Ashes of the Damned has a Dempsey-exclusive side Easter egg called Good Soldiers. It teleports you into a Vietnamese jungle flashback where you fight through zombie waves, learn about Dempsey’s backstory, and get transformed into an Elder Disciple by a Dark Aether entity called Veytharion. Completing it rewards the Lucidity Dark Ops calling card, a Legendary weapon, and the Good Soldiers achievement.
- Play as Dempsey, bring a PaP weapon and armor
- Find the dog tags at Crashed Rocket near the burned corpses
- Follow the black wisp through the Vietnam jungle, kill zombie waves
- Get transformed into an Elder Disciple, clear the temple
- Reward: Legendary weapon, Lucidity Dark Ops calling card, Good Soldiers achievement
This is the first character side Easter egg in BO7 Zombies. Richtofen’s Echoes of the Damned on Totenreich and Nikolai’s quest on Astra Malorum follow the same format. Each Dedicated Crew Operator has a unique backstory quest. The Dempsey quest has the most combat of the three, so gear up before attempting it.
Requirements
Unlike the Nikolai and Richtofen side quests, this one has real combat. Come prepared.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Dempsey Operator | Select Tank Dempsey from the Operators tab before starting a match. Listed as a “Dedicated Crew Operator.” |
| PaP Weapon (recommended) | Pack-a-Punch Tier 1 or higher. The flashback includes armored zombies and Ravagers. Mustang and Sally with PhD Flopper is ideal. |
| Armor (recommended) | Full armor plates help survive the heavier zombie waves inside the flashback. |
There is no round requirement, but you need enough points to reach Crashed Rocket and ideally have Pack-a-Punch ready. Most players attempt this around round 10-15.
Step 1: Find the Dog Tags at Crashed Rocket
Head to the Crashed Rocket area, which is between Ashwood and Zarya Cosmodrome on the east side of the road. Look for the rocket fuselage with burned corpses around it.
The dog tags are on the ground between two pipe sections, south of the bodies. This is the hardest part of the quest because there is no interact prompt on screen. You need to get close to the ground and hold the interact button while looking directly at the tags.
The dog tags are very hard to spot without a guide. Get up close to the tube right next to the dead soldiers and spam the interact button. Look for a small metallic glint in the snow.
Once you pick them up, a cutscene plays where Dempsey holds the blood-stained tags in his hand.
Step 2: The Vietnam Flashback
After the cutscene, you are teleported to a Vietnamese jungle. This is Dempsey’s PTSD flashback, set in his home dimension where Shangri-La was located in Vietnam. The atmosphere shifts to a dark, foggy jungle with temple ruins in the distance.
You keep your weapons and perks from the main map. A black wisp (orb) appears ahead of you. Your job is to follow it through the jungle while fighting zombie waves at each stop.
Step 3: Follow the Wisp
The wisp moves to three locations in order. At each stop, zombies spawn and you need to clear them before the wisp moves on.
Stop 1: Left side of the jungle clearing. Standard zombies spawn. Easy with any PaP weapon.
Stop 2: Near a body on the ground (this is Weaver from Requiem). A Weaver zombie spawns alongside armored zombies and heavies. This wave is noticeably harder than the first.
Stop 3: A temple in the back of the area. This is the final combat section with armored sprinters and Ravagers. Veytharion taunts Dempsey throughout, calling him a traitor and a deserter.
Step 4: The Temple Fight
Inside the temple, the combat gets intense. Armored sprinters and Ravagers come from multiple directions. If you leave zombies alive too long, they become verruckt sprinters (faster and more aggressive).
Our team found the combat manageable with Pack-a-Punch weapons and a few basic perks. Juggernog and PhD Flopper are the most useful here, especially if you are running Mustang and Sally. Without PhD, the splash damage will hurt you in these tight quarters.
Step 5: The Disciple Transformation
After clearing the temple zombies, Veytharion transforms you into an Elder Disciple. The camera switches to third person and you gain Disciple abilities: a ranged energy attack, an area blast, and enhanced movement.
Use these abilities to clear the remaining zombies around the temple. The Disciple form is powerful and makes quick work of everything. Once the last zombie falls, a final dialogue plays where Veytharion reveals Dempsey’s connection to the Dark Aether.
After the dialogue, you are returned to Ashes of the Damned at Crashed Rocket. Your rewards spawn on the ground.
