As in every map of the Zombies mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, The Tomb includes an easter egg that requires completing a series of steps that are not explicit, which can make it difficult without a guide. Here we explain how to obtain the Ice Staff, find the level’s secret boss, and overcome this challenge step by step.
While this challenge can be done solo, doing it as a team can make some of the more complicated steps easier. It’s important to be well-prepared, as the process includes intense combat and puzzle solving that may take several attempts and time.
COD: BO6 – Ice Staff
We recommend tackling this challenge with a full squad, especially since Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 features crossplay on all platforms.
Thus, there are no restrictions for playing with friends or finding teams through public matchmaking. Available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
How to Get the Ice Staff
Obtaining the Ice Staff is essential to complete the easter egg, as we will use it on more than one occasion. This is a ‘Wonder Weapon’ and can be obtained through the Mystery Box.
However, the likelihood of obtaining it by this method is low, so the ideal solution is to follow the guaranteed method, even if it involves more steps and difficulty.
GobbleGum – ¡Ephemeral Enhancement!
If you prefer to try your luck at the Mystery Box, you can use the GobbleGum “Ephemeral Enhancement,” which guarantees that the next weapon obtained will be a ‘Wonder Weapon’. If you decide to take the long road or have no other choice, we can start with the first step.
Open the Doorway to Nowhere
An important step is to open the Doorway to Nowhere; doing so is very simple as we just need to follow the orange indicators that will guide us to a pedestal in the Subterranean Temple, which will activate a series of portals to the Dark Aether Nexus.
There we will find the Pack-a-Punch machine, which will allow us to upgrade our weapons, later this machine will be transported to the Dig Site.
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- Pedestal that activates the doorway to Nowhere.
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- Pack-a-Punch machine in the Dark Aether Nexus.
This step will also cause Dark Aether lamps to appear on the map. These will be key to starting the process of obtaining the Ice Staff.
How to Get the Monocle
Now it’s time to get the monocle, an item dropped by an Shock Mimic after being defeated. This special zombie appears from round 8, defeating it is simple, just shoot its electrified mouth. It is not necessary to open the portal to the Dark Aether for it to appear.
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- Shock Mimic
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- Monocle
Before the next step, it is advisable to upgrade your weapons and stock up well, as you will be confined in an area full of enemies to obtain the staff and the upper part of the ice staff. These pieces can be obtained in any order.
How to Get the Staff
With the previous steps completed and the portal open, Dark Aether lamps will begin to appear on the map. These can be used to create flame zones that damage enemies and are key for the next phase of the challenge.
Head to the Tomb area, it’s one of the first ones you can unlock, and once there, shoot the Dark Aether lamp that may be on the ceiling or walls of the room.
Tomb – Map Location.
Shooting the lamps will cause them to respawn after a while in another position. Repeat the process until one is in front of the bull mural next to the debris.
If the lamp does not appear in the room, shoot other lamps in different rooms and return to the Tomb to try again. When the lamp is in the correct position, bright Roman numerals will appear over the bull mural.
The lamp should be on this wall.
The position of the numbers usually varies in each game, and you must shoot them in order from smallest to largest. If you did it correctly, the numbers will begin to glow and beams of Aether will emerge from the mural.
These numbers have a different design from traditional Roman numerals, so it may be difficult to identify them. Use the image below as a reference to avoid mistakes.
Roman numerals.
The beams of Aether will generate a wave of both armored and special zombies. Now you must eliminate all the zombies spawned for five rounds. These rounds do not count towards the overall game count.
Exiting the room or failing too many times to shoot the Roman numerals will result in a challenge loss and reset. If you manage to survive the five rounds, the first part of the Ice Staff will appear in front of the mural.
Staff – Lower part of the Ice Staff.
Since it is not yet assembled, you will not be able to use it as a weapon until you complete the following steps.
How to Get the Upper Part of the Ice Staff
Now we must repeat the previous process, but in a different location, the Neolithic Catacombs. This time, the lamps must be relocated in front of the cave painting in the Neolithic Catacombs, a larger area than before.
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- Neolithic Catacombs – Map Location.
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- Lamp in front of the cave painting.
When the lamp is in position, bright Roman numerals will appear above it. This time there are more and you must also shoot them in order from lowest to highest.
If you did it correctly, another series of five rounds of combat will begin. Remember that the image is to understand which number each symbol represents, as their location varies in each game.
