This guide follows the original Black Ops map. Use the linked game’s current prompts for browser-specific inputs.
Use the elevator route to power
Five connects the upper area, War Room and underground laboratories through elevators. Use the early rounds to learn where each lift returns you. Power is in the laboratory area; reaching it is the first setup objective.
Keep enough points for access through the map and a weapon you can use along the way. If you enter a confined area with no ammunition or exit plan, the power switch alone will not rescue the run.
Reach DEFCON 5
- Switch on laboratory power.
- Return to the War Room.
- Find and operate the four DEFCON switches around that room.
- Watch the level reach DEFCON 5.
- Use a teleporter to enter the Panic Room, where Pack-a-Punch becomes accessible.
Finish the upgrade promptly
The Panic Room upgrade opportunity is limited. Select the weapon you intend to keep, perform the upgrade and retrieve it promptly. Avoid treating the room as a permanent pause in the round.
For another trip, follow the current DEFCON state and repeat the switches when required. Learn the return route before you rely on an upgrade visit to create breathing space.
Prepare for the Pentagon Thief
The Pentagon Thief can steal a held weapon. When its encounter appears, keep moving and pay attention to which gun you are carrying. If it takes a weapon, the encounter becomes a recovery problem as well as a survival problem.
Keep a dependable alternative ready and avoid entering the encounter at the end of your ammunition supply. Plan around the threat instead of expecting the ordinary zombie rhythm to continue.
Handle the narrow connections
Five rewards knowing the elevator landings and the War Room’s obstacles. Before committing to a loop, trace the path and notice the choke points. Leave a way out of a weapon buy rather than turning a shopping stop into a corner.
Use the checklist as a setup reminder. It is stored in this browser and does not read your in-game DEFCON level.