Look, Der Eisendrache is legendary. It’s arguably the peak of Black Ops 3 Zombies. But honestly, if you’re trying to run through the easter egg der eisendrache steps without a solid plan, you’re going to get flattened by the Panzers. It’s not just about knowing where to stand. It’s about timing. It’s about not panicking when the screen turns gray and the moon starts falling apart.
The "My Brother’s Keeper" quest isn't just a list of chores. It's a high-stakes gauntlet.
Getting Started: The Bow is Non-Negotiable
You can't even think about the main quest until the Wrath of the Ancients is in your hands. Feed the three dragons. You know the drill—one in the courtyard, one in the research lab, and one down in the pyramid room. Once you’ve got that base bow, you need to upgrade it.
Here’s the thing people argue about: which bow is best? If you're solo, the Storm Bow (Electric) is your best friend for crowd control. If you're in a full squad, someone better be decent with the Void Bow because those skulls actually help more than people admit during the Simon Says stage. You’ve got to have at least one upgraded bow per player in the game to progress past the mid-game check. If you're playing "Ranked" with four people, all four bows must be finished.
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The Teleporter and the Plunger
Once the bows are sorted, it’s time to start the actual easter egg der eisendrache steps. You need the Wrath of the Ancients to hit the teleporter prongs. Go to the teleporter near the Rocket Pad. Look up. There are these glowing prongs. Hit them with the bow until they turn electric.
Now, find the wisps. This is where most runs die.
Four locations. You need to find a glowing electricity wisp and hit it with an upgraded bow. If you hear a "fail" sound (that annoying buzz), you messed up and have to wait until the next round. Check the car tire near Double Tap. Check the phone near the power room. Check the clock in the barracks. Check the globe in Maxis’ office. If you’re fast, you’ll trigger the "time travel" sequence.
When you teleport back in time, grab the soul canister and the fuse. You’ll see Dr. Groph and Dr. Dempsey. Don't just stand there gawking at the lore; look for the code on the safe. You need to memorize those three symbols. Seriously, write them down or shout them out to your teammates.
The Death Ray and the Rocket
Go back to the present. Head to the Death Ray. Put the fuse in. Flip the switch to "Protect." Now, go to the computer terminals near the clock tower. Enter the symbols you saw in the past. If you did it right, the safe in the teleporter room will open. Grab the two Tesla coils.
You’re basically building a giant lightning rod now.
You’ve got to place those coils on the Death Ray. Switch it back to "Destroy." This is the part that feels like a science project gone wrong. You’re aiming to bring down the Dempsey 935 capsule from orbit.
The Wisp Hunt Redux
Yeah, you have to do the wisp hunt again. It's tedious. I know. But you need to go back in time one more time to grab the stone tablet from the box near the stairs in the past. While you're there, someone needs to interact with the book on the right side of the room to get the "Keeper" stone.
Once you’re back, go to the Knight’s tomb. Place the golden rod you got from the crashed capsule. A ghost Keeper will spawn. This is the soul box marathon.
The Keeper will move to four different locations. You have to stand in the circle and get kills. But here’s the catch: the screen will have a specific color tint (Red, Blue, Purple, or Yellow). You can ONLY get kills with the bow that matches that color. If it’s murky purple, and you’re the guy with the Fire Bow, you’re just a glorified bodyguard while the Void Bow player does the heavy lifting.
Preparing for the Boss: The Keeper
Before you place the final tablet in the pyramid, stop. Just stop.
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Are your perks right? You need Near Death Experience if you’re playing solo—it’s basically a cheat code. If not, make sure you have Danger Closest. It stops the Panzers’ shock charges from ruining your movement. You need a Pack-a-Punched Haymaker or Brecci. The bow is for the boss; the shotgun is for the Panzers that spawn in between phases.
When everyone stands on the four pressure plates around the pyramid, you’ll be warped to the boss arena. This is it.
The Boss (the corrupted Keeper) has one move that kills everything: the center-map shockwave. When he moves to the middle and starts charging a gold ball of light, you have to hide behind the pillars. If you’re a millisecond late, the run is over.
You damage him by placing a Ragnarok DG-4 (the gravity spikes) right under him when he’s charging. This stuns him. Then, everyone hammers the glowing core in his chest with everything they’ve got. Repeat this three times.
The Final Cutscene and Why It Matters
After the Keeper goes down, you’re warped back to the pyramid room. Take the summoning key. Go to the terminal near the clock tower and interact with it.
You’ll watch the moon get absolutely obliterated.
It’s one of the most satisfying endings in Zombies history. But the real reward isn't just the achievement; it's the permanent Perk-a-Cola reward for the rest of the match. You get all perks, and they stay even if you go down.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Run
- Don't Rush the Rounds: Keep a zombie at the end of round 2 or 3 to finish your bow upgrades. High rounds make the Keeper soul-charging step a nightmare.
- The Plunger is Worth It: If you complete the side quest for the Plunger, it becomes a one-hit kill on Panzers after you kill the first one. It makes the boss fight trivial.
- Save a Max Ammo: Use a GobbleGum like "Reign Drops" or "Cache Back" specifically for the boss arena. Running out of bow ammo during the final phase is a death sentence.
- Vary Your Bows: In co-op, don't let everyone pick the same bow. The Fire Bow is actually great for locking down the Panzers while the Storm Bow guy focuses on the boss.
The trick to mastering the easter egg der eisendrache steps is simply managing the chaos of the Panzers. If you can handle the big guys, the rest is just following the trail of breadcrumbs Maxis left behind. Get your gear, watch the wisps, and don't forget to hide behind the pillars.
Once the moon is gone, you've officially beaten one of the hardest maps in the Treyarch cycle. Grab your perks, grab the upgraded Haymaker, and see how long you can survive the infinite rounds that follow.