DOOM 3: BFG Edition

First things first, let me give you some quick information about Nightmare. You DO start off with the soul-cube, which basically means for every 5 kills you get, the cube “Charges up”. When it is charged you will hear the cube shout “Use us” and a flashing icon should appear. The cube is a guaranteed one hit kill on all non-boss creatures, from zombies to Hell Knights. The soul cube also charges your health back up to 100%, but like the other campaigns, your health will continually drop in increments of 5% every 5 seconds, until it reaches 25% where it will stay. ONLY use the soul cube on monsters such as the Hell Knights or arch-viles. Using it on a zombie is just a waste, unless you really need the health and you know there are more kills before a bigger monster EG: You might be stuck in a room with 6 zombies, in which case; use the cube to get the health and then end the other zombies.

Secondly; explore everywhere. Look behind crates, duck into vents, and check every room. You never know what you might come across, and even if you find some rockets and an Imp jumps out. The rockets will make up for the shotgun shell or two used to take the Imp Down. Also, be wary that if the Game suddenly gives you Lots of free stuff, it’s a good time to save. Reason being; there is likely something in the next room that is going to try take away all your cool new stuff as soon as it’s given the chance. So check everywhere, and be ready if you’re given a generous supply of items.

Also, the only health locations you will find will be the stations located on the walls. But these won’t help you if your health is already at 25%, since anything higher than that will just back down to 25. Therefore, you should only use these stations when you are under the minimum of 25% health, to bring you back up to top condition. Most enemy hits are one shot kills on this game mode, but some such as a Z-sec bullet won’t kill you, just hurt you badly.

This brings me onto Armour and ammo. I would seriously recommend getting a guide up for all the locker combinations situated in the lost mission. You will need as much ammo as you can get your hands on. While I will go into more detail later on what weapon to use on what enemy, always bear in mind that you can abuse the auto-save feature. So if you enter a fight and miss with the majority of your remaining shotgun shells, don’t be worried to load it back up and have another go. Every bullet, grenade, rocket, cell, shard, armour, is valuable.

Finally, the auto-save feature. While the game does auto-save every now and then for you, I would really recommend you manually saving. You can save whenever you want and I would seriously recommend doing so...A lot. I used the three save method. Basically if you create 3 identical saves, the most recent one will always be at the top. So save on the bottom one. This basically allows you some saves as a back-up in case you accidently get yourself into a stuck save (A save where you die upon loading for whatever reason). So, by saving on the bottom slot each time, it allows you to have the most recent save at the top, and the oldest at the bottom, thus preventing locked saves and also allowing you to survey areas and re-load should the need arise. I WOULD RECOMMEND saving every minute or two once you are sure it’s safe. Believe me, it is a pain, but every little bit of progress is something that you can keep and won’t have to re-do.

Enemy types and strategies.

Zombies – You can identify these guys by the half eaten, slowly shuffling corpses that decide to try and eat you. Generally the best bet is to sprint at them and use the shotgun. If you are close enough, one shot should be enough to tear through most zombies. If you haven’t got the shotgun or you are low on ammo; the pistol will suffice. Always aim for headshots if you do use the pistol.

Imps – These are the brown, multi-eyed creatures that like to through fireballs. A shotgun blast up close can kill them instantly in MOST cases, however not all. Always strafe or duck to avoid their fireballs and remember they can do a pouncing attack if you get to close which can be devastating. Failing the shotgun, use grenades. They are also a guaranteed one hit kill and can be used rapidly to kill a lot of imps advancing on your position. Also, if you notice they are teleporting in, rush their spawn and stick the shotgun down their throat. This will guarantee a kill 99% of the time, I found.

Vulgar – These are the grey versions of imps and slightly more powerful. Same tactics apply however. Shotgun, preferably the double barrel in this case since they have more health. Otherwise a rocket/grenade will sort out these guys in no time.

Z Sec - These are the black armoured marines that have been subverted to the demonic influence. They normally carry either a shotgun which is devastating up close, or a machine gun which is dangerous at any range. I would either recommend machine gun, since it is accurate over range (And you are going to want range between you and these guys) or using a grenade if they are rushing towards you. Grenades explode on impact and are a guaranteed kill on these guys.

