and traps; I've worked construction, concrete, plumbing, electrical, and a few others; I'm also capable of creating entry points with explosives.

General Health: I'm in good condition, I can run 2 miles in 12 minutes on a good day (usually I run 2 miles in 13-15 minutes); I'm more of an endurance person, I can go for a very long time without stopping.

Zombie Plan:
Shaw AFB: get to either Military Clothing, or the BX, get some melee gear (knives/machetes) more para cord, camo, food, head to the armory and acquire 2 M16s, 4 mags, scopes, 1000 rounds, 1 M9, 3 mags, laser sight, 750 rounds; Lock up in the dorms, and work on silencers for the M16s, and the M9. On completion head towards Lynchburg, Va., find my buddy (he's a specialist, Army infantry); From there head to Michigan, to home, acquire more gear/necessities at both my house, and my buddy's house. From there head up to Charlevoix (Michigan) set up a fortress with our backs to to river on the north (bridge would be blown) and walls to the south.
Long term: reclaim some of the open land there for farming, build an underground network to primarily support storage, and then eventual expansion.

Personal Survival Information Template:
Location: I live in Culloden just near the Highland capital of Inverness. My location is littered with mountains and hills and with Loch Ness close by which connects to the Ness river leading to the sea. This is all interconnected by the Caledonian Canel which will be the best chance for my survival. The only problem is that I am in an area of terraced housing, luckily there is a farmers field on the Northern side of my house. Can you get Zombie cows?

Equipment: With guns being banned in the UK I will have no powerful weaponry. I have an immitation Sting Blade from the Lord of the Rings I would sharpen and I also have a sledgehammer and various bats and clubs. My neighbour has a set of 4 samurai swords so I think that would be my first port of call to grab these.
Equipment wise I have lots of lighting materials in the house, large packs of water and rucksacks to carry it all in. I even have a sling for my son so would don this and the back would make for a great place to store my weapons. In the loft I have various camping utensils I am able to pack quickly into another rucksack for mobility. I have a large flashlight (not that I will use it much as if the zombies see it they will come from miles away)

Personality Traits: I am very resources and very nimble. I can sneak up on opponents or sneak around them if that is the best option. I also have the ability to lead others to safety on a number of occasions with my own family. I believe I was put here to help people survive the coming apocolypse!

Knowledge: I am a BIG zombie fanatic, I know about all the different types of zombies from various movies and games I have played/watched. The fast moving enemies from 28days later to the slow moving Dawn of the Dead enemies I know them all and I know there weaknesses. My knowledge knows no bounds. Knowledge in survivability is second to none. I am always the one during paintball that manages to get to the flag without being seen. I know my surrounding well and can adapt to any situation. I am a REALLY good batsman and often play with my swords so I believe I have skills, It means getting up close and personal but that is where I am best.

General Health: I am slightly overweight but I play football (soccer) on a regular basis and my stamina is brilliant as these sessions last 2 hours. I have no ailments and I do not smoke. I can nearly silence my breathing, I feel I am in the perfect condition to survive.

Zombie Plan: My plan firstly consists of getting to the water. Their is a dock area a couple of fields down to the ness river edge which always has a boat moored. Once aquired I would sail around to the west coast of Scotland. Their are two small islands I have been on previously that are completely absent of life. This would make for a great base of operations. From there I could sail to the mainland for supplied for the smaller villages down the coast. This would also allow me to make contact with other survivors and make a master plan. Ultimately, once supplies were getting low I would sail down to the bigger ports and obtain a bigger and better boat and make the journey to join my fellow survivors to take our lands back from the Umbrell....ahh wait....the zombies

Personal Survival Information Template:
Location:
I live in a small town outside of Columbus on the Northend. I am sandwiched between a large amount of the rich folk and crazy ass redneck hillbillies. I live close to a kroger and a walmart. I also live near a a Dunkin Donuts (gotta have coffee to survive).

Equipment:
I have several baseball bats and will do my best to make it to my wife's parents house. Her dad has quite the armory and this would easily keep me alive for months and months. Without his guns and being a large guy who is up on his cardio I feel that I could easily protect my family during a zombie invasion. If I can make it to Walmart then I will be grabbing as many weapons as I can carry and also some gear to survive in the weather. I do own several pair of boots as does my wife. I am not sure if camo would be effective against brain eating zombies. We have plenty of food and water at our house that could last for weeks if we were stuck at home base. I have an evil killer Lab that would be by my side, similar to "I Am Legend". I have a Kindle that I will make sure is charged and the WiFi off so that I can keep the latest zombie survival guides at the ready.

Personality Traits:
I have always been known for how quiet I am. At 6'5" I am tall but I can sneak up on anyone. I am also an avid weight lifter so I am quite strong.I have a very bad temper which would certainly play in my favor while destroying the heads of useless zombies. I am also an educated individual (although Computer Science doesn't do shit for zombies) and this should allow for me to be more resourceful in the urban environment. I am friendly and easy to work with and I have a protector type of attitude. I would enjoy rescuing others and saving lives.

Knowledge:
I have seen all of the Night of the Living Dead (even the black version), Sean of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, Zombie Land, Walking Dead Season 1, Resident Evil 1-4. I have read the Zombie Survival Guie and I am working on Pride Prejudice and Zombies now. I also feel that Falling Skies helps, I know it is aliens but it does show ways to use your environment and things that you have found to survive with a small group of people. I know that cardi is important and to always double tap to ensure the death of a zombie.

General Health:
I am big and strong and my cardio is also up to date. I have zero health issues and have the ability to walk long distances carrying a lot of weight (which will include a 3 year old and an infant). I also take Krav Maga and boxing and this should allow for some good ass whoopings if other humans try to overthrow me.

Zombie Plan:
Being in Ohio and no water near me I feel that the season would determine a lot of the plan. The summer here can stay above 90, not just 90 in dry heat but a pain in the ass humid as hell 90 which would make it easy to dehydrate. I would make sure to have plenty of water and also plenty of water purification tablets (this be for any season). If it was spring/summer then my plan would be to head towards Alum Creek which is a small body of water and I would look for a house boat. There are a lot of wealthy individuals and my hopes would be that one of these boats would be open. Once at the body of water I would look for gas to keep my boat going although just staying close enough to float would be helpful for a while. If it was winter it would be extremely cold so I would try to stock up on supplies and ride it out until the Spring. I am in a townhouse so it may be more logical to move to a house, there is a neighborhood really close to me. I also live by a large Chase building this may be the way to go to get in there and meet with other survivors. If none of this works the plan is to kill everything, find a radio and get with a large group of people.

Really awesome entries thus far! Lets get some discussion rolling

Zombie QOTD:
In running from the undead hordes, it can be beneficial to stop and get one's bearings from time to time. Things don't always go to plan, and those wily brain-eaters always seem to pop up at the most inopportune moments. As such, if the opportunity presents itself, it can be a good idea to bunker up and revise the survival plan.

When this happens, what do you look for in a shelter from the undead masses?

Something with a lock on the door is preferable,or as in dawn of the dead, maybe a supermarket, what more would you need! You would have food and supplies for weeks! However this would mean having to clear out the supermarket of zombies first and that is no easy feat. Plus if these are of the 28 days later variety we may well be screwed! They do not back away or pound powerlessly on the glass at the front doors, they rather jump through it! Maybe an old World War 2 bunker, are there any around though, failing all these options I would stick close to the water and possibly continue my travels by boat and sleep on the boat a little further out in the water with NO lights