The Call of Duty: Black Ops franchise is renowned for its standout features, with the fan-favorite ‘Zombies’ mode being one of its most iconic elements. This time around in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Treyarch decided to push the limits of innovation further and introduce a brand-new ‘augments’ system in order to promote progression in Zombies. There are a total of 48 perk-a-cola augments and this guide will go over the best augments for you to use in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
What are Augments?
Augments are brand-new upgrades that you can unlock for perks as well as ammo mods. You will have access to ‘Augment research’ once you hit level 11. Each perk/ammo mod has two different Augment slots that you can equip, one major and one minor. You pick them out of a pool of 3 each, depending on which one strikes your fancy. Once you’ve made a choice, select your desired Augment from the menu to start researching it, then earn XP during gameplay to gradually unlock it.
For the full list of Augments, check out this blog post on the official Call of Duty site. Note: you should take our opinions of the best perk Augments in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 with a grain of salt as it may differ depending on your preferred playstyle, party configuration, and run intention.
Jugger-Nog
As a certain hot-headed tank would say: ‘reach for me, Jugger-girl’. Arguably both the most important and well-known perk in zombies history, Jugger-Nog increases your maximum health, making you survive more hits from the zombies.
Jugger-nog Augments Menu
Major Augments
These are all of the major Augments available to choose from:
- PROBIOTIC: Slightly increase maximum health with Jugger-Nog.
- TURTLE SHELL: Armor acts as a shield on your back, completely absorbing damage to your back. No damage mitigation when hit from the front.
- REACTIVE ARMOR: When an armor plate breaks, nearby normal enemies are stunned for a short time.
Treyarch did a fantastic job here as all three of these augments sound fantastic. However, we recommend using Turtle Shell as it can get you out of sticky situations and be useful when doing tricky easter egg steps on solo. Reactive Armor may sound enticing, yet, the stunned zombies can ruin your training as the herd will begin to be uneven and scattered. Probiotic is also a great option if you’re playing solo and want to high-round.
Minor Augments
These are all of the minor Augments available to choose from:
- RETALIATION: Deal bonus damage while health is low.
- HARDENED PLATES: Armor plates have more damage mitigation.
- DURABLE PLATES: Slightly increase armor durability.
Although on the surface, Retaliation sounds great and is decent overall, dealing higher damage while low health isn’t exactly revolutionary especially on higher rounds. Therefore, we recommend going with Hardened Plates or Durable Plates, both have a very similar effect and will help you survive for longer – the main purpose of Jugg.
Stamin-Up
Introduced on Ascension back in Black Ops 1, Stamin-Up is another essential perk for zombies players as it increases your overall movement speed, making training zombies much less stressful.
Stamin-up Augments Menu
Major Augments
These are all of the major Augments available to choose from:
- FREE FALLER: Become immune to fall damage.
- DASHER: Increase Tactical Sprint duration.
- STALKER: Walk faster while aiming.
With a big map like Terminus, it’s safe to say that Free Faller is the best choice here. However, Stalker is also a great option. The reason why we went for Free Faller is because of the of mounting and overall movement in modern zombies. If you fall from a ledge, you lose some health which can in turn be fatal if you fall near a horde. Besides, who wouldn’t want to dolphin dive off of a ledge and survive to tell the tale?
Minor Augments
These are all of the minor Augments available to choose from:
- HARD TARGET: While Tactical Sprinting, projectile damage is reduced.
- QUARTERBACK: Use equipment while sprinting.
- HOT FOOT: Gain a speed boost after your equipment kills an enemy.
While Hot Foot definitely is unique, it seems too niche to be consistently effective. For the average player, Hard Target would probably be the best option here. However, Quarterback is our pick as being able to use equipment without suffering the slow wind-up of some of them can truly make a difference.
Speed Cola
A staple and a classic, Speed Cola makes it so that you reload weapons and replate your armor faster – a must for anyone using an LMG.
Speed Cola Augments Menu
Major Augments
These are all of the major Augments available to choose from:
- SUPERCHARGED: Field Upgrades recharge a bit faster.
- CLASSIC FORMULA: Reload speed is even faster.
- PHANTOM RELOAD: Weapon magazines are slowly refilled over time.
