Strategy:Demon
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Main Guide (v0.9.9.4)
Version Changes (v0.9.9.5)
Nothing significant to the enemy itself.
General Tactics
Basic strategy posted by Elephant 22:43, November 15 2011 (GMT).
Demons are the most melee-oriented enemies of the game. Lacking ranged attacks or any special abilities, their strategy consists of running up to the player to beat him up. They can't use doors or items, and will run trough any fluid to reach the player, which can be used effectively against them. The demons have a speed of 130%, meaning that while they can only attack in melee, they will reach the player quickly, are hard to run away from, and will often hit twice for a player's action. They hit fairly hard and have some armor, but lack any resistances. They rarely miss.
- Since demons don't have a ranged attack, they are harmless if they don't get close to you. Unfortunately, you sometimes just turn a corner and find a demon really close to you, and when they do attack you it will hurt. The key is to listen for the monster sounds, and recognize when there are demons nearby so you don't get surprised. Matt_S 5:22, November 10 2011 (GMT)
- They are fairly fast, so if you decide to run from them, you had better have a destination in mind that is close by, because, unless you have levels in Hellrunner or something else that boosts your speed, they will catch up to you. Tormuse 13:48, November 15 2011 (GMT)
- Running, which grants a 30% boost, will actually keep demons at bay (without worrying about other modifiers). Remember this if you are ever swarmed in a demon cave. S.K.Ren 17:07, November 14 2011 (GMT)
In the early levels, demons can be quite lethal, as the player lacks effective means to dispose of them before they get close (doubly so for melee runs), but later, when the player has more traits, weaponary and armor, they will not pose a threat but in the most unlucky scenarios.
|HITS NEEDED TO KILL PLAYER |
|no armor | 1 armor | 2 armor | 4 armor |
|min|avg|max|min|avg|max|min|avg|max|min|avg|max|
50hp | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 |10 | 9 |10 |13 |13 |17 |25 |
100hp |13 |15 |17 |15 |17 |20 |17 |20 |25 |25 |34 |50 |
60hp | 8 | 9 |10 | 9 |10 |12 |10 |12 |15 |15 |20 |30 |
120hp |15 |18 |20 |18 |20 |24 |20 |24 |30 |30 |40 |60 |
80hp |10 |12 |14 |12 |14 |16 |14 |16 |20 |20 |27 |40 |
160hp |20 |23 |27 |23 |27 |32 |27 |32 |40 |40 |54 |80 |
- In general, you should follow this mindset against demons:
- Stay at range. Its the best way to deal with them, period.
- Don't neglect basic scouting techniquies like corner checking and listening. Nothing is more embarassing than walking into a trap.
- Be mindful of your weapon when dealing with them. And be sure it's loaded at all times, as it should be. S.K.Ren 17:07, November 14 2011 (GMT)
Intelligence Analysis
The AI of the demons is probably the simplest in the game. Without any ranged offense, the demons will just run towards the player or melee him. Their unability to open doors and disregard for lava or acid puts them at disadvantage.
- Demons are probably the most dangerous when there are other enemies around to distract you, either enemies that do have ranged attacks or other demons that are approaching from different angles so that you can't hurt them all at once with shotgun blasts. If there are enemies that have ranged attacks, you should consider getting behind any cover that is nearby to keep from being shot at while you take care of the demons; if you don't have any cover, you should consider retreating if the enemies are too strong to take out easily, but the best solution to this situation is to simply do all you can to avoid it. If you are attacked by multiple demons approaching from different angles, you might want to consider running, either as an actual retreat or simply to get them all in your line of fire. Matt_S 5:22, November 10 2011 (GMT)
- They also have a slightly lower visual radius than you, so if you do find yourself in a situation where you're not capable of dealing with them, just keep them at the edge of your visual range, and they won't be able to see you, so they won't chase you. Tormuse 13:48, November 15 2011 (GMT)
Doors
Fighting demons is best done behind an open door, so that the door can be closed if one gets dangerously close. Then you can either wait for a while for the demon to stop chasing you and hopefully wander awayfrom the door (hard to know if you don't have tracking map/intuition 2), or get some distance to the door and blast it open letting the demons in. Note that some other monster might open the door, letting the demons in. Since demons are fast, it's usually better to close the door before they are just next to it, in case they get 2 moves.
#
#
#
#xx
#xx c
@/xx
#xx
#xx
#
When the demon reaches the "x", close the door.
Fluids
Demons, unlike other non-flying non-boss monsters, will chase you through any fluid. This means that acid/lava pools will become quite useful when fighting demons, especially for melee builds or groups of demons, or when you are REALLY short of ammo. Note that this also means that an acid puddle in a corridor will not stop them at their tracks.
