The Mannequin Turret relic is a Wicked tier relic on Kowakujo, and it is the most straightforward of the relics to describe and the hardest to actually earn. There is no puzzle and no Easter egg step. You simply have to survive to round 60 in Cursed mode without ever losing a flag during an Attack Wave. Do that, and a portal opens in the War Room for the relic trial.
- Map: Kowakujo, Cursed tier 2 or higher, Cursed mode already unlocked
- Reach round 60 without fully failing an Attack Wave (losing the flag fails the relic)
- Failing the trap statues seems fine. Losing the flag defense does not
- No main Easter egg steps are needed in the run. The portal opens at the round 60 flip in the War Room
- Effect: no starting armor, and gold armor from the wall buy is the only armor you can get
This was worked out by the ZoneX relic-hunting community. Attic opened the first portal, and the team narrowed the trigger down through repeated testing. We will cover the survival run, the flag rule that actually matters, the War Room portal, the trial, and whether the effect is worth running.
The community rates this one as 99% solved. Reaching round 60 without losing an Attack Wave flag has reproduced the portal every time, and one deliberate test confirmed that failing a flag removes it. There is always a small chance of a hidden detail on a brand new map, but for now this is the reliable method.
What the Mannequin Turret Relic Does
With Mannequin Turret equipped, you start the game with no armor at all, and the only armor you can ever buy is gold armor from the wall buy. The lower armor tiers are off the table, so you cannot craft cheap plates or pick them up. If you want protection, you pay gold-armor prices for it.
That makes the early rounds genuinely risky, since you are running around unarmored while points are tight. Later on it becomes a salvage and points drain, because keeping gold armor topped up is far more expensive than the armor you would normally rely on.
No starting armor, gold armor only. You are exposed early and you pay a premium to stay protected the whole run.
Requirements
There is no setup puzzle here. The requirement is endurance, since the unlock is a round 60 run.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Map | Kowakujo |
| Relic Tier | Wicked (hardest tier) |
| Cursed Tier Needed | Cursed tier 2 or higher |
| Round | Reach round 60. The portal opens on the round 60 flip |
| Attack Waves | Do not fully fail one. Losing the flag fails the relic |
| Easter Egg | Cursed mode must be unlocked (main Easter egg done once). No EE steps are needed in the run itself |
Relics only exist in Cursed mode, and Cursed unlocks after you beat the Kowakujo main Easter egg one time. Unlike Dragon Egg, which pulls a weapon from the main quest, Mannequin Turret needs nothing from the Easter egg during the run. The ZoneX testers confirmed the portal with no EE steps done, only a wonder weapon build and normal survival.
Step 1: Survive to Round 60
The whole relic is a survival run, so treat it like a high-round attempt. Build a wonder weapon, set up your Pack-a-Punch and ammo mods early, and pick a training spot you can hold for a long time. The Onsen Baths and the large central cherry tree area are popular loops because you can circle big groups safely.
Because you start with no armor and can only buy gold armor, the first ten rounds are the most dangerous part of the run. Play it safe, build points before you commit to anything expensive, and grab gold armor from the wall buy as soon as you can afford to keep it up.
Nothing special needs to happen between round 1 and round 60 except staying alive and protecting your flags. Set up like you would for any high round, keep your damage scaling with ammo mods and Pack-a-Punch, and pace yourself.
Step 2: Never Lose a Flag
This is the rule that actually decides the relic. On Kowakujo, Attack Waves task you with defending a captured flag. The ZoneX solve is that you must reach round 60 without ever fully failing one of those flag defenses. Letting the trap statues fail appears to be fine, but if the flag itself goes down, the relic is gone for that game.
The confirmation came from a clean test: one player reached round 60 with flags intact, saved and quit, reloaded, and the portal was still there on the flip. After that he deliberately failed an Attack Wave flag, reloaded, and got no laugh and no portal. So protect every flag like the run depends on it, because it does.
The portal survives a save and quit, so if you hit round 60 with your flags intact you will not lose it by reloading. But a single failed flag defense at any point in the run wipes your shot at the relic until the next game. Prioritize the flag over kills, salvage, or anything else during Attack Waves.
Step 3: The War Room Portal and Trial
When round 60 flips, you will hear Mr Peeks laugh and a portal opens in the War Room. Head there and interact with it to start the trial.
The trial rule is that normal health regen is turned off. You do not passively heal, but you are fully restored at the end of each wave, and Stims plus Light Mend still heal and overheal as usual. The augment that regenerates health on special kills can also keep you topped up through the whole trial.
