Black Ops 2: Apocalypse DLC & Zombies Origins Guide
Before CoD: Ghosts lands on store shelves, Black Ops 2 gives a final hurrah with its Apocalypse add-on. The standard four new multiplayer maps are packed in with the final zombies map, and here we’ll walk players through each one — with a serious focus on zombies mode. Learn a little bit about strategies, pathways, and danger zones in the guide below, and get a handle on Origins before jumping online.
See what challenges await with the list of Origins achievements then see how to unlock them with our guides on the Black Ops 2: Apocalypse cheats page.
There’s a ton more of Call of Duty on Game Front, check out all the Easter eggs and extras on cheat compendiums for Black Ops 2, Uprising, Revolution, and Vengeance.
Check back soon for new updates.
Dig
Since the map is almost completely outdoors and exposed from above, the best killstreaks to equip are ones that blanket a large section of the battlefield at once such as air or lightning strikes.
Look for crates and other objects positioned against the surrounding walls, as they will allow you to climb on top of them for the purposes of quick escape or to take advantage of the high-ground. Specifically you should look for areas on top of the wall cluttered with shrubs or other foliage that can provide some sort of cover.
The narrow walkways that make up this area make it ideal for strategic grenade throws, especially if a UAV is active. You can wait around corners or at intersections within the surrounding maze to watch for enemies approaching or passing by and toss grenades so that they ricochet off the walls to land within killing-range of the target.
When approaching the circular clearings within the maze, take a quick look around towards the other entry points facing this area to locate enemies laying in wait and equip a sniper rifle if possible to pick off as many of them as you can.
When crossing through the circular clearings within the maze, duck down behind the pillar or crates at its center to avoid enemy fire and take a moment to defend yourself by turning to face the entry points that currently have an open line of site on you before leaving this position.
The edges of the map feature straightaways that provide a long line of sight perfect for sniping.
The best class for this particular map is one that employs a submachine-gun which is ideal for the close-quarters nature of the area and it will allow you more success when rushing towards enemies within the maze of the dig site.
Although it is a highly exposed area, the tops of the walls that surround the circular clearings are ideal places for you to pick up kills by firing down onto the enemies crossing through the area below or the ones battling back and forth between the surrounding entry points.
If you are equipped with a sniper rifle, look for low points in the surrounding maze so you can zoom in with the scope and jump to look above the shorter walls for enemies on the other side in the distance that can easily be picked off.
Another prime sniping spot is in the northeast corner of the map, where you move back and forth across behind the low wooden wall to take advantage of the long lines of sight provided for picking off enemies that pass by the area.
Takeoff
Try to secure a position on any available second floor of the surrounding buildings and equip an assault rifle so you can fire down on the enemies passing below with some sort of accuracy while also being able to quickly defend yourself from being flanked at close-range.
Due to the mix of interior and exterior combat areas on this map, as well its general size overall, the most advisable killstreaks to utilize would be the UAV, V-SAT and Counter-UAV for avoiding dangerous situations or ambushing enemies that currently advantageous positions.
If you prefer to do battle primarily in the outside areas, equip a sniper rifle and grenades for taking out the enemies perched in the surrounding open windows above.
The second floor of the blue Launch Center building gives you the widest perspective on the area below and has a scaffolding outside the window that expands your line of sight even further, but it is also a highly exposed perch and the amount of foot traffic that passes through this area increases the chances of being ambushed on a regular basis.
The second floor of the red Lounge building has a restricted view on the area below, but there is only one entry point into this position that can be easily defended and the amount of foot traffic is low enough for you to score a few kills before being interrupted. This spot is also ideal for sniping enemies perched in the Launch Center across the way.
If you must travel across the open area with the fountain, move beneath the scaffolding against the Launch Center to use it as a protective tunnel in this highly exposed section of the map.
Carrying a riot shield on your back is probably the safest way to proceed through map, due to the high number of open areas, sniper perches in the surrounding structures and blind spots encountered where you decide to make a stand.
Equipped with a sub-machine gun or assault rifle, you can pick up a few easy kills by running in a continuous circle around the large blue fountain outside and ambushing enemies coming around the corners or approaching from the various entry points in the surrounding area.
