How to Complete the Citadelle Des Morts Easter Egg and Obtain the Elemental Swords

The criminal lair located in a castle, Citadelle Des Morts, is one of the maps in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 with one of the best bosses in Zombies mode.

However, completing the easter egg and obtaining the amazing weapons from Citadelle des Morts: Balmung, Caliburn, Durendal, and Solais is not easy, especially solo.

Therefore, this guide will help you step by step to obtain the elemental swords, defeat The Guardian, and complete the easter egg of Citadelle Des Morts.

Find the Pack-a-Punch Machine

The first thing we need is to find the Pack-a-Punch machine to upgrade our weapons. It is located inside the castle, but to access it we must first find the cannon.

1. Head to the Hillside Ramparts (the wall that surrounds the castle).
2. Go to the center of the wall, there you will find the cannon.
3. Interact with the wheel next to the cannon to turn it towards the castle.

It is advisable to rotate the cannon after reducing the number of zombies to avoid being hit while you rotate it.

Once turned around, you must position yourself behind it and interact again to shoot and bring down the castle door. Inside the castle, move through its rooms until you reach the Undercroft. It is easy to get there by always going through the doors on the right.

How to Get the Dark Aetherium Crystal

1. Shoot the three padlocks on the container located in the Dubliette Room (Undercroft).
2. Defeat the Doppelghast that will emerge from the container.
3. Take the Blood Aetherium Crystal that the Doppelghast will drop after being defeated.
4. Place the Blood Aetherium Crystal in the red portal located inside the container.

The Doppelghast is an easy enemy if you keep a safe distance while shooting at one of its faces. By doing so, in addition to causing damage, you will slow its advance.

You can also rely on stun grenades to defeat it more comfortably. However, be careful with the zombies that may surround you, as they will restrict your movement and could lead to your defeat.

How to Get the Elemental Swords and Incantations

To start the easter egg, we need to find Krafft, who is imprisoned.

1. Head to the Dungeon.
2. Go to the back door of the Quick Revive machine.
3. Interact with the door window.
4. When Kraft is ‘possessed’ by the Aether, you may continue.

How to Get a Stamp

Now, starting from round 10, a special zombie wearing a medieval helmet that makes it invulnerable to headshots can appear. To defeat it, we must shoot other parts of its body. Upon eliminating it, it will drop a Stamp, which is necessary to obtain the elemental swords.

How to Get a Bastard Sword

In the hall, there are four statues. By interacting with one of them while carrying a stamp, we will obtain a bastard sword, which we can upgrade to become one of the four amazing weapons of Citadelle Des Morts, depending on the activated statue:

• Raven Knight Statue – Balmung: Sword of Darkness.
• Dragon Knight Statue – Caliburn: Flaming Sword.
• Deer Knight Statue – Durendal: Lightning Sword.
• Lion Knight Statue – Solais: Sword of Light.

Although the four swords are necessary for the Citadelle des Morts easter egg, we can only carry one stamp and one sword at a time. However, if you get rid of one, it will remain upgraded and available at its corresponding statue.

Obtaining them also unlocks their respective elemental incantations. These are tactical equipment tools with great offensive power. Although they are consumables, we can resupply them during the match.

How to Obtain the Sword of Darkness: Balmung

1. Get a Stamp from the helmet Zombies.
2. Interact with the Raven Knight statue (the one with a raven on its left shoulder).
3. Take the Bastard Sword from the statue.
4. Head to the alchemy lab, located to the left of the Hall, between the statues of the deer and raven knights.

In this area, we must find an Antiquity, which can be on any of the shelves and tables. It can take the form of a jawbone, a horn, the skull of two siamese ravens, a scorpion fossil, or a fish fossil.

Where to Find the Antiquity

Although it doesn’t stand out with a shine or anything similar, we can identify them because they have a circular base, similar to a trophy. Once you have the antique, you must go to the tavern’s cellar.

On the wall, right across from where a red portal appears, we will find a stone circle that we must interact with to place the antique.

Then, interact again to place the antique, once more to place the bastard sword, and one more time to solve the puzzle. Don’t worry, you will be invulnerable while doing this.

The puzzle consists of placing a combination of two specific symbols at the bottom of the wheel, which is marked with a green indicator. You will have a considerable amount of time to do this, so don’t worry about it.

Combinations for the Stone Circle

The combination you need to enter depends on the relic obtained in the alchemy laboratory. Use the following image to know which combination to enter.

If the combination is correct, an Ether portal will appear on the ground. Violet Ether orbs will begin to emerge from the wall device and will follow you.

How to Turn the Bastard Sword Into Balmung

You must attract three orbs to the portal so they can be absorbed, but be careful, as if they hit you, they will cause damage and disappear. If the orbs hit any zombies along the way, they will also explode.