Lean on Stims and Light Mend for healing since regen is off, and keep a War Machine ready for the tougher spawns. As long as you have a way to top your health up between waves, the trial goes smoothly.
Is It Worth Equipping?
Mannequin Turret is one of the more punishing relics to actually run. Starting with no armor makes the opening rounds dangerous, and being locked to gold armor means your salvage and points keep bleeding into protection that costs a premium. It asks a lot and gives no offensive upside in return.
Where it earns its place is as a challenge and a completion. If you want a run that forces careful positioning and tight economy management, this delivers it, and as a Wicked relic it counts toward the relic-completion camo. Pair it with armor-friendly perks and a strong training spot and it is manageable, just never comfortable.
All Kowakujo Relics
Kowakujo has six Cursed mode relics across the three relic tiers. Here is the full set with their effects. We are building a guide for each one and will link them here as they go live.
| Relic | Tier | Effect | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gramophone | Grim | Bullets deal more damage but each shot uses 2 bullets | Read guide |
| Druid Stone | Grim | No bleedout bar, and self-revive instantly revives you | Coming soon |
| Valkyrie Helmet | Sinister | Areas you linger in spawn electric fields that damage you | Coming soon |
| Film Reel | Sinister | You can only carry one Pack-a-Punch weapon | Read guide |
| Mannequin Turret | Wicked | No starting armor, only gold armor from the wall buy | This guide |
| Dragon Egg | Wicked | Normal-round elites and specials spawn at random | Read guide |
Tips
- Treat it like a high-round run. Build a wonder weapon, set up Pack-a-Punch and ammo mods early, and pick a safe training loop.
- The first ten rounds are the danger zone since you start unarmored. Build points before spending, then keep gold armor up.
- Protect every Attack Wave flag. A single failed flag defense ends your relic shot for that game.
- Failing the trap statues seems fine. It is the flag that matters, so cover it first.
- The round 60 portal survives a save and quit, so you will not lose it by reloading once your flags are intact.
- For the trial, regen is off but you heal between waves. Keep a War Machine for tough spawns, and lean on Stims and Light Mend.
- Need a stronger base setup? See our best BO7 Zombies loadout guide and our Cursed mode explainer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Mannequin Turret relic do in BO7 Zombies?
The Mannequin Turret relic starts you with no armor, and the only armor you can get for the rest of the run is gold armor bought from the wall buy. You cannot craft or pick up the lower armor tiers, so your only protection costs gold-armor prices.
How do you unlock the Mannequin Turret relic on Kowakujo?
Play Kowakujo in Cursed tier 2 or higher and reach round 60 without fully failing an Attack Wave. Failing the trap statues is fine, but losing the flag defense fails the relic. When round 60 flips, a portal opens in the War Room. You do not need to do any main Easter egg steps in the run itself.
What tier is the Mannequin Turret relic in BO7?
Mannequin Turret is a Wicked tier relic, the hardest of the three relic tiers on Kowakujo. The unlock is a round 60 survival run, which is what puts it in the top tier rather than any puzzle.
Do you have to fail or pass the Attack Waves for the Mannequin Turret relic?
You have to pass them. The community solve is to reach round 60 without ever losing a flag during an Attack Wave. Letting the trap statues fail seems to be fine, but one confirmed test showed that fully failing a flag defense kills the relic, with no portal on the round 60 flip.
What is the Mannequin Turret relic trial?
In the trial, normal health regen is turned off, but you are fully healed at the end of each wave. Stims and Light Mend still heal and overheal, and the augment that regens health on special kills can keep you topped up. A War Machine helps with the tougher enemies.
Do you need to finish the Kowakujo Easter egg to get the Mannequin Turret relic?
You need Cursed mode unlocked, which means you must have beaten the Kowakujo main Easter egg at least once. But unlike Dragon Egg, you do not need to progress any Easter egg steps during the actual relic run. Just reach round 60 with your flags intact.
Is the Mannequin Turret relic worth equipping in BO7?
It is one of the more punishing relics because gold armor is expensive and you start with none, so early rounds are dangerous and your salvage drains into armor. It is mostly a challenge and completion pick, and it counts toward the relic-completion camo.
Big thanks to the ZoneX relic-hunting community, who pinned down this relic. Attic opened the first portal, and the testers narrowed the trigger to the round 60 flag rule and shared the trial strategy above. AC OMEGA also has a video walkthrough covering the trigger, portal, and trial.
Chasing the rest of the Kowakujo relics or want a squad for a round 60 run? Join 50,000+ players in the COD Central Discord. Our Zombies channels run relic trials daily and the team that wrote this guide is in there to help.
