Honestly, Black Ops 3 peaked with Der Eisendrache.
It’s been years since the DLC first dropped, but the snowy peaks of Griffin Castle still pull people back. Why? Because the Der Eisendrache easter egg steps are actually fun. Unlike the tedious flag-running in Shadows of Evil or the plant-watering nightmare of Zetsubou No Shima, this quest feels like a movie. You’re literally traveling through time, shooting a bow at a moon base, and fighting a corrupted Keeper in a grand arena. It’s peak Treyarch.
But here is the thing: most people fail the run because they overcomplicate the "My Brother's Keeper" quest. They get bogged down in the bow upgrades or mess up the wisp step because they don't understand the internal logic of the map. If you're trying to solo this or carry a team of three friends who barely know how to open the doors, you need a different strategy. Forget the overly polished guides that make it look easy. Let's talk about how this actually works in a high-pressure round 20 situation.
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The Pre-Game Reality Check
Before you even touch a bow, you have to set the foundation. You need the Wrath of the Ancients. Feed the three dragons. You know the spots—one by the courtyard, one in the research lab, and one down in the undercroft. Do this fast. If you aren't finishing your bows by round 8 or 9, you're going to have a bad time when the Panzersoldats start spawning with higher health pools.
Speaking of bows, if you’re playing solo, you only need one. Just one. Most people think they need to craft all four because of some old glitch or misinformation they heard back in 2016. No. If you’re playing a ranked game solo, you only need to finish the upgrade for the bow you’re actually using. If you’re in a non-ranked private match with four players, yeah, you need all four. Choose the Lightning (Storm) bow. It’s still the king for a reason. The Wolf bow is okay for "get out of my way" moments, but the Storm bow is what keeps you alive during the boss fight.
Starting the Der Eisendrache Easter Egg Steps
Once you have the upgraded bow and the Gravity Spikes (Ragnarok DG-4), the real quest begins. You have to hit the teleporter with a non-upgraded arrow—wait, no, that's the old way. You need to shoot the prongs on the teleporter with the upgraded bow after hitting the glowing orbs.
Actually, let’s back up. The "Wisp Step" is where 90% of runs die.
After you’ve got your upgraded bow, you need to find the "Electric Wisps." These spawn in specific locations like the phone by the power room, the clock above the command center, or the car tire near the Double Tap machine. You have to shoot them with an upgraded bow. If you hear a "fail" noise, it’s usually because you ran too close to a wisp without shooting it, or you took too long.
The trick? Sound. Turn your game music down and the SFX up. You can hear the hum of the wisp through the walls.
Traveling Through Time
Once you hit all four wisps in a single round, the teleporter in the basement will glow purple. Jump in. You’re now in the past. This is where the narrative heavy lifting happens. You'll see Dr. Groph and Dr. Dempsey (the 1.0 version). While you’re here, you have to grab two things.
- The Blue Cylinder.
- The Soul Stone (from the safe).
Don't just stand there staring at the lore. You only have a few seconds before you're kicked back to the present. If you miss the safe code, you've effectively wasted a whole round because you have to wait for the wisps to respawn. It sucks.
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The Simon Says Nightmare
Next up is the Keeper. You’ve got to bring him to life. But before that, you’re playing Simon Says with the Tesla trap terminals. There are two screens: one in the courtyard and one up by the rocket pad.
Most players struggle here because they try to memorize the symbols. Stop doing that. Just use a shorthand on a piece of paper or have a friend call them out. "Square, Circle, X, Triangle." Simple. Once you complete both terminals, the "Death Ray" becomes active in a different way. You’ll be able to put the fuse in and switch it to "Protect" mode.
This leads into the most iconic part of the Der Eisendrache easter egg steps: bringing the rocket down. You’re basically using a localized EMP to knock Dempsey’s cryoposter out of orbit. When that crash happens near the courtyard, go grab the golden rod. You’ll need it to slot into the Knight’s tomb.
The Soul Box Grind
Now the Keeper is a ghost. He’s wandering around the map, and he’s hungry. He will stop at four locations. At each stop, there will be a glowing circle on the floor. You have to stand in that circle and get kills.
