RECOMMENDED LOADOUT

Primary Weapon: ASG-89

Attachments: Muzzle: Full choke, Barrel: Reinforced Barrel, Underbarrel: Ranger Foregrip, Magazine: Extended Mag II, Stock: Light Stock, Laser: Steady Aim Laser, Fire Mods: Rapid Fire

Secondary Weapon: If you are in a squad, and you don't have the Ice Staff, I recommend trying to get the CIGMA 2B out of the Mystery Box

Field Upgrade: Aether Shroud

CRAFT THE ICE STAFF

Part 1: Shock Mimic Drop

1. Open the Path to Pack-A-Punch Progress through the map by buying doors to unlock the route leading to "Nowhere" the Pack-A-Punch area. This area is also referred to as the Dark Aether Nexus. The quickest way to get to it from the spawn (Dig Site) is by buying the door on the right.
2. Wait for a Shock Mimic (Round 8) Around round eight, a Shock Mimic will spawn. Defeat it. Upon killing the Shock Mimic, it will drop the first piece -- a “monocle”. Pick it up to proceed. This is the first piece of the Ice Staff.

Part 2a: Purple Lantern Lockdown (Death Perception Room)

1. Locate Glowing Purple Fire Lanterns You will notice purple fire in lanterns hanging in various doorways and rooms around the main area of the map. Shoot the Purple Fire Lantern to Move It. Each time you shoot a lantern with purple fire, it relocates in the same room to one of the other empty lanterns.
2. Guide the Purple Lantern in the Tombs There's a lantern in the Tombs (next to Death Perception). Shoot the lantern with purple fire until it gets placed in the slot nearest the mural on the wall by the wall gun where the bull painting is, in order to reveal symbols on the mural similar to Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X).
3. Shoot the Roman Numerals When the purple fire settles in the lantern nearest the mural, it will illuminate the mural with Roman numerals on the wall. Shoot them in the correct order.
4. Prepare for Lockdown Shooting the numerals triggers a lockdown event, containing about five waves of enemies, including: Shock Mimics, Doppelghasts, Parasites, Armored zombies
5. Complete the Lockdown Survive all waves. A max armor will spawn during the lockdown after a couple waves. Upon completion, you will be rewarded with the second Ice Staff piece (either the staff or the head piece) as well as a max ammo.

Part 2b: Purple Lantern Lockdown (Deadshot Daquiri Room)

1. Repeat the Lantern Process You must do the same purple fire lantern-shooting process again, this time leading it into the Neolithic Catacombs (Deadshot room). The mural is located to the left of Deadshot Daquiri, to the left of the crafting table.
2. Shoot the Roman Numerals Again As before, once the purple fire is in the lantern closest to the mural, it will shine onto the mural with a new set of Roman numerals. Shoot them in the correct order.
3. Second Lockdown Event You will be locked in for another series of five waves in that area of the map. Survive the onslaught, just as you did previously. You'll get a max armor during the lockdown.
4. Collect the Final Piece Once you succeed, grab the third and final part of the Ice Staff (either the staff or the head piece) from the revealed mural as well as another max ammo.

Crafting the Ice Staff

1. Set Up Your Loadout Before crafting the staff, ensure you have reliable Pack-A-Punch weapons with mid-to-high rarity and a good selection of perks. Crafting a few LT53 Kazimirs doesn't hurt either.
2. Head to the Dark Aether Nexus Proceed to the large circle in the middle of the Nowhere/Dark Aether Nexus area (the area where the Pack-A-Punch initially spawns).
3. Initiate the Final Lockdown Interact with the circle to place the Ice Staff and a lockdown will begin. Defend it from incoming zombies and parasites. A sound strategy is to run a train in the vicinity, focusing on any zombies that stray toward the Ice Staff itself. Toss a couple of those LT53 Kazimirs to keep them away from the staff.
4. Complete the Defense After successfully defending the Ice Staff, you can pick up the fully crafted weapon. If you fail to defend it, you will have to wait until the next round to try again.

Post-Crafting Notes

• Mystery Box Option: The Ice Staff may also appear in the Mystery Box. If you get it from the Mystery Box, you can start the guide here.
• Upgrading the Ice Staff: As of now, you cannot Pack-A-Punch the staff directly. An upgrade quest exists, and its steps are detailed below.

UPGRADE THE ICE STAFF

Step 1: Shoot the Three Dark Aether Crystals Rapidly

1. Locate Dark Aether lamps with the purple fire crystals around the map in 3 areas that are next to each other.
2. Strategy: Position the purple fire crystals in different lanterns by shooting them with a regular gun/bullet until they relocate to areas in different rooms that are closest together. Then use the ice staff on them once they are lined up to freeze each crystal (three in total) in quick succession (roughly within ten seconds).

Success Indicator: You will hear dialogue from Archibald immediately after freezing the three crystals in time.