Roman numerals – Cave painting.
Upon completing these rounds, the top part of the Ice Staff will appear in front of the cave painting. Now we can continue to assemble everything and obtain the “Wonder Weapon”.
How to Craft the Ice Staff
To craft it, we must access the Dark Aether Nexus through any of the portals scattered across the map. Once there, head to the large stone structure at the center of the area.
Central structure of the Dark Aether Nexus.
In its central part, there is a circular hole, with which you must interact to start assembling the Ice Staff. While the staff is being assembled, you must defend it from attacking zombies for one minute.
If the staff’s health bar reaches zero, you must eliminate the zombies in the area and reactivate the structure to restart the process. This is one of the toughest moments of the challenge. Make sure to stock up well and upgrade your weapons before this stage.
Ice Staff crafting process.
If you managed to overcome the defense phase in the Dark Aether Nexus, you can now use the Ice Staff and start upgrading it.
Upgrade the Ice Staff
The Ice Staff is a powerful weapon with considerable range. However, if you want to unleash its full potential and complete The Tomb’s easter egg, you must upgrade it obligatorily.
Relax, upgrading the Ice Staff is easier than obtaining it; you just need to complete the following steps.
Freeze the Lamps
The first step is to exit the Dark Aether Nexus and shoot the three Dark Aether lanterns on the map with the ice staff within a maximum span of 10 seconds. They are the same lamps we used before to reveal the Roman numerals.
Shoot the Dark Aether lamps with the ice staff.
To facilitate this, you can shoot them first with another weapon. This way they will respawn in different locations and you can place them closer to each other. If you fail and do not manage to shoot them within the specified time, you will have to shoot the frozen lamps again with another weapon to restart the process.
Symbols of the Closed Doorway
After freezing the lanterns, return to the Dark Aether Nexus. There, look for some symbols on the floating stones in the sky. These symbols change in each game, so it is important to memorize them or write them down. It is advisable to take screenshots to be able to zoom in since the symbols can be difficult to distinguish.
Now, use the Ice Staff to shoot at those symbols on the floating stones. If you did it right, Archibald will congratulate you over the radio and one of the portals in the Dark Aether Nexus will randomly lock.
Symbols on the floating stones.
Leave the Nexus and look for the blocked entrance. You will see a series of symbols on the door. What you need to do is shoot only the three symbols that you saw earlier on the floating stones.
The shooting order doesn’t matter, but if you miss, the portal will not activate correctly and it will eject you to a random location. In that case, you will have to repeat the process from the beginning.
Portal to the Dark Aether Nexus blocked.
If the combination is correct, the portal will activate and you will be able to enter. This will take you to a floating rock in the Dark Aether Nexus, where the next phase of the challenge will begin. If you fail, you will appear on the edge of the rock and fall to the ground, having to repeat the process.
Escort the Orb of the Dark Aether Nexus
Upon reaching the floating rock, you will see a purple orb. Interact with it and it will move towards the red portal, then travel around the entire map.
As the orb moves forward, it will generate common and special zombies. You must stay close to it and eliminate enemies, as eliminations will propel it to continue on its path.
Purple Nexus Orb.
If you or a team member stray too far from the orb, the challenge will reset and you will have to start over from the previous step.
If you manage to escort the orb to its destination, the central structure of the Dark Aether Nexus, where you assembled the Ice Staff, will begin to glow. Now you will be able to interact with it to upgrade the Ice Staff and unlock the alternate fire “Healing Orb”.
The Four Statues Trials
Now that the Ice Staff is upgraded, you must face four combat trials in specific areas. These trials are similar to those of the lamps, performed earlier, but they will be more difficult.
In the Dark Aether Nexus, there are four statues, each statue represents a type of enemy and is linked to another statue on the map outside the Nexus.
Parasite Statue at the Nexus.
The goal is to activate the statue at the Dark Aether Nexus, complete the trial at its corresponding location, and then return without being hit to finalize the challenge.
Vermin Trial
Head to the Vermin statue in the Dark Aether Nexus and shoot with the healing orb from the Ice Staff. Then, interact with it and travel to the Dig Site.
Locate the second Vermin statue and interact with it to start the trial. The objective is to eliminate all Vermin within a minute without leaving the designated area.
