The Ultimate Arsenal for Slaying the Undead
Black Ops 7 Zombies delivers one of the most expansive undead experiences yet. Between the massive Ashes of the Damned map, Vandorn Farm Survival, and Dead Ops Arcade 4, you’ll need the right firepower to survive those high rounds and tackle the main Easter Egg challenges.
With 30 weapons in the launch roster, not every gun performs equally against zombie hordes. The Multiplayer meta doesn’t always translate to Zombies—some weapons that dominate PvP fall flat against waves of undead, while others become absolute monsters when Pack-a-Punched.
After extensive testing across various maps and round progressions, I’ve narrowed down the weapons that consistently deliver results. Note that Wonder Weapons like the Necrofluid Gauntlet aren’t included here since they’re in a league of their own.
Quick Navigation:
- Best Secondary: Jager Pistol
- Top Assault Rifles: DS20 & Peacekeeper
- Shotgun Powerhouse: Akita
- LMG Heavy Hitter: MK.78
- SMG Speed Demons: Ryden & Razor
- Sniper King: VS Recon
For more resources and community discussions, check out the official Call of Duty site, Black Ops 7 Wiki, and join the conversation on Reddit or Discord.
Jager (Pistol) – The Secret Shotgun Secondary
Pack-a-Punch Name: Geri
PaP Effect: Shotgun conversion, increased ammo and damage
Here’s something many players miss: the Jager transforms from a basic starter pistol into a pocket powerhouse. When you Pack-a-Punch this weapon, it literally converts into a mini shotgun that fires spread shots while keeping that snappy pistol handling.
Why It Works:
- Devastating close-range damage output
- Maintains pistol movement speed and ADS time
- Exceptional damage per shot, even before upgrading
The real game-changer is pairing it with the Skull Splitter Barrel attachment. This combo lets you delete Zursa Bears and other tough enemies with critical hits that hit like a truck. It’s not your long-range solution, but when zombies get uncomfortably close, the Jager keeps you alive.
Pro Tip: Keep this as your secondary while running an assault rifle or LMG as your primary. The weapon swap speed lets you quickly handle close encounters without panic-knifing.
DS20 Mirage (Assault Rifle) – The Critical Hit Champion
Pack-a-Punch Name: Duality of Blam
PaP Effect: Increased ammo capacity and improved damage
Most players sleep on the DS20 Mirage, but the stats don’t lie. This assault rifle features an exceptional critical damage multiplier specifically for neck shots on standard zombies—something no other full-auto AR can match.
Key Strengths:
- Unmatched critical damage for headshots and neck shots
- Excellent effective range for crowd control
- Manageable recoil even without attachments
- Available as a wall buy at Zarya Cosmodrome
The DS20 excels at training zombies and thinning hordes before they overwhelm you. Even without Double Tap, the fire rate keeps enemies at bay. I’ve used this for multiple Ashes of the Damned boss fights alongside a Wonder Weapon, and it never disappoints.
Loadout Recommendation: Pair with Deadshot Daiquiri for auto-aim critical hits and Speed Cola for faster reloads. Learn more about optimizing your setup in our best perk augments guide.
Peacekeeper MK1 (Assault Rifle) – The Fast-Firing Classic
Pack-a-Punch Name: Utu’s Petition
PaP Effect: Increased ammo capacity and improved damage
Veterans will recognize this iconic rifle, and it maintains its reputation in Black Ops 7 Zombies. While it’s not winning any long-range contests, zombies rarely attack from afar—they’re rushing straight at you.
What Makes It Great:
- Blistering fire rate for rapid damage output
- High DPS when landing critical shots
- Above-average mobility for the AR class
- Wall buy available on both Vandorn Farm and Ashes of the Damned (farmhouse location)
The wall buy accessibility is huge for high-round strategies. When you’re running low on ammo deep into a match, knowing you can refill at the farmhouse wall buy keeps you in the fight without exfilling.
Check out our detailed Peacekeeper MK1 loadout guide for optimal attachments and strategies.
Akita (Shotgun) – The Full-Auto Monster
Pack-a-Punch Name: Hachiko
PaP Effect: Massive ammo capacity increase, improved damage
If you loved the Maelstrom from previous titles, the Akita is your new best friend. This full-auto shotgun absolutely shreds through zombie hordes with minimal aiming required—just point in the general direction and hold the trigger.
Performance Breakdown:
- Fastest fire rate among shotguns
- Exceptional base damage before upgrades
- Massive magazine increase when Pack-a-Punched
- Dominates Ravager special rounds
The Limitation: Range drops off significantly beyond close-medium distance. This isn’t your training weapon—it’s your “oh crap, I’m surrounded” solution. The Pack-a-Punch upgrade helps offset the insane fire rate by dramatically boosting magazine size, but you’ll still burn through ammo in extended firefights.
Best Use Case: Special rounds and tight corridor defense. When Ravagers swarm during special rounds, the Akita melts them faster than any other weapon.
MK.78 (LMG) – The High-Damage Specialist
Pack-a-Punch Name: Meteoric Kalamity
PaP Effect: Increased movement speed, ammo capacity, and damage
LMGs typically get ignored in Zombies due to their sluggish handling, but the MK.78 breaks that mold with raw stopping power. Yes, it’s slower than the Beta LMG, but the damage output justifies the mobility sacrifice.
Strengths:
- Highest per-shot damage in its class
- Laser-accurate with minimal recoil
- Large default magazine for sustained fire
- Exceptional against bosses and Zursa Bears
The Secret Sauce: Stack this with Deadshot Daiquiri, Speed Cola, and Double Tap. The combination transforms it from a heavy hitter into an absolute delete button for critical spots. I’ve melted bosses in training spot rotations faster with this than most assault rifles.
