Black Ops Cold War Zombie: How Aetherium Crystals and Upgrades Work
How to get Aetherium Crystals
There are two ways to get Crystals in Black Ops Cold War.The first is simply to survive and reach the milestones of the waves in any zombie mode. Once you reach round 10, you will be rewarded with one of these very useful purple crystals. As you continue to challenge the undead hordes you will receive an additional one every 5 rounds, up to the thirtieth. After round 30, you will earn 2 crystals every 5 rounds. Obviously at that point in the game surviving becomes really complicated, for this reason the rewards are higher.
The second way to obtain the crystals is exfil, ie extraction with the helicopter. Already in the tenth round you will be offered to save yourself in this way and end the mission, earning a crystal, but we advise you to hold on at least another ten rounds.
Buying upgrades thanks to Crystals
To be better prepared for the undead waves, there are tons of upgrades, power-ups and abilities available, to be unlocked and purchased through a set number of Aetherium Crystals. You can find them all in the "Equipment" -> "Skills" section from the Zombie mode lobby. We list them below, with their description and the number of crystals needed to buy them, written on the left.Classes of Weapons
Here you can buy upgrades that are always active based on the weapon you are using. Choose the weapon you are best at and invest in that category the Crystals!SMGs Short range damage increased by 10%. Critical damage increased by 10%. Unlocks 3 additional accessory slots. Shotguns Short-range damage increased by 10%. Critical damage increased by 10%. Armor Penetration Damage increased by 10%. Guns Damage at short range increased by 10%. Critical damage increased by 10%. Armor Penetration Damage increased by 10%. Tactical Shotguns Long range damage increased by 10%. Critical damage increased by 10%. Unlocks 3 additional accessory slots. Sniper Rifles Armor Penetration Damage increased by 10%. Critical damage increased by 10%. Unlocks 3 additional accessory slots. Light Machine Guns Armor Penetration Damage increased by 10%. Critical damage increased by 10%. Unlocks 3 additional accessory slots. Assault Rifles Long range damage increased by 10%. It costs 1 Crystal. Critical damage increased by 10%. It costs 2 Crystals. Unlocks 3 additional accessory slots. It costs 3 Crystals. Melee Melee knife instead of attacking with the butt of the weapon. Main melee weapon damage increased by 10%. Bowie knife instead of the attack with the butt of the weapon.
Field Upgrades
Activated by simultaneously pressing the controller's back buttons (or the X key on your keyboard), they unleash powerful area effects that can eliminate a large number of enemies at a time. Usage recharges by killing zombies.Cryo Blast A wave of icy wind that freezes enemies, slowing them and dealing damage over time.
The blast lasts 3 seconds longer and continues to slow down enemies. enemies. It costs 1 Crystal. Maximum stacks increase to 2. Costs 2 Crystals. Blast size and damage doubled. It costs 3 Crystals. Energy Mine An energy mine that explodes close to enemies dealing severe damage.
Maximum stacks increase to 2. Blast size doubled. The mine explodes 2 times in rapid succession. Aether Shield You enter the Dark Aether for 5 seconds, becoming impossible to detect.
Activation instantly reloads your weapon's ammo. The duration of the shield increases to 8 seconds, Activation instantly teleports you slightly ahead. Healing Aura Instantly and totally restore the health of the entire team.
You and your allies gain a health regeneration effect that lasts for 10 seconds. The beam knocks down normal enemies and stuns special and elite enemies. The beam revives allies on the ground. Ring of Fire You form an ethereal ring of fire that increases the damage dealt by you and your allies. Normal enemies that enter the ring suffer a burn effect that deals Fire damage. Lasts 15 seconds.
Burn damage doubled. The ring blocks enemy bullets. While in the ring, you use the ammo from the reserve and not the ammo in the magazine.
Specialty
Passive buffs that grant additional buffs once Crystals are spent. These are drinks that you can obtain at the dispensers scattered throughout the level.Juggernog Maximum health increased by 50.
Duration of status effects is reduced by 50% Armored plates restore 25% more armor. Maximum health increased by 100. Speed Cola Reload speed increased by 15%.
Swap weapons faster. Field upgrades recharge 20% faster. Reload speed increased by 30%. Quick Revive Reduces the time it takes to fully regenerate health by 50%. Reduces the time it takes to revive an ally by 50%.
When on the ground, you can crawl at twice the speed. Reduces the delay in which health begins to regenerate by 50%. When you revive an ally, you regain all health. Energy + Run and sprint speed increased.
Backward movement speed increased. Fall damage immunity. Walk faster in viewfinder mode. Elemental Drink Each bullet has a small chance of applying the effect of a random basic ammo mod.
Damage dealt by equipment has a small chance of applying the effect of a random basic ammo mod. Reduces the cooldown of the ammo mod by 20%. When applying a random ammo mod, the current skill level of the ammo mod is used instead of the base one. Deadly Daiquiri In crosshair mode, you automatically lock onto an enemy target's critical spot. Removes scope wobble.
Deal 100% extra critical damage if an enemy is at full health. Damage against armor increased by 50%. Reduced dispersion when firing without aiming.
Ammo Mod
Passively upgrades the ammo you are using, applying bonus effects with different characteristics. You can equip them from the upgrade stations with the dummy you will find in the level, at the cost of a certain number of materials. Materials are occasionally dropped by the zombies you kill.Napalm Blast
Bullets inflict fire damage. Each bullet has a chance to ignite a normal enemy, inflicting Fire damage equal to 10% of their maximum health over 5 seconds (the effect only activates once every 3 seconds maximum).The initial burn effect deals additional Fire damage equal to 5% of the enemy's maximum health. Burn duration increased to 10 seconds. Burn effect damage doubled. Inert Wire Bullets deal electrical damage. Each bullet has a chance to stun normal enemies for 2 seconds (effect only activates every 15 seconds).
Stunned enemies generate an electric field dealing electrical damage to themselves and nearby enemies. Stun duration increased to 4 seconds. Electric field damage doubled.
Frozen Dead
Bullets deal Freeze damage. Each bullet has a chance to slow normal enemies by 30% of their running speed for 3 seconds.Slowed enemies take 25% more damage. Slow duration increased to 5 seconds. Slowed enemy speed reduced to 50%.
Brain Breaker
Bullets deal toxic damage. Each bullet has a chance to transform a normal enemy into an ally for 15 seconds before they die.When they die, the converted enemy explodes dealing toxic damage. Duration of conversion effect increased to 20 seconds. Converted enemies deal double damage. You are now prepared to face the endless hordes of Nazi zombies that have invaded the world of Black Ops Cold War. If you want to have any more chance of surviving, you need to know which weapon to use; Check out this Call of Duty Cold War Assault Rifle guide. Many players prefer to focus on the main campaign before trying multiplayer. Do you know how long the Cold War story lasts?
