While Call of Duty has long been praised for its multiplayer gameplay, its Zombies mode is perhaps just as popular and is a cooperative favorite for many gamers. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 was especially well-known for its Zombies mode due to its wide selection of new and returning maps, including the beloved Origins map. Like Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Decimator Shield, Origins contains elemental staffs that can be wielded and upgraded for devastating effects. One of these is the Ice Staff, which can be challenging to acquire but is extremely effective against the undead armies.

How to obtain the Ice Staff in CoD Black Ops 3 Zombies Chronicles

Obtaining the base Ice Staff is a fairly simple task as long as you know where to look and when to look as well. The staff’s three components, the Gramophone, the correct record, and the elemental gem are all spread across different areas, so it can take some time to acquire all of the pieces.

How to obtain the Ice Staff components and gem in CoD Black Ops 3 Zombies Chronicles

The three components required for the staff are found buried in snow piles across the map. These piles can only be found when it is snowing on the map. As for the gem, it is found in a different location entirely separated from the three components:

  • The first staff component will be in a snow pile between the spawn point and the Workshop. The second staff component will be in a snow pile in the map’s middle area.The third staff component will be in a snow pile near the map’s church.The staff’s elemental crystal will be found in the Crazy Place area and will reveal itself inside a pedestal once you reach the area with the three components. You will need the Gramophone and Blue Record to do so.

How to obtain the Gramophone and Blue Record in CoD Black Ops 3 Zombies Chronicles

The Gramophone and Blue Record are much easier to find than the components. The Gramophone always spawns in the Excavation Site on the floor, while the Blue Record spawns near Generator 2 on shelves inside the Tank Station.

Once all of the components, the Gramophone and the Blue Record, have been acquired, head to the Crazy Place to find the pedestal that contains the Ice Gem. It will open up when you reach it, revealing the gem and allowing you to take it. Now, you will have the complete base form of the Ice Staff, but if you wish to upgrade it, you’ll need to continue forward.

Upgrading the Ice Staff in CoD Black Ops 3 Zombies Chronicles

Upgrading the Ice Staff can be challenging due to the series of puzzles you’ll need to solve. Three puzzles must be solved before the upgrade can be accessed, and each has a varying difficulty level. The first puzzle in the Crazy Place is the hardest, tasking players with decoding a pillar and a series of floating stones. Using the Ice Staff, you’ll need to shoot the floating stones in the correct order based on what symbols appear on the pillar. Below is a list for decoding the correct symbols on the pillar and which corresponding floating symbols to shoot:

  • Single open circle: An upside-down triangle.Single black circle: An upside-down triangle atop a lineTwo vertical black circles: An upside-down triangle atop an “L.“Two horizontal circles, the first black, the second open: An upside-down triangle atop an upside-down “F.“Two horizontal circles, both black: An upside-down triangle atop a line and a lone upside-down triangle. One black circle followed by two vertical black circles: An upside-down triangle atop a line followed by another upside-down triangle atop a line.Two vertical black circles followed by one open circle: An upside-down triangle atop a line followed by an upside-down triangle atop an “L.“Two vertical black circles followed by one black circle: An upside-down triangle atop an “L” followed by an upside-down triangle atop an upside-down “F.“Four black circles arrayed in a square shape: An upside-down triangle atop an “L” followed by an upside-down triangle.Three horizontal circles, the first black, the last two open: An upside-down triangle atop an “L” followed by an upside-down triangle atop a line.Three horizontal circles, the first and last black, the middle open: An upside-down triangle atop an “L” followed by another upside-down triangle atop an “L.“Two horizontal circles, the first black, the second open, followed by two vertical circles, both black: An upside-down triangle atop an “L” followed by an upside-down triangle atop an upside-down “F.” Note: the shapes should be more elongated when compared to the two vertical black circles followed by one black circle.

Once you have finished this puzzle, you’ll need to find three tombstones across the map. The first can be found near Generator 4, next to the KN-44. The next tombstone can be found near the first one, but this one will be inside a giant footprint near an impaled body. The last tombstones will be found near the Tanks Station and the downed robot outside the map. The tombstone will appear next to its hand.

The last puzzle will send you to the lower levels of the Excavation Site. Find the rings and order them so that they all light up blue. This will spawn a floating orb you need to shoot with the Ice Staff.

Finally, head back to the Crazy Place and put the Ice Staff inside its pedestal. Stand near it while killing zombies to fill it with their souls. After enough zombies have been killed, the staff will be fully empowered, meaning its upgrade is finally complete.

Need more information on Call of Duty? Check out the Worst Call of Duty Games of all time and All Maps in Modern Warfare 2 from Pro Game Guides!