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Doom Enemies

Reference table of every Doom and Doom II monster.

The cast of monsters that populate classic Doom (Doom and Doom II combined). Health values are the originals from the 1993/94 releases — modded difficulty levels and source-port options can change these.

Doom Enemies

// 20 enemies — stats from the Doom engine constants, tactics by our editors. Click a column header to sort.

EnemyHealthAttack (damage)SpeedPain chanceFirst appearsTactics
Zombieman20Pistol: 3–1570 u/s78.13%E1M1: HangarEasy to kill, but don't underestimate groups: their hitscan fire can chip you down while you're fighting tougher enemies.
Shotgun Guy30Shotgun: 3–15 × 3 pellets93.3 u/s66.41%E1M1 on UV/NM; E1M3 on lower skillsKill them quickly when they have a clear firing lane; their shotgun can deliver a surprisingly large burst at close range.
Imp60Fireball: 3–24; melee: 3–2493.3 u/s78.13%E1M1: HangarUse their predictable fireballs to bait shots, and exploit their high pain chance with rapid-fire weapons.
Demon (Pinky)150Bite: 4–40175 u/s70.31%E1M3: Toxin RefineryKeep your distance; if trapped in close quarters, use the Chainsaw or sustained Chaingun fire to lock them in pain states.
Spectre150Bite: 4–40175 u/s70.31%E1M3 on UV/NM; E1M9 on lower skillsTreat it like a Pinky you cannot reliably see. Watch dark corners and use splash damage or rapid fire when visibility is poor.
Lost Soul100Charge: 3–2446.7 u/s; 700 u/s charging100%E2M1 on lower skills; E2M2 on HMP+Kill charging Lost Souls before they reach you; their high pain chance makes rapid fire particularly effective.
Cacodemon400Fireball: 5–40; bite: 10–6093.3 u/s50%E2M1 on HMP+; E2M3 on lower skillsStrafe around their fireballs and use the Super Shotgun, Plasma Gun or Rocket Launcher rather than wasting time with weak weapons.
Baron of Hell1000Plasma ball: 8–64; melee: 10–8093.3 u/s19.53%E1M8: Phobos AnomalyMaintain distance and use high-damage weapons. Its low pain chance makes relying on stunlock unreliable.
Cyberdemon4000Rocket: 20–160 direct + 0–128 splash186.7 u/s7.81%E2M8: Tower of BabelNever stand still in its line of fire. Fight around cover or pillars and make its rockets hit terrain rather than trying to out-damage it.
Spider Mastermind3000Super chaingun: 3–15 × 3 pellets140 u/s15.63%E3M8: DisBreak its line of sight whenever possible; unlike rockets, its hitscan chaingun cannot simply be dodged after firing.
Hell Knight500Plasma ball: 8–64; melee: 10–8093.3 u/s19.53%MAP05 on UV/NM; MAP06 on lower skillsEssentially a weaker Baron. Save heavier ammunition for groups and exploit its predictable projectile attacks.
Revenant300Homing rocket: 10–80; punch: 6–60175 u/s39.06%MAP06: The CrusherPrioritize them because their homing missiles remain dangerous while you fight other enemies; force rockets into walls and use rapid fire to stun them.
Mancubus600Fireballs: 8–64 each70 u/s31.25%MAP07: Dead SimpleSlow but dangerous at range. Strafe between its paired fireballs and attack from a distance rather than getting cornered by its wide projectile spread.
Arachnotron500Plasma: 5–40140 u/s50%MAP07: Dead SimpleIts rapid plasma fire makes open ground dangerous. Use cover and sustained fire; its relatively high pain chance makes the Plasma Gun especially useful.
Pain Elemental400Spawns Lost Souls: 3–24 each93.3 u/s50%MAP08: Tricks and TrapsPriority target. Kill it before the Lost Souls multiply, but watch its death burst, which creates three additional Lost Souls.
Arch-Vile700Flame attack: 20 direct + 0–70 blast262.5 u/s3.91%MAP11: Circle of DeathHighest-priority target. Break line of sight before its attack finishes, and kill it quickly because it can resurrect dead monsters.
Chaingunner (Heavy Weapon Dude)70Chaingun: 3–15 per bullet93.3 u/s66.41%MAP03/MAP04 depending on skillKill or stun them immediately when exposed. Their hitscan weapon can inflict enormous damage before you have time to react.
Wolfenstein SS50SMG: 3–1593.3 u/s66.41%MAP31: WolfensteinTreat them like stronger Zombiemen with rapid-fire hitscan weapons; they're fragile, so almost any serious weapon dispatches them quickly.
Commander Keen100None0 u/s (hanging)100%MAP32: GrosseNot a conventional combat enemy: killing all four Keens opens the route to the exit switch.
Icon of Sin250 Monster spawn cubes (boss mechanic)Stationary99.61%MAP30: Icon of SinIgnore the spawned monsters when possible and focus on the exposed brain; in vanilla Doom II, rockets must damage it through the intended blast-radius mechanic.

