Love and War

Love and War is the main Easter Egg of the Zombies map Gorod Krovi that appears in Call of Duty: Black Ops III. It requires the player to "free" the original Nikolai Belinski. Much like the Origins, Der Eisendrache and Zetsubou No Shima Easter Eggs, it is possible to complete this Easter Egg in solo.

Due to many timed and randomized elements that require checking across the map in an order that changes with every game, co-op can be seen as preferable. Additionally, due to how this map and Easter Egg are structured, multi-tasking is highly advised to save on precious time and effort, which is factored into the steps below.

Players have 115 minutes (1 hour 55 minutes) from the start of the game to complete this Easter Egg to be awarded all perks. It is still possible to complete the Easter Egg even after this time.

Prerequisites

Over the course of the Easter Egg, the following will be required:

• Turning on the Power.
• Building the Guard of Fafnir.
• Assemble the Dragon Network Controller.
• Obtaining the Dragon Strike.
• Obtaining the Gauntlet of Siegfried.

OPTIONAL: Completing the challenges to obtain the Dragon Wings and Mangler Helmet. As obtaining the Gauntlet of Siegfried and Dragon Strike are required for this Easter Egg, it nearly entirely unlocks the usage of the Dragon Wings by default. The Mangler Helmet can also be unlocked feasibly during the Dragon Strike Lockdown event, making both of these items conveniently obtainable accessories. Both of these items greatly assist during key points throughout the Easter Egg.

NOTE: Step 4 can be partially worked on while making progress on Steps 1-3. Step 4 is listed as such as it requires Gauntlet of Siegfried and Dragon Strike to fully complete.

Step One: Power Up the Generator and Obtain Dragon Egg

Inside the Hatchery basement, the player has to find a generator next to the incubators. The generator can be found underneath a small green/black tarp. From here, the player needs to lure a Valkyrie Drone close to the generator and destroy it. Additionally, a green scaled Dragon Egg sits on the rafters next to the sewer exit in the basement. Shoot it, and it will fall down to be picked up. This is to set up for obtaining the Gauntlet of Siegfried later on and avoiding additional trips to the Hatchery more than necessary.

• A comfortable way to accomplish this step is to wait for a Valkyrie Round to occur (the first one occurs within Round 9-12) before visiting the Hatchery by riding the Dragon. Shoot off all three arms of a Valkyrie but leave it alive, causing it to self-destruct rush the player standing next to the generator, as this does very little damage but still charges the generator. The tarp covering the generator will be flowing and an audible hum can be heard to signify it is on.

Once this step is done, take the sewer back to Belinski Square as soon as possible, as the moment the player turns the generator on, a 5 minute countdown to complete Step 2 begins. During this sewer ride, players can also take advantage of a bit of setup to get ahead: shoot the red light on the ceiling of the pipe, which makes an audible clicking noise when successfully done. Return to the Hatchery later and check the toilet on the same floor where the Pack-a-Punch Machine is to pick up a Group 935 trophy. This will be reiterated in Step 4 where this is required.

An alternate method used by advanced players significantly shuffles around the way things are done for this step, for an easier time later in the Easter Egg.

• Turn on the Power in Dragon Command as soon as possible, and interact with S.O.P.H.I.A. on Round 3 so that Code Cylinders can drop sooner. Be wise with kills, and save as many zombies as possible unless required for kills to finish Groph Pods for the Dragon Network Controller components.
• Visit the Hatchery right away (by Round 6-7 at the latest), pick up the Dragon Egg, and immediately return to the main part of the map to place the Dragon Egg in a Nest to be heated by the Dragon. Make sure to hit the red light in the sewer on the ride back, for the Group 935 Trophy.
• By the time the Dragon Egg can be picked up again on Round 8-9, perform the Napalm Zombie kills Trial, visit the Hatchery again (preferably from a different station to help progress towards Dragon Wings) and begin the Dragon Strike Lockdown to complete all remaining Trials for the Dragon Egg, using wallbuy weapons and the Guard of Fafnir to survive. Players will need to be wise on ammo and make use of the Bowie Knife, since this will be performed before/on Round 9, and save at least 1000 Points for the MG42 kills for the penetrative kills Trial, and have an option to perform melee kills for the final Trial for the Egg.
• Once complete, run to the basement and perform the final incubation Lockdown event for the Dragon Egg where Valkyrie Drones will spawn, offering a perfect time to turn on the generator by killing a Valkyrie Drone near it. Approximately 1 minute is lost after the generator is turned on to finish the Lockdown, but this is still enough time to perform Step 2 of the Easter Egg.
• If Valkyrie Drones spawn on Round 9 and players still need Napalm Zombie kills for the Egg Trial, this is still acceptable if needing to wait until Round 10 before visiting the Hatchery again. The overall goal of this method is to get the Gauntlet of Siegfried by Round 12-13 at the absolute latest (but preferably by Round 10-11 or even earlier if lucky), while performing Step 1 and Step 2 of the Easter Egg.
• This advanced method takes practice to perform, and is not the required way to play. However, this method pays off significantly since zombies will not be as numerous or as fast on average if later steps of the Easter Egg are done on much earlier rounds.

Step Two: Interact with Valves

If the player fails to get the Master Code Cylinder out before five minutes, the generator will shut down and the player must go and turn the generator back on in the Hatchery manually by pressing the button next to it (No Valkyrie Drone needed). This doesn't randomize the Valves or the Master Code Cylinder again.

There are six valves located around the map. One of them will emit a soft but distinct "whistling" sound, even at the start of the game and before Power or the generator in the Hatchery is turned on. Players should listen out for this whistling, and investigate which valve is the source. This will be the one with the Master Code Cylinder jammed on the left side, and it is the goal of this step to retrieve it, by setting each valve except the one with the Master Code Cylinder to different numbers. This helps narrow down the process of finding the green light valve once the generator is started.

The locations of all six valves are as follows:

1. Dragon Command, inside above the left side of S.O.P.H.I.A. This is to the right of the Bowie Knife wallbuy.
2. Infirmary, downstairs directly below Stamin-Up tucked between the bunk beds opposite the staircase.
3. Tank Factory, leftmost side of the bottom level.
4. Armory top level, opposite the Bridge switch.
5. Department Store 3rd floor, straight ahead from overhead path coming from the top of the Infirmary across from Stamin-Up. Access from Armory is also available.
6. To the right of the Mystery Box location in the Supply Depot, underneath the stairs leading to Speed Cola.

The goal is to interact with all the above tubes properly to get air to flow through all the tubes and push the Master Code Cylinder to the other side. This is performed by having one green valve, and the other five blue. Each time the player rotates a particular dial they are releasing pressure in the tube, which in turn affects the next tube in the sequence. This is randomized with every game.

• A green light indicates the initial starting point. It will remain green even if it is complete.
• A blue light mean air is flowing through the pipe and that one is complete.
• No light indicates there is no air flowing through the pipe.
• Players will never need to change the dial of the one holding the Master Code Cylinder jammed in the tube.

Once the player has the Master Code Cylinder, they must bring it back to S.O.P.H.I.A.

This is also a good point the place down the Dragon Egg for the Gauntlet of Siegfried in any Nest in the areas where the dragon can breathe fire if it hasn't been placed down yet, as multi-tasking will help against being forced to wait several additional rounds. There is a nest in front of the Dragon Command building, when walking straight ahead down the center staircase leading back towards the Operations Bunker (before the forked paths), centered in the smoldering debris.

• The Dragon Egg needs to cool down for the round it is heated up and the full following round after, with the round after allowing it to be picked up. It must also be placed before the Dragon spawns any fire in the area it is nested in.

Step Three: Cracking S.O.P.H.I.A.'s Code

Once the Master Code Cylinder is in place, a password must be inserted into S.O.P.H.I.A. The player must shoot the individual letters on the spin wheel to the left to spell out the correct code starting from top to bottom, KRONOS. Be sure to shoot either the left or right sides of each spin wheel, as shooting the center will cause nothing to happen.

