CoD: Black Ops 6 - How to Get Raven Sword
The Raven Sword on Citadelle des Morts starts as a Bastard Sword and becomes Balmung: Raven's Shadow after its upgrade puzzle. The key to the BO6 Raven Sword code is the Antiquity you find in the Alchemical Lab: match its zodiac sign on the outer ring and its element on the inner ring of the tavern cellar dial. There is no universal code to copy from another match.
This guide follows the actual route through the map: get a Stamp, take the sword from the Raven knight, collect the Antiquity, solve the dial, and guide the purple orbs into the portals. The puzzle is specific to Black Ops 6 Zombies on Citadelle des Morts.
What Is the Raven Sword in BO6?
Citadelle des Morts has Bastard Swords associated with knight statues in the Dining Hall. The Raven knight's base sword is a melee weapon; the completed upgrade is the shadow-themed Wonder Weapon Balmung. Unlike a weapon found in a random chest, this upgrade asks you to solve a symbol dial and complete an orb sequence. The base sword alone is not the final Balmung.
The Raven route is a map puzzle, not a general multiplayer unlock. You do not need an Ancient Key, a locked chamber, or a Mystic Terminal. Those steps appeared in the older version of this article but are not part of the documented Citadelle des Morts sword route. For help with the map itself, see the official Citadelle des Morts map guide. Browse CoD Boost! for other Call of Duty services.
How to Unlock the Raven Sword in Black Ops 6
Do the steps in order. You can prepare armor, perks, and a ranged weapon before starting the symbol puzzle so zombies are easier to manage while you work in the tavern. The symbol pair depends on the Antiquity in your current match, so identify that item before touching the dial.
Step 1: Acquire the Raven Bastard Sword
Reveal the Pack-a-Punch machine and collect a Stamp dropped by an enemy. Bring the Stamp to the Raven knight statue in the Dining Hall and interact with the statue to receive its Bastard Sword. Look for the raven perched on the knight's shoulder to distinguish it from the other sword statues. The earlier claim about a locked chamber and a mini-boss dropping an Ancient Key was incorrect.
Step 2: Find the Antiquity in the Alchemical Lab
With the Raven sword, enter the Alchemical Lab and find the Antiquity for this match. The item may be a horn, jawbone, paired bird skulls, fish fossil, or scorpion fossil. Only one of these appears in a match. Note which one you picked up: it tells you the zodiac and elemental symbols needed at the dial. The item is in the room as a pickup; the old instructions about a rune-protected vault and defeating elite zombies within a time limit were wrong.
Step 3: Solve the BO6 Raven Sword Code Puzzle
Go to the cellar beneath the tavern near the spawn area. Interact with the circular dial to place the Raven sword and Antiquity in it. Rotate the outer zodiac ring and inner element ring until the correct pair lines up with the pointer at the bottom. The table below gives the pair for each possible Antiquity. This is a two-symbol dial, not a timed rune sequence entered into a terminal.
BO6 Raven Sword Code Solution
| Antiquity | Outer zodiac ring | Inner element ring |
|---|---|---|
| Horn | Aries | Fire |
| Jawbone | Leo | Fire |
| Paired bird skulls | Gemini | Air |
| Fish fossil | Pisces | Water |
| Scorpion fossil | Scorpio | Water |
If the puzzle does not respond, check the Antiquity you collected and make sure both rings meet the pointer, rather than comparing your dial to a screenshot from a different match. In particular, a horn maps to Aries and Fire; a pair of bird skulls maps to Gemini and Air. The original table's zodiac and element pairs are retained here because they agree with the documented puzzle; its surrounding terminal instructions have been corrected.
Step 4: Guide the Orbs into the Portals
When the dial is solved, a purple portal appears on the floor nearby. Purple orbs leave the dial and move toward your character. Position yourself beside the portal so the orbs travel into it. When enough enter, the portal relocates within the tavern. Follow it and repeat. The sequence moves through the cellar and upper tavern; you are guiding orbs by positioning, not defending slow-moving objects from a separate enemy escort event.
Step 5: Retrieve Balmung
After the portal sequence, return to the dial in the cellar and interact with it to retrieve the upgraded sword, Balmung: Raven's Shadow. There is no second darkness-fire-lightning rune sequence at this point. If the final portal's visual effect seems unclear, check whether the dial allows you to retrieve the sword before restarting the entire puzzle.
Using Balmung in Zombies
Balmung is a close-range weapon with a charged shadow attack. Give yourself a path out of the horde before using it, particularly inside the castle's narrow halls. The official map guide recommends planning a route through the castle and avoiding corners as rounds become harder. Open ground outside the keep gives you more space to gather zombies before turning to strike.
Jugger-Nog and armor help when melee puts you close to enemies, but neither replaces movement. Keep a ranged weapon ready for targets you cannot reach comfortably with the sword. A charged attack is most useful when several zombies are grouped together; wasting it on an isolated target leaves less room to respond to the next wave.
The old version claimed that Balmung has innate lifesteal, that Pack-a-Punch adds fire, lightning, and poison powers to it, and that specific perks directly increase its melee swing speed or critical damage. Those descriptions mixed mechanics from other weapons or perks into this sword. Treat Balmung's own shadow attack and the separate effects of any equipped perks as distinct systems. Check the current weapon and perk descriptions in game before building around a particular interaction.
Common Raven Sword Mistakes
- Searching for a fixed code: The Antiquity changes by match, so identify your item and use the matching zodiac and element pair.
- Using the wrong knight: The Raven statue has a bird on its shoulder. Other statues lead to other sword upgrades.
- Looking for an Ancient Key or vault: Get a Stamp for the statue and pick up the Antiquity in the lab.
- Leaving the tavern after the dial: Guide the orbs into each purple portal, then return to the dial for Balmung.
- Trusting unrelated sword effects: Balmung's shadow ability is not the fire or lightning sword upgrade.
Conclusion
To get the Raven Sword in Black Ops 6, take the Raven knight's Bastard Sword with a Stamp, collect the Antiquity in the Alchemical Lab, solve the zodiac-and-element dial below the tavern, guide the purple orbs into the portals, and retrieve Balmung. The only “code” you need is the pair that matches your match's Antiquity. If you are still learning the map, use the official Citadelle des Morts guide for routes and survival basics. The Citadelle des Morts Zombies map page remains available for readers interested in services.
FAQ
Where is the Raven Bastard Sword?
Use a Stamp on the Raven knight statue in the Dining Hall. Look for the bird on the statue's shoulder.
Is the Raven Sword code the same in every match?
No. Your Antiquity determines which zodiac symbol and element to align with the pointer on the cellar dial.
What do I do after solving the dial?
Stand by each purple portal to draw the orbs into it. When the sequence ends, return to the dial and retrieve Balmung.
Do I need an Ancient Key or Mystic Terminal?
No. Those were incorrect instructions in the old article. The actual route uses a Stamp, a statue, an Antiquity, and the tavern dial.
