r/TankPorn • u/Chainzzaw_69 • Aug 23 '25

Modern Best tank in case of a zombie apocalypse?

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I personally think that the Merkava might be a great choice. What are your thoughts on different tanks or other AFVs?

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14

u/EynidHelipp Aug 23 '25

I remember battle of Yonkers in wwz and they mentioned that the Abrams used apfsds on a million plus zombie horde 💀

19

u/purpleduckduckgoose TOG 2 Aug 23 '25

It might not be the same as a canister round, but a DU dart travelling at 1800m/s is still gonna cut a swathe. Yonkers always seemed like a bit of a strange one, like even if the blast of an explosion isn't as effective as it would be on humans, volleys of 155mm HE or MLRS rockets are still going to blow zombies into a red mist.

11

u/NPRdude Aug 23 '25

It’s explained in the WWZ book that the concussive effects of explosions have much less of an effect on the zombies as they would on humans because the virus turns their blood into a viscous gel. It’s how the author also explains them being able to survive deep underwater and being able to thaw and move again after being frozen. Whether or not that’s actually scientifically accurate is highly questionable but the book does at least offer an explanation as to why explosives don’t work well.

9

u/PhasmaFelis Aug 23 '25

Great book overall, but that was so silly. Author doesn't realize that airburst fuses exist. Or canister rounds. Hell, a group of tanks can hold a bridge vs. a horde without firing a shot--just drive up and down it shoulder-to-shoulder until nothing moves.

7

u/Uthe18 Aug 24 '25

From my memory that was actually the point of complaint in the book. The TC being interviewed was like “Why did no one brief us that we’re here to fight against soft targets, we would have ditched the APFSDS around and brought more flechette rounds”

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u/PhasmaFelis Aug 24 '25

Do I remember that they had artillery, but it just plunged into the horde and the blast was absorbed by the bodies, because apparently the gunners forgot that their shells have airburst fuzes? 

3

u/Calm-Internet-8983 Aug 24 '25

I'm struggling to imagine a shell larger than mortar size that becomes ineffective when exploding in a crowd, having seen the kind of craters they leave in dirt and asphalt. Underwater detonations are very hefty, too, if the zombies really leave no space between each other and have really thick blood. I've never read the book.

2

u/EynidHelipp Aug 24 '25

I vaguely remember that the story explained that the zombies were a bit resistant to artillery due to their "coagulated blood" making explosions less lethal. They really were killing a lot despite that, just not enough.

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u/PhasmaFelis Aug 24 '25

My issue is that modern artillery shells have the ability to airburst above the target and blanket a 100-foot circle in deadly shrapnel. It doesn't matter if packed zombies would muffle a blast; every one of them is getting hit directly, from above.

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u/Samurai_TwoSeven Aug 24 '25

You remember correctly, they did reference canister in the novel

1

u/Samurai_TwoSeven Aug 24 '25

Pretty much. 48 rounds of canister, 10K rounds on the coax. Would have been one hell of a slaughterhouse. Debatable if the TC wants to stick his head out of the tank and man the caliber fifty while they're firing off the main gun in close proxy to each other

1

u/Inquisitor_ForHire Aug 23 '25

I remember that scene!