Ranking the Heroes.

[Phantaskippy]

I've seen rankings elsewhere, but couldn't find any here, so I wanted to see how everyone here ranks the heroes.

My rankings are based on about 20 games played, almost all scenarios played but with only Growing hunger and the Hero Pack owned. So if the other sets change the order it is not reflected here.

***Also, this is not just who is the most powerful, but also who is my favorite to play (or exciting to face as a zombie) I don't like boring characters.

#1. Stacy. Fell in love with her from the first time I read her card. Then the first time she was pulled I was Zombies and she pulled a Hunting rifle in the factory and stood on that spawn point for ever. Single handedly won the game for the survivors. She is fun, risky, powerful if she gets armed (or is accompanied by a bruiser to trade items too) and by far the best card puller in the game. Being able to shoot the rifle twice and still pick up a card. . . that's ridiculous. Also have won two games because she could still use taken over buildings. Seriously, if you put a spawn point in the gun shop Stacy wins the game automatically, if you can hold the morgue it's the same. The risk is what makes her fun.

#2. Victor. You just can't go wrong. Get him the cleaver and chain saw, equip hero's resolve and win. That whole no trade thing is nasty at the start, but it gets removed and then he gets armed. Key part of the most dominant hero team I've faced: Jose, Becky, Victor, Rachelle.

#3. Sheriff Anderson. Starts with the revolver, can lay down the law, and has a ridiculous arsenal of pistols hidden all over the town, behind books in the library, under the table at the diner. . . the man is a paranoid one-man militia and I love him for it. Paired with Rachelle he is even more ridiculous. (because he can pull her revolver back out for her)

#4. Sally. She's got weaknesses, but you have to beat her twice. That's a ridiculous ability when you have one dice to roll. She's epic for running in and taking half your Zombies for the fight.

#5. Padre Jose. I don't like him, I don't like playing him. I find games with him are less fun, for both sides. That said he is sick. Chainsaw, faith and pitchfork sitting in the hospital healing every turn and cancelling every zombie card. . . might not be fun, but it is wicked powerful.

#6. Rachelle. Starts with gun, so valuable. Starts with Flashlight, so ridiculously good in early game. Ignores wounds on a 6, useful, but even more fun. (esp. when you ignore a wound that would have zombied you) She can lay down the law, and if you get her and the Sheriff it's going to be a long day for the zombie player. Turn one she is the best character in the game, ranged attack, search bonus, and tank ability in one character. For turn one she is Jake and Anderson rolled into one, with wound ignoring. If Laying down the law gets pulled and you have a revolver, it's just too much.

#7. Amanda. Again a character I don't really enjoy playing, but she is fun to work with. The problem is her only use is clinging to some guy's arm and taking away some of his zombie fights. She doesn't get much better with items than without. Teamed up with Johnny (or Sam) they are ridiculous, unless you can get those two hits in one turn.

#8. Sam. Not much experience playing with him, but he is just ridiculous to take down. Ignoring my fight cards and taking 4 hits is tough to go against. He's the #1 hero for hungering zombies away from vital spaces, and that is no joke. Give him a health pack and have an at last card waiting and he is simply ridiculous to kill.

#9. Becky. She starts the second half, and I would love to put her higher, but some games she just isn't worth anything. She starts far away from other heroes, and as Zombies I just try to keep her isolated. She is game breaking as a partner to certain heroes. Father Joe and Becky are the best combo in the game, and Becky makes Kenny go from a crappy hero to a legit assassin.

#10. Mr. Goddard. One of my absolute favorite heroes. He's a situation hero though, you get Billy/Johnny and the gas station and he's a juggernaut of fiery death, you get blocked windows, escape through the windows, or any of the heroic events for two items, that can turn a game around. Cost is high, which makes it what it should be, the MacGyver ability. Only when things are super bad, but then there's a chance it could be all the difference in the world.

#11. Johnny. I don't like him this low, but I don't see where to move him up. If he gets super-equipped no one kills more than Johnny. If the zombie player is fond of zombie picket lines johnny just laughs. I like his mobility better than Billy's, and he wins on tie's. He is one character youth is a bonus on, he doesn't stand around after fighting zombies, so he can kill and avoid getting piled on.

#12. Jade. She can be really good, or rather worthless. The doubles makes her a somewhat good melee fighter, and if she's with a strange Hero she is actually quite tough. An incredible pairing with Stacy, and so appropriate when they hang out at Zombie Spawn points together.

#13. Jenny. I know everyone has her last, but I really like Jenny. I finally pulled off the Jenny of infinite doom, so that probably helped. (Torch Rosary(faith) Pitchfork Cleaver Heroic Resolve, that's 4 dice x2 to get a 6, for a high chance at an instant win) She's a juggernaut in certain scenarios, others she's a glaring liability. We have a standing rule that if a hero draws Jenny they can opt to have the farm on the board. That helps her not totally suck.

#14. Kenny. He's an assassin, and that is a role with limited value. Great for grave dead, and I would assume grave weapon zombies as well.

#15. Jake. He should be valuable, and hobo with a shotgun potential is awesome, but he never seems to work out as well as other heroes. He's a safer compromise of Stacy, and can be replaced with a flashlight. I just don't like him right now.

#16. Billy. +1 is nice. . . I guess. I'd love him if it was roll 2 dice and take the higher one. His mobility is less valuable than Johnny's, and he brings nothing else to the table. His one value in games I've been in was as a runner from the gas station, and even then Johnny was better.

Feel free to disagree or comment, or post your own list.

[PJON]

Hi, I wont say i disagree, just a difference of opinion.

I think Jade is a power house. Team her up with Victor, throw a couple of weapons that add a die bonus, and she is unstopable. Her save a wound if doubles a rolled works awesome.

Taking Rachelle on the board without the Sheriff in play is a waste.

Having Father Joseph and Becky in play can cripple the Zombie player.

If you have ever watched South Park, at my house. we kill Kenny. It is very rare if he is ever used to start a game.

My go to team is Sheriff, Victor, and depending on the senario. If im playing offensive its Rachelle and Johnny. If im playing defensive its Father Joe and Becky.

My actuall most favorite Hero would be.....

Zombie Hero Sam with a Rusty Axe

[ZombieWaffle]

I could sit here and rank mine but it would take sometime, so for now ill just say that although i have everything for the game, and have played around 20-30 times now, no one has gotten to play Jade. Kinda makes me sad, shes the only unused character so far though.

[j0hnnn]

Well Zombiewaffle it is a shame...
The girl has the potential of a highlander...

give her 7 dice... is all that takes... nothing more... Hard to achieve... but once there... the only character that can be truly immortal.

[Leonard]

I think Becky is almost entirely useless. She's usually killed very early on in our games, which puts the Heroes at a major disadvantage when Zombies need to only kill 2 to win. When the hospital tile is in play, she starts just too damn near a spawning pit!

[mqstout]

I generally would agree with this ordering except I'd place Jake right up next to Stacy.

[RaidCasto]

I think the ranking highly depends on the scenario--Alice's movement is great in counter based scenarios, pretty useless otherwise. Jake is great if you need scenario search items(although his Timber Peak version is weaker not being able to do pick ups). For kill scenarios, I want a Johnny or Jade + strange. Defend scenarios like the manor, you want a meat shield like Ed or Sam. The sheriff or Rachelle are always good, guns rule in this game. Also with Becky to heal, the heroes can be much more aggressive. It really is hard to pick one over the other without a scenario.

[kassle]

I'm going to rank based on the stats of my groups games.


1. AMANDA
100% survival rate in our group. The hide function is especially useful when paired with a weapon like the Chainsaw. A great character in a search-based scenario as she can hide, hide, hide and bust out the hardcore weapons when forced to fight. And there is no comparison to the Hide skill's ability to piss of the Zombie player.

2. STACY
100% survival rate in our group. She's a ballsy character, and fun to play.

3. BECKY
100% survival rate in our group. When paired with a group-oriented player, she's really great. Although she's always survived in our group, the only downside to Becky is that she can't self-heal.

4. SALLY
89% survival rate in our group. Realistically, she'd probably be at 100%, except she sacrificed herself for the good of the group and drew a huge amount of Zombies toward herself...and had that "one wound and you are a Zombie Hero" card played on her. Anyway - her Lucky ability is the perfect way to torture the Zombie player (almost as frustrating as Amanda's Hide ability).

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5. SHERIFF ANDERSON
64% survival rate in our group. His gun and his ability to replenish his gun are pretty amazing. But, because he is one of the few characters who starts with a weapon, he often finds himself in the middle of the Zombie fray and pays the price for that.

6. RACHELLE
58% survival rate in our group. Pretty much in the same boat as the Sheriff. Slightly different skillset, but the starting gun is great. On the downside, she is also almost always in the middle of the action and pays the price.

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7. JAKE
50% survival rate in our group. His ability to choose cards is great, but he doesn't have any particular defensive or offensive skills that keep him in the top tiers.

8. BILLY
50% survival rate in our group. He can move a little faster than the rest, which can be useful in baiting Zombies away from Hero objectives. But he ends up biting it half the time because the only game to play with him is a dangerous one.

9. SAM
40% survival rate in our group. Sam is a brute, which can be extremely useful when it comes to taking on the Zombies...but that also makes him one of the biggest targets for the Zombie player. All it takes is a smart Zombie player using the "one wound and you're a Zombie Hero" card on him and he's done for. Unfortunately, that seems to happen to him more often than not with our group.

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10. VICTOR
33% survival rate in our group. We probably haven't figured out how to use him well in our group, but he tends to bite it.

11. JOHNNY
0% survival rate in our group. He is usually selected by aggressive players, which doesn't pan out well for him. Dude always dies.

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NO RATING. FATHER JOSEPH, JENNY, KENNY, JADE, MR. GODDARD
Unfortunately, these folks just don't get selected enough in our group for me to give a fair percentage or rating on their playability.