If you stand near and with your back to the edges or corners of the map, it decreases the odds of being ambushed or even discovered immediately and the line of sight available from these positions allows for sniping enemies that will surely run by at some point.
Firing through the ground floor windows or doorways from inside the surrounding structures is less expected by the enemy than fire coming from the second story and it can earn you more kills due to the high number of players who will repeatedly sprint towards the entrances for cover or tactical advantages.
Frost
Duck down between the pair of barricades on the central bridge so that you are cover from both sides, then repeatedly turn around to pop up for a second each time and eliminate any oncoming enemies.
Another way to cover the central bridge area is by dropping down onto the frozen river below and climbing on top of the nearby boat so that you have a level line of sight on enemies passing through the area. You can also jump from the roof of the boat to quickly return to the bridge right away.
The Lightning Strike and Swarm are two of the more advantageous killstreaks to utilize on this map, because the nature of the narrow outside streets results in enemies being more likely to end up clustered together in one spot most of the time and easily targeted from above as well.
The surrounding builds are almost too small to be used as anything more than momentary cover or as a shortcut between the outside pathways, which means a lot of combat takes place within semi-close range and usually while both parties are on the run. That is why a sub-machine gun or assault rifle class is the most advisable choice for this map.
When crossing between the two halves of the map, use the frozen river to pass beneath the central bridge as a means of keeping your exposure low as opposed to the high-traffic area on top.
Another successful tactic that can be used on this map is to equip a sniper rifle and position yourself at either end of the central bridge to pick off enemies approaching from the opposite side.
Any of the vans that are destroyed in the outside areas provide excellent cover in that they are tall enough for you to remain standing and the front windows can be fired through without exposing too much of yourself.
If you are quick enough with a sniper rifle, then can stop halfway across the central bridge to look down towards the frozen river and pick off any opponents crossing through that area before having to retreat.
Place tactical insertions within the rooms that overlook the frozen river so that you can either make a quick trip to the other side of the map or advance on the central bridge where most of the action takes place.
Find the laundry room at the back of one of the houses to crouch in a corner that overlooks both doorways and use a submachine gun or shotgun to eliminate any opponents who pass through from either side.
Pod
The map consists of narrow trails and enclosed structures that encircle a few wide open areas, which is why an assault rifle class is most advisable since it allows for accuracy within close quarters and across long lines of sight. You can also equip a sub-machine gun for traveling along the outer pathways to great effect.
The best way to flank enemies who have posted up in key positions is by taking the long way around towards them using the outer pathways and avoid crossing through open areas.
To keep your level of exposure down, avoid following outside trails for very long and instead travel across the map by purposefully moving from pod-to-pod since there is always an open one around somewhere.
Whenever you are moving around outside, do a quick visual scan of every open doorway or window ahead of and behind you by zooming momentarily since there so many places on this map for opponents to snipe from.
Despite the high volume of enclosures to pass through on this map, most of the action takes place while traveling between them which is why killstreaks such as the Lightning Strike and the Swarm are most effective.
If you are going to hold down any of the pods, choose one with two narrow entries and a view of a street or clearing with heavy foot-traffic.
Be sure to use explosive grenades and C4 as often as possible, since they are the most effective way to clear out enemy-occupied pods.
The bathroom pod is one of the more advantageous enclosures to position yourself since the column in the middle protects you from behind and the hole in the wall provides a wide line of sight into the outside area.
To avoid being ambushed inside a pod, wait for someone to pass by outside and jump out the window or doorway to quickly take them out at close-range, then move onto a different enclosure and repeat the same line of attack.
Take advantage of the narrow streets that cross this map by planting explosives on one of the vehicles that obstruct them, entering a pod with a vantage point on this area and detonating the device as soon as an opponent comes within range.
Zombie Map: Origins
To access new items in an area, you’ll need to activate the generators, which are represented as control panels attached to a system of pipes filled with electrified liquid on either side. Simply approach the panel and hold down the indicated button to activate a surge of power, then defend the area until the items become available.
The zombies equipped with orange armor will be destroyed by the activation of a generator, which means they can be ignored until this happens as a means of saving ammo.
One of the best areas to initially hold down is the bunker with two sections of collapsed roof and a mystery box in the corner. You can alternate between the upper and lower levels, while cycling through random weapons to find one that would be most effective in the current situations.
