Difference between revisions of "Sabaoth"

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[[Image:Sabaoth001.jpg|thumb|[[Sergeant Kelly]] after his demonic conversion, Sabaoth]]
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{{enemybox
 
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| image=[[image:SabaothShot.jpg|250px]]
:''Welcome to the mess hall, Marine.''
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| hp=1,750
:''Your duty was to die, soldier.''
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| attack= 40 (melee attack), 200 (BFG-9000)
 
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| found=Central Processing: Primary Server Bank
:- Sabaoth
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| spawn="spawn monster_boss_sabaoth"
 +
}}
 +
{{Quote|Your duty has always been to die, soldier!|Sabaoth|Doom 3}}
 +
'''Sabaoth''' is the third boss in [[Doom 3]]. He is encountered in the level [[Central Processing: Primary Server Bank]] in the CPU chamber. Killing him will reward the [[player]] with a [[BFG 9000 (Doom 3)|BFG 9000]].
  
 +
==History==
 
{{spoiler}}
 
{{spoiler}}
 +
Sabaoth is actually [[Sergeant Kelly]] after his demonic transformation. Its lower half has been transformed into a tank-like vehicle, while the upper portion is a twisted body attached to heavy machinery armed with a very sharp claw and a shoulder-mounted [[BFG]]. Sabaoth is rather large, being slightly taller than a [[Hell Knight (Doom 3)|Hell knight]] and significantly wider. His claw does 40 points of damage per strike, and his stolen BFG-9000 deals a massive 200 points. His BFG was taken from [[Jack Campbell]].
  
'''Sabaoth''' is actually [[Sergeant Kelly]] after his demonic transformation. Its lower half has been transformed into a tank-like vehicle, while the upper portion is a twisted body attached to heavy machinery armed with a very sharp claw and a shoulder-mounted [[BFG]]. Sabaoth is very large, being slightly taller than a [[Hell Knight (Doom 3)|Hell Knight]] and significantly wider.
+
The reason for Kelly's subversion and transformation still remains uncertain. While it is possible that he was working with Betruger and the demons since the beginning (substantiated by the fact that he insisted in contacting the [[Earth]] armada to bring them to [[Mars]], maybe knowing it would be taken over by the demons), it is equally possible that he was captured, mind-enslaved and transformed by [[Betruger]] to serve him, and that his zealous attempts at contacting the fleet to get reinforcements were simply basic military logic (realizing that the battle is lost without reinforcements).  
  
The reason for his "incident" still remains uncertain. While some affirm he was working with Betruger and the demons since the beginning (substantiated by the fact that he insisted in contacting the Earth armada to bring them to Mars, maybe knowing it would be taken over by the demons), others think he was captured, mind-enslaved and transformed by [[Betruger]] to serve him, and that his zealous attempts at contacting the fleet to get reinforcements were simply basic military logic (realizing that the battle is lost without reinforcements. It is also worth noting that [[Jonathan Ishii]]- who is unlikely to have been allied with Betruger- was attempting to send a distress signal before the invasion, giving some weight to the later interpretation).  
+
[[Jonathan Ishii]]—who is unlikely to have been allied with Betruger—was also attempting to send a distress signal before the invasion, lending some weight to the latter interpretation.
  
==Tactical Analysis==
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{{Endspoiler}}
Sabaoth is a large target with tons of hit points and enough firepower to topple even the hardiest marine. The suggested route involves running and gunning, avoiding both Sabaoth's claw and BFG shots. Unleash the [[Soul Cube]] if it is charged and then pummel it with rapid fire weapons such as the [[Chaingun (Doom 3)|chaingun]] and [[Plasma gun (Doom 3)|plasma gun]]. The [[Rocket launcher (Doom 3)|rocket launcher]] can be effective, provided the player can aim and fire the weapon without exposing himself to the Sabaoth too much.
 
