Skip to main content

How to find the new Wonder Weapon in Firebase Z — Black Ops Cold War Zombies

Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War has finally released the next chapter in its zombie mode. Firebase Z takes players deep into the Vietnamese jungle searching for Samantha Maxis, an operative trapped in the Dark Aether by Doctor Peck. Your mission is simple — get in, find Maxis, kill thousands of zombies, and get out. Firebase Z comes with all the fixings that make any COD zombie map playable. Most notably is the return of the Tombstone perk, a popular safety-net perk from past zombie modes.

An essential part of any new Zombie map is its Wonder Weapon and the steps involved in finding it. Firebase Z introduces the Rai-K 84, the latest in a long line of Wonder Weapons. Here’s how to find and use the Rai-K 84 on Firebase Z.

Recommended Videos

Die Machine brought us the D.I.E Shockwave Wonder Weapon with four different mods players could attach to it. Now, in Firebase Z, we’ve been gifted what some are calling the best Wonder Weapon to date. The Rai-K 84 is what it sounds like — a combination of the Ray Gun and the Ak-47. While you can find it in the mystery box, you can also follow this multi-step process to obtaining one for yourself every time.

Step 1 — Turn the power on

It has been the first objective in every game of zombies since Verruckt from Call of Duty: World at War. You will spawn in a small village area where you’ll ultimately come to Pack-a-Punch your guns. However, you’ll need to head through a teleporter to reach Firebase Z itself. Purchase the door in the center of the village. Head up the stairs, over the balcony, and through the teleporter.

Now you’re in Firebase Z. Three paths lay ahead of you. Each leads to a different reactor core and will have you buying two separate doors for each one. Finally, you’ll have to spend 500 points to initiate the reactor. Once activated, you’ll have to kill zombies near the reactor to power it up while subsequently defending it from taking damage.

Players should do each of these reactors back-to-back-to-back over three or four rounds. For the best results, head up the middle path first. This is the most challenging reactor to defend, so it’s best to do it as early as possible. You’ll also be one step ahead in the Wonder Weapon process.

Once all three reactors have been activated, you can return to Ravenov and Pack-a-Punch your weapons. Now, the hunt for the Rai-K 84 can begin.

Step 2 — The Blueprint

Firebase Z Rai-K 84 Blueprint
Image used with permission by copyright holder

From the teleporter in Firebase Z, head down the right path until you find the Weapons Lab in the back right. This will be your base of operations for everything Rai-K 84 related. On the wall in the right corner will be a large blueprint. Interact with it to add it to your inventory. There’s also an upgrade mannequin in here as well.

Step 3 — The eye

Firebase Z The Eye
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You’ll now be looking for a scientist lost somewhere in Firebase Z. You’ll need his eye to complete a retinal scan on the computer in the Weapons Lab. From the teleporter, head down the left path and out into the Scorched Defense. Hug the right side of this area until you find a body propped up against a tank. You’ll be able to interact with it — the corpse of our missing doctor. Needless to say, you’ll be taking his eye by force. Be careful though, a group of zombies will spawn in on top of you. Killing them will effectively end the round you’re on (assuming you’ve kept one zombie alive to complete these steps). Return to the Weapons Lab and use the eye at the computer.

Step 4 — The keys and the Mimics

Mimics Firebase Z Black Ops Cold War
Image used with permission by copyright holder

A drawer will pop open once the eye is scanned. Inside will be a set of keys that open the lockers in the Barracks. These lockers can be found in the tents on the Barracks’ left and right sides after heading up the middle path. You will want to keep one zombie alive at the end of the round, ideally a crawling one, as multiple Mimics will spawn on this step.

Open one locker at a time until you hear the sound of a spawning Mimic. Kill it and see if it drops the next item you need, the Barrel Assembly. Dr. Strauss will confirm when you’ve picked up the piece. However, if the Mimic doesn’t drop it, open another locker. Continue opening lockers and killing Mimics until you find the Barrel Assembly.

