MAP15: Babylon's Chimera (Sunder)

MAP15: Babylon's Chimera is the fifteenth map of Sunder. It was designed by Insane_Gazebo and uses the music track "Sunset Over Babylon," originally composed by James Paddock (Jimmy) for Jenesis.

Essentials
You will be given a megasphere and most of the weapons at the start, excluding the plasma gun and BFG9000. The exit to the starting room is blocked by imps and revenants, with two barons of Hell on the flanks. Attacking them causes two arch-viles to spawn in the starting room. Head down the steps, and you will have a choice of two paths. There are revenants directly to the east which you should get rid of. Take the left path, which will end up in a dead-end area with barons of Hell, a cyberdemon, and two arch-viles. Entering this area causes three mancubi and some imps to show up at the fork as well. Be sure to press the switch at this dead end before going back.

Now take the right path that had revenants from before and go northeast, taking the steps down. You will have to deal with four pain elementals here. Keep going down, then you will be following a path of steps going up. Make note of the invulnerability as you turn south. Grab the megaarmor and press the switch, then go back and collect the invulnerability. The walls at the middle of the steps will be open, where you will have to deal with six arch-viles to the south and a horde of cacodemons to the north. The arch-viles will teleport to where the switch was. Another switch is behind the cacodemons, which will allow you to leave.

After having pressed both switches at the individual dead ends on both paths, the way north from those paths will be open. Get on the metal lift and ride it down to find the plasma gun. Four mancubi are on a ledge to the left, which is not accessible at the moment. You need to hit the switch to the north. The walls to the sides will open revealing cacodemons and pain elementals, while seven arachnotrons will teleport behind you. Be mindful of the two holes on the southern corners of this area. When it becomes available, the next switch is on the northwest column, which will remove the barrier on the steps with armor bonuses. This will allow you to reach the platform with mancubi (look out for the hole below this platform). Walk north and get the megasphere, then go up the steps to the southwest to a teleporter. The teleporter takes you to a platform with ammo around it. Hop the platforms going southward, being careful as you do not want to fall into the lava.

At the bottom, there is a barred area off to the right with a soul sphere inside, which you will come back to. South of there is a megaarmor guarded by a cyberdemon. Further to the west are three more cyberdemons and the next switch. The switch opens the high walls revealing cacodemons. Get rid of them, but take note that not all will attack you yet. Return to the barred area to find it accessible, with revenants frolicking inside. Press the switch here, then return to the western section to find another switch on the northwesternmost column. This switch lowers the bars at the large set of steps going southbound. Going down these steps all the way leads to a dead end, but make note of the three squares as well as the blocked off path to the west. Go up a bit to find two areas accessible. Traverse the blocks over the lava pit to get the BFG9000, then take the small passage to the north of there. This ledge leads to the high ledges where the cacodemons were. Your goal here is the switch at the opposite ledge, so get past the cacodemons as well as the five arch-viles around the back section, then press the switch. Now go back to the southeast to find another switch, which will allow you to ride a lift up. Two barons of Hell greet you here, and a switch is at the east end of this high rise. Press it and quickly go back down. The next batch of enemies will come running up the steps from the three squares at the bottom, including four arch-viles and a horde of revenants. Get rid of them, then go to where the megaarmor was located to find the switch that removes the bars to the west of those squares.

Now take the path of health bonuses all the way down. The next area is huge and you will need all the space in it. The switch is in the middle when you are ready. Revenants, Hell knights, barons of Hell, and a cyberdemon will pour out from the corners and sides of the map and converge on your position. Due to the open nature of this field the revenants are especially dangerous. Another switch to the west will be available eventually. Pressing it opens the bars to the east, where three arch-viles and a cyberdemon show up on the bridge. Grab the supplies as you go, including the soul sphere at the dead end, before continuing north. The switch at the top of the steps here leads to a place with four barons of Hell, a cyberdemon further north, and three arch-viles to the east. The teleporter on this platform leads to the one with arch-viles, where you will find a megaarmor.

Go north and east down the steps, then take a lift down. This small platforming segment will have you moving between platforms, but after you step on the second big platform, two walls will lower. The southwest one contains two arch-viles, while the northeast one contains chaingunners. Watch your footing as you proceed. Another arch-vile will be on the end platform, and the switch here lowers a long lift. Ride this lift up and go east, getting rid of the baron of Hell and riding another lift up. A large group of Hell knights greets you at the top. To the east is a spider mastermind and two arachnotrons, and three arch-viles are just to the west of where they are located. Another arch-vile is on the path just behind the lift where you entered this place. Back here is a megasphere and a switch. After using that switch, go back south and east to the entrance of this small path to find the next switch. The next switch after that will appear on the northeast column where the spider mastermind was, but you will have to fend off a horde of revenants and four arch-viles who teleport in while it lowers. Pressing this switch will allow you to leave this area to the southeast. If you are heading for the secret exit, be sure to remember the staircase here.

You will then proceed down two lifts to the next area. Head north, being mindful of the two lava pits in the middle here, and press the switch at this end where the megaarmor is. This switch reveals a switch in the southeast corner, with four arch-viles and a horde of revenants spawning near this switch while Hell knights and barons of Hell spawn in the southwest corner. When everything is quiet, use the southeast switch and continue eastward across the bridge. At the indoor section, head south and quickly get rid of the two cyberdemons, then look back north and get rid of six arch-viles. When it becomes available, you will find a switch in the area where the two cyberdemons were. Press it and head west past the open door.

