The Pylons, also known as Polarization Devices and Spires, are three devices featured in the Call of Duty: Black Ops II Zombies maps TranZit, Die Rise, and Buried, and used during the Tower of Babble, High Maintenance and Mined Games quests, as well as Buried's Endgame.
The Pylon in TranZit also serves as a place of interest, albeit an incredibly small one.
Overview[]
The Pylons are three large towers disguised as civilian equipment such as power lines or radio towers. When calibrated under specific means, they are capable of focusing Aetheric Energy for a particular host to use, granting them even more control over reality than the M.P.D.
It is unclear who initially built each of the Pylons, for what purpose, or how many of them truly exist. A cipher from the map Classified reveals that part of Edward Richtofen's demands for Operation Stapler involved asking the United States to build what would become the Tranzit Polarization Device to his specification. Another document from Classified by Cornelius Pernell outlines that there was a similar deal with the Soviets with several matching items between both lists. The Pylons from Die Rise and Buried remain unelaborated on, and the Soviet Pylon is never encountered by the players.
Over the course of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Victis is directed to activate the three Polarization Devices for either Maxis and Richtofen. Who they choose to help is up to the player in-game, though helping Maxis is considered the canonical ending, and sets the stage for the events of Origins.
- Polarized for Maxis (Canon)
- Polarized for Richtofen (Non-Canon)
Maxis uses their energy to reach Agartha, dethrones Richtofen as the Demonic Announcer, and entraps his soul in Zombie corpses. He reunites with his daughter Samantha as he plucks her soul from Richtofen's body following the events of Moon. Richtofen in his Zomibified form says that "There has to be a way to break the cycle!".
Richtofen uses them to assume full control of the Aether, and mend the Rift by reinforcing the link between the Aether and Earth. Maxis blames Richtofen for eternally damning Samantha, and Richtofen in-trun removes Maxis from existence. Richtofen says he has the ability to enter any body he wishes, and chooses to enter Samuel J. Stuhlinger's body, as his eyes turn blue.
In-Game[]
Completing a quest will activate the tower and light it a particular color - Blue for Edward Richtofen's side and Orange for Ludvig Maxis' side. Once all three have been activated for a single character, and the Navcard's have been transferred between each map, the Endgame Easter Egg will become available on Buried.
The pylon itself will always have a build site for the NAV table somewhere close below it, though players will have to find the spot themselves as it will have no visual indicators.
In TranZit[]
In TranZit particularly, the Pylon is one of four playable locations that are not part of the Bus route but are free from the Fog or Denizen's. The Pylon is by far the smallest of these locations, encompassing only a small rectangular patch of land just under the Pylon itself that can only be accessed at all by navigating the Denizen infested cornfield first. There are no wall-buys or resources of any kind here and Zombie spawns are plentiful and greatly obscured by the surrounding cornfield. As a location the Pylon is only particularly useful for players completing the quest, though it can also serve as a challenge for skilled players seeking one.
Locations[]
- TranZit: In the cornfield, between the Farm and Power Station, on the left side of the road.
- Die Rise: On the roof of the second upright building, near the Dragon.
- Buried: Located above ground, on verge of the rift.
Buildables[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- If a match starts with a player that has activated a spire in Richtofen's favor and a player that has activated it in Maxis' favor, it will shine in both blue and orange colors.