Pain chance = the nominal odds a single hit interrupts the monster into its pain state (painchance constant ÷ 256; Doom’s non-uniform random table skews the true odds slightly). Speed in map units per second. Stats are the PC/DOS engine constants, verified against the released Doom source code via doomwiki.org.

‡ Hit points of the exposed brain — the only part of the Icon of Sin that can take damage.

Shots to kill

// Every weapon against every monster: how many shots at best, typically and at worst, from the same engine constants as the tables above. Pick a weapon and a monster, or sort a column.

WeaponEnemyHealthMin shotsTypical shotsMax shotsAmmo (typical)Time (typical)
FistZombieman2012100.5 s
Fist (Berserk)Zombieman201110.0 s
ChainsawZombieman2012100.1 s
PistolZombieman202242 bullets0.4 s
ShotgunZombieman201111 shell0.0 s
Super ShotgunZombieman201112 shells0.0 s
ChaingunZombieman202242 bullets0.1 s
Rocket LauncherZombieman201111 rocket0.0 s
Plasma RifleZombieman201141 cell0.0 s
BFG 9000Zombieman2011140 cells0.0 s
FistShotgun Guy3023151.0 s
Fist (Berserk)Shotgun Guy301120.0 s
ChainsawShotgun Guy3023150.2 s
PistolShotgun Guy302363 bullets0.8 s
ShotgunShotgun Guy301111 shell0.0 s
Super ShotgunShotgun Guy301112 shells0.0 s
ChaingunShotgun Guy302363 bullets0.2 s
Rocket LauncherShotgun Guy301111 rocket0.0 s
Plasma RifleShotgun Guy301262 cells0.1 s
BFG 9000Shotgun Guy3011140 cells0.0 s
FistImp6036302.4 s
Fist (Berserk)Imp601130.0 s
ChainsawImp6036300.6 s
PistolImp6046126 bullets2.0 s
ShotgunImp601121 shell0.0 s
Super ShotgunImp601112 shells0.0 s
ChaingunImp6046126 bullets0.6 s
Rocket LauncherImp601111 rocket0.0 s
Plasma RifleImp6023123 cells0.2 s
BFG 9000Imp6011140 cells0.0 s
FistDemon (Pinky)150814756.3 s
Fist (Berserk)Demon (Pinky)1501280.5 s
ChainsawDemon (Pinky)150814751.5 s
PistolDemon (Pinky)15010153015 bullets5.6 s
ShotgunDemon (Pinky)1502353 shells2.1 s
Super ShotgunDemon (Pinky)1501122 shells0.0 s
ChaingunDemon (Pinky)15010153015 bullets1.6 s
Rocket LauncherDemon (Pinky)1501121 rocket0.0 s
Plasma RifleDemon (Pinky)15047307 cells0.5 s
BFG 9000Demon (Pinky)15011240 cells0.0 s
FistSpectre150814756.3 s
Fist (Berserk)Spectre1501280.5 s
ChainsawSpectre150814751.5 s
PistolSpectre15010153015 bullets5.6 s
ShotgunSpectre1502353 shells2.1 s
Super ShotgunSpectre1501122 shells0.0 s
ChaingunSpectre15010153015 bullets1.6 s
Rocket LauncherSpectre1501121 rocket0.0 s
Plasma RifleSpectre15047307 cells0.5 s
BFG 9000Spectre15011240 cells0.0 s
FistLost Soul100510504.4 s
Fist (Berserk)Lost Soul1001150.0 s
ChainsawLost Soul100510501.0 s
PistolLost Soul1007102010 bullets3.6 s
ShotgunLost Soul1001232 shells1.1 s
Super ShotgunLost Soul1001112 shells0.0 s
ChaingunLost Soul1007102010 bullets1.0 s
Rocket LauncherLost Soul1001111 rocket0.0 s
Plasma RifleLost Soul10035205 cells0.3 s
BFG 9000Lost Soul10011140 cells0.0 s
FistCacodemon400203820018.0 s
Fist (Berserk)Cacodemon40024201.5 s
ChainsawCacodemon40020382004.2 s
PistolCacodemon40027398039 bullets15.2 s
ShotgunCacodemon40046126 shells5.3 s
Super ShotgunCacodemon4002244 shells1.5 s
ChaingunCacodemon40027398039 bullets4.3 s
Rocket LauncherCacodemon4002343 rockets1.1 s
Plasma RifleCacodemon40010188018 cells1.5 s
BFG 9000Cacodemon40011440 cells0.0 s
FistBaron of Hell1000509350044.7 s
Fist (Berserk)Baron of Hell1000510504.4 s