Step 5 — the Aetherium Converter

Black Ops Zombies Firebase Z Dart Board
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This is, by far, the most challenging step in the entire Wonder Weapon process. Back in the Weapons Lab, you’ll be able to interact with the computer. A radar-looking wheel will activate, and a ‘blip’ will move both clockwise and counter-clockwise around the wheel. You’ll need to keep track of where to blip stops. It will make three stops in total; each stop correlates to segments on a dartboard. You will find the dartboard in the Mess Hall left of the Pack-A-Punch machine.

The best way to memorize the segments is to have a picture of the dartboard cued up on your phone or laptop. Save the image above to whatever device you’d have handy when playing zombies. The absolute best strategy is to watch the blip until it passes over segments numbered 20, 3, 6, and 11. These are your North, South, East, and West points on the dartboard. You’ll have an easier time figuring out which segment the blip landed on as it relates to one of these four points.

Once you’ve established which segments the blip landed on, you’ll need to shoot those segments in that order on the Mess Hall dartboard. Once you’ve shot all three, shoot the bull’s eye, and the center will open. You must use a weapon that can shoot one bullet at a time. Burst fire weapons will register incorrect hits as they strike the same sport two or three times.

Step 6 — The Power Cell

Black Ops Cold War Firebase Z Manglers
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You’re nearing the end, don’t worry. However, you will have to progress until round 15 to complete this next step. This is where you’ll first encounter the Mangler Zombies. These Terminator-like enemies are equipped with a high-powered arm cannon that shoots flaming charged-projectiles at you. They pack a serious punch. These atrocities will be carrying the Power Cell in their arm-cannons.

Just as they’re charging up, concentrate your fire on the Manger’s arm to stagger it. Then, open fire and break its armor off. If done right, the Mangler will drop the Power Cell. It may be concealed in the Mangler’s body, so keep your eyes peeled.

Once you’ve found it, take it back into the Weapons Lab and place it on a charger on the right side of the room. You will have to let the Power Cell charge for one FULL round. You don’t need to kill zombies near it or interact with it in any way. Just place it at the end of the round you found it, survive the next round, and pick it up at the beginning of the third.

Step 7 — Put it all together

Firebase Z Rai-K 84
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You’ll have a small window of opportunity to grab the Power Cell once it’s done charging and construct the Rai-K 84. Interact with the workbench to build the Wonder Weapon. Now you have the all-powerful Rai-K 84 and are ready to lay waste to every Mimic and Mangler zombie in sight. The Rai-K 84, in its base form, should carry you up through round 20. Afterward, you’ll need to Pack-A-Punch it three times to unlock its full potential.

The Rai-K 84 has an under-barrel attachment that shoots a red plasma-like projectile. Fire this into a crowd of zombies and open fire on it. It will kill everything in sight and heavily damage Mimic and Manglers. The best strategy for the Rai-K’s alternative ammo is to create a chain of zombies behind you. Then, fire the projectile at your feet to lure the zombies into it. Don’t worry; this can’t damage you. Turn around and open fire as the red orb slows the crowd. Shoot the orb to eviscerate nearby zombies.

Not only is the Rai-K 84 essential for climbing high rounds in Firebase Z, but you’ll also need it if you plan on attempting Firebase Z’s main quest/easter egg to rescue Maxis. As of now, there are no mods or upgrades for the Rai-K 84 outside of Pack-A-Punching it. We’ll see what future updates add to the mix. Perhaps the Rai-K will receive the same treatment as the D.I.E Shockwave.

Topics
Mike Colucci
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Michael Colucci is a lifelong video game fan based out of the greater Boston area. He's the one insistent on searching every…
Black Ops 6 might be the biggest Call of Duty release ever
Soldiers near a train in Black Ops 6.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is on track to be the most successful Call of Duty release in the franchise's history thanks to a record-breaking launch, according to Activision and Microsoft.

The companies revealed that Black Ops 6 had the biggest three-day opening for the series by many metrics. It had the most players, most hours played, and the most total matches, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter). The game also got a shout-out during Microsoft's quarterly earnings call on Wednesday.

Read more
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies: tips and tricks for beginners
A bunch of characters standing around with guns getting attacked by flying giant bugs in Call of Duty's zombies mode

After the backlash surrounding the Zombies mode in Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has returned to the round-based roots we all know and love. Well, the structure might be familiar, but this mode has more than its fair share of new tricks that will see you getting swarmed in seconds if you can't learn to adapt. If you're familiar with how Call of Duty handles its Zombies mode, you will know that there's a lot more you need to know besides just shooting zombies if you want to make it to the later rounds. If you want to survive as long as possible, we have the key tips and tricks to withstand the zombie horde in Black Ops 6.
The basics still apply

There are a few tips from past Zombies games that will serve you well here in Black Ops 6 that are worth a quick reminder. Starting off with the need to conserve ammo in the early game. Zombies are weakest in the first handful of rounds, but ammo is incredibly scarce. You can't count on getting more when you need it, so save as much as possible and try to melee as many zombies as possible. Only shoot if you get swarmed, need to save a teammate, or when a boss or elite shows up.

Read more
The best Wildcards in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Kill Order gameplay in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

The concept of a Wildcard might sound like a risky endeavor in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, but this part of your loadout isn't random at all. We haven't seen this system since Cold War, and even those who remember it from that game will need to learn all the new cards there are in Black Ops 6. You can only equip a single Wildcard on your loadout, but they are powerful enough to completely redefine your playstyle. So far, there are only six to unlock while grinding through the levels with your friends, but picking just one is still a tough choice, especially if you want to use a permanent unlock on one after hitting Prestige. We've ranked all the Wildcards in Black Ops 6 so you can always have the winning hand.
All Black Ops 6 Wildcards, ranked

There is a level of personal preference in which Wildcard you will find better than others, but in most cases, the ones we've ranked as the best will help every player gain an edge in online matches. Here's our ranking of each Wildcard from best to worst, along with what level you unlock them at.
Perk Greed - Level 54
The last Wildcard you unlock is easily the most powerful. Perk Greed lets you unlock a fourth Perk to your loadout instead of being limited to three, which can borderline break the game if you choose the right set of Perks. It is also the most versatile of the Wildcards since it gives you the most options to play with instead of a specific bonus you may not find useful. It can also more easily unlock the special bonus buff you get for equipping three Perks from the same category.
Gunfighter - Level 33
Right in the middle of the unlock list, Gunfighter is one Wildcard you could easily make a case for over Perk Greed in some situations. This one increases your attachment points for your primary weapon by three. If you're rocking a top-tier weapon already, this Wildcard can let you tweak its stats even higher. We rank it second because it only applies to one weapon and thus is a bit more limiting.
Overkill - Level 24
For such an early Wildcard, Overkill is quite a powerful choice. This card lets you equip any weapon (except melee weapons) in your Primary and Secondary slots instead of the ones typically reserved for each. That means you can build a loadout with two Primary weapons and be far more versatile on the battlefield. Instead of having to trade off range, damage, rate of fire, mobility, or any other aspect of your game, you can cover almost all your bases by picking two Primary weapons that cover each other's weaknesses.
Prepper - Level 45
Field upgrades are powerful, don't get us wrong, but having two instead of one isn't always that much of a game-changer. It's a bit less useful than Gunfighter only because field upgrades are more situational and require more attention to use to their full potential. If that's you, then this is a great choice.
Danger Close - Level 38
Who doesn't want another grenade, Molotov, or combat axe? Is getting a second Lethal worth the Wildcard slot, though? Not in our opinion. Most of the time, Lethals are used in desperation or as a way to deny enemy movement for a time, and even then, they are risky because of how vulnerable you are while using them.
Tactical Expert - Level 15
The first Wildcard you get is better than nothing, but only just. It's exactly like Danger Close, only you can hold two Tacticals instead of Lethals. This is, by nature, a little worse since Tacticals don't have the ability to kill an enemy (unless you get super lucky and you directly hit an enemy with one who is on low HP). You can get some use out of them, but you're better off upgrading as soon as you have another option.

Read more