From where you find yourself starting, get lined up so you are looking directly between two of the columns by the switch in front of you. You should be at a 45 degree angle to the switch. Ready the rocket launcher. When the switch is activated, the walls will fall around you. Start pumping out rockets as soon as they will clear the wall. If you are lined up correctly, the first three rockets will take down a mancubus in front of you. There is (was) a mancubus in each of the four corners of this area, so get next to one of the columns for cover. Decide quickly if you want to go right or left, then round the corner and take out the next one with another three rockets.

Now you can catch your breath for a moment. The same tactic will work on the remaining two, but take a look around first. As soon as the fourth one dies, eight hell-knights and four cacodemons will appear in the open gallery around the central open area you are in. Usually, four of each will come into the courtyard while the other four hell-knights remain hidden in the corners of the upper gallery. Quite often the hell-knights and cacodemons will fight each other and you can cruise around in the upper hall taking out the enemies there, then go down and finish off whoever is left over.

Before you drop the last enemy from that skirmish, position yourself in the upper hall near one of the corners. When the last of that wave falls the next (and final) onslaught will arrive. Barons of hell will appear in the courtyard, pain elementals in the corners (where you should be,) and four sections of the gallery wall will drop allowing arachnotrons in.

The pain elementals are the most dangerous. Try to take them out first or you will soon find yourself swimming in the lost-souls they spit out in pairs. Move around the gallery to each of the corners pouring chaingun fire on them at close range before they can get too far into the courtyard and make a real mess. An invulnerability artifact also appears on the central platform at this time that can give you an edge. Just don't get surrounded by barons trying to get it or it will wear off before you can put it to much use.

The outermost area that has just opened up is usually fairly safe after this point in the battle. Most of the arachnotrons have usually gone into the inner area and some will be fighting barons. There is lots of ammo and health available, but move quickly over the pedastles that hold it. Darts fire down the center of each passage, so stay near the walls and always go to the inside of corners to keep out of their path.

With the pain elementals and lost souls out of the way, it's time to get out the shotgun or rocket launcher and hunt down whatever is still standing. When they have all been put to rest, gather up whatever goodies are laying around still and proceed to the exit switch that will then appear in the same place it started.

Note:
There is a bug in the game that can be EXTREMELY frustrating in this level. When pain elementals die, they explode and send out their last two lost-souls as a sort of retributive stike. If they explode too close to a wall or column, the lost-soul becomes trapped inside. You can't kill it and it can't get to you, and this is no problem on any other level of the game. But since this level exit will only appear after all the enemies are dead, It can prevent you from ever leaving this place as well - which is a real bummer after such an intense rush of a battle.

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