Der Anfang
Der Anfang is Vanguard Zombies' launch experience — an objective-driven hub in ruined Stalingrad, not a traditional round-based map. Completing a red-portal objective replaces a round ending: it advances the round, opens another Stalingrad sector, and improves later rewards. There is no multi-phase boss Easter egg — the story is a dialogue-heavy narrative Prologue, alongside an endless Void survival activity and Exfil. It runs on Vanguard's own systems: perk fountains, the Altar of Covenants, the Tome of Rituals, and elemental Artifacts.
Quick answers
Der Anfang is Vanguard's launch Zombies experience, and it is not a round-based map. From a hub in ruined Stalingrad you take red portals into objective rounds — Blitz, Harvest, Transmit, Purge, Void and Sacrifice — and each one you clear advances the round, opens another sector and raises the difficulty. There is no boss quest, only a narrative Prologue. Rated Easy, 25–45 minutes, solo-capable.
How do you complete the Der Anfang Easter egg?
- Der Anfang is an objective hub for 1-4 players, fully solo-capable; there is no irreversible boss trigger.
- Red portals replace round endings: complete a portal objective and the round advances, another sector opens, and reward quality rises — so open sectors deliberately, since each objective also raises enemy health and special frequency.
- Objective types: Blitz (survive a timer), Harvest (feed rune stones to the Sin Eater), Transmit (escort a moving safe circle), Purge (capture nine ground runes) and Void (round-based survival).
- The 'main quest' is the narrative Prologue — a dialogue sequence, not a boss fight; completion is confirmed by the green office portal and concluding dialogue.
- Vanguard systems replace the classic perk/loadout economy: perk fountains (Fiendish Fortitude, Demonic Frenzy, Aethereal Haste, Venomous Vigor, Diabolical Damage), the Altar of Covenants (Sacrificial Hearts buy stackable buffs), the Tome of Rituals, and Artifacts (Aether Shroud, Ring of Fire, Frost Blast, Energy Mine).
- Pack-a-Punch costs 7,500 essence for Tier I, 15,000 for Tier II and 30,000 for Tier III — don't delay armor and health for a rushed upgrade.
- There is no map-specific Wonder Weapon quest: build around a strong conventional weapon (shotgun or accurate automatic) plus Covenants.
How long does the Der Anfang Easter egg take?
Can you do the Der Anfang Easter egg solo?
What are the main areas on Der Anfang?
How many side Easter eggs are on Der Anfang?
When was Der Anfang released?
Map & Key areas
The map layout first, then the areas worth knowing by name. Map imagery © Activision, self-hosted.
Fountain Square
Spawn and hub: the portal board, crafting, armor, Pack-a-Punch access and the Exfil vote.
Panzer Column East
Northern district unlocked by a portal objective — required before the Prologue can progress.
Store / Command Post
Opens Von List's office and the Void portal.
Apartments
The candlelit tablet room (two skeletons) used late in the Prologue.
Von List's office
Krafft's dialogue and the final green Prologue portal.
The Void
A round-based survival activity fought in the Shi No Numa arena, reached from the Command Post; exit after each three-round set or continue.
Steps at a glance
- Der Anfang is an objective hub for 1-4 players, fully solo-capable; there is no irreversible boss trigger.
- Red portals replace round endings: complete a portal objective and the round advances, another sector opens, and reward quality rises — so open sectors deliberately, since each objective also raises enemy health and special frequency.
- Objective types: Blitz (survive a timer), Harvest (feed rune stones to the Sin Eater), Transmit (escort a moving safe circle), Purge (capture nine ground runes) and Void (round-based survival).
- The 'main quest' is the narrative Prologue — a dialogue sequence, not a boss fight; completion is confirmed by the green office portal and concluding dialogue.
- Vanguard systems replace the classic perk/loadout economy: perk fountains (Fiendish Fortitude, Demonic Frenzy, Aethereal Haste, Venomous Vigor, Diabolical Damage), the Altar of Covenants (Sacrificial Hearts buy stackable buffs), the Tome of Rituals, and Artifacts (Aether Shroud, Ring of Fire, Frost Blast, Energy Mine).
- Pack-a-Punch costs 7,500 essence for Tier I, 15,000 for Tier II and 30,000 for Tier III — don't delay armor and health for a rushed upgrade.
- There is no map-specific Wonder Weapon quest: build around a strong conventional weapon (shotgun or accurate automatic) plus Covenants.
Before you start
What to have in hand before step 1 — from the loadout notes, from the walkthrough itself, and from the map's own quest documentation where the gate is never stated in a step.
- Demonic Fountains (Aethereal Haste, Demonic Frenzy, Diabolical Damage, Fiendish Fortitude, Venomous Vigor) replace classic perks; spend Sacrificial Hearts at the Altar of Covenants for stackable buffs. — from the map's own quest documentation
- You only need one three-round Void set for the Prologue — take the reward and return to Stalingrad rather than grinding further. — step 3
- Don't start another portal objective until the conversation cue from unlocking the Apartments has fully ended, or the story stalls. — step 5
- Sacrificial Hearts only come from fleeing the Void after three rounds; staying the full 12 rounds instead banks 5,000 Essence per 3 rounds and locks perks at Tier II minimum if you are downed. — from the map's own quest documentation
- Purge and the Void portal are post-launch additions (Season One / Season One Reloaded) — on an unpatched build those objective types and the Tome of Rituals are not available. — from the map's own quest documentation
Set aside 25–45 min · 1–4 (solo-capable)
Full walkthrough
The quest in the order this guide runs it — tap any step to jump to it, and it fills in as you tick steps off.
