Summary
- Secure captured zones to debuff the enemy team strategically.
- Use weapons and equipment to hinder and grief the opposition effectively.
- Farm essence & salvage to upgrade gear and gain an advantage in battles.
Black Ops 6 Zombies is shaping up to be a strong entry in the long line of Call of Duty Zombies experiences, featuring some unique maps like Citadelle Des Morts and Shattered Veil, along with high-action boss fights and in-depth Easter Egg quests to complete.
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While round-based Zombies remains the most highly praised mode in the series' history, Black Ops 6 Zombies initially lacked any long-term additional game modes. However, Season 4 marked the return of Grief for the first time in over a decade, bringing competitive action back to the forefront of the popular co-op mode. To get ahead in this 4v4 mode, here are some tips and tricks to win in Grief.
1 Secure Capture Zones to Debuff the Enemy Team
Capture Zones Serve as a Surefire Way to Grief the Enemy
One of the first core mechanics in Grief that players will be introduced to is the Capture Zones, objectives that players can head to and complete a specific task to capture. The location of the Capture Zone will be revealed on the HUD for players to track, and by capturing it, the opposing team will receive one of many potential debuffs that give the other team an edge in battle.
Capture Zones serve as a surefire way to grief the opposition. When Capture Zones spawn, head over as a team and work together to complete the objective. Doing so can have consequences for the team that falls short, such as draining their ammo, forcing them to receive random weapons periodically, calling in a zombie ambush, and more.
2 Use Weapons & Equipment to Grief the Enemy Team
Guns, Melee Weapons, Shock Charges, & More
In Grief, players may already be aware that they can affect other players with their weapons, as well as use equipment to hinder them during rounds. However, the extent to which players can take advantage of this is quite impressive. For starters, shooting players will slow them down, along with introducing a bit of flinch, which can be rather disorienting. Be sure to conserve ammunition and, when an enemy player appears to be getting swarmed, fire a few shots to throw them off their guard.
Melee weapons also dish out a similar effect to regular guns and can be used to nudge players. Melee weapons come in handy in pushing players out of capture zones, staggering players as they move, and even pushing players away from reviving their teammates.
Last but not least is both tactical and lethal equipment, with tacticals standing out thanks to the fact that their effects are applied to the enemy team. One of the more standout tactical pieces of equipment is the Shock Charge that, when thrown onto enemy players, shocks them, slowing down their movement and making it much harder for them to fire their weapon at enemies. Throwing one down on a group of enemy players can be pretty effective, especially during moments when there are lots of zombies or when they are capturing a capture zone.
3 Farm Essence & Salvage to Upgrade Gear
Purchase Perks, Pack-a-Punch Weapons, & Increase Item Rarity
Essence and Salvage farming is a strategy that players will find themselves carrying over from regular round-based Zombies. However, with the difficulty of rounds suddenly increased in Grief, racking up the required Essence and Salvage to upgrade gear is a must. For points, Critical Kills serve as the best way to maximize Essence gain, with melee kills being the second-best method, particularly in early rounds. Salvage, on the other hand, can have its drop rates increased when equipping a Suppressor on weaponry.
From here, players can then strategize how they spend their Essence. It's often recommended to Pack-a-Punch first to buff weapons, and then prioritize boosting health, either by purchasing an Armor Vest or Jugger-Nog. After that, players can focus on increasing their weapon rarity via The Arsenal using Salvage. On the other hand, if players have points to spare, purchasing a higher-rarity weapon as a Wall Buy or from the Mystery Box can be a faster way to get Legendary or Epic rarity weapons. Just be sure to save a few Zombie Builds so that the weapons received aren’t kitted out with random attachments.
4 Get the Best Perks for Grief
Jugger-Nog, Quick Revive, Stamin-UP, PHD Flopper, & More
Keeping in line with spending Essence is kitting players out with the right Perks as they progress through their games in Grief. While the Perks players choose are mostly down to personal preference, the two standout options for Grief specifically are Jugger-Nog and Quick Revive. Jugger-Nog is pretty self-explanatory, as it boosts the player's health, and players can get even more value out of it with the Probiotic and Hardened Plates Augments.