Rewards
| Reward | Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Legendary Weapon | Weapon | Random Legendary-tier weapon spawns on the ground. |
| Good Soldiers | Achievement/Trophy | ”Discover the secrets of a war hero.” Permanent unlock. |
| Lucidity | Dark Ops Calling Card | Features Dempsey with zombies in red. Permanent unlock. |
| Essence and Salvage | Currency | Small amount of both spawns alongside the weapon. |
The Legendary weapon and the Lucidity calling card are the main draws. The quest also gives you the Good Soldiers achievement, which counts toward your overall completion progress.
Lore: Dempsey’s Backstory
The flashback reveals that in Dempsey’s home dimension, Shangri-La was located in Vietnam, matching early developer concepts for the original Shangri-La map from Black Ops 1. Alternate versions of Weaver and Strauss existed here, working under the Office of Requiem.
Weaver led a team into the jungle temple where Strauss committed an atrocity under orders. Veytharion, a Dark Aether entity, reveals that Dempsey was “the vessel for a ravenous evil, summoned and bound into your being. Its shadow yet hangs heavy on your soul.” This explains how Dempsey became connected to the Dark Aether in the first place.
The quest ends with Dempsey confronting his role in what happened. Veytharion marked him, just like Toor Bala marked Nikolai and Von List influenced Richtofen. Each character was touched by a dark entity before arriving in the Dark Aether. For a deeper lore breakdown, TheGamingRevolution’s analysis on YouTube connects all the pieces.
Tips for Completing the Dempsey Side Easter Egg
- The dog tags have no interact prompt on screen. Get close to the ground near the burned corpses and spam the interact button. This is the step most players get stuck on.
- Bring Pack-a-Punch Tier 1 or higher. The flashback zombies hit hard, especially the armored variants at the temple.
- Mustang and Sally with PhD Flopper and Juggernog is the ideal loadout for the flashback combat.
- If you die during the flashback, you cannot retry in the same match. Gear up properly before interacting with the dog tags.
- In co-op, only the Dempsey player gets teleported. Your teammates continue on the main map as normal.
- Do not leave zombies alive too long during the flashback. They upgrade to verruckt sprinters after a soft time limit.
- The Disciple transformation at the end is powerful. Use the area blast ability to clear groups quickly.
- This quest does not affect the main Ashes of the Damned Easter egg. You can do both in the same match.
- For a solid loadout going into this, check our best BO7 Zombies loadout guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the dog tags for the Dempsey side Easter egg?
The dog tags are at Crashed Rocket on Ashes of the Damned. Look near the rocket fuselage with the burned corpses. The tags sit on the ground between two pipe sections, south of the bodies. No interact prompt appears on screen, so you need to get close and spam the interact button while looking at the ground.
Do you need Pack-a-Punch for the Dempsey Easter egg?
Not strictly required, but strongly recommended. The flashback section includes armored zombies, heavy zombies, and Ravagers. A Pack-a-Punch Tier 1 weapon with Juggernog makes the combat section much more comfortable. Our team recommends the Mustang and Sally with PhD Flopper for the best results.
What happens when you turn into a Disciple in the Dempsey Easter egg?
Near the end of the flashback, Veytharion transforms you into an Elder Disciple. You play in third person with Disciple abilities including a ranged energy attack and area-of-effect blasts. You use these to clear the remaining zombies at the temple. The transformation is temporary and ends when all zombies are dead.
What is the Lucidity calling card in BO7?
Lucidity is the Dark Ops calling card earned by completing the Dempsey side Easter egg (Good Soldiers) on Ashes of the Damned. It features Dempsey with a zombie and red background. It is a permanent unlock.
Can you retry the Dempsey Easter egg if you die?
No. If you die during the Vietnam flashback section, you cannot retry in the same match. You will need to start a new game. This is why bringing a strong loadout with Pack-a-Punch and armor is important before attempting the quest.
Does the Dempsey side Easter egg affect the main quest?
No. The Dempsey side Easter egg is completely standalone and does not interact with the main Ashes of the Damned Easter egg. You can complete both in the same match.
Who is Veytharion in BO7 Zombies?
Veytharion is a Dark Aether entity, likely a shadowsmith, who appears during Dempsey's flashback. It taunts Dempsey throughout the quest, calling him a traitor and deserter. Veytharion reveals that Dempsey was used as a vessel for a dark entity, explaining his connection to the Dark Aether.
If you want to discuss the Ashes of the Damned Easter eggs or need help completing them, join 50,000+ players in the COD Central Discord. We have dedicated Zombies channels where our team and community break down every map.