  
Getting close to Sabaoth is unwise, considering his claw attack. However, he can not run the player over with his tank treads. For ranged combat, Sabaoth fires a BFG shot at the player every several seconds or so. A single direct hit from the BFG is almost always fatal even at full health and armor, however the BFG projectiles are very slow moving and easy to dodge. Unfortunately, the BFG projectiles constantly emit secondary energy beams which deal continuous damage to the player for as long as they are in the BFG projectile's line-of-sight. It is arguably best to use small weaponry like the Chaingun or the [[Machine Gun]] to destroy the BFG shots, since the player takes more damage the longer each BFG projectile is active.
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==Tactical analysis==
 +
{{spoiler}}
 +
Sabaoth follows a fixed movement pattern, driving around the room in a figure eight pattern around the four pillars in the corners of the room. As the battle progresses, the pillars will open and close one by one, emitting electrical arcs that can damage the player if he or she is standing too close. Additionally, bridges will extend from the central platform to various side rooms where additional health, armor, and ammo can be found.
  
Another strategy involves waiting for the Sabaoth to get out of its garage, then quickly hitting it with a charged Soul Cube and a salvo of 5 rockets. This should topple it on Marine difficulty.
+
Sabaoth is a large target with tons of [[hit point]]s and enough firepower to topple even the hardiest marine. The suggested route involves running and gunning, avoiding both Sabaoth's claw and BFG shots. Unleash the [[Soul Cube]] if it is charged and then pummel Sabaoth with rapid fire weapons such as the [[Chaingun (Doom 3)|chaingun]] and [[Plasma gun (Doom 3)|plasma gun]]. The [[Rocket launcher (Doom 3)|rocket launcher]] can be effective, provided the player can aim and fire the weapon without exposing himself to Sabaoth too much.
  
Yet another strategy involves launching the soul cube at him, running towards him, ducking and using the chainsaw on the tank section of his body while strafing right - it should kill him really quickly, but the downside is you might lose a lot of health.
+
Getting close to Sabaoth is unwise, considering his claw attack. However, he can not run the player over with his tank treads. For ranged combat, Sabaoth fires a BFG shot at the player every several seconds. A single direct hit from the BFG is almost always fatal even at full health and armor; however, the BFG projectiles are very slow moving and easy to dodge. Unfortunately, the BFG projectiles constantly emit secondary energy beams which deal continuous damage to the player for as long as he or she is in the BFG projectile's line of sight. It is arguably best to use small weaponry like the chaingun or the [[machine gun]] to destroy the BFG shots, since the player takes more damage the longer each BFG projectile is active; furthermore, disrupting the projectile soon enough should also catch Sabaoth in the ensuing explosion.
  
==Trivia==
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Another strategy involves waiting for Sabaoth to get out of its garage, then quickly hitting it with a charged Soul Cube and a salvo of five rockets.  This will kill him quickly.
* The word "Sabaoth" is Hebrew for "armies". Ironically, the term is almost always an affix for Jehovah, making Jehovah Saboath, or Lord of Hosts (or Armies).
 
  
* Sabaoth bears a strong similarity to the style of cyborg enemies (especially the Tanks), called the ''Strogg'', seen in [[Wikipedia:Quake II|Quake II]]. It also has a similar appearance to that of the [[Arachnotron]]s and [[Spiderdemon]]s, as being an organic creature with a robotic, tank-like lower body. Another creature who also bears a big similarity towards Sabaoth is Bone Breaker, the stage 3 boss from the [[Wikipedia:Sega Mega Drive|Mega Drive]] port of [[Wikipedia:The Punisher (arcade game)|The Punisher]], released in 1994.
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A riskier strategy involves launching the Soul Cube at him, running towards him, ducking and using the chainsaw on the tank section of his body while strafing right - it should kill him very quickly, but the downside is that you might lose a lot of health.
  
* Oddly enough, when rendered motionless with "notarget", melee attacks with fists, chainsaw or flashlight can draw blood from the lower tank section of Sabaoth (strangely, considering its mechanical nature). This is probably just a bug, since the player is not really meant to get to hit Sabaoth in melee.
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A final option is to launch the Soul Cube at him immediately, pull out the chain gun, and then fill him with bullets while sprint-strafing to the side, and—if possible—aiming to hit his BFG blasts. Using this method can be quick if you get lucky and hit a shot right out of his cannon, and the chaingun is especially effective against stronger enemies such as Sabaoth.
  
