Berkshire Zombie Defense League - Plan Gamma
The Occupation and Defense of Site #3 - Previously known as John Lewis, aka 'Heelas', Broad St, Reading
Plan Gamma is only to be enacted under certain conditions due to the scale of the operation. The taking and holding of Site #3 is only to be attempted if you have a sizeable group of survivors (20+), with a large element of them armed and combat ready. The advantages of Site #3 is that is offers the facilities for a long term occupation, such as working kitchens, stock-piled food and a healthy supply of essentials for the long-haul. But, due to the large size, convoluted back passages and multiple floors, makes it a difficult mission. But the league feels that, if done correctly, the rewards it offers outweigh the dangers.
General Notes
- Site #3 has 6 floors, working downwards:
- Upper Store Room
- Lower Store Room/Staff Offices and Canteen
- Home Furnishings/Toys
- Ladies/Children/Pubic Restaurant
- Mens/Sports/Haberdashery/Perfume (Ground Floor)
- Audio Visual (Front Basement)
- Large Electrical/Crockery (Rear Basement, also connected to loading bays)
- It has 6 entrances. All of these (bar the loading bay) are easily breachable, by both Human and Z.
- 1. Front Entrance. This is in essence two entrances, on either end of the front of the store. Both are glass. Onto ground floor
- 2. Side Public Entrance. This is located down the alley on the western side. Glass sliding doors. Leads to ground floor.
- 3. Side Staff Entrance. Next to the public entrance. Enters the store through wooden swing doors in the Men's accessory dept. Security desk (with CCTV) located here.
- 4. SW Corner Entrance. Leading into Men's shoes. Also located here is a lift that travels from ground floor to the rear basement.
- 5. Back Entrance. Glass swing doors. Once inside, this is a split entrance, leading to both the ground floor and the rear basement.
- 6. Loading Bay. Located further along Minister St, this leads down to a loading area connected to the rear basement. There is a roll-down metal door that seals it outside of opening hours.
- Once inside there are several ways of moving between the floors. These can be split easily into two categories:
- Public. Study and learn the public floor plan. ( http://www.johnlewis.com/jl_assets/pdf/dsstoreguides/reading_gd.pdf )
There are several public routes.
- Lifts. There are two sets of lifts. The main set travel from the rear basement to the staff offices floor. The other set is located in the front of the store and travel from the ground floor to the housewares floor (Flooring Dept). As the use of such machinery is beyond any Z, these do not pose a risk but league guidelines recommend holding them on green zones at all time.
- Escalators. Two escalators run between each floor. Turning these onto downwards will make them all but impassable to all but the fastest Z. Once power goes, they must be treated exactly as stairs.
- Stairs. Two flights of stairs run from the ground floor up to the ground floor to the flooring dept, one on either side of the shop, in the perfumery dept. There is also a set that runs from the front entrance up to toy department.
- Staff. These are not on public display, tucked into corners and thus are harder to take and hold
- Service Lifts. These are located in the NW corner of the main section of the shop. They run from the basement (by the loading bay) all the way to the Upper Store Room. These operate on manual door opening system so there is no chance of Zs breaching them.
- Stairs. The staff stairs are next to the Service Lifts are follow the exact same route.
Stage 1 - Initial Entrance and Base Establishment
- All the doors are equally breachable so go in through any. Make your way to the 3rd floor (Staff Offices/Canteen). This is the ideal floor to base yourself on, due to the limited routes of access and the large spaces to live in. The canteen/bar are idea for an initial base, . There only three entrances. One from the bar into the offices, one from the canteen into the entrance lobby and one from the canteen into the kitchen. First priority is to hold these rooms. Clear and seal the kitchen (there are other entrances) and establish a base.
- Once this area is declared Yellow move out to the rest of the floor. The corridors follow a linear loop around. With one team guarding the canteen entrance, another will be able to push through the offices, clearing each room in turn. This should be achieved as soon as possible. Seal the staff stairs, once the power goes these will be pitch black and a death-trap.
- At this point, two separate plans become an option. The next target is the Upper Store Room. Once this is taken, the only route for Zs is from the bottom up and eliminates all surprise attacks. The Upper Store is a very convoluted areas and is burned by a lack of windows.
- Power Is Still On. Follow standard operating procedure, Sweep and Clear. Be aware that there are many ladders to mini-mezzaines, these all must be swept. Prepare for extremely close combat, possibly hand-to-hand. Once declared Green, clear out all useful equipment and seal. Once the power goes, this area will become unusable.
- Power is Off. Simply seal and barricade. Trying to enter this area with no mains lights is simply suicide. Remember to only barricade the entrances to the store rooms, this floor is still the route to the roof.
- With the top two floors cleared, you will have a defensible location. Be remember to be ever vigilant to Zs coming up the escalators.
Stage II - Retaking 1st and 2nd Floor
- As time goes on, it will be advisable to expand downwards into the store. This will be achieved on a floor-by-floor basis.
