The Agarthan Device is one of Totenreich's Wicked Relics in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and it's genuinely one of the more interesting ones to unlock. The process involves teleporting into secret rooms, solving a lab puzzle, and triggering a side easter egg before you even touch the trial itself. This guide breaks down every step, from finding the three required parts to surviving the trial with a loadout that makes the whole thing manageable.
What is the Agarthan Device Relic and how does it work?
The Agarthan Device is classified as a Wicked Relic, meaning it carries a modifier that changes how your Totenreich runs play out. Unlike most Wicked Relics, which hit hard with penalties like double zombie damage or removed Augments, the Agarthan Device does something far less punishing: it randomizes zombie spawn variants each round. One round you're dealing with Normal Zombies, the next it's Frost Zombies, then Acid Zombies. The elemental variety adds some unpredictability, but nothing that a solid loadout can't handle.
This relic can be unlocked on Cursed Mode Tier 2 or higher, starting at Round 15. That's notably earlier than other Wicked Relics, which typically require Round 60. Whether that's an intentional design choice or a bug that hasn't been patched yet is unclear, but for now, Round 15 is your window.
How to get the three parts needed for the Agarthan Device
Before you can activate anything, you need to collect three items: Mr. Peeks, the Soldier Helmet, and the Walkie-Talkie. Two of them come from teleporting out of Tyr's Head, and the third requires a trip through the Group 935 Genetic Lab.
Lighthouse trial defense setup
Finding Mr. Peeks
Head into Tyr's Head by entering from either Tyr's Shoulder or Tyr's Foot. You can enter Tyr's Head twice per round. Use one of the exit tubes, and there's a random chance you'll get teleported into the Liberty Falls hotel instead of a normal exit.
If the hotel room loads in, move fast. Run to the right side of the bed and go prone next to the bedside table. Mr. Peeks is sitting under the bed and can be picked up from there. If you don't land in the hotel on your first try, keep using the tubes on subsequent rounds until it happens.
Finding the Soldier Helmet
The Soldier Helmet uses the same teleport mechanic. Enter Tyr's Head again and use an exit tube. This time you're hoping to land in a small room with dead Requiem crew seated around a table.
Once you're in the Requiem room, head to the shelf on the south wall and go prone in front of the Point Turret. There's a small box on the bottom shelf that contains the helmet. Pick it up and you're done with this part.
Finding the Walkie-Talkie
This one takes more setup. The Walkie-Talkie is inside the Group 935 Genetic Lab, a secret room accessed via ARC-XD. Here's the full sequence:
- Travel to the Core Foundry and go upstairs to the warehouse positioned above the VS Recon Wallbuy.
- Locate the vent in the northwest corner and destroy it with gunfire.
- Deploy the ARC-XD down the staircase and over the ramp, then explode it against the barrels that block the wall.
- Go back to Fishery Island and look left of Pack-a-Punch to access the Group 935 Genetic Lab.
- Once inside, check the south corridor where numbers 1 through 5 are displayed. These correspond to letters (1=A, 2=B, 3=C, continuing through the alphabet).
- Identify the two numbers marked with a radiation symbol and convert them into their letter equivalents.
- Find those letters on the labelled heads in jars scattered around the room and collect the matching two.
- Insert the heads into the machine beside the cell to generate a purple gas canister, then apply the canister to the creature on the north table to obtain the Necrospike.
- Use the Necrospike to pick the cell lock by adjusting the pins with the Right Stick.
- Enter the cell, drop prone under the bench, and grab the Walkie-Talkie on the left side.
How to activate the Agarthan Device Relic portal
With all three parts in hand, the next step requires you to be playing as Richtofen (or have a teammate doing so). Head to the Core Foundry on Round 15 or later.
You need Melee Macchiato equipped for this step. Melee the standing barrel to the left of the Mystery Box. The lid opens, and you can interact with it to dig inside and pull out Richtofen's medal.
This triggers the Richtofen Side Easter Egg. Progress through it until you reach Von List, who is seated on a throne. After the conversation ends, approach the throne and interact with it to place Mr. Peeks.
Exit the side easter egg, then head to the Dry Dock. The Agarthan Device Trial entrance is to the right of PhD Flopper. Interact with it to begin.
How to complete the Agarthan Device Relic trial
The trial's core restriction is straightforward but demands respect: zombies can only take damage while indoors. You can't just kite hordes around the map in the open. You need to fight in enclosed spaces.
After testing various approaches, the most reliable setup uses the following loadout:
Once the trial starts, sprint directly to Beacon Island and set up on the second floor of the Lighthouse. Drop Toxic Growth in front of your position to slow incoming zombies, then spam Jotunn Star melee attacks on anything that gets close. The Urticant Major Augment and Ankle Shredder combination keeps zombies slowed and your melee output high.
This same strategy works across all waves. Wave 3 and Wave 6 each spawn HVTs: one Zursa Bear and two Necropincers. Keep using Toxic Growth on cooldown and stay aggressive with Jotunn Star melee. The Lighthouse second floor gives you a natural chokepoint that makes the indoor restriction work in your favor rather than against you.
Is the Agarthan Device Relic worth using?
Short answer: yes, especially compared to the other Wicked Relics available in Totenreich. The alternatives include relics that strip your Augments or give zombies double damage output, both of which directly punish your round performance in ways that compound over time.
The Agarthan Device just shuffles which zombie variants you face each round. Frost Zombies and Acid Zombies carry elemental risks, but nothing that proper perks and a good weapon can't manage. The randomization adds variety without gutting your build.
For a full breakdown of every relic available on the map, the complete Totenreich Relics guide covers all six with unlock conditions and trial tips.
For more Totenreich content, including the Glocke Drop Controller guide and everything else the map has to offer, browse the full Black Ops 7 guides collection.