ChainsawBaron of Hell1000509350010.5 s
PistolBaron of Hell1000679720097 bullets38.4 s
ShotgunBaron of Hell100010142914 shells13.7 s
Super ShotgunBaron of Hell1000451010 shells5.8 s
ChaingunBaron of Hell1000679720097 bullets11.0 s
Rocket LauncherBaron of Hell10004696 rockets2.9 s
Plasma RifleBaron of Hell1000254520045 cells3.8 s
BFG 9000Baron of Hell10002310120 cells2.3 s
FistCyberdemon40002003712000179.7 s
Fist (Berserk)Cyberdemon4000203820018.0 s
ChainsawCyberdemon4000200371200042.3 s
PistolCyberdemon4000267387800387 bullets154.4 s
ShotgunCyberdemon4000395611556 shells58.1 s
Super ShotgunCyberdemon400014204040 shells27.7 s
ChaingunCyberdemon4000267387800387 bullets44.1 s
Rocket LauncherCyberdemon4000254520045 rockets25.1 s
Plasma RifleCyberdemon4000100179800179 cells15.3 s
BFG 9000Cyberdemon40005940360 cells9.1 s
FistSpider Mastermind30001502781500134.5 s
Fist (Berserk)Spider Mastermind3000152815013.1 s
ChainsawSpider Mastermind3000150278150031.7 s
PistolSpider Mastermind3000200290600290 bullets115.6 s
ShotgunSpider Mastermind300029428642 shells43.3 s
Super ShotgunSpider Mastermind300010153030 shells20.4 s
ChaingunSpider Mastermind3000200290600290 bullets33.0 s
Rocket LauncherSpider Mastermind3000193415034 rockets18.9 s
Plasma RifleSpider Mastermind300075135600135 cells11.5 s
BFG 9000Spider Mastermind30004730280 cells6.9 s
FistHell Knight500254725022.3 s
Fist (Berserk)Hell Knight50035251.9 s
ChainsawHell Knight50025472505.3 s
PistolHell Knight500344910049 bullets19.2 s
ShotgunHell Knight50057157 shells6.3 s
Super ShotgunHell Knight5002356 shells2.9 s
ChaingunHell Knight500344910049 bullets5.5 s
Rocket LauncherHell Knight5002353 rockets1.1 s
Plasma RifleHell Knight500132310023 cells1.9 s
BFG 9000Hell Knight50012580 cells1.1 s
FistRevenant300152815013.1 s
Fist (Berserk)Revenant30023151.0 s
ChainsawRevenant30015281503.1 s
PistolRevenant30020296029 bullets11.2 s
ShotgunRevenant3003595 shells4.2 s
Super ShotgunRevenant3001234 shells1.5 s
ChaingunRevenant30020296029 bullets3.2 s
Rocket LauncherRevenant3002232 rockets0.6 s
Plasma RifleRevenant3008146014 cells1.1 s
BFG 9000Revenant30011340 cells0.0 s
FistMancubus600305630026.7 s
Fist (Berserk)Mancubus60036302.4 s
ChainsawMancubus60030563006.3 s
PistolMancubus600405812058 bullets22.8 s
ShotgunMancubus60069189 shells8.5 s
Super ShotgunMancubus6002366 shells2.9 s
ChaingunMancubus600405812058 bullets6.5 s
Rocket LauncherMancubus6003454 rockets1.7 s
Plasma RifleMancubus600152712027 cells2.2 s
BFG 9000Mancubus60012680 cells1.1 s
FistArachnotron500254725022.3 s
Fist (Berserk)Arachnotron50035251.9 s
ChainsawArachnotron50025472505.3 s
PistolArachnotron500344910049 bullets19.2 s
ShotgunArachnotron50057157 shells6.3 s
Super ShotgunArachnotron5002356 shells2.9 s
ChaingunArachnotron500344910049 bullets5.5 s
Rocket LauncherArachnotron5002353 rockets1.1 s
Plasma RifleArachnotron500132310023 cells1.9 s
BFG 9000Arachnotron50012580 cells1.1 s
FistPain Elemental400203820018.0 s
Fist (Berserk)Pain Elemental40024201.5 s
ChainsawPain Elemental40020382004.2 s
PistolPain Elemental40027398039 bullets15.2 s
ShotgunPain Elemental40046126 shells5.3 s
Super ShotgunPain Elemental4002244 shells1.5 s
ChaingunPain Elemental40027398039 bullets4.3 s
Rocket LauncherPain Elemental4002343 rockets1.1 s
Plasma RiflePain Elemental40010188018 cells1.5 s
