You’re staring at the loadout screen. The AMES 85 looks good, but it looks a lot better in Borealis or whatever mastery skin you’re currently sweat-shining for in Black Ops 6. Let’s be real. The AMES 85 is basically the "reliable old friend" of the assault rifle category. It doesn't have the insane fire rate of some SMGs, but it’s a laser beam. In Zombies? It’s a headshot machine. But if you're here, you probably already know that. You're likely stuck on one specific challenge or just want to know how to breeze through the AMES zombies camo challenges without spending six hours in a single match on Liberty Falls.
Getting these camos isn't just about shooting things. It's about efficiency. If you play like a normal person, you'll be grinding for weeks. If you play like someone who actually wants to finish the mastery set before the next seasonal update drops, you need a plan.
Why the AMES 85 is Actually Your Best Friend in Zombies
Most people gravitate toward the high-damage, high-recoil guns because they think "big damage equals fast kills." Honestly, in Zombies, consistency is king. The AMES 85 has a recoil pattern that is almost non-existent once you slap a few stability attachments on it. When you’re trying to land 250 critical kills (headshots, basically) in a single run, you don't want a gun that’s kicking toward the moon every time you pull the trigger.
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The secret sauce for the AMES is the optic. Don't run iron sights. Grab something clean like the Slate Reflector or a low-magnification reflex. Because the AMES has such a predictable drift, you can basically park your crosshairs at head-level and let the train of zombies walk right into their own demise.
The Military Camos: The Long Road
Before you get to the "Special" or "Mastery" camos, you have to chew through the Military tiers. These are usually just raw kill counts. We're talking 2,000 kills total.
It sounds like a lot. It is a lot.
But here’s the thing: don’t just sit in the starting area. You need to get to a point where the spawn rate is high enough to actually feed your kill count. Round 15 to 25 is the "Goldilocks Zone" for the AMES 85. The zombies are fast enough to group up tightly, but they aren't so tanky that the AMES starts feeling like a pea shooter. If you stay past round 30 without a Triple Pack-a-Punch, you're just wasting ammo and time.
Breaking Down the AMES Zombies Camo Challenges (The "Special" Stuff)
Once you finish those 2,000 kills, the real fun—or headache—begins. Every weapon has unique "Special" challenges. For the AMES 85, you’re usually looking at specific combat scenarios.
1. Get 250 Critical Kills
This is the bread and butter of the AMES zombies camo challenges. If you aren't aiming for the head, you're playing wrong. Use the Deadshot Daiquiri perk. It’s mandatory. In BO6, Deadshot doesn't just give you aim assist on the head; it increases critical damage.
Pro Tip: Go to the jet trap area in Liberty Falls or the catwalks in Terminus. Line them up. Tap the trigger. Don't hold it down. Controlled bursts ensure every bullet finds a skull.
2. Get 10 Kills Without Being Hit (Repeatedly)
This one scares people, but it’s actually the easiest if you use your equipment. Throw a Decoy Grenade or a Cymbal Monkey. While the zombies are distracted, pick them off with the AMES. If you have the Aether Shroud field upgrade, pop it when you’re surrounded. You become invisible, and every kill counts toward this challenge while you’re "untouchable."
3. Eliminations While the Weapon is Pack-a-Punched
This is basically a freebie. You should be packing your gun anyway. The AMES 85 becomes the "Ames-ing Grace" (or whatever punny name the devs gave it this year) and gets a massive magazine boost. Use the Extended Mag II attachment before you even start the match. When you Pack-a-Punch a gun with an already large mag, you end up with over 100 rounds. That means less reloading and more killing.
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The Mastery Grind: Mystic Gold and Beyond
After you finish the specials, you hit the Mastery tier.
- Mystic Gold: Usually requires getting a certain number of kills (often 10) very quickly, several times. This is all about the "Horde and Pop" method. Run in circles to gather a group of 15+ zombies. Turn around. Spray.
- Opal: This usually involves killing Elites or Special zombies (like Manglers or Abominations). The AMES isn't a "boss killer" by nature. To make this easier, use the Napalm Burst or Brain Rot ammo mods. Brain Rot is particularly good because a turned zombie can help weaken others, but be careful—sometimes the turned zombie "steals" your kill.
- Afterlife/Nebula: These are the long-term grinds. You’ll need to complete the gold/opal challenges for every weapon in the AR class.
Don't Forget the Augments
A lot of players overlook the Research/Augment system when doing AMES zombies camo challenges. If you have the "Major" and "Minor" augments unlocked for your perks, use them! For example, some Deadshot augments increase damage against armor. Since Manglers are a constant nuisance in the mid-rounds, having that extra armor-piercing capability makes the "Elite Kill" challenges go by twice as fast.
Also, look at your ammo mods. If your challenge is simply "kills," Dead Wire is king. The chain lightning effect kills zombies you aren't even aiming at, and yes, those count toward your total kill progress.
The "Training" vs. "Camping" Debate
For the AMES 85, training is usually better. The gun has great mobility for an AR. If you camp in a corner, you risk getting overwhelmed by a heavy zombie or a boss. If you "train" (running in a large loop to gather zombies behind you), you control the flow of the fight.
Find a wide-open area. The courtyard in front of the church in Liberty Falls is perfect. Just keep moving in a counter-clockwise circle. Every time you reach a straightaway, turn, aim down sights, and take out five or six zombies. Rinse and repeat.
Mistakes to Avoid
One of the biggest time-wasters is staying in a game too long. Once you hit round 30, the health scaling of zombies makes the AMES feel weak. You'll spend more time looking for ammo than actually getting challenge progress.
It is almost always faster to exfil at round 25 or 30 and start a fresh match. The early rounds are fast, the zombies die in one hit, and you can get back to the "power curve" much quicker.
Also, don't ignore your secondary. While you need the AMES kills, keep a powerful wonder weapon or a shotgun as a "get out of jail free" card. If you die, you lose all your perks and your progress for that round might feel wasted. Stay alive first, grind camos second.
Final Steps for Your Next Run
To finish these challenges today, follow this exact sequence. Equip the AMES 85 with the largest magazine and a clear reflex sight. Load into a solo match to maximize the zombie count per player. Focus entirely on headshots for the first 10 rounds to knock out the critical kill requirements. By round 15, make sure you have Pack-a-Punch Level 2 and at least three perks: Juggernog, Quick Revive, and Deadshot Daiquiri.
Stay in the high-spawn areas, use your decoys to group enemies for the "multikill" or "undamaged" challenges, and exfil the moment you feel the gun losing its punch. If you follow this rhythm, you can knock out the primary AMES zombies camo challenges in two or three decent sessions. Stick to the headshots, watch your positioning, and keep that firing trigger disciplined.