Dread Knight

The Dread Knight is a brand new demon to Doom Eternal. A Cybernetically enhanced version of the Hell Knight, it has access to a wider range of attacks and sports dual energy swords.

Codex
''A variation of the Hell Knight breed, the Dread Knight has been modified and hardwired for aggression. Armed with exo-prosthesis powering energy-blade augments, the Dread Knight is the lethal result of UAC Cultist engineering. Epinephrine regulators modulate the Dread Knight with an unbroken flow of rage-addled adrenaline, while its endorphin receptors have been synchronized to respond with the use of its arm-mounted blades. With each kill, the Dead Knight is injected with a flood of artificial dopamine. As a result of its augmentation, the Dread Knight is driven by a biochemically engineered state of pure, unbroken rage - suffering for which respite can only be found in the act of the kill. ''

Appearance
The Dread Knight has the appearance of a dull brown Hell Knight. However, it is also covered in various machinery, including metal plating and orange tubes. Particularly noteworthy are the two orange energy swords placed just above the Knight's wrists. Unlike the Hell Knight, the Dread Knight's eyes glow a deep red.

Combat Analysis
The Dread Knight is behaviourally similar to the Hell Knight, rushing the player down and performing powerful area-of-effect attacks. However, it also has some new tricks up its sleeves. For one, similar to the Baron of Hell, it is able to launch a beam of energy at the Slayer from a distance, and its ground-pound attacks leave the ground in his immediate vicinity coated in orange energy, damaging anything in it for a few seconds. It is notably much bulkier than the Hell Knight, serving the role as a middle ground opponent between the lesser Hell Knight and greater Baron.

Fortunately, it shares the same weakness as the Hell Knight and Baron of Hell; concentrated Chaingun fire tears it to shreds and halts its progress. If the Chaingun isn't available, three rockets are enough to put it into a stagger state, allowing for an easier kill. One lock on burst from the Rocket Launcher can remove a Dread Knight from the battlefield without much fuss, as long as you Glory Kill or otherwise kill it. If neither options are available, one should use their dash frequently to avoid its powerful attacks and constantly chip away at it from a safe distance.

The Dread Knight is one of the most dangerous threats in the game up close, and putting as much distance as you can between it is highly encouraged.