- You can maximize the benefit of their fluid-walking by shooting them with the a to knock them back, forcing them to walk over the same squares of acid or lava over and over again. Tormuse 13:48, November 15 2011 (GMT)
By careful positioning, you can usually maximize the amount of harm the fluids will cause. Three turns on lava or seven on acid will kill them.
##############
==
====
X ====
== c
@ =
##############
If you move to position X, the demon will have to move through 4 tiles of acid/lava, instead of 1.
Melee characters will want to fight next to acid/lava, so that the demon will have to stay in the fluid, taking damage every turn.
c #######/####### =============== ########X######
The correct position to take is marked by X.
Barrels
Luring demons near barrels is somewhat harder than luring B:s and h:s, due to their considerable speed and the fact that you can't giftdrop and have to use yourself as a lure. ut, if there's a demon next to a barrel, you are far enough (or have fireangel) and there is nothing important that might blow up, go on. (Note that the knockback might blow the demon closer to you if the barrel's behind them.)
They might be useful for clearing early vaults, by placing them next to the vault door, opening it, running a bit away and blowing it up with a shotgun when the demons follow. Note that this might destroy the items inside, so it's a bit of gamble.
Weapon Usage
Melee
Melee is arguably the worst way to dispatch demons, since you are very likely to get hurt in the process, especially when you lack the traits to do any serious damage. However, using the tricks mentioned earlier in this guide will make it easier to survive to the point you can reliably kill them in one or two hits.
- Demons have a hefty +3 to hit for melee. However, the running tactic impacts this by causing a -3 chance to-hit, so while it's not as effective as it would be versus other enemies, it can still cause a demon to miss, sparing you that hit and hopefully giving you time to kill it. Keep in mind that your melee damage is halved during this time. S.K.Ren 17:07, November 14 2011 (GMT)
In the start of the game it's recommended that you use another weapon or, if that is not possible, avoid them completely until you get beefier and recive better equipment.(And if you're doing a N! fist-only 100% run, you probably already knew you were screwed.)
Fists
Fighting demons with only your fist is almost always a very bad idea. Without brute, you will only make 1 point worth of damage every hit. With the demon having 25 hp, it will take you a long time and a ton of medpacks if you wish to kill them. With Brute1 and 2 the damage will rise to 2-4 and 5-7, but you will still take a few hits. However, with Brute 5 you will two-shot them everytime.(Note that berserking makes one-hit kills possible with Brute 4 and 5.)
Berserking and doing the fluid tricks will help a lot, but the best option might just be running away.
FIST HITS NEEDED TO KILL
min|avg|max
No Brute|25 |25 |25
Brute 1 | 7 | 9 |13
Brute 2 | 4 | 5 |5
Brute 3 | 3 | 3 |4
Brute 4 | 2 | 3 |3
Brute 5 | 2 | 2 |2
Combat Knife
Finding a knife will make slaying demons in melee a lot easier. it will deal 1-8 damage with the average of 4 even without any traits. Also, it can be thrown, unlike any other melee weapon. It's a good idea to throw one (or even two with Juggler and Finesse) at the demon before contact to soften it a little.
One-hit kills are possible from Brute2 with Malicious Blades or while berserking.
KNIFE HITS NEEDED TO KILL
min|avg|max
No Brute| 4 | 7 |25
Brute 1 | 3 | 4 |7
Brute 2 | 2 | 3 |4
Brute 3 | 2 | 2 |3
Brute 4 | 2 | 2 |2
Brute 5 | 2 | 2 |2
Other
The Chainsaw will, like in the original doom, make short work of demons, being capable to one-hit with just one trait of Brute. Getting the chainsaw is the point for most melee builds when solitary demons stop being threathening, only beign dangerous in groups.
Chainswords are exactly like chainsaws, except more accurate. Piercing blades ignore armor, dealing 2 points more damage to demons. Chainsaw assemblies and melee uniques will wipe the floor with puny pinkies.
CHAINSAW HITS NEEDED TO KILL
min|avg|max
No Brute| 2 | 3 |13
Brute 1 | 1 | 2 |5
Brute 2 | 1 | 2 |4
Brute 3 | 1 | 2 |3
Brute 4 | 1 | 2 |2
Brute 5 | 1 | 1 |2
Pistols
Whitout SoG it's practically impossible to kill the demon with a pistol before it reaches you, and you need SoG2 to do so reliably. Dualwielding will kill quickly, but don't dualreload if a demon has managed to get at bite distance. Also, with enough SoG and power mods, you will be able to cause knockback, making demons even easier to kill without getting hurt.
