Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 just added four elemental sword Wonder Weapons in its new Zombies map, Citadelle des Morts. But which Bastard Sword variant is best?
In the new Black Ops 6 Zombies map, players can very easily get their hands on the Bastard Sword – a simple Wonder Weapon that is capable of striking down undead with a single slice.
However, it is only by infusing the blade with elemental damage that it becomes worth using in-game.
In case you’re still working out how to get your hands on each one, here’s our guide to getting all four elemental sword upgrades in Citadelle des Morts!
All Elemental Swords, Ranked From Worst to Best
Here’s our ranking of all four elemental swords in Citadelle des Morts, from the worst to best option in Black Ops 6 Zombies.
Of course, you’ll need to get all four swords to complete the Citadelle des Morts Main Quest Easter Egg, but you can only use one at a time.
4 – Durendal, the Electric Sword
The Verdict:
- Special Attack deals too little damage
- Dead Wire passive isn’t as good as other options
- Costs 500 Salvage to acquire, unless you have a Shock Charge
Durendal, the Stag Bastard Sword, has one of the coolest Wonder Weapon designs, but its power is rather lacking when it comes to dealing with undead hordes.
Like all other Bastard Sword variants, the blade has excellent melee damage, but its special ability fails to live up to those of its elemental siblings.
Durendal’s special ability sends out a concentrated beam of lightning, stunning and damaging all enemies it comes into contact with. However, the beam is directed straight ahead of you, and the player’s movement is reduced while using it.
Therefore, it is easy to become attacked from the sides, even when using your most powerful weapon. On top of that, the special attack simply doesn’t do enough damage to warrant its lengthy charge time.
And if all that wasn’t enough to convince you that Durendal is the worst of the four sword options, it also costs 500 Salvage to unlock – forcing the player to buy Dead Wire (or use a Shock Charge tactical) to get one of the Lightning Rods required for the elemental upgrade.
3 – Caliburn, the Fire Sword
The Verdict:
- Excellent Special Ability Damage
- Requires PHD Flopper
- Great Damage Early On, But Suffers Later
- Easy to Get
Caliburn, the Dragon Bastard Sword, is perhaps the easiest of the Wonder Weapon variants to get your hands on, requiring only a few minutes of running around the map while on fire.
Caliburn launches three fireballs with its special attack, dealing spectacular fire damage that is capable of clearing out entire hordes in one strike.
However, at extremely high rounds, players find that this special attack will start to merely knock zombies over, rather than defeating them outright.
Players that want to use Caliburn are also advised to use the PHD Flopper Perk to prevent them from taking self-inflicted damage with the sword’s special ability.
It’s not a necessary requirement, but if you get trapped and need to fire the sword’s special at your feet to make some space – you’ll wish you had it!
2 – Balmung, the Dark Sword
The Verdict:
- The Most Powerful Special Attack
- Great for Clearing Hordes
- Super Annoying to Get Your Hands On
Balmung, the Raven Bastard Sword, is a lot of people’s number one pick for the best Wonder Weapon variant in Citadelle des Morts. We can certainly understand it being your favorite sword to use, given its tremendous power.
When a player uses Balmung’s special ability, they open a rift in space that pulls all nearby enemies inside and instantly eliminates them.
This is an incredibly powerful one-hit-kill ability that can clear out entire hordes, and it’s a great option for desperate moments when you find yourself surrounded. It can also be used as a distraction when you need to resupply or revive allies, as it’ll take the attention off you for a few vital seconds.
But there’s a drawback to all this power – Balmung is by far the most annoying Wonder Weapon sword to craft.
Not only do you have to find one of five different Antiquities, but each comes with its own code you need to memorize for the dial puzzle.
And then after that, you need to guide slow-moving orbs to their respective portals, which can be a massive pain when playing solo.
In a vacuum, Balmung might be the best elemental sword, but with how frustrating it is to craft, we’d personally give it second place.
1 – Solais, the Light Sword
The Verdict:
- Best for Survivability
- Instantly Heals the Player
- Still Good at Dishing Out Damage
Solais, the Lion Bastard Sword, is absurdly useful in Black Ops 6 Zombies, but is somewhat underappreciated by Citadelle des Morts players. This is likely due to the fact that many users don’t quite understand how the Light Sword works.
When you activate your special ability, Solais will do damage to all zombies in your surrounding area for a short time. But on top of that, the sword will instantly replenish your health and Armor to their maximum level!
This makes Solais an incredible get-out-of-jail-free card, while increasing your survivability and clearing out a horde all at once. The special ability will tear through standard undead, and stun larger bosses such as the Amalgam and Doppelghast.
But what players don’t seem to realize is that using the sword’s special will even revive downed allies – and it appears that the ability even works on yourself when timed correctly!
What’s more, by making use of the Melee Macchiato Augment ‘Vampiric Extraction,’ you’ll be able to heal yourself just by swinging your blade. With this, you’ll turn yourself into an unstoppable force that can stay alive even during high rounds.
Unfortunately, though all four elemental blades are fun to use in Citadelle des Morts, they are all a little underwhelming. We’d personally like to see at least the upgraded sword variants be able to cut through multiple enemies at once.
However, at least they don’t take up a weapon slot, never run out of ammo, and their special abilities are worth using when charged!