Open the northern district
Complete the portal objective that unlocks Panzer Column East. This route must be open before later Prologue dialogue can progress.
Open the Store and Command Post
Complete the Store-side portal objective to reach the Command Post and Von List's office.
Enter the Void
Use the Void portal and survive the first three-round set. At the reward interval, choose to return to Stalingrad — you only need one set for the Prologue.
- Void entered
- At least one three-round set survived
- Returned to Stalingrad
Speak with Krafft
Approach the sealed door marked by the red objective X and interact. Stay nearby until Krafft's dialogue finishes.
Unlock the Apartments
Complete the portal objective that opens the Apartments district. Don't start another objective until the new conversation cue has ended.
Read the tablet
Find the room with two skeletons and interact with the stone tablet. Wait for the response before leaving.
Return to Von List's office
Go back to the office. A green portal forms after the final dialogue.
Enter the green portal
Interact with the green portal to conclude the Prologue and receive the final story exchange. The match continues afterward — this is the completion, not a boss ending.
- Krafft heard
- Apartments opened + tablet read
- Green office portal entered — Prologue complete
Side Easter Eggs & extras
Everything beyond the main quest. Tap any entry to open the full how-and-where breakdown.
The Void
Round-based survival in the Shi No Numa arena from the Command Post portal. Enter only with repaired armor and ammo, hold the broad outer path (avoid small interior rooms), kill Sturmkriegers at distance, and leave at the three-round reward interval if armor/revives/damage fall behind. Purely for rewards and weapon growth — no separate Void story ending.
Exfil
After round 5, interact with the extraction marker in Fountain Square and secure the team vote, move immediately to the marked zone, and clear every required enemy (watch the counter — a straggler can remain on the edge or an elevated spawn). Ring of Fire or high-damage equipment closes the final elite.
Altar of Covenants
Spend Sacrificial Hearts on stackable Covenants: damage themes (ammo return, crit bonuses, damage-after-reload), crowd control (slow/stun, explosive death, equipment/melee), or survival (heal-on-kill, damage reduction, revive/armor preservation). Refresh after each objective and replace low-rarity effects when an Epic or Legendary version appears.
Perk fountains
Fiendish Fortitude (max health — first priority, raise to Tier III/IV for long Void runs), Demonic Frenzy (reload — high value on shotguns), Aethereal Haste (movement — great for Transmit/Purge), Venomous Vigor (health regen — solo safety), Diabolical Damage (crit — accurate weapons and Sturmkrieger weak points).
Artifacts
Aether Shroud (safest solo escape/revive — Transmit corners, Harvest deposits), Ring of Fire (strongest stationary elite damage — Blitz, Exfil), Frost Blast (instant lane control when a moving objective is crowded), Energy Mine (early wave clear and doorway protection).
Recommended loadouts
Three strong picks for this map — the map's Wonder Weapon plus reliable box/wall options. These are pre-augment-era games, so the setup is the gun plus Pack-a-Punch and perk synergy.
Combat Shotgun / Einhorn Revolving (Pack-a-Punched)
Close-range workhorseNo Wonder Weapon quest on Der Anfang — take a strong shotgun and Pack-a-Punch it (Tier I 7,500 → III 30,000). Rarity and PaP tier are your damage, so build one before opening too many sectors; every objective raises enemy health.
STG44 / Automaton (Pack-a-Punched)
Ranged backboneA dependable, accurate automatic for the Sturmkrieger and Boom Schreier specials and the longer Blitz/Transmit lanes. Feed it at wall-buys between objectives and rarity it up as Sacrificial Hearts allow.
Covenants + Artifact
Utility (Vanguard's power curve)Not a gun but where your scaling comes from: stack Covenants at the Altar (Brain Rot, Ammo Gremlin, Unholy Ground, Cryofreeze, Dead Wire…) for Sacrificial Hearts, and equip an Artifact — Ring of Fire for a burst-DPS window, Frost Blast or Energy Mine for crowd control.
When it isn't working
The stalls that actually cost people runs on this map, and what to do about each.
Krafft's door seems to do nothing
The next portal won't unlock after opening the Apartments
The stone tablet doesn't seem to register
No green portal appears at Von List's office
Stuck grinding extra Void rounds for nothing
Common Der Anfang questions
Direct answers to the specific things players look up mid-game — part locations, puzzle steps and more.
Is Der Anfang round-based?
Where is Der Anfang set?
What replaces perks in Der Anfang?
Does Der Anfang have a main quest ending?
What are Covenants, and how do I get Sacrificial Hearts?
Is it better to flee or to stay in the Void?
Who is the villain of Der Anfang?
What special enemies are there?
When were Purge and the Void added?
How many radios are on Der Anfang?
Visual guides & sources
Screenshots and exact part locations live in these — open one on a second screen.
Map discussion
A shared community board for Der Anfang — posts are public, saved on the server and visible to everyone across devices. Handy for strategies, spawn variations you've noticed, or steps to double-check. Please keep it civil and on-topic.