Pain Elementals are some of the most annoying enemies to face in the Doom franchise, summoning Lost Souls to deal massive damage to the Doom Marine or Doom Slayer. In Doom Eternal's Battlemode, you can play as these powerful demons and face off against other players.
At first glance, they seem to be lacking in damage and mobility with little to compensate. Playing as one, you will quickly notice how much nuance there is with flying and using your abilities. Every demon has a learning curve, but the Pain Elementals is arguably the steepest of the bunch. Mastering them can make you a deadly opponent for the Slayer and make racking up wins a breeze. Here are 10 tips to become the ultimate Pain Elemental in Doom Eternal's Battlemode.
10 Run Pressure Loadout
Pain Elementals might not be as aggressive as other demons, but they sure know how to pressure the Slayer into making bad decisions. The pressure loadout is key to playing the Pain Elemental this way.
You are forgoing a heal for you and teammates in exchange for some incredible pressure tools. Hellknights and Prowlers are some of the trickiest enemies to face in Doom Eternal, and your Haste and Noxius Hazard buffs can throw the Slayer's target prioritization off and result in a win.
9 Always Dash
Most demons in Battlemode have some form of mobility that keeps them comparable to the Doom Slayer, but no other demon can dash as far as the Pain Elemental.
Thanks to your floaty nature, dashing allows you to cover massive gaps since the terrain isn't an issue. You can use the dash aggressively to close in on the Slayer or, better yet, use it defensively to dodge the Slayer's devastating weapons when he begins to focus you.
8 Be Wary Of The Slayer's Hitscan Weapons
When the Slayer does decide to focus his efforts on slaying you, you need to be wary of his hitscan weapons. Hitscan weapons have no travel time and deal damage the second the Slayer pulls the trigger.
The worst offenders are the Heavy Cannon, Ballista, and the Super Shotgun if he gets close. Your Soul Shield can block these attacks when needed, but it's best to duck into cover if the Slayer begins to unload his entire arsenal into you. Use this as an opportunity to divert the Slayer's attention from your teammate and let them punish the Slayer.
7 Frequently Summon
Every demon should summon when possible, but it can be easy to forget on the Pain Elemental. Managing summons, flying, and your Soul Shield can be quite a challenge when starting.
Both loadouts grant powerful summons that can change the tide of a match. Pressure users get the powerful Hellknight and Prowler demons to keep the Slayer moving, while the Summoner gets the deadly Arachnatron, Maykr Drones, and Shield Soldiers to block portals.
6 Grab Lingering Souls
Controlling the map is the Pain Elemental's main role in Battlemode, so any upgrade that enhances this playstyle will make him a force to be reckoned with.
That is where Lingering Souls comes into play. This upgrade will make your Soul Shield's Lost Souls spawn blue flames on impact that last for four seconds, dealing damage over time to the Slayer if caught inside. Zoning with the Pain Elemental becomes much easier, as you can use your Soul Shield as a denial tool to cut off portals or critical paths.
5 Stay Away From The Slayer
While floating around as a giant, tanky meatball might be fun, you do not want to close the gap on the Slayer unless he is critically wounded or you need to divert him elsewhere.
Most of the Slayer's guns deal insane damage up close. A Chaingun or Super Shotgun can quickly end your life if the Slayer can close the gap. You need to keep your distance when fighting him and dive into cover when he begins to use the Heavy Cannon Ballista combo on you. Only close the gap when he is low to end the round.
4 Exploit Elevation
Flying is key to mastering the Pain Elemental. There is no resource management to flying unlike the Revenant, so exploit this advantage as much as you can.
Dashing to higher elevations to block the Slayer's line of sight on you is sometimes necessary to survive. If he begins to chain you with his Super Shotgun, fly up in the air and project your shield to reposition the Slayer while taking no damage. Using flight to its fullest potential can lead to some crazy outplays.
3 Create Hazardous Arenas
By default, the Pain Elemental cannot create damaging areas unless they use the pressure loadout or have the Lingering Souls upgrade. With both, the Pain Elemental can create some truly dangerous arenas the Slayer must fight in.
Noxious Hazard deals 15 damage per tick, which is surprisingly strong when coupled with an Archvile's fire or the Lingering Souls' flame. Trap the Slayer in an enclosed location and lay both down to create a deadly arena that the Slayer will want to escape from. As long as you have a teammate that applies pressure, he can't escape and you'll get some easy wins.
2 Support Your Teammate
No matter your skill level, helping your teammate in Battlemode is critical to success. You can be the best demon player in the world, but that doesn't matter when you aren't working with your partner and the Slayer can outmatch you.
Those who focus on damage, such as Revenants, should stay in the back while you take the brunt of the damage. More aggressive characters like Marauder can push the Slayer into hazardous areas you've created. Coordinating with your partner will mean success most of the time.
1 Master Map Control
Supporting your team is important, but it is arguably more important to control the map. Damaging AoEs, summons, and even your body can force the Slayer to do your bidding.
Flying above the map gives you a great view of where everything is and where the Slayer is going. Learn portal locations and capitalize on them by summoning demons on the other end. You might not be a great damage dealer, but you can take down the Slayer easily if you can get them where you want them.