As you head down, a cyberdemon will awaken and two cacodemons will try and ambush you from a tower. There are barons of Hell at the lowest level before the next building as well. In this building at the center of the map, press the switch and get ready to fight imps and revenants coming from the corners. When this is done, the next switch is at the southeast end. Pressing it opens a path to the west. Follow this path as it wraps around the building, getting rid of barons of Hell, revenants, and Hell knights as they show up. At the bottom of the steps in this path will be a long walkway with demons. Run to the first corner to deal with Hell knights and four arch-viles pouring out from the water. Walk south up the steps to the next lift and ride it up.

The next part must be done quickly. There are large platforms over the lava you must traverse, and thankfully there are teleporters in the lava if you fall. However, you will have to contend with two pyramids to the north containing Hell knights. You may be tempted to fire on them too, but this is not recommended as they will teleport away later on. Worry more about crossing the lava and dodging projectiles, which includes the massive wave of imps at your next destination to the west. If you move quickly, you can contain this horde before they reach the beginning of the platform. You will eventually find out the tunnel is full of imps, and when you go south, the Hell knights from before will teleport into the northwest corner. The south end of the tunnel is empty apart from fourteen arch-viles.

Grab the supplies at the end of the tunnel including the megasphere and take the steps up. Cross the platforms (if you fall, a teleporter is to the northeast) to the semi-circle at the south end. Here, you will have to wait for the red key to lower, and three barons of Hell along with two cyberdemons teleport in its vicinity. There is a wall of mancubi to the north as well, so keep on your toes at this point and use the elevation to your advantage until the key lowers. Afterwards, continue traversing the platforms going right. At the bigger platform, you will notice the northern path is blocked off, so head south to the red door, being careful not to fall into the deeper lava pit as this time there is no teleporter you can use to get out.

Inside the room past the red door, two cyberdemons will attack once you cross to the middle of the room. Use the switch and prepare for a major battle. The enemies that come pouring out will appear at the three sides of the room as well as the center, and the horde includes three cyberdemons, eighteen mancubi, three arch-viles, pain elementals, revenants, and Hell knights. Continuously circle the arena, which will help in dodging most of the projectiles but also to keep enemies in the center as well as keep monster infighting active. When you survive, two switches at the north end near the door will be available. Make sure to press both, then return to the big platform from before and take the north path which is now open.

Take the steps up when you are ready. In this watery area, the monsters will continuously pour out from the center, with metal walls in the immediate corners of the center and several other embankments scattered about. The northeast metal wall will lower revealing a switch, but you will have to contend with revenants, arch-viles, cacodemons, and no less than seven cyberdemons. Try to keep the enemies centered. When you can, press the switch inside the northeast metal wall, which will lower the southeast wall with three arch-viles and another switch. This switch lowers the southwest wall with the same pattern, then the northwest wall. You will then be able to head north.

This next segment has you descending a long, wide staircase. You will fight the occasional pair of arachnotrons as you do, but part of the way down, numerous enemies will teleport onto the emblems on the floor, including demons, revenants and Hell knights. Near the end of the staircase you will also run into two cyberdemons, then later nine mancubi just before a tunnel. Three arachnotrons are inside this tunnel, and at the end go through the broken wall into the lava. Two cyberdemons are to the northeast, and when you go west through the dilapidated structures, revenants and arch-viles show up on the opposite side. Make your way up to where they teleport and head southwest to find a soul sphere, three armor bonuses, and two switches. Press both, then make your way back up to where the nine mancubi were to find a path to the south.

Grab the berserk pack and prepare to climb down yet another long and winding staircase. This one will only have imps on the way down, but there are no supplies on the steps as you go along. At the end will be mancubi and a spider mastermind. Take the long lift down to an open field with a huge trench in the middle. Note the supplies around this trench, including the megasphere at the northeast corner. Entering this trench causes arch-viles and barons of Hell to teleport into it. Get rid of them now and use the metal pillar for cover. Use the switch in the trench, then, as quickly as you can, climb the steps out of the trench and head southeast to find a horde of revenants and demons. Remember this area for later if you intend to reach the secret exit, then press the switch here. Return to the trench and use the switch where the metal column used to be, then leave and head east to the final room.

This room will prove to be the toughest challenge on the map. Entering the arena reveals barons of Hell and four cyberdemons to take on. A megasphere is in the middle, two soul spheres are at the left corners, and two megaarmors are at the right corners. The exit is blocked off at the east end. When you enter, immediately press the switch. Revenants, Hell knights, and arch-viles will teleport in at the eastern end of the room. Take note that monsters will not teleport in from the left side, but try to keep the enemies contained. Initiate monster infighting, keep your supplies close by, and be mindful of this area's geometry, as you could get caught by the jagged edges of the walls. While you are fighting, the column closest to the exit will have its west side lower. When it lowers all the way, the switch that removes the bars to the exit will be revealed. You can choose to take the normal exit to MAP16 or find the hidden switch on the north wall in the exit chamber and go to the secret exit (see Secrets for more info).

Secrets

 * 1) In the left wall of the normal exit chamber is a tiny hole with a switch. Pressing it will open a teleporter room in the previous arena with the revenants and demons. The teleporter room itself is the secret (sector 12446), but by itself does not lead to the secret level. Take the teleporter back to a previous section of the map (containing a long-defeated spider mastermind) take the first left to find a staircase leading to an elevator downward. Carefully step off the right-hand side of the staircase to land on a radiation suit, then step off again into the lava. Run forward down another drop into another pool of lava, then hurry forward to the secret exit.

Current records
The records for the map at the Doomed Speed Demos Archive are:

Things
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level: