Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War's zombies mode features seven ultra-useful perks with which to buff your character, but which are really the best?

Initially appearing in the first-ever DLC Call of Duty zombies map, World At War's Zombie Verruckt, perks have played a vital role in enhancing the longevity and gameplay depth of Treyarch's famous horde mode. Beginning as necessary, albeit simple, bonuses that granted benefits like extra health or quicker reload speeds, the perk system in Call of Duty zombies has been expanded, enhanced, and modified greatly over the franchise's lifetime.

The original Black Ops introduced all kinds of new perks, Black Ops 4 allowed players to decide which four perks to make available in-game, and Black Ops Cold War removed the maximum limit and let permanently upgrade their perks, paving the way for some pretty overpowered high-round setups. That said, though they're all extremely useful, not all buffs are created equal, and we've taken it upon ourselves to parse out which Black Ops Cold War perks should take priority.

Updated on November 27th, 2021 by Tanner Fox: Call of Duty: Vanguard was released in early November, but the Call of Duty zombies community hasn't embraced it as they did Cold War. A departure from the traditional round-based zombies formula, many found both convoluted and devoid of content. As a result, much of the fanbase has returned to 2020's Call of Duty offering to get their undead-slaying fix.

The zombies experience in Cold War was upgraded and changed multiple times throughout the title's year-long lifecycle, and, in that time, a handful of additional perks were introduced which completely changed the way the mode could be played.

10 Death Perception

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 fundamentally changed the way zombies was played, removing fan-favorite perks like Jugger-nog and Speed Cola and introducing situationally-useful ones like Stone Cold Stronghold and Victorious Tortoise. While just about every new perk included in Black Ops 4 earned at least a few fans, Death Perception was an outlier. Providing little benefit and taking up a valuable perk slot, many forewent this perk in favor of something more useful.

Introduced in Black Ops Cold War's final DLC update, Death Perception still isn't terribly effective. Allowing players to see zombies through walls and, when upgraded, deal more damage to armor and increase the effectiveness of salvage drops, it has its uses, but it's hardly a priority.

9 Speed Cola

One of the four original Call of Duty zombies perks, classifying Speed Cola as the worst buff in Black Ops Cold War may seem harsh, but, while useful as ever, it simply isn't as effective when upgraded as the other perks on offer.

Quicker reload times can certainly save players when in a pinch, but enhancements like the ability to swap weapons faster, fire and reload while sprinting, and repair barriers faster feel superfluous when compared to perks that allow players to take more hits, do more damage to armor, or even revive themselves. Obviously, there's no reason to not outright avoid Speed Cola, as there's no perk limit in Black Ops Cold War, but it probably shouldn't be a priority over things like Jugger-Nog or Stamin-Up.

8 Tombstone Soda

When it initially debuted in Tranzit, Call of Duty: Black Ops II's eternally controversial and brutally memed on-disc map, Tombstone Soda was nigh-on useless. After downing and respawning, players who bought this perk were able to grab a gravestone-shaped powerup which granted them the loadout they had lost upon death. Unfortunately, the gravestone powerup only lasted for 90 seconds, meaning that returning to it in time was, more often than not, impossible.

Fortunately, the perk has been totally reworked for Black Ops Cold War, and it's now more akin to the Who's Who perk from Black Ops II's Die Rise. When downed, the player now spawns in an ethereal form and has a chance to revive themselves. Plus, when upgraded, Tombstone Soda gives respawning players a chance to recover their load-outs, respawn near the end of rounds rather than the beginning of them, and prevent perks from gradually being lost while down.

Additionally, once upgraded to tier three, Tombstone will operate as it did originally. However, this time, the tombstone powerup is much easier to access. The compromise here is that it costs 7000 points to pick up, meaning that, depending on the equipment left behind, it may not necessarily be cost-effective.

7 Deadshot Daiquiri

When it first debuted in Call of the Dead, the original Black Ops' second DLC zombies map, Deadshot Daiquiri became something of a joke among members of the CoD community, as it was often thought to be vastly inferior to the other perks on offer. Plus, it was almost detrimental to PC players who may have been thrown off by the perk's effects. However, opinions of the perk softened over time, and, in Black Ops Cold War, it's definitely a vital upgrade.

