Call of Duty‘s Zombie mode may have started as an Easter Egg but it has become an essential part of the franchise. The mode is constantly evolving and one big factor is the assortment of powerful weapons available. Here are the 10 best Wonder Weapons in Call of Duty Zombies.
Elemental Staffs – Staff of Ice
One of four buildable elemental staffs available on the Call of Duty: Black Ops II map Origins. Built from Amplification Rods and elemental stones found around the trenches of Northern France during World War I, a base staff does 1000 points of damage, and when fully upgraded can do up to 300,000.
The Staff of Wind kills with one shot until round 23 and sends zombies flying; the Staff of Fire shoots three fireballs horizontally, stunning or setting enemies alight, and the Staff of Lightning shoots bolts that chain across nearby enemies.
The most powerful of the elemental staffs though is the Staff of Ice which, fully upgraded, can kill zombies in one shot up to round 112. The staff also shoots blasts of ice that can freeze zombies and shatter them.
Monkey Bomb
Does the Monkey Bomb count as a Wonder Weapon? I’m not sure, but along with the Ray Gun (which we will get to soon enough), the Monkey Bomb is one of Call of Duty Zombies’ most iconic weapons.
A classic and original concept, the throwable cymbal monkey lures in zombies with its charming jingle before exploding. The Monkey Bomb makes for a great distraction, giving players the vital time they need to do things like reload their weapons and save any downed allies.
There have been other throwable Wonder Weapons in zombies, such as the Li’l Arnie, but none quite have the magic of the original Monkey Bomb.
Kraken
While I think Black Ops IV was a disappointing zombie experience on the whole, I always enjoyed using the Kraken Wonder Weapon on the map Voyage of Despair. The Kraken is a hefty gun made of three rotating cannons that fire explosive ammo. It demolishes zombies that it hits and knocks down any surrounding brain eaters.
None of the Kraken’s four elemental upgrades is that much stronger than the others and each offers something different to gameplay. Named after mythical sea creatures from around the world, The Grip of Akkorokaumi slows enemies, the Breath of Leviathan fires a pair of connected projectiles, the Inkanyamba’s Roar fires an electrical spread shot, and finally, Jörmungandr’s Fang fires poisoned projectiles that daze zombies caught in the explosion.
Wunderwaffe DG-2
How do you write a list of the best Wonder Weapons without including the Wunderwaffe DG-2? Its name translates to ‘wonder weapon’ after all. Powered by Element 115 and designed by zombie fan favorite character Edward Richtofen for mass production in the Second World War, this gun can kill as many as ten enemies with one shot and deals an unlimited amount of damage.
The Wunderwaffe DG-2 fires electrical arcs that are good at clearing rooms of zombies, although players can be hurt by its splash damage. It is also a very rare weapon in 2023’s Modern Warfare 3‘s zombie mode.
Ray Gun
The Ray Gun is the original Wonder Weapon and Call of Duty zombies’ most iconic weapon. Debuting back in World at War as an Easter Egg in the campaign mission Little Resistance, the Ray Gun, and its successors are reliable, fun, and deadly. Able to kill enemies in one shot up to round 22, and with splash damage that frequently turns zombies into crawlers, the Ray Gun is a regular in the Black Ops subseries.
The Ray Gun truly is one of gaming’s most famous weapons. Subsequent games have introduced more powerful weapons, including the Ray Gun Mark II, which turns up the heat with a 3-shot burst that does even more damage than its predecessor, but there’s something special about the original Ray Gun that always makes it a must-have weapon.
Alistair’s Folly
Exclusive to the map Dead of the Night, Alistair’s Folly belonged to archaeologist Alistair Rhodes, father of playable character Scarlett, and is a revolver that fires explosive rounds. It has two upgrades which make the weapon very powerful and one of the best in Black Ops IV, however, there are multiple steps to acquiring each one.
The Chaos Theory adds a bullet to the chamber that shoots either a pool of acid which stuns zombies, or a whirlwind capable of picking up enemies. Meanwhile, the gun’s final form, so to speak, is called Alistair’s Annihilator. This weapon adds a scope to the gun, bullets that shrink enemies until they pop out of existence, and ammo that will set nearby zombies on fire.
Thunder Gun
Perhaps the best weapon to have at your side when you’re trapped in a corner and the oncoming horde is closing in. One blast of the Thunder Gun will send zombies flying one way and their limbs the other. Available on the Black Ops maps Kino der Toten, Ascension, and Nacht der Untoten, the Thunder Gun is a large air cannon created by the mysterious Dr. Maxis.
Killing large amounts of zombies in one blow, this Wonder Weapon is great for managing crowds and clearing routes in later rounds. The only downsides to the Thunder Gun are its low ammo count and slow reload speed.
Sliquifier
A friend of mine once called the Sliquifier “a great gun on the wrong map”, and he couldn’t have been more right. Available on Black Ops II’s Die Rise, the Sliquifier is built out of pieces of scrap found around a pair of destroyed apartment blocks. These include a mannequin leg and a gas canister (which I always thought was a fire extinguisher).
The Wonder Weapon fires a strange purple liquid that causes zombies to slip over, which is great for slowing down your undead pursuers, and kills in one shot until round 100. It deals a great amount of damage that spreads across all the enemies hit with the purple chain reaction. Unfortunately, Die Rise is potentially the worst possible map for the Sliquifier to be available on.
It’s a troll’s dream weapon, able to turn every surface into a slip-and-slide. Sending players and zombies alike off of rooftops, down elevator shafts, and out windows into the smoky void below.
Wrath of the Ancients – Storm Bow
The base Wrath of the Ancients Wonder Weapon by itself is a decent weapon in the Black Ops III map Der Eisendrache. It is unlocked by feeding zombies to three dragon heads dotted around the castle map and, with its fast fire rate and base magazine of 60 arrows can take out plenty of zombies and works well against the Panzersoldat enemy.
The Wrath of the Ancients’ real power comes when it’s been upgraded though, with one, in particular, standing out. The Kreem’ahm Ahmahm bow, better known as the Storm Bow, shoots a ball of electricity that shocks nearby enemies. Its charged shot meanwhile releases a thunderous storm that sucks in nearby enemies and continuously shocks them. The only issue with the Wrath of the Ancients is its complicated and time-consuming upgrade paths.
Apothicon Servant
The Apothicon Servant is available in Black Ops III’s Shadows of Evil map and later returns in Revelations. This half-gun and half-squid monster requires players to collect a Margwa’s heart and tentacle and gather green xenomatter to build.
The Apothicon Servant is a suitably Lovecraftian creature that shoots purple black holes, killing zombies caught in its grasp in one shot no matter the round. It will then explode and kill any nearby zombies that avoided the initial shot.
Interestingly the Apothicon Servant has a different name depending on which character has it equipped. For example, when wielded by the magician Nero Blackstone (played by Jeff Goldblum) it is called the Nar-Ullaqua, or Teeth-Consume; and when it is held by Ron Perlman‘s boxer Floyd Campbell, it’s called Lor Zarozzor, or Flow/Radiate Decay. The Apothicon Servant deals a near-infinite amount of damage and is a powerful weapon to have in the fight against the dark forces of the undead.
Call of Duty has featured a wide range of Wonder Weapons in its Zombies game mode. They come in all shapes and sizes and go far beyond a standard-looking gun. We’ve seen everything from toy laser guns to elemental staffs to squid monsters. What is your favorite Wonder Weapon from Call of Duty Zombies? Be sure to let us know in the comments. For more on Call of Duty check out the articles below.
