Operation Nightmare is one of Call of Duty’s most exciting ideas yet. Five bosses have conquered the map and transformed Al Mazrah into a plagued land. Not only are your standard array of enemies around, but now you have to deal with some incredibly different fights if you want to claim all of the rewards that are up for grabs.
This is also a continuation of the Diablo crossover that arrived in Season 06 when Lilith and Inarius first arrived in the in-game store. Not only is The Butcher here to slice through any soldiers who wander into his domain, but there are also statues of Mephisto’s daughter in some important places.
Taking down all of these bosses is part of the Mastery Rewards chain of The Haunting, so you’ll have to jump into the action if you want that sweet free gear.
How to Kill The Butcher in Operation Nightmare in Call of Duty DMZ
The Butcher is the most complex of the bosses, but if you know what to expect, it’s much easier to take this fight on. If you don’t know where to look, check your minimap for his signature T-shaped icon, or use our boss locations guide to nail down his spawn point.
Wherever he spawns, you’ll find a big Diablo-style altar with spiky, spindly arms, and you will need to stand in it to get a ritual started. Kill zombies while standing on the platform. Eventually, a line will get drawn across the ground, leading you to the next ritual. You’ll do this six times, connecting every corner of the dais. This will open a portal to Hell, where you can step through and begin the actual fight.
I cannot stress this enough but having a full squad of teammates that can communicate will make this a million times easier on you. The Butcher eats bullets like rice grains, so full ammo and Armor Plates are highly recommended. I suggest kitting up with a three-plate vest, as it’s easy to get knocked by the zombie mobs.
The Butcher is one-track-minded, leaving big holes in his defense. He’ll pick one player to target at a time and charge directly at them. That leaves the two players on wave clear duty, clearing space for the target to run without getting impeded by minor enemies.
Once the pool has been thinned out, turn your guns on the big man and wear him down. Sticking to the outskirts will help you avoid the flaming ritual marks on the ground.
A Shotgun will get the job done on wave clear, but you need an Assault Rifle or an LMG to do any serious damage to The Butcher. From here, it’s all about perseverance and discipline. If you stick to that core gameplan, you should have no trouble collecting his loot and adding it to your Mastery Rewards checklist.
How to Kill the Pharaoh in DMZ Operation Nightmare
The Pharaoh is the second biggest headache behind The Butcher. Travel to his burial ground just south of Oasis to get started. There’s a survival challenge you’ll have to pass when you get here that consists of shooting down possessed enemies with glowing eyes. You need to collect 10 Cursed Skulls from these enemies.
You’ll eventually reach the Pharaoh’s tomb and have to place those skulls on his tombs. Don’t get too close during this fight. If you do, you’ll get grabbed up and hit with a Finisher animation that can instantly zap your health, and he’s invulnerable during this time. For me, it was frustrating to keep the right balance of distance and aggression, but with a little practice, you’ll be able to pass off the damage just like you did with The Butcher.
Operation Nightmare: Alien Artifact and UFO Guide
This is probably the easiest boss fight, but there are some extra steps at the end that aren’t immediately obvious. Travel to the far south of the map to Sawah Village and take a look at the artifact that’s floating just off the coast. Barraging wit with bullets will kick off a two-stage encounter requiring good coordination.
A few little orbs called Anomalies will spawn just overhead, and you’ll have to keep shooting at those, just as you did the bigger artifact. These things float mindlessly, shooting at you with Ray Gun beams. Taking them all down will summon an actual UFO.
Hilariously enough, this thing will actually abduct you and throw you out into the air if you’re not careful.
Killing it will drop a smaller version of the original artifact and a strange little alien body as a reward. One of your crew will need to pick up the artifact and carry it just like they would a summoning stone in Black Ops 3.
Carry that orb into the underbelly of the giant boat nearby, then rappel your way up into the heart of it and take the stairs up onto the deck, where you’ll find a big blue portal waiting for you to return the artifact. Just drop it off and collect the armor vests, self-revive, and cash that waits for you at the end.
How to Find The Swamp Creatures in Call of Duty DMZ
The Swamp Creatures are the second easiest part of the event and shouldn’t be too hard to manage at all. Look all over Mawizeh Marshlands for the yellow spore spawns that act as supply boxes. Loot them until you find the Golden Tiara.
You don’t have to go far for this, as in the middle of the area you’re looting, there will be a golden ritual circle where you can place the Tiara. This is how you unleash the grotesque swamp monsters.
Thankfully, it’s not hard to kill them. They’re very basic enemies that will chase you until they die, and that’s it. Check the corpse of the last creature for the Prized Golden Tiara, as it will net you $100,000 if you decide to sell it.
Warzone & DMZ: Al Mazrah Ghost Train
This is a callback to Ghost Ship (2002), a film starring Julianna Margulies that’s all about – you guessed it – a very spooky ship. DMZ and Warzone’s Ghost Train is equally as horrifying. If you’ve seen the opening of that movie, then you’ll get the gist here. Al Mazrah’s train has been refitted to match the vibes of Diablo’s Lilith and is also booby-trapped to Hell and back.
Claymores, barbed wire, and decoys abound, so watch your step and hold your fire. That’s all there is to this one, though, so it’s pretty easy to survive as long as you’re careful about where you step.
Search all of the supply crates along the way though, as you’ll want the Heat Resistant Key that’s hidden randomly inside them. It’s the only way to loot all of the chests at the end, so you’ll be kicking yourself for missing it otherwise.
When you find the room with all of the loot boxes and the statue of Lilith, you only need to interact with her devilish likeness to end the quest and claim the cash.
