COD Black Ops 6 Zombies: Full Citadelle des Morts story easter egg walkthrough

Every step you need to take to fully complete Citadelle des Morts' story in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies.

Citadelle des Morts / Microsoft

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has a brand new map added to the Zombies mode. Citadelle des Morts, the Citadel of the Dead, is a castle filled with zombies and secrets to decode and decrypt. It also happens to be one of the toughest and most complicated paths to unlock easter eggs that we’ve ever seen in a Zombies game. The area is easy enough to navigate once you get used to it, but remembering all the necessary steps to complete the story mode is another issue.

The biggest blockade between you and completing this stage is upgrading all four Wonder Weapons. These are four broadswords that each require a specific set of steps to upgrade, and you’ll have the best chance of success if you play the game with a bunch of like-minded pals, and have each of them tackle a different sword to upgrade. 

Citadelle des Morts story easter egg walkthrough

1. Unlock Pack-a-Punch
2. Speak with Krafft
3. Unlocking the base Wonder Weapon swords
4. Upgrading the Dragon Bastard Sword to Caliburn
5. Upgrading the Lion Bastard Sword to Solais
6. Upgrading the Stag Bastard Sword to Durendal
7. Upgrading the Raven Bastard Sword to Balmung
8. Water room code wall solution
9. Torn Page Fragments
10. Book symbols and traps
11. Animal Symbol order
12. Charging the Mystic Orb
13. Citadelle des Morts Final Encounter, The Guardian

For everything you need to know, follow our instructions below, and make sure to use our guides to complete the Liberty Falls easter egg storyline and the Terminus easter egg storyline.

Unlock Pack-a-Punch

Make sure to use the cannon to open the Entrance Hall. / Micosoft

Your first goal will be to unlock the Pack-a-Punch machine, which is buried beneath the castle, and will require unlocking a bunch of doors. You can go from either the left or right of the spawn point. When you reach the large door under the archway that can’t be bought, make your way around to the battlements, rotate the cannon, and fire it at the door to open it.

Kill the Doppelghast to unlock Pack-a-Punch. / Microsoft

Unlock the doors marked by the orange objective marker, and when you make it into the final room, shoot the locks off of the cage here. A Doppelghast will appear. Destroy it and then place the Blood Aetherium Crystal it drops into the portal to unlock the Pack-a-Punch machine.

Speak with Krafft

Krafft is behind this door in the dungeon. / Microsoft

After unlocking the Pack-a-Punch machine, return to the dungeon and chat with Krafft in the dungeon on the left by interacting with the door. This is necessary to unlock the Alchemical Lab, which is accessible from the suit of armor room.

Unlocking the base Wonder Weapon swords

You must turn four swords into Wonder Weapons. / MIcrosoft

In order to complete the story mode you’ll need to upgrade four Bastard Swords that can be found in one of the rooms on the way to the Pack-a-Punch machine. The swords are held by four suits of armor in the room, and you can tell which sword relates to which armor by the emblem on its chest. These swords can be upgraded in any order, but they will all need to be upgraded in order to finally complete the storyline.

Stamps are small and glow orange. / Microsoft

You will need a Stamp to trade with the armor for the sword, and these are only dropped by zombies that wear a medieval helmet that spawns past round ten. There are several steps you can undertake ahead of getting a Stamp, but for full context, you should go through the process of upgrading each sword by yourself once. You can then easily understand which items you can pick up and what to prepare before upgrading each sword.

If you have time, these are the things you can tackle while waiting to get a Stamp:

• Collect the Torn Page Fragments
• Collect the Lightning Rods
• Collect the Raven’s Talon
• Collect the Alchemical Lab Antiquity
• Collect Otto's Horseshoe
• Collect the Paladin's Brooch

Once Stamps are available, it’s time to upgrade the swords. These can be done in any order, or even simultaneously, but all four must be completed in order to finish the story mode. Below we’re detailing how to upgrade each sword and unlock its corresponding Incantation.

Upgrading the Dragon Bastard Sword to Caliburn

By our metrics, the easiest sword to upgrade is the Dragon Bastard Sword, which transforms it into Caliburn. 

Dragon pedestal challenge

The dragon pedestal. / Microsoft

Once you get the sword, place it in the dragon pedestal at the top of the stairs in the Entrance Hall. You will now need to run back here while on fire thanks to three flaming braziers around the map. Once you interact with the brazier you will take damage, but melee punching any zombie on the way back to the dragon pedestal will fully restore your health. Make sure to interact with the dragon pedestal when you return.

The first brazier on top of the battlements. / Microsoft

The first brazier on top of the battlements.

