Zombies Stuck on Barricades?

[Russ]

While playing a game last night, I came across sort of an issue with the Barricades from SoTF expansion. Below is a picture of the situation that occurred. The question is this: are those Zombies trapped in that space until they either break through the Barricade or the Heroes move?

I always thought that Zombie Hunger works right through Barricades, so they HAVE to attempt to break through the barricade. Of course, Barricades Rules state that, if they try and fail, they are pretty much stuck there until their next Move Zombies phase.

It just seemed kind of stupid that the Zombies would be stuck there, trying to get at the Heroes through the Barricade, when it is INCREDIBLY obvious that they could just take ONE DIAGONAL STEP (onto that space with the front steps of the Church,) to their right and then walk right around the corner to where the Heroes are. I know Zombies aren't very bright, and probably don't have the keenest of senses, but it still seemed weird. We played that they could walk around, arguing that even a Zombie can see that they are right at the corner of the Barricade, and that it's not as though they were moving AWAY from the Heroes against Zombie Hunger. What would you do?

[mistrunner]

The Zombies have to attempt to go through the barricade. If they fail to move through the barricade they are stuck until the next move useless clawing at what they couldn't go through. They cannot move around because of Zombie Hunger they have to go into the square with the heroes .
Think of it like once the Zombies have sensed the people they will not deviate from there course until the heroes move away or the they reach the heroes.
Hope that Helps.

[thegamelord]

They would have to keep trying to break through the barricade because they smell food on the other side.

[Gothicincarnation]

My thoughts... Zombies, perticularly in this game, are mindless. No thought process at all. Therefore, they "can't" see that a diagonal step puts them at the door. In order for them to "see" that, it requires some small degree of tactics... and tactics, no matter how minor they may be, requires thought. Zombies have no thought. So, they are stuck there trying to get through the barricade.

Now I haven't played with barricades yet... I have the set, but haven't had the opportunity to play it yet. My new every other week game is still in basic rules mode... Advanced rules come next (Friday after next), then GH... and so on. But that would make the most sense to me.

[Russ]

Yeah, I guess that's how it is. In our case it didn't end up mattering that much in the end, because in the round that the Zombies side-stepped the Barricade, the heroes managed to put up another one on the other wall.

I tell ya, if you're one of those people that get's bothered by Heroes "turtling," ya might not be crazy about the Barricades. I never found that holing up in one building was very effective in the basic game...but with Barricades, you can definitely set yourself up to just say in one place until you find the Scenario Search Items that you need. Of course...if the Zombies get enough lucky rolls in a row, you can still find yourself in a spot of trouble...

[thegamelord]

(03-03-2011 06:51 PM)Russ Wrote:  Yeah, I guess that's how it is. In our case it didn't end up mattering that much in the end, because in the round that the Zombies side-stepped the Barricade, the heroes managed to put up another one on the other wall.

I tell ya, if you're one of those people that get's bothered by Heroes "turtling," ya might not be crazy about the Barricades. I never found that holing up in one building was very effective in the basic game...but with Barricades, you can definitely set yourself up to just say in one place until you find the Scenario Search Items that you need. Of course...if the Zombies get enough lucky rolls in a row, you can still find yourself in a spot of trouble...

I did once have a similar situation in the Police Station, and as my zombies got in Billy tried to make a run for it, but oops that door was locked. Byeeee Billy!
Muh ha ha ha ha.
... he died.

[mqstout]

Oh yeah, I've converted 'locked door' into wounds and deaths so many times.

[vikinglad]

(03-03-2011 07:38 PM)mqstout Wrote:  Oh yeah, I've converted 'locked door' into wounds and deaths so many times.

I love it when the hero stays and searches one last time, because he is sure he is about to run away, finds a useless lighter, then finds himself locked in with my zombies. munch munch....