"This… Soviet… is… complete…"

Graybush and Blackwalt return to Zombie Mode

Alone. Except with each other.

So over the past few weeks since Stormblade died disappeared again, Graybush and I had been lamenting about missing Call of Duty Zombie Mode. I had no idea how bad it was for Graybush.

Saturday night I received three (3!) Xbox Live party invites from Graybush in a 5 minute period. I, of course, ignored them all as I was have a completely fascinating conversation with my wife about golf.

Eventually, and sadly, the conversation (about golf) came to an end.

I turned back to my Xbox and joined up with Graybush to discover that he was playing Call of Duty Zombie Mode — on his own! Der Riese! And amazingly enough he had got to Level 5. On his own.

I was suitably impressed, as you should be.

So, having missed Call of Duty Zombie Mode as well, I joined him. We were in the unusual circumstances of playing as different characters: Graybush as Tank Dempsey and myself as Nikolai Belinski.

Our first attempt got us to the shotgun hallway and ended prematurely at Level 7(ish). It was bad.

We came up with a brilliant Plan B for the next map which quickly was destroyed by an electric door that we had never seen before. "Plan A! Plan A!" Level 7.

We modified Plan A and Plan B into Plan C which we implemented well. Until... "I have never seen that window before. How long has that been there? It must have been added in a patch." Level 8.

Okay let's go back to our original game plan and just hang in an extra level on Plan A to gain enough cash.

Enough cash to get to the tickle trunk, turn on the power, buy an FG-42 and get to the Catwalk of Hope and Love.

Happy to reach level 9.: especially with a PPSh-41, a russian weapon btw.

So we reached Level 9 and implemented "the Plan," Except for the part about turning on the power which I forgot, and the part about buying an FG-42 which Graybush forgot. Fortunately neither of them were required to survive Level 9.

Level 12!: PPSh-41 now upgraded.

By the time we reached Level 12 things were settling down, I had Monkey Bombs, Graybush had the FG-42 as a backup and I had even turned on the power...

Blackwalt: "Oh my god!"

Graybush: "What?"

Blackwalt: "How many times have we played Der Reise?"

Graybush: "Thousands at least. Why?"

Blackwalt: "I have never turned the power on before. Ever."

Graybush: "Oh my god!"

Level 21: I can't believe we made it this far

Level 21. All the power on, the transporters active (two by myself!), weapons upgraded, perks, decent weapons. Isn't this where everything falls apart?

As it turned out, no. We made it to Level 24 where I decided that I had hardly Tickle Trunked at all and it was time to try and improve my Upgraded PPSh-41, the reaper.

Teddy bear. Figures.

Two more tries and I got the Browning 1919. A superior weapon to the PPSh-41, particularly once upgraded.

So I upgraded my Browning to the B115 Accelerator and as I loving took the Accelerator into my hands I heard Nikolai reverently whisper to himself:

"This… Soviet… is… complete…"

I was laughing so hard I couldn't hear Graybush asking what Nikolai had said. He had never heard this line either and had a quick chuckle. Usually Graybush is the Nikolai character so we were surprised that this was a new Call of Duty quote for both of us.

"This… Soviet… is… complete…": The Browing 1919 LMG isn't a Russian weapon but Nikolai is okay with that

So we're past Level 24 having proved to ourselves that we don't need Coxxorz and that we don't miss Stormblade. Exactly how far can we get?

Level 28: Just the two of us

So it turns out that alone, just the two of us, we can get to Level 28.

I remember when we spoke of Level 28 as our holy grail...

1. I'd like to say that was us done for "Der Riese" in Call of Duty: World at War but, honestly, I think 28 is doable.
2. I wanted to see if we could get to that elusive level 28.
3. Not that we made it to Level 28. However Level 27? We did make it to Level 27.
4. Blowing past our previous record of Level 27 right up to our new record of Level 28!

A Holy Grail that we had achieved. That we had surpassed.

With both four players and with three players.

But with only two players? I thought it impossible until last night. When Graybush and I achieved the Impossible Dream alone – well together but alone.








Minor note: the one legitimate reason I had for missing Stormblade just vanished.