Once the three orbs pass through the portal, it will move to the first floor of the tavern, where we will have to do the same thing again. After that, the portal will move to a balcony near the pool table, where we will carry out the process one last time.

After completing the three portals, we must return to the tavern’s cellar and interact again with the device. This will open a new portal, through which the bastard sword will fall. Shortly after, it will return transformed into the wonder weapon Balmung, the sword of darkness.

How to Get the Dark Incantation

1. Take the Balmung sword.
2. Go to the Undercroft, specifically to the left of where the Pack-a-Punch machine is located.
3. Activate the slide that will send us to the Town Square of Citadelle des Morts (It costs 500 essence points).

In the final stretch of the slide, you must shoot at the crow located on a rock just before finishing the ride. If you hit it, it will fly towards the Town Square. Follow it and shoot at it again to make it drop the crow’s talon.

With the crow’s claw in our possession, we head to the crypt, where we will see a yellow circle. We need to interact with it and kill around 10 zombies within this area.

When we eliminate enough zombies, a small golden chest will appear, which you must slash with the Balmung sword to receive the Dark Incantation.

How to Get the Dragon’s Fire Sword: Caliburn

1. Obtain a Stamp from the helmet Zombies.
2. Interact with the Dragon Knight statue.
3. Take the Bastard Sword from the statue.
4. Return to the Entrance Hall (the first room of the castle).
5. Interact with the dragon statue at the top of the stairs.

How to Turn the Bastard Sword Into Caliburn

Now, we need to find three braziers scattered across the map. Interacting with them will set us on fire, increasing our movement speed and causing constant damage.

In this state, we must return to the dragon statue to free ourselves from the fire. Killing zombies with melee attacks in this state will regenerate a small amount of health. Changing weapons will cause us to lose this state and we’ll have to return to the brazier.

Where to Find the Braziers

1. In the Village Ramparts, to the left of the ammo box.
2. On the Natural Path, near the gate that allows passage to the village square.
3. In the Town Square, next to the Rampage Inducer.

Once this trial is complete, the bastard sword we left on the statue will transform into the wonder weapon Caliburn, the Flaming Sword, and we will be able to take it from the pedestal.

How to Get the Fire Incantation

1. Take the Caliburn sword
2. Search for the bonfires scattered in Citadelle des Morts.
3. Light the bonfires with Caliburn’s special attack or with molotov cocktails.

These bonfires are easy to spot and ignite from the Village Ramparts, the wall where the cannon is located. Keep in mind that each time you light one, a significant number of zombies will be summoned.

Where to Find the Bonfires

1. On the roof of the left structure, where the Elemental Pop Machine is located.
2. On the balcony above the entrance of the castle we destroyed with the cannon.
3. On the wall behind the Speed Cola machine in the upper village.

Once the three bonfires are burning, in addition to a group of zombies, a Doppelghast will be summoned from the last one, which we will need to defeat.

Upon defeating it, the Ankh of Ra will drop. Pick it up and head to the courtyard, where you will see a golden circle near the armory.

When you interact with this circle, zombies will spawn that you must defeat while staying within the courtyard area. After eliminating a sufficient number of them, a golden chest will appear. You must open it by cutting it with the Caliburn sword to obtain the Fire Incantation.

How to Get the Light Sword: Solais

1. Get a Stamp from the helmet Zombies.
2. Interact with the Lion Knight statue.
3. Take the Bastard Sword from the statue. Upon doing so, four glowing parasites will appear, which you must not kill.
4. Head to the stairs between the ascent to the village and the upper village allowing the parasites to follow you.
5. Interact with the dragon statue located at the top of the stairs.
6. Look for a door with a lion-shaped doorknob.

Here, we must kill them one by one with the sword. Each time we eliminate one, our sword will emit a glow and, while it does, we must strike the door with it. If we do it correctly, a golden symbol will appear on the door.

We repeat this process with the four parasites. If in the process we accidentally kill the parasites with another weapon, they will reappear in the next round.

With the four symbols on the door, interact with the doorknob to enter the room. If there are zombies, eliminate them and head to the pedestal to place the bastard sword.

How to Turn the Bastard Sword Into Solais

The four symbols on the door will be distributed on the walls and will change places every few seconds. You must pay attention to which symbol is shining on the pedestal and keep shooting at the corresponding symbol on the walls until all four are complete.

During this process, zombies will continue to appear, which increases the difficulty and the risk of shooting the wrong symbol. It is not recommended to use explosives in this phase, as hitting an incorrect symbol will expel us from the room, and we will have to try again in the next round.

If we manage to shoot the four symbols in the correct order, the bastard sword will turn into the wonder weapon Solais, the sword of light, and we will be able to take it from the pedestal, which will immediately remove us from the room.