Step 2: Locate the Symbols on Floating Rocks

1. Go to the Dark Aether Nexus “Nowhere” area.
2. Look up to find some floating rocks with a slight blue hue to them. There will be a redish symbol on 3 of them.
3. Shoot each symbol with your Ice Staff. You will see a hit marker, and the rock will begin to lower.
4. Note the Symbols on these rocks carefully (write them down or take screenshots).

Step 3: Identify the Closed Doorway

1. Once you hit all the correct rocks with the Ice Staff, some dialogue from Archibald will start, and then in the Dark Aether Nexus, wait for one of the four teleporter doorways to close off
2. Leave the Dark Aether Nexus to find the opposite side of that closed off doorway.
3. Once you find the closed off doorway, you will see a bunch of symbols on it.

Step 4: Input the Symbol Code

1. Use the Ice Staff to shoot the three symbols on the doorway that you observed on the floating rocks.
2. Open the Doorway: Shoot them in ANY order until the doorway opens. I have found success inputting them in the order that I initially shot the floating rocks.
3. Enter the Doorway: You will be teleported onto a floating rock. If it teleports you to the side of the rock, and you fall straight down, you may be shooting the wrong symbol/symbol order.

Step 5: Initiate and Escort the Orb

1. Interact with the Orb on this floating rock to initiate a Soul Box sequence.
2. Follow the Orb VERY closely as it moves throughout the Dark Aether.
3. Kill Zombies near the orb to fill it with souls. Stay close to the orb; otherwise, it will fail and require you to reenter the symbols. Ignore the amalgam if needed!
4. Once the orb reaches the central area, perform the final interaction.

Step 6: Upgrade the Ice Staff

1. After escorting the orb successfully, it settles in the central section.
2. Interact to upgrade your Ice Staff.
3. Once upgraded, you gain: Charge Shot: Creates a whirlwind of ice that freezes multiple zombies. Revive Shot: By pressing the alternate fire button (e.g., left on the D-pad), you can shoot a projectile that revives downed teammates.

Final Notes

• Power Boost: The upgraded Ice Staff is significantly more powerful than the base version.
• Mobility Perks: Using perks like Stamin-Up helps you move quickly between crystals.

COMPLETE THE VERMIN, PARASITE, AND AMALGAM STATUE CHALLENGES

Step 1: Vermin Statue Steps

1. Use the Ice Staff Revive Shot on the Dark Aether Nexus Crystal Locate the Vermin statue in the Dark Aether Nexus. Shoot the crystal on this statue with the revive shot from the Ice Staff. Interact to retrieve the crystal.
2. Return to the Spawn Area Go to the Vermin statue in the beginning spawn area (Dig Site). Shoot it again with the revive shot. Interact with it to place the crystal on the statue.
3. Initiate and Complete the Lockdown A lockdown event will start and a BUNCH of vermin will spawn. Defeat waves of enemies to fill the purple orb with souls.
4. Interact with the Statue After surviving the lockdown, interact with the statue to retrieve the purple orb. Avoid taking damage after retrieving the orb, or you may lose it and have to restart this step. Hurry back into the Dark Aether to deposit the orb into the Vermin statue there.

Step 2: Parasite Statue Steps

1. Locate the Parasite Statue In the Dark Aether Nexus, shoot the Parasite Statue with the Ice Staff revive shot to retrieve the crystal. Then interact with it like you did before. Head to the Parasite statue near the Stamin-Up Perk-a-Cola.
2. Repeat the Same Process Complete the lockdown by eliminating parasites and grabbing purple orbs to fill the statue with souls. Then interact with it. Return to the Dark Aether statue after completing its lockdown event.

Step 3: Doppelghast Statue Steps

1. Locate the Doppelghast Statue In the Dark Aether Nexus, shoot the Doppelghast Statue with the Ice Staff revive shot and interact to retrieve the crystal. Then go interact with the Doppelghast statue near the Speed Cola Perk-a-Cola.
2. Perform the Same Sequence Eliminate doppelghasts to fill the purple orb with souls. Interact with the statue when complete and then deposit the orb into the Dark Aether Doppelghast statue once finished.

Step 4: Amalgam Statue Steps

1. Locate the Amalgam Statue In the Dark Aether Nexus, shoot the Amalgam Statue with the Ice Staff revive shot and then interact with it to retrieve the crystal. Then go interact with the Amalgam statue lockdown near the Quick-Revive Perk-a-Cola.
2. Perform the Same Sequence Complete the lockdown by filling the purple orb with one amalgam soul (this amalgam is strong and if it shoots a purple beam on a zombie you will have to kill that zombie first to do further damage to the amalgam). Interact with the statue once lockdown is completed and then deposit the orb into the Dark Aether Amalgam statue once finished.

FIGHT THE FINAL BOSS

1. Step 1: Find the Boss The final boss is located in the Dark Aether Nexus, near the stone structure at the back of the area. After completing all statue challenges, interact with that dial a bridge appears that leads to the boss battle. Recommended Loadout: Pack-a-Punch Tier 3 legendary rarity ASG with an LMG or AR (if you are playing with a team, otherwise your second weapon will be the staff) will deal the most damage. Wonder Weapons do NO DAMAGE to this boss, so avoid using them in this fight.