Commandos – These come in two types. The Tentacle type is faster than you, so you can’t out-run it. Therefore you have one of two options. Rush the beast with a double barrel shotgun and stick it into their pectoral muscles, blasting them away OR run at them with a chainsaw and duck when they go to swing their tentacle arm. Most times this will allow you to dodge the tentacle and you can chainsaw their ankles. Sometimes they still get you, but that’s why we save a lot. You can duck with the Double barrel shotgun if you wish, although I found just running at them and pulling the trigger at point blank range did the job.

The other kind is the machine gunners which are super accurate and super deadly. Use either a rocket launcher or grenades on these guys. It will normally take two, so sprint out of cover, fire the rocket and retreat behind cover, then repeat. The reason being, you cannot fire two rockets on most occasions without him also hitting you (And he will hit hard). If they are close, you can try double barrel shotgun, however I wouldn’t recommend it with these guys.

Demon – Also known as “Pinkies”. These are the pink, dog like demons with metal machinations for hind legs. They will sprint at you and bite you which are normally an insta-kill in most circumstances. I found the chain gun to bring them down pretty fast OR the double barrel shotgun at point blank range also did the trick. Gauge the situation. If there are multiple enemies, then consider the chain gun to get it done and move on; otherwise use the shotgun.

Revenants – Oh I hate these guys. They are the skeletons that have rocket launchers attached to their shoulders. The rockets ARE heat-seeking and will kill on hit. Therefore you have a few options. Either rush their spawn and double barrel shotgun (Literally Point blank, barrel down there throat), rocket launcher them from a distance, constantly ducking back behind cover to avoid any incoming rockets, OR some people used the Plasma gun. Apparently the plasma cells have a small explosive radius and destroy the revenant rockets upon launch, however I never noticed this. So I either took the rush and shotgun option, or the rocket/grenade and duck/hide option.

Cacodemon – These are the flying guys that look a little bit like octopuses with their brains clearly visible. They launch fireballs at you that will insta-kill, however they haven’t got the largest explosive radius. I would recommend either a chain-gun; if they are far away or there are other enemies to deal with, or if they are close and alone then use a double barrel shotgun. At point blank range, this is an insta-kill on them. Just be wary of their fireball attack. If they launch one, then it takes them about 4-5 seconds to get ready to launch another one, so wait until they launch one before rushing them with your shotgun.

Lost souls – These are the flying heads/skulls that you come across. They are incredibly weak, as they die from 2 pistol shots OR a few assault rifle shots. I would recommend the pistol ONLY if you are low on ammo however. Generally go for the assault rifle, as it will kill them quickly and it is pretty accurate. If you have the grabber on hand, you can wait for them to fly at you before grabbing them and killing them that way. However, I didn’t like them getting to close to me, so I tended to go for the assault rifle at range approach. They are an insta-kill, so try although they are very weak, they are very deadly. Avoid their charge attacks.

Trites and Cherubs – Trites are the little spidery things that came from the Vagary Boss in DOOM 3. They are really weak but again, like the lost souls, they can kill in a single hit. They also like to enter the area from small vents and crevices, so keep an eye and an ear out for their crawling or screeches. Cherubs are the deformed baby creatures which lunge at you with their claws. Both trite AND cherubs are weak, but both can one hit kill you; therefore I would recommend similar techniques to the ones used on the lost souls. Either, assault rifle them if there is a lot, OR use the grabber to quickly kill them. The grabber works perfectly on the Cherubs since they normally like to bounce around, this stops them from doing so. I normally found it a good idea to find a secluded corner and just put my back against the wall and constantly mow down any Trites that
came out of vents. Use your peripherals however and keep an eye out for a stray one.

Mancubus – These are the huge, fat creatures that have fireball launchers attached to their arms. Now, there are multiple ways of going about killing these obese demons. 1) Use the grabber to launch their missiles back at them. This should only take 2-3 of their projectiles, however they can be awkward to grab. 2) A chain gun can deal substantial damage from range; however it can take a whole Magazine to get rid of these guys. 3) Rocket launchers or grenades are another option. This also allows you to constantly strafe, thus reducing the chances of something hitting you; namely the Mancubi rockets. AGAIN, you need to gauge the situation and decide what is best for you. Have 100 rockets? Use them. Have barely any rockets? Use Chain gun. You CAN use the Double Barrel shotgun; however I would not recommend getting this close to them. I only did it once or twice because they were weakened by my grenades prior.