Classic Formula is the most consistent Augment from the list above. This is because Supercharged is a bit redundant due to Field Upgrades being used situationally, thus almost always being recharged when you need them. Phantom Reload also isn’t too interesting but you could give it a try if you want. For us, we’re going for some extra reload speed which is always valuable no matter what.
Minor Augments
These are all of the minor Augments available to choose from:
- SPEEDY ROULETTE: The Mystery Box settles much faster.
- QUICK SWAP: Swap weapons faster.
- FAST PITCHER: Deploy equipment faster.
Okay, so we’ve reached our first set of stinkers. These Minor Augments serve minimal impact and probably won’t be the difference between life and death for you. That being said, we can see how Fast Pitcher can be effective but we’ve already gone with Quarterback above which is kind of similar. All in all, it seems like Quick Swap would be the most beneficial as you can pull out your heavy wonder weapon faster when you are surrounded.
Deadshot Daiquiri
Once a forgotten and neglected perk, now a relatively useful addition to your arsenal. Deadshot Daiquiri got reworked for Cold War, and now not only does it improve your accuracy when you aim-down sight (ADS) by always locking onto the head, but it also increases headshot damage.
Deadshot Augments Menu
Major Augments
These are all of the major Augments available to choose from:
- DEAD HEAD: Further increase in critical damage.
- DEAD FIRST: Deal double critical damage if an enemy is at full health.
- DEAD AGAIN: Critical hits have a chance of adding a bullet to your magazine.
While is seems like Dead Head will give you the most DPS, especially over time, Dead First is an incredible Augment and our pick. Almost all zombies you attack will be at full health. You can train them up and then when you turn around to shoot, your first hit will deal double headshot damage for each zombie. This is extremely useful if you’re running a shotgun or a tactical rifle like an M16/AUG type, allowing you to obliterate zombies, helping you focus on easter egg steps and avoid being surrounded.
Minor Augments
These are all of the minor Augments available to choose from:
- DEAD BREAK: Increase damage to armor pieces.
- DEAD DRAW: Reduce hip-fire spread.
- DEAD SET: Reduce gun movement while performing advanced movement.
Dead Draw can be useful for some classes and builds, however, Dead Break is the best option here, especially with how annoying armored zombies are to take down sometimes.
Quick Revive
We’ve come a long way from you not working on solo back in World at War, my friend. Alas, Quick Revive is here and it allows you to recover health and revive allies faster.
Quick Revive Augments Menu
Major Augments
These are all of the major Augments available to choose from:
- EMT: Reviving an ally allows them to keep all of the Perks on their bleed-out bar.
- EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE: Killing an enemy while downed will revive you and remove Quick Revive. This can be done up to three times.
- DYING WISH: On lethal damage, become immune to all damage for two seconds and keep one health. Quick Revive is removed on use.
Equivalent Exchange is basically the Self-Medication Gobblegum from Black Ops 3, useful, but it will be difficult to get a kill on higher rounds when downed. EMT sounds fun for high round co-op play, but ultimately isn’t too impactful. Dying Wish – first introduced in Black Ops 4 – makes a comeback but not a perk, as an Augment. Dying Wish is definitely the best choice here, giving you breathing room to get out of whatever fatal situation you got yourself into.
Minor Augments
These are all of the minor Augments available to choose from:
- SWIFT RECOVERY: Reviving an ally increases both of your movement speeds for a short time.
- KARMIC RETURN: Reviving an ally heals you to full health.
- SLOW DEATH: Increase your time in last stand.
All three Augments here serve a similar purpose in that they help the reviving process feel more seamless. If you’re playing solo, this choice doesn’t matter much so might as well put Slow Death and combine it with the Equivalent Exchange Major Augment. This gives you extra time to try and kill a zombie when you’re downed in order to get back up again. However, in co-op, Swift Recovery is the best option to regroup and escape a risky area.
Elemental Pop
This perk was introduced in Cold War and aimed to expand on the double pack-a-punch system from Black Ops 3. Elemental Pop makes it so that your bullets have a chance to trigger random Ammo Mods.
Elemental Pop Augments Menu
Major Augments
These are all of the major Augments available to choose from:
- CITRUS FOCUS: If a weapon has an Ammo Mod applied, Elemental Pop will only activate that one.
- IMPERIL PEACH: Enemies that hit you have a chance to trigger a random Ammo Mod.