-3rd Floor - Home Furnishing/Toys
- Moving down the escalators, establish two lines of combatants, facing in opposite directions, running across the lighting department. A small contingent will be left to kill any errant Zs coming up the escalators.
- The line facing the front of the store will simply hold that line as the other line moves in a circular fashion around the central well, clearing all Zs. Remember to investigate all stockrooms (Furniture/Fabrics).
- When the moving line has travelled 180 degrees, the standing line will set off, moving around to meet in front the of the steps down to flooring. Remember to seal the entrance to the staff stairs. There is a door that links the stairs to the service lift lobby. Seal this but keep the route from the lift to the floor clear.
- Both lines now move down the stairs, moving across the floor, searching the stock rooms as they go.
- As the lines pass the lifts, disable them entirely. We will have no need for them.
- As they pass the stairs, once again a contingent will be left to guard them.
- The lines will push on into the toy dept. Sealing the stairs downwards. Note than in the NW corner of this dept there is a door that leads upstairs to a training and office dept. A regulation team will enter and clear this area.
- You will now have complete control of the 3rd floor.
- 2nd Floor - Ladies/Children/Public Restaurant.
- Simply repeat the procedure from the 3rd floor, with a few alterations.
- When the lines move into the front annex (Lingerie/Hats), the guards from the stairs move down to pincer in on any Zs.
- Destroy the front stairs to the ground floor.
- Destroy the escalators to the ground floor.
- This will leave you in control of the top four floors of the store. DO NOT attempt to retake any more, the ground and basement floors are too easily breachable to ever be declared anything but a Red Zone.
Stage III - Long-Term- Site #3 offers a lot in the situation of a long-term conflict. The kitchens (both Staff and Public) will provide a lot of supplies and the other floors will contain other essentials (clothing, beddings, towels, entertainments). If more is needed, it will be easy to reach the roofs and thus drop down into almost any shop in Broad St.
- Escape Routes. As always, The leagues hopes to not have to leave Site #3 but proper planning prevents death. As always, safety of the league must be assured before all others. - Roofs. Both the Upper Store Room and the Training Complex offer routes to the roof. From here it is possible to access the Holy Brook Car Park or any of the shops on Broad St. These should offer excellent routes to escape if the need arises. It is advisable to make sure there are vehicles ready and prepped with clear routes.
- Loading Bay. The staff lifts offer a quick route to the loading bay. If it is properly cleared and controlled, it would be possible to seal this room, keep a vehicle stored here.
- By Foot. Not advisable, only as a last resort.
- If Plan Gamma is properly completed, in time it would be possible to implement Plan Delta.
For further confirmation, contact your league representative. Happy Hunting.
Plan Gamma is only to be enacted under certain conditions due to the scale of the operation. The taking and holding of Site #3 is only to be attempted if you have a sizeable group of survivors (20+), with a large element of them armed and combat ready. The advantages of Site #3 is that is offers the facilities for a long term occupation, such as working kitchens, stock-piled food and a healthy supply of essentials for the long-haul. But, due to the large size, convoluted back passages and multiple floors, makes it a difficult mission. But the league feels that, if done correctly, the rewards it offers outweigh the dangers.
General Notes
- Site #3 has 6 floors, working downwards:
- Upper Store Room
- Lower Store Room/Staff Offices and Canteen
- Home Furnishings/Toys
- Ladies/Children/Pubic Restaurant
- Mens/Sports/Haberdashery/Perfume (Ground Floor)
- Audio Visual (Front Basement)
- Large Electrical/Crockery (Rear Basement, also connected to loading bays)
- It has 6 entrances. All of these (bar the loading bay) are easily breachable, by both Human and Z.
- 1. Front Entrance. This is in essence two entrances, on either end of the front of the store. Both are glass. Onto ground floor
- 2. Side Public Entrance. This is located down the alley on the western side. Glass sliding doors. Leads to ground floor.
- 3. Side Staff Entrance. Next to the public entrance. Enters the store through wooden swing doors in the Men's accessory dept. Security desk (with CCTV) located here.
- 4. SW Corner Entrance. Leading into Men's shoes. Also located here is a lift that travels from ground floor to the rear basement.
- 5. Back Entrance. Glass swing doors. Once inside, this is a split entrance, leading to both the ground floor and the rear basement.
- 6. Loading Bay. Located further along Minister St, this leads down to a loading area connected to the rear basement. There is a roll-down metal door that seals it outside of opening hours.
- Once inside there are several ways of moving between the floors. These can be split easily into two categories:
- Public. Study and learn the public floor plan. ( http://www.johnlewis.com/jl_assets/pdf/dsstoreguides/reading_gd.pdf )
There are several public routes.
- Lifts. There are two sets of lifts. The main set travel from the rear basement to the staff offices floor. The other set is located in the front of the store and travel from the ground floor to the housewares floor (Flooring Dept). As the use of such machinery is beyond any Z, these do not pose a risk but league guidelines recommend holding them on green zones at all time.
- Escalators. Two escalators run between each floor. Turning these onto downwards will make them all but impassable to all but the fastest Z. Once power goes, they must be treated exactly as stairs.
