As you inch towards the conclusion of the Zombies campaign in Modern Warfare 3, you will have to take on the final story mission, Defeat Zakhaev.
Defeating Zakhaev starts with eliminating a monstrous worm first. If you’ve got more questions than answers at this point, make sure to read the rest of our guide.
How to deploy to Zakhaev’s Stronghold in MW3 Zombies
To defeat Zakhaev in MW3 Zombies, you will need to deploy Zakhaev’s stronghold and defeat Orcus. This phase is during last story mission of MW3 Zombies and takes some steps to get there. Read on to learn how to defeat Zakhaev in MW3 Zombies.
How to deploy to Zakhaev’s Stronghold in MW3 Zombies
The Deploy to Zakhaev’s Stronghold exfil location will be visible on the Modern Warfare 3 Zombies tac-map only after a few minutes of gameplay. Once you find the exfil icon, continue onward from that spot to begin with the story mission.
- Your next objective will be planting the explosive charge on the enrichment device present there.
- Slip past or fight the zombies then head directly west toward Zakhaev’s facility.
- Within the facility, take care of all the zombies to get a free platform to plant the explosive charge on the enrichment device.
From here, you will need to power up the Neutralizer. Find this Neutralizer right after you finish the previous task.
- Simply make your way left from the facility while defeating any zombies in your path.
- Once you’ve found the Neutralizer, simply interact with it to power it up.
- When you have completed this, you can move on to your next objective: destroying the Attack Helicopter.
That being said, you cannot actually destroy the Attack Helicopter, so the best course of action for you is to survive its attacks by taking cover. As you hide for safety, a gigantic Orcus will spawn and destroy the attack helicopter, making you its next target. To defeat Zakhaev, you will need to defeat the Orcus in front of you.
How to defeat Orcus in MW3 Zombies
Orcus the Aether Worm is a formiddable creature with a lot of health and packs a punch with damage. However, it is easy to best the worm by knowing it has weak spots and using key items. The items that you want to focus on to use in the Orcus fight in Modern Warfare 3 Zombies are listed below:
- Wunderwaffle DG-2
- Ray Gun
- Juggernog (perk)
- Quick Revive (perk)
- Speed Cola (perk)
- PHD Flopper (perk)
- At least a single-level two Pack-A-Punch gun
- Self Revive
- 3 Plate Armor Vest
- Juggernaut
The Wunderwaffle DG-3 works well on the battlefield as you will be running from cover to cover, and there will likely be a horde of zombies chasing you. The Wunderwaffle DG-2 will prevent you from being overwhelmed by zombies if you are cornered.
Orcus has weak spots that glows purple in several areas along its body that will give off a critical hit marker and sound. Try to get a good angle and aim for these weak spots. Even while aiming for the purple weak points, however, it will take a while to kill it because of the boss’ ridiculously high health.
The location of your shots on Orcus will hurt the monstrosity no matter where you hit him. The worm will take damage no matter where your bullets connect. You just want to make sure to focus those purple spots when they appear.
To inflict significant damage, upgrade your weapon to at least level two, and preferably level three, using Pack-a-Punch. Additionally, applying Legendary or Rare Rarity will also increase its effectiveness.
During the battle, Orcus will rotate between the following attacks:
Secondary weapons are not essential since you can sprint faster when you don’t have any guns on you.
- Slam attack: The Aether Worm slams its head into the ground, and any player unfortunate enough to be underneath will likely be knocked down. This attack does not have too wide of an Area of Effect, however.
- Digs in the ground and reappears: Pretty self-explanatory. You will be sent flying into the air if this attack hits you.
- Aether beam: Prior to firing a powerful purple beam of Aether energy at players, Orcus will reel back and snap its head forward.
- Orb attack: Orcus will fire orbs at you until they’re destroyed. However, Orcus will only start using this attack when his health drops down to half of his maximum.
When fighting Orcus, keep your distance, as its attacks will be difficult to avoid if you are close. Hiding inside buildings is an excellent way to avoid many Orcus attacks. This will block the majority of its attacks, with the exception of the shooting orbs.
How to prepare for the Orcus boss fight in MW3 Zombies
- The Wunderwaffle DG-2 is a great boon when you’re under threat of being backed into a corner.
- The Ray Gun wonder weapon is one of the most effective weapons against the worm boss, but it can be hard to find.
- The LMGs and Assault Rifles like Pulemyot 762 and Holger 556.
- A couple of Self-Revive Kits for additional lives in battle.
- Getting your Pet Hellhound to take care of lesser threats can also prove fruitful in battle.
With a squad to assist you, the Aether Worm can be defeated quickly, provided you are well-prepared. Fortunately, if you are defeated, you can fight Orcus again by simply reactivating the Story mission.
Throughout the fight, you will have two NPCs with you, who prove to be of significant help. To get additional help, you can bunker down in the same building as them. Once you are inside, the NPCs will unfortunately not attack Orcus, but they will target zombies that are nearby. Once you deplete the Orcus’ health bar, it will finally die, triggering a cutscene.
