Commando/Doom 3

"There is no death for you."

- Malcolm Betruger, after transforming a Marine into a Commando

The Commando from Doom 3 looks vastly different from his Classic Doom counterpart, wearing no shirt or armor, but wearing a futuristic helmet of a style reminiscent of German Stahlhelme and a pair of camouflage army pants. They have a different origin than other Zombies; a brief cutscene depicts Dr. Betruger casting a spell on a marine, who slowly transforms into a Commando as Betruger continues his incantation.

There are two types of Commando in Doom 3: one who carries no firearm but has his right arm demonically modified into a muscular, whip-like tentacle, while the other one has both his human arms intact and carries a Chain Gun. Interestingly, the Tentacle Commando stands a full head taller than a normal human, while the Chaingun Commando is the same size as a human marine or Z-Sec soldier. It is unknown why this is, though the player is able to avoid a Tentacle Commando's strike by crouching during his attack. They are both dangerous foes due to their high offensive capabilities, and are among the most elite of Doom 3's monsters, posing a similar threat level as the Revenant, and exceeded only by the likes of the Arch-vile, Mancubus, and Hell Knight.

Combat characteristics


Commandos typically appear individually or in small groups of two or three, although they often appear alongside other enemies such as Z-Sec soldiers or Imps. Upon death, a Commando's body will burn up like those of other demons.

Tentacle Commando
This monster runs at lightning speed and can sprint a lot quicker than the player, making it the fastest enemy in the game. It will quickly close in to lash out his tentacle arm, using it as a sort of whip. However, this whip attack will not hurt players who are crouching, so players should make use of this chance to finish the Tentacle Commando within seconds. Occasionally, he will perform a short range leap attack with his knee which is nearly impossible to dodge. When he gets close enough not to rely solely on his tentacle "whip", he will attack the player with a rapid series of punches and kicks. Nothing except a killing hit can stop or interrupt his charge. Unlike other monsters, Tentacle Commandos can leap down from overhead balconies or platforms, using their tentacles as grapples, to attack the player.

Chaingun Commando
Arguably the single most dangerous of the game's mid-level demons, he is more accurate than a Z-Sec and will only stop shooting if he is hurt significantly (when this occurs, he will make an "ow" sound, and run for cover) or killed. He carries a Chain Gun, which he fires in a single prolonged burst, and chases after the player when he is not firing. Occasionally he uses cover like the Z-Secs. Unlike Z-Secs, the Commando does not lean around cover, and instead sidesteps in and out of cover to fire at the player. Unlike his tentacled colleague, he has no melee attack.

Tactical analysis
In general, both types of Commandos are considerably tougher than their classic counterparts, with the Chaingun Commando being capable of surviving a direct rocket hit and the Tentacle Commando outrunning the player.

Tentacle Commando
This guy is nearly impossible to shake off, so the best tactic is brute force. Using either the Chain Gun or the Plasma gun against him is the most effective technique. Ducking whenever he attempts to hit the player with his tentacle is the only viable means for dodging his basic tentacle attack, as the tentacle extends almost instantly. Although he can kick at close range, they are generally slower than his tentacle strikes.

If he performs a leap attack, the only thing players can do is to keep firing and attempt to move sideways and backwards, hoping either to kill him before his attack strikes home or to successfully dodge the attack, the latter being a very rare occurrence. Players should always avoid getting within melee range of him as his melee punches and kicks are vicious and very difficult to dodge.

This tactic is often used by very advanced players to kill leaping Tentacle Commandos. First, when he draws his tentacle back to gather force, run against him and fire a point-blank shotgun blast at his chest, then immediately duck under his tentacle. Then, as he extends his tentacle (if not killed by the first shot), blow a second shell at his waist. This should kill him, without the player taking any damage because he doesn't have any time to retract his tentacle and begin kicking. However, should the player stand up at any point, his head will hit the tentacle, causing him to take damage. After ducking, it is safest to keep crouched until the Commando dies. This tactic can be used when the player has low health and can't take the damage the tentacle does. However, it will not work against Commandos running at the player within melee range, because he will immediately start kicking.

If surprised, one point-blank shotgun blast to the head will kill him instantly. Using this method, if the player can see him charging from a great enough distance, it is usually easy enough to sprint towards him with the shotgun and headshot at point-blank for a one-shot kill. A point-blank shotgun blast to the chest will also kill him if all 13 pellets hit, although this leaves the player vulnerable to his melee attacks if the first shot doesn't kill him. In Resurrection of Evil, the Double Barrel Shotgun is the optimal choice, since it kills him easily. A grenade can also easily get the job done - just make sure he is not too close to you after you toss the explosive at him, as this can also result in a suicide if your health is too low.

If you do not want to waste ammunition on the Tentacle Commando, it is also relatively easy to kill him with the Chainsaw. If the Commando leaps at you, duck and attack him. If your aim is good, you can kill him before he starts to kick you.

Chaingun Commando
If ever there was a good reason to use the rocket launcher, this is it. Keep in mind that Commandos are tough enough to take two rockets to bring them down, unless they are hit in the face. Players should aim at the ground in front of the Commando, and always keep a wall between them and the Commando. Grenades are similarly effective if "cooked" to create a longer throw distance. Alternatively, players can use either the Chain Gun or Plasma gun against him, popping in and out of cover or circle-strafing while firing repeatedly, as the Chaingun Commando's spin-up delay in firing will delay his aim long enough to allow the player to be a step ahead of the spray.

If you have to fight him at close range, aim your Shotgun to his head (2-3 times should drop him), circle around him using a column, or even use the BFG or Soul Cube to counter him without taking damage; however, players should avoid close contact with them at all times.

Fighting Chaingun Commandos at long range is preferable, as their accuracy is somewhat reduced at a distance. Close range combat is definitely not advised, unless the Commando chases after the player and the latter has cover advantages.

Trivia

 * The Chaingun Commando is similar to the Zombie Soldier from Serious Sam 2 in that they are both zombies that wield miniguns (chainguns in the Commando's case) and wear German World War II-styled helmets. They may also be a homage to id Software's Wolfenstein series.
 * The Commandos in the Alpha version of Doom 3 had slightly different voices; their voices sound more robotic and maintain fragments of their human language, as they can be heard growling the words "You!" and "Die!", as well as shouting taunting phrases like "You will not escape!".