Here we go !
Several tries with Die Zombies Die and always the same observation. It's a hard time for survivors...
To test the game, my son play survivors and i act as a very cool zombie (not too aggressive and sometimes avoiding to play event cards). Challenge was always hard for the survivors player.
We try tactics tips and tricks people gives on forums. Always difficult...
Allow survivor one extra search first visit (count not as move) in each building or one extra card for each survavor at the start of the game. But there, that becomes too easy.
Any idea to return it more easy and well-ballanced ?
Well Grumph its hard to tell...
the learning curve for a Survivor player is a lot different from the zombie player
it is just the expected that you fall down sometimes before winning...
Know exactly which risks to take... hard to tell...
If you really want an even easier game try to give him 5 heroes instead of just 4...
But prepare your zombies because an extra hero tweaks the game a lot.
Besides the learning curve...
Your son got to figure how exactly each hero plays...
If you have Sally against a single zombie is almost safe... even unarmed against 2 or 3 zombies the girl can push her Lucky trait a little and emerge unharmed...
The Sheriff however even with all those years as a small town sheriff can't put much of a fight against even a single zombie.
Jake that plays a seasoned survivor is versatile not rough... different than Johnny that can handle himself thanks to his tough ability.
There are heroes that have more aptitude to Hand to hand combat... and others that are focused on support... your son must figure who plays how...
Only the fittest can survive... he needs to make sure he is making the most of each hero trait...
The biggest key to a Hero victory is to *avoid* hand-to-hand combat. After all, the zombies can't bite you if you shoot them from a distance. Point that tactic out, and see if you can get him to focus on getting firearms.
Just make sure he figures out the dirty trick with that one gun on his own.
And I won't say which one in case *you* haven't worked it out.
Hi. Being a Hero can be difficult. My advise is to choose your Heroes wisely. i would suggest Sheriff, Becky, Jake, Father Joseph. (If you have the Cornfeild Jenny can become awesome)
No matter what. Stay in groups, and stay ready to move. try to find guns. Use the Pick Ups when you can.
I would not suggest addig a Hero. Maybe add some start card, if still needed.
Posted by HikariStarshine - Today 08:12 AM
The biggest key to a Hero victory is to *avoid* hand-to-hand combat. After all, the zombies can't bite you if you shoot them from a distance.
Total agreement. Find weapons, Kill the Zombies !
Tips for Heroes.
This seems obvious but can be easily overlooked when it starts getting hectic. With any scenario stick to the victory targets don't go around Zombie hunting if you should be searching for a scenario search item. Don't use really powerful cards or Father Joseph's abilities until it's saving a wound or life or death. Cards like
At Last which cancels any Zombie card such as
I Feel Kinda Strange are a God send + many of the townsfolk cards are powerful too. The
Fire Extinguisher and
Escape Through the Windows are your friends don't squander them.
If you want to make it easier during set up. Pick board sections and characters (rather than random like I do) Chose the board sections with available ranged weapons/powerful Items on on. Gun Shop, Police Station and Aircraft Hanger. For DZD I would pick Rachelle and the Sheriff as they start with
Revolvers. The Sheriff can Pick Up a
Revolver when he Searches when he loses it. I would pick Sam, many Zombie players avoid him unless they've got
I Feel Kinda Strange or
Bitten. Last off I would choose Jake and have him farming for powerful events or scenario search items in a building where he gets a lot of cards e.g. the Super Market.
Hope this helps. Oh yeah don't let them trap you in buildings or fight them in the Hero turn. You will have to fight every Zombie on the square in the Hero turn + fight some or all of them in the Zombie turn (depending if you have more Heroes to back you up) also more might arrive in your space e.g
Surprise Attack ect.
These are just a few thoughts off the top of my head.
As a rule
Don't Get Bit 
It's worth noting that Die Zombies Die is intended as, at most, an introductory scenario to learn the rules with, and it's a badly-balanced scenario at that, and seems designed to do little more than teach you why heroes shouldn't let zombies into the same space as them if they can help it. Where Last Night on Earth really shines is in the advanced scenarios.
If you feel comfortable with the rules and don't mind adding the extra parts in, I'd suggest leaving DZD behind and trying one of the other scenarios... Escape in the Truck, in particular, seems to be balanced more toward the heroes in my experience, particularly if a Just What I Needed comes up in the hero deck, or if Cartwright is in the party. I wouldn't suggest jumping from DZD to Defend the Manor House, though. That one's even harder for heroes to win, in my experience, than DZD is.
Hik, I'd say Defend the Manor House is the *most* balanced of all the scenarios (with Burn 'Em Out probably a close 2nd). But I would agree -- use DZD to learn/practice, then move on. (Though, I've had heroes win when I've played DZD more often than not; but they've been experienced players.
Escape in the Truck should be, to me, considered the "learning" scenario.
Huh. I'll have to try and get DtMH out a bit more often and see what happens. Zeds have won every time my group's played it, though.
Thanks to all for your helpfull advice.
As some of you said it, we played several times Die zombies Die to understand better the mechanisms of the game and the skills of the characters.
Furthermore as the game is not in our language, we needed a time of adaptation.
We also discovered that buildings have their importance for collecting items and sometimes for defense (gun shop, cornfield).
Avoiding hand-to-hand fights stood out very fast.
We also returned the game easier by choosing survivors and L boards.
Furthermore, heroes seems to better succeed when they are grouped.
It's true, it is very important to well choose when survivors play a powerfull card.
Now that we know better the game, we will play Escape in the Truck and focus us on the objectives to reach.
We will finish with Defend the Manor House that seems harder.
I think that i will buy Growing Hunger soon...
What do you think about officials senarios to load on the Flying Frog's web site ?
"We've Got To Go Back" Official Web Scenario is fun to do. Kind of like Escape in the Truck but it's very narrow for Heroes to maneuver due to all the buildings.
Another FFP Web Scenario that looks fun is The Ritual. Haven't played that one yet but the Father Joseph Ritual mechanics seemed interesting.