Due to being a PvE survival mode that can also be enjoyed solo, there's definitely no shortage of disgustingly broken weapons or mechanics that can invoke plenty of Complacent Gaming Syndrome.
Weapons
- The PPSh-41 in pretty much every game that it appears in. Especially in Cold War, where you can actually edit its attachments unlike in earlier games and even spawn in the map with one.
- The Wunderwaffe DG-2, having made its debut back in World at War, still remains one of the most symbolic weapons of Zombies mode as whole. Barring some nasty bugs which on certain maps made the gun impractical note or outright detrimental note , it still remains one of the most effective ways of dealing with a horde of zombies. It is capable of wiping a swarm out with a single shot regardless of how far you are into the game, and in spite of having only three shots per clip, it fully compensates for that with its absolute killing power.
- The Thundergun. While its ammo capacity isn't the best (as you have a total of just 14 rounds total to work with) and the reload speed is pretty slow, its benefits far outweigh its flaws as it's a lot lighter than it looks and, rather hilariously (and literally), blows zombies away. That's not even getting into the fact that, like the Wunderwaffe, it deals an infinite amount of damage regardless of what round you're in. Though not without some caveats regarding range. Little wonder why it makes a return in Black Ops III and Black Ops 4 - in Revelations, the remastered versions of Kino and Ascension in the former, and Tag der Toten in the latter, alongside an ice-themed version named the Tundragun.
- The Sliquifier in Die Rise, which - considering how it's a That One Level candidate - is probably the only saving grace of an otherwise mediocre (at best) map. While it has to be built first much like the Jet Gun (or, alternatively, you can be lucky enough to score it from the Mystery Box as opposed to building it, unlike the Jet Gun), this time around, you're rewarded with a much more reliable weapon that instead takes up one of your main weapon slots as opposed to being in the equipment slot, a reliable one-shot kill potential until round 100, much better mobility compared to the Jet Gun, and the hilarious effect of watching zombies slip and fall to their deaths! Do be careful, though - you're not safe from slipping and falling yourself.
- The CRBR-S in Mauer der Toten. For all intents and purposes, this is essentially a Ray Gun that fires in full auto, has a companion module that follows you for double the firepower, and can equip three different attachments - the Diffuser, Swarm, and Blazer, making it one of the most versatile Wonder Weapons in the series. The fact that it has the voices of either Grey, Carver, or Strauss making quips is also a plus.
- Though it's not very apparent at first, the M2 Flamethrower in World at War. Zombies on fire will die after a set amount of time regardless of damage taken, making the Flamethrower virtually the only non-Wonder Weapon that can reliably kill zombies on higher rounds. As a lovely bonus, the Flamethrower has unlimited fuel, which gives it a major advantage over the scarce ammo availability of Wonder Weapons. It becomes even more terrifying when coupled with an insta-kill powerup, being able to clear out hordes of zombies in mere seconds. Its return in Cold War (albeit as a craftable Scorestreak for a meager 100 High End Salvage) takes it even further, being able to annihilate any number of zombies in a matter of seconds (even the Marathon Boss that is Legion during Ravenov Implications!). Just stay clear unless you want to be burned and thus downed, of course.
- In Black Ops, we have the Galil. Good fire rate, 35 shots in the mag with plenty in reserve - and that's before you Pack-a-Punch it. Once it gets Pack-a-Punched, it gets the best damage output of any assault rifle in the game, exceptional hip-fire accuracy, even more ammo in reserve, and a red dot sight to boot. Couple this with Double Tap and Speed Cola, and you have a cocktail of demise. No wonder Treyarch brought it back in Black Ops II, and later Zombies Chronicles - and in those, it becomes even better with the changes made to Double Tap! It also returns for Black Ops 4 as the Grav.
- The AN-94, particularly in Black Ops II. Dirt cheap at only 1200 points off the wall in Die Rise and Buried, this is one of the most versatile weapons you can have in your arsenal - balanced fire rate, good handling, good damage, and a very generous ammo pool compared to most other weapons in its class. It also returns in Black Ops 4 alongside the above-mentioned Galil.
- Most of the shotguns in Black Ops III qualify for this, but special mention goes to the Haymaker-12. Once Pack-a-Punched, it gets a mag size of 25, and 2000 damage per shot. And even before it gets Pack-a-Punched, it's fully automatic, doesn't take long to reload, and has pretty good mobility. The KRM-262 is also pretty good for a wall weapon, being extremely effective when it becomes the Dagon's Glare and when kitted out via the Weapon Kits.
