Game: Doom 2
Pwad: Deus Vult II
Filename: dvii-20-1024-bn.lmp
Skill and Style: 4 (UV-Max)
Map Level: 20 (Desert Temple)
Exe/Port used: GLBoom 2.4.8.1 (PRBoom Plus) -complevel 9

Totals:
Kills       102%
Items      ~62%
Secrets    100% and (Time- 10:24)

Comments: 
I've always liked egyptian-themed Doom levels...and this is no different.  Looks good, plays well, just how I'd expect it.

The challenge on this level stems from the fact that ammo is rather tight.  You'll want to take advantage of infighting whenever possible in order to save up ammo.

Beginning will show you just how tight the ammo is here.  The sargent behind the starting point should be killed for his SG and the bullet clip in the boat taken before setting off for the rest of the level.

Climbing the cliffside will be tricky because HWDs are placed nearly everywhere and in spots where they can ambush you.  Knowing where each one is will be important to minimizing damage.  After snagging the first CG, that can be used to kill all enemies early on save for the caco.  I prefer taking it out with the SG to conserve bullets for the first secret.

After reaching the entrance to the temple, the first secret is straight ahead after going up the stairs.  Examining the wall lowers it to reveal a manco and some shells.  This is where you dump any remaining bullets you have into the manco.  If it still lives, a couple shells oughta drop it.  Obtain the ammo and enter the temple.

Kill stuff as you make way to the green armor and collect every last shell and bullet you can.

From here, smart fighting will help you until the Plasma Gun.  By taking it, a wall lowers to reveal several HWDs and a couple mancos.  I just make a run for the switch in the next area while taking down a couple HWDs en route.

At the dead end is a switch you step on.  It locks you in an area with a few revs and a tomb which will rise when you get near it.  Take out the sargent that appears, then lure the revs far away enough so you can get the SSG.  Use it to kill the revs while waiting for the wall blocking your way backwards lowers.  Kill anything that might be in your way and head to where the HWDs and mancos are.  This is the perfect chance to utilize infighting in order to kill or severely weaken the mancos and HWDs.  Kill any survivors after the mancos fall or are nearly killed and go onwards into the area.

After climbing some stairs, there's a switch...but there's also some monsters that can be released.  To do so, make a leap to the tomb in the middle and get the medpack + shells, then examine the tomb.  Something clicks...and teleporting sounds are heard.  Have your CG or PG out to break through the enemies once the sides of the tomb open and wait briefly for the wall to lower and let you outside again.  More chances for infighting here.  Even better if you left the mancos alive to inflict some more pain here.

Once everything is dead, re-climb those stairs as if you were going to jump into the tomb again, but instead step on the switch and make a break for the lift that leads you up to the next level.  Should have just enough time to make it before it rises.

In the new level, move forward to make an arach appear.  Kill it and get the nearby items.  One is a trap that drops you into a tight passageway with imps and a Hell Knight at the end.  Grab the berserk and punch out everything except the HK, then SSG it out (Or fist it to death, but the dodging space is extremely tight here).  Take the lift back up to where the arach was and proceed onwards.

Shouldn't be too hard to waste anything in your path until you round the corner after taking out an archie and HWD.  Revs appear in front of you and an arach behind you.  Quickly snag the RL + ammo and fall back to allow the revs/arach to bunch up and smack them all with rockets.  Mop up with the fist or SSG and go on.

Secret #2 should be obvious.  Pay attention to the flames on top of the pillars and examine the pillar with the different color than the rest and you'll be warped to a backpack. Snag it and return to where you were.

You'll notice the RSK on a pillar, but leaping to it also triggers a HWD to appear where it was...and opens secret #3 for a moment.  To get to it, jump down to the area with the helmets and run back to that one lift that brought you up to the 2nd level.  En route you'll notice a teleporter which takes you right up there.  Run like hell and hug the inner part of the path (but don't drop into the imp/HK hallway again :P).  Should reach a teleporter which brings you to a fun little secret containing a medpack.

After escaping, it's time to grab the 4th secret.  You should be able to make the jump to the RSK pillar like usual (but kill that HWD there first).  Instead, just fall down and kill those zombiemen on the sides if you haven't done so yet.  Go left and you should end up at two tombs.  Approaching them makes two revs appear.  Kill them, grab the ammo, move on.  One zombieman later you'll hit a teleporter.  Taking it leads to the 4th secret.

At the area are many tombs.  Once close to them, several sargents and an archie appear.  Use the raised teleporter for cover from all the gunfire and spells getting tossed at you as you dispose of everything.  Go grab the medpacks in the corner when it's safe to make the teleporter back to the previous area lower.

After some backtracking, there's two switches that can be activated with your RSK in hand.  One lowers a platform with a manco on it and a lift leading into the next area.  The other one is back in the main hallway of the temple.  Activating it lowers the platform the 3 sargents were on so you can grab their ammo and deal with the arach in the room beyond.  Step on the switch and grab the BSK.  This lowers a nearby wall outside with an arach and couple lost souls behind it.  

Kill them off, grab the nearby rockets, then get the final secret by examining the wall behind the archie.

With this all done, it's time to deal with the final area of this level.

After taking the lift by the 1st RSK switch I mentioned, you come to an area with two barons down the hallway with the berserk pack and a few sargents on one platform + HWDs on the other platform.  The barons should be dealt with first before exploring the area.  Hopefully you have enough shells lying around to kill them.  Otherwise use a couple rockets and mop up with the fist (Or PG if desperate, but conserve the cells if possible).

There are three switches you can press right now.  One, the lone BSK switch in the level, lowers the nearby wall to reveal a couple spectres and another berserk pack.  The other two switches lower another wall leading to another switch to step on and a couple more spectres.

Once that switch is stepped on, activate the lift and be prepared for a few revs to teleport in.  This is the best time to use some cells since you don't have an easy escape route if you get cornered or whatnot.  Once they're dead, take the lift back up and go snag the YSK.  Kill the caco that teleports in and go use the YSK at the switch by the sargents platform.  If possible, forget about killing those HWDs for the moment unless you have very low health.

Snagging the megaarmor at the end triggers the final trap of the level, a wave of revs from the nearby tombs and an archie that teleports up to where the HWDs are.  By keeping those HWDs alive, you have a strong chance of finding a good spot from where to kill the revs without risking being hit by a fire spell.

As for the revs, empty all remaining cells and mop them up with the SSG.  The tombs they were in have shells if you need them.  With any rockets you may have, kill the HWDs + archie, then locate a wall texture in one of the tombs that isn't lit up and examine it to open the way outside.  Step on the final switch outside and follow the new path to the exit (A cool exit I must say).

All in all, this run could be improved some.  I'd like to think under 10 minutes is possible here without any mistakes.

Brian "Anima Zero" Nesser
Bri8527@comcast.net