It would seem that you're here for tips on how to complete Ultra-Nightmare. If you haven't completed this game on UN yet and are a filthy casual like me, then congratulations: you're in for a bad time. Maybe you know what you're doing by now, and maybe you don't. Either way, never dying across Doom's 13 stages is no easy task.

And if you think otherwise, die, you gatekeeping twit.

I won't be showcasing very many "skips" because if you want to skip every fight you might as well get into any% speedrunning.

In the event that you are a stupid idiot and don't know what Ultra-Nightmare is, it is Doom on its highest difficulty level, with an added bonus: dying means it's game over. There is no reloading from checkpoints. There is no quitting outside one of the twelve end-screens.

All enemies do 50% more damage than on Ultra-Violence. They resist more damage and attack significantly more aggressively. Your restoration abilities are minimal: a small unit of health or armor is worth 1 while the most basic demon attacks take 45.

You need to take great care in battle and do your best to remember the locations of Argent Cells, Megahealths, and Elite Guards.

Killing things is the entire point of this game. Unfortunately for you, the Demons like to kill you back when you play on Nightmare. I'm sure I need not explain why being killed to death is bad on Ultra-Nightmare.

Not all Demons are created equally, and some are much more deserving of a Siege Mode blast than others. I won't give you an exact hierarchy of danger, but a tier list should suffice in deciding what needs to die first. Of course, there are times to break the guidelines, mostly due to proximity. Just use your judgment and don't be stupid.

Lost Soul: Although being killed with minimal damage, Lost Souls need to be eliminated as quickly as possible. They are fast, airborne, and capable of massive damage. Pick them off from afar before engaging any demons. Know when and where they will spawn is crucial.

Baron of Hell: These enormous bags of meat are extremely threatening. They are tanky, fast, and hit like a truck. You need to blast them immediately or get very far away, or else take 90 damage from a very accurate fireball. Woe to anyone who gets butt blasted by the claws on this thing.

Pinky: These demons are jerks. They have almost full damage immunity to their front, only vulnerable on their backs. This makes for a very precarious position when they are charging towards you at 473 miles per hour. A full speed charge can easily deal 150 damage or more, and their claw attack is quite hefty as well, so taking them out quickly is advised. Using Stun Bomb and Hologram is highly encouraged.

Summoner: The Summoner is apparently forgettable enough that I left it out of my guide the first time. You too should make an effort to make the Summoner non-existent. They are incredibly fast, their attacks are dangerous, and the summons can overwhelm you if they spawn something big. Stun Bomb can keep them in place for you to beat the crap out of, or you can use Lock-On Burst rockets to eradicate them quickly.

(Cyber-)Mancubus: The cousins of Big Chungus are the tankiest enemies in the game. Their attacks are very strong, but their immense obesity ensures that they don't really move at all. Mancubus projectiles are very accurate and well placed, but have a difficult time hitting a moving target from long range. Keeping your distance is key to avoiding damage from them. Just make sure to keep an eye on them and their stupid vomit-balls. A Cyber-Mancubus is more dangerous than a Mancubus, being tankier and capable of turning the floor into stinking lightning barf.

Cacodemon: Having escaped from the Ikea food court after a massive exposure of X-Ray Radiation, the Cacodemons are a fairly dangerous set of creatures. A bite to the face from a Caco has enough force to collapse a skyscraper, but luckily they rarely get into range to do so. Their narcotic bile does respectable damage and travels fast, so they are still dangerous mid-range. Allowing them to approach is a genuinely terrible idea. Take them out at a distance, like the Mancubus.

Hell Knights: Basically smaller Barons of Hell, they are fast and unrelenting. They lack a ranged attack, but they will try to dunk on you like you're a