Sunday 10 August 2014

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.

26 comments:

  1. Excellent painting Bryan, I like the Joshua Harris figures, I mean what could be worse than a Z with double Katana's!!!!!

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    1. Thanks, Ray. So what could be worse than a zombie with twin katanas? Er, a zombie with a flame thrower!!!!

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    2. A hungry zombie that can see me! Would be worse.

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  2. Great job dude! I haven't yet got season 2, maybe Christmas. I like the fact they are all original, not based on film or TV characters.

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    1. I agree, Bob. I do like the themed characters based on film and TV shows but it's also nice to have some original characters in the mix.

      I hope Santa is kind to you this Christmas, dude!

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  3. Cracking work Bryan, nice mix as you said of whuppass!

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    1. Yes, Fran, this lot will certainly whupp ass!

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  4. Very nice painting here Bryan.

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  5. There are some nice figures here - I especially like Joshua and Kim. I still don't care much for the "zombivor" concept, though!

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    1. Thanks, Hugh. Regarding zombivors, they are an optional part of the game and if you don't like them then don't use them. By the way, you're not alone in your dislike of them, although I have no strong feelings for them one way or another. I will try them out in a game or two and then make my mind up on them. Until then, I'm strictly neutral on the subject.

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  6. I have to agree with Colgar. Zombivors are not my cup of tea at all. Which takes nothing away from how well painted these figures are. And I do like characters that have been infected models just not with weapons or in dynamic poses.

    My final point is that I do like your zombie skin tones.

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    1. Thanks, Clint. See, I knew Hugh wasn't alone in his dislike of zombivors. :)

      Thanks for the compliments on the zombie skin tones. It took a lot of practice to get right.

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  7. Great Painting as always :D

    i like to think zombivors as a regular armed zombies :p

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    1. Many thanks FM. I have read that in season 3 of Zombicide you can play zombivors as bad guys. That should be interesting!

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  8. There are some great colour combos there Byran.

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    1. I'd like to claim that I came up with the colour schemes, Joe, but in truth I just copied them from the artwork provided by Guillotine Games.

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  9. These are great I love that Joshua figure I think I need one uh oh!

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    1. Hmm, no question about it, Joshua is clearly the most popular with you guys.

      Simon, you only think you need one! Resist, my friend, RESIST!!!!

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  10. Great work as usual Bryan!
    I really like Watts and Kim - a spiked bat sounds great and twin hammers even more so. It's great to see something I own in the hands of the survivors for a change. While chainsaw is THE zombie weapon, I'm a bit tired of them, and even more so of the katanas. But hammers - now that's fantastic! :D

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    1. I agree, too many Zombicide survivors are armed with chainsaws or katanas. There is a danger of them becoming too common place. Hammers are a GREAT choice, and a spiked baseball bat has to be better than a wooden baseball bat.

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  11. Very nice PJ´s (as usual) Bryan.

    I also - at the beginning - didn´t like the idea of zombivors, they are slowly growing on me. But I would prefer them without ranged weapons, melee weapons yes.
    That´s my 2 cents (euro cents, that is).

    Maybe I can convert 1 or 2 for 1/35 and try them out.

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    1. Thanks, Toni. My gut feeling is that I like them but I'm sitting on the fence until I try them out in a game. Whether they are armed with melee weapons or ranged weapons does not bother me.
      I'd love to see you make some of your own.

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  12. Fantastic work Bryan, Joshua is still my favourite!

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    1. Thanks, Adam. Joshua certainly has his fair share of fans.

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