HeroQuest Project, Post 9: Zombies

Too many zombies out there nowadays. Zombies!!!, Zombicide in all it’s various forms, and many others. Nowadays there are zombies in modern settings, fantasy settings, zombies in space, and zombies in the old west. Zombies have been ubiquitous for pop culture and gaming for the past 20 years or so.

But when HeroQuest came out, zombies weren’t really a common enemy in games. Obviously it was present in Games Workshop’s line of figures, but they were not the ever-present monster, the go-to threat.

People knew what zombies were and in HQ they were the standard shambler. The uncomplicated monster that simply advanced and hacked.

It’s unclear where the zombies got the cleavers. And why the cleavers are so large. In a “go big or go home” sense, they are great, but what was the practical use of those cleavers?

Also, who armed the zombies? I know I wrote above that these are classic shambling zombies, but they have to know how to use those weapons. Why else would a mindless zombie carry them? Memories of their former lives as butchers?

And who stitched up their clothes? Those vests were clearly split up the back and restitched. Not well stitched, but things don’t just whip-stitch themselves.

Ignoring all that, I still really like the HQ zombies. There is something simple about these, without being boring. All of the newer games with zombies try to put them in odd poses or show obvious signs of necrotic rot. Not here, no sir. These are just basic zombies. It’s clear what they are and the sculpting doesn’t over do it.

Final thought on these guys, they too are greenskins. I just realized that I painted the zombies with green, though closer to how I painted Crooked Dice’s Flukes than any of the orcs or goblins. Just an odd thing. All of the baddies are turning out to be greenskins. At least, those with skin.

2021 Count to Date:
64 figures painted
25 purchased (No, I don’t count KS backing if they haven’t arrived yet…)
4 printed

Project Posts
HeroQuest Project, Post 1
HeroQuest Project, Post 2: The Heroes
HeroQuest Project, Post 3: The Goblins
HeroQuest Project, Post 4: Some Orcs
HeroQuest Project, Post 5: Not Charlie Brown
HeroQuest Project, Post 6: The Rest of the Orcs
HeroQuest Project, Post 7: Printing Better Furniture, the Chests
HeroQuest Project, Post 8: Fimirs