Cherub

The Cherub is a monster exclusive to Doom 3. It has the appearance of a hybrid between a human infant and a fly. It has insect-like wings (which produce a characteristic insect buzzing sound when in action), black sclerae with white pupils, and arms terminating in sharp, monstrous claws. It emits sounds similar (but distorted) to a baby babble.

This enemy first appears in Recycling Sector 2, when the player proceeds to the Underground Access Hall.

Combat characteristics
Cherubs move with a combination of crawling on the ground and using their wings to quickly hover forward several feet. They attack by quickly leaping at the player from a significant distance, noticeably further attack range than Trites or Ticks, and striking the player with great accuracy. Up close, Cherubs will rely on their insect-like claws in two successive swipes, to blind and disorientate the player.

Like other weak demons, Cherubs often come in swarms with up to 5-6 at most. However, they usually attack the player 2 or 3 at a time instead of several at once.

Tactical analysis
Like the other "pest"-demons, the Cherub is overall weak. However, they are arguably more powerful than the other smaller demons such as the Lost Soul, the Trite and the Tick. Their small stature makes them a difficult target, and their habit to suddenly leap and score a direct hit from a great distance can make them dangerously unpredictable.

The Shotgun and the Chainsaw are excellent weapons to use in close range against an individual Cherub. However, as Cherubs are likely to come in swarms, close combat is generally not advised.

The player must keep a good distance from them and take them out at range. Because of their tendency to make sudden strikes, it is best to start firing the moment they appear within the player's sight. The Machine Gun is an efficient weapon to use thanks to it's high accuracy and rate of fire. However, if you are not too confident with your aim, the Chain Gun and Plasma Gun are safer alternatives to be taking them down.

In Resurrection of Evil, the Cherub can be picked up and launched with the Grabber, which is instantly fatal to it. As they come in large numbers, it's advised to utilize rapid-firing weapons to dispatch them all quickly.

Trivia

 * A cherub is a biblical angelic figure, often depicted as winged human child.
 * The Cherub's human infant-like characteristics makes them notorious by the Doom community for being the most unpleasant and emotionally disturbing enemy in the entire franchise. Whatculture even listed these monsters in their list of "10 Creepiest Video Game Enemies".