New to Dark Aether Zombies? Follow this opening sequence every match and you'll comfortably reach the mid rounds — the foundation for boss fights and Easter Eggs.
Open up & turn on the power
Spend your early Essence buying doors toward the Pack-a-Punch and the power switch. Powering the map unlocks perk machines and Pack-a-Punch. On Liberty Falls, both routes to the Pack-a-Punch church cost the same 7,500 Essence total, split across four doors priced 1,500 / 1,750 / 2,000 / 2,250 — budget for all four before you start opening.
Buy armour, then Jugger-Nog
Grab an armour vest and plates from the Crafting Table, then rush Jugger-Nog for the health boost. Jugger-Nog costs 2,500 Essence and raises your maximum health by 100 — these two keep you alive more than any weapon. A Level II vest holds two plates, a Level III holds three, so upgrade the vest itself whenever you can, not just the plates in it.
Get a real weapon
Buy a Wall Buy you like or gamble the Mystery Box — on Liberty Falls a roll costs a flat 950 Essence, and it moves to a new spot each match, so scout for it early. Your starting pistol falls off fast — upgrade by round 5–6.
Pack-a-Punch & raise Rarity
Once powered, Pack-a-Punch your weapon and spend Salvage at the Arsenal to raise its Rarity. The three Pack-a-Punch upgrade tiers cost 5,000, 15,000 and 30,000 Essence — steep, but each one multiplies your damage for the high rounds.
Pick a Field Upgrade & Ammo Mod
Apply an Ammo Mod at Pack-a-Punch (Dead Wire has a chance to stun on a 15-second cooldown; Shatter Blast has a chance to explode and strip armour on a 25-second one) and keep a Field Upgrade like Aether Shroud — which phases you out of enemy detection entirely and recharges faster the more you kill — for emergencies.
Train the horde
Don't stand still — run big loops through an open area and shoot the zombies chasing you. This bunches them up for easy kills and Ammo-Mod procs.
Manage the specials
Save equipment and your Wonder Weapon for Manglers, Amalgams and Abominations — they hit hard and soak damage.
Exfil or go for the Easter Egg
Call an Exfil to bank the match, or if you're geared, start the map's main quest Easter Egg for the best rewards.
Habits that keep you alive
- Never let Jugger-Nog lapse after a down — rebuy it first thing.
- Keep armour plates topped up from the Crafting Table.
- Buy the four core perks in order: Jugger-Nog → Quick Revive → Speed Cola → Stamin-Up.
- Research Augments between matches to customise your perks, mods and field upgrades.
- Which map first? Liberty Falls is the friendliest for learning the loop.
Cross-checked
Cross-checked on 6 September 2026 against PowerPyx's and Digital Trends' Liberty Falls Pack-a-Punch guides — both agree on the 1,500/1,750/2,000/2,250 door pricing (7,500 Essence total for either route) and the 5,000/15,000/30,000 Pack-a-Punch upgrade tiers. Jugger-Nog's 2,500-Essence price, the Level II/III armour-plate tiers, and the 950-Essence Mystery Box cost are each confirmed by two independent outlets (Call of Duty Wiki plus dotesports for armour; Call of Duty Wiki plus a Sportskeeda write-up for the Mystery Box). The Dead Wire (15-second cooldown) and Shatter Blast (25-second cooldown) effects match between GameSpot's Ammo Mod gallery and the Call of Duty Wiki entries for each. What is still unverified is the only thing reading cannot settle — nobody here has played it.