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Quick Revive, on the other hand, is all about keeping the team alive by boosting revive speeds. Pretty much all of Quick Revive’s Augments are lifesavers, so be sure to pick and choose which ones work best for your playstyle. As for other Perks, PHD Flopper paired with Tribologist and PHD Slider works wonders for getting around the map more easily. Stamin-Up is also great, and Vulture Aid paired with Picky Eater allows players to recharge their equipment for more griefing opportunities.
5 Choose the Right Weapons for the Job
Maelstrom, GS45, PP-919, & More
When it comes to Black Ops 6 Zombies, pretty much all weapons are viable once Pack-a-Punched and upgraded in rarity. This gives players a good amount of freedom in how they play, allowing them to run whatever weapon they prefer. However, certain weapons still shine more than others, with options like the Maelstrom and the GS45 being go-to choices.
The Maelstrom Shotgun is without a doubt one of the best weapons to run in any Zombies mode when Pack-a-Punched, boasting a faster fire rate and increased damage for taking out zombies and tougher enemies. Similarly, the GS45 Pistols, when Pack-a-Punched, serve as excellent explosive weapons, though they may require PHD Flopper to use safely. High ammo capacity weapons like the PP-919, along with various Assault Rifles and Submachine Guns, are also excellent considerations.
6 Pick the Right Field Upgrades
Healing Aura, Aether Shroud, & Energy Mine
While the player's choice of Field Upgrade in Grief completely depends on personal preference, there are a few standout options. Healing Aura is one of the more obvious and effective choices, allowing players to heal or revive all players near the user in its base state. It also includes other benefits, such as allowing revived players to keep their Perks with the Persistence Augment, and boosting player health regeneration or damage mitigation with the Resilience or Protection Augments.
Aether Shroud is also an excellent choice, making the user invisible to enemies in its base state. It can also be used to cloak the entire team with the Group Shroud Augment, and enhanced with Extra Charge or Extension to provide an extra use or increased duration. The Energy Mine is a surprisingly good option for griefing enemy players when paired with the Turret Augment, as it can target the opposing team and slow them down with each automated shot.
7 Prioritize GobbleGums That Aid the Team
Nowhere But Here, Phoenix Up, Near Death Experience, & More
While GobbleGums are not the end-all be-all when it comes to securing victory in Grief, they can certainly help. A lot of GobbleGums are definitely viable. However, since Grief is heavily reliant on teamwork, it is important to choose GobbleGums that benefit the team as a whole. For instance, boosting the team’s score, bestowing the team with good loot, and keeping teammates alive are all benefits players should look for when selecting GobbleGums.
For those looking for some good GobbleGums to use in Grief, consider the following: Nowhere But Here is great for quickly getting to a player after they are downed, while Phoenix Up can come in clutch for reviving all downed players and allowing them to keep their Perks. Near Death Experience is also great for reviving players by simply being near them, allowing players to focus on the incoming horde. Honorable mentions include GobbleGums like Profit Sharing, Who’s Keeping Score, and Raindrops, all of which boost the team's score or provide free Power-Ups.
For Season 4 Reloaded, certain GobbleGums that revive players will be restricted in Grief. This list will be updated once the GobbleGums suggested become unusable, but for the time being, players can use all the GobbleGums listed.
8 Steal Enemy Drops to Gain an Advantage
Collect Enemy Salvage, Power Ups, & More
One simple yet effective strategy that players can make use of is stealing drops from the enemy team. As the enemy team slays zombies and other enemies, they will receive drops just like anyone else, but all players are capable of picking up those drops, even the opposition. For starters, Salvage, one of the most common and useful drops, can be collected by any player. So be sure to run through the enemy's farmed Salvage to increase your own gain and prevent them from increasing theirs.
Power-Ups can also be stolen, and activated Power-Ups will only apply to the user and their team. To get ahead in Grief, players can simply control the Power-Ups that spawn on the battlefield, making a beeline to steal the drops from kills secured by the enemy team to ensure they don’t benefit from them.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Released
- October 25, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Franchise
- Call of Duty
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