Here is the catch: the screen will glow a specific color. This indicates which bow you need to use for the kills.
- Red: Fire Bow
- Blue: Lightning Bow
- Purple: Void Bow
- Green: Wolf Bow
If you’re playing solo on a ranked match, the Keeper should only ask for the bow you have. If it asks for a bow you haven't made, you likely started the upgrade quest for another bow by accident. This is a run-killer for many. Stay focused. Don't touch the other quest items if you don't intend to finish them.
Preparing for the Boss Fight
The boss fight against the Corrupted Keeper is a massive difficulty spike. If you go in there with just a bow and a dream, you’re going to get wiped. You need a setup.
First, Perk-a-Hills. You need Juggernog (obviously), Quick加 (for the revive), and Stamin-Up. Stamin-Up is non-negotiable because you have to outrun the Keeper’s shockwave attack. If you can’t get behind a pillar when he starts charging that center sun-looking attack, it’s an instant "Game Over" screen.
Recommended Loadout:
- The Storm Bow: For crowd control and trapping the boss.
- A Pack-a-Punched KRM-262 or Haymaker: These shotguns shred the Panzers.
- Near Death Experience (Gobblegum): If you have this, you basically cannot lose the boss fight in solo. You’ll keep reviving with all your perks. It’s essentially a cheat code.
- Head Drama: Another great choice if you’re struggling with Panzer helmets.
The Arena Strategy
When you teleport to the boss room, don't stop moving. The Keeper will float around and throw skeletons at you. Ignore the skeletons as much as possible; let your bow's lightning storms handle them.
Your goal is to wait for the Keeper to move to the center of the room. He’ll start charging a massive ball of light. This is your window. Place your Ragnarok DG-4 spikes directly under him. This traps him and opens his chest.
Now, unload everything. Aim for the glowing yellow heart. Don't use the bow here—use your shotgun or a high-fire-rate weapon like the Dingo. The bow is for survival; the bullets are for the boss.
You usually have to repeat this three times. Between phases, Panzers will spawn. This is the most dangerous part of the entire Der Eisendrache easter egg steps process. Use your bow to trap the Panzers in place and then blast them in the face with your shotgun. If you get overwhelmed, use the outer ring of the arena to train the skeletons.
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What Most People Miss
There’s a nuance to the "Time Travel" part that people often fail to exploit. You actually visit the past twice. The second time is triggered by the book in the 935 lab. This second trip is where you get the stone tablet for the Keeper's soul box step. If you forget to interact with the box in the past, you’ll be stuck in the present wondering why the Keeper isn’t moving.
Also, let’s talk about the plunger. Is it necessary? No. Is it hilarious and incredibly useful? Yes. If you complete the side quest for the plunger, it becomes a one-hit kill weapon against Panzers after you've killed one with a regular weapon. It makes the boss fight a joke. To get it, you have to mess with the clock tower and some wall-running, but if you're struggling with the boss, it's worth the extra ten minutes.
Practical Next Steps
If you're ready to tackle this tonight, don't just jump in. Do a "dry run" first.
- Practice the Bows: Get to the point where you can finish the Storm bow by round 5. It’s possible if you maximize points.
- Memorize Wisp Spots: Load into a game and just walk to all 8 spawn points until you have a mental map. You shouldn't be searching; you should be sprinting.
- Check Your Gobblegums: Make sure you have "In Plain Sight" or "Anywhere But Here" if you don't have the ultra-rare Mega gums. These save runs when you get cornered.
- Manage the Panzers: Learn the sound of their siren. The moment you hear it, find a wide-open area. Never fight a Panzer in a tight hallway.
The beauty of the Der Eisendrache quest is that it rewards mastery. Once you understand the flow of the wisps and the rhythm of the boss fight, it becomes one of the most repeatable and satisfying experiences in Call of Duty history.
Go get that cutscene. It's one of the best in the series, especially seeing the emotional payoff for Dempsey. Just make sure you have enough ammo before you jump into that final teleporter. There’s nothing worse than running out of arrows when the Keeper has 5% health left.