Let's be real for a second. If you’re playing Black Ops 2 or the Chronicles version in BO3, you aren't just there to survive rounds. You want the staff. Specifically, you want Kagutsuchi’s Blood. Getting the base weapon is easy enough, but the process of how to upgrade fire staff is where most players end up downed in the mud near Gen 4 or accidentally blowing their points on the wrong door. It's a rite of passage.
The Fire Staff, or Kagutsuchi’s Grace once it’s actually leveled up, is arguably the best "panic button" in the game. It melts Panzers. It creates pillars of fire that stay active long after you’ve sprinted away. But the steps are weird. They're specific. If you miss one flame or mistime a lever, you’re stuck with a pea-shooter while the giant robots stomp your soul into the dirt.
The Crazy Place Sacrifice
First thing’s first. You need the base staff. You’ve probably already grabbed the parts from the plane, the Panzer, and the Gen 6 chest, but that’s just the beginning. To start the upgrade, head into the Crazy Place through the fire portal (the orange one near the spawn/Gen 1 area).
Look for the four massive stone cauldrons sitting on a metal grate. This is the "Soul Box" step, but specifically for fire. You have to kill zombies while they are standing on that grate. You’ll see their souls fly into the cauldrons. It’s messy. If you’re doing this on a high round, it’s a death trap because the ceiling panels in the Crazy Place love to shift and block your exit.
Why the Cauldrons Won't Light
Sometimes people complain the cauldrons aren't lighting up. Usually, it's because the zombies weren't close enough to the center. They have to be basically on top of the grate. Once all four are glowing with a bright orange flame, you're done with this dimension for a bit. Samantha will usually say something cryptic to let you know you've passed the vibe check.
Cracking the Code in the Church
Go back to the main map and head to the Church. Go upstairs to the lab area where the pews used to be. On the walls, you’ll see a series of glowing red symbols. These are actually a localized base-4 numbering system, though most players just call them "the dots."
On the opposite wall, there are torches with numbers under them. You need to match the glowing symbols to the corresponding torches.
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Here is the breakdown of the code:
- A single dot is 1.
- Two dots is 2.
- A dot with a line under it is 3. (This is where people get confused).
- Two dots with a line is 4.
- A circle with a dot represents 5.
- Two circles with dots is 6.
- The number 4 is always represented by a specific symbol that looks like an "L" shape.
Actually, scratch that—don't overthink the math. Look at the torches. There is a torch for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and a "blood" symbol which is essentially 0 or 7 depending on who you ask (it's 4). If the symbol on the wall shows the pattern for 6, go downstairs and shoot the torch labeled 6 with your Fire Staff. You have to do this quickly. If you take too long, the torches reset and you have to start the sequence over. It’s annoying. Do it right, and you’ll hear a loud chime.
Aligning the Rings at the Excavation Site
Now, head to the bottom of the Excavation Site. This is the part where you’ll probably get stepped on if you aren't careful. There are four massive stone rings hanging in the center of the room. You need to pull the levers located on the wooden walkways around the site to rotate these rings.
Each ring has four colored lights. Since we are figuring out how to upgrade fire staff, you need to turn all those lights red.
- Lever 1: Top level.
- Lever 2: Mid level near the stairs.
- Lever 3: Lower level.
- Lever 4: Bottom floor.
Once all the rings are showing red lights, a floating red orb will appear at the bottom of the rings. Shoot that orb with your Fire Staff. It will fly up into the ceiling. If it doesn't move, check your rings again. One of them is probably still showing blue or purple because a teammate bumped a lever. It happens every single game.
The Final Charge
Go back to the Crazy Place. Place your staff in the fire pedestal (the one you took it from originally). Now, you need kills. You need a lot of them.
You need roughly 20 to 30 souls to "feed" the staff. In the Chronicles version of Origins, the souls seem to travel a bit further, but in the original BO2 version, you need to be fairly close. This is the best time to use a secondary weapon like the Ray Gun Mark II or a Pack-a-Punched STG-44. Don't use the staff you're trying to upgrade—you can't, it's in the pedestal.
When the staff icon on your screen glows white and has a little outline, it’s ready. Pick up Kagutsuchi’s Blood.
What You Actually Get
Once upgraded, the fire staff is a beast. You can tap the trigger for a standard three-bolt blast, or you can hold it down to charge a shot. A fully charged shot fires three molten lava rocks that stick to the ground and create massive pillars of fire. Anything that touches those pillars dies. Period. It also gains a melee attachment called the Sekhmet’s Vigor, which lets you revive teammates by "shooting" them. It’s a literal lifesaver during the Easter Egg boss fight or high-round attempts.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Most players fail because they try to do this during a Panzer round. Don't. If the Panzer spawns while you are downstairs in the Excavation Site spinning rings, you are trapped. Clear the round first.
Also, remember that you cannot have two people working on the same staff. If your buddy is "helping" by shooting the torches in the church with a different weapon, it will break the sequence. Only the person with the Fire Staff should be interacting with the fire-specific puzzles.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
To make this as smooth as possible, follow this exact workflow:
- Prioritize the Plane: Shoot down the glowing plane on Round 2 or 3 so the part is sitting at the dig site early.
- Point Efficiency: Open the Church early. You need the torches for the second step, and it’s better to do that on Round 8 than Round 18.
- Shield First: Never enter the Crazy Place to charge the cauldrons without a Zombie Shield on your back. The layout is a circle, and zombies will spawn behind you constantly.
- The Orb Trick: If the levers for the rings are glitching (which they do sometimes), rotate them all to a different color first, then reset them to red. This usually "wakes up" the script.
- Ammo Management: The upgraded Fire Staff eats ammo fast. Always keep a Max Ammo or a GobbleGum like Alchemical Antithesis (if on BO3) in your back pocket.
The Fire Staff isn't just a weapon; it's the core of a high-round strategy. Getting the upgrade done by Round 12 is the mark of a pro. Anything after Round 20 and the zombies become too fast for the slow animation of the ring-turning step. Get in, get the souls, and get out.