Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombies’ new Firebase Z map shakes things up by introducing two mini-bosses for players to fight. While the Megaton may be gone, the Mimics and Manglers are some intimidating stand-ins, and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War players should keep a few things in mind when fighting them.
A basic tip for dealing with the new Mimic mini-bosses is to pay attention to the appearance of random loot on the floor, as this is how the enemies disguise themselves. As for the Manglers, they spawn in at around Round 15, players to prepare for their first appearance. However, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War does not explicitly tell players that these foes have some huge weaknesses, leaving fans to find them out themselves.
Manglers: A Returning Foe
Firebase Z’s Mangler enemy type makes a return from Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’s popular Gorod Krovi map. While they boast larger health bars, they also boast one big weakness — their canon arms. Shooting these arms off not only moves the ranged attacks from the Mangler’s moveset, but it makes him behave like a normal Zombie, chasing after the player to deal melee damage. Easier to train and kill, players should always prioritize disarming Manglers when they see them.
Another Mangler weakness is exclusive to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, as it sees a specific Pack-A-Punch Effect doing extra damage to the Mangler. While all the effects help in normal fighting, only one Pack-A-Punch effect increases damage done against the Mangler, and that effect is Napalm Burst. The fire-based ammo mod obliterates Manglers, giving players an impressive 1.5x Damage Boost if it is equipped to their gun. As such, if Manglers are proving to be bothersome, changing to Napalm Burst will make a noticeable difference.
Mimics: A Different Kind Of Opponent
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s Mimics fight differently, using stealth to surprise players. As such, players should be careful around high-tier loot, as it is often a fake. It is possible to see Mimics spawn in as well, and when this happens, dropping C4 around the disguised item is a great way to eliminate them as soon as they transform. Fortunately, Mimics have a weakness to a specific Ammo Mod as well, with Brain Rot dealing 1.5x damage to the Dark Aether creatures.
However, the Mimic’s biggest weakness is the bullets from the R.A.I. K-84 Assault Rifle. While the weapon melts through zombies, it struggles against Manglers on the high rounds. However, this downside is balanced out by the Ray Rifle absolutely decimating Mimics, killing them in a few shots on low rounds and half a clip during high rounds. As such, a perfect loadout for Firebase Z would see players having a shotgun with Napalm Burst ready for Manglers, while keeping the R.A.I. K-84 in reserve for the Mimics.
With Manglers and Mimics spawning constantly throughout Firebase Z’s special Assault Rounds and normal Survival Rounds, knowing how to take them down will be a major key to success for Call of Duty Zombies fans. With the right weapon equipped and some carefully placed shots, players should soon be treating these special foes like another basic zombie.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