Press the interact button to complete the code.

If the incorrect code is entered, S.O.P.H.I.A. will disable the password controls until the next round begins.

Step Four: Six Silver Trophies

Around the map are several hidden silver trophies that can be picked up by the player. This can be partially worked on even from the start of the game, but this step ultimately requires access to the Pack-a-Punch, and obtaining the Guard of Fafnir, Gauntlet of Siegfried, and Dragon Strike to fully complete. Additionally, although they can be acquired beforehand, they cannot be placed down on the console across from S.O.P.H.I.A until after successfully entering the password in Step 3 and letting the dialogue play out. Each of these six Trophies will correspond to a task in the next main step of the Easter Egg.

Their locations and how to obtain them are as follows:

1. Gersh Soul/Planet Trophy - This Trophy resembles a big planet with an orbiting ring, but it actually depicts Anton Gersh's soul, which will be seen later on in the Easter Egg. Stand in front of Dragon Command facing away from it, back towards the Armory/Infirmary building. Embedded On the wall between the left and right forked paths to enter this building, shoot the right side statue's raised hand (the statue's left hand). Claim the trophy next to the rubble at ground level on the right side.
2. Valkyrie Drone Trophy - Use the Guard of Fafnir's fireball attack on the open upward pipe segment that is outside the Double Tap room on the metal stairs (Tank Factory). When facing the Double Tap machine, proceed through the door on the right and immediately on your left, you will see the pipe you need to hit. This will cause the trophy to pop up through the broken wall, and fall beside Double Tap on the floor. Another way is to use the Fireball attack on the central ramp connecting to the Dragon summon platform within the Tank Factory, looking down at a slight angle.
3. Mangler Trophy - Use the Gigant Laser Beam Trap in Supply Depot, and wait approximately 30 seconds for it to expire. Pick up the Trophy from the floor after the trap has ended from the newly exposed and opened safe.
4. Group 935 Trophy - When taking the sewer from Hatchery back to Belinski Square, shoot the red light on the ceiling of the pipe, which makes a clicking noise when performed. Return later to the Hatchery and check the toilet on the same floor where the Pack-a-Punch is and pick up the trophy. Players can optimize the opportunity for obtaining this Trophy by waiting to return to the Hatchery until the Dragon Egg has reached the penetrative kills Trial, as the mounted MG42 counts for it. Once complete, perform a few melee kills such as with the fireball attack/shield bash with the Guard of Fafnir, and place the Egg in the incubator in the basement.
5. Nuke Trophy - Use the Dragon Strike on a specific puddle outside of the Supply Depot. It is the puddle in the corner the player has to land in when dropping down from where Speed Cola is located, with several dead tree branches sticking out of it. It is the closest one to the overhead path connecting the top floor of the Armory to the Supply Depot.
6. Groph Pod Trophy - Use the 115 Punch melee attack from the Gauntlet of Siegfried on the safe inside the Operations Bunker. This requires launching the Whelp first before punching the safe-- the normal punch does not work. Inside the safe is the trophy.

Once all six are collected, the player will have to place them underneath the large monitor on the opposite side of S.O.P.H.I.A in the power room.

Step Five: S.O.P.H.I.A.'s Six Tasks

The first five tasks will happen in any random order, while the sixth, "Information Download", is always the last one. Press the button underneath the main monitor in Dragon Command, where the statues have been placed to begin each task. If a task is failed, the player must wait until the next round before attempting that same challenge again.

The player cannot begin any of these tasks on a Valkyrie Drone round and many extra zombies will always spawn for each, making saving the last zombie impossible unless a task is failed and they are waiting for the next round. The task active is designated by which of the silver Trophies is currently spotlighted on the console dashboard, and all zombies will be temporarily despawned.

