Best way to farm Special Zombies in MWZ

With the introduction of Modern Warfare Zombies in Modern Warfare 3, many events and seasonal challenges have required the elimination of 'special zombies' from within the mode, with various weapon types, and with various methods. Finding them can be a bit of a pain, but fear not, this guide will show you the way.

How to use exfils to farm Special Zombies in MWZ

There are two primary ways of farming Special Zombies in MWZ, but we'll cut to the chase and give you by far the most consistent. Do note, this is a bit of a grind, but if like me you find yourself towards the end of a season, and you need to knock out those last few seasonal challenges for the attachments, conversion kits, or that ever elusive seasonal camo, then this'll see you through. (And wouldn't you know it, we've got a handy dandy little guide covering those very same seasonal challenges right here!)

Your first step will be to gear up, either in the pre-game lobby, or do a quick dart around when you're in the field. You're going to want at least an uncommon (green) weapon (preferably Pack-A-Punched at least once) as this'll make getting the special zombie kills quick, painless, and it'll help you deal with the plethora of regular zombies you'll face during your grind.

You're then going to head over to any exfil site (preferably in the low threat zone) and call in the exfil. This will cause quite a few regular zombies to spawn, so get them back in the ground before they swamp you, and keep going.

Eventually, you'll note that 'Mangler' zombies will spawn, and these are exactly what you're looking for. Be careful, they're not to be taken lightly, as unlike regular zombies they have a ranged attack that can track you unless you keep moving and stay on your toes - that's why it's important to ensure your weapon of choice is upgraded enough, as they have some pretty chunky health pools, and plenty of armour to boot.

You should get on average two to three Mangler spawns on every exfil attempt, but you can get lucky, or unlucky, and get anywhere from four, to just the one. Once your exfil helicopter arrives, simply don't get onboard (or do if you're all wrapped up) and wait until the exfil becomes available again.

Be careful not to run out of time, as each MWZ match has around 45 minutes before the storm on the map begins to spread, but don't fret, you've got a handy timer in the top left, and you'll get plenty of notifications.

How to use Infested Strongholds to farm Special Zombies in MWZ

Another way to farm special zombie kills is to look for 'infested stronghold' locations on the map. These are randomly selected at the start of each match, so they won't be in the same places every time. In these, there is a chance for a 'Mimic' type special zombie to spawn, but keep an eye out, as the name implies these handsy freaks enjoy spending their time dressed up as loot boxes, so watch your step.

It's also worth bearing in mind that infested strongholds have a gas cloud within them, and without a gas mask, you'll take constant damage whilst within - this gas will clear when you destroy all of the 'pustules' inside, which are great big yellow blobs of awful and nasty scattered around. The perk-a-cola 'Death Perception' will give them a visible outline, which makes finding them a little easier.

Another thing to bear in mind is that if another player has already cleared that stronghold, and already killed the mimic, they take some time to reset and respawn, and not every stronghold contains a mimic, so this method is better for those of you out and about playing normally, and want to ambiently grab those special zombie eliminations.

Something to avoid while farming for Special Zombies

There is one way of consistently finding special zombies, though it won't count as special zombie eliminations. If you see and take 'Bounty' contracts around the map, a special zombie is guaranteed to be your elimination target, but for whatever reason, they are not considered special zombies for the purposes of completing challenges.

Bounty contracts are a great way to earn contamination points, and some handy gear like weapon upgrades, perk-a-colas, and turret chips, so they're not to be ignored, but if all you're after is special zombies, they sadly won't do you much good.

If you're looking for more Call of Duty guides, such as the best new Bal-27 loadout, or how to unlock the ever magnificent Jak Wardens, we've got you sorted here at ProGameGuides.