Starting from zero, the most efficient route focuses on five key relics: the Teddy Bear, Power Switch, Dancing Arnie, Spider Fang or Focusing Stone, and Bus. This progression minimizes painful drawbacks while quickly unlocking Golden Armor, weapon upgrades, and the strongest reward tiers. If you're also looking to accelerate your overall Zombies experience, MMOexp offers Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Bot Lobbies for players seeking additional ways to level up their game.
Step One: Build Your Tier 1 Foundation
Relics come in three categories: Grief, Sinister, and Wicked. Grief relics provide one-third of a tier, Sinister relics provide two-thirds, and Wicked relics provide a full tier. However, Wicked relics require Tier 2, so you must climb the ladder first.
Your first objective should therefore be collecting three Grief relics.
1. Teddy Bear - Ashes of the Damned
The Teddy Bear is the recommended first relic because its drawback is practically nonexistent. It reduces the delay between rounds by 75%.
Its unlock requires finding 10 hidden Mr. Peeks while using Shroud and the Necrofluid Gauntlet. After collecting them, complete the resulting trial at Vendon Farm.
Key takeaway: Teddy Bear is an excellent long-term relic because its effect doesn't meaningfully interfere with normal gameplay.
2. Power Switch - Totenreich
The Power Switch randomizes your tactical and lethal equipment each round. While inconvenient, equipment can simply be purchased again.
The unlock involves identifying four skull-marked poles and hitting corresponding pads in the correct order with a Combat Axe. The resulting trial limits zombie kills to traps.
Key takeaway: It's an easy second Grief relic with a relatively manageable downside.
3. Gramophone - Kuwakujo
The Gramophone requires collecting two drumsticks and completing a fast Simon Says sequence three times. Its trial restricts kills to sniper rifles.
Its drawback causes every weapon shot to consume two bullets, so it isn't ideal permanently-but it works well for reaching Tier 1.
Key takeaway: These three Grief relics are enough to unlock Tier 1 and begin pursuing stronger rewards.
Step Two: Upgrade Into Sinister Relics
Once Tier 1 is available, replace weaker relics with Sinister options.
Dancing Arnie - Totenreich
The Dancing Arnie involves preparing a pot with several ingredients before completing a melee-based trial. Its reward randomizes perks from the perk machine while allowing access to every perk from one machine.
Key takeaway: Dancing Arnie provides tremendous utility and should be your first Sinister target.
Spider Fang or Focusing Stone?
This choice depends on your playstyle.
Solo players: Prioritize the Spider Fang. Its perk-price drawback is far less noticeable when you're consistently surviving without downs.
Co-op players: Consider the Focusing Stone instead. It prevents starting with or purchasing Self-Revive Kits, a less significant problem when teammates can revive you.
Both require lengthy unlock conditions, including Round 40 requirements and specialized objectives.
Key takeaway: Spider Fang suits solo progression, while Focusing Stone is particularly practical for team play.
Step Three: Unlock Tier 2 and Grab the Bus
With your Grief and Sinister relics assembled, you can reach Tier 2 and unlock access to Wicked relics.
The Bus on Ashes of the Damned is the recommended first Wicked relic. Its drawback causes enemies to regenerate health, but continuous damage prevents the effect from becoming especially noticeable during ordinary combat.
To unlock it, reach Round 60 on at least Tier 2 and complete a round without directly damaging zombies. A trap-focused strategy makes this considerably easier.
The resulting trial requires zombies to kill other zombies, making Brain Rot an important part of the setup.
Key takeaway: Bus provides a relatively tolerable Wicked drawback and completes the core route to Tier 3.
Tier 3: Your Five-Relic Finish Line
The major advantage of this route is efficiency. With three Grief relics, one Sinister relic, and one Wicked relic, you can reach Tier 3 with only five relics.
However, after reaching Tier 3, consider eventually pursuing the Dragon Head and Dragon Egg. Both are difficult to unlock, but they can provide cleaner Tier 3 setups.
The Dragon Head removes ammo boxes, although other mechanics can help compensate. The Dragon Egg randomizes Elite and Special enemies, adding variety without making the setup overwhelmingly restrictive.
Players who eventually collect multiple strong Wicked relics can also build Tier 3 using fewer total relics, reducing the number of negative effects active at once.
Recommended Relic Setups
·Tier 1 - Solo: Teddy Bear + Spider Fang
·Tier 1 - Co-op: Teddy Bear + Focusing Stone
·Tier 2: Teddy Bear + Spider Fang/Focusing Stone + Bus
·Tier 3: Prioritize your strongest Wicked relics while minimizing unnecessary drawbacks.
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Helpful Tips Before You Start
·Unlock three Grief relics first to reach Tier 1.
·Keep the Teddy Bear equipped whenever possible.
·Choose Spider Fang for solo play or Focusing Stone for co-op.
·Save difficult Wicked relics for after Tier 3 access.
·Bring the correct weapons and equipment into relic trials.
·Watch for bugged interactions and consider Save & Quit when an objective fails to trigger.
·Don't unlock every relic simply because it's available-some drawbacks can make later progression harder.
Final Takeaway
The most efficient route from zero is about quality over quantity: start with Teddy Bear, Power Switch, and Gramophone, move into Dancing Arnie plus Spider Fang or Focusing Stone, then unlock the Bus to reach Tier 3. From there, Dragon Head and Dragon Egg become worthwhile long-term goals. Following this path lets you access the major relic rewards while avoiding many of the game's harsher drawbacks. If you want an extra boost alongside your progression, buy CoD Black Ops 7 Bot Lobbies at MMOexp to level up your game and spend more time focusing on your Season 6 goals.
