All Cursed Relics Ranked in Black Ops 7 Zombies (Tier List)

Black Ops 7 Zombies' Cursed Mode is an extremely fun mix-up of the round-based formula that not only provides you with a semi-classic experience, but it also becomes an opportunity to try out new challenges in exchange for rewards, like Tier 4 Pack-a-Punch, Golden Armor, and Ultra-Rarity weapons.

Cursed Mode is a blast and is easily the most fun I've had in Call of Duty Zombies since Black Ops 3. With 4 maps and 24 Relics, we've decided to rank them in a tier list, with S-Tier being Relics we use every game, and D-Tier being Relics we'd rather avoid due to their extreme challenge.

These Relics have been ranked by function and ease of use for SOLO Tier 3. We haven't factored in how difficult each Relic is to obtain. If you disagree with our ranking, click "My List" to drag and drop the Relics into each Tier, and see how yours matches up to the community!

S-Tier Relics

These are the Relics I run in every single attempt on Cursed, whether that's for high rounds or easter eggs. I find these Relics provide the safest path to Tier 3 in Cursed Mode without adding an extreme challenge:

Dancing Arnie

• All Perk-a-Cola machines have been cursed and now give out random Perk-a-Colas.

Dancing Arnie is a personal favorite for a few reasons. While you might get unlucky and get something like Elemental Pop when you're trying to get Jugger-Nog, you can simply keep purchasing Perks until it pops. The fact that Cursed has the old points system means that you can easily get all Perks on Round 10 if you use shotguns, so a randomized Perk isn't a burden for long.

Focusing Stone

• No craftable Self-Revive kits.

It can be risky to jump into a match without Self-Revive kits, but you don't actually need them as much as you'd think. Not only can you acquire them from defeating Special/Elite zombies, but you can also get them from T.E.D.D. Tasks, and relying on them for high rounds, isn't a great strategy anyway.

Seed

• Mystery Box is disabled.

In every modern map, the Wonder Weapon can be crafted, so you really don't need the Mystery Box. You can also counter this Relic just by using a Firesale, from the free Power-Ups, or through GobbleGums. Wall-Buys and T.E.D.D. Trials are all you need for your weapons.

Spider Fang

• Perk costs at machines never decrease.

This is another essential pick for me, as I don't intend to go down (at least not without Eternal Perks). As such, having Perks cost more than 6,000 Essence and upwards isn't an issue, especially when in the high rounds you'll have more Essence than sense.

If you're playing in co-op, you might want to reconsider having the Spider Fang Relic, as the Perk cost increases for every player who has purchased one!

Teddy Bear

• Round start delay is cut down by 75%.

Teddy Bear is probably the easiest "free" Relic you can have. All it does is reduce the time delay between rounds, which actually is a benefit, as you're not sitting around waiting for zombies to spawn in.

Wrestler's Belt

• Randomizes the Weapon Wallbuys each round.

I don't really use Wallbuys, so seeing them randomized each round isn't a problem, making it a free Relic to use. As long as I have the map's Wonder Weapon and my Mustang & Sally, I'm good to go.

A-Tier Relics

These Relics are A-Tier to me because they're not too challenging, but they're not ones I feel inclined to use due to the potential limitations they can add to my high round strats:

Matryoshka Doll

• Salvage drop rate is halved.

This is the only potential S-Tier Relic in A-Tier, because all it does is reduce the number of times Salvage drops. However, it can still be easily obtained from side easter eggs and T.E.D.D. Trials, but I don't really like delaying the rarity upgrades of my guns, and I like having Salvage for Scorestreaks and Kazimirs.

Agarthan Device

• Each round, a different type of zombie will spawn.

The Agarthan Device is great, as it just interchanges the normal zombies between three types: Regular, Frost, and Acid. This doesn't add special enemies and elites to the mix, but the cryo damage and toxic damage of other zombie variants can be annoying.

Bus

• Enemy health regenerates.

If you shoot an enemy and leave them alone, they will slowly regenerate their health. This is fine for most regular zombies that go down quickly, but for elites and bosses on high rounds? It's a bit of a nightmare.

Power Switch

• Randomizes your Tactical and Lethal Equipment each round.

I don't really use Equipment, other than the Kazimirs in my Tactical slot. Therefore, randomizing them isn't the end of the world for me, but I'd still prefer to have Kazimirs as a safety net.

