Honestly, Black Ops 4 Zombies gets a lot of hate, but IX is a masterpiece. It's vibrant, chaotic, and the IX easter egg steps are surprisingly logical once you stop screaming at the tigers. Most people fail this quest not because it’s mechanically impossible, but because they mess up the timing or forget one tiny, annoying detail in the Danu tower.
You’re standing in a gladiator arena. The crowd is cheering. You’ve got a shield, a Pack-a-Punched pistol, and a dream. But then you realize you have to find a skull with a symbol on it among a thousand other skulls. That’s where the frustration starts.
The Real Reason You're Failing the Ra Challenge
The Ra challenge is the notorious run-ender. You’ve probably seen the symbols on the pillar and thought, "Okay, kill the special zombies in order." Simple, right? Wrong. The game loves to spawn extra gladiators or catalysts that you didn't see on the wall. If you kill a blightfather out of turn because you panicked, it’s game over for that round.
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The trick is staying in the middle of the room. Don't chase the zombies. Let them come to you, identify them, and then take them out. If you see a fire catalyst but the pillar says electric, just kite the fire guy around. It's a test of discipline, not just aim.
Finding the Skull and the Wood Chip
Before you can even think about the gods, you need the Serket’s Kiss. This Wonder Weapon isn't just a luxury; it’s a requirement for several IX easter egg steps. To get it, you need to melt a golden vase using a stone head you find in the temple.
Then comes the skull. This is the part everyone hates. You have to check specific wall locations in the PaP room for a skull with a faint symbol on its forehead. Sometimes it’s tucked behind a pipe. Sometimes it’s right in your face. Use a sniper scope if you have to. Once you find it, you need the grinder. Don't forget the wood chip either—you get that by making the axe-throwing gladiator hit one of the wooden pyres in the center of the arena. It’s a bit of a dance. You stand behind the wood, wait for him to wind up, and dive out of the way. If you mess it up, you're waiting until the next gladiator round.
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Fertilizing the Danu Tower
Let’s talk about the poop. Yes, you literally need "concentrated" manure. To get the high-quality stuff, you need to have the crowd absolutely love you (full affinity) and then get hit by a fire trap. Or sometimes, you just need to wait for the crowd to throw it at you when your affinity is maxed out. It sounds ridiculous because it is.
You take that manure, the ground-up skull, and the wood chip to the Zeus bathhouse. Let it sit for a few rounds. If you don't wait long enough, it won't "ripen," and you can't place it between the trees in the Danu tower. This is where most players get stuck. They place the fertilizer and wait for green smoke, but if you haven't killed a zombie with a Fire Bomb-upgraded weapon right on top of it, nothing happens. It has to be a Fire Bomb kill. Not a grenade. Not a regular shot.
The Zeus and Odin Trials
The Zeus step involves finding three screws around the map. They’re tiny. They look like background debris. Once you find them and shock them with the Ra beam, you have to defend the central platform. This is actually the fun part. You get infinite ammo for a brief window while lightning strikes everywhere. It’s pure chaos.
Odin’s trial is more about precision. You’re looking for three symbols hidden outside the map boundaries. One is through a crack in the wall in the Danu tunnel, one is behind some rubble in the Zeus area, and the last is near the pit. You shoot them, and then you have to fill the drainage pipes with soul energy. Pro tip: use the Kraken if you’ve got it, or just stick with the Serket’s Kiss to crowd-control the heavy hitters.
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Dealing with the Boss Fight
The final boss isn't one elephant; it's two. Wrath and Fury. By the time you reach the arena for the final showdown, you should have your perks maxed and hopefully a Hellion Salvo. If you don't have the rocket launcher, you're making life very hard for yourself.
Focus on the riders first. They’re the ones throwing spears that stun you. Once the riders are down, aim for the glowing weak points on the elephants' sides. It’s a long fight. It’s a marathon. Don't get cornered by the skeletons that spawn endlessly. Keep moving in a giant circle around the arena.
Practical Steps for Your Next Run
- Prioritize the Shield: You cannot do the Ra or Danu steps safely without the Bull Shield. Build it by round 5.
- Manage Crowd Affinity: Keep your fire kills high and don't go down. You need that "Gift from Serket" to get the wood chip and manure early.
- Weapon Choice: The Mog 12 is great for early rounds, but you need something with range for the final boss. The Hades or the Spitfire (with Operator Mod) works wonders.
- The "Brain Rot" Trick: When doing the chemical leak step, having a Brain Rot zombie can help clear the trash while you focus on the specific catalysts required for the step.
The IX quest is all about rhythm. Once you stop treating it like a standard survival map and start treating it like a choreographed play, the steps fall into place. Get your fire bomb ready, keep the crowd happy, and watch the elephants fall.
Essential Checklist for Success
- Unlock Pack-a-Punch by round 4 or 5 by defeating the four champions.
- Earn the Serket's Kiss immediately after. Don't rely on the box.
- Find the Skull in the temple before the rounds get too high and the zombies get too fast.
- Complete the Ra Challenge with a full team that knows not to shoot everything that moves.
- Save your Specialist for the Zeus lightning round to avoid getting overwhelmed.
Following these specific IX easter egg steps will shave twenty minutes off your run and save you from the "Game Over" screen that usually happens during the Danu basement step. Focus on the order, stay disciplined with your kills, and keep your shield repaired.