Football season has been over long enough that folks are pining for fantasy football again. An entire spring and summer still stand between degenerates and their leagues. Fantasy basketball and hockey are both major time investments. Fantasy baseball? Forget it. 182 games … no thanks.
Only one weekly event qualifies for creating a fantasy league around it. The Walking Dead airs on Sundays once a week, just like good old American football.
The wildly popular AMC series is a perfect backdrop for a whole new kind of fantasy league.
Organizing your league
Unlike fantasy football leagues which typically have ten to sixteen teams involved, fantasy Walking Dead leagues must be more intimate. The show doesn’t have enough characters for larger groups. The ideal league size is four teams.
Since there is still no online draft suites available, all Walking Dead league drafts must be held live and in person or via an e-mail style “slow draft” process.
The ideal configuration involves 4 teams and a live “snake” draft held on a Sunday afternoon prior to the airing of the program. League members should be encouraged to watch the show together. While this isn’t absolutely necessary it certainly makes things more fun for everyone involved.
Some bars and restaurants, including Jake’s Food and Spirits in the ballpark neighborhood air Walking Dead on large flat screen sets and projection systems. A weekly Walking Dead get together is the ultimate way to enjoy the game.
Rosters and waiver claims
Each team should consist of four “starting” primary characters with two “bench” slots. As new characters are introduced bench players may be “dropped” to waivers. Claims for new characters may be processed in order of waiver “priority” awarded using a blind bidding “auction” type system with a fixed claim budget for each player.
Waiver claims will be processed on Wednesdays. Once the waiver period is over all available characters become free agents, available to any team.
No roster may exceed six characters. If a character is eliminated (killed, bitten), a spot opens on whichever roster that character was a part of.
Scoring
Kills
Kill, projectile – 1 points
Zombies are slow, lumbering and not very bright. Puncturing one’s brain with a bullet or an arrow from a bow or cross-bow does not present much of a challenge. Besides, the gore is somewhat limited
Kill, close combat, sharp object – 3 points
An axe blade to the brain or beheading by sword or other sharp object makes for a more gratifying kill. Gore factor enhanced.
Kill, close combat, blunt object – 4 points
Blunt trauma is perhaps the most pleasing of all kill methods. The thumping and the squashing sounds and resulting splatters are well worth an additional point above and beyond a kill by sharp object.
Multi kill bonus – 1 additional point
Any swing of an axe, firing of a weapon or swipe of a sword that takes out two or more zombies in a single firing or move. Bonus point added to kill points.
Killing another living character – 10 points
There aren’t all that many people left alive to kill.
Non-kills
Non-kill, zombie rendered immobile and harmless. – 6 points
Even more awesome that slaying a zombie is leaving an armless, legless, motionless undead to survive helplessly for eternity.
Keeping a zombie – 8 points
Adapting a zombie for the purpose of being your slave, scientific research, etc.
Bedding another living character – 12 points
There’s nothing less sexy than living in a world filled with zombies so getting a little somethin’ somethin’ is quite an accomplishment.
Saving a life – 5 points per life
To qualify as a life saved, a character must have been in the clutches of a zombie and have been in immanent an immediate danger of being bitten.
Other scoring categories
Character bitten by zombie, subsequently killed by the living – 15 points
Obviously a one-time score.
Character bitten, remains undead – 20 points
Also a one-time score
Family member bitten - 10 points
Character attains supplies, successfully shares them – 5 points
Character drives an automobile – 5 points
Taking watch duty – 2 points
Successfully hiding from zombies - .5 points per zombie
Alliance shift – 5 points
Any character that switches groups, abandons group, forms new alliance
Discover shelter - 6 points
