Black Ops 6 Zombies: Best Tactical Equipment, Ranked

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies brings more than just Monkey Bombs to the Tactical party, and those who want to discover the best things to craft with their Salvage can check the list of every Tactical equipment available to them in Black Ops 6’s Zombies mode, and just how one of them may save their life against the hordes to live for another round or several.

Tactical Equipment is extremely useful in the right hands, and when used correctly, it can passively negate the effects of a Mangler, heal players from certain death, or even provide brief periods of respite to breathe and save allies in desperate need of a hand from a fellow survivor.

Updated on December 13, 2024, by Jake Fillery: It’s vital that players know the best Tactical Equipment for their Zombies loadout in Black Ops 6 so that they have the easiest time ahead for reaching high rounds and completing easter eggs efficiently. There are 7 different versions of Tactical Equipment in Black Ops 6, and with a changing meta, it’s essential that players stay on top of the game and understand what the best one to use will be for their loadout and Salvage.

7 Smoke

Hide in Smoke, But Obscure Zombies

• Deploys a smoke screen that blocks vision and automated targeting systems.
• 500 Salvage
• Unlocked at Level 17

The Smoke Bomb is one of the more mediocre options that players have in their Tactical Equipment arsenal for zombies. The zombies found in Black Ops 6 aren’t exactly over-reliant on their eyes, so throwing down a smoke will obscure the player’s vision more than the overwhelming and aggressive hordes of rotting corpses.

The Smoke Bomb can be good for halting Mangler’s cannon attack, which will track players unless it’s through the smoke. However, the smoke is rather small and dissipates pretty quickly, and compared to other Tacticals, it’s not worth it, especially when players can’t see the zombies within the smoke so they are basically at a visual disadvantage.

6 Stim Shot

Quickly Apply Lost Health

• Combat stim that heals wounds and refreshes Tactical Sprint. Recharges on a cooldown.
• Unlocked at Level 30
• 250 Salvage

One of the most useful Tacticals in Multiplayer returns for the Zombies mode, in which players can inject themselves with a Stim Shot to provide a refreshing rate of health that beats out natural healing and Quick Revive’s Perk potential.

However, the Stim Shot can be easily interrupted, so if players are cornered and think a Stim Shot will shoot them back up to full health while they murder the horde that’s trapped them, they will be disappointed. The Stim Shot will stop healing if damage is taken, and the health regeneration is pretty average at best. However, being able to use a Stim Shot while running from a horde may influence the health regeneration to save the player’s life before that one fatal swipe forces them to hit a game over.

5 Concussion

Temporarily Stun Zombies

• Grenade that slows victim’s movement and aiming.
• 250 Salvage

If there are too many zombies chasing a player down, then throwing a Concussion might help them thanks to its ability to completely halt the zombies in their tracks, leaving them dazed and confused for a couple of seconds, almost like they are ready to take a long nap.

The Concussion Grenade is also pretty funny for its trolling potential, as players can throw one into another player’s horde and watch the train get all messed up due to half of them sleeping on the job. It’s an okay tactical that’s beaten by others since the effects of a Concussion Grenade doesn’t last all that long, and it doesn’t impact Special and Elite Zombies. On top fo that, it can bounce around a lot, so throwing it at a charging zombie might result in the Concussion Grenade bouncing back to stun the player.

4 Shock Charge

Stun Zombies with Electricity

• Electrical trap that sticks to surfaces and electrocutes enemies, stunning them.
• Unlocked at Level 42
• 500 Salvage

The Shock Charge provides the ground with a trip mine that deals electric damage, providing stun to enemies to halt them in their tracks. It’s great for stopping advancing and aggressive zombies, but doesn’t do much to stop Manglers, Abominations, Amalgams, and Doppelghasts, and the extent of its ability is mainly just for the hordes of undead.

Throwing a Shock Charge is never a bad idea to temporarily stun a horde of zombies, and the damage it deals might not be the greatest, but it’s definitely viable for high-round strategies, especially against a cluster of zombies that can be stunned while players shoot them relentlessly.

3 Decoy

Distract Zombies Temporarily

• Grenade that simulates foosteps and gunfire sounds to confuse enemies. Sticks to surfaces.
• Unlocked at Level 35
• 500 Salvage

The Decoy is the far cheaper Monkey Bomb that actually works almost better than the original. The Decoy can be thrown extremely fast and far, allowing players to revive their allies or grab some breathing room and an opportunity to hit the Mystery Box without cause for concern from a rushing horde slapping them down.

The Decoy can be thrown at enemies as it sticks to surfaces, and the horde will all rush to the Decoy until it eventually runs out. The time is quite generous with it, and its instant use makes it effective for playing fetch with zombies. The only real problem with the Decoy is that it can sometimes deactivate too soon, or zombies simply won’t be close enough to hear it. Additionally, Special and Elite zombies do not care for the Decoy, and the tactical itself deals no damage when it runs out.

2 Cymbal Monkey

The Classic Monkey Bomb That Distracts Zombies

• Attracts zombies for a short duration before exploding.
• Unlocked at Level 18
• 1,000 Salvage
• Cannot be equipped in your loadout.

The original Tactical Equipment is hard to beat, and who could want anything more out of the cheery and eerie Monkey Bombs? These classics have been with the series since the beginning, and they haven’t needed to improve or upgrade themselves to stay relevant.

The Monkey Bombs can deal a great amount of explosive damage after their time is up, but what’s truly special about them is how they distract every zombie. Every zombie will rush the Monkey Bomb and stand around while it plays its song, and once it’s finished its song? Zombies go boom.

1 LT53 Kazimir

The Updated and Always Powerful Gersh Device

• Creates a small singularity that pulls in and kills enemies.
• Unlocked at Level 48
• 1,500 Salvage
• Cannot be equipped in your loadout.

If players have ever had the privilege of using the Gersh Device in older Call of Duty Zombies titles like Black Ops and Black Ops 3, then they will know just how superior it is to the Monkey Bombs. The LT53 Kazimir blesses players in Black Ops 6, and it’s certainly a doozy with its black hole potential that rips through hordes.

The LT53 Kazimir is a more portable Gersh Device, and once thrown, every zombie nearby will be slowly dragged into the singularity, where they will be sucked in and instantly killed. Even better, is how if players are in a pinch, they can jump into the LT53 Kazimir to teleport like they are using the Anywhere But Here GobbleGum. It might take a lot to craft with Salvage, but it’s entirely worth it to have a portable Monkey Bomb that kills zombies and stuns Special/Elite enemies.