The second brazier is to the right of the statue in the spawn area. / Microsoft

The second brazier is to the right of the statue in the spawn area.

The third and final brazier is to the rear of the spawn area. / Microsoft

The third and final brazier is to the rear of the spawn area.

With the dragon pedestal powered up by the three flames, you will now be able to extract Caliburn.

Lighting the bonfires for Ra’s Ankh

With Caliburn in hand, take it to the battlements. There are three bonfires visible here, and you must use Caliburn’s charged attack to launch fireballs at each of them. Each bonfire will spawn a bunch of zombies which you must destroy, and finally a Doppelghast. 

Above the Entrance Hall archway. / Microsoft

From the cannon looking at the Entrance Hall, you’ll see a bonfire poking out between the stone on the roof above the door you blew up with the cannon earlier.

Left battlements entrance. / Microsoft

Another bonfire is visible to the left, above the entrance to the battlements.

On a rooftop in the Upper Village, accessible from the battlements. / Microsoft

The third and final bonfire is on top of a roof in the village, and you can see and hit it from the right side of the battlements.

Ra's Ankh. / Microsoft

Defeat the Doppelghast that appears and it will drop Ra’s Ankh. 

Getting the Fire Incantation

Absorb souls with Ra's Ankh. / Microsoft

Place Ra’s Ankh on the lower level of the battlements, leading towards the village, a glowing portal will appear for it. You must load up the Ankh with souls by killing nearby zombies, and when complete, you will see a gold glowing chest. Smack it open with your sword and you will have access to the Fire Incantation.

Fire Incantation / Microsoft

You can now swap to another sword to upgrade. To keep track of your upgraded swords, we recommend placing them back with the suit of armor that you got it from. This won’t be necessary if you have four players completing a sword each, of course.

Upgrading the Lion Bastard Sword to Solais

The Lion Bastard Sword is next for us, and this one is used to open a door in the village district. Look under the archway on the left when coming down from the castle, and you’ll see a door with a large knocker.

Opening the village door

Kill glowing parasites, and attack this door to transfer the energy. / Microsoft

You need to infuse this door with the energy from four glowing parasites. Glowing parasites will spawn on every round until you open this door and complete the challenge inside. Hit the glowing parasites with the Lion Sword, and then hit the door with the glowing energy. This will transfer a symbol onto the door. Do this four times and then interact with the door to enter.

Shoot the symbols in the order they glow on the pedestal. / Microsoft

Inside, insert the Lion Sword into the pedestal. Look at the glowing symbol on the base of the pedestal, and shoot the glowing symbol floating in the room that matches. Do this for all four symbols, and you will be able to take Solais, the upgraded Lion Sword.

Getting the Paladin’s Brooch

Shoot this mirror first. / Microsoft

Take this sword back to the suit of armor room, and shoot the glowing mirror at the rear of the room, above the second floor. Shoot this mirror until the beam of light coming off it turns solid. Then, look at where the solid beam points, and shoot that mirror until the beam turns solid.

The beams will lead you to the Paladin's Brooch. / Microsoft

Eventually, this will lead you inside the Alchemical Lab, where you can take the Paladin’s Brooch.

Getting the Light Incantation

Place the Paladin's Brooch in the portal in the armor room. / Microsoft

Take the Paladin’s Brooch to the left corner of the suit of armor room, from the Entrance Hall door. You will be able to place the Paladin’s Brooch into a portal, just as with Ra’s Ankh. Again, just fill the item with souls from nearby zombies, and at the end, a gold chest will appear. Open it with your sword to get the Light Incantation.

Upgrading the Stag Bastard Sword to Durendal

Next we’re focusing on the Stag Bastard Sword, which uses the Lightning element, and can be upgraded into Durendal.

Find the Lightning Rods

First Lightning Rod. / Microsoft

You’ll need three Lightning Rods in order to upgrade the Stag Bastard Sword. The first one is located just outside the barn leaning against some boxes, near the Deadshot Daiquiri machine.

Use Deadwire on the electrical box near the Lion door. / Microsoft

The second Lightning Rod can be accessed by shooting the electrical box near the Lion Sword door in the village with the Deadwire ammo mod.

Dropped by an Armored Zombie in the dungeon. / Microsoft

The third Lightning Rod drops from an Armored Zombie in the dungeon area, where you spoke with Krafft.

Lightning Rod vase. / Microsoft

All three Lightning Rods can be placed in a black vase up on the battlements. Once all three are placed, a storm will begin. Killing zombies with the Stag Sword will occasionally electrify it, and when this happens, you must hit the vase to transfer the electricity.