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- Vermin Statue Location at the Nexus
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- Vermin Statue Location
When you are done, interact with the statue to collect the amulet and return to the Dark Aether Nexus to interact with the initial statue. The nearest portal, the blue one, will be blocked so you will have to look for another.
Important: If you are hit while carrying the amulet, you will lose energy charge. If it is completely discharged, you will fail the trial and must repeat it.
Parasite Trial
Locate the Parasite Statue in the Dark Aether Nexus and shoot it with the healing orb of the Ice Staff. Then, interact with it and travel to the Shrine of the Hierophants.
In this test, you must search for Parasites with a purple glow. Upon eliminating them, they will drop energy orbs that you must collect and place in the statue.
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- Parasite Statue Location at the Nexus
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- Parasite Statue Location
This process must be repeated until the trial is completed, which lasts a minute and a half. Then, collect the amulet from the statue and return to the Dark Aether Nexus trying not to take hits to avoid discharging the amulet.
Remember that the nearest portal is blocked and you will need to find another entrance.
Doppelghast Trial
Locate the Doppelghast statue in the Dark Aether Nexus, shoot with the healing orb, and interact with it. Then, travel to the Ossuary to interact with the other statue and begin the trial.
At the start of the trial, you must eliminate all the Doppelghasts in the area. However, in this case the situation is a bit more difficult. Bursts of energy will emanate from the ground that you must avoid, as they can stun you and leave you vulnerable.
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- Doppelghast Statue Location at the Nexus
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- Doppelghast Statue Location
When you complete the trial, collect the amulet and return to the Dark Aether Nexus to interact with the corresponding statue and finish the challenge. Again, consider that the nearest portal will be blocked.
Amalgam Trial
For the final test, find the Amalgam statue in the Dark Aether Nexus, shoot it with the healing orb, and interact with it. Then, travel to the Deep Excavation Site to interact with the statue there.
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- Amalgam Statue Location at the Nexus
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- Amalgam Statue Location
Here you will face a giant Amalgam and defeat it before it activates its zombie shield. If the shield is activated, the Amalgam will be invulnerable until you eliminate all the zombies protecting it.
The time limit to complete this trial is one and a half minutes. Once defeated, collect the amulet from the Amalgam statue and return to the Dark Aether Nexus avoiding taking hits to interact with the other statue and complete the final trial.
Final Battle Against the Sentinel Artifact
With the four trials completed, you will be ready for the final battle. The statues will generate an energy beam that will point to the broken bridge in the northeast of the Dark Aether Nexus.
Broken bridge of the Dark Aether Nexus.
By interacting with the pedestal in that area, the bridge will be rebuilt and it will take you to the Sentinel Artifact, the final boss of the easter egg in The Tomb.
Phase 1
To start the combat, you must interact with the Sentinel Artifact. Upon doing so, it will begin to float up and down while firing a laser that can damage and stun you. During this phase, zombies will continue to spawn in the level.
Vulnerable Sentinel Artifact.
The third time the Artifact makes its up-and-down movement, it will become vulnerable to damage. You will notice the change because it will start to emit a purple glow. Take the opportunity to attack the Artifact and prevent it from destroying the statues.
If you manage to deal enough damage, it will split in two and you must repeat the process until its health drops to half.
Phase 2
When the Artifact reaches half of its life, special enemies possessed by the Sentinel Artifact will begin to appear. These enemies are much stronger and can kill you in a single blow.
Artifact-possessed zombie.
When you eliminate a possessed enemy, they will drop a replica of the artifact that you must quickly destroy. Repeat the process with the four possessed enemies.
During this phase, the Sentinel Artifact will continue firing energy beams, so it is advisable to hide in caves to avoid being hit.
Phase 3
Once the four replicas of the artifact are destroyed, they will float towards the center and be absorbed by the Sentinel Artifact, which will connect to them with violet rays.
Now is the time to unload your entire arsenal of weapons against the main artifact. If you fail to deal enough damage, the Sentinel Artifact will release a shockwave that will eliminate your entire team instantly.
Sentinel Artifact – Final Phase.
However, you can block this shockwave by taking shelter in nearby structures, such as caves. If you manage to deal enough damage before the wave, the victory cutscene will trigger and you will have completed the easter egg.
We hope this guide has been useful for completing The Tomb’s easter egg, remember that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies places a strong emphasis on cooperative play, and for that reason, it will be easier to complete each step with a well-organized squad.
