Mancubus (Doom 2016)

A mancubus.

This article is about the monster in Doom (2016). For other games, see:

• Mancubus
• Mancubus (Doom 3)
• Mancubus (Doom Eternal)
• Mancubus (Doom: The Dark Ages)

The mancubus makes another return in the 2016 Doom, retaining most of the characteristics of its classic and Doom 3 forebears while introducing new characteristics which combine to make it one of the game's most serious threats. Still capable of firing powerful blasts from twin arm cannons, this incarnation of the monster is also equipped with a long-range flamethrower that can deal constant damage. Uniquely, it is also highly mobile - while still a relatively slow walker, it can jump up and down ledges to give chase. It also possesses a powerful ground pound attack which it will rely on if the player comes into melee range, causing significant damage over a broad area. Differences in appearance from its predecessors include a cyclopean head build with a single prominent green eye, and an ovoid, vertically oriented mouth which is lined with sharp teeth, making it look possibly related to the cacodemon.

An even more powerful and well-defended version of the monster also exists in the form of the cyber-mancubus, which has been enhanced using UAC technology.

Tactical analysis

Health: 2500

Chainsaw Fuel Usage: 5

The mancubus's fireballs lose accuracy at long range, making it preferable to engage it from a safe distance while strafing around it. In close quarters, it will try to use its ground pound to force the player back before following up with its flamethrowers, so it should not be engaged up close unless you have the chainsaw sufficiently fueled.

While a considerable portion of the mancubus's body is armored, its head, back, and stomach are fully exposed to attack. The mancubus's stomach is its main weakness, and if killed by a shot to the stomach it will explode and damage nearby demons. A fully charged shot from the Gauss cannon is enough to accomplish this in most cases.

Infighting

Mancubi seem to prefer fighting revenants if they are present.

Attacks

Attack	Too Young To Die	Hurt Me Plenty	Ultra Violence	Nightmare
Melee	17	35	62	104
Melee Quake (AOE)	~13	~25	~45	~75
Flamethrowers	?	?	?	?
Plasma Barrage	12.5	25	43.5	74.5

Multiplayer

Hit points

800

Primary skill

Fireballs

Secondary skill

Vent heat

"Bombard enemies from a distance with volleys of rockets."

― Multiplayer description

The mancubus is one of the playable demons in multiplayer mode, and is unlocked through player progression at level 9 of the first echelon. This demon has the most hit points, followed by the baron of Hell. It looks different from the creature that is met in the singleplayer campaign and Snapmap, appearing like a cyber-mancubus, but all the glowing elements are different, especially the eyes, which are very bright red instead of green.

Compared to other demons, their movement and jumping speed is very slow. The main attack fires two fireballs per shot from one of the cannons, which also has splash damage at closer range and can be lethal to the target. They are slow, especially in mid air, which gives others some time to dodge. While firing, two bars will charge from the sides of the HUD's front. The cannons can be overheated if the player fires their weapons too much. The longer the mancubus shoots then the longer the cooling takes. If the player is overwhelmed, they should make use of their heat vent attack to wipe out most nearby enemies. The heat vent attack's range also depends on the heat charged. When the heat meter is almost full, the heat vent attack's range slightly increases. The mastery of this creature can take time, because the main attack requires accuracy and good reflexes to utilize effectively.

This demon is best suited for tight maps for greater effectiveness.

Among the disadvantages of the mancubus, there are no plates on the chest area, which is why its belly is exposed. This is one of their weaknesses. Shots that hit it will cause extra damage to this behemoth. With the mentioned weaknesses, which are slow speed compared to other more agile demons (like the revenant or the harvester) combined with its size and huge hit box, can make it a prime target for other players. Players should take this into account when fighting this demon. Weapons that work well against it are the rocket launcher, which can do good damage, and the super shotgun for close range. For long range weapons, use the static cannon, the vortex rifle, or the heavy assault rifle, for sidearms, frag grenades, kinetic mines and tesla rockets work well, because getting too close to the mancubus can result in the player being killed by its vent heat attack. Also, the Gauss cannon and BFG will be effective against the demon as they deal significant damage to it, especially because these weapons are designed as a counter to the demon rune. The mancubus is also playable in Snapmap.

Glory kills

Five glory kills against the mancubus exist:

• From the front, the slayer will rip out the mancubus's exposed heart and stuff it down its throat. It will stagger around for a short period before collapsing and bursting open in an animation reminiscent of the original's death.
• From the back, The Slayer will rip a tube leading from the fuel pack to the arm cannon, allowing fuel to escape and engulf the mancubus in flames.
• When using the chainsaw from the front, the Slayer will pierce the mancubus' stomach and rip it open.
• When using the chainsaw from the back, the Slayer starts sawing the mancubus' back to the middle, and then cuts one of its arms.
• The berserk Slayer lands two hits that go through the mancubus: the first hits the place where the heart is located and removes its protection; the second hits the exposed part, causing it to explode.

In multiplayer

Five glory kills in multiplayer against the mancubus exist:

• From the front, the mancubus will try to raise its left arm to cover itself, but the player climbs on the cannon, then jumps and stomps twice on its opened mouth.
  • From above, there is almost the same animation, but the player will not climb on the weapon and instead immediately stomp twice on the mancubus' mouth.
• From both sides, the player climbs on the mancubus, takes one of its cannons and shoots off the upper part of its head.
• From its left, the player's blow causes the top of its head to separate from the monster.
• From its right, the player takes hold of the helmet and tears off the upper part of the mancubus' head.
• From behind, the player climbs or jumps from above on the mancubus' back, to open its backpack and take out the battery.

Lore

The mancubus is said to have a foul, nauseating odor due to its diet of rancid flesh which continues to decompose inside the creature's body. Its innards are volatile, flammable, and highly toxic. At maturity, the monster's hands become covered with a chitinous growth and the tissue inside the barrel-like protrusion rots. The noxious fluids can then be spewed from the arm cannons under pressure, causing ignition, giving the demon biological flamethrowers. Mancubi are given light armor at maturity as well, but they always outgrow it due to their ravenous appetites.

Their peculiar biology is also their greatest weakness - the skin surrounding their bellies is easily pierced, and when exposed to air their internal organs violently explode, showering a considerable area with their poisonous remains.

Pre-release

• In the E3 2015 presentation it was shown that the mancubus would fire green projectiles like the cybernetic counterpart's acid, instead of the red ones in the final version. In addition, the glowing red parts of its armor instead glowed bright green, as the monster's eye.
• According to leaked details from the closed alpha, it was planned that there would be a multiplayer weapon called the mancubus gland.
• Also in the closed alpha multiplayer build, a T-pose model of the mancubus was found that was used in the release for the multiplayer component, and it was also possible to play as it.
• In Noclip footage of a tech demo the mancubus has gray skin like in The Art of DOOM concept art, and its chest was burning orange.

• 

  Pre-release screenshot of mancubus with glowing green parts.

• 

  Mancubus in the tech demo.

• 

  Concept art by Hugo Martin.

• 

  Playable mancubus in the closed alpha multiplayer build. In the standard T-pose, having been spawned in via console command.

Trivia

• According to the @DOOM twitter account, id Software's developers referred to the placement of a mancubus in a narrow hallway as a "fat guy in a little coat," which is a reference to a scene in the 1995 comedy movie Tommy Boy starring the late Chris Farley in which Tommy destroys Richard's suit coat by putting it on and splitting it after singing this line as a song several times.
• According to Hugo Martin, the mancubus design was completed very early in development.

Sources

• DOOM - Bestiary (archived 🏛)