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Greetings, super friends!

After reading through the FAQ's on this board, I discovered my group had not been playing weapons correctly. Heroes usually announced our intent to use weapons before rolling any dice. After reading the FAQ, I felt that we were supposed to announce this intent AFTER rolling the standard two dice. Specifically, I'm referring to the FAQ about reusing the bat, which adds fight dice each time rather than re-rolling the additional fight die every time you use it in the same fight.

However, this became a problem with the chainsaw. I'd roll my two dice. If I beat the zombie, I'd roll a third die to represent using the chain saw (extra fight die), but I'd be guarenteed to kill the zombie no matter what I rolled because I had already beaten the zombie with my first two fight dice. If the zombie beat me...especially with a six...I would not use the chainsaw, so it became impossible for me to lose it.

We made a temporary houserule that you had to declare using the chainsaw at the beginning of the fight, like we used to play, but what were we doing wrong? Do you announce weapons before or after initial combat?

No as the Hero player you can wait to throw dice after the Zombie
rolls. So if the zombie rolls high and you do not believe you can beat
it, then yes you are allowed to hold back on the chainsaw. You
might think you cant loose it, but if the zombie rolls a 4 you could
wiff it and roll under it even with three dice. Also the zombie could
play "its stuck" or wait until you use it to beat them and throw down
a card that allows them to roll extra fight dice.
All in All you were doing it correctly.
The Bat just to clarify, all your initial fight dice stay on the table (do
not re roll them) and any extra dice thrown for the bat stay on the
table (except the break test dice used every time you roll an extra
fight dice) because you want to keep track of not only rolling the
higher number to win the fight to to keep track of any doubles along
the way to kill it.

There are a few weapons (and events) that state you have to declare their use before any dice are rolled. For all the others, always roll the base dice (2 for hero, 1 for zombies -- both adding any always-active events they have) and then go from there.

Really? Doesn't that make the chainsaw insanely overpowered? Just so I can be sure I've got it right...

Zombie attacks hero. Hero has a chainsaw. Hero rolls two dice, Zombie rolls one.

Hero: 1,6
Zombie: 5

Hero uses chainsaw, guaranteeing a kill no matter what he rolls, because the 6 beats the zombie's 5.

Hero: 1,2
Zombie: 3

Hero uses a chainsaw, throwing an extra fight die at the end. Higher than 3, he kills the zombie. Three or less, he loses the chainsaw and takes a wound.

Hero: 1,2
Zombie: 6

Hero does not use a chainsaw since he can't beat a 5. Takes a wound and keeps the chainsaw.

It just seems like that is so overpowered to me!

Don't forget the same applies to the zombie. He could always roll "Undead hate the living" or some other Zombie Fight card too, even after the chainsaw's roll.

There are also cards like "It's Stuck" ( http://flyingfrogwiki.com/ffpwiki/index....!%E2%80%9D ) .

...there's an echo in this thread

It is correct to roll 2 dice, then decide to roll the third for the chainsaw.
Yes this means the chainsaw sticks around longer than you might think.

Still, some players I have seen just roll three dice (because they are lazy?) and most would risk the chainsaw to avoid taking a wound (say if they needed a 4+).

Three dice means about a 30% chance of losing, instead of about 50%, but if you only roll the third dice when you have already won, then you go back to 50% losses.

Finally, as said above, the zombie player can wait until after the Hero commits the chainsaw, then play cards that adjust dice/force rerolls etc. By doing this the Zombie players could force even a careful chainsaw player to lose it.

All up chainsaw is a very fine weapon, but not grossly overpowered.

Wow, okay, thanks!