- ELECTRIC CHERRY: Reloading creates an electric damage discharge that damages and stuns nearby normal enemies. The emptier the magazine, the stronger the damage.
Imperil Peach can mess up your training so it isn’t really worth picking up. Citrus Focus can be very useful for skilled players who have a specific build or strategy in mind. However, we recommend Electric Cherry – a staple in Zombies that makes its return, not as a perk this time but as an Augment. Pair it up with the Brutus operator and bathe in nostalgia as you remember the good old days of Black Ops 2‘s Mob of the Dead.
Minor Augments
These are all of the minor Augments available to choose from:
- VULNERA BEAN: Slightly increase enemy elemental weakness damage.
- PINEAPPLE BLAST: Equipment can also trigger a random Ammo Mod.
- CHILL BERRY: Slightly reduce all Ammo Mod cooldowns.
All of these don’t sound too interesting but Chill Berry is the better option as increased cooldown is always appreciated, especially when it comes to ammo mods. That being said Vulnera Bean can be good in boss fights against bosses that have a weakness to a specific damage type.
PHD Flopper
Oh how I’ve missed you, PHD is back and better than ever with the option to upgrade this beloved perk! For those who don’t know, PHD makes it so that you have an explosive dive to prone and are immune to self-inflicted explosive damage.
PHD Flopper Augments Menu
Major Augments
These are all of the major Augments available to choose from:
- GRAVITY MD: Just falling from heights creates explosions.
- DR RAM: Tactical Sprint knocks down and damages base zombies.
- PHD SLIDER: Sliding into enemies triggers explosions.
PHD Slider is our pick as you can quite literally slide into hordes and deal damage. However, do not underestimate the impact of Dr Ram, not only is it extremely satisfying but it’s pretty useful too. However, due to how important training is in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 zombies, we think PHD Slider is a bit better.
Minor Augments
These are all of the minor Augments available to choose from:
- ENVIRONMENTALIST: Become immune to environmental damage while sliding.
- EOD TECHNICIAN: Slightly reduce height and distance requirements for explosions.
- TRIBOLOGIST: Sliding distance and speed are increased.
Tribologist is the best option here. Combine it with PHD Slider and you’re a weapon of mass destruction as you sprint slide across the map. EOD Technician is only good if you pair it up with Gravity MD, which then again reinforces the idea of making different builds depending on your preference and playstyle.
Melee Macchiato
This newly introduced perk replaces your gun butt melee attack with a deadly punch, reminiscent of the One Inch Punch from Origins on Black Ops 2 & 3. If you want to be Mike Tyson, now’s your chance.
Melee Macchiato Augments Menu
Major Augments
These are all of the major Augments available to choose from:
- EXPRESSO: All melee attacks are slightly faster.
- VAMPIRIC EXTRACTION: Melee attacks heal a small amount of your health.
- TRIPLE SHOT: Your punch can hit multiple enemies at once.
Triple Shot is the best option, especially when training or completing easter egg steps that require melee attacks. Vampiric Extraction also sounds extremely fun to use but with Quick Revive and Jugg, chances are, you’ve already got sufficient health restoration and you wouldn’t go melee a zombie when you’re missing health as it is a bit risky. However, there are builds that involve putting yourself out there if you’re into that high-risk, high-reward type of gameplay.
Minor Augments
These are all of the minor Augments available to choose from:
- STICK ’N MOVE: Backpedal speed is increased after a successful melee attack.
- STRENGTH TRAINING: Your punch can one-hit kill normal enemies for longer.
- HIDDEN IMPACT: Melee kills reload a portion of your held weapon.
Strength Training is by far the best augment here. You one-hit melee kill zombies for longer which not only is a great way to farm points in the early rounds, but also gives the perk more longevity, making it much more relevant and impactful.
That being said, these were the best perk Augments in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies.
C
Probably the word advice ive ever seen for augments. Almost everything you recommend is sub optimal and makes it look like youve never played the game before.
Youssef ElKhedry
Hello, hope all is well.
All augments are useful in their own unique way depending on your build and preferred playstyle. There aren’t really ‘sub-optimal’ options as all have their specific situational uses. Whilst some are better than others, these are what we view as our go-to augments for each perk. If you have different takes, that is completely fine and we wish you luck on completing Easter Eggs or high-rounding!