You’re standing in the rain. The neon lights of Morg City are reflecting off the puddles, and frankly, everything feels like a noir fever dream. If you’ve ever played Black Ops 3, you know that feeling of dread when you realize you actually have to open the map. Unlike the simple "flip a switch" mechanics of the old days, learning how to pack a punch in Shadows of Evil is basically a rite of passage. It's tedious. It's frantic. It’s also one of the most rewarding setups in Treyarch history once you actually get the rhythm down.
Most people fail this because they treat it like a checklist. They think it's just about grabbing items. It’s not. It’s about managing the Beast, keeping track of your ritual sites, and not getting trapped in a narrow alleyway while a Margwa decides to ruin your afternoon.
The Ritual of the Beast
The first thing you have to wrap your head around is the Beast mode. It’s the core of the map. You aren't just a human survivor; you’re this tentacled monstrosity that can shock boxes and grapple onto ledges. To get the pack a punch in Shadows of Evil sequence started, you need to grab the Summoning Key. It's right there in the spawn truck. Break the box, grab the glowing ball, and don't look back.
You’ve got four districts. Each one has a "Sacrificial Item" and a "Ritual Site."
In the Easy Street (Spawn) area, you need the Lawyer's Fountain Pen. You use the Beast to shock the crane power box, drop the pen, and then open the ritual room above the spawn gate. This is the easiest part. If you mess this up, honestly, just restart the match. The real challenge comes when you start moving into the Footlight, Canal, and Waterfront districts. Each one requires a specific sequence: shock a power box to lower a crate, grapple to a high ledge to open a door, and then survive the ritual itself.
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Why the Rituals Feel Like a Panic Attack
Once you have an item—like the Detective’s Badge from the Canal or the Producer’s Toupee from Footlight—you head to the specific ritual table. When you start the ritual, these ethereal, floaty guys called Keepers spawn in. They aren't particularly strong, but they are annoying. They crowd you. They block your path.
The mistake most players make is trying to kill them all. Don’t. Just run in circles. The ritual finishes based on time, not kills. If you're playing solo, the ritual finishes faster. If you’re in a four-player coop game, everyone needs to be in the room to make it go quickly, which usually leads to someone screaming because they got trapped in a corner by a teammate's backside.
After each ritual, a Margwa will likely spawn. This three-headed beast is the gatekeeper of the map. You have to shoot the open yellow mouths. It’s a classic boss fight mechanic, but in the tight corridors of the Canal district, it feels like fighting a tank in a hallway.
Navigating the Rift
You did the four rituals. You’ve got four worms. Now what? You have to go underground.
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The Rift is where the magic happens. Or the nightmare. Whatever you want to call it. You find the wall with the symbols, it disappears, and you enter the subway area. There are two pedestals on the wall for your worms. Place them. This opens the final ritual in the basement of the Pack-a-Punch room.
This final ritual is the big one. It’s the Shadow Man’s big moment. He hovers there, looking smug, while you run around a giant table. This is usually where games end for casual players. The room is circular but cramped. Once the ritual finishes, the Shadow Man gets shoved aside, and the pack a punch in Shadows of Evil machine finally materializes.
The Reality of the "Shadows" Setup
Let’s be real for a second. The setup for this map is long. If you’re playing with randoms, someone is going to quit by round 5 because they didn't get to be the Beast or they died during the ritual. But there is a reason the community still talks about this map years later. The atmosphere is unmatched. The Pack-a-Punch weapon camo in this map—that swirling, cosmic purple and gold—is arguably the best-looking camo in the entire franchise.
Is it "better" than Der Eisendrache? That’s debatable. Der Eisendrache is more streamlined. But Shadows has a grit to it. When you finally hear that "Ding!" of the machine and you shove your Bloodhound or your Vesper into it, it feels earned. You didn't just buy a door; you performed an occult ceremony.
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Pro-Tips for a Faster Setup
If you want to get this done by round 3 or 4, you have to be efficient with the Beast mode. One Beast transformation can usually trigger two or even three map elements if you know the route. In the Canal district, you can shock the door, the perk machine, and the badge crate all in one go if you’re fast enough.
- Don't kill the last zombie. This is Zombies 101. Keep a crawler or a slow walker while you do your chores.
- The Shield is mandatory. Don't even try to do the Pack-a-Punch rituals without building the Rocket Shield first. The parts are scattered in the districts, and it will save your life when a Keeper tries to smack you from behind.
- Margwa Timing. Only one Margwa spawns after the second and fourth ritual. Plan your point spending accordingly so you have a decent gun before the first one shows up.
The Actionable Path Forward
To master the pack a punch in Shadows of Evil, you need to stop viewing the map as a linear path and start seeing it as a timed puzzle.
- Prioritize the Summoning Key. It’s the literal key to everything. Don't leave spawn without it.
- Master the Beast Routes. Go into a private match and just practice how much you can interact with in one transformation. If you can open the stairs and the ritual item in one go, you're ahead of 90% of players.
- Learn the Rift Portals. Using the portals saves you thousands of points in doors. Use the Beast to shock the portal doors from the inside of the districts.
- Save the Waterfront for last. It’s often considered the easiest ritual room because of the space. Use it as your "safe" finale before heading to the Rift.
The pack a punch in Shadows of Evil isn't just a mechanic; it's the heart of the map's identity. It demands your attention. It forces you to engage with the Lovecraftian horror elements that Treyarch leaned so heavily into. Once the machine is open, the map transforms from a stressful scavenger hunt into a high-octane survival arena where your upgraded weapons actually stand a chance against the infinite hordes.