Defeat Zakhaev Act 3 Story Mission in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 2023 (CoD MW3 2023). See how to defeat Orcus, Aether Worm, how to prepare for mission, rewards, and more!
Table of Contents
Zombies (MWZ) Act & Story Mission List
Mission Details & Overview
| Objectives | - Deploy to Zakhaev's Stronghold - Cleanse the Exclusion Zone |
| Rewards | - The Bone Collector Operator Skin - XP +10,000 |
Preparation Before Entering Mission
Easier As Squad But Solo Is Also Possible
The mission has a lot of combat so being in a squad will make the mission easier to complete. But even if you are a Solo Player, this mission is not as hard as the other Story missions, so use this guide as reference to help you. If you are still struggling, use our Forum to gather Squad members.
Assault Rifle And LMG Are Recommended
There are lots of long range combat in this mission. The mission consists of Mercenaries and Zombies combat back and forth. You will want to keep your distance yet shoot lots of enemies at a time so an Assault Rifle or LMGs are recommended.
Best Guns and Weapons For Zombies
Change Parachute Settings
Go to Settings and choose Mouse & Keyboard or Controller, whichever you're using, and switch to the Gameplay tab (push L1, R1 on PS) and changing the Parachute Auto-Deploy to "Always". This will prevent taking fall damage when the boss mentioned below rises from the ground and send you flying in the sky.
Preparation Before Flying To Zakhaev Map
Use 45 Minutes Fully In First Map
The 45 minutes will be reset in the Zakhaev Map so use your full 45 minutes in the first starting map. Gather as much items needed and be ready for the new map.
Bring Lots Of Armor
Since there will be lots of Mercenary combat in the next map, you will want to carry lots of armor before heading over.
Pack-a-Punch Your Weapon To At Least Level 2
You want to Pack-a-Punch your weapon at least 2 times. There are a great number of Mercenaries and Zombies so if you are not confident with your skills, you can Pack-a-Punch your weapon to Level 3 to make it easier..
Need Lots Of Essence So Bring Aether Crystal
To Pack A Punch a weapon 3 times, if your weapon is at Level 0, you will need at least 30,000 Essence. You can complete Contracts to achieve this, but it is recommended to bring an Aether Crystal.
How To Complete Zakhaev
Head To Exfil With Star (Marked Zakhaev)
Since this is the 3rd Story Mission, you will have 3 Exfils with Stars on them. Make sure to mark the Exfil for this mission on the Map to make sure you are going to the right one.
Red Smoke Indicates Special Exfil
The Story Mission Exfils will have red smoke instead of the normal green so it is fairly easy to identify when you get close.
Steps Are Marked As Pins
The mission is mainly pinned to know where you are going. Not like Dr. Jansen, the pin are all marked in place so they are easier to find.
Lots of Mercenaries And Zombies Combat
The mission is filled with Mercenaries and Zombies combat. Once you finish a set of mercenary combat then you will be facing a zombie combat. For the first pin, heading from above is the best route to avoid a lot of combat that is waiting for you ahead.
Destroying The Helicopter
Another reason why it is recommended to Pack a Punch your weapon is because you will be destroying a helicopter. The faster you destroy the helicopter, the less attacks you will receive from zombies.
Defeat The Orcus: Aether Worm
If you have a Pack-a-Punch Level 3 weapon, the Orcus won't be very hard to defeat. You will have several areas to refurbish your ammo and equipment so take your time and defeat the creature.
All Tactical and Lethal Equipment List
Throws Purple Orbs
While battling with the Orcus, it will throw around purple orbs that look like Harvester Orbs. These orbs will constantly come after you, so prioritize destroying them as soon as you see them.
Watch Out For When The Orcus Digs Underground
One of the signature moves is the worm digging underground and shooting straight up. If you get hit, open up your parachute so you don't land directly and die.
How To Defeat Orcus: Aether Worm Super Easily
The damage caused by Experimental Gases to Orcus (Aether Worm) was reduced in the December 6th Season 1 update.
Bring Experimental Gas
Your Tactical equipment should be the Experimental Gas because it will help in defeating the last boss Orcus: Aether Worm.
All Tactical and Lethal Equipment List
Purchase Armor At Buy Stations
If you run out of armors during the last boss battle, you will be able to purchase them at Buy Stations nearby. Due to this, you should keep some Essence with you so you can use it during this time.
Defeating The Orcus With Experimental Gas
There will be several Refill Centers surrounding the battle field with the Orcus. Throw the Experimental Gas from behind the Worm and run straight to refill your Tactical Equipment. You will receive 2 each, so repeat the process and defeat the worm.
About 5 Refill Centers
There is 5 Refill Centers and 1 Buy Station surrounding the Orcus. Refill your ammo and equipment at these locations once you use them against the worm.
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