How to use Aetheric Lanterns in Black Ops 6 Zombies

Modified Jan 31, 2025 09:44 GMT

Aetheric Lantern in Black Ops 6 Zombies explored (Image via Activision)

Aetheric Lanterns are a new gameplay element in Black Ops 6 Zombies, exclusive to The Tomb map. As the name suggests, these lanterns are embedded in walls and contain Aether instead of traditional fire or light, emitting a purple glow. When shot, the flames spill onto the ground, temporarily extinguishing the lantern’s light. After a cooldown, the flames reignite, but they can damage both players and zombies if stepped on.

Aetheric Lanterns also play a crucial role in completing The Tomb's main Easter Egg quest.

This article will cover their mechanics, usage, and significance in Black Ops 6 Zombies.

The working mechanism of Aetheric Lanterns in Black Ops 6 Zombies explained

There are 20 Aetheric Lanterns in The Tomb map, each with a unique mechanism. The map consists of eight main locations:

Aether Lantern in Black Ops 6 Zombies The Tomb (Image via Activision)

Dig Site
Neolithic Catacombs
Ossuary
Tombs
Shrine of the Hierophants
Subterranean Temple
Deep Excavation
Dark Aether Nexus

Among these, Dig Site and Dark Aether Nexus do not contain any Aetheric Lanterns. The remaining locations have a set number of them:

Neolithic Catacombs: 4
Ossuary: 3
Tombs: 4
Shrine of the Hierophants: 4
Subterranean Temple & Deep Excavation (linked area): 5 (3 in Subterranean Temple, 2 in Deep Excavation)

How Aetheric Lanterns work:

In each location, only one lantern is lit at a time.
When shot, the flame will extinguish, and a different lantern in that location will ignite after 45 seconds.
The Subterranean Temple and Deep Excavation share linked lanterns. Shooting a lantern in one area may cause the next one to ignite in the other.

When you shoot an Aetheric Lantern, its flame drops to the ground, covering a specific area. The affected area is easily distinguishable due to the burning flames, allowing you to either take a different route or jump over the fire to avoid damage.

This mechanic can be strategically useful when being chased by zombies. If you shoot a lantern and jump across the flames, zombies will walk through them and take damage. While the flames don’t deal significant damage, they do a decent amount, giving you a slight edge in combat.

Role of Aetheric Lanterns in Black Ops 6 Zombies: The Tomb

Aetheric Lanterns play a crucial role in The Tomb’s main Easter Egg quest, particularly in crafting the Staff of Ice Wonder Weapon. To assemble it, you need three key components: Monocle, the Staff, and the Head part.

Obtaining the Staff item (Image via Activision)

Aether Lanterns are directly involved in obtaining the Staff and Head parts, as they trigger the Roman numeral puzzles. Solving these puzzles initiates a lockdown, where you must survive five waves of zombies. Completing the lockdown rewards you with one of the required items.

To obtain the Staff part, complete the puzzle in Tombs.
To obtain the Head part, complete the puzzle in Neolithic Catacombs.

Since each location provides a different component, you must successfully perform the process twice to get the Staff of Ice's ingredients.

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Edited by Niladri Roy