BFG 9000Pain Elemental40011440 cells0.0 s
FistArch-Vile700356535031.1 s
Fist (Berserk)Arch-Vile70047352.9 s
ChainsawArch-Vile70035653507.3 s
PistolArch-Vile700476814068 bullets26.8 s
ShotgunArch-Vile7007102010 shells9.5 s
Super ShotgunArch-Vile7003478 shells4.4 s
ChaingunArch-Vile700476814068 bullets7.7 s
Rocket LauncherArch-Vile7003464 rockets1.7 s
Plasma RifleArch-Vile700183214032 cells2.7 s
BFG 9000Arch-Vile70012780 cells1.1 s
FistChaingunner (Heavy Weapon Dude)7047352.9 s
Fist (Berserk)Chaingunner (Heavy Weapon Dude)701140.0 s
ChainsawChaingunner (Heavy Weapon Dude)7047350.7 s
PistolChaingunner (Heavy Weapon Dude)7057147 bullets2.4 s
ShotgunChaingunner (Heavy Weapon Dude)701121 shell0.0 s
Super ShotgunChaingunner (Heavy Weapon Dude)701112 shells0.0 s
ChaingunChaingunner (Heavy Weapon Dude)7057147 bullets0.7 s
Rocket LauncherChaingunner (Heavy Weapon Dude)701111 rocket0.0 s
Plasma RifleChaingunner (Heavy Weapon Dude)7024144 cells0.3 s
BFG 9000Chaingunner (Heavy Weapon Dude)7011140 cells0.0 s
FistWolfenstein SS5035251.9 s
Fist (Berserk)Wolfenstein SS501130.0 s
ChainsawWolfenstein SS5035250.5 s
PistolWolfenstein SS5045105 bullets1.6 s
ShotgunWolfenstein SS501121 shell0.0 s
Super ShotgunWolfenstein SS501112 shells0.0 s
ChaingunWolfenstein SS5045105 bullets0.5 s
Rocket LauncherWolfenstein SS501111 rocket0.0 s
Plasma RifleWolfenstein SS5023103 cells0.2 s
BFG 9000Wolfenstein SS5011140 cells0.0 s
FistCommander Keen100510504.4 s
Fist (Berserk)Commander Keen1001150.0 s
ChainsawCommander Keen100510501.0 s
PistolCommander Keen1007102010 bullets3.6 s
ShotgunCommander Keen1001232 shells1.1 s
Super ShotgunCommander Keen1001112 shells0.0 s
ChaingunCommander Keen1007102010 bullets1.0 s
Rocket LauncherCommander Keen1001111 rocket0.0 s
Plasma RifleCommander Keen10035205 cells0.3 s
BFG 9000Commander Keen10011140 cells0.0 s
FistIcon of Sin250 132412511.2 s
Fist (Berserk)Icon of Sin250 23131.0 s
ChainsawIcon of Sin250 13241252.6 s
PistolIcon of Sin250 17255025 bullets9.6 s
ShotgunIcon of Sin250 3484 shells3.2 s
Super ShotgunIcon of Sin250 1234 shells1.5 s
ChaingunIcon of Sin250 17255025 bullets2.7 s
Rocket LauncherIcon of Sin250 1232 rockets0.6 s
Plasma RifleIcon of Sin250 7125012 cells0.9 s
BFG 9000Icon of Sin250 11340 cells0.0 s

Every pellet and every hit lands; no infighting. Min = every damage roll at its maximum, Max = every roll at its minimum, Typical = at the average damage of Doom’s fixed random table (the true expected count can differ by a shot). Time = first hit to last at full fire rate, typical shots, projectile travel not included. For the two shotguns Min and Max are formula bounds the fixed table cannot fully reach: a super shotgun blast with every pellet on one monster lands about 170–245, never 100 or 300.

Rocket = direct hit + 103–117 blast (a rocket detonates one step short of its target; the Cyberdemon and Spider Mastermind take no blast). BFG 9000 = ball impact only (100–800); each of its 40 tracers adds 49–87 to whatever it hits, so against a big monster at close range the real count is lower. Fist (Berserk) = ×10. Chaingun and Chainsaw count single bullets and teeth; the chaingun always fires in pairs, so an odd count spends one bullet more.

‡ Hit points of the exposed brain — the only part of the Icon of Sin that can take damage.