Cherub

The Cherub is a monster new to the Doom universe, having not appeared in older titles. It has the appearance of a human baby with insect-like wings (which produce a characteristic insect buzzing sound when in action), black sclerae (sclera is the solid "white" of the eye) with white pupils, and arms terminating in sharp, monstrous claws. It has no legs, having instead the abdomen of a fly. It emits sounds similar (but distorted) to a baby babble - this, alongside its resemblance to a human infant, makes it one of the most unpleasant and emotionally disturbing enemies in Doom 3.

Cherubs typically attack in groups, with the player fighting a series of several of them in the same area. However, Cherub groups are typically smaller than Trite or Tick swarms, and they usually attack the player 2 or 3 at a time instead of several at once.

Cherubs are often found near Mancubi, leading some to think that Cherubs are their offspring, which is wrong.

Combat characteristics
The Cherub is one of the weakest demons in the game, although it is more powerful than the other small "pest"-type demons such as the Lost Soul, the Trite and the Tick. Its power should not be underestimated, as it is able to use its wings to strike a blow very accurately, which makes it hard to dodge. It uses its insect-like claws to blind and disorientate the enemy.

Cherubs move with a combination of crawling along the ground and using their wings to quickly hover forward several feet. They attack by quickly leaping at the player from a significant distance, and have a noticeably further attack range than Trites or Ticks.

Like other weak demons, they often come in swarms.

Tactical analysis
While weak, the Cherub can be difficult to hit because of its small body size, and players often misjudge how far it can actually leap. Due to its leaping distance, it is strongly advised to not use close-combat weapons such as Shotgun and the Chainsaw against it. The player should keep a good distance from it and hammer it to pieces from afar with the Machine Gun. 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 is advised to utilize rapid-firing weapons to dispatch them all quickly.

The Plasma gun, Chain Gun, and Grenades work well against a group of Cherubs at mid-range. If you have to fight it at close range, especially in some areas of Hell, aim your Shotgun at its head for a one-shot kill.

Trivia

 * Cherubs are named after angelic beings of the same name from Christianity, which had four heads. These are often depicted as angelic infants with wings (“putti”) in modern Western Christianity, which may have inspired the design of this monster.