- There's also the BRM from Black Ops III, which, through a little bit of maneuvering in the room with the MPD, can be bought off the wall in Der Eisendrache for 1800 points. You even get an Achievement in doing so! While the BRM has a pretty slow rate of fire, a painfully slow reload speed, and poor mobility because it's a LMG, it more than makes up for it with virtually zero recoil, a pretty good magazine size of 75 rounds (that - mind you - can be extended with attachments and said reload time can also be mitigated through this and Speed Cola), and has pretty good damage per shot at 200, which can be further enhanced to 225 with a 4.5x headshot multiplier through Pack-a-Punch.
- In Black Ops: Cold War, the tier system can allow any weapon to potentially become a heavy hitter (with some exceptions), but the standouts are the Shotguns - the Hauer, and the Gallo. Already powerful to begin with, when upgraded they become ferocious death-dealing machines, capable of both obliterating hordes with every shot, as well as chunking down heavies (particularly the Megatons). Their ostensible weaknesses - short range, poor accuracy, and slow reloads - either don't matter due to the short distances involved, or else can be easily mitigated with attachments and perks. For players who want to do a "Serious" run, whether it be for high rounds or completing easter eggs, a shotgun is a top-tier pick, and can even be a serious competitor to the Wonder Weapons!
- The CARV.2 (a spiritual successor to Black Ops' G11 and predecessor to Black Ops II's M8A1) introduced in Season 3 is another worthy contender - low (and very easy to control) recoil, extremely quick bursts compared to the M16 and AUG, good range that is especially helpful in Outbreak, ridiculously high DPS, a very generous magazine size of 45 rounds (that can be increased to 54, 63, 66, and upwards of 75 rounds) and pairing extremely well with the revised Deadshot Daiquiri (which now multiplies the damage zombies at full health receive from headshots at Tier I while Tier V increases the output by 2% the longer the player fires on the same enemy - up to 20%), this is far and away one of the best normal weapons in the game as of Season 3.
- The R1 Shadowhunter. Initially, without tier upgrades, it's a relatively decent if Difficult, but Awesome weapon to use, having a very generous reserve of 60 bolts, kills zombies via Critical Hits in one shot up to round 9, and has much better One-Hit Polykill capabilities than even the M82. Pack-a-Punch it and you get the Lance-a-Lot, one of the most efficient and devastating crowd-clearing weapons in the game, taking the Shadowhunter's initially average penetration up to eleven as well as boasting some of the highest damage per shot in the game, making short work of Mimics and Megatons with relative ease - especially when paired with Ring of Fire and Elemental Pop's Tier V ability, which is essentially Electric Cherry/Burst from the previous games, but stronger. Its only downsides are its lack of aim assist (a non-issue for PC players, but can prove somewhat difficult for console players) - even with Deadshot Daiquiri - and single-shot nature, meaning reloads are pretty frequent.
- Rather amusingly, the Ballistic Knife in Cold War. While its ammo capacity isn't the greatest, nor is it ideal to use the melee function in later rounds, it's an incredibly strong weapon to use against the Mimics and Krazny Soldats, taking at least one or two shots to kill them. It can even waste an Orda in just seven shots! Oh, and that's on top of the fact that when Pack-a-Punched, it can revive players by shooting them, with the blade having pretty good range that, with some clever timing and use of the Jump Pads in Firebase Z and Outbreak, can revive players from across the map! Unfortunately, its damage potential against the Orda has been Nerfed in a later update, making it little more than a peashooter against the Orda or Legion in Outbreak.
- The SKS in Mobile. It can one-shot zombies anywhere, kill Avogadros with a headshot or two shots to the body, kill Brutuses and Infernos with three-five shots, and absolutely melt Abomination and Jubokko. If you're trying to grind out a Raid match, this gun is your best friend. The only downside is the ammo supply which can run out quick, especially with Double Tap, but ammo is so cheap that it's not really an issue. Speaking of ammo, if that's a concern for you, the RPD with the cooling barrel gives you unlimited ammo, balanced only by a cooldown, much like the flamethrower from World at War. These two weapons are pretty much the meta loadout for Endless mode.
