Sounds pretty sweet. I'd go with something like this for a standard zombie:
M4, WS2, S2, T3, I1, A1, W1, Ld10
Fearless, Feel No Pain
2pts per kill
Are you running them as "AI" models on the table, or having a player take control of them? That would obviously make a difference. Also, check out the rules for Kill Team. There are things in there about overwatch etc that create a game where the defender (zombies) has limited control. It also has lots of cool upgrades for a small party of heroic characters, and allowing players to use and level a Kill Team rather than limiting them to a single model might also make things a bit more entertaining - especially if someone is controlling the Zombies from the table.
If they're
not under control, I'd go with a system kinda like this:
Deploying Zombies:
Grid out the table into 2x2 zones. For a standard 4x6 table, that means you have 6 zones, for a 4x4 you have 4 zones.
For each zone, roll a D10 (or 2D6 if you want to stick to D6s) to determine the number of zombies in each zone.
Zombies tend to mob up, so they are placed on a 5" round template in the middle of each zone.
Players start in the zone with the fewest Zombies (or you can have preset missions, or even use the plain 40k scenarios) and get the first turn.
The Turn:
I'd definitely break the player turn up so that phases can be taken in any order. This is how I've played "
Gears 40k", which you can poach for rules. The turn system that my friends and I use for that allowed multiple rounds of shooting in a single turn, provided you could consistently pass a LD check with stacking mods, and you could Shoot-Move-Shoot etc.
For Zombie movement:
Any time a character fires a ranged weapon, or uses a special close combat weapon (knives are quiet, chainfists probably not so much), move all zombies in his area and any adjacent areas, D6 inches towards him. If a Zombie
not in an adjacent square is hit by a ranged attack, move it towards the attacker.
On their turn, Zombies will "stumble". If there are no enemies in the adjacent area, then the Zombies will attempt to clump together or find food. The first zombies to move are those who are in the area
farthest from the players, and then you work to the areas which are closer. Zombies will either:
:: Swarm - if there is a player in the same area as the Zombie (or within 6" - no hiding across boundary lines), it will move towards the nearest player character.
:: Mob Up - move the zombies in this area towards the adjacent area with the highest number of zombies.
:: Find Food - for every area adjacent to a player, roll a D6. On a 4+, all Zombies in that area will move towards the occupied area. On a 1-3, the Zombies will instead 'Mob Up'.
*note that Zombies can move twice if they 'Mob Up' into a new area which then 'Finds Food'. Consider this a change from the usual "shambling aimlessly" to "moving with a purpose".
Mutants:
Sometimes, Zombies just aren't scary enough, so you get what we have here... which is how we want it. Now, I don't like these brutes any more than you boys.
At the start of each game, you should determine (I don't care how - dice roll, some special rule, points allowance) how many 'Mutants' will be on the table. I'd suggest having different colored markers for the mutants and then rolling randomly, but whatever. Once all the other Zombies are placed, roll a D6 (for 4x6 table with 6 sections) or a D3 (for a 4x4 table with 4 sections, excluding the section where the players start) to randomly place each mutant. You have:
1. Rotter -
this zombie has spent a little too much time in the sun. Foetid rot has caused the zombie's body to swell up with a mixture of bile, noxious gas, and other "less than savory" things. Be careful when attacking a Rotter, as disturbing this foul concoction can have devastating (and disgusting) results
When targetting a Rotter in combat, players are at -1 to hit due to the horrid stench. When a Rotter is removed from play, place a 3" template where it stood. Anything under this template is hit with a S2 AP5 attack as they are splashed with... guts and stuff. After resolving this attack, place a 5" blast template. Models under this template are hit with a S1 Poison (6+) attack from the plume of toxic gas which fills the air.
3pts
2. Wretch
Wretches are fresh dead - their muscles still limber, and without pain or fatigue: super humanly agile. Their brains are still largely intact as well, making them more intelligent when seeking out prey. In the zombie ranks, they can be thought of as 'scouts'.
Wretches gain +1A and an Additional CCW (for a total of 3A in combat), +2I, and +1WS. Wretches will
always pass their 'Find Food' check when they are in adjacent squares. When a Wretch would normally 'Mob Up', they ignore all Zombie types except other Wretches when determining direction. If there are no Wretches adjacent to their area, they instead move towards the nearest player character. Whenever a Wretch moves (for whatever reason) it adds D6" to it's movement.
3pts
3. Hurler
Hurlers are what you get when you over-feed a Zombie. Half digested flesh and blood oozes from every orifice. When the zombie senses a new meal nearby, it purges this terrible cargo in the most disgusting manner imaginable.
If an enemy is within 6" of a Hurler, it will not move, but instead make a shooting attack using the Flame Template. All models (Zombie or otherwise) beneath the template are hit with S3, AP6, Poison(6+) attack.
4pts
4. Banshee
The origins of the Banshee remain a mystery. Some say that they are some sort of alpha-zombie, others claim that it is some Warp-spawned foulness. All that is known is that Banshees are priority number 1 in every engagement, because of the hideous howl that summons others zombies to its side.
+1W. Banshees do not move towards enemies who are in the
same area (but will still Find Food or Mob Up normally). Instead, they will 'howl'. This Howl is a psychic attack, player characters in the same area as the Banshee roll a Ld test. For every point they fail the test by, they suffer one automatic S2 hit. Additionally, any Zombies adjacent to the Banshee are considered to 'Find Food' and automatically move towards the nearest player character. Lastly, and time a Banshee howls, spawn an additional D3 basic zombies in it's area.
4pts
5. Brute
Brutes are large, violent zombies. During life they may have been substantially larger members of their species, or possibly even Space Marines or savage Orks. In death, they are tough, tenacious, and terrifying specimens of the undead
40mm base. Brutes gain +2WS, +2S, +1T, +1WS, +1A, and +1W. Brutes also have Furious Charge and a 5+ armor save.
5pts
6. Thug
Thugs are often just larger versions of other mutants, excess growth triggered by the zombie virus and a "healthy" diet of fresh meat. However, some grow to truly terrifying proportions, and become monsters that would strike fear into even the most stalwart of warriors
Roll again on this table. On a 1-4, the Thug has additional "special" wounds, equal to their original starting number of wounds (So a Banshee Thug has 2W, plus 2 "special" wounds). These wounds automatically regenerate at the beginning of each of the Thug's turns. The only way to remove these special wounds permanently, is to remove them
all and
also inflict 1 "regular" wound on the model. This means that Thugs can be incredibly tenacious, as even a Wretch Thug will require 2W dealt in a single turn to kill, while the Banshee Thug would need to be dealt 3 wounds in a single round to stop it's regeneration and then a 4th wound to finish off.
x2pts (a Wretch Thug is worth 6pts, a Banshee Thug is worth 8pts)
If the second roll results in a 5-6, the Thug becomes a Berserker, the most feared of all Zombie types.
Berserker: M4, WS3, S4, T5, W3, I3, A3, Ld- (passes all Ld), Sv3+
Feel No Pain(5+), Equipped with Power Fist
Dreadnought Base. Berserkers
always pass their roll to Find Food, and add D6 to their movement when in the same zone as a player character.
12pts
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And there you have it. At least, how I'd run them. I assigned points assuming that you are using regular Codex unit-entry points to buy new equipment etc.
