The Ultimate 2025 Guide: 7 Steps To Unlock The XM4's God-Tier Nebula Camo In Zombies

The XM4 Assault Rifle has consistently been a top-tier weapon in the Zombies meta, and its camo grind remains one of the most satisfying challenges for completionists. As of December 10, 2025, the path to unlocking the ultimate mastery camo—now known as Nebula in the latest iteration of Zombies—requires a focused, efficient strategy. Forget the outdated Cold War guides; this is your comprehensive, updated roadmap to conquer the XM4's 35+ challenges and showcase that coveted animated cosmic skin.

To dominate the grind, you need more than just raw firepower; you need a precise plan and the absolute best loadout. This guide breaks down every critical XM4 Zombies camo challenge, from the initial Military Camos to the final Special Camo hurdles, ensuring you maximize your time and minimize the frustration of the inevitable zombie horde.

The Complete XM4 Zombies Camo Challenge Checklist

The XM4 camo grind is divided into two major categories: Military Camos and Special Camos. You must complete all challenges in both categories to unlock the Golden Viper (or equivalent) mastery camo, which is the first step toward the ultimate Nebula (or Dark Aether) tier. The total requirement for the base camos is approximately 2,000 Critical Kills.

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Military Camos: The Critical Kill Grind

The Military Camos are the primary time sink, requiring a high volume of Critical Kills (headshots). Your focus here should be on precision and high-round survivability. The total requirement culminates at 2,000 Critical Kills.

• Slate: Get 100 Critical Kills with the XM4.
• Desert: Get 200 Critical Kills with the XM4.
• Evergreen: Get 300 Critical Kills with the XM4.
• Rugged: Get 400 Critical Kills with the XM4.
• Grim: Get 600 Critical Kills with the XM4.
• Final Tier: Get 2,000 Critical Kills (Cumulative Total).

Special Camos: The Strategic Hurdles

The Special Camos require specific tactical approaches, often involving Ammunition Mods, Special Zombies, or time-sensitive kills. These are the challenges that will test your strategy and loadout customization.

• Liquify: Get 300 Eliminations with Napalm Burst equipped to the XM4.
• Mainframe: Eliminate 30 Vermin (or equivalent small enemy) with the XM4.
• Mystic Gold: Get 10 Rapid Kills 15 times with the XM4.
• Opal: Eliminate 30 Special Zombies (e.g., Manglers, Disciples, Panzers).
• Afterlife: The final Special Camo challenge, often requiring a high number of kills in a specific state, such as with a specific Perk-a-Cola active or while in a high-damage state.

The Ultimate XM4 Camo Grind Loadout (Critical Kill Focus)

Your loadout is the single most important factor for efficiency. The goal is to maximize Critical Kill potential, magazine size, and mobility. This setup is optimized for the latest Zombies iteration, often referred to as Black Ops 6 Zombies.

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Weapon: XM4 Assault Rifle

Attachments:

• Optic: Merlin Reflex or Merlin Mini (For a clean sight picture that aids in headshots).
• Barrel: Long Barrel or the longest barrel available (Increases damage range and critical damage multiplier).
• Underbarrel: Ranger Foregrip or Vertical Foregrip (Crucial for vertical recoil control to keep your shots on the head).
• Magazine: Extended Mag III (The most vital attachment, granting a massive 100-round base capacity when Pack-a-Punched, ensuring fewer reloads during horde clearing).
• Rear Grip: Quick Draw Grip (To improve mobility and handling when maneuvering around trains).
• Fire Mods (Optional): Rapid Fire or Burst Mod (The Burst Mod is a hidden gem for shredding high-health enemies at higher rounds).

The Fastest Strategy for Every XM4 Challenge

Don't waste time rotating through maps. A dedicated, high-efficiency strategy on the best current map will cut your grind time in half. The recommended map for the most recent Zombies experience is often The Tomb or a similar large, open-world environment due to its early Pack-a-Punch access and high enemy density.

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1. Critical Kills (The Bulk Grind)

This is where you'll spend the majority of your time. The trick is to lower the damage of your weapon while maintaining accuracy.

• Map & Location: Use a large, open area in The Tomb or a classic round-based map's main arena.
• Strategy: Train a large horde of zombies. Aim slightly above the neck; the XM4's recoil will naturally help your shots climb into the critical hit zone. Use an un-Pack-a-Punched weapon on low rounds (1-10) to ensure you don't one-shot the zombies, giving you more opportunities for headshots.
• Perks: Deadshot Daiquiri is non-negotiable, as it auto-targets the critical zone when aiming down sights. Stamin-Up is essential for maintaining your train.

2. Rapid Kills (Mystic Gold Challenge)

The "10 Rapid Kills 15 times" challenge is notoriously tricky. A Rapid Kill requires a "Massacre" medal, which means eliminating a large group of enemies in a very short window.

• Low-Round Melee Trick: In rounds 5–8, train a small group of 10-12 zombies. Use your weapon's melee attack to quickly dispatch them. Melee is a one-hit kill at these rounds, guaranteeing the rapid elimination required for the challenge.
• High-Round Spray: Once you've Pack-a-Punched the XM4 to Tier 3, train a massive horde. Use the Extended Mag III and simply spray the center of the train. The high fire rate and large magazine will often net you a "Massacre" medal, counting as one rapid kill completion.

3. Special Zombies (Opal Challenge)

The "Eliminate 30 Special Zombies" challenge is best completed in high-density zones or during the Exfil phase.

• Map & Strategy: Special Zombies like the Mangler or Disciple begin spawning regularly around Round 15 and in the Tier 2/Tier 3 zones of the open-world map. Focus on completing the main objectives (e.g., Outbreak-style objectives) as these often trigger guaranteed Special Zombie spawns.
• Exfil Farming: The final Exfil sequence will spawn a guaranteed wave of Special Zombies. Use this opportunity to farm the remaining kills needed for the challenge.

4. Napalm Burst Eliminations (Liquify Challenge)

The Liquify challenge requires 300 eliminations with the Napalm Burst Ammunition Mod.

• Strategy: Purchase the Napalm Burst mod at the Pack-a-Punch machine. The key is to tag a large group of zombies with a few shots and let the fire damage finish them. Do not kill them outright with the bullet damage. Use a low-Pack-a-Punch tier (Tier 1 or 2) to ensure the burn is what delivers the final blow.
• Entity Focus: This challenge focuses on the fire damage over time (DOT) mechanic, making it a great opportunity to practice crowd control and training.

The Final Step: Golden Viper, Plague Diamond, and Nebula

Once you complete all the Military and Special Camos for the XM4, you will unlock the weapon’s first mastery camo: Golden Viper (or the equivalent gold camo).

To progress to the ultimate mastery camos, the path is as follows:

1. Unlock Golden Viper for the XM4.
2. Unlock Plague Diamond by obtaining the Golden Viper camo for all Assault Rifles in the class (typically 5-7 ARs).
3. Unlock Nebula (the animated Dark Aether equivalent) by obtaining Plague Diamond for every weapon class in the game (ARs, SMGs, LMGs, Snipers, Pistols, Launchers, Melee/Special).

The XM4 is one of the most powerful and reliable weapons in its class, making its grind a solid foundation for your full Nebula mastery pursuit. Good luck, and happy hunting!