Best Loadout for Astra Malorum's Boss Fight in Black Ops 7 Zombies

The Astra Malorum map in Black Ops 7 Zombies ushers in a return to challenging, traditional boss encounters. The confrontation with Caltheris, the celestial entity at the heart of the map, demands superior firepower, meticulous preparation, and a perfectly optimized loadout. Unlike the Ashes of the Damned encounter, where the vehicle mechanics played a pivotal role, the battle against Caltheris is a raw test of combat proficiency and damage per second (DPS).To stand a chance against this armored adversary, you need to bring the meta. This guide details the single best weapon choice, the essential attachments, the necessary perks, and the game-breaking GobbleGum synergy that will allow you to dismantle Caltheris and claim victory swiftly and efficiently.

BO7 Zombies: Best Loadout for Astra Malorum

Phase 1: The Apex Weapon and Optimal Attachments

For raw, sustained damage output against Caltheris, one weapon stands above the rest: the M34 Novaline Marksman Rifle.

The Novaline is the meta choice because, once upgraded via the Pack-a-Punch machine, it transforms from a standard marksman rifle into a fully automatic assault rifle/sniper hybrid. This combination provides the highest base damage metrics, anoutstanding rate of fire, long damage range, and an ample magazine sizenecessary for aggressive, continuous engagement.

M34 Novaline Attachments for Boss DPS:

Attachment	Role and Advantage
Titan-R 7.62 Compensator (Muzzle)	Enhances aggressive movement and shooting: improves hipfire spread,slide-to-fire speed, dive-to-fire speed, and tactical stance speed.Critical for mobility while firing.
17" B-1 Hyprid Barrel (Barrel)	Maximize ballistic power: increases both damage range and bullet velocity,ensuring maximum impact on critical spots from any distance in thearena.
EAM Steady-90 Grip (Underbarrel)	Stability and Agility: boosts horizontal recoil control, sprinting movementspeed, and standard movement speed, maintaining accuracy while mobile.
Bowen 762 Extended Mag (Magazine)	Sustained Firepower: increases ammunition capacity to 30 rounds, supportingrelentless firing against Caltheris’s large health pool without frequent reloading.
Cougar Draw Grip (Rear Grip)	Target Acquisition: improves Aim Down Sight (ADS) speed and jumping ADS speed, vital for quickly snapping onto exposed weak points during anti-gravity jumps.
Mil-Spec Light Stock (Stock)	Mobility Focus: improves hipfire movement speed, general movement speed, andstrafing movement speed, ensuring constant agility during the fight.
1mW Instinct Laser Array (Laser)	Speed Enhancement: increases ADS speed and sprint-to-fire speed, makingtransitions between running and shooting near-instantaneous.
7.62 NATO FMJ (Fire Mods)	Armor Penetration: Increases bullet penetration power. This is absolutely essential as the boss, Caltheris, is heavily armored and requires piercing damage.

Phase 2: The Indispensable Wonder Weapon Synergy

While the M34 Novaline is the primary damage dealer, the map's LGM-1 Wonder Weapon is VITAL for maximizing DPS, especially during specific phases.

• LGM-1 Advantage: The LGM-1 fires homing projectiles (often resembling small UFOs) thatcontinuously damage targets and then automatically return to the weapon, eliminating the need to ever purchase ammo for it. It is perfect forconstant fire while maneuvering.
• The Infinite Ammo Loop (Meta Exploit): The LGM-1 forms a devastating synergy with the Stock Option GobbleGum and the Frenzied Guard Field Upgrade equipped with the Frenzy Fire Augment. This combination allows the LGM-1 to fire infinitely from your stockwithout depleting the magazine, resulting in a swarm of UFOs that willshred Caltheris in seconds.

Phase 3: Essential Perks and Augmentation Strategy

While collecting all perks is always advised, these specific Perks andAugments provide the defensive backbone and DPS boost necessary forsurvival.

Perk	Key Augments	Why It's Essential for Caltheris
Jugger-Nog	Iron Core, Durable Plates, Hardened Plates	Maximizes armor durability, damage mitigation, and grants a massive $350$ HP buffer upon armor breakage.
Deadshot Daiquiri	Dead Point, Dead Break, Dead Heat	Provides extra critical hit damage, close-range damage, bonus damage against armor pieces (critical for Caltheris), and movement speed upon close-range kills.
Double Tap	Double Dealer, Double Time	Massive DPS increase: the 4th bullet fired deals double damage, and fire rate is substantially boosted.
Stamin-Up	Guns Up, Footwork	Enhances mobility: allows firing while sprinting and increases non-forwardsprinting speed, crucial for dodging Caltheris’s rock attacks.
Quick Revive	Dying Wish	The ultimate safeguard: grants temporary invulnerability upon taking lethal damage, preventing a premature end to the run.
Mule Kick	Free Throw, Plate Hunter	Utility: grants a chance to keep equipment upon use and increases armor plate capacity to 4, ensuring sustained defense.

Phase 4: GobbleGums for Maximum Advantage

While not strictly required for the Easter Egg, using these GobbleGums significantly simplifies the fight.

GobbleGum	Strategic Application
Stock Option (ESSENTIAL)	Allows weapon ammo to be drawn from the stock rather than the magazine for 60seconds. Use this for infinite LGM-1 fire or unlimited M34 Novalinebullets during high-damage phases.
Shields Up	Refills armor on use and doubles the strength of the armor for 3 minutes. Vital for mid-fight recovery against the boss's heavy damage.
Power Keg	Spawns a Full Power Power-Up on use. Reserve this for instantly recharging your Frenzied Guard after the Stock Option/Frenzy Fire loop expires, allowing you to reactivate the infinite ammo strategy quickly.

Phase 5: Caltheris Boss Fight Tips and Strategy

The boss fight unfolds in multiple phases, each requiring a specific approach.

• Phase 1 (Pillars): Your weapons are ineffective. Focus entirely on killing zombies to charge the pillars. Once charged, interact with the brain to fire massive lasers at the boss. Stay mobile and dodge the thrown rocks using the pillars and walls for cover. Bring Stim Shots for emergency healing.
• Phase 2 (Direct Damage): Once the armor is exposed, immediately use Frenzied Guard (with Frenzy Fire) and Stock Option. Spam the LGM-1 to generate infinite seeking UFOs that stack damage, focusing on the exposed blue critical spots.
• Phase 3 (Caltheris Ascendary): Continue to use the LGM-1 with an aggressive run-and-gun strategy.Purchase ammo for the LGM-1 if needed, and rely on your fully kitted M34 Novaline.
• Phase 4 (Caltheris the Needle): Use the Power Keg to instantly recharge your Field Upgrade, then activate Frenzied Guard again. Use the infinite ammo synergy to finish the boss with maximum DPS before the invulnerability window closes.

By equipping the high-penetration M34 Novaline, utilizing the LGM-1’sinfinite ammo synergy, and stacking the robust perks and GobbleGumsdetailed above, you will minimize the fight duration and easily claimvictory over the terrifying Caltheris.

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