- The SVD is arguably even better than the SKS. It has a high rate of fire, insane damage (can one-shot most boss zombies with a headshot), and a better ammo supply compared to the latter. To top it all off, it can melt Abomination and Jubokko in about a minute compared to the SKS which can take 2-3.
- The Trip Mine is also an essential for Endless mode, or to be used in a pinch in any mode. What the game doesn't tell you is that the damage scales to whatever weapon is in your hand, so if you toss one while you have your strongest weapon equipped (like a Lvl. 5-10 SKS or SVD), you can clear out a horde in the blink of an eye. Best combined with the Trap Master class, which allows you to put down a few laser beams that slow down enemies to a crawl, allowing you to pick them off or clear them out with a trip mine.
Power-ups
- Specialist Weapons in Black Ops 4. Whereas you had to either find them in Black Ops III (the Annihilator in The Giant), build them (e.g., the Ragnarok DG-4, Skull of Nan-Sapwe), or pull them out of the Mystery Box (Zombies Chronicles, Revelations), you spawned in with one of four (per storyline) of them; and all of them are very effective even in their initial state (as they're upgraded through continuous use, a la Ratchet & Clank). Adding insult to injury is that the charge time on them is surprisingly quick, especially if you're running Timeslip. Don't be surprised if you find yourself pulling out your Specialist Weapon every minute or so, since some maps (particularly IX) reward you with Full Powers (which instantly charge your Specialist) like candy as a result.
- While the Field Upgrades of Cold War are overall very well-balanced, bar none the best and most effective one is the Aether Shroud, which is essentially an instant Screw This, I'm Outta Here panic button. When fully upgraded, will let you move extremely fast, warp you a safe distance away (usually), and has the same effect as the In Plain Sight GobbleGum to boot. This is an all-around helpful Upgrade whether you're on Solo (for those clutch moments when you're cornered) or Co-op (when you need to revive a downed teammate but don't want to contend with an incoming horde of zombies).
- A close second for Field Upgrades is Ring of Fire. While you're forced to stay in place and camp to make the most of it, the benefits more than make up for it, acting as a supercharged version of Stonecold Stronghold by increasing your damage output, damaging zombies that walk into it, and after Tier III, takes ammo from your stock, effectively giving you Bottomless Magazines. When combined with weapons with massive amounts of burst damages (as well as the above-mentioned Game Breaking weapons like the Hauer or Ballistic Knife), you can take down all but the toughest zombies quickly.
Game Mechanics/Other
- Moving over to game mechanics, we have the bank and weapon locker from the three Victis maps in Black Ops II - TranZit, Die Rise and Buried. Simply put, these respectively let you store points and weapons for use on later attempts at these three maps. Except they were very easy to cheese - the bank especially, seeing as if you grinded for enough points to deposit, you could basically spend a few games buying whatever you wanted within the first few rounds, or even get a Pack-a-Punched gun or two on round 1 of Buried!
- The introduction of GobbleGum in Black Ops III created a bit of a Broken Base, but there are some Gums that everyone agrees are too overpowered. Examples include Perkaholic, which instantly gives you all nine perks, Immolation Liquidation, which can spawn in three Fire Sales when triggered, and Shopping Free, which makes all purchases free for a couple minutes after being triggered. Players frequently express their hate for these Gums, stating their use completely defeats the point of Zombies - even more so than BOII's bank and weapon locker. Still, it doesn't stop a lot of major streamers from using them frequently. The Elixirs of Black Ops 4 are virtually the same, but unlike in BO3, you can actually use them at any given time with the press of the D-pad as opposed to being given one from your pack at random.
- As far as buildable scorestreaks go in Cold War, there's the Chopper Gunner. For a relatively decent price of 250 High-End Salvage (which becomes more abundant from Round 20 onwards) and for about 15-20 seconds, you're rendered invulnerable as you can freely kill zombies like fish in a barrel if you find yourself surrounded or want to quickly deal with any Goddamned Bats in the form of the Megaton or Mimic as quickly as possible if you don't happen to have a shotgun handy. Little wonder why it's frequently used during exfils, especially in Firebase Z.
- The "Brimstone" Covenant in Vanguard is an ability that makes you constantly deal damage to any zombies that come near you. The radius widens and the damage increases with each rarity, naturally, so by the time you get the Legendary version, you'll just constantly chip away at the zombies, leaving them ripe for your weapons. When you get Insta-Kill, you become untouchable.
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