The Ghostly Riflemen trap is one of the most unique support tools available in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies. Found on the Kowakujo map, this supernatural trap summons the spirits of fallen riflemen to help eliminate waves of zombies. While the standard version is already powerful, players can also upgrade it to unlock the Citadel challenge and make the trap even more effective during high-round matches.
If you are wondering how to upgrade the Ghostly Riflemen in Kowakujo, this guide explains every step you need to follow. Whether you are chasing completion rewards or simply want stronger defenses, this upgrade is worth learning.
What Is The Ghostly Riflemen Trap?
Unlike traditional electrical or fire-based traps, the Ghostly Riflemen trap summons spectral soldiers that fire at zombies from fixed positions. These ghostly warriors provide excellent crowd control, making them especially useful when the undead begin overwhelming your team.
You can locate these traps throughout Kowakujo by looking for the paired komainu statues. Once the map’s power has been restored, the traps become available for activation.
The Ghostly Riflemen can quickly thin out zombie hordes while allowing you to conserve ammunition and safely reposition.
Requirements Before Upgrading
Before attempting the upgrade, make sure you have completed the following objectives:
- Turn on the map’s power.
- Unlock access to the Ghostly Riflemen traps.
- Progress far enough into the match so the required enemies begin appearing.
- Keep enough Essence available to activate the trap multiple times.
Having upgraded weapons and perks also makes the process much easier since you’ll be fighting several rounds while working toward the upgrade.
How To Upgrade The Ghostly Riflemen
Upgrading the Ghostly Riflemen requires interacting with the trap in a special way rather than simply spending more Essence.
Follow these steps carefully:
- Activate one of the Ghostly Riflemen traps.
- Watch for the special spirit targets or glowing masks that appear during the activation.
- Shoot every required target before they disappear.
- Once all targets have been destroyed successfully, the upgrade sequence will begin.
- Wait for the ritual to finish before leaving the area.
If completed correctly, the Ghostly Riflemen trap becomes permanently upgraded for the remainder of that match.
Timing is extremely important. Missing one of the required targets means the upgrade attempt fails, and you’ll need to activate the trap again before trying another attempt.
What Does The Upgrade Do?
The upgraded Ghostly Riflemen provide much stronger battlefield support than the standard version.
Benefits include:
- Increased damage against zombies.
- Better crowd-clearing ability.
- Improved effectiveness during later rounds.
- More reliable protection while reviving teammates.
- Faster elimination of tougher enemies surrounding the trap.
Although the exact damage values are not displayed in-game, players immediately notice the improved performance once the upgrade has been completed.
How To Complete The Citadel Challenge
One reason many players upgrade the Ghostly Riflemen is to complete the Kowakujo Citadel challenge.
Successfully upgrading the trap contributes progress toward this map-specific challenge. Current player testing also indicates that upgrading the trap multiple times can continue increasing challenge progress, making repeated upgrades useful if you have not finished the objective.
Completing the Citadel challenge brings you one step closer to earning the Kowakujo Mastery rewards.
Tips For Completing The Upgrade Easily
The upgrade can become difficult if too many zombies are chasing you. These tips will improve your chances of success.
Leave One Zombie Alive
Whenever possible, keep only one slow zombie alive before starting the upgrade. This gives you enough time to focus on shooting every required target.
Use A Powerful Weapon
Fast-firing assault rifles, SMGs, or Pack-a-Punched weapons make destroying the spirit targets much easier before they disappear.
Activate During Lower Pressure Rounds
Although the upgrade works later in the game, attempting it during earlier rounds reduces the chance of being overwhelmed.
Play With Teammates
In co-op, teammates can distract incoming zombies while one player focuses entirely on the upgrade sequence.
Learn Trap Locations
Knowing exactly where each Ghostly Riflemen trap sits allows you to reach another attempt quickly if your first one fails.