Many of these tasks have significant caveats or hidden rules that can cause confusion and task failure. These will be listed below with strategies to assist players in developing a plan for success in completing them all.

1. Simon Says Boom! (Nuke Trophy)

This is one of the most stressful tasks. Great caution and attention are needed to succeed. S.O.P.H.I.A. will ask what the players have done. The monitor will flash and all six locations will flash one at a time quickly, then slowly in a different order. Players now need to sprint/slide, find the bombs, and defuse them in the correct order.

• The order displayed when they flash slowly is the correct order to pay attention to. Do not pay any attention to the fast order that plays beforehand.
• In solo play, the player has three minutes to defuse all of the bombs. In co-op, players have only two minutes, requiring players to quickly coordinate where they are and which bombs to defuse.
• When playing in co-op, wait about 3 seconds after hearing the audio cue before defusing another bomb if there is a player already standing at the next correct bomb. Despite the audio cue and being done in the correct order, if players defuse their bombs too fast, they will explode anyway. The visual cue for someone who successfully defused is the blue bits on the top and bottom fully sink back into the main circuitry of the bomb.
• It is highly recommended to have Stamin-Up for this particular task, as well as playing in co-op, even though it can be performed solo. On the monitor mentioned above, the locations of the bombs will all flash quickly, and then more slowly in the specific order they must be defused.
• Due to this task in particular in co-op, one player should be present in Dragon Command pressing the button to initiate the next task while others are rather evenly distributed throughout the map. The player at Dragon Command will also have to be the one to correctly communicate the order to defuse to the rest of the team.
• Should players fail the task by running out of time or trying to defuse a bomb in the wrong order, everyone in a playable area where a bomb hasn't been successfully defused will be instantly downed, even with Juggernog.
• Only players in Belinski Square, the Hatchery, Dragon Command entrance, or riding on a dragon will survive if any remaining bombs have not been defused/attempt to defuse in the wrong order. In co-op, this can mean an instant Game Over if all players were in non-safe areas. In solo, Quick Revive will give players another attempt.

The location of the bombs are as follows:

• Dragon Command, on the balcony on the second floor on the left side overlooking the monitor opposite side of the building to S.O.P.H.I.A.
• Infirmary, in between the top of the staircase coming up from the Operations Bunker and before the bunk beds, on the brick column, on the side facing the incline.
• Armory's bottom-most level, to the left of the window next to the Der Wunderfizz location leading towards Supply Depot.
• Tank Factory, top level room left of the Dragon Platform, to the left of the GobbleGum machine next to a poster.
• Supply Depot, when coming in from the ground level, walk straight ahead at the map on the wall. In between the map and a Valkyrie Drone poster.
• Department Store first floor, directly behind the staircase, on a wall to the right of a couch.

If the player successfully defuses the bombs in the right order, S.O.P.H.I.A. will say "Self Destruct Sequence stopped, thank you for preventing our extermination."

