# Zomborg, should I engage or run?
**URL:** https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/zomborg-should-i-engage-or-run/27260
**Category:** The Bunker
**Created:** [November 2, 2021, 1:50pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/zomborg-should-i-engage-or-run/27260 "2021-11-02T13:50:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@scorp](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/scorp)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2021, 1:50pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/zomborg-should-i-engage-or-run/27260/1 "2021-11-02T13:50:29Z")
I am pretty new to this game, this is my 6th day and two zomborgs are near my house so should I engage or should I go away from them? The best weapon I have is a spear.
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### Author:  [@AcidAntOnAMinefield](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/AcidAntOnAMinefield)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2021, 3:11pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/zomborg-should-i-engage-or-run/27260/2 "2021-11-02T15:11:36Z")
Blanket approach for all monsters:
1. do you really have to fight them?
2. do are you able to avoid them?
3. if you are not aware whether they are strong or weak, whether they have hidden abilities other than casually slapping, clawing at, gnawing or lunging at you, do you think it’s a good idea to risk it?
If the answer to at least 1 of these is “no.”, then don’t engage.
I don’t want to spoil it for you and say whether you can or not survive them (also depends on other conditions like terrain, your stats etc). But a good rule of thumb for **any** encounter is “If I don’t need to fight them, I will just avoid them.”
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### Author:  [@PALU](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/PALU)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2021, 4:38pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/zomborg-should-i-engage-or-run/27260/3 "2021-11-02T16:38:44Z")
@AcidAntOnAMinefield provided a good response.
I’ll add an additional one: If they’re uncomfortably close to where you intend to stay or work, you may take a look at them to see what the speed assessment is. If they seem to be slower than you, you may want to get them to chase you and then run when you’ve lured them away sufficiently far and then loop back to your hideout (Note that I haven’t encountered zomborgs [I think they’re new]). When luring enemies away you ought to do that in a direction you’re reasonably sure won’t have you running into other enemies…
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### Author:  [@bug](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/bug)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2021, 5:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/zomborg-should-i-engage-or-run/27260/4 "2021-11-02T17:52:10Z")
Predator relocation program! What’d be really cool is if you move 2 zombies at least 2 overmap tiles away and leave them there they lay an egg!
No. Wait. That one goes in the terrible ideas thread.
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### Author:  [@NetSysFire](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/NetSysFire)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2021, 2:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/zomborg-should-i-engage-or-run/27260/5 "2021-11-05T14:10:42Z")
Fun fact:
Many insects already lay eggs to reproduce. So if you have e.g free roaming wasps around your base, you may be in for an unplesant surprise some day…
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### Author:  [@Trilobite](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Trilobite)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2021, 10:39pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/zomborg-should-i-engage-or-run/27260/6 "2021-11-05T22:39:34Z")
This is one of the times this advice COULD not apply. The zomborgs apparently drop CBMs and are one of the few ways to get them on experimental. If you have no need for CBMs, proceed with blanket approach.
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### Author:  [@AcidAntOnAMinefield](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/AcidAntOnAMinefield)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2021, 11:42pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/zomborg-should-i-engage-or-run/27260/7 "2021-11-05T23:42:25Z")
Dropping CBMs isn’t really worth a reset for a character that’s 6 days old.
In fact, they really aren’t worth risking any character - neither is any monster which you don’t know their abilities / stats / danger level other than the name colour (which itself is misleading in many cases (looking at you, wasps) ).
(plus Zomborgs spawn fairly frequently, not killing and butchering two or three isn’t that much of a loss. Much less without a scalpel)
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### Author:  [@potato\_guy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/potato_guy)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2022, 5:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/zomborg-should-i-engage-or-run/27260/8 "2022-02-08T17:56:40Z")
im not completly sure on the speed of zomborgs, but if it even says “its slightly slower than you” and you have spear, i would reccomend to fight them, just use reach attack, back up a tile and repeat, most people will disagree, but if theres an enemy within 20 overmap tiles of where im have/setting up my base, i kill it so that it doesnt ambush while im sleeping
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### Author:  [@spicyshadow](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/spicyshadow)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2022, 10:10am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/zomborg-should-i-engage-or-run/27260/9 "2022-02-09T10:10:04Z")
they are just tougher zombies with a bit of armour. Just poke them with a spear or use a ranged weapon.