The Best Tools for Bashing Zombie Heads in State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition

One important thing about State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition for Xbox One – there are a lot of weapons to play with. A lot of weapons. And weapon mods. And upgrades. And ammunition types. It’s part of the game’s fantastic depth and great charm, but it can also be a bit intimidating, even for the experts here at Xbox Wire. That’s why we’ve gone ahead and compiled a list of some of our favorite weapons, along with some good mod combinations, to help put you on the path to cutting a bloody swathe through some undead bastards during your next playthrough.

Keep in mind, weapons have a variety of characteristics that you need to balance according to your play style. Some weapons are really powerful, but they’ll weigh you down and make you zombie bait out in the open. Others suck down precious ammo quicker than a 12-year-old girl reaches her monthly texting limit. You have to make some tradeoffs. Now, those can be mitigated to some extent by clever modding – and we’ll offer some advice in that regard – but always balance your attribute budget, as it were.

Our favorite weapons are listed below. If we have a recommended mod, it appears in parentheses next to the weapon.

Squirrel Rifle (silencer)
It’s already quiet… but equipped with a silencer, this thing is damn near, well, silent. While it doesn’t pack a punch or shoot very fast, its nearly-total-silence means zombies won’t be able to find you when you shoot. So, find a good hiding spot, aim carefully, and start headshotting to your heart’s content. Watch your shooting skill grow; just don’t get too complacent.

Blackbird Revolver
This handgun packs a mean punch for its weight, and can fire off six rounds in rapid succession. Great for tight situations, it’s loud… but it has a powerfully penetrating round and can multi-kill zombies with each bullet. Consider this sidearm for a sticky emergency situation. It can absolutely save your life.

A12 Shotgun (incendiary shells)
A fully automatic shotgun. Come on, now… what more do you need, right? Well, in Year One Survival Edition, the new incendiary shotgun shells make the A12 even more ridiculous, since you can blow through entire rows of zombies, then set whole crowds on fire – which will spread procedurally – with the shells’ incendiary load. As deadly a pair as you’ll find in any zombie-killin’ game, the A12 and incendiary shells are our “don’t leave home without them” combo.

Kukri (decapitation)
While heavier than the machete and not as durable as the crowbar, the kukri – when combined with the decapitation perk – becomes a zombie head-separatin’ machine. With sufficient melee skill, you will be able to wade through hordes like they’re nothing. And hey, if the kukri isn’t your speed, pick up one of the many movie-inspired fantasy swords that you’ll find laying around. They may be flimsy, but they look awesome – and you can insist that “They may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom!” as you dive headfirst into a horde.

Crowbar
Yes, the vanilla crowbar. It ain’t sexy. It doesn’t do a ton of damage. It’s not very upgradeable. But dammit, it never breaks. Ever. Incredible durability and a very light weight for its damage factor are what make this one of our favorite melee weapons. It might not be the flashiest, but it won’t let you down, and you don’t need to mod it. What more can you ask for?

So, there you have it! Five solid weapons and mods to look for right off the bat – and none of these (with the exception of the A12 shotgun) is particularly uncommon, so you should be able to start building up right away. Now go out there, and don’t get your brain ate!