How do you turn on the power in Ashes of the Damned? At the start of a standard Zombies match in Ashes of the Damned, you're directed to the Pack-A-Punch Machine via some challenges, one of which tasks you with powering on two locations.
Given the figure-of-eight shape of the Zombies map, you can choose to head to either Blackwater Lake or Vandorn Farm from Janus Towers Plaza. From here, you head to Ashwood, where you obtain the iconic Pack-a-Punch Machine in Black Ops 7 - as long as you can find the area's power pump. Here's how to turn on the power at all three locations, including the one you decide to miss out on at the start.
Restore power to the Pack-A-Punch machine
To turn on the power in any Ashes of the Damned location, you must remove the infestation from the power pump before flipping the power switch.
The biggest challenge here is removing the infestation within a short time frame while being attacked by event zombies. To remove the infestation, you must shoot every growth before destroying the larger growth on top of the pump.
If you're struggling, you could use a field upgrade or Point Turret to help, and be sure to keep moving. Growths can also be destroyed with the likes of molotovs and semtex, which can help speed up the process as well.
Ashes of the Damned Power Pump and switch locations
There are three Power Pumps across Ashes of the Damned: one in Vandorn Farm, one in Ashwood, and one in Blackwater Lake. Only two must be powered on to activate the Pack-A-Punch Machine, including Ashwood.
Whichever location between Vandorn Farm and Blackwater Lake you decide not to power on right away must be activated later to use the location's vending machines and traps.
The Power Pumps in Vandorn Farm and Blackwater Lake are easy to spot, and the power switches are on the top floor of the main barn and the top floor of the main cabin, respectively.
Reaching the Power Pump in Ashwood is a little more difficult. Here, you must head up the ascender to the left of the garage and enter the house in front of you. Go downstairs and open the doors to head outside, then turn back on yourself to the left, where you'll find a glowing barricade. Unlock this to reach the Ashwood Power Pump, where you'll find the switch located on a raised platform next to the pump.
With Ashwood powered up, you can pop Ol' Tessie, one of the BO7 Wonder Weapons, into the garage and upgrade her gear. The other locations, meanwhile, must be powered up to access any electrical item, such as Jump Pads and BO7 Perk-A-Cola vending machines.