Shamblers: stats, binding cost and counters
Short answer
Shamblers are your first zombies: steady all-rounders you can bind as soon as you build the Binding Pit.
What it does
Shamblers have middling health, bite and speed. They hold a gate well and fill out a raid, and wild Shambler hordes are the quickest to hunt.
They can mutate into Bloaters, which burst when they fall, or Grapplers, which pin a defender in place.
Cost per batch · 20 biomass, 6 serum
| Grade | Zombies per batch | Binding time |
|---|---|---|
| S | 5 | 1 min |
| A | 4 | 2 min |
| B | 3 | 3 min |
| C | 3 | 3 min |
Good at
- Holding a gate
- Cheap numbers for a raid
- Short hunts against Shambler hordes
Bad at
- No tricks: they walk into tower fire
- Slower than Runners on long marches
What beats it
- Watchtowers with damage upgrades
- A strong road gate they have to chew through
Mutations
| Mutation | Effect |
|---|---|
| Bloater | Bursts when it falls, hurting everything close by. |
| Grappler | Grabs a defender: it moves and fights at half speed for a moment. |
Mutation cost for a full squad: 24 biomass, 12 serum
Tips
- Post Shamblers as gate guards and send faster zombies out raiding.
- Against towers and gates, numbers win: bind in bulk before a big raid.
Questions
When do you unlock Shamblers?
At Binding Pit level 1. Upgrade the Pit to get them; nothing else unlocks them.
What are Shamblers's stats?
90 health, a 12-point bite and a walking speed of 1.3.
Numbers come straight from the game's rules and update with every release.
Go deeper
Related pages
Binding PitThe Binding Pit is where you bind zombies with serum and biomass. Each level unlocks a new zombie or trait.
RunnersRunners are almost twice as fast as Shamblers but fragile. They unlock at Binding Pit level 2.
Squads and mutationsBound zombies march in squads of 6. Squads gain experience in fights, level up, and from level 3 can mutate.