[SPOILERS] Hardest WAD(s) or map(s) you have ever played / completed

Let's tell some stories about?

 

doomworld.com/files/file/15550-plutonia-2/ (#8 in community top list)

https://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=58535&hilit=Complex+Doom

 

My current record - Plutonia 2 PWAD, map 32 "Go 4 It". Ultra-Violence difficult + Complex Doom. In this mod enemies has several tiers and they way tougher then original onces. You also has some better weapons, but, still, on this map... this doesn't change much of things. For example some skeletons and every cyberdemon has homing missiles that will follow you. ~ 2044+ enemies of ~ 2150+ died here. Many demons destroy each other. At the end of the map a lot of onces are spawn every few seconds + arches restore few.

 

How I done it?

 

0. First of all. To get on this map on map 15 last enemy, arch, must drop you to the secret zone, where you can enter to tough enough map 31 with a lot of cyberdemons and other enemies. That jump require enough HP. Better - close to 100. Still that map not close to map 32 in case of hard things.

1. Map 32. Gate to the ending area. Here were 3 cyberdemons. Killed them all. They also killed all nazi enemies. That enemies can't be killed or hit by the player.

 

 

2. The part of the area, small rectangle type, behind the gate looks like that. Tonns of enemies everywhere. Black pain elemental - tough one kind. Cacodemon with bigger eye - too.

 

 

No save place here at all. You can hold for a few seconds sometimes in few places, but in total it always required to run around like a circle to stay alive.

 

3. To go to the exit you need to turn on 5 swiches around the map. After that bridge will be completed at the center of the map. But here will be another problem - at most of the time some enemies, like barons, will stay on that bridge. The only chance to get to the exit is to run fast on the clear bridge.

 

4. After a lot of attempts bridge finally clean. Time to run.

 

 

5. Near exit.

 

 

6. Another side. Lost souls can enter between this barier. Other demons not. You can turn off the switch here - it, seems to, will destroy local version of "icon of sin". Or you can just go to the teleport and left it intact.

 

 

7. Statistics.

 

 

8. You think this is the end? Jokes on you. After you teleport on regular MAP 16 enemies just from the start will shoot at you from all the sides. Including: probably cyber baron just near by, pack of arches in a tower, tough pain elemental, 2 cacodemons and for cherry on the cake - flying spider. When I've had around 20 HP. Well. You know what they said: "Question is not how we will enter there. Question is always about how to exit...".

 

But, if you will be lucky and fast enough, you can hide and fight from here:

 

 

And I not recommend to open a door with a skull on it until you will get some HP / clear the area near by.

 

9. Grenade launcher and 4 barrels shotgun can help you here a lot. Door with skull was on right side of the screen before I've opened it.

 

Edited July 27, 2020 by UnknDoomer

That's pretty impresive, i have done something like that with Plutonia and metadoom, but this is a whole level of difficulty.

Nice done!

 

I don't play really difficult maps, I am usually playing on ITYTD, so I only have difficulty with a few maps. One that I found to be very difficult was E4M2 or M6. I wasn't as experienced with the game as I am now, so I would use some of my crappier weapons, so I would be demolished by every enemy I came across. Now, I could get through both levels on HMP with a bit less difficulty, still, at the time I hated them. Also, any map that puts dozens of mid-tier demons next to each other in one room for you to take care of, and then for an Archie to appear from thin air, and you have to focus on him as Revenant missiles bombard you really suck! I've only seen a few as not many people are sadistic fucks!

That's quite impressive. I know Complex Doom throws some new weapons at you, but the monster tier system in it can spawn some brutal fights. On that map in particular with all those hordes, I have to hand it to you.

 

There is plenty of very tough maps but I'm really stubborn so I have to die about 20-30 times before I would consider it too hard. Even then, I'll just take a break and keep trying. I'm not the rage-quit type, I can't recall one game that I ever did that in. Unless it was totally broken.

 

When I was in my teens though I remember having a rough time trying to 100% E4M1 on UV. Since that's the only IWAD one that I can think of right now, I'll go with that (if you're doing 100% UV on it). For other WAD's I remember quite a few tough ones, but I almost never remember the map names. So I can't really contribute a 'hardest map' in that category.

 

The hardest wad for all the wrong reasons, archie.wad. 

Hardest secrets: finely crafted fetish film 07

Hardest map might actually be Abandon (beta) map 10. Without cheese strats.

 

Dimensions is on my to-play list in the near future so my answer will probably change. 

 

Edit: Played dimensions, maps 3 and 32 are def the hardest maps i've played, abandon10's hallway might be the hardest single fight still. 

Edited August 8, 2020 by Lucky_Edie

I finished Sunlust map 1-5 on UV difficulty, without any mod. But gave up and continued on HMP. It's the hardest wad i've played so far.