- Pistols work if you can fire them fast enough. An unmodded pistol without SoG will rarely be able to take out a demon in one clip. This makes dealing with packs dangerous. If you're forced to use a pistol early game, you're best bet is to shoot them from out of sight(Use Aimed Shots to improve your chance of hitting) and finish them off with a second clip as they approach. S.K.Ren 17:07, November 14 2011 (GMT)
PISTOL HITS NEEDED TO KILL
min|avg|max
No SoG | 5 | 9 |25
SoG 1 | 4 | 7 |25
SoG 2 | 4 | 5 |13
SoG 3 | 3 | 5 |9
SoG 4 | 3 | 4 |7
SoG 5 | 3 | 4 |5
Shotguns
Shotguns are quite useful against demons. While they have be reloaded/pumped after every shot, the knockback lessens the effect. They can also hit multiple enemies at the same time, always hit, and need no traits to be effective.(Except the double shotty)
- Despite their armor, shotguns are probably the best way to take out a demon early on. The knockback will keep the demon from getting too close, and you can probably take it down with three or four shots, often without the demon getting a chance to attack you. For the best ammo efficiency without too much risk, you should fire when the demon is a couple of squares away from the edge of your view. Matt_S 5:22, November 10 2011 (GMT)
The double shotgun needs, due to it's reload time, either specific tactics or Shottyman to be effective. With Shottyman, you can just step away from the demons and fire again, but without it, it can still be used quite effectively by using doors.
DOUBLE SHOTGUN AND DOORS
# # #
# # #
@/c @+ c @/c
# # #
1.Open the door and 2.Close the door and 3.Repeat as necessary.
fire. reload.
Note that shotguns deal sharpnel damage and thus the demon's armor will block 4 instead of 2 points of damage. Shotguns suffer damage reduction at range.
SHOTGUN BLASTS NEEDED TO KILL (Note that the vaules are for point-blank shots)
|shotgun |combat s. |double s.
|min|avg|max|min|avg|max|min|avg|max
no traits | 2 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3 |13 | 1 | 2 |4
SoB 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 2 |4
SoB 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 |3
SoB 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 |2
MAD | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 |2
MAD + SoB2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 |2
Rapid-fire
Chaingun
Without traits, you will miss a lot at long ranges, and your bullets will do only 1 point of damage half of time. Thus, it's better to use the shotgun on demons until you get a few traits, like EE, SoB or TH.
- Chainguns are like pistols on crack. Less accurate but waaaay more bullets. You can usually clear groups of 1-3 with a chaingun without issue. Just be sure to reload whenever you can. S.K.Ren 17:07, November 14 2011 (GMT)
DO NOT RELOAD WHILE A DEMON IS NEXT TO YOU! You will get your ass handed to you. Rather, have a spare chaingun and pull it out of your pack if you run out of bullets.
CHAINGUN BULLETS NEEDED TO KILL
min|avg|max
no traits | 7 |13 |25
SoB1 | 5 | 9 |25
SoB2 | 5 | 7 |25
SoB3 | 4 | 5 |13
SoB4 | 4 | 5 |9
SoB5 | 3 | 4 |7
Note that the numbers here are for individual bullets, not bursts. To calculate amount of bursts needed, divide the result by 4 + amount of TH traits, and always round up. For example, With SoB2 and TH1, the average amount of bursts needed is 7 : (4 + 1) = 1.4 = 2.
Plasma Rifle
Using the plasma rifle on demons is usually waste of power cells. Do it only if you have no other ammo left, or as a last resort if you are low on health and there's a group of demons closing in. The plasma rifle will kill demons very fast, even without any traits. It ignores half of armor.
- Plasma Rifles are just super Chainguns. When you start finding those, you should have more than enough fire power to deal with demons. S.K.Ren 17:07, November 14 2011 (GMT)
PLASMA RIFLE BULLETS NEEDED TO KILL
min|avg|max
no traits | 5 | 9 |25
SoB1 | 4 | 7 |25
SoB2 | 4 | 5 |13
SoB3 | 3 | 5 |9
SoB4 | 3 | 4 |7
SoB5 | 3 | 4 |5
To calculate bursts, x being the result from the chart: x : 6 + TH, rounded up.
Explosive
Rocket Launcher
Using the rocket launcher against solitary demons is a waste of rockets and potentially dangerous, but against groups of demons it's pretty useful and potentially dangerous. The explosion might knock some of them closer to you, so have shotty prepared, just in case.
The rocket launcher deals in theory 4-34 points of damage to demons, but practically the number is lower.
BFG9000
You're not going to waste 40 power cells on a demon, are you?
- This of course can depend on the situation: if you don't have a shotgun or melee weapon and are caught in the middle of a swarm, it might not be a bad idea. It is highly unlikely that you will be stuck in this case, however, given that the BFG9000 appears halfway through the game and caves are spawning cacodemons by then. Game Hunter 17:47, 10 January 2012 (CET)