- Stairs. Two flights of stairs run from the ground floor up to the ground floor to the flooring dept, one on either side of the shop, in the perfumery dept. There is also a set that runs from the front entrance up to toy department.
- Staff. These are not on public display, tucked into corners and thus are harder to take and hold
- Service Lifts. These are located in the NW corner of the main section of the shop. They run from the basement (by the loading bay) all the way to the Upper Store Room. These operate on manual door opening system so there is no chance of Zs breaching them.
- Stairs. The staff stairs are next to the Service Lifts are follow the exact same route.
Stage 1 - Initial Entrance and Base Establishment
- All the doors are equally breachable so go in through any. Make your way to the 3rd floor (Staff Offices/Canteen). This is the ideal floor to base yourself on, due to the limited routes of access and the large spaces to live in. The canteen/bar are idea for an initial base, . There only three entrances. One from the bar into the offices, one from the canteen into the entrance lobby and one from the canteen into the kitchen. First priority is to hold these rooms. Clear and seal the kitchen (there are other entrances) and establish a base.
- Once this area is declared Yellow move out to the rest of the floor. The corridors follow a linear loop around. With one team guarding the canteen entrance, another will be able to push through the offices, clearing each room in turn. This should be achieved as soon as possible. Seal the staff stairs, once the power goes these will be pitch black and a death-trap.
- At this point, two separate plans become an option. The next target is the Upper Store Room. Once this is taken, the only route for Zs is from the bottom up and eliminates all surprise attacks. The Upper Store is a very convoluted areas and is burned by a lack of windows.
- Power Is Still On. Follow standard operating procedure, Sweep and Clear. Be aware that there are many ladders to mini-mezzaines, these all must be swept. Prepare for extremely close combat, possibly hand-to-hand. Once declared Green, clear out all useful equipment and seal. Once the power goes, this area will become unusable.
- Power is Off. Simply seal and barricade. Trying to enter this area with no mains lights is simply suicide. Remember to only barricade the entrances to the store rooms, this floor is still the route to the roof.
- With the top two floors cleared, you will have a defensible location. Be remember to be ever vigilant to Zs coming up the escalators.
Stage II - Retaking 1st and 2nd Floor
- As time goes on, it will be advisable to expand downwards into the store. This will be achieved on a floor-by-floor basis.
-3rd Floor - Home Furnishing/Toys
- Moving down the escalators, establish two lines of combatants, facing in opposite directions, running across the lighting department. A small contingent will be left to kill any errant Zs coming up the escalators.
- The line facing the front of the store will simply hold that line as the other line moves in a circular fashion around the central well, clearing all Zs. Remember to investigate all stockrooms (Furniture/Fabrics).
- When the moving line has travelled 180 degrees, the standing line will set off, moving around to meet in front the of the steps down to flooring. Remember to seal the entrance to the staff stairs. There is a door that links the stairs to the service lift lobby. Seal this but keep the route from the lift to the floor clear.
- Both lines now move down the stairs, moving across the floor, searching the stock rooms as they go.
- As the lines pass the lifts, disable them entirely. We will have no need for them.
- As they pass the stairs, once again a contingent will be left to guard them.
- The lines will push on into the toy dept. Sealing the stairs downwards. Note than in the NW corner of this dept there is a door that leads upstairs to a training and office dept. A regulation team will enter and clear this area.
- You will now have complete control of the 3rd floor.
- 2nd Floor - Ladies/Children/Public Restaurant.
- Simply repeat the procedure from the 3rd floor, with a few alterations.
- When the lines move into the front annex (Lingerie/Hats), the guards from the stairs move down to pincer in on any Zs.
- Destroy the front stairs to the ground floor.
- Destroy the escalators to the ground floor.
- This will leave you in control of the top four floors of the store. DO NOT attempt to retake any more, the ground and basement floors are too easily breachable to ever be declared anything but a Red Zone.
Stage III - Long-Term- Site #3 offers a lot in the situation of a long-term conflict. The kitchens (both Staff and Public) will provide a lot of supplies and the other floors will contain other essentials (clothing, beddings, towels, entertainments). If more is needed, it will be easy to reach the roofs and thus drop down into almost any shop in Broad St.
- Escape Routes. As always, The leagues hopes to not have to leave Site #3 but proper planning prevents death. As always, safety of the league must be assured before all others. - Roofs. Both the Upper Store Room and the Training Complex offer routes to the roof. From here it is possible to access the Holy Brook Car Park or any of the shops on Broad St. These should offer excellent routes to escape if the need arises. It is advisable to make sure there are vehicles ready and prepped with clear routes.
- Loading Bay. The staff lifts offer a quick route to the loading bay. If it is properly cleared and controlled, it would be possible to seal this room, keep a vehicle stored here.
- By Foot. Not advisable, only as a last resort.
- If Plan Gamma is properly completed, in time it would be possible to implement Plan Delta.
For further confirmation, contact your league representative. Happy Hunting.