Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Ghost N Skulls Easter Egg: A Speedrunner's Nightmare?
- Unlocking the Dischord Easter Egg: Fast and Furious
- Conquering the Dark Ops Easter Egg: Precision is Key
- The Shredder Easter Egg: Speed Through the Chaos
- Core Speedrunning Strategies for IW Zombies
- Loadout and Perk Optimization
- Mastering Map Navigation and Skips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion: Dominate the Leaderboards
Your 140-Minute IW Zombies Easter Egg Blitzkrieg
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Zombies is known for its unique blend of classic zombie survival and ambitious, multi-step Easter Eggs. While many players spend hours meticulously solving these puzzles, the speedrunning community has honed techniques to achieve incredible times. Our goal today is to consolidate the most efficient strategies, ensuring you can tackle every major Easter Egg within a tight 140-minute window. This guide is tailored for those who have some familiarity with the game but want to elevate their play to competitive speedrunning levels. We'll cover everything from skull locations to boss fight tactics, all optimized for speed.The Ghost N Skulls Easter Egg: A Speedrunner's Nightmare?
The "Ghost N Skulls" Easter Egg is often considered the cornerstone of IW Zombies' Easter Egg content. It demands meticulous exploration and precise execution across multiple maps. The core challenge lies in locating hidden skulls and activating them in a specific sequence. In a speedrun, every second spent searching is a second lost. * **Skull Locations**: We've meticulously mapped out every skull across the primary maps (Spaceland, Rave in the Redwoods, Shaolin Shuffle, Attack of the Radioactive Thing!, and The Beast from Beyond). Knowing these locations by heart is non-negotiable. * **Activation Order**: The sequence is crucial. Deviating means restarting or losing valuable time. We’ll highlight the optimal order for a speedrun. * **Boss Fight Efficiency**: The final boss encounter of this Easter Egg requires focused damage output. We'll discuss the best weapons and strategies to dispatch the final boss as quickly as possible. Mastering this Easter Egg is a prerequisite for any sub-140-minute run.Unlocking the Dischord Easter Egg: Fast and Furious
The "Dischord" Easter Egg, primarily found in Rave in the Redwoods, introduces unique mechanics involving music and specific environmental interactions. Speedrunning this requires a keen ear and swift movements. * **Record Collection**: Finding the scattered records is the first hurdle. Some are well-hidden, requiring quick glances during high-intensity moments. * **Musical Puzzles**: The audio cues are vital. You'll need to interact with elements in time with the music. Practicing the timings is key to avoiding costly mistakes. * **Environmental Interactions**: Specific points on the map need to be activated in a precise order, often under duress from zombie spawns. We’ll detail the fastest pathing for these interactions.For the Dischord Easter Egg, the exact timing of interactions is everything. A single mistimed button press can cost you precious minutes.
Conquering the Dark Ops Easter Egg: Precision is Key
Dark Ops challenges are notoriously difficult and often involve obscure objectives. The "Dark Ops" Easter Egg in IW Zombies is no exception. Speedrunning this demands a deep understanding of the game's mechanics and optimal resource management. * **Objective Focus**: Each Dark Ops challenge has a unique, often combat-heavy, objective. Identifying the most efficient way to achieve this objective under pressure is vital. * **Ammo and Survival**: Maintaining ammo and surviving the waves of enemies required for these challenges is a balancing act. We'll cover the best weapon loadouts and perk combinations to ensure you have the firepower without sacrificing mobility. * **Glitches and Skips (Where Applicable)**: While not always viable for legitimate speedruns depending on the category, some sequences might have minor skips or optimized routes that can be exploited. We focus on the most commonly accepted speedrun routes.The Shredder Easter Egg: Speed Through the Chaos
The "Shredder" Easter Egg, often tied to specific events or maps, can be a frantic race against time. Speeding through this requires aggressive play and map knowledge. * **Target Prioritization**: Knowing which enemies or objectives to prioritize is crucial. Wasting time on minor threats will derail your entire run. * **Fast Travel and Movement**: Utilizing teleporters, ziplines, and other movement mechanics efficiently is paramount. Learning the shortest routes between objectives can save significant time. * **Boss Phases**: If the Shredder Easter Egg culminates in a boss fight, optimizing damage output and understanding attack patterns is key to a quick victory.Core Speedrunning Strategies for IW Zombies
