Dead of the Night is the fifth Zombies map featured in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and the twenty-ninth map overall. Chronologically, it is the first map in the Chaos story. It was released on December 11th, 2018 first for PlayStation 4, and a week later on December 18th, 2018 for Xbox One and PC. The map is available through the Black Ops Pass.
The map features a cast of new characters portrayed by celebrities as they find themselves fighting the undead in the midst of a scheme orchestrated by The Order in order to kidnap Alistair Rhodes during a party. The map introduces three new enemies, as well as three new wonder weapons; a revolver-like weapon known as Alistairs Folly, a pneumatic crossbow known as the Savage Impaler, and a wooden stake known as the Stake Knife.
The Mysterious Stake Knife of Dead of the Night
The newest Call of Duty Black Ops 4 zombies experience, Dead of the Night, has arrived and brought with it a brand new cast of characters, expanded lore, and intriguing secrets to uncover One of the most unique and mysterious additions found in Dead of the Night is the mythical Stake Knife, a powerful melee weapon with roots in vampire hunting lore Obtaining the Stake Knife requires players to complete a complex series of steps, leading to an exceptional reward. This guide will cover everything you need to know about unlocking the Stake Knife and using it to its full potential against the undead.
Introducing Dead of the Night
Dead of the Night is set in 1912 and takes place at the Rhodes Manor in England. The map features four new characters: Shaw, Bruno, Diego, and Scarlett. It’s a dark and sinister setting filled with vampires, werewolves, and other horrors that go bump in the night. The design provides tight, close quarters around the mansion and more open spaces like the graveyard and forest. With a genuine creepy ambiance and emphasis on Easter eggs and secrets, Dead of the Night encourages exploration and puzzle solving. It’s a refreshing change of pace from previous zombies maps.
Within the secrets of the mansion, players can build and upgrade new weapons, open new areas, and acquire special tools to help defeat the supernatural forces overrunning the grounds. The Stake Knife is one of these hidden treasures, but obtaining it requires patience and skill. Let’s break down how to add this vicious vampire slaying tool to your arsenal.
What is the Stake Knife?
The Stake Knife lives up to its name – it’s a large stake made of wood shaped into a deadly knife. In folklore, wooden stakes were used to kill vampires by driving them through the heart. The Stake Knife allows players to directly wield this classic anti-vampire weapon. True to legend, it delivers instant kills to vampire type enemies with a satisfying stabbing animation.
It’s extremely powerful in Dead of the Night where vampires are plentiful, especially the deadly Crimson Nosferatu. However, it possesses limitations as well. The one hit kill ability only lasts until round 16. Afterward, it takes multiple hits like a normal melee weapon. Upgrading it with the Ethereal Razor perk can help offset this damage drop off. Despite the capped strength, the Stake Knife remains one of the most unique and satisfying weapons introduced in Black Ops 4 zombies.
How to Unlock the Stake Knife
With an understanding of what the Stake Knife is, let’s get into the meat of unlocking it. Players should be warned up front – acquiring the Stake Knife is no easy feat. It requires completing a main Easter egg quest filled with specific steps. Expect this to take at least an hour or longer depending on skill. YouTuber MrRoflWaffles has an excellent video guide covering the full process. Here is a general overview of what completing the quest entails:
- Activate power and unlock Pack-a-Punch
- Locate and memorize the order of the four elemental symbols scattered around the Forest area
- Shoot the corresponding element stones around the Greenhouse in the correct order
- Return to the symbol tree in the Forest and knife the symbols in the matching order
- Shield bash the carved symbols to make a branch fall that can be collected
- Bring the branch to the Mausoleum and fill it with vampire souls at the altar
- Craft the Stake Knife at the Cemetery workbench
As if these steps weren’t complex enough, some contain hidden requirements. For example, the player must use silver bullets from a special Weapon Box to shoot the elemental stones. The guide video explains these subtleties in full detail to prevent any mistakes. Expect to run through the mansion many times before successfully completing the unlock quest.
Maximizing the Stake Knife’s Power
Completing the tedious unlock process comes with the reward of possessing a highly lethal weapon. A few tips will help you maximize killing potential during the rounds when the Stake Knife is still one hit killing machines.
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Upgrade with Ethereal Razor – Adding electrified razor wire through this perk helps the Stake Knife retain relevance in later rounds. The bonus damage can be the difference between life and death.
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Focus on vampires – Try to exclusively use the Stake Knife on vampire enemies before it loses one hit potential. Conserve ammo and stronger weapons for all other zombies.
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Don’t Rush – The Stake Knife requires getting very close to enemies to connect its fatal blow. Move strategically and avoid getting cornered. Patience is rewarded.
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Pack a Backup – Have a solid secondary weapon like a Pack-a-Punched shotgun handy for when the Stake Knife becomes ineffective or you get trapped.
Mastering the Stake Knife and slaying vampires effortlessly is extremely gratifying. The blood-soaked weapon will make you feel like a true legendary monster hunter.
Conclusion
The Stake Knife in Dead of the Night provides an exotic and fun new way to mow down the undead hordes. Unlocking its vampire-slaying might requires jumping through some complex hoops across the mansion grounds. The effort is well worth it once obtained though, letting players engage in visceral melee hunts. If vampire genocide sounds appealing, then embark on the quest for this mystical blade. Just be sure to watch a guide, arm yourself with patience, and come prepared to be sucked into the deep secrets dwelling in the dark at Rhodes Manor. The Stake Knife awaits any who dare seek it out.
Bedroom Hallway / Master Bedroom / Trophy Room[]
Coming from the East Balcony or the Dining Room will bring the players to the Bedroom Hallway, which branches off to the Master Bedroom and the Trophy Room. Each of these three rooms houses the pink crystal used to help open the Forest and later activate the easter egg. The Escargot can be found by the doorway connecting the Master Bedroom and Trophy Room, costing 1000 points. There is also a door leading down to the Dining Room at the end of the Bedroom Hallway, costing 1000 points to open.
Dining Room[]
The Dining Room, like the Library and Study, is a medium sized area. The player can find the door leading to the East Hallway or door leading to the Bedroom Hallway, as well as two potential shield spawn locations and two spawn locations for the pot. A Mystery Box location can be found in this area, as well as the SwordFish for 1200 points. There is also a 1250 point door that leads to the Greenhouse Terrace.