Some combat tips from someone with 1.600+ hours in game

[Dr. Professor Commander]

Keep in mind these strategies go hand in hand with quick switching, so you'll need to practice those too for maximum effectiveness! These are just a few things to make specific annoying enemies easier to deal with, and also is made assuming mastery of every weapon is obtained, and also assumes you'll take advantage of the free glory kills for a consistent supply of Blood Punch. If these strategies aren't used, I'm assuming you'll PB/SSG or PB/Ballista combo them. So let's begin:

Prowler - One ballista = glory kill state (Especially useful on those pesky cursed prowlers), Destroyer Blade 2nd incremental charge will kill them. One PB blast and one ballista shot will kill them.

Whiplash/Spectre whiplash - Two incremental charges of Destroyer Blade will put them in a glory kill state, three will cut them all in half.

Hellknight - Three incremental charges of the ballista will send them into a glory kill state

Revenant - A well-timed dash directly into them as you blast them with your SSG can either kill or send them into a glory kill state (Works well at the end of a meathook use)

Carcass - One PB blast and one ballista shot will kill them. At full HP a blood punch will put them into a glory kill state. 1st increment of charged destroyer blade kills them and penetrates their shields

Baron of Hell - Freeze (not entirely necessary) then spam PB/SSG combo. Blood punches are optional and make them die much faster, but make sure you use them while they're still frozen for extra damage.

Shield Soldier - Sticky grenade at the feet or PB on the left side of the shield puts them into a glory kill state (landing that shot is easier than it seems), two dashes from the energy shield also sends them into a glory kill state.

DOOM Hunter - Two blood punches and a rocket burst = glory kill state or death depending on health.

Dread Knight - Rocket burst sends them into a glory kill state. Meathook then fill your bloodpunch

Pain Elemental - PB/Ballista combo or PB/Shotgun if unavailable (not as effective but still works well if they're close enough)

Spectre Pinky - See Revenant strategy above

Tyrant - See Baron strategy above, but needs more damage so dropping your grenades is useful for them.

Arch-Vile - Freeze (necessary this time for easiest kill) then follow Baron strategy

Possessed enemies

Possessed Pinky - One Blood punch and a shield dash or two puts them into a glory kill state

Possessed Hellknight - Rocket burst that MF

Possessed Tyrant - Good luck, spam rocket bursts, grenades and blood punches then refill as necessary and repeat. PB/SSG combo or PB/Ballista at range

Possessed Baron - Meathook into the air, time your dashes and double jump to extend air time while spamming rocket bursts to soften them up quite a bit for your other combos.


This isn't a full list, just the enemies I personally find to be very pesky at times. Utilize your energy shield often to get out of bad spots/after glorykilling or chainsawing. This is VERY useful when dealing with Marauders.

My twitch is on my profile, and I have TWS ML on Ultra-NM w/no HUD done in two attempts set as a highlight. If you need visual examples refer to video (successful run starts at 21:48 and all mods are purely cosmetic). You will notice me using these strategies often throughout the video. Hope this helps some of the lesser skilled Slayers out there bring even more carnage!

My aim also kinda sucks at times, but if I can do that ML w/no HUD on Ultra-NM successfully, then that's a bit trivial. Sometimes it's better to body-shot anyway.

[StreamWhenGuy]

k

[Sar]

Some additions from a much worse player who doesn’t really use combos except for SSG-ballista:

Carcass - one ballista headshot puts them in GK state. Hook - SSG blast to the upper area one-hit-kills them.

Pain Elemental - why not just Arbalest them twice? This either staggers or kills them, I think depending on if you hit the eye with one of those shots.

Possessed demons - Microwave Beam works on them! You can either combo it or just press it down if the monster is alone and you have a lot of ammo.

[Hundinger]

Revenant: blood punch plus grenade - glory kill most of the time

[Grampire]

Cacos = PB + Ballista + Rocket
Mancs = PB + Rocket + Ballista + Meathool -> SSG -> GK/BP
HellKnight = PB + Rocket => Shield Bash + Blood Punch => GK
Marauder = (first cycle)SSG xxx grenade + PB -> Rocket -> PB -> Rocket -> Ballista (second cycle) SSG xxx PB -> Rocket -> SSG
Arch = Freeze Grenade xxx 2xLoB -> PB

Most of the time with larger heavies I don't give a ♥♥♥♥ and just rush them down with PB -> SSG and Blood punch + Shield Bash on cooldown with frags and remote detonate rockets for staggers.

[furbleburble]

I appreciate the tips offered in this thread. Thanks, guys.

Originally posted by The Dubious Doobie:

Possessed Tyrant - Good luck, spam rocket bursts, grenades and blood punches then refill as necessary and repeat. PB/SSG combo or PB/Ballista at range

The Holt has a possessed Tyrant. I found on HMP, UV, and Nightmare that taking it out last made the fight considerably easier for me. I've never tried UN so I can't speak on that. I also don't know if this would apply to other possessed Tyrants.