2. Capture Gersh. (Gersh Soul/Planet Trophy)

• Gersh will spawn as a yellow orb somewhere in the map. Players can know if they are close to Gersh from a distinct high pitched humming noise that can be heard as the players approach him. After being shot enough times (he will briefly glow purple instead of yellow), he will then stop and there will be a short audio quote from Gersh. He will then warp again, but players can follow his trail through walls.
• He will need to be shot many times with most conventional weaponry, and can only be damaged with Pack-a-Punched weapons.
• He will occasionally move and teleport to various locations around the map. Such locations are the Tank Factory, the Supply Depot, the Dept. Store, the Armory, the Infirmary, and the Operations Bunker. He has a couple of locations in each building to check, and can be behind bookshelves or debris.
• The GKZ-45 Mk3 as the Maelstrom of Eris is the most effective weapon available with the Ray Gun Mark III (the right gun of the two), taking only 1-2 shots maximum to cause him to be damaged enough. If used, the player who has it can spam it as he is finishing his quote so he cannot teleport away, completing the task much easier.
• The Drakon as the Bahamut is rather effective, able to sufficiently damage him within a single magazine from a distance.
• Any Pack-a-Punched LMG will also be moderately effective at damaging Gersh.
• The normal Ray Gun is somewhat effective, but takes close to 10 direct shots to sufficiently damage him once, far more than the GKZ-45 Mk3.
• A shotgun such as the KRM-262 as the Dagon's Glare is recommended when considering options outside of the Mystery Box. Players using this will naturally need to be quite close Gersh however, and expect to use around an entire magazine each time.
• After being stopped for audio quotes two more times, the characters will tell Gersh to head to Dragon Command and enter the pad next to the monitor opposite of S.O.P.H.I.A. He will take a little bit to get there but players do not need to assist him any further, and can wait for the dialogue to play out and head back to Dragon Command.
• Players can fail this task if he isn't damaged at all for approximately 2 minutes. It will be available to try again on the next round.
• NOTE: there is a glitch that occurs that if the task is failed right as he is damaged. The humming noise he makes will never stop playing, which can make retries much harder to locate him.

3. Escort the Green-Eyed Russian Mangler. (Mangler Trophy)

• After pressing the button under the monitor, S.O.P.H.I.A. will ask the player to locate a Russian Mangler with green eyes and escort it to the pad next to the big monitor opposite of S.O.P.H.I.A. The Mangler spawns in different locations each time the task is began. These locations are the Tank Factory, the Infirmary, the Armory and the 3rd Floor of the Dept. Store. He will make standard Mangler noises when near.
• Be warned that the player can hurt and kill the Russian Mangler with friendly fire, and he must survive. Also, the Mangler will attack the player with either its arm cannon or its sickle when in close range.
• Despite being able to hurt the Mangler, this can be an advantage as well. The player can shoot the Mangler's Arm Cannon off without disrupting the task to cause him to sprint, which is the best way to complete this task quickly.
• Do not use Monkey Bombs, Turned from a re-packed weapon, or the GobbleGums Undead Man Walking, Idle Eyes, or In Plain Sight, as these also affect the Mangler, the latter two of which cause him to run away and fail the task. He must retain a direct line of sight on a player the entire way to Dragon Command.

4. Escort the Damaged Valkyrie Drone. (Valkyrie Drone Trophy)

• After pressing the button under the monitor, a heavily damaged Valkyrie will spawn in Belinski Square, and S.O.P.H.I.A. will ask the player to locate the damaged Valkyrie with a green camera light escort it to the pad next to the big monitor opposite of S.O.P.H.I.A. It is in Belinski Square near the tombstones and spawns outside the map, entering after about 30 seconds when the task is started. It moves quite slowly, and stops if zombies are in its way. At least one player must remain very close to the Valkyrie Drone so it keeps moving.
• The damaged Valkyrie does not have much health, so having as many opportunities to pull Zombies off players/damaged Valkyrie as possible will ease pressure and avoid accidentally shooting it.
• Zombies do not attack the damaged Valkyrie, the main danger is to the player needing to stay very close to it without shooting it and dealing with zombies constantly spawning.
• It is realistically, although not explicitly required when playing solo to have either (preferably both) the GKZ-45 Mk3 and/or Monkey Bombs for this task to avoid being overwhelmed, when not considering Mega GobbleGums. The Dragon Strike/Draconite Controller can also be used, but due to all of these options having explosive natures, make sure all of these are not fired/thrown anywhere near where the Valkyrie is currently or will be when they explode.
• One of the best Classic GobbleGums the player can take when solo is In Plain Sight, to make the initial opening of the escort much smoother to get started, as the zombies will all run into dense groups to be easily mass slowed down by the GKZ-45, or throw a Monkey Bomb right before the effect ends, to keep them away.
• To complete this task much easier without using the Mystery Box for the above two Wonder Weapons, players can use the Mega GobbleGum: Undead Man Walking, or the Classic GobbleGum: Now You See Me (the latter in co-op only, and only when used by a player not escorting the Valkyrie but training elsewhere).
• Since the Valkyrie is levitating, one more tactic players can use to clear its path is by very carefully shooting zombies under/around the Valkyrie. A shotgun is the best weapon for this specific tactic, and the KRM-262 is a wallbuy inside the bottom floor of the Department Store. Be warned however, a single shotgun blast that hits the damaged Valkyrie will destroy it.
• The route the damage Valkyrie takes is as follows: first it will enter the Department Store first floor, and go up the stairs before vertically ascending to the third floor (it can be tricky to coax into moving further unless the player walks on the broken stairs between the second and third floor to fully get it up, and then walks to the third floor by taking the usable staircase leading up to the Kuda). It then heads from the third floor of the Department Store to either the top of the Armory or Infirmary before going downstairs, and turning towards Dragon Command.
• If neither of the piles of debris at Department Store 3rd Floor are opened to lead to Armory or Infirmary, the Valkyrie Drone will not move once it reaches the Department Store stairwell. However, if only one is opened, such as the debris leading to Armory, it will always go through that single open route.
• The Damaged Valkyrie Drone being escorted can actually be destroyed by players as soon as it begins going up the front main staircase (it will visibly turn as it ascends) at Dragon Command, and it will complete the task after a few seconds. This is a tactic used by speedrunners, but it is not precise and can be reasonably performed by anyone.