B-Tier Relics

For these Relics, I've restricted them to B-Tier because I feel like there's potential for them, but only when I'm hopping in for a quick game, as I find their challenge restrictive for high rounds:

Mangler Helmet

• No Arsenal.

The Arsenal is only really used to upgrade weapon rarity and put on Ammo Mods, but weapon rarity can be acquired from the Mystery Box and T.E.D.D. Trials anyway. The only real downside is the lack of Ammo Mods, but most maps have side easter eggs for those anyway.

Rocket

• No Score Streaks.

Score Streaks are great for dealing with Elite enemies, and I personally like to hold a Disciple Injection for when I get cornered. However, losing them isn't the worst thing in the world, but I really would rather have that option.

Vril Sphere

• You can only carry 4 Perk-a-Colas.

The Vril Sphere is fine, as you can bypass the 4 Perk limit with T.E.D.D. Trials, but this means that it's going to take longer to set up with all the Perks.

C-Tier Relics

C-Tier Relics are the ones with which I have a love-hate relationship. They're decent for holding you over until you get the ones mentioned above, but they do add a challenge that I'd prefer to avoid in most cases:

Dragon

• All Ammo Caches are disabled.

I really like the Ammo Caches, so I hate to see them go. However, you can still rely on Max Ammo Power-Ups and Wallbuy ammo for certain guns, but it's not worth the risk.

Gong

• Field Upgrades start as charged, but can only be charged by Full Power Power-Ups.

Field Upgrades are a game-changer, and they've saved my life plenty of times. Relying strictly on Full Power Power-Ups really isn't ideal for high rounds, so I prefer to avoid this one.

Music Box

• Enemies only take critical damage.

The Music Box is actually great for one reason: camo grinding. If you're trying to get camos that require critical kills, then use the Music Box. However, it's too situational to see any use outside of camo grinding, especially when you already have Infestation camos.

Stuffed Elephant

• Increases the Health regen delay.

Health regen delay is already rather strict, and even with Quick Revive, this Relic is going to take around 10 seconds before your health starts coming back. With super sprinters on high rounds, you might not be able to heal faster than you're hit.

Summoning Key

• Zombies explode on death, dealing damage to nearby players.

Having zombies explode each time they're killed, with such a high amount of them, can just get annoying, especially when it causes further unwanted damage to you and nearby players.

D-Tier Relics

The most infamous Relics are in D-Tier, and these are the ones that I wouldn't recommend to my worst enemy! They add too much of a challenge, and disrupt the flow of each round (especially you, Lawyer's Pen):

Blood Vials

• All Augments are turned off.

Augments are one of the best systems in modern Zombies, and they're a needed crutch, so removing them just takes away plenty of benefits and makes you feel far weaker.

Civil Protector Head

• Perk decay - every 100 kills, you lose a Perk.

Who wants to lose a Perk every 100 kills? That's around 1 Perk a round after 50+, and you'll just have to keep buying them. It's frustrating, and constant visits to Der Wunderfizz (to see what you lost) are just a juggling act of disaster.

Dragon Wings

• Normal Power-Up spawns are disabled.

While you're not going to cry about losing Bonus Points Power-Ups, the high rounds can get messy without Insta-Kills, Full-Powers, and Nukes, so we'd rather keep this one active.

Golden Spork

• Enemies deal double damage.

Why would you want enemies to deal double damage? In classic Zombies, enemy health increases, but their damage doesn't. However, modern Zombies have both, so increasing that even further is a death sentence if you ever get hit on high rounds.

Lawyer's Pen

• Shock Mimics appear on the map.

Shock Mimics are the greatest nightmare to ever exist, which is why we can't recommend this Relic any less. It seems that with every zombie killed, a Mimic prop will appear, and they chase you, zap you and your equipment, and just make things worse.

Samantha's Drawing

• Every weapon you have, swap each round, but retain the Pack-a-Punch and rarity level.

Starting with a 1911 and wanting to Pack-a-Punch it to the Mustang & Sally? Nope! Enjoy a random weapon. While a fun concept, reaching high rounds with a completely randomized loadout is going to be quite the burden.

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Looking to unlock any of the Relics we've listed above? We've got guides for all of them, which you can find right here:

• All Ashes of the Damned Relics
• All Astra Malorum Relics
• All Paradox Junction Relics
• All Totenreich Relics