THE TOMB’S BOSS FIGHT

This encounter differs from other boss fights in the game because you are not battling a single massive enemy. Instead, The Sentinel Artifact serves as the main target, moving around the arena and attacking with deadly lasers. Your objective is to survive multiple phases, each with increasing difficulty, until you defeat all variations of the Sentinel Artifact.

Phase 1: Single Sentinel Artifact

1. Laser Mechanics The Sentinel Artifact spins around the boss arena, firing a laser from the ground floor up to the top floor, then back down. Avoid the Laser: Hide behind pillars (if you are upstairs) or stay underground behind cover.
2. Use the Upgraded Ice Staff Charge and fire it to manage the incoming zombie waves. Stay safe until the Artifact’s laser stops; it will then turn transparent blue/purple for a short time.
3. Damage Window - Shoot the Transparent Artifact with your non-wonder weapon bullet weapon (the Ice Staff’s bullets do not deal enough damage here). If you have Aether Shroud, use it to keep zombies away while you focus fire on the Artifact.
4. Phase Transition If you deal enough damage during this brief window, the Artifact splits into two, signifying Phase 1 is complete. The boss’s health bar decreases slightly. Grab the Max Ammo that appears in the center of the arena.

Phase 2: Dual Sentinel Artifacts

1. Two Lasers Now there are two Artifacts each firing lasers. They move both upstairs and downstairs. The same hiding/avoidance strategy applies, but be aware there are now two beams.
2. Repeat the Damage Cycle Wait for the Artifacts to become transparent. Use Aether Shroud (if available) and focus bullet fire on one Artifact until it shifts to a red, see-through state. This indicates you have done enough damage, and you will receive another Max Ammo.
3. Phase Transition With sufficient damage, these two Artifacts eventually multiply into four Sentinel Artifacts.

Phase 3: Four Sentinel Artifacts & Elite Enemies

1. Increased Lasers Four Artifacts now circle the arena, each firing lasers. Staying underground can offer better cover in solo play. Use the upgraded Ice Staff and your bullet weapon to eliminate zombies and charge your Aether Shroud.
2. Damage Windows After avoiding the lasers, watch for the Artifacts to become transparent. Focus all fire on one Artifact until it turns red and floats to the center.
3. Elite Enemy Spawns Once an Artifact is red, multiple boss-type enemies spawn (e.g., Doppelghasts, Amalgams, and a heavy zombie carrying a Sentinel Artifact). If you do not destroy the special zombie and then its dropped Artifact in time, the laser phase restarts.
4. Strategy - Eliminate Elite Bosses First: Take out Amalgams and Doppelghasts quickly. Focus the Heavy Zombie last; once it drops the Artifact, keep shooting it with your bullet weapon. Success pushes you to the next wave of special enemies.

Phase 4: Additional Elite Waves

1. New Artifact-Carrying Enemies You will face an Amalgam or a Doppelghast holding a red Sentinel Artifact. Later waves include an elite electrified Mimic with an Artifact. Each time you fail to destroy the Artifact within the damage window, the phase restarts with fresh elite spawns.
2. Maintain Distance These Artifact-infused enemies can one-hit you. Keep moving, ideally in a clockwise rotation around the arena, using the Ice Staff to slow or freeze regular zombies.
3. Preserve Ammo and Armor Use your Ice Staff’s charged shots to control crowds. Save a full magazine of your LMG or high-damage bullet weapon to destroy the dropped Sentinel Artifacts quickly.
4. Splitting Artifacts Destroying an elite enemy carrying a Sentinel Artifact may cause it to split into two, returning them to the center. Each successful Artifact destruction drains the boss’s health further.

Final Phase: Massive Elite Gauntlet

1. Multiple Elite Spawns All previously encountered elite variants may appear simultaneously, each holding or guarding a red Sentinel Artifact. This includes Mimics, Doppelghasts, Heavy Zombies, and Amalgams, all in elite form.
2. High-Risk Combat The enemies can easily corner you with powerful melee hits. Consider using Mutant Injection or any strong buff to handle large groups and avoid instant downs.
3. Last Artifact After defeating the final elite Amalgam, it drops the final red Sentinel Artifact. Shoot it with your bullet weapon before the lasers resume. If you manage to destroy this Artifact in time, all Artifacts line up in the center.

Finishing Blow

1. Artifact to the Door One Sentinel Artifact rises to the door on the upper floor of the boss arena. This is effectively a wipe mechanic (killing your entire squad) if you fail to deal enough damage. Focus all remaining firepower and unlimited ammo gobblegums on it immediately.
2. Victory & Ending Cutscene Once the final Artifact’s health is depleted, the boss fight ends. In the center of the arena, the Sentinel Artifact will appear. Interact to place the amulet, triggering the ending cutscene and completing “The Tombs” boss fight.