5. Protect the Groph Pod. (Groph Pod Trophy)

• For this task, players will be required to defend a Groph Pod, in a similar fashion when obtaining the pieces for the Dragon Network Controller. It will randomly spawn somewhere outside the map, and the player will be able to tell where by the green light in the sky. The monitor above the Trophies will also tell the area in which the Groph Module will drop at. During the pod's protection, no zombies will spawn in the playable area of the map, so the player should not be concerned about being attacked.
• A fully charged Gauntlet of Siegfried is required for this task. It cannot be used until the Pod opens with the Cargo to retrieve with the Whelp deployment ability of the Gauntlet.
• A Pack-a-Punched LMG or a fast firing Sniper Rifle such as the Drakon or Locus is highly recommended, similar to the viable weapons for Gersh Soul Capture task. Assault Rifles such as the HVK-30 and Man-O-War have issues with recoil due to how far the Groph Pod spawns outside the map (the Pack-a-Punched M8A7 can suffice due to low recoil and burst nature, and it is a Wall Buy in Dragon Command).
• Be sure to watch out for zombies that try and attack the Pod from directly behind the sightline to the Pod and quickly move to the opposite side of the Dragon platform you are at (this is unfortunately not possible in Supply Depot) to try and get a better angle, or this will result in task failure.
• If available, the GKZ-45 Mk3 also greatly assist as well as the Dragon Strike if such a zombie occurs, as they do not vanish when thrown/shot outside the map for this step and assist with the above sightline issue that can occur.
• Monkey Bombs will vanish when thrown outside the map with no effect.
• After the player is finished defending and the Pod opens, send the Whelp from the Gauntlet of Siegfried out to pick up the Cargo to retrieve it, and pick it up (it must be picked up when dropped by the Whelp with the Interact button), and take it back to S.O.P.H.I.A. where she will have a tray directly under her to place it in to complete this task.
• Be warned that zombies will begin spawning within the map again as soon as the Pod opens. Since using the Gauntlet is required to retrieve the Cargo, using the 115 Punch melee ability is advised while waiting for the Dragon Whelp to return.

6. Information Download. (Group 935 Trophy)

• After pushing the button on the monitor, a drawer under the button will open and there will be a key card inside. The player needs to take this key card to the Hatchery, and on the middle floor there is a red-lit terminal the player must place the key card in. Each player in the game must hit the button on the terminal, a four wave lockdown will begin and the key card will start the download.
• This lockdown follows the same exact format as when obtaining the Dragon Strike.
• During this lockdown, there are only Manglers that the player must defend against until the download is complete.
• If available, the Mangler Helmet greatly assists players here in surviving the onslaught. Even if Dragon Wings are unlocked and they are more convenient overall, a direct impact from the Arm Cannon can heavily damage/instantly down the player even with Juggernog. It is located to the left of the L-CAR 9 Wall Buy in the Department Store on a mannequin when unlocked.
• Despite S.O.P.H.IA. mentioning to "Protect the Download", Manglers do not actually attack or damage the console. Players only need to worry about themselves.

