Bare hands are the player's primary weapon when they have none equipped or an item that can't be used as a weapon.
Overview
Unarmed combat comes in two different forms - Shove and Stomp. These are performed contextually depending on the target, and can both be executed by pressing SPACE even while holding a weapon. The chance to knock them down, and the damage dealt once prone, is modified by strength and fatigue.
Unlike weapons, it is not possible to aim, swing or shoot targets with a bare hands. It is only possible to use the shove and stomp mechanics, which are also always available when wielding a weapon. If a majority of zombie kill count consists of kills made without a weapon in hand, this will be displayed as a Favorite Weapon.
Shove
The first move is a simple shove, which deals no damage to the target, and prolonged fighting will tire out the player. However, if a shove successfully hits an enemy, the target will be pushed back and may even fall onto the ground. This attack will also be performed while holding a weapon by attacking closer than the weapon's minimum range instead of the actual strike. If multi-hit is enabled, up to 3 targets can be shoved at once.
Stomp
The second move is a brutal stomp to the fallen target. This only works if the enemy is knocked prone. Unlike the push, this attack deals damage to the enemy, although it can still take many strikes to kill a downed foe. This also prevents a downed enemy from getting back on its feet, and knocks over a zombie struggling to stand if caught early in the animation. The damage is dependent on the player's position over the enemy - stomping the head will garner better results than crushing their ankles.
Strategy
One strategy is to push a zombie to the floor, then stand on their chest and stomp until there is an audible splatter. The player should be positioned to stomp on the head for best results, as shown in the picture, but be cautious as to not go too far away, as they'll get up quickly with no one standing on them. Unarmed combat in general will expend energy very quickly because the attacks are very weak. This should not be attempted if there are multiple zombies, as it can take a lot of time and energy to kill a single target. If there are three or more, it is generally advised to flee and find a way to avoid or separate them from each other. If there are two, it is a simple matter of shoving one away while stomping on the other.
When stomping, the location on the zombie that is hit, is determined by where the player is standing, rather than where the foot actually strikes. For example, if a player stands on a zombie's chest but their foot lands on the zombie's head, the hit would be registered as a chest hit. This is due to the way the targeting on the ground works, as there are three points, the legs, chest and head. A zombie cannot be killed by stomping on their leg portion, only damage them. The same targeting also applies with a weapon.
Using fences
Another strategy is to have a fence between the player and zombies so they climb over. The player should stay outside of their lunge distance or stay close to the fence to not be hit by a lunging zombie. While they're stuck in their animation, the player can stomp on the zombie(s), until forced to back away due to other zombies. This strategy is good for handling small groups of zombies, especially in the early game, so long as it's executed properly. Note that the shoves do no damage on their own - if a zombie can't be knocked prone and stomped on, they will never be killed. Zombies will not stand up while a player or zombie is standing on them, no matter how long said player or zombie is standing there.
Unarmed combat in the early game can be quite useful when encountering a single zombie, as it can be beneficial to kill it and loot its body, rather than running away, which may just attract more zombies. The zombie could have something useful, like a weapon or protective clothing.
Stomp cancel
It is possible to do a 'stomp cancel', which can be achieved by, without aiming, stomping a downed zombie, and as soon as the audio plays for the foot stomping, jogging forward to cancel the stomping animation, and repeat. It should be noted that this method of stomping will destroy shoes very fast.
History
Base.BareHands
| Version | Description |
|---|---|
| 38.30 | Released on or before this version. |
Help PZwiki by adding to this history.
Code
Source: ProjectZomboid\media\scripts\items_weapons.txt
item BareHands
{
DisplayCategory = Weapon,
MaxRange = 1.1,
WeaponSprite = null,
MinAngle = 0.5,
MinimumSwingTime = 2.5,
Type = Weapon,
SwingAnim = Shove,
KnockBackOnNoDeath = TRUE,
WeaponWeight = 0,
DisplayName = Bare Hands,
Categories = Unarmed,
SwingAmountBeforeImpact = 0.1,
SwingTime = 2.5,
MinDamage = 0.2,
SplatNumber = 1,
EnduranceMod = 1.7,
Weight = 1,
PushBackMod = 0.5,
MaxDamage = 0.4,
SplatBloodOnNoDeath = FALSE,
MaxHitCount = 3,
Icon = Axe,
DoorDamage = 0,
TreeDamage = 0,
DoorHitSound = BareHandsHit,
HitSound = BareHandsHit,
HitFloorSound = BareHandsHit,
}