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Hard Mode Dark Ops on Black Ops 7 Zombies: Ashes of the Damned isn’t the kind of thing you “try” after dinner. It’s the kind of run you plan, mess up once, then come back mad. If you’re already grinding weird setups like a CoD BO7 Bot Lobby session, you’ll recognise the vibe: everything feels slightly stacked against you, and that’s the point.

Unlocks and the nasty catch.

The challenge sits behind the Wicked tier, so it won’t even count unless you’ve collected the three Tier 3 relics: The Bus, The Dragon, and the Blood Vials Relic. Then the game hits you with the real joke: you have to equip all three at the same time. You’ll spawn in and immediately feel “off,” because most of your comfy power is basically gone.

Why the match feels wrong fast.

Those relics don’t just take a slot. They take your safety net. A bunch of augments you normally lean on won’t be there, and it changes your timing on everything. On top of that, zombies start regenerating health like they’ve got a cheat code. If your damage is sloppy, you’re not “wearing them down,” you’re feeding them time.

Early rounds: play like you’re on a clock.

You’re running the full Main Quest Easter Egg, so the best mindset is simple: move, don’t vibe. Get power online at Blackwater Lake and Ashwood quickly, and stop wandering into side fights “just for points.” People do that a lot, then wonder why they’re broke on ammo and plates when the next step demands speed.

Your real build is the tools.

The run lives or dies on preparation inside the match. Prioritise Ol’ Tessie and push upgrades as soon as you can. Grab the Necrofluid Gauntlet, then craft the special serum in Yuri’s Lab without dragging it out. And yeah, Pack-a-Punch isn’t optional here. Going into later steps with a half-built gun is how you turn one mistake into a wipe.

Boss fight: don’t ego it.

Veytharion is a damage sponge with teeth. Solo is possible, but it’s a miserable way to learn. In co-op, you can make it feel fair: one player drives Ol’ Tessie aggressively and keeps ramming for impact damage, another holds the turret and calls out openings. When the beam phase starts, don’t freeze. Move, reset, then punish when it’s safe.

How to keep your head in the run.

The trick is staying calm when it gets messy, because it will. You’ll miss a reload, you’ll get cornered, someone will grab a bad angle. Treat the whole attempt like reps: tighten routes, keep comms short, and stop chasing flashy kills. If you want an easier way to get warmed up before you commit, u4gm CoD BO7 Bot Lobby runs can help you dial in your movement and aim so the real attempt doesn’t feel like your first game of the day.