Once the download is finished, the player must retrieve the key card from the console, and bring the key card to S.O.P.H.I.A. to place it in the tray directly under her to finish the task, opposite of where players originally obtained the key card.

Step Six: Freeing Original Nikolai

Once all tasks are done, interact with S.O.P.H.I.A. again. S.O.P.H.I.A will give the player a power core for the original Nikolai's mech. Head over to Belinski Square and launch the Whelp from the Gauntlet of Siegfried towards Nikolai's mech (A good spot to launch is just to the left of the derailed train). It will drop off the core, and return back to the map. Once done, return to S.O.P.H.I.A. This time, S.O.P.H.I.A. will detach from the machine before flying into the sky. Preparing for the boss fight at this time is advised. Manglers, Valkyrie Drones, and zombies constantly spawn during the fight ahead.

• Stock up with a Max Ammo from the topmost Trial on the tombstones in Belinski Square if possible.
• The best re-packed ability for Pack-a-Punched weapons during the fight is Turned, due to constantly spawning enemies in a spread out pattern in a large arena. Having as many opportunities to keep zombies off players for the longest time while they shoot the boss will help the most.
• Highly recommended at least one player has Monkey Bombs.
• All players should refresh their Guard of Fafnir/Tiamat's Maw.
• If not obtained, upgrading the Dragon Strike into the Draconite Controller will offer even more chances to keep zombies off players.
• Use the Classic GobbleGum: Danger Closest. It negates the effects of Nikolai's shock harpoons, but not his R.A.P.S.
• If using Mega GobbleGums: Idle Eyes, Aftertaste, or Undead Man Walking are good choices.

Additionally, having either the Mangler Helmet or the Dragon Wings equipped for the boss fight is highly recommended. Both are valid options serving different uses:

• The Mangler Helmet will prevent the sprinting Manglers from heavily damaging or even instantly downing players with their Arm Cannons on direct impact while players are shooting at the Dragon or Nikolai's Mech. Even with Juggernog, players are not safe from Mangler Arm Cannon damage unless Monkey Bombs, Dragon Strike, or the GKZ-45 Mk3 are used.
• The Dragon Wings will moderately reduce explosive damage taken by R.A.P.S. deployed by the Mech, and the fire breath from the Dragon if players are not able to pull out their shield in time or reach a safe area at the edges of the arena.

When ready, the machine where S.O.P.H.I.A. was will have been be pushed back and reveal a secret metal grate on the floor. All players must stand on the grate, which will drop the players into another sewer pipe, bringing them to a circular area behind Belinski Square. Inside the small circle surrounded by pillars is a button, which will cause a Giant Robot to fire a beam at a pile of debris, freeing the original Nikolai's mech.

Step Seven: The Boss Fight

During the first part of the fight, the original Nikolai will assist the players in helping him kill a Dragon. Press the button in the middle ring to begin. A Max Ammo will spawn upon activation, however this persists and is not limited to duration, instead being there if players needs it either now or later, similar to lockdown events in the Hatchery. Generally, stick to the edges of the arena (including the trenches) both when fighting the Dragon and Nikolai, and keep moving.

The Dragon will breathe fire upon the entire area excluding the rim and trenches. Use the Guard of Fafnir to be able to stand in the fire if the player fails to reach a safe zone. When it lands, Nikolai 1.0 will expose a weak point on the dragon via an energy harpoon. All players need to focus fire upon this one spot to sufficiently damage the dragon.