Important: You need Stamin-Up to offset the mobility penalty. Without it, you’ll struggle repositioning during intense rounds. See our zombies beginner tips for optimal perk combinations.
CODA 9 (Pistol) – The DPS Machine
Pack-a-Punch Name: NO-KAP
PaP Effect: Increased ammo capacity and improved damage
Don’t let the pistol classification fool you—the CODA 9 machine pistol competes with SMGs for sheer damage output. This weapon stood out during the Beta and remains dominant in the full release.
Performance Highlights:
- One of the highest DPS values in the game
- Lightning-fast ADS and movement speed
- First wall buy in Ashes of the Damned
- Can spawn at higher rarities from wall buys
Pro Strategy: Since it’s the first wall buy you encounter in Ashes of the Damned, you can often grab a higher rarity version early without spending Salvage on upgrades. This saves resources for other priorities like armor plates and field upgrades.
The mobility paired with damage makes this perfect for aggressive playstyles where you’re constantly repositioning and kiting zombies.
Ryden 45k (SMG) – The Balanced Speed Option
Pack-a-Punch Name: Sybil’s Sentence
PaP Effect: Increased ammo capacity and improved damage
The Ryden 45k dominates in Multiplayer, but it truly shines in Zombies with the second-fastest fire rate among SMGs. Lower per-shot damage becomes irrelevant when you’re pumping out this many rounds downrange.
Key Features:
- Extremely high RPM compensates for lower base damage
- Strong DPS without Double Tap (though it helps)
- Excellent mobility for training zombies
- Wall buy on both Vandorn Farm and Ashes of the Damned
Ammo Management: The high fire rate means you’ll chew through magazines quickly. Fortunately, the wall buy availability makes refilling cost-effective compared to other weapons. Combined with Speed Cola, the reload downtime becomes negligible.
Mobility Build: Max out movement attachments and pair with Stamin-Up. You’ll weave through zombie trains like water, hipfiring and maintaining distance effortlessly. See our full Ryden 45k loadout guide for specific attachment recommendations.
Razor 9mm (SMG) – The Hipfire King
Pack-a-Punch Name: Taniwha’s Frenzy
PaP Effect: Reduced hipfire spread, increased ammo and damage
If the Ryden 45k impressed you, the Razor 9mm takes it further with the fastest fire rate among all SMGs. This compact beast melts zombies at close-medium range with aggressive hipfire accuracy.
What Sets It Apart:
- #1 fastest-firing SMG in the game
- Massive hipfire accuracy buff when Pack-a-Punched
- Strong DPS for high-round viability
- Perfect for run-and-gun tactics
The Pack-a-Punch Transformation: The hipfire buff is game-changing. While it doesn’t eliminate spread entirely, the Razor 9mm becomes significantly more accurate than most weapons when firing from the hip. This lets you maintain full movement speed while dealing consistent damage.
The Downside: Range drops dramatically beyond 10 meters, and unlike the Ryden, it’s not available as a wall buy on Ashes of the Damned. You’ll need to manage ammo more carefully or rely on ammo mod augments for sustainability.
VS Recon (Sniper Rifle) – The One-Shot Specialist
Pack-a-Punch Name: Vscera Reconfigurator
PaP Effect: 100% hipfire accuracy, increased ammo and damage
Sniper rifles usually struggle in Zombies, but the VS Recon bolt-action proves there are exceptions. This weapon offers something unique: consistent one-shot headshot kills for the first 10 rounds without any upgrades.
Why It’s Underrated:
- Highest critical damage of any non-Wonder Weapon
- One-shot headshots save Essence and Salvage early game
- Pack-a-Punch version maintains one-shot capability longer
- Penetration lets you line up multi-kills
The Game-Changer: The 100% hipfire accuracy after Pack-a-Punching eliminates the random bullet deviation that plagues other snipers. You can quickscope or no-scope with perfect accuracy, which is absurd for a bolt-action rifle.
Tactical Application: Use this for critical kill challenges and early-round Essence conservation. Once you Pack-a-Punch it, the penetration power lets you delete entire lines of zombies with headshots, making training significantly easier.
Building Your Perfect Loadout
Choosing the “best” weapon ultimately depends on your playstyle and strategy:
For High Rounds: DS20 Mirage, MK.78, or VS Recon for sustainable damage
For Training: Ryden 45k or Razor 9mm for maximum mobility
For Boss Fights: MK.78 or DS20 Mirage paired with Wonder Weapons
For Close Combat: Akita or Jager for explosive damage
For Cost Efficiency: CODA 9, Ryden 45k, or Peacekeeper MK1 (all wall buys)
Essential Resources:
- Master Pack-a-Punch locations on every map
- Unlock weapon camos through challenges
- Learn whether Weapon Prestige is worth it
- Set up custom wall buys for your favorites
- Optimize with best field upgrades and scorestreaks
Don’t forget to check our weapon unlock guides and combat specialties breakdown to maximize your effectiveness.
Ending Note
Black Ops 7 Zombies offers incredible weapon variety, but these nine stand above the rest for consistent performance across maps and rounds. Experiment with different combinations, learn the wall buy locations, and adapt your loadout to your strategy.
Whether you’re attempting TEDD tasks, hunting permanent perks, or pushing for a clean exfil, the right weapon makes all the difference.
What’s your go-to weapon for Zombies? Join the discussion on Reddit or share your loadouts with the community!
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