Hell Knights – These are the titanic beasts that I hated hearing. They are the muscle beasts that literally shake the floor when they walk. You will recognise them, as they are the titans that are incredibly muscly and walk everywhere with a thundering stomp. The reason I hate them is because their green plasma balls are very deadly and very large splash damage. So you need to ALWAYS be strafing and moving. Be aware of your surroundings, as to not run into any walls while trying to deal with these guys. Honestly, I would recommend soul cubing these titans. It is a guaranteed kill and you really don’t want them out on the field for too long. However, if that doesn’t take your fancy or you’ve already used up the soul cube’s power, then rockets and grenades will do the trick; failing that you could always try using A BFG if you have one. I don’t think a full charge will kill these monsters in one, but it will definitely take a chunk out of its health. I think it takes around 6-7 rockets and grenades, so they are meaty enemies. But keep moving, never stop, and be aware of your surroundings. You don’t want to get caught on a wall where a plasma ball can hit near you dealing deadly splash damage. Again, I personally recommend the soul cube.

Arch-Viles – I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. Kill these guys FIRST. They are priority one in any circumstance. Reason? They can bring back ANY fallen demons back into play. Just killed a Hell Knight? Yup, it’s coming back. They are white and tall monsters while bloody tumours decorating their hands. They are also slightly taller than you and walk with a hunch. I would either A) Soul cube these guys to get them out the way ASAP. B) Use a rocket launcher or BFG to take them out ASAP. C) Rush their spawn if you can and stick a double barrel shotgun down their chest cavity, literally point blank range, all shells MUST CONNECT to get the kill OR finally, rush them with a chainsaw when they spawn. These normally do a little shriek when they spawn or when they summon, so this leaves them open to being opened up by the Shotgun OR chain sawed into luncheon meat. Again, get rid of these guys ASAP, for your own benefit. I normally launched the soul cube and let it do the work while I focused on any other demons in the area.

Maggot – These are the creatures with two heads and yellow eyes. They will normally crawl towards you in a low stance, which can make it difficult to hit them at times. However, they don’t have much health and can therefore be taken down by a single shotgun round up close. Failing that, you can run backwards since they tend to spawn in groups and launch grenades or rockets in their general direction. Just be careful of their crouched and jerky movement, lest you miss your mark.

Wraiths – These are the guys which teleport and keep teleporting until they are close enough to strike you with their scythe like arms. They are also recognisable by their protruding teeth and yellow eyes. My recommendation is to just wait until they teleport a few feet in front of you, before rushing them with a shotgun and sticking it down their throat. It will normally always result in a one hit kill this way. However, sometimes I found myself dealing with these guys and Imps, in which case the chain-gun also makes quick work of both these guys and the Imps.

Bruiser – These are the guys who stand a few heads higher than you, with mostly metal machinations attached to them, using a screen that features a set of teeth where the mouth is supposed to be (I Assume). They launch fire balls at you that will insta-kill you should they make contact. My best advice would be to either use A) The soul cube on them or B) Use a rocket launcher/BFG. If none of these options are viable, then use either the plasma gun or the chain gun. Also make sure to keep strafing; since you don’t want one of the fireballs to hit you, which they actually fire off pretty quickly.

BOSS: Vagary – Yes the spider Queen makes a come-back in the lost mission. She will appear sometime into the Level “Hell” and she will be accompanied by some cherubs, I believe. You choose how you want to deal with her. I personally threw a soul cube at her and peppered her with some Plasma cells. However you could also use a BFG or rocket launcher if the mood takes you. Also, keep sprinting backwards away from her. You have a decent stretch of cavern in which to run away from her while shooting at her. Use it for everything it is worth.