==Combat Details==
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When playing in Nightmare difficulty, this is likely the toughest fight in the game if the player does not have a charged Soul Cube. Less than a second of exposure to the BFG rays will kill you, so it is best to use the rocket launcher constantly, as the splash damage will likely blow up the BFG shots the moment they are fired. There is enough time to unload five rockets and blow up Sabaoth's first shot before he changes direction for the first time. After that, three to five more rockets and another explosion should bring him down.
* '''Health:''' 1,750
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{{Endspoiler}}
* '''Attack Damage:''' 40 (melee attack), 200 (BFG-9000)
 
* '''Cheat Spawn:''' "spawn monster_boss_sabaoth"
 
  
 +
==Trivia==
 +
* The word "Sabaoth" is Hebrew for "armies". Ironically, the term is almost always a suffix for Jehovah, making Jehovah Sabaoth, or Lord of Hosts.
 +
* Sabaoth bears a strong similarity to the style of cyborg enemies (especially the Tanks) called the ''Strogg'', seen in ''[[Wikipedia:Quake II|Quake II]]''. It also has a similar appearance to that of the earlier [[arachnotron]]s and [[spiderdemon]]s, and the later [[Doom hunter]], being an organic creature with a robotic, tank-like lower body.
 +
* Oddly, when rendered motionless with "notarget", melee attacks with fists, chainsaw or flashlight can draw blood from the lower tank section of Sabaoth (strangely, considering its mechanical nature). This is probably a bug, since the player is not meant to hit Sabaoth in melee.
 +
* No matter where Sabaoth was killed, its corpse will always end up in the middle of the room.
 +
* According to the ''Making of Doom 3'' book, the original intention for Sabaoth was that Sergeant Kelly's torso would be crucified onto a demon, which in turn would be fused with a tank. The demon Sabaoth would then use Kelly's military experience and knowledge to its advantage. Some of this concept, however, was "lost in translation."
 +
* Sergeant Kelly's transformation into his Sabaoth form may not have happened until after he killed Campbell, as the corridor he ambushed Campbell in is too narrow for Sabaoth's body.
  
 
{{doom 3 monsters}}
 
{{doom 3 monsters}}
 
[[Category:Boss monsters]]
 
[[Category:Boss monsters]]

Revision as of 02:48, 22 December 2021

SabaothShot.jpg
Sabaoth
Health

1,750

Attack Damage

40 (melee attack), 200 (BFG-9000)

Found in

Central Processing: Primary Server Bank

Cheat spawn

"spawn monster_boss_sabaoth"

"Your duty has always been to die, soldier!"
― Sabaoth [source]

Sabaoth is the third boss in Doom 3. He is encountered in the level Central Processing: Primary Server Bank in the CPU chamber. Killing him will reward the player with a BFG 9000.

History

Spoiler Warning: Plot details follow.

Sabaoth is actually Sergeant Kelly after his demonic transformation. Its lower half has been transformed into a tank-like vehicle, while the upper portion is a twisted body attached to heavy machinery armed with a very sharp claw and a shoulder-mounted BFG. Sabaoth is rather large, being slightly taller than a Hell knight and significantly wider. His claw does 40 points of damage per strike, and his stolen BFG-9000 deals a massive 200 points. His BFG was taken from Jack Campbell.

The reason for Kelly's subversion and transformation still remains uncertain. While it is possible that he was working with Betruger and the demons since the beginning (substantiated by the fact that he insisted in contacting the Earth armada to bring them to Mars, maybe knowing it would be taken over by the demons), it is equally possible that he was captured, mind-enslaved and transformed by Betruger to serve him, and that his zealous attempts at contacting the fleet to get reinforcements were simply basic military logic (realizing that the battle is lost without reinforcements).

Jonathan Ishii—who is unlikely to have been allied with Betruger—was also attempting to send a distress signal before the invasion, lending some weight to the latter interpretation.

Spoilers end here.

Tactical analysis

Spoiler Warning: Plot details follow.

Sabaoth follows a fixed movement pattern, driving around the room in a figure eight pattern around the four pillars in the corners of the room. As the battle progresses, the pillars will open and close one by one, emitting electrical arcs that can damage the player if he or she is standing too close. Additionally, bridges will extend from the central platform to various side rooms where additional health, armor, and ammo can be found.

Sabaoth is a large target with tons of hit points and enough firepower to topple even the hardiest marine. The suggested route involves running and gunning, avoiding both Sabaoth's claw and BFG shots. Unleash the Soul Cube if it is charged and then pummel Sabaoth with rapid fire weapons such as the chaingun and plasma gun. The rocket launcher can be effective, provided the player can aim and fire the weapon without exposing himself to Sabaoth too much.

Getting close to Sabaoth is unwise, considering his claw attack. However, he can not run the player over with his tank treads. For ranged combat, Sabaoth fires a BFG shot at the player every several seconds. A single direct hit from the BFG is almost always fatal even at full health and armor; however, the BFG projectiles are very slow moving and easy to dodge. Unfortunately, the BFG projectiles constantly emit secondary energy beams which deal continuous damage to the player for as long as he or she is in the BFG projectile's line of sight. It is arguably best to use small weaponry like the chaingun or the machine gun to destroy the BFG shots, since the player takes more damage the longer each BFG projectile is active; furthermore, disrupting the projectile soon enough should also catch Sabaoth in the ensuing explosion.

Another strategy involves waiting for Sabaoth to get out of its garage, then quickly hitting it with a charged Soul Cube and a salvo of five rockets. This will kill him quickly.

A riskier strategy involves launching the Soul Cube at him, running towards him, ducking and using the chainsaw on the tank section of his body while strafing right - it should kill him very quickly, but the downside is that you might lose a lot of health.

A final option is to launch the Soul Cube at him immediately, pull out the chain gun, and then fill him with bullets while sprint-strafing to the side, and—if possible—aiming to hit his BFG blasts. Using this method can be quick if you get lucky and hit a shot right out of his cannon, and the chaingun is especially effective against stronger enemies such as Sabaoth.

When playing in Nightmare difficulty, this is likely the toughest fight in the game if the player does not have a charged Soul Cube. Less than a second of exposure to the BFG rays will kill you, so it is best to use the rocket launcher constantly, as the splash damage will likely blow up the BFG shots the moment they are fired. There is enough time to unload five rockets and blow up Sabaoth's first shot before he changes direction for the first time. After that, three to five more rockets and another explosion should bring him down.

Spoilers end here.

Trivia

  • The word "Sabaoth" is Hebrew for "armies". Ironically, the term is almost always a suffix for Jehovah, making Jehovah Sabaoth, or Lord of Hosts.
  • Sabaoth bears a strong similarity to the style of cyborg enemies (especially the Tanks) called the Strogg, seen in Quake II. It also has a similar appearance to that of the earlier arachnotrons and spiderdemons, and the later Doom hunter, being an organic creature with a robotic, tank-like lower body.
  • Oddly, when rendered motionless with "notarget", melee attacks with fists, chainsaw or flashlight can draw blood from the lower tank section of Sabaoth (strangely, considering its mechanical nature). This is probably a bug, since the player is not meant to hit Sabaoth in melee.
  • No matter where Sabaoth was killed, its corpse will always end up in the middle of the room.
  • According to the Making of Doom 3 book, the original intention for Sabaoth was that Sergeant Kelly's torso would be crucified onto a demon, which in turn would be fused with a tank. The demon Sabaoth would then use Kelly's military experience and knowledge to its advantage. Some of this concept, however, was "lost in translation."
  • Sergeant Kelly's transformation into his Sabaoth form may not have happened until after he killed Campbell, as the corridor he ambushed Campbell in is too narrow for Sabaoth's body.