• To defeat the Dragon, the player has to shoot three different weak spots, specifically when Nikolai 1.0 shoots it with an electric harpoon. One on its right wing, one on the left side of its belly and one on its neck in that order periodically, after the Dragon breathes fire and the fire ceases. If the player cannot find the weak spot, Nikolai will help them find it with several quotes, such as "Shoot its belly".
• After causing enough damage on the first weak spot, the dragon will start attacking the players with fireballs, which deal very heavy damage.
• Throwing a Monkey Bomb or using the Dragon Strike/Draconite Controller when Nikolai harpoons the dragon is a good way to keep zombies away while focusing fire on the Dragon's weakspot.

When the Dragon is dead, a mini cutscene will play with the player's character talking to the original Nikolai. Original Nikolai will then become hostile, and the player now must battle him. A new Max Ammo will spawn next to where the first one did near the console at this point.

• To defeat Nikolai, the player must initially shoot four different spots, the two yellow lights on the front of the mech and two yellow power cores on the top of the mech that come out when Nikolai attacks the player (mostly when deploying R.A.P.S.). Once the player destroys the four power cores atop the mech, the player must focus fire on one last power core in the center of the mech where the legs reach the torso.
• It is important to note that during this phase of the boss fight, the arena is made considerably bigger. Debris previously blocking off going into the buildings and the second floor of buildings are now available, giving more room and cover.
• Take cover behind the debris or in the trenches when he uses his minigun. He can quickly shred down a Tiamat's Maw or down the player out in the open.
• Stay a fair distance away from him and his shots even if behind a wall-- him walking around and firing explosives can potentially down you fast.
• Run if you see embers around the edges of your screen, as this is where he will deploy harpoons and barrage in a few seconds.
• Similar to the Dragon part of the fight, throwing a Monkey Bomb or Dragon Strike/Draconite Controller when he is deploying R.A.P.S. can help open an opportunity to focus fire on his power cores and draw away zombies.

Rewards

After the mech is destroyed, the cutscene will play, all players will gain unlimited Perk Slots, and be given all perks on the map. The game will resume, with all players teleported back to Belinski Square.

The Love and War achievement will also be unlocked. Players will gain 7500 XP (for which the reward title is "Mechanized Mourning"). All players except Richtofen will also hear dialogue from Doctor Monty hinting at the conclusion of the Zombies storyline.

• If players wish to continue the game, the Dragon which periodically breathes fire on the map no longer appears, as it is the same Dragon killed in the boss fight. This makes staying in a general area much more viable a strategy for high rounds.
• This is the first Easter Egg in Call of Duty: Black Ops III where upon completion, Perk Slots become unlimited and rewarded perks persist even after being downed. Quick Revive will be lost if downed and playing solo, as it is consumed to revive oneself. It can easily be regained from the Der Wunderfizz even if the Quick Revive machine has be used three times in the game and has disappeared.

Xbox One achievement image

Videos

GOROD KROVI EASTEREGG Ending CUTSCENE (Black Ops 3 Zombies GOROD KROVI Cutscene)

Outro cutscene.

Trivia

• The name of the Easter Egg and the associated Achievement is a reference to the saying "All's fair in love and war."
• Whilst in the boss fight against Ultimis Nikolai Belinski, if one listens closely, the Soviet National Anthem can be heard playing.
• "Love and War" quest became impossible to complete after a title update released in April 2018, due to a glitch that would crash the game during the ending cutscene.
  • The glitch was fixed on PC in July 2018 but the patch only came to consoles the next year on August 15th, 2019.
• Curiously, Manglers and Valkyrie Drones fall completely silent after the Easter Egg is completed. They no longer speak, with the exception of Valkyrie Drones specifically when shooting their camera or all their arms.
• The password “KRONOS” may be in reference to the film The Incredibles, as the character of Syndrome shares the same password to his computer system.
  • That being said, according to Harvey Yena's document, the password is related to Die Glocke's research. Kronos is one of the codenames for Die Glocke's experiments, specifically ones related to nuclear physics.