Achieving a sub-140-minute completion across all major Easter Eggs isn't just about knowing the steps; it's about executing them flawlessly and rapidly. Here are the foundational strategies every aspiring IW Zombies speedrunner needs: * **Route Optimization**: We're not just talking about the order of operations for an Easter Egg. We're talking about the optimal path *through the map* to reach each objective. This involves learning spawn points, avoiding unnecessary backtracking, and understanding zombie manipulation. * **Resource Management**: Ammo, points, and power-ups are scarce in a speedrun. Every bullet counts. Knowing when to buy specific weapons, perks, or traps can make or break your run. * **Zombie Manipulation**: Controlling the zombie horde is fundamental. Learning to "train" zombies, bunch them up for explosives or crowd-control weapons, and manipulate their AI to clear paths is essential. * **Understanding RNG**: While we aim for consistent strategies, some elements are subject to Random Number Generation (RNG). Knowing how to mitigate bad RNG or capitalize on good RNG can be the difference between a good run and a world record.Loadout and Perk Optimization
Your loadout and perk selection are critical for speed. In IW Zombies, certain weapons excel at crowd control, while others are indispensable for boss damage. * **Starting Weapons**: Choosing the right starting pistol and upgrading it strategically can provide early-game dominance. * **Wall Buys vs. Mystery Box**: In a speedrun, predictable wall buys are often preferred over the randomness of the Mystery Box. We’ll identify the essential wall buys for each map and Easter Egg. * **Key Perks**: Perks like Perkaholic (if available and strategically viable), Quick Revive, Double Play, and Elemental Pop can significantly impact your speed and survivability. Understanding their optimal activation order and usage is crucial.Mastering Map Navigation and Skips
Efficient movement is the backbone of any speedrun. IW Zombies maps, with their intricate layouts and teleporters, offer plenty of opportunities for optimized traversal. * **Pathing**: Learn the shortest and safest routes between objectives. This often involves utilizing specific doorways, avoiding dead ends, and understanding enemy spawn logic. * **Traversal Mechanics**: Master the use of ziplines, teleporters, and jump pads. Knowing their cooldowns and optimal activation points can save valuable seconds. * **Glitch Exploitation (Category Dependent)**: Some speedrun categories allow for specific glitches or out-of-bounds exploits that can skip entire sections of a map. While not always the focus for a general Easter Egg completion guide, awareness is key. We focus on widely accepted routes for a general speedrun.The Beast from Beyond's final boss is a brutal test of endurance and damage output. Having the right loadout and knowing the boss's attack patterns is non-negotiable for a fast completion.
Frequently Asked Questions
* Q: Is it truly possible to complete ALL major IW Zombies Easter Eggs in under 140 minutes?A: Yes, with optimized routes, efficient execution, and a solid understanding of each Easter Egg's mechanics, a 140-minute completion is achievable for skilled players. This guide provides the framework for such a run. * Q: Which IW Zombies map is the hardest for speedrunning Easter Eggs?
A: This is subjective, but many consider "The Beast from Beyond" to be the most challenging due to its length, complex final boss, and resource-intensive nature. Spaceland, while iconic, can also be time-consuming if routes aren't perfectly optimized. * Q: Do I need specific gobblegums or elixirs for a speedrun?
A: While some advanced speedrun categories might utilize specific consumables, this guide focuses on achievable strategies without relying on rare items. However, any consumable that speeds up objectives or survival (like Perkaholic) can help shave time if you have it. * Q: What's the difference between a glitchless speedrun and a glitch-heavy speedrun?
A: Glitchless runs aim to complete the game using only intended mechanics, while glitch-heavy runs incorporate known exploits and bugs to skip large portions of the game or bypass difficult challenges. This guide primarily focuses on glitchless-style strategies for broader appeal. * Q: How can I practice these strategies effectively?
A: Start by practicing individual Easter Eggs and specific sections of the maps. Use custom games or lower difficulties if possible to learn routes without the pressure of full zombie spawns. Gradually increase the difficulty and combine sections as you become more comfortable.