How to Get the Light Incantation

Now that you have the Solais Sword, you must return to the hall (the room where the statues that grant us the bastard swords are). There, you will see a small red crystal on the Vulture Aid machine. You must shoot it so that it emits a beam of light.

How to Obtain the Paladin’s Brooch

1. Shoot the crystal to change the beam’s trajectory until it points directly at the crystal above the South entrance.
2. Shoot the crystal above the South entrance to direct the light to the crystal above the Lion Knight statue.
3. Shoot the crystal above the statue until the beam of light points to the crystal on the shelf.
4. Shoot the crystal on the wall near the armory machine until the beam directs itself to a small bust on a table.

When the last ray points towards the bust, pass through this beam of light carrying the Sword of Solais; this will cause the Paladin’s Brooch to manifest on the bust and you may take it. Now just exit the alchemy lab towards the hall. Near the painting of the lion, a golden circle will appear with which we must interact.

By doing so, zombies will appear that you must eliminate within the area of the hall until a golden chest emerges from the ground. Cut this chest using the Solais Sword to obtain the Light Incantation.

How to Get the Lightning Sword: Durendal

1. Obtain a Stamp from the helmet Zombies.
2. Interact with the Stag Knight statue.
3. Take the Bastard Sword from the statue.
4. Return to top of the hill.

At the top of the hill, look for a medieval lightning rod; it is located next to the Deadshot Daiquiri machine. Interact with it to pick it up.

Then, enter the barn and look towards the inner arch of the southwest door. There you will find a nailed horseshoe.

Shoot the weapon directly at it so that it falls to the ground and you can pick it up; this item is Otto’s horseshoe and will be necessary to obtain the electric summon.

Make sure you have the Dead wire ammo equipped on your weapon. Now, head to the stairs between the village ascent and the upper village. The same place where the lion door is.

Find a fuse box and shoot it with the weapon with Dead wire ammo so that another lightning rod falls.

The last lightning rod is the simplest, it is located in the Undercroft. Head there and kill some zombie so it simply drops it.

How to Turn the Bastard Sword Into Durendal

With the three lightning rods in your possession, head towards the Hillside Ramparts, near the walls, on the right side. Look for a rusted vase and interact with it to place the lightning rods and attract an electrical storm.

Now, defeat zombies with the bastard sword while staying close to the vase until lightning strikes the sword. Then, hit the vase with it and repeat this step two more times.

The third time you hit the vase, interact with it to deposit the bastard sword inside and receive the wonder weapon, Durendal, the sword of lightning.

How to Get the Electric Incantation

1. Make sure you have the Durendal sword and Otto’s horseshoe.
2. Head to the Hillside Ramparts.
3. Interact with the front of the cannon without turning it.

How to Obtain the Pegasus Horseshoe

After being shot by the cannon, a small storm cloud will appear nearby in the sky. Head towards it to find Otto’s horseshoe turned into the Pegasus Horseshoe.

1. Head towards the storm cloud.
2. Take the Pegasus Horseshoe.
3. Go to the Town Square next to the tavern.
4. Interact with the golden circle on the ground.

Interacting with the golden circle will initiate a challenge to obtain the electric summon. To complete it, just kill about 10 zombies in this area about 10 zombies in this area until a golden chest emerges from the ground. Slash it with the Durendal sword to obtain the electric incantation. 

Where to Find the Tavern Bottles

Once you have acquired the swords and incantations, head to the tavern and find six bottles scattered around the place. These are always in the same locations, which are as follows:

1. On the left edge of the bar.
2. To the left of the Armory, on a table.
3. On the table to the right of the bar.
4. At the bar near the pool table.
5. On the table in front of Bottle II.
6. In the corner, between the stairs and the door.

The bottles have Roman numerals and, when interacted with, will display a symbol that varies each game. You must memorize or note down these symbols in the order indicated by the roman numerals on each bottle.

Where to Find the Symbol Panel

Now, it is necessary to acquire the Melee Macchiato drink, which is located to the right of the castle entrance.

When you get it, head to the crypt, in the southwest corner, near a desk. You will see that the wall looks fragile. Hit it to knock down the bricks and reveal a board with symbols.

Shoot the symbols you found on the bottles according to the order indicated by the roman numerals. It is recommended to use single-shot mode, as the symbols constantly change and you could accidentally shoot the wrong one. If you fail, the sequence of six symbols will reset.

If you did it correctly, a small red orb will come out from the panel and open a hatch on the side. This will reveal a book with missing pages. You can find the pages in the living rooms, four pieces in total.

Where to Find the Missing Pages of the Book

The pages change location in each game, but each one will have a red symbol that makes them easy to see. The symbols on them can also change. Some places where they can appear are:

Once you have the four pages, return to the crypt and place them in the book. You can collect them from the moment you speak with Craft, as soon as it shows that he is ‘possessed’ by the dark ether, if you have the chance.