Deadshot Daiquiri isn't all that helpful when unupgraded, serving only to help players target any enemy's weak point. However, the second upgrade allows for extra damage to armor—something that's downright vital in Outbreak—the fourth grants a critical damage bonus of ten percent, and the fifth allows for a two-percent damage increase with each consecutive bullet. On the whole, the upgraded versions work as something of a replacement to Double Tap 2.0, which isn't present in the game at the moment. Many likely missed out on this in Die Maschine, as it's hidden away in a subterranean alcove, but players may well want to go out of their way to get it.

6 Mule Kick

Given how easy it is for players to stock up on ammo in Cold War's survival maps, Mule Kick may not seem like an essential perk. However, when upgraded, it more or less ensures that players will never have to worry about ammo whatsoever, and the additional weapon slot it grants allows Cold War fans to experiment with their load-outs and use weapons they may otherwise pass up.

Additionally, when upgraded, Mule Kick can grant additional equipment when crafting, potentially replace expended grenades, and, when maxed out to tier five, ensure that players get their third weapon back when rebuying the perk. It's not necessarily vital, but it's definitely not something to pass up, either.

5 Quick Revive

As the name would suggest, Quick Revive reduces the amount of time it takes to revive a downed teammate. One of the four core perks introduced in World At War, it often served as a boon for inexperienced players, though pros confident in the abilities of their teammates would often forego it.

In Black Ops Cold War, however, it is indispensable. Not only does it dramatically reduce the time it takes to revive downed players, but, when upgraded, it reduces the time it takes to heal after being hit. Beyond that, at level five, it allows players to revive themselves should they kill a zombie while downed.

4 Elemental Pop

The only all-new perk available in Black Ops Cold War, elemental pop gives each bullet fired a small chance to produce a random ammo mod effect. Its effects can even apply to things like killstreaks and grenades, and it's essential for players eager to get out of tight spaces and desperate situations.

When upgraded, Elemental Pop increases a target's weakness to elemental damage—among other buffs—and, when fully upgraded, the perk grants the Electric Cherry effect when the player reloads. On paper, it seems a bit banal, but, in practice, it's a literal lifesaver.

3 Stamin-Up

First introduced in Ascension, the first DLC map released for the original Call of Duty Black Ops, Stamin-Up increases the distance a player can sprint and offers a small boost to their running speed. While it was effective yet inessential for most players when it originally debuted, its value would increase as zombies maps grew in size and scope.

Though a solid choice regardless of map or mode, Stamin-Up is borderline-mandatory in Black Ops Cold War's new Outbreak mode. Taking place on large Fireteam maps, Stamin-Up allows players to get from one point to another quickly without relying on vehicles. Plus, when fully-upgraded, Stamin-Up removes sprint speed fall off, meaning that players are always moving as fast as possible when sprinting. What's more, while none of Cold War's zombies easter eggs are all that difficult, this perk is a must-have for those looking to complete them.

2 Ph.D. Slider

Initially introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops, Ph.D. Flopper allowed players to explode when diving from large heights while also granting them immunity to explosive damage. After a long hiatus, the perk reappeared in Black Ops 4 in the form of Ph.D. Slider, now re-worked to fit the game's new movement capabilities.

Appearing in Black Ops Cold War late in the game's lifecycle, Ph.D. Slider is one of the most effective perks in the game. Not only does it allow players to kill zombies by sliding into them, but it also grants immunity to environmental damage, increases slide speed and distance, and it re-introduces the explosion effect triggered when falling from a great height.

1 Jugger-Nog

The obvious number-one pick and a perk that's absolutely essential in every Call of Duty zombies game, Jugger-Nog is something of a flagship upgrade in Call of Duty's famous horde mode. Debuting in World At War's Zombie Verruckt map, it allows players to sustain four hits before downing by boosting their HP from 100 to 250, and it's so beloved that its removal in Black Ops 4 prompted outrage from the community.

In Black Ops Cold War, Jugger-Nog is even more effective, as it's able to increase the player's maximum health, increase the amount of armor replenished per pickup, increase armor durability, and it even grants the player the ability to survive a lethal hit, albeit at the cost of their armor. The be-all-end-all of perks, much like Tank Dempsey, the Requiem Strike Team is always into Jugger-Nog!

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