Gaming How-To

How to Beat the Colossus Commander in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 DMZ

Where Colossus appears in Hajin, why grenades do nothing, two cover setups that kill it, and the Legendary ingredient it drops.

Where Colossus appears in Hajin, why grenades do nothing, two cover setups that kill it, and the Legendary ingredient it drops.

Colossus is one of the DMZ Commanders in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. It is a juggernaut in a heavy armored suit with a yellow canister strapped to its back, and it walks around Hajin firing automatic weapons at anyone in its path. Grenades won’t hurt it. What works is steady bullet fire from behind solid cover, ideally from somewhere higher than it is standing.

Quick answer: Skip explosives. Use a high-capacity automatic weapon, keep cover or height between you and Colossus, stay out of its green gas, and empty its health bar to collect the Legendary Experimental Compounds.


Colossus spawn locations in DMZ

It patrols the area instead of remaining at one spot. Approach it and the screen displays a COMMANDER / COLOSSUS banner, with the area’s name directly below. After combat begins, its name and location appear beside its health meter along the screen’s upper edge.

Area on the bannerWhere the fight happensThreat
14TH POLITICAL PRISONOutside the prison wall, then into The CitadelHIGH (prison), CRITICAL (Citadel)
SOUTH KOREAN WILDERNESSGate of Cheonwang Peak ArrayMEDIUM
THE ARMORYChang-san Air Base, Operation Iron CitadelNot listed
Haneul Nuclear Reactor yardOperation Fallen Ember, in smokeNot listed

At the 14th Political Prison, driving up beside the prison wall triggers the banner. Combat continues inside The Citadel prison complex, passing through The Citadel Prison Yard and The Citadel East Wing; there, the bar is marked COLOSSUS / THE CITADEL. Colossus occupies The Armory’s ground level, amid green gas at the base of a metal stair.

Colossus banner at 14th Political Prison09:29Colossus banner at 14th Political Prison
The Commander banner names Colossus and the area it is in, here the 14th Political Prison. Shown at 09:29 in Destroyerfield51’s video. Image: Infinity Ward

The FOB’s BOSS BOARD tracks it too. Under the COMMANDERS tab, COLOSSUS is listed next to DEATH STALKER and TANK, and each one carries a bounty of REWARD $50,000.


Why explosives fail against Colossus

Grenades and charges do nothing to Colossus. The team leader warns that its suit makes it immune to explosive attacks:

“Careful, the Colossus’ suit makes him immune to explosive attacks like that.”

That means bullets do all of the work, and each part of its kit punishes a different mistake:

  • Automatic fire at range. It sprays down alleys and through gates as it advances, and can break your plates quickly if you get caught at a choke point.
  • Electric shock up close. As it rounds a corner or appears beside a vehicle’s front, it sends out a blue jolt that travels over nearby metal.
  • Green gas. Clouds of it trail behind Colossus as it walks and appear where it falls. Keep out of them.

In practice, that rules out standing in the open and trading shots with it. Fight from cover, and back away around the far side of that cover whenever it closes in.


How to beat Colossus in The Citadel using a truck

Inside The Citadel, Colossus shows up after you have already dealt with the prison guards, and it walks at you down a narrow alley. A parked military truck gives you cover and a firing platform.

Refill your plates and ammo before you push in. The guard fight leads straight into the Colossus fight, and you won’t get a quiet moment once it starts walking toward you.
Choose a high-capacity automatic firearm, not explosive gear. Either the PPSh-41 submachine gun or Cronen Squall battle rifle is effective.
Take cover at the parked military truck and shoot around its front as Colossus comes up the alley. When it gets close, fall back to the rear of the truck and plate up.
Keep the truck between you and Colossus throughout the fight. If it circles around the front, anticipate its electric shock and switch to the far side immediately.
Colossus electric shock at truck13:11Colossus electric shock at truck
The close-range electric shock arcs across the truck's metal, so move to the far side when Colossus comes around the front. Shown at 13:11 in Destroyerfield51’s video. Image: Infinity Ward
Climb into the truck’s open bed. From this elevated position, aim down sights and keep shooting its upper body until its health meter reaches zero.
Firing on Colossus from truck bed13:39Firing on Colossus from truck bed
Firing from the truck bed gives you height over Colossus to finish off its health bar. Shown at 13:39 in Destroyerfield51’s video. Image: Infinity Ward

The team leader’s call, “Enemy Colossus is down!”, confirms the takedown. The canister on its back then bursts into green gas.


How to beat Colossus in The Armory from the stairs

In Operation Iron Citadel, Colossus occupies The Armory’s ground level, amid green gas beside the base of a metal stair. There’s no need to approach it below. Climb to the stair landing, then fire down with a sniper rifle such as the Signal 50, supported by rifles. No one on your team needs to enter the gas to kill Colossus.

The elimination triggers an ELIMINATED ARMORED COMMANDER banner; an assist earns +1075 XP.


What Colossus drops

In The Citadel, Colossus leaves a pile of 3D printer ingredients scattered on the ground around its body:

  • EXPERIMENTAL COMPOUNDS (LEGENDARY, 3D PRINTER, $3,500), used to print the 3-Plate Ballistic Gel Vest and the Door Breacher Charge
  • HIGH-TENACITY FIBERS
  • REACTIVE METALS
  • NITRO COMPOUNDS
  • CONTROL UNIT
  • A battery core item and ammo
Experimental Compounds drop14:26Experimental Compounds drop
Loot spreads out around the body after the kill, so sweep the whole area for the Legendary ingredient. Shown at 14:26 in Destroyerfield51’s video. Image: Infinity Ward

Because the drop is spread out, search the whole area around the body before you leave. The Legendary Experimental Compounds are the item worth securing.