BOSS: Guardian – This guy is similar to the one found in DOOM 3. The only difference being, he doesn’t have seekers, and he has a lot more health. He will stomp you if you get too close to him, so keep your finger on the sprint button (You have unlimited sprint while in Hell because of the Hercules Complex detailed in one of the PDA’s). So keep moving, and avoid his fire ball attacks which can either come from across the floor, or from above like a missile silo. One more thing, you can only damage him when he is attacking or just finished an attack. Therefore, I waited until he launched his fireballs before getting out of the way and unloading on him with a BFG OR a rocket launcher. I didn’t have anything in the soul cube at this point, so I can’t tell you how effective it is. However, I would recommend trying it out, even if it just gives you some bonus health; it will help you should a stray fireball connect. Keep strafing, and keep firing at him when he is attacking and eventually he will go down. He does have substantially more health, but overall he isn’t too bad as long as you can keep avoiding him.

So let’s just quickly run through a few key pointers...

A) Save a lot. You can use and abuse the save system to your heart’s content. Always try and save with a minimum of 25% health, and also try and check your surroundings before you save. Remember the three slots save strategy I mentioned earlier? Use it to prevent locked saves and lost work.

B) Take out the Arch-vile first, in almost every circumstance. They can resurrect fallen demons back onto the playing field, which is just another hassle, along with wasted ammo.

C) Use a guide to help with the ammo storage containers. You are going to need to be as conservative as possible to make this achievement easier. Nothing is worse than running out of Double Barrel Shotgun rounds, especially when it’s one of the most used guns (at least it was for me).

D) Linked to the previous point, don’t overkill. Don’t use a rocket on a zombie, or a double barrel blast. Use what is appropriate and is likely to conserve you ammo. Don’t be stupid and try pistol an imp and Say you’re conserving ammo, that’s taking it too far. Just be reasonable in what you’re using and the situation you are facing. EG zombie, using a chainsaw or a single shotgun blast/ pistol bullets.

E) Don’t abuse health stations. Use them to get to the 25% maximum health mark and then keep moving. Remember you can always run back to use them again until they run out; which I would advise doing if you know the level is going to end.

F) Don’t be so conservative with the soul cube that you never use it. You have it, use it. Just gauge the situation carefully. If you have two hell knights and an arch-vile coming at you, then use a rocket launcher to kill the arch-vile, and launch the cube at one of the hell knights. Not only will this give you a health boost, but it is SO much easier to deal with enemies when there are less of them. Especially tanks like the Hell Knights.

G) I do it in every game, but reload everything when there is a period of nothing happening. If you’ve just cleared out a room and a few corridors, check that your guns are all reloaded and check your ammo status with them. Make note not to use the rocket launcher if you have only a rocket or two left, save them instead for that pesky arch-vile or Chain gun Commando.

H) Have fun. This game isn’t like a lot of the other Modern FPS games out there in the market today, it is quite different. So feel free to save constantly and take a break if things start getting to you. You will only wind yourself up if you keep charging into a battle while under the effects of rage. Put the game down, have a cup of tea, and come back to it; I did this a few times when I got bored or tired of save-scumming and it made it more enjoyable to come back to.

As far as I am aware I have covered most parts, and I think the only remaining thing to bring to your attention is the amount of levels present within the lost Mission. Overall I think my save claims I played for about 2-3 hours. Of course that’s not taking into account all the time spent saving and dying to reload. So it’s not Uber-long, but it’s of satisfactory length for an added part to the game that was originally cut.
The level layout is as follows...

• Enpro Sector 1
• Enpro Sector 2
• Underground Part 1
• Underground Part 2
• Exis Labs Part 1
• Exis Labs Part 2
• Hell
• Hell’s Outpost

Another thing to note is that I’m pretty sure you don’t lose all your equipment when entering Hell. I know in the Original DOOM 3, when entering AND leaving Hell you were left weapon less, however I am pretty sure this is not the case in The Lost Mission, so don’t worry, you’re going in there with whatever you take with you. Ammo is slightly scarcer in Hell I found, and also there are NO health stations, meaning any health you need back is going to have to come from the soul cube, so use it well.

Finally, keep a tab open with the Guide to find the Hidden “RAGE” room. It is located in the final level “Hell’s Outpost” and just before the final boss. Not only does it give you more ammo and armour, but it is also a good indication of when you should start saving your soul cube for that final battle.

Good Luck everyone, while lengthy, I hope this has helped.
Please Pm me if you have any other questions or concerns.