I dunno, maybe Speed of Doom MAP23.

Probably Scythe 1 Map 30

Nochance.wad.

 

I recorded a walkthrough UV demo last year on it.

 

Demo

 

 

The map that most trouble give me on the recent times is Doom 404 map26 by @Capellan.

Is a map that starts in a tiny room with a switch, and once you activate it, the next area is a really big pool-like hole with thin corridors around it and some adjacent rooms over this corridors full of monsters and some monster turrets. And thats all the map, per ce.

 

From my experience this are the outcomes from different tries: fall to the pool die, get cornered die, enter a room die, stay on the starting room die, try to made them infight die.

I usually save at the start of the map and saves again at the start of the next. But this is one of the only maps where i had to save during the playthrought as its a map that opens as you move activating more monster waves.

Its not at all an slaughter map, but it is designed soo smartly that its a highpoint of difficult on the entire mapset.

 

Just two maps give me trouble while playing this megawad, map20 or 21, i don't remember exactly which, and map26. The other maps are great too and offers a really tough challenge, but at least i manage to beat them on the first or second try.

 

Doom 404 is an awesome mapset, far more difficult than any map on my other vanilla sadistic joy: Kama Sutra.

Or at least thats how i feel it.

And i think its a shame that people don't give this megawad the love it deserves.

 

Mine would be Sunlust Map29. It may not be the hardest map in the set, but requires many different skills and strategies to *at least* survive each section. Mind you, this was on UV and I was pistol-starting.

 

In the beginning, you are greeted with an archvile quartet after taking the initial teleporter. These guys dont serve much of a purpose, so I run past them. If you are pistol-starting, then your only option is to sneak behind the sleeping cyberdemon and hit the button. If he shoots, you must restart. 

 

That button I was talking about: yeah, it opens the starting room up. And then death. After a few seconds of stunned silence, you realize the starting room has transformed into a beehive full of archviles, revenant, barons, PEs, cacos, HKs on ledges, plus that initial cyberdemon. Your only choice is to run for a rocket launcher and the box of rockets sitting next to it. If you manage to grab those, then make your way into a passage ahead. In that room there's another cyberdemon (he's high up, though). After fighting the barons and progressing/clearing the start with the BFG/rocket launcher/chaingun, grab a rad suit and explore the waste behind the now deceased initial cyberdemon. 

 

Flip some switches, fight some archviles, and then you'll discover a master switch that lowers part of the starting room. Exploring a bit will reveal some surprise revenants and a circular room. I hope you know what you're in for. Kill the three cyberdemons and take in your surroundings. There is an island in the center where numerous archviles will spawn. A cover rotates around the room; losing track of it results in certain death. Press the button that initiates the fight. Here, you'll need to constantly move in a circle while fighting the imps (and eventually, HKs) that crowd each side of the room.

 

If you move around like a head-less chicken or aren't confident of your crowd shaping skills, then play something easier. Trust me, you'll just keep frustrating yourself more and more if you continue. The archviles on the center island can be crushed. Flip the 2 switches, get the yellow key, and leave the room.

 

At the opposite side of the start room there is a switch. Fight the cyberdemon after hitting it (2-shotting him would be ideal). This part consists of hitting the switch at the end of the outside balcony, running back to where the cyberdemon was, and hitting the next switch. I shoot 3 BFG balls at the mancubi that spawn in front of me, and then hit the other switch when it is available. That one lowers the balcony and reveals the rest of the outdoor area. Make use of a secret invulnerability here, because pressing the 2 switches in the waste will open up 4 archviles, 12 revenants, and 6 cyberdemons. Be efficient here. Return to the lift by where the megasphere was and hit that switch. More archviles await. Kill them, get the red key, and raise the starting room floor.

 

There is a red key switch at one end of the starting room. That one reveals about 100+ monsters, but you can cheese them by using a hidden switch that allows you to telefrag the cyberdemon in the baron room. From there, you can infight the monsters until only one species remains. Teleport out, and kill everything else. Thank god there are no roaming archviles in that fight. Congrats; you have completed one of the most iconic maps of Sunlust, and arguably, all of Doom! 

 

Ancalagon has a UV-Max demo on the DSDA channel and decino has completed this map casually. One thing I must add: The level certainly lives up to its name. It even earned itself a spot on the most memorable maps list, placing eleventh. 

 

10 hours ago, P41R47 said:

Just two maps give me trouble while playing this megawad, map20 or 21, i don't remember exactly which, and map26.

 

If it has a cyberdemon, it's map21.  It's more likely map20 though.

 

Glad you enjoyed Doom404!

 

I've been doing some of the "suggested play order" maps. I did Vanguard (the 13-map set), and it was fine on UV.

 

I'm working my way through Scythe 1 now on UV. That one was largely fair... until I finished Map 20, and it's now gone straight to dickish on Map 21. I am definitely not a fan of death exits, ESPECIALLY when the WAD has multiple death exits, usually every few levels, but the start of this map is just garbage. A lot of enemies on you from the start, almost no ammo, and only a Berserk and a stimpack for health, and a surprise Arch-Vile when you have almost nothing.

 

EDIT: I've made it to Scythe 1 Map 23, the blue key door. This is bullshit.

Edited July 31, 2020 by Stabbey

On second place in top, if count unique WAD's, I put MAP13 "Deep Trouble" from "Going Down" PWAD. This map is real circle of hell at the end one arena. You need to get lucky first running by circle in the center and then move to outside circle to continue running. In that case it's close to "Plutonia 2" mentioned map and required to make several save/load, but, still, not so tough one.

 

Same as there - Complex Doom + UV.

 

Edited August 8, 2020 by UnknDoomer

I just finished Bridgeburner's "Bastion of Chaos" on HMP, and probably died over 200 times (300?). Took about 6 hours, though my final time is around 2:16 or so. I've played slaughtermaps before, and some of them I actually like, but this... should not have been attempted on HMP the first time. But I do feel very accomplished for finishing it without cheating (except for those one or two times when you save in the middle of a swarm of projectiles and it's too late to do anything but Resurrect but weallknowthatdoesn'tcountsoshhhh....) or weapon mods.

I am officially going to tackle Swim With the Whales next, and then it's on to Slaughtermax. I feel like I might be ready for Sunder and Sunlust, but don't know if I want to weather the storm again for awhile.

On 7/29/2020 at 8:40 PM, Stabbey said:

I've been doing some of the "suggested play order" maps. I did Vanguard (the 13-map set), and it was fine on UV.

 

I'm working my way through Scythe 1 now on UV. That one was largely fair... until I finished Map 20, and it's now gone straight to dickish on Map 21. I am definitely not a fan of death exits, ESPECIALLY when the WAD has multiple death exits, usually every few levels, but the start of this map is just garbage. A lot of enemies on you from the start, almost no ammo, and only a Berserk and a stimpack for health, and a surprise Arch-Vile when you have almost nothing.

 

EDIT: I've made it to Scythe 1 Map 23, the blue key door. This is bullshit.

Enjoy "Run From It", and when you're finished might I suggest Scythe's 2's Map 23? Good. Times. Psyche.

49 minutes ago, 666shooter said:

I am officially going to tackle Swim With the Whales next, and then it's on to Slaughtermax. I feel like I might be ready for Sunder and Sunlust, but don't know if I want to weather the storm again for awhile.

Swtw on HMP or UV?  UV is incredibly tough and I'd recommend playing crumpets by ribbikz first. 

Slaughtermax is kinda hit and miss, play map 29 on WILD! :)

 

 

Scythe 1's Run from it is amazing if confusing at first.

Scythe 2's map 23 is monkaGIGA hard, took me like 8 hours of attempts to beat it without saves. 

57 minutes ago, Lucky_Edie said:

Swtw on HMP or UV?  UV is incredibly tough and I'd recommend playing crumpets by ribbikz first. 

Slaughtermax is kinda hit and miss, play map 29 on WILD! :)

 

 

Scythe 1's Run from it is amazing if confusing at first.

Scythe 2's map 23 is monkaGIGA hard, took me like 8 hours of attempts to beat it without saves. 

I almost always start on HMP and then go back and play UV if I really liked it. Some older Wads I will up to UV to keep things livelier.

...This may have been a mistake with Vilecore...

Edited August 8, 2020 by 666shooter

A few of the maps in Hell Revealed II give me a good arsekicking every now and again. Scythe I & II have some very challenging stuff.
Sunlust is unforgiving. Took me months to finish. Granted, I use Brutal Doom so it does up the stakes a little...

But I'll go with Sunlust for hardest I've played, yes.

 

Going through Master Levels on Nightmare. So far they're not impossibly hard, but Titan kicked my ass from beginning to end. I bet BlackTwr and Express Elevator are ones that will be more challenging.

Edited August 9, 2020 by Gunner Doom

Swift Death 21/23 UV-max stands out I think. I am pretty average player.

 

Outside of those, dunno. Some Sunlust maps on UV like 'Entering Aquatic Desert' and UV-speeding few Slaughterfest 3 maps.

"Going Down" PWAD also has some another fun and ultra hard map "Stair Crazy", MAP31.

 

This place:

 

 

When you get here - monsters starting to teleport from both sides. Up and down. Behind bars - 2 archvile that also teleport between the sections and restore monsters. No save place here. Only if...

 

 

You grab the blue sphere, run close near the wall fast, open the door, push one arch to that corridor and kill him. Kill another one fast in same corridor and all this in one fast, lucky and perfect run. After you hide in end of the corridor. Waiting till monsters kill each other and go down the stairs. You kill the incoming if there are something.

 

 

Place near the door.

 

 

View from the corridor.

 

 

End of the level.

 

MAP32 "Roof Rage" is also isn't simple one.

 

 

For start you can hide in this four sections with heal items and kill, or monsters will each other, up to ~ 1/2-1-3 of the enemies. There are 2 (may be more) cyberdemons here.

 

But main fun starts later - here are tonns of cacodemons, ~ > 50 at once. And in my case - also some way harder onces types. So you need run like crazy for a long distance between teleport to make rare sequence shoots of 2-3 from BFG and 1 of 4 barrel shotgun.

 

 

There is a secret with invulnerability on the map, but I find it after and done it without this item with the same settings - UV difficult + Complex Doom.

 

Edited August 10, 2020 by UnknDoomer

Let's add some new record to this thread.

 

* Valiant: Vaccinated Edition. #4 in top of community - doomworld.com/files/file/18295-valiant-vaccinated-edition/

* Complex Doom.

* Ultra-Violence difficult.

* EP3M1. The Popes of Roam.

 

Start with a pistol. And immediately after the entering you see 4 cyberdemons awaiting for you, not counting a number of ordinary opponents, with the amendment that they are several times more dangerous in Complex Doom then regular onces. You need to turn right and then break through to the stairs with several zombies. Push the skull switch and move on to the next one. You need to be able to run across the map fast enough and press several another switches so demons will begin to attack each other.

 

It is useless to be distracted by them - they will kill you with one or two shots like nothing + there are no places where you can sit out for long. Still, after dealing with the switches, you can hide here:

 

 

But I do not recommend staying in this location for long because after some time 4 cyberdemons will completely block the passage. There will be enough ammo to kill one of them, but after you will have zero chances to pass out. So. It remains to maneuver around the map - the most "sparsely populated" point will be in a place where it was possible to release revenants. There is a door at the same point, which requires a blue key (this door also hides exit).

 

 

I took the plasma gun from the secret after the destruction of the cyberdemons and, as a result, I didn't have enough ammo left to deal with all the remaining barons of hell - I settled on the number 178/202 of dead enemies.

 

 

8:33 to beat.

 

Decino done this map on Ultra-Violence, but without Complex - regular cyberdemons don't have rockets that can follow you around whole map + instead of huge group of barons he get just a pack of regular mankubus.

 

 

Edited January 14, 2021 by UnknDoomer

2002 Doom Odyssey on UV

Early Plut2 maps (2001) on UV

(These maps are flooded with monsters and DO's episodes 3 and 4 are very low on ammo and health pickups that means pistol starts may be deadly on maps like E3M5)

 

Bloodstain on ITYTD (Good wad, but I don't want to play it again, especially on UV)

 

Plutonia 2 on UV (Thanks to Gusta and Woodman to place lots of supplies to support me not to die in tough fights and always exit level with decent stuff in inventory)

 

Herian 2 on ITYTD (The hardest thing was "where do I have to go")

 

Eternal Doom III (The same as Herian 2 but more enjoyable and hard even on ITYTD)

 

TNTR on UV (The 21-30 are THAT hard)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just have to say that Doom 2's map 04 is hard as balls to do on Nightmare : 

- few health 

- no armor

- cramped corridors

- hitscanners everywhere

 

Have fun !

I can't say if it's the hardest map I've ever managed to get through, but MAN, Dark Dome (map 26) in Alien Vendetta angers me. And this was just on HMP. I think it was actually harder with the Final Doomer weaponset since the BFG is wildly different from how more conventional BFGs work. I recognize it's one of the most praised maps of all time, but I have no love lost for it.

Depends on your definition of "managed to get through". I did do map 27 of HR2 a pretty long time ago, but I must've saved like 50+ times.

As for not save scumming, there isn't much to my name, as I've only recently been working on my skills.

 

Well. Just finished "Eviternity" on Ultra-Violence difficult. At last map you have to fight with a boss that have 3 stages and 900+ enemies (depends on number of lost souls). By the end of the level double barrel shotgun and machine gun left only. So I've made some bet on other enemies to attack the boss and rare use of first mentioned weapon to finish it.

 

 

I'm still a bit of a Doom baby, but the hardest thing I've done so far was beating Speed of Doom on UV while pistol starting every map. I did allow myself a couple saves as the maps got harder, I'm not that good yet lol.

Nuts 3 i think.