[Knud den Store 🧙‍♂]

I am still looking for a reliable recipe to put Pain Elementals in GK state. My best guess is that Plasma Heat Mod spam works really well for that purpose, it is mostly for the Taras Nabad challenge, I have replayed the ***** out of this game.

[furbleburble]

I can see new players coming here and being intimidated by these tips and then leaving, effectively reducing the potential audience. I think it would be a good idea to include newbie-friendly alternatives in many cases. For example, a single LoB takes care of Hell Knights and Whiplashes (non-specter), while a single LoB + GK takes care of Dread Knights. Of course, you have to actually have LoB in order to use it, so spamming Sticky Bombs and/or Micro Missiles against Hell Knights until then is not a bad alternative, especially if you struggle to implement PB in combos or just can't for whatever reason.

Originally posted by Knud den Store:

I am still looking for a reliable recipe to put Pain Elementals in GK state. My best guess is that Plasma Heat Mod spam works really well for that purpose, it is mostly for the Taras Nabad challenge, I have replayed the ***** out of this game.

I read in a youtube comment section that 3x standard Ballista shots does the trick. Unfortunately, I lost the link and can't give credit where it's due. I tested it several times in Taras Nabad and it worked each time. I don't know of a more effective alternative.

Edit: Fixed typos and added a few words.

[-|Nur|-]

I have finished the game on Nightmare and yet had to google "PB" to know what you were referring to, so I'd fix that. If you want to offer the noobs advice, I'd explain the abbreviations before using them.

[Niknokinater]

Ones I use pretty often are
-Hell Knight: 1 Lock-on Burst for glory state or kill (I don't remember which)
-Mancubus: 1 Lock-on Burst + 1 Ballista for kill
-Cacodemon: 2 Ballistas for kill (shoot, switch away, switch back)

[Chronos]

I may as well list some stuff I use.
Mancubus: Meathook + Super Shotgun + Blood Punch + Super Shotgun. Works on Cyber Mancubi too.
Marauder: Avoid until every other Heavy/Superheavy is gone. Super Shotgun x2 per green attack.
If hammer is available: Super Shotgun + Hammer + Mobile Turret = dead fast.
Tyrant: Ignore if there's lots of cover until the end, spam easy ballista or rocket shots until it staggers.
Cacodemon: Combat Shotgun Grenade + Glory Kill = Loot Pinata.
If from a distance, 1 Arbalest shot insta-gibs them.
Pain Elemental: 2 Direct Arbalest shots tends to either kill them, or put them in a glory kill state.
Archvile: Crucible them... Otherwise, ice bomb then grind them down with a high damage weapon.
For Possessed Demons, try and keep a distance from them and deal with stronger or equally strong demons, then Burst them down when the time is right. Ice bomb the area where the Spirit is to keep fodder from damaging you during the beaming process.
Samuel Hayden: "Save your Ammunition."

[Sar]

Originally posted by Chronos:

I may as well list some stuff I use.
Mancubus: Meathook + Super Shotgun + Blood Punch + Super Shotgun. Works on Cyber Mancubi too.
Marauder: Avoid until every other Heavy/Superheavy is gone. Super Shotgun x2 per green attack.
If hammer is available: Super Shotgun + Hammer + Mobile Turret = dead fast.
Tyrant: Ignore if there's lots of cover until the end, spam easy ballista or rocket shots until it staggers.
Cacodemon: Combat Shotgun Grenade + Glory Kill = Loot Pinata.
If from a distance, 1 Arbalest shot insta-gibs them.
Pain Elemental: 2 Direct Arbalest shots tends to either kill them, or put them in a glory kill state.
Archvile: Crucible them... Otherwise, ice bomb then grind them down with a high damage weapon.
For Possessed Demons, try and keep a distance from them and deal with stronger or equally strong demons, then Burst them down when the time is right. Ice bomb the area where the Spirit is to keep fodder from damaging you during the beaming process.
Samuel Hayden: "Save your Ammunition."

You can easily SSG-ballista-SSG during the typical Marauder stun, try it!

[Hundinger]

Originally posted by Chronos:

I may as well list some stuff I use.
Mancubus: Meathook + Super Shotgun + Blood Punch + Super Shotgun. Works on Cyber Mancubi too.

Are you saying you're going in for a point blank ssg without using a grenade or something to falter first? You're generous with your health then.

[Sar]

I think first SSG shot falters a manc before it can do the AoE

[Hundinger]

Originally posted by Sar:

I think first SSG shot falters a manc before it can do the AoE

I see. Let me try that.

[Hundinger]

Originally posted by Hundinger:

Originally posted by Sar:

I think first SSG shot falters a manc before it can do the AoE

I see. Let me try that.

Okay, yeah. Still safer to falter in advance though. It's in my auto pilot settings anyway, won't unlearn that.