Complete Ashes of the Damned Guide In Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 brings one of the largest and most ambitious Zombies maps the series has ever seen. Surviving your first hour on the map is half the battle-and this guide walks you through the optimal step-by-step path from Round 1 through your first encounter with Zursa, Black Ops 7's deadly zombie bear.

Whether you're looking to farm Essence safely, unlock Pack-a-Punch quickly, or power up your loadout with upgrades and Perks, this optimized walkthrough will give you the most efficient early-game route in Black Ops 7 Zombies: Ashes of the Damned.

Start Strong: Free T.E.D.D. and Activate Ol' Tessie (Rounds 1-3)

Your initial focus should be simple: maximize Essence. Target headshots-Critical Kills grant 115 Essence, far more than standard eliminations. Once you hit 1,250 Essence, travel south of Janus Towers Plaza to unlock the Server Room.

Inside the Server Room, look southwest for a metal floor grate. Melee it to reveal T.E.D.D.'s head. Pick it up, bring it outside, and interact with the old truck known as Ol' Tessie. This activates the map's essential drivable vehicle, used for traversal, farming, and Pack-a-Punch later on.

By Round 3, you should be riding Ol' Tessie out of the plaza and toward your first major destination.

Travel to Vandorn Farm and Turn on the Power

Vandorn Farm is the safest early-round area and one of the best long-term training spots on the map.

Drive east from Janus Towers Plaza, bust through the wooden barriers, and carefully navigate the fog-filled road. Hit the glowing green Dark Aether plants to heal Tessie and earn free Essence and Salvage-but avoid the red variants.

Once you arrive at Vandorn Farm, head to the Power Pump on the north side. Shoot the glowing bulbs within 30 seconds, including the final bulb at the top.

Then:

·Spend 1,750 Essence to open the Barn.

·Go upstairs to flip the Power Switch.

·Use The Arsenal, Perk Machines, and begin farming.

Stay here a few rounds until you secure Tier 2 Armor (4,000 Essence) from the Garage. After that, push your Essence to at least 5,000 before moving toward Ashwood.

Go to Ashwood for Pack-a-Punch and Core Perks (Round 7+)

After farming at Vandorn Farm, drive Tessie through the southern gate toward the Grounded Ship, then continue to Ashwood, one of the map's central hubs.

Once you arrive:

1. Park Ol' Tessie near the locked garage.

2. Take the zipline east to reach Ashwood's upper levels.

3. Spend 1,000 Essence to open Market Square.

4. Spend 1,750 Essence to unlock Judgement Square.

5. Activate the second Power Pump and flip the switch.

6. Return to the garage and Pack-a-Punch Ol' Tessie, unlocking her boost and mobile Pack-a-Punch station.

Now you're ready for weapon upgrades.

Upgrade Your Weapon and Armor, Then Grab Essential Perks

Your next priority is damage output. Farm up 5,000 Essence and Pack-a-Punch your primary weapon using Tessie. Then head back up the Ashwood zipline to The Arsenal and spend 500 Salvage for your first rarity upgrade.

Now pick up two early-game survival Perks:

·Jugger-Nog (in The Ruby Rabbit) - increases max HP

·Vulture Aid (Market Square) - increases Salvage, Essence, and drop frequency

Vulture Aid is optional, but highly recommended for efficiency.

Once these upgrades are complete, you should be around Rounds 8-10 with:

·Pack-a-Punched weapon

·Tier 2 Armor

·Increased weapon rarity

·2-3 important Perks

Now it's time to open up more of the map.

Open Exit 115, Grab More Perks, and Upgrade to Tier 3 Armor

Exit Ashwood and drive southwest through the Orda Graveyard toward Exit 115. This area is perfect for training and farming long-range kills.

Unlock McDougal's Service Station (500 Essence) to access Deadshot Daiquiri, which improves headshot damage and auto-aim precision.

Farm here until you have 10,000 Essence, then purchase Tier 3 Armor massive survival upgrade.

Next, head northwest toward Blackwater Lake:

·Activate its Power Pump

·Spend 1,750 Essence to enter the cabin

·Buy Speed Cola upstairs

Before leaving this phase of the game, return to the Server Room in Janus Towers Plaza and purchase Quick Revive, which boosts health regen.

Complete T.E.D.D. Tasks and Prepare for Your First Zursa Fight

Around the mid-teen rounds, you'll start seeing alerts such as "A T.E.D.D. Task Has Appeared." Always complete these mini-challenges reward:

·Perks

·Salvage

·Essence

·Free rarity upgrades

Use your Salvage to purchase the Napalm Burst Ammo Mod from any Arsenal. This is critical for the upcoming fight against Zursa, the zombie bear.

Round 16: Zursa Attacks - How to Survive

By now, you should have:

·Tier 3 Armor

·Pack-a-Punched primary weapon

·Increased weapon rarity

·Napalm Burst

·4-5 core Perks

Zursa arrives on Round 16 and targets you aggressively. Aim for:

·The glowing weak spots

·The head

·Apply constant Napalm Burst damage

With this setup, Zursa will go down much faster-something many players practice beforehand using Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Bot Lobbies or guides designed for those who buy CoD Black Ops 7 Bot Lobbies to refine boss mechanics safely.

Final Tips

After defeating your first Zursa:

·Keep farming T.E.D.D. Tasks

·Expand Perk count (up to your limit)

·Work toward Pack-a-Punch Tier 3

·Continue increasing weapon rarity

Ashes of the Damned is huge, but mastering these first 16 rounds sets you up for success in Black Ops 7 Zombies' long-term survival game.