Keep an eye towards the sky whenever you travel across the upper levels of the outside area, because the massive robot that patrols the map is likely to step on you if you’re not being vigilante.
The Jugger-Nog and Perk-a-Cola machine are located by Generator Station 4 in No-Man’s Land, which can be accessed by following the signs scattered around the lower bunker area.
Zombie blood will camouflage your humanity and allow you to move past the enemies without being attacked, so it is best to save this concoction for when you are completely surrounded or on the run from a larger creature.
By activating all 6 generators located across this map, you’ll gain access to the Pack-a-Punch machine.
The general process of constructing the specially-charged staffs around this map is as follows: Open the staff room, collect the three staff pieces, enter the bunker that corresponds with the staff power you are trying to access, activate a teleporter to collect a specially-charged rock and enter the staff room to construct the staff.
As a precursor to constructing any of the staffs, you’ll need to first collect the musical record located around the Pack-a-Punch area near the center of the map, descend into the excavation site to grab the record player and place it on the adjacent table to reveal the Staff Room.
Lightning Staff Construction:
The Lightning Music record is located within or around Generator Station 4.
You can find the three pieces of the Lightning Staff by jumping atop the tank in the church room and riding it around the outside areas of the map.
The first piece is located on your left in a small darkened cave room attached to the outside of the excavation scaffolding at the bottom of an incline.
The second piece is located on your right by transferring onto the landing of a tall staircase and descending the steps to approach the pool of water ahead.
The third piece is located at the rear of the church and can be reached by jumping to the dirt trail on the right just before the tank reaches the building, then passing through the broken window at the top.
Afterwards, enter the Lightning Bunker by Generator Station 5 to place the record player on the table below and pass through the teleporter that appears to collect the Lightning Rock on the other side.
Rebuild the previous teleporter you used to return to the surface and enter the Staff Room you originally opened at the bottom of the excavation site, then place the pieces into the purple slot to construct the Lightning Staff.
Fire Staff Construction
The Fire Music record is located within or around the church.
You’ll find the first piece of the Fire Staff by eliminating the heavily-armored zombie that appears during the initial rounds of gameplay.
The second piece of the Fire Staff can be obtained by activating Generator 6 and approaching the box that opens afterwards.
Look towards the bi-planes battling across the sky above to locate the one with an orange glow and shoot it down with a machine gun to collect the third staff piece that falls to the ground.
Afterwards, enter the Fire Bunker just outside of Generator Station 3 to place the record player on the table below and pass through the teleporter that appears to collect the Fire Rock on the other side.
Rebuild the previous teleporter you used to return to the surface and enter the Staff Room you originally opened at the bottom of the excavation site, then place the pieces into the red slot to construct the Fire Staff.
Wind Staff Construction
The Wind Music record is located within or around Generator Station 5.
The three pieces of the Wind Staff are located in each of the three giant robots that patrol this map and you’ll need to enter them to collect each one.
Stand beneath the robots’ feet as they are lifted up and look for a circular patter of yellow lights on the bottom heel, then shoot this area to open a door and let it fall on top of you to collect the piece inside. You should try to keep a safe distance from the stomping feet until you are certain it can be opened from the bottom or you’ll be crushed as usual.
Afterwards, enter the Wind Bunker near Generator Station 4 to place the record player on the table below and pass through the teleporter that appears to collect the Wind Rock on the other side.
Rebuild the previous teleporter you used to return to the surface and enter the Staff Room you originally opened at the bottom of the excavation site, then place the pieces into the yellow slot to construct the Wind Staff.
Ice Staff Construction
Search the underground area around Generator Station 1 to find the Ice Music Record.
To find the three pieces of the Ice Staff, you’ll first need to collect a Shovel from the wall in the room where you initially start this map.
Once you have the Shovel, wait for it to start snowing outside and travel across the entire map to dig up every available pile in the ground until all three staff pieces have been uncovered.
Afterwards, enter the Ice Bunker near Generator Station 6 to place the record player on the table below and pass through the teleporter that appears to collect the Ice Rock on the other side.
Rebuild the previous teleporter you used to return to the surface and enter the Staff Room you originally opened at the bottom of the excavation site, then place the pieces into the blue slot to construct the Ice Staff.
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