Dark Citadel:
As you leave the start area of this level, make a mental note of the panel with faces on the wall to your right. This is a dart trap that will fire down the hallway to the left every time you walk past point 1 on the map. Stay to the sides of the hall and they will not hit you.
Heading towards point 1, have the chainsaw ready to cut up a couple of bull-demons. Just inside the room there is a shotgun and some shells. This room is a trap that can be avoided, but killing the barons of hell and arachnotron inside will allow you to collect some combat armor later on. The switch on a column in the SW corner opens the room with the armor as well as the way out of this trap room.
Further down the hallway W is a secret area full of ammunition. Room 3 to the N has several specters in it. Kill them and activate the switch on the column near the center. This opens up the locked doorway at point 4.
Blue Key:
Directly in front of you after entering the passage at 4 is a lift down into a large room full of enemies.
Stay off of it for now and explore the area first. Just to the right is a false wall where an imp will come out of.
There is also a soul-sphere in this tiny chamber.
To the left is a caged area (5) overlooking the main large room. An arachnotron is guarding here, but is no match for a couple close blasts from the double-barrel. Between where he was and the entrance is a hidden panel that leads down to a secret area. The BFG9000 is in here, and also a mega-sphere.
Further to the right is a wide hallway (6) with some more arachnotrons. Jumping down into the area they are in will trap you with the only way out through the main large room. It is a good idea to kill all the imps and cacodemons there first. At the end of the hall is a lift down to the area where the blue key is. Before you ride it down, step up into the open window first, then immediately turn around or jump down into the large room. A surprise pack of nightmare-imps will teleport in to surround you, so defuse this trap before going after the blue key.
Down in this area (7) are two hell-knights from different directions to contend with first. Then there are some imps and a pair of barons that will ambush you on your way to claim the key. The teleport pad will take you to a small chamber full of imps, (if you didn't kill all the ones overlooking the main large room.) There is also another teleport back into this same room. (Or, you can avoid the teleport altogether and just ride the moving column back up.)
Back up the lift, go through the window but avoid landing on the invulnerability artifact on the pedastle below. It will be put to better use later. Head to point 8 and open the blue bars there. The switch inside will open the blocked area in the NW corner of the level. It will also summon a baron of hell and some specters to the main hallway.
Red key:
A suspended switch will now be exposed in the hallway N of room 3. Activating this switch will lower the floor down to
the "library" area. This is a veritable maze of bookcases patrolled by imps and zombies. There are also a few hell-knights
and barons hiding here, so be careful coming around corners to avoid close encounters.
A switch at point 9 lowers some stairs allowing you to proceed N from the uppermost library room. A baron of hell guards the switch. Another baron hides in a corridor further W in this room. Two more barons will greet you at the top of the new stairs on your way to 10.
The switch on the wall lowers a lift with a hell-knight on it which you will ride up to collect the red key. If you need the supplies stashed on top of some of the bookcases, look for a secret panel that will lower them so you can get on top to collect them.
You find yourself overlooking the red skull key at the top of the lift. As soon as you grab it, the room below will fill with enemies. My favorite strategy here is to jump off and run back around to the lift near 4. Dodge through the barons of hell, cacodemons and nightmare-cacodemons, staying to the right. Once you make it to the lift, you can be on offence instead of defense.
Now, you can make a jump for the invulnerability artifact and into the fray if you wish. A fun thing to do is just to run around in room 5 and get some of the monsters to shoot at each other. This is a rare chance to witness an aerial battle between the two varieties of cacodemons. (Oh, I wish barons and hell-knights could be coerced into fighting each other!)
Through the red keyed door is the central and final area of the level. Imps patrol the upper walkways. The yellow key to the exit is in the center of the room. Picking it up summons several more barons of hell to fight. Another baron waits behind the yellow keyed door. (This is an alternative use for the invulnerability artifact if you choose.) Activate the exit switch and prepare to enter "Altar of Pain".
Back to Top / TC map index / Classic DOOM home page