Durendal / Microsoft

Do this three times, and you will be able to place the sword inside the vase. Wait a short while, and you’ll be able to draw Durendal.

Getting Pegasus’ Horseshoe

Otto's Horseshow is above the door in the barn. / Microsoft

Inside the same barn that the Lightning Rod was near, go inside and look above the door to see a horseshoe. Shoot it to make it fall to the floor, and collect Otto's Horseshoe.

Blast out of the cannon and get struck by lightning, and then look for a storm cloud to find Pegasus' Horseshoe. / Microsoft

Return to the battlements, and jump into the cannon to have it shoot you back to the spawn area. You will see a lightning animation, and a storm cloud will appear either to the left or right of the original spawn area. Head towards it, and you will find Pegasus’ Horseshoe on the ground.

Getting the Lightning Incantation

Place near the Town Square's left exit. / Microsoft

Once again, a portal will appear to place the Pegasus’ Horseshoe inside of, which you will then need to sacrifice zombie souls to. This portal will be next to the left exit of the spawn area. Once complete, hit the gold chest with your sword to get the incantation.

Upgrading the Raven Bastard Sword to Balmung

We’re onto the final sword now, and it’s the Raven Bastard Sword, possibly the most awkward sword of the four to upgrade thanks to a zodiac-themed puzzle.

Find the Antiquity

Our Antiquity is on the shelf, marked with a white dot which flashed and we captured here. / Microsoft

In the Alchemical Lab there will be an animal bone part, called the Antiquity, on one of the shelves that you will be able to collect. I found mine because it glinted at me as I was examining the room. You’ll know you’ve found the correct one if it disappears when you collect it. There are several different parts, but only one will appear for each run.

Basement Zodiac ring puzzle solutions

Ram's Horn solution / Microsoft

Take this to the basement of the bar near the spawn area. There’s a metal puzzle on the wall, and you must insert the Antiquity and sword into it. This puzzle requires you to rotate two discs according to the Zodiac sign that the Antiquity represents. It’s a bit obtuse. You will be invulnerable while interacting with the puzzle, at least.

The sword at the bottom of the two rings has an arrow pointing up – you need to align this pointer with the Zodiac sign and element that the Antiquity represents. There are multiple Antiquity types to pick up, but you’ll only find one per run. 

Zero_Sig on Reddit has created an image guide that indicates what elements are associated with which Zodiac signs.

Zodiac signs and their elements. / Zero_Sig

These are the Zodiac solutions we’re aware of:

• Jawbone = Leo ♌︎ + Fire 🜂
• Raven skulls = Gemini ♊︎ + Air 🜁
• Scorpion rock = Scorpio ♏︎ + Water 🜄
• Fish rock = Pisces ♓︎ + Water 🜄
• Ram’s horn = Aries ♈︎ + Fire 🜂

Draw energy into the void. / Microsoft

Once the puzzle is complete, a void will open up, and purple orbs of energy will start emanating from the puzzle. These orbs will follow you, and you must lead them into the void portal that has opened up. Once filled, the portal will change locations. You can follow the energy to locate it. It will move from the basement, to the bar upstairs, and finally to the top of the stairs near the pool table.

Balmung / Microsoft

Once you’ve filled three portals, the energy will return to the puzzle ring in the basement, and you’ll be able to draw Balmung.

Getting the Raven’s Talon

Use the Cave Slide to find the Raven to shoot. / Microsoft

From the Pack-a-Punch room you can use a cave slide to eject back to the spawn area. While on the side, you may notice a Raven sitting on a rock to the right. Shoot at it to scare it, and when you emerge from the cave slide, look for the same bird flying in the sky, and shoot it. It will drop the Raven’s Talon. You can do this at any point during your run.

Getting the Dark Incantation

Use the Raven's Talon in the Water Room. / Microsoft

Take the Raven’s Talon to the Water Room past the Pack-a-Punch room. You’ll find a portal here to place the Raven’s Talon in, and you’ll be able to fight off a bunch of zombies in exchange for yet another chest. This one will hold the Dark Incantation, and you’ll finally have completed every step you need for the four Wonder Weapon swords and their Incantations.

Water room code wall solution

Water Room code wall / Microsoft

At the back of the Water Room there’s a crumbling wall, and you can punch it open with Melee Macchiato, which is found to the right side of the battlements.

