MW3 Zombies tips and tricks: How to progress in Urzikstan

The Old Town is a scary place filled with monstrous abominations, so how do you progress in Urzikstan to beat MW3 Zombies mode?

Whether you’re trying to complete Acts or Contracts or are fighting MWZ’s bosses, these are our top tips for progressing through Urzikstan in MW3 Zombies.

Tips and tricks to progress in MWZ

Pack-a-Punch will be your best friend

You must always Pack-a-Punch your weapon if you are ever thinking about heading into the orange or red zones in Urzikstan. Each gun has three available levels that set you back a ton of Essence (a total of 30,000 to be exact) if you want a fully maxed out weapon for the end-game. Regardless of whether you’re trying to farm Mega Abominations, see the Der Wunderfizz, or complete Act III missions, the Pack-a-Punch machine will be your best friend throughout your deployment.

Keep in mind, however, that any Pack-a-Punch upgrades you use will not carry over into the next match. This is also the case for any Contraband Weapons you drop during your deployment, or any Wonder Weapons you equip. All these items and upgrades will not be available for you in the next match, so make sure to use everything to its full potential while you can.

Use Ammo Mods on your weapons

Ammo Mods are a great way to gain the upper hand against hordes of zombies and elite enemies. You can find them randomly on the map in loot caches by completing Aether Nests and Strongholds, and inside Reward Rifts for Contracts. You can equip them onto your weapon, and they last until the moment you exfil. Make sure you use these to your advantage as you attempt missions, complete Contracts, and enter the tougher sections of the map.

Get a 3-Plate Armor vest as soon as possible

The 3-Plate Armor Vest is an essential item in MWZ. It’s a must-have for those who want to head into the medium and high threat areas of Urzikstan. It is incredibly difficult to survive in the higher threat zones without it. You’ll be okay in threat level one, but anything closer to Urzikstan’s center will leave you begging for one more plate slot.

We recommend completing Mercenary Strongholds and Infected Strongholds as these very frequently have Armor Vests inside as loot cache rewards.

Using Perk-a-Cola to your advantage

There are a variety of ways to get perks in MWZ. You can also get a Perk-a-Cola for free by visiting specific parts of the map and completing their challenges. Make sure that you are exfiling with these so that you can equip them for another deployment when you are ready to take on the tougher zones and later MWZ missions.

Get yourself the Stamin-Up schematics as soon as possible by going to coordinates D3 in Urzikstan, which will take you to Zaravan City. Head to the skyscraper and ascend to the 15th floor. Mister Peeks is on the roof who’ll give you a Reward Rift with Stamin-Up inside. This will increase your speed and allow you to focus on completing Contracts the moment you start your deployment.

Another useful Perk-a-Cola is Tombstone Cola which will save your inventory should you die in a deployment. Of course, you need to remember to use Jugger-Nog if you are attempting anything inside the red zone. You can get a free Jugger-Nog by heading to C3 coordinates and into the northern side of Seaport District. Find the small campsite in the area and use a molotov cocktail or thermite to light a fire. The Reward Rift will give you the Jugger-Nog for free.

The best Perk-a-Cola to take with you inside high threat level areas of Old Town are:

• Jugger-Nog
• Stamin-Up
• Speed Cola

Don’t forget about Aether Tools and Aetherium Crystals

Aether Tools and Aetherium Crystals are great ways to upgrade your weapons for free. While Aether Tools are more common in MWZ, you can get both items by completing Contracts, specific missions, and looting caches. That said, their drops are not guaranteed every time. The only true way of getting Aether Tool schematics is to complete specific missions. These are:

• Act I: Tier I ‘Firepower‘
• Act I: Tier III ‘Minelayer‘
• Act I: Tier V ‘Chaperone‘
• Act II: Tier II ‘Guardian Angel‘
• Act III: Tier II ‘Firestarter‘
• Act III: Tier IV ‘Closing Time‘

You will want to take Aether Tools in with you to boost your weapon’s power immediately. This will allow you to focus on missions inside the low and medium threat zones, letting you gain enough Essence to Pack-a-Punch or skip straight into the red zone for a Legendary Wallbuy Weapon (which costs 5,000 Essence).

Get a Ray Gun for free

An easy way to pick up the Ray Gun in MWZ is to complete the Legacy Fortress. This spawns toward the end of a match, and you can only enter it using a Fortress Keycard. To get one, you need to clear a Mercenary Stronghold, open the safe in the area, and grab the Keycard inside. By completing the Fortress, the Reward Rift will almost always give you the Ray Gun acquisition crate. Make sure that you exfil with it and don’t equip it so that you have the permanent schematics to craft it before your next deployment.

Complete specific Contracts for easy Essence

While there are specific ways to build your Essence fast in a deployment, you should aim to complete certain Contracts every time you deploy. I always recommend the Deliver Cargo, Spore Control, and Eliminate the Bounty due to their speed, efficiency, quick Essence, and great rewards. These Contracts are great for solo players and those playing with multiple teammates.

Use fast-moving vehicles to get around Urzikstan

There are multiple ways to get around the map quickly. You can use Stamin-Up to travel quickly by foot, ATVs to move in and out of zones, and Aether Tears and Redeploy Drones to free-fall and parachute to another part of the map. This is helpful for getting exfil spots quickly, and can also protect you from harm if a zombie horde or mercenary group is on your tail.

A vehicle like the ATV is especially important for moving around medium and high threat zones.

Play as a squad whenever you can

This is a hard pill to swallow, but certain missions in MW3 Zombies are better completed with a team. You’ll have an easier time finishing early missions like Act I’s Extraction mission with multiple teammates, rather than heading in on your lonesome. Playing with teammates also increases your chances of survival as enemies won’t just be focusing on you.