How to Upgrade the Fire Staff in Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Zombies Chronicles – Complete Guide
If you’re diving into the intense world of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Zombies Chronicles, then you’ve likely already encountered the iconic Origins map — one of the most elaborate and beloved in the Zombies franchise. A core highlight of Origins is the quest for the Elemental Staffs: Fire, Ice, Wind, and Lightning. Among these, the Fire Staff — also known as “Kagutsuchi’s Blood” — stands out both for its immense power and the intricate process required to upgrade it.
While building the base version of the Fire Staff is challenging in itself, the real grind begins when you attempt to upgrade it to its ultimate form. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know: collecting parts, solving puzzles, unlocking upgrade codes, and unleashing your upgraded Fire Staff for maximum zombie-slaying efficiency.
🔥 What Is the Fire Staff?
The Fire Staff is one of four elemental wonder weapons available in the Origins map within Zombies Chronicles. Wielding explosive fireballs, this weapon becomes a high-damage area-of-effect tool, making it one of the most lethal crowd-control weapons in the game. When upgraded to its ultimate form — “Kagutsuchi’s Blood” — it gains improved fire rate, larger blasts, and a charged shot that creates a lingering wall of fire to burn zombies to a crisp.
But before you can annihilate hordes with fiery fury, you’ll need to jump through several strategic hoops.
🛠️ Step 1: Collect the Fire Staff Parts
As with every elemental staff, you must first locate three key components, a Gramophone, and a colored crystal to build the Fire Staff. Here’s a detailed breakdown of where to find each piece:
🔩 Staff Parts:
- Dropped by the Panzer Soldat (Round 8+)
The first Fire Staff part is acquired by defeating the Panzer Soldat that appears on Round 8. Be prepared for a challenging fight, as this mini-boss is heavily armored and equipped with a flamethrower and claw. - From the Flaming Plane in the Sky
After powering up Generator 1, look to the sky and you’ll eventually see a glowing orange plane flying across the map. Shoot it down with any gun — the part drops somewhere on the ground, typically near the excavation site or central path. - Inside the Reward Chest at Generator 6
Power up Generator 6 and check the reward chest that spawns near the back. It will contain the third and final staff part.
📀 Gramophone & Record:
To access the elemental tunnel, you’ll need the Gramophone and the Red Record.
- Gramophone: Found inside the Excavation Site, usually on the floor next to the table near the stairs.
- Red Record: Typically located around Generator 6 in one of these spots:
- On a box near the generator
- Inside the church on the pews
- In the robot footprint outside the church
🔮 Fire Crystal:
Open the red portal in the Crazy Place by placing the Gramophone on the table with the red symbol near Generator 6. Once the portal is open, enter the Crazy Place and collect the Fire Crystal from the floating red pedestal.
🧱 Step 2: Build the Fire Staff
With all three parts, the Gramophone, and the Fire Crystal, head to the lower level of the Excavation Site. Place the Gramophone on the table to open the gateway. Once inside, locate the pedestal marked by the fire symbol and construct the Fire Staff.
Congratulations! You’ve built the base Fire Staff. Now comes the real fun — the upgrade process.
🧩 Step 3: Complete the Fire Staff Upgrade Puzzles
Upgrading the Fire Staff requires solving two core puzzles and then charging the weapon with zombie kills. Let’s go puzzle by puzzle.
🔥 Puzzle 1: Lighting the Cauldrons in the Crazy Place
After crafting your staff, take it back into the Crazy Place (through the fire portal). Look around the red fire section and you’ll spot four stone cauldrons near metal grates.
Objective: Kill approximately 30 zombies while they stand on the metal grates near these cauldrons. You’ll see the cauldrons begin to light with flames as you kill zombies in the right spots. Only zombies killed directly above the grates will count.
Pro Tip: Use a weaker weapon to injure zombies and finish them off with the Fire Staff to conserve ammo.
Once all four cauldrons are lit and the ritual is acknowledged by Samantha’s voice, you’re ready to move to the second puzzle.
🔥 Puzzle 2: Torch Code in the Church
This puzzle involves interpreting symbols and shooting torches in a specific sequence. It’s located in the Church basement, and it’s arguably the most confusing part of the upgrade.
Steps:
- Go to the Church Basement: You’ll see several torches lined along the walls. Each one has a number beneath it, though some are dim or hard to read.
- Look Up: On the upper level, you’ll find glowing red symbols. These correspond to specific numbers.
- Use the Code: Match the red symbols to their torch numbers using a cheat sheet (below) or in-game logic.
Torch Shooting Cheat Sheet (based on Prima Games data):
- Red Symbol (•): Torch 11
- Triangle Symbol: Torch 5
- Square with Line: Torch 9
- Large Ring: Torch 4
- Half Ring: Torch 7
Use your Fire Staff to shoot the torches that correspond to the symbols displayed. If done correctly, Samantha will again speak, confirming your success.
🔄 Step 4: Align the Rings at the Excavation Site
Next, make your way back to the Excavation Site where a large blue orb floats above a pedestal. Around it are four giant stone rings stacked vertically.
Objective: Rotate each ring so that all glowing red lights are aligned and pointing in the same direction (typically toward the orb). You can rotate the rings using the levers scattered throughout the Excavation Site’s scaffolding.
- Lever Locations: There are four in total on the wooden platforms.
- Once aligned, the rings will pulse red and a red orb will appear floating above the pedestal.
Now shoot the orb with your Fire Staff. This will launch it into the sky — another sign that you’re almost finished.
⚔️ Step 5: Final Charge – Back to the Crazy Place
With the orb activated and launched, return to the Crazy Place and place your Fire Staff into the fire pedestal. You’ll now need to charge the staff by killing approximately 20–30 zombies nearby.
- The souls of the zombies will visibly fly into the pedestal.
- When the staff is fully charged, the pedestal will glow, and you’ll be prompted to pick up the upgraded Fire Staff: Kagutsuchi’s Blood.
🔥 Upgraded Fire Staff Abilities
Once upgraded, the Fire Staff becomes a beast of destruction:
Standard Attack:
- Still launches explosive fireballs, but now with a significantly faster rate of fire and increased area of effect.
Charged Attack:
- Hold down the fire button to charge up a shot. Upon impact, the orb creates a lingering flame vortex that burns any zombie who dares enter.
- This effect lasts several seconds, great for holding choke points.
Crowd Control:
- The fire vortex is ideal for slowing down massive waves or covering objectives during Generator defense.
🧠 Expert Tips for Fire Staff Efficiency
- Best Staff for Solo: The upgraded Fire Staff is arguably the best for solo runs due to its high damage output and ability to clear large groups.
- Combos with Monkey Bombs: Use Monkey Bombs to bunch zombies together, then fire a charged shot to incinerate them instantly.
- Staff Cooldown: Don’t spam the charged attack. Alternate between normal and charged shots to avoid running out of energy mid-round.
📦 Platform Availability
The Fire Staff and its upgrade path are available in the Zombies Chronicles DLC, which is accessible on:
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
- PC
📚 Want More Elemental Power?
If you’re interested in mastering the other Elemental Staffs, check out our detailed guides:
- Ice Staff Upgrade Guide: Solve freezing tile puzzles and unlock a snowstorm of destruction.
- Lightning Staff Upgrade Guide: Use musical memory and electric fury to zap the undead.
- Wind Staff Upgrade Guide: Conquer the wind tunnels and knock back entire waves of zombies.
Final Thoughts
Upgrading the Fire Staff in Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Zombies Chronicles is a rewarding yet challenging experience. It requires strategic planning, puzzle-solving, and precise execution. But once you wield the ultimate version — Kagutsuchi’s Blood — you’ll have one of the most powerful weapons in the entire game at your fingertips.
Whether you’re slaying Panzer Soldats or defending the final Generator, the Fire Staff is your ultimate ally. So gear up, light those cauldrons, decode those torches, and burn your way to victory.
Stay tuned for more Zombies Chronicles tips, walkthroughs, and Easter egg secrets from the Origins map!
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