So, you’ve picked up the Jackal PDW. Maybe it was because of that ridiculous 264ms time-to-kill everyone was talking about, or maybe you just missed the feel of the AK-74u from the older games. Either way, you’re looking at that Zombies camo menu and realizing the grind is actually kind of a beast. Honestly, it’s not just about spraying lead; it’s about navigating a very specific set of chores that Treyarch laid out for us.
The good news? The Jackal is one of the best SMGs for this. Its mobility is top-tier. The bad news? If you don’t have a plan, you’re going to spend way too many hours running circles in Liberty Falls without making real progress on those mastery tiers.
The Grind Starts with Criticals
Before you can even look at the cool stuff like Mystic Gold or Opal, you have to slog through the Military Camos. For the Jackal PDW, this means one thing: 2,000 Critical Kills. That sounds like a lot. Because it is.
You’re basically going through nine tiers—Slate, Evergreen, Grim, and the rest—until you hit Whiteout. To keep your sanity, you’ve got to aim for the chin. Use the CHF Barrel for that extra headshot damage multiplier. If you’re just body-shotting, you’re wasting time and ammo. I usually camp the stairs in the Church on Liberty Falls or the narrow hallways in Terminus. Line 'em up, pop the heads, and don't stop until that 2,000 counter hits zero.
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Jackal PDW Zombies Camo Challenges for Specials
Once the military stuff is out of the way, you hit the Special Camos. These are unique to the weapon. For the Jackal, you’re looking at:
- Plunge: 300 Eliminations with Napalm Burst equipped.
- Distress: 300 Hipfire Kills.
Plunge is easy but can be annoying if you forget to hit the Ammo Mod machine. You don't necessarily need the fire damage to get the kill; the mod just needs to be on the gun. Spend the 500 Salvage early.
Distress is where people mess up. They try to aim down sights out of habit. Don’t. Build your Jackal for hipfire spread—throw on a Steady Aim Laser and the Ergonomic Grip. Then, just hold the trigger while running through a horde. It’s actually faster than aiming anyway.
Reaching for the Mastery Tiers
Now we get into the heavy hitters. This is where the Jackal PDW really shows whether you’ve mastered the "Omnimovement" system or if you're just getting lucky.
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Mystic Gold
To unlock Mystic Gold, you need to get 10 rapid kills, 15 times. The trick here is crowd control. Get a big group following you, toss a decoy grenade, and then let loose. Since the Jackal has a fast fire rate, you can burn through a pack of ten in about two seconds. Just make sure you have an Extended Mag (preferably Mag II) so you don't have to reload in the middle of a streak.
Opal
Opal requires 30 Special Zombie eliminations. We’re talking Manglers and those annoying Grotesques. If you’re playing on Liberty Falls, wait until around round 15-20. They start spawning frequently. A Pack-a-Punched Jackal shreds Mangler armor if you aim for the arm cannon.
Afterlife and Nebula
These are the final bosses of the grind.
- Afterlife: 20 or more consecutive kills without taking damage, 10 times.
- Nebula: 10 Elite Zombie kills.
For Afterlife, you have to play like a coward. Use Decoys or Cymbal Monkeys. Find a long straightaway, kill 20, and then reset. If a single stray zombie scratches your back, the streak is dead. Nebula is actually easier in some ways—you just need to hunt the big guys like Abominations or Elite Manglers. If you're struggling, load into Directed Mode on Liberty Falls; the spawns are more predictable.
The Optimal Zombies Loadout
You can't just go in with a base gun. You'll get overwhelmed by round 10. Here is what I’ve found works best for the camo hunt:
The Muzzle Brake is a must for keeping that recoil under control when you're going for headshots. I always pair it with the CHF Barrel because, as I mentioned, those 2,000 criticals aren't going to earn themselves.
For the underbarrel, go with the Ranger Foregrip for the movement boost. You need to stay fast. The Extended Mag II is non-negotiable—reloading is the #1 cause of death during the "kills without taking damage" challenge. Finally, throw on Rapid Fire. It makes the Jackal feel like a literal buzzsaw.
Tactics for the Fast Track
If you want to be efficient, don't do these challenges one by one. Mix them. While you're grinding those 2,000 critical kills, you should also be hipfiring whenever the horde gets close to chip away at the Distress camo.
Always keep an eye on your Salvage. The moment you have enough, upgrade your weapon rarity at the arsenal. A Grey (Common) Jackal feels like a pea shooter by round 12. You want that Purple or Legendary glow as soon as possible.
Also, don't sleep on the Deadshot Daiquiri perk. It’s the king of the camo grind. It snaps your aim to the head, which basically automates the military challenge for you.
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When you finally see that Nebula skin wrap around the Jackal, you'll know it was worth the headache. It’s easily one of the best-looking camos in the game right now.
To get started, jump into a solo match on Liberty Falls and focus entirely on headshots for the first 10 rounds. Don't even worry about the objectives yet. Just build that critical kill count while the zombies are slow and easy to pick off. Once you hit round 11, buy your Napalm Burst mod and start working on the Plunge challenge simultaneously.