The order in which they are arranged in the book will show you the correct order to activate the red traps that are spread throughout the map. Although the positions of the traps do not vary, the symbols on them change with each game and can be difficult to identify, as they are very similar to each other.

Find the traps with these symbols in the correct order and activate them one by one, eliminating enough zombies while the trap is active.

If you manage to eliminate the required number of zombies with each trap, the corresponding symbol in the book will stop glowing red.

How to Activate the Knight Statues and Obtain the Mystic Orb

Upon completing the last trap, head to the crypt stairs. Four symbols will appear, one for each statue from which we received the swords. Next to each symbol, there will be a roman numeral.

These symbols indicate the order in which you must activate the statues, so memorize them or write them down, as they also vary each game.

Return to the hall. There, you will find the scrolls that grant the elemental incantations for each sword. Take them, throw them to the corresponding knights, while they emit the glow of the summon inspect the corresponding sword (left on the D-pad or ‘i’ on the keyboard).

Repeat this with each statue in the order indicated on the previous wall. When activating the last statue, they will shoot a beam towards the center. At that moment, the mystic orb will appear. Take it and prepare yourself for the elemental challenges. You can perform them in any order.

Light Challenge

Without leaving the room, go upstairs. In front of the Vulture Aid machine, you will find a device to place the mystic orb.

Interact with the orb again to start the challenge. Once you do, green orbs will appear throughout the room.

Run through them to charge the mystic orb. Once it’s charged, take it and head to the next challenge. For this trial, you do not need to carry the Solais light sword.

Darkness Challenge

Take the Balmung sword and head to the crypt. Place the mystic orb on the wall next to the dark incantation chest.

Now, eliminate zombies using the Balmung dark sword or dark incantation to charge the mystic orb. Once charged, take it and go to the next challenge.

Lightning Challenge

Similarly to the previous challenge, take the Durendal sword and head to the Town Square. Near the electric incantation, you will find the place to place the mystic orb.

Charge it by eliminating zombies with the Durendal sword or the electric summon. Once charged, take it and head to the final trial.

Fire Challenge

The final challenge is conducted in the courtyard. Take the Flaming Sword Caliburn and head there. In front of the ammo box, you will find the place to place the mystical orb.

Place it and start the challenge. Eliminate as many zombies as you can using fire elemental attacks with the Caliburn blade and the fire incantation. Once charged, take it and head to the crypt staircase.

Final Battle Against the Guardian

On the crypt staircase, locate the mural that indicated the order to activate the statues. Place the mystical orb in the center of the four symbols to open a secret room.

In the middle of the room, you will find a table with a cylindrical object. Interact with it to activate a recording.

Take the cylindrical object, which is the Guardian’s key. Before the next step, it is recommended to upgrade all your weapons to the maximum and carry enough plates, sodas, grenades, etc.

You can also choose the sword that benefits you most for the final showdown, and if you’re part of a squad of four, you can take them all.

Now, head to the Town Square to start the final battle against the boss of Citadelle des Morts. Approach the statue in the fountain. At its feet, you can insert the guardian’s key.

By doing so, the statue will come to life and transport you to another location outside of Citadelle des Morts: the Cavern, where the final battle and the climax of the easter egg will take place.

Phase One

In the first part of the fight, zombies will start appearing across the map while The Guardian attacks you. Your priority is to break its armor.

You know you hit the right spot when the damage numbers appear in blue. In the area, you will be able to find ammo boxes and chests with the four elemental incantations.

When you damage The Guardian’s armor, parts of its body will catch fire. If you shoot there, you will cause more damage. Once you damage it enough, it will remain still and become immune to damage. Eliminate the remaining zombies to hear a voice and move on to the next phase.

Phase Two

In this phase, the combat becomes more complicated. Special zombies will begin to appear. It is advisable to eliminate them using elemental incantations to speed up the process.

The Guardian will also become more aggressive, displaying more powerful moves, such as throwing three lava balls instead of one. Furthermore, it will be able to perform a great leap that ends in an explosion upon landing.

You must inflict damage on the Guardian at its weak points, which glow with bright flames. When you deal enough damage, it will become immobilized. Clear the room of zombies and you will hear the voice, initiating the final phase.

Phase Three

In this phase, the combat zone will be limited due to the lava, so your evasion skills will be key. Just like in previous phases, focus on attacking the glowing areas of its body.

However, you must be careful, as The Guardian will be faster and more aggressive, and the area does not leave much space to maneuver.

If you manage to defeat him, he will drop the Amulet. Pick it up, and you will have completed the Citadelle des Morts Easter egg. You can now enjoy the final scene of the level.

Defeating the Guardian of Citadelle des Morts can be challenging if you’re playing solo, but keep in mind that you can team up with players from PlayStation, Xbox, and PC through the crossplay feature.