The Arch-vile is a returning monster that appears in Doom Eternal, having made its debut in Doom II. Serving as a replacement for the previous game's Summoner, it's capable of spawning in a group of demons to harass the player and damaging them with various fire-based attacks.
In-Game Description[]
Forged from Hellfire, the Archvile is feared among lesser demons for its innate ability to channel and manipulate the unholy powers of Hell magic. Descended from the eldest race of demons, the Arch-vile has long held a place within the ruling caste of high-born demon lords. Possessing superior intellect among the demon ranks, the Archvile's psychomancy powers make it a natural-born ruler of the savage and primitive beasts of Hell, capable of bending weak-minded underlings to serve its will.
Appearance[]
The Arch-vile has a similar appearance to its original sprite in Doom II, but several small tweaks have been made to its design. It is still extremely tall, towering above the player, as well as most other demons. However, it has also been noticeably beefed up, looking far less emaciated than its previous designs. Numerous spines can also be seen all around its body, and tough pieces of bone cover its frame, particularly on its shoulders and chest area.
Combat Analysis[]
The Arch-vile is a master of fire, with almost all of its attacks involving an attempt to burn the Slayer in some way. From medium distances, the Arch-vile will launch waves of fire at the Slayer, not dissimilar to the Whiplash's shockwaves or Summoner's psychic attacks. If the Slayer is in the Archvile's line of sight at longer distances, and the Arch-vile isn't in the middle of summoning a group of enemies, it may spawn a large puddle of flames underneath them. This lake of fire deals significant damage and should be dashed out of as fast as possible. Should the Slayer get too close, the Arch-vile will surround itself with fire and attempt to teleport away to a safer location.
The Archvile's greatest asset is its ability to summon a group of demons to attack the Slayer. While doing so, the Arch-vile will erect a wall of flame in front of it, preventing both projectiles and the Slayer himself from reaching it. Should the Arch-vile succeed in summoning in its demonic horde, they will have the same perks as if they were under the effect of a Buff Totem, with increased movement speed and damage output. This effect will only apply to demons the Arch-vile has summoned, however, and will end if Arch-vile is slain. An Arch-vile can theoretically summon an infinite amount of demons, though it will only spawn a few each time. It should be noted that the Arch-vile is incapable of summoning other Arch-vile, though it can summon other Super Heavy demons such as Barons of Hell, Tyrants, and even Marauders on higher difficulties.
As a Super Heavy Unit, the Arch-vile is immune to the Chainsaw and resistant to the BFG projectile's tendrils.
Due to its high health pool, damage output, and capability to overwhelm the player with buffed up demons, killing the Arch-vile should be your number one priority at all times. The Arch-vile will typically spawn in an obscure location on the battlefield, and teleports frequently, making keeping track of it challenging. Should the player find it, getting up close to bypass its defenses and forcing it to use its weaker attacks is highly recommended. The Super Shotgun's Meathook is capable of quickly closing the distance and dealing hefty amounts of damage. The Lock-On modification for the Rocket Launcher may seem like the obvious choice to deal with the Arch-Vile at first. This would be true if not for the fact that the Arch-Vile can sense when the player is in the process of locking on and will quickly teleport away. This will either cancel the lock or make the rockets fly in the direction they were travelling before losing their target. For this reason, the Lock-on modification is best accompanied by weapons and equipment which can falter the Arch-Vile, denying it the opportunity to evade.
To cancel the Arch-Vile's summons, it simply needs to be faltered. You might not have enough time to deal enough damage to the Arch-Vilr to falter it before it completes its summons. The fastest way to falter it is with a Frag Grenade, assuming you have the Combustion Concussion suit perk. The Ice Bomb will also cancel its summons and freeze it in place. Or better yet, use the Crucible if you can.
The Arch-vile cannot attack while it is summoning a group of demons, making approaching it slightly easier. Its summoning can also be interrupted by faltering it. If this occurs, any demons the Arch-vile was in the middle of summoning will instantly die. The flame wall the Arch-vile uses to protect itself while it is summoning demons can be destroyed with a Blood Punch, allowing the player to more easily falter/kill it.
Battlemode[]
The Arch-vile also serves as one of the several playable demons in Doom Eternal's Battlemode. With a base health of 2250, it specializes in area denial and support, capable of erecting walls of fire to block the Slayer and using teleportation to make up for its lackluster movement speed.
Abilities[]
Arch-vile Specific End of Round Upgrades[]
Trivia[]
- During Glory Kills, the Arch-vile noticeably shows fear, the only demon to do so unsubtly.
- The Lake of Fire attack bypasses the Chaingun energy shield's damage absorption. (Note: This was not the case in Battlemode when this mod was still available)
- The Arch-vile had its own reveal cutscene, first shown at Quakecon 2018, but was removed from the final release.
- Additionally, the scene shows the Slayer pulling out the Crucible when restored via modifying the game. Interestingly enough, the cutscene is set in the Mars Core level, though the Crucible isn't obtained until Taras Nabad, which takes place after Mars Core's proceeding level.
Gallery[]
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