Code is revealed on bottles in the bar. / Microsoft

This will unveil a code wall, and you must shoot six symbols in the correct order. The order can be found back in the bar near the spawn area. There are several bottles numbered with Roman numerals, from I to VI. Interacting with each bottle will reveal a symbol, and you must shoot those symbols on the code wall in the order listed by the bottles. Here’s where you will the bottles:

1. On bar
2. On table in restaurant area
3. Right side of bar in dark
4. Upstairs on small table near left stairs
5. On table in restaurant booth nearest bar
6. Far left corner near the double doors

Shoot the symbols in the correct order. / Microsoft

Memorizing the symbols is the tough part, shooting them is slightly easier, though do be aware that they move around. Once you’ve completed this, the nearby wall will open up revealing a book.

Torn Page Fragments

Torn Page Fragment / Microsoft

We strongly recommend that you get this step done before round 10, when you have plenty of opportunities to move without a hoard of zombies attacking. There are four Torn Page Fragments in the room with the sofa and TV to the left exit of the Entrance Hall – also accessible from the Water Room – and they are always in semi-random locations. Each will have a glowing red eye on it. You must collect all four Torn Page Fragments, and return them to the book downstairs.

Book symbols and traps

Read the symbol order from top right, to bottom right, to top left, to bottom left. / Microsoft

Once the page fragments have been returned to the book, note the eye symbols in the book, in order from top left, bottom left, top right, and bottom right. These symbols relate to the traps you can find around the map – these traps are also noted on your map. 

If your symbol doesn't have a ring around it, make sure the trap doesn't. / Microsoft

You must find the specific trap which relates to the eye symbol in the book, and kill zombies within each trap, in order. If you can set aside time to look at each eye symbol trap as you explore, that will make this section much easier, but the traps aren't active immediately.

Once you’ve managed to activate each of the four traps, animal symbols will appear on the staircase between the Water Room and the TV room.

Animal Symbol order

Our order in this run was, as shown clockwise: Dragon, Stag, Raven, Lion. / Microsoft

The animal symbols on the staircase each relate to one of the upgraded swords, and they are numbered. Pick up whichever sword relates to the first animal, face the suit of armor it belongs to, use the Incantation you earned with that sword on the armor, and then use the Weapon Inspect function. This will make the suit of armor animate, and you can return the sword to the armor. 

Use Incantation, Weapon Inspect, and then after the armor animates, give it the Wonder Weapon. / Microsoft

Do this for each of the four swords and suits of armor, in the order dictated by the wall. Once complete, each suit of armor will shoot out a beam of light, and in the middle of the room a Mystic Orb will float down.

Mystic Orb / Microsoft

Collect it, and we’ll have to charge it with elemental energy. You can now use the four Wonder Weapon swords again.

Charging the Mystic Orb

You must charge the Mystic Orb with each sword element via indents near where you unlocked each Incantation. / Microsoft

The Mystic Orb must now be charged with the four elements of the swords we’ve been playing with. A bit like the ring puzzle in the bar basement, there are four indents dotted around the map, and you can place the Mystic Orb in each of them. When you do, a challenge will begin, and you must get as many kills as possible with the element of your chosen sword. We recommend spending Salvage to get ammo mods to help complete each step of this challenge, as they will make it much easier, in addition to the swords themselves.

These are the Mystic Orb indent locations, and the element you need for each. It’s reasonably easy to tell which element to use in each area, as the areas correspond to where you unlocked the Incantation for each.

Fire Challenge

Fire indent / Microsoft

Indent faces the Ammo Box in the lower battlements courtyard. Get fire element kills.

Light Challenge

Light indent / Microsoft

Indent is upstairs in the suit of armor room, directly above the entrance to the room. Stand in the light orbs that appear around the room to charge the orb – no kills strictly necessary for this one!

Void Challenge

Void indent / Microsoft

Indent is in the Water Room. Get Void kills while near the orb to complete this challenge.

Lightning Challenge

Lightning indent / Microsoft

Indent is in the spawn area near the left exit. Get Lightning kills to charge the orb.

Once the Mystic Orb is fully charged, take it to the staircase wall with the animal order on it. Place it in the middle of the animal symbols to unlock a new room.

Citadelle des Morts Final Encounter, The Guardian

The Guardian / Microsoft

In the new room you will get the Ancient Mystic Recording and Guardian Key from the table. You can take the Guardian Key to the spawn area, and use it to activate the big golem statue in the center of the fountain. 

This is a very tough battle, so we recommend that you go in with plenty of perks and Pack-a-Punch level 3 weapons. Focus your fire into the glowing spots around its body to weaken it. When it becomes immune, focus on taking out the zombies that spawn and scavenge for armor. In its second phase, unleash all abilities and attacks you may have stored up. When its chest opens, focus fire into it and you should hopefully have completed Citadelle des Morts in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies.