Der Anfang Zombies Guide and Walkthrough - Call of Duty: Vanguard Guide - IGN (2025)

This page is part of IGN's Call of Duty: Vanguard Wiki guide and details everything you need to know about the all-new Zombies experience, Der Anfang. Throughout this guide, we'll explain everything from how to Pack-a-Punch, completing objectives, using the Altar of Covenants, accessing Perk Machines, and Exfilling to complete the mission.

A Complete Guide and Walkthrough for the Der Anfang Zombies Map

Looking for something particular about Der Anfang? Click the links below to jump to...

  • Does Der Anfang Have an Easter Egg
  • All Artifacts in Der Anfang
  • Fountain Square - Your Main Base of Operation
  • What Are Objectives and How To Complete Them
  • How Perks Work in Call of Duty: Vanguard
  • How to Get and Use Covenants
  • How to Find All Perk Fountain Locations
  • How to Pack-a-Punch and Upgrade Weapons
  • How to Exfil and Complete Der Anfang

advertisement

Does Der Anfang Have an Easter Egg

Unfortunately, Call of Duty: Vanguard does not have a Zombies Easter Egg that can be completed at launch. So instead, players will have the chance to play Der Anfang, an all-new mode to the series. Not all hope is lost, though, as the Zombies Easter Eggs return to the series during Season One of Call of Duty: Vanguard, which is set to launch in December 2021.

Quick Tips and Tricks for Surviving Zombies Map Der Anfang

  • Shotguns! Shotguns and pistols are hands down the best weapons you can use at the time of launch, as the Shotgun has the ability to deal damage for each pellet that it shots - which is six in total.
  • Remember to Pack-a-Punch your weapons! These upgrades will be critical to your success as you progress throughout each round. You'll find the Pack-a-Punch machine available in Fountain Square, right out the bat as it does not require any requirements to use.
  • If you're struggling to save up enough Essence during the opening rounds, you may want to consider opening a Mystery Box for 950 points. Mystery Boxes are known to have high-rarity weapons that come with one or more Pack-a-Punch Tiers - making for a huge potential saving.
  • After every round, return to the Altar of Covenants to find an all-new selection of covenants to choose from.
  • We highly recommend tackling the Blitz objective first, as it'll be significantly easier to complete during the earlier rounds, especially if you're completing Der Anfang solo.
  • While there may not be any Easter Eggs or Collectibles in Der Anfang, you'll manage to find a total of 19 radios that have been scattered across the map. When interacting with these radios, you'll hear a unique message that details the Zombies' backstory and the story behind Der Anfang. Although these radio intels are interesting, they aren't exactly essential and will provide no upgrades or unlocks,
  • Found a red crystal covering chests throughout the map or may have spotted something on your mini-map? Well, keep an eye out for these crystals, as when destroying them, you'll gain access to loot these otherwise inaccessible chests. Inside, you'll receive valuable Items, Equipment, and Salvage.

All Artifacts in Der Anfang

Artifacts are unique perks that are selected with your loadout and will essentially determine the Dark Aether entity that will be bonded with your operative. Below is a complete list of all available Artifacts that are currently available at launch, along with their unique effects:

  • Energy Mine (Dragon of Saraxis): Spawns an Aethereal explosive, dealing massive damage to enemies who set it off.
  • Aether Shroud (Mask of Bellekar):Cloaks you in Dark Aether, masking your presence from enemies for 5 seconds.
  • Ring of Fire (Sword of Inviktor):Sparks a ring of Aethereal flame to boost damage for anyone within its radius for 15 seconds.
  • Frost Blast (Horn of Norticus): Summons a frigid vortex, damaging enemies with the initial blast and slowing those that enter.

Fountain Square - Your Main Base of Operation

When first starting the match, you'll find yourself in Fountain Square, which will act as your main base of operations while you defeat the incoming hordes of zombies. Here, you'll have access to several helpful resources that range from:

  • Mystery Box: Will randomly roll for a primary weapon that could potentially have Pack-a-Punch upgrades. Opening a Mystery Box will set you back 950 points.
  • Pack-a-Punch: Upgrade your weapon to a more powerful version. Pack-a-Punch upgrades start from 7,500 Essence.
  • Crafting Table: Craft items that range from Armor, Self-Revives, Monkey Bombs, Grenades, and other Lethal and Tactical items. These items all vary from 250 points all the way up to 3,000.
  • Altar of Covenants: New to the Zombies game mode, the Altar of Covenants will provide players with unique perks and abilities that can be purchased with Essence.

advertisement

While you won't have enough Essences or Points to use these resources right out the bat, you'll want to make frequent use of them as you progress throughout the different rounds.

What Are Objectives and How To Complete Them

Now that we have established the importance of Artifacts and the resources available in Fountain Square, you'll now notice three different portals around the map. Each of these portals has been assigned a unique objective, which can be seen below. You'll need to complete each of these objectives to unlock new areas around Fountain Square, along with gaining access to perks and other upgrades.

  • Biltz Objective: The Blitz objective is fairly straightforward, as you'll be tasked with surviving throughout a given period of time as Zombies rush your position. For those looking for a quick tip, be sure to keep an eye on your mini-map, to avoid being overrun by any unsuspecting Zombies.
  • Harvest Objective: As the name suggests, the Harvesting objective will see you collecting five runestones from fallen zombies and then depositing them into the Sin Eater obelisk. As you deposit the required five runestones, the Sin Eater obelisk will change to a different location around the map. The location of the obelisk will be marked by a large star icon on the mini-map. You will need to fill the obelisk a total of three times in order to complete this objective.
  • Transmit Objective: To complete the Transmit objective, you'll need to closely follow a floating zombie head as it moves about the map. You'll need to stay within its range to continue filling the travel meter, but do note that if you stray too far from the head, you'll begin taking damage until you return to the required distance from the head. Once the meter is full, you will be teleported back to Fountain Square.

How to Get and Use Covenants

As you complete each objective, you'll be rewarded with a Sacrificial Heart that can be spent at the Altar of Covenants, which can be found in the center of the Fountain Square. You will be able to equip up to three Covenants at a single time; however, you won't be able to select from the complete list every time as the selection of Covenants will change after each objective is completed.

Do note, the longer you survive in the match, the rarer the Covenant selection will be. You can find a full list of all available Covenants below:

  • Ammo Gremlin: Stowed weapons refill ammo from stock automatically.
  • Brain Rot: Chance to turn enemies to your side.
  • Cryofreeze: Chance to slow enemies.
  • Cull the Weak: Deal more damage to slowed or stunned enemies.
  • Dead Accurate: Consecutive hits on the same enemy do more damage.
  • Death Blow: Critical kills return bullets to the clip.
  • Mother Lode: Chance to keep Equipment after using it.
  • Resurrectionist: Revive allies faster.
  • Splatterfest: Enemies killed by explosions may explode.
  • Unholy Ground: Deal more damage while stationary.

advertisement

How Perks Work in Call of Duty: Vanguard

The Perk System in Call of Duty: Vanguard has received a complete overhaul, making it entirely different from any other Call of Duty game, as you'll be able to invest in your Perks while playing in-game. In Vanguard, as you complete objectives and unlock new areas in Stalingrad, you'll unlock access to Perk Fountains, which aim to provide an all-new gameplay potential as you reach the later rounds of the match.

Perks in Vanguard are based upon tiers, with each of the four tiers offering a more powerful upgrade; however, these won't be cheap, as each new tier will set you back a pretty penny. A full list of all tier costs can be seen below.

  • Tier One - Free
  • Tier Two - 2,500 Essence
  • Tier Three - 5,000 Essence
  • Tier Four - 7,500 Essence

How to Find All Perk Fountain Locations in Der Anfang Zombies

Listed below are the five Perk Fountains available, as well as their locations within Der Anfang:

  • Fiendish Fortitude: Increases health.
    • Found at the doorway to the Office, just off Main Street, after completing the challenge portal southwest of Fountain Square.
  • Diabolical Damage: Increases critical damage.
    • Found within the Apartments after completing the portal not too far left of the Fiendish Fortitude fountain.

advertisement

  • Venomous Vigor: Boosts health regeneration speed.
    • Found within Panzer Column East after completing the portal that's located north of the main square.
  • Demonic Frenzy: Boosts reload speed.
    • Found in the Boiler Room after completing the Boiler Room objective.
  • Aethereal Haste: Boosts movement speed.
    • Found in the Theater after completing the portal in Town Square.

How to Pack-a-Punch and Upgrade Weapons in Der Anfang

Unlike previous Zombies, the Pack-a-Punch machine is available immediately upon starting the match and does not require the power to be turned on. With that said, upgrading your weapon will be vital to your success as you progress throughout the match, so upgrading your weapon will be a high priority. However, much like the Perk Fountains, the weapon upgrades do not come cheap.

The full list of all Tier upgrades and their respective Essence cost can be found below.

  • Tier One - 7,500 Essence
  • Tier Two - 15,000 Essence
  • Tier Three - 30,000 Essence

If you're struggling to save up enough Essence during the opening rounds, you may want to consider opening a Mystery Box for 950 points. Mystery Boxes are known to have high-rarity weapons that come with one or more Pack-a-Punch Tiers - making for a huge potential saving.

advertisement

How to Exfil and Complete Der Anfang

While you can technically continue through the rounds until you can no longer survive, you'll have the option to initiate an Exfil sequence from round four onwards, which will see you leaving Stalingrad by interacting with the Exfil marker that will appear in Fountain Square. Upon interacting with the marker, watch as zombies begin to rapidly swarm the area, targeting your position.

You'll now notice that a message will appear beneath your mini-map, indicating a specific number of Zombies that need to be defeated before the Rift Portal opens. Once you have defeated the required Zombies, the Rift Portal will spawn randomly on the map, and you will have 30 seconds to reach it. If you're successful, you'll have completed the match and earned some extra experience.

Don't forget to check out our Zombies Guide Hub for details on all Zombies game modes, Easter Eggs, How-To Guides, and even more.

Up Next: All Artifacts in Der Anfang

PreviousZombies GuideNextAll Artifacts in Der Anfang

Top Guide Sections

  • Walkthrough
  • Beginner's Guide - Basics and Features
  • Multiplayer Tips and Tricks
  • Tips and Tricks for All Multiplayer Game Modes

Was this guide helpful?

In This Guide

Call of Duty: Vanguard

Treyarch

PlayStation 4Xbox Series X|SPlayStation 5Xbox OnePC
Der Anfang Zombies Guide and Walkthrough - Call of Duty: Vanguard Guide - IGN (2025)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Msgr. Benton Quitzon

Last Updated:

Views: 6402

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (43 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Msgr. Benton Quitzon

Birthday: 2001-08-13

Address: 96487 Kris Cliff, Teresiafurt, WI 95201

Phone: +9418513585781

Job: Senior Designer

Hobby: Calligraphy, Rowing, Vacation, Geocaching, Web surfing, Electronics, Electronics

Introduction: My name is Msgr. Benton Quitzon, I am a comfortable, charming, thankful, happy, adventurous, handsome, precious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.