I suck at killing zombies

[scratches 1]

I always get hit fighting zombies! They are so overpowered. Does anyone know how to kill zombies the correct way with out getting hit!?

[BeaverProductions 441]

Dont stand toe-to-toe with them

 

Wait until they are about 4-5 feet away from you then sidestep to the left as they get close or start to attack.  Once they run past you, close the gap and you will have a few seconds to attack them before they enter their attack animation again.

 

Keep circling them to the left while hitting them with your melee weapon.

Dont use the dot on the screen to aim your weapon - thats for picking up items and to help with gun aiming.  Melee weapons have different swing arcs and you have to learn them, how far you need to be to hit the zombie etc

 

If you dont have a melee weapon (Axe, Pickaxe, Hoe, Sledgehammer) and only have your fists, punch the zombies head and he will fall to the ground (Keep strafing and only stop in between attack animations).  Move around to where his head is and keep punching the head while he is down and getting to his feet and he will instantly hit the floor again.

 

Once you master these techniques, zombies will be a just a minor annoyance

Edited November 20, 2014 by Beav

[Jex 1104]

1) Let zombie run at you and step to the side as it gets close.

 

2) switch to walk mode

 

3) circle-strafe zombie and hit it until dead.

[Evil Minion 943]

Circle around them. Avoid getting too close - if you do they will hit you despite the circling - and fighting around obstacles - you might get stuck and thus hit or you might not get stuck but your hitbox will.

 

Always fight outside of buildings (your hitbox won't enter 50% of the time and get hit outside) and if you are inside/around obstacles when hearing a zombie approching go back the way you came from to engage (to avoid losing your hitbox). A few times I managed to lock my hitbox away in some building resulting in zombies standing at the door mindlessly staring at it while I could chop them into pieces without any effort.

[Robert Neville 59]

It's not you.  The 0.49 and 0.50 patches kind of broke the combat system with zombies.  Now they're much more difficult to hit and kill.  There are only two melee weapons able to kill them: the fireman axe and the chopping axe.  Get them as soon as you can.

Edited November 20, 2014 by Robert Neville

[BadAsh (DayZ) 1513]

It's not you.  The 0.49 and 0.50 patches kind of broke the combat system with zombies.  Now they're much more difficult to hit and kill.  There are only two melee weapons able to kill them: the fireman axe and the chopping axe.  Get them as soon as you can.

 

That's not true. You can basically kill them with every melee weapon and your fists, as long as you make sure to hit them in the head, and when they KO keep hitting that head until it finally dies. For example I was recently pleasantly surprised how easy it is to take them out with a machete. It took 2 or 3 headshots and it was dead compared to earlier builds where you needed to spam hitting them in what seemed like forever. Also go to 1pp for better aim.

Edited November 20, 2014 by BadAsh

[Robert Neville 59]

As per my experience, the only melee weapon that work is an axe.  Anything else might eventually kill a zombie but more probably will leave you bleeding/ruined/dead beforehand. 

[call him Steve 46]

Practice, practice, practice, and still more PRACTICE!

 

Don't worry it will come to you, circle right, circle left, go with what works for you and PRACTICE.

[Cap'n (DayZ) 1827]

People assume that the melee works like every other game, but it doesn't. Every weapon follows a unique path, and you ALWAYS need to aim with the swing, not the dot itself. The center dot is for firearm hipfiring in CQB scenarios and for picking up items. Also, circle strafing is the best way to kill a zombie with the weaker weapons.

 

I've invented a tactic for killing zombies with axes. Stand sideways, facing away slightly from the zed that's charging you. When they come in reach, swing and back step and catch them in the chest/stomach/head. Then follow up with a hit to the back, while they're still turned around. Gets them every time.

[rickyriot 1009]

If you are a bit shit, then choose the hoe as your melee as it has such a long reach. The fork does too, but it's got low damage, a couple of hits from the hoe will bring them down.

 

Secondly, hit and move, hit and move, never stay in the same place. It always takes a second or so for the zombie to get into position and take a swing at you, enough time to reposition and take a swipe yourself.

 

Finally, don't fight a zombie inside. While it's perfectly possible, if you are uncomfortable with it you can find yourself missing, getting flustered, trapping yourself in the corner and swiping and only hitting walls/furniture. Try to coax them into a field that allows you lots of backing out room, this also has the benefit of them forming an orderly queue.

[Death By Crowbar 1213]

Are you playing 1pp or 3pp? In 1pp I find it's way harder to keep an eye on the zombies position and keep from getting hit. With 3pp it's easier to strafe around them and time when they'll hit.

 

Some other suggestions:

1. Never ever try to stand toe to toe with a zombie and slug it out, you will lose.
2. Learn to lock zombies in buildings when you don't have a good meelee weapon. This takes practice but can work.
3. Try zombie bowling. I think this still works?
4. Learn to move in a manner in which zombies really can't hit you.
5. Watch tutorials such as this which will help you:
   

[TheFarm 158]

I usually try to find a splitting or fire axe right when i spawn, but about 2 weeks ago all i had was a crowbar and being chased by about 5. The crowbar is much more effective than previously, i remember that and the machete took about 15 hits. Now it only takes 3-5.

[Avant-Garde 229]

I always get hit fighting zombies! They are so overpowered. Does anyone know how to kill zombies the correct way with out getting hit!?

Its very simple really (when they don't go invisible or get long range attacks due lag/bug). You just need to get the zeds attacking timing. Once you know his attacks timing, circlestrafing gets way easier man. You attack him, run with A/D while he will try to attack you, if you timed right he will miss, you stop strafing and hit him again. To totally avoid being hit, you gotta strafe before he windups his attack but not to early. Thats why you need to have in your mind the zed attack timing, how much is the interval betwen one attack and another.

Against multiple zeds you gotta keep in mind that you will have to deal with multiple and timings, so you will have to strafe/dodge (due the lack of a parry/block mechanic) more then try to attack (its possible to fight 3/4 zeds without getting one single hit, but it takes some time and patience). Its just patience really, zeds are not formidable foes once you understand how they move/attack.

 

People assume that the melee works like every other game, but it doesn't. Every weapon follows a unique path, and you ALWAYS need to aim with the swing, not the dot itself. The center dot is for firearm hipfiring in CQB scenarios and for picking up items. Also, circle strafing is the best way to kill a zombie with the weaker weapons.

 

 

DayZ melee is like Chivalry: Medieval Warfare where you indeed aim with the animations (tracer based melee system). Imo they need just to adjust the range and animations of some melee weapons. The tracers don't match the animations on most of the weapons, so thats why they "phase" through zombies. Man pitchfork for example, has ridiculous animations lol, I have absolutely no clue where the tracers on that weapon goes. Try to strafe and attack at the same time with said weapon, lols will be garanteed

Edited November 20, 2014 by Avant-Garde

[chompster 171]

i just, literally, walk circles around them whacking them with an axe or sledgehammer.

[TheHermit (DayZ) 22]

I have gotten up to a 85% no damage rate with the zombies, the 15% coming from some wall or proximity glitch.

 

My issue is getting rid of them as fresh spawn. I've seen others run thru buildings and hop over fences and get rid of them. I find that difficult to do myself, so far.

[Judopunch 523]

I always get hit fighting zombies! They are so overpowered. Does anyone know how to kill zombies the correct way with out getting hit!?

They are very easy. They move towards you, stop, attack, aim, stop, attack.

 

What this means is if you are constantly strafing to the left (or right but left because of how weapons swing) they will almost never hit you. If you need to get close, keep moving tell they swing, then make your attack, if your attack fails wait tell they swing again.

[ld-airgrafix 403]

When fighting zombies make sure you have bandages stashed all over your inventory. Sooner or later you will get hit, whether its lag or zombies extended reach, and the worse that can happen is ruined bandages. Also dont panic if u get hit once or twice. Few cans of food, you will get your health back. Any axe is one hit kill, pick istwo hit kill.

Edited November 21, 2014 by ld-airgrafix

[DeatHTaX 1217]

1) Let zombie run at you and step to the side as it gets close.

 

2) switch to walk mode

 

3) circle-strafe zombie and hit it until dead.

 

This.

 

Zombies are easier than ever to kill...I don't even really know why they insist on having them in stable. I think they're just an annoyance and don't really contribute to the gameplay at all. But that's just me

[Jex 1104]

My Favourite melee weapons, in no particular order are

 

Fire Axe - 1 hit kill

Splitting axe - 2 hits

pick axe - 2 hits

Hoe - 2 hits (and you can grow tomatoes with it)

[DickCheney 74]

My only gripe with zombies is that they can hit behind them, like when they swing in one direction it creates a sphere of hits around them and if you are within the sphere, even if they are lunging away from you, you still get hit. That gets on my nerves.

 

Oh and zombies who hit me through walls, nothing more annoying than that, like when they are just standing outside of a house and can hit you in any room, any floor, anywhere.

[Bonappetit 117]

Wait until you get attacked by a couple of invisible zombies ^-^

[huf757 82]

If you are a bit shit, then choose the hoe

 

I choose the hoe everytime I'm a bit shit.

[_Mandrake_ 49]

Now they're much more difficult to hit and kill.  There are only two melee weapons able to kill them: the fireman axe and the chopping axe.  Get them as soon as you can.

 

I kill Zeds with my fishing pole, any weapon you can find - even a hammer or wrench - can kill Zeds with a little practice.  Hit for the head = dead Zed.

[WuBz_Da_Boss 10]

Find Fire Axe So Simple :)

[rickyriot 1009]

There are only two melee weapons able to kill them: the fireman axe and the chopping axe.

All melee weapons do damage, some more than others of course and the two axes are the weapons of choice, but the hoe or hammer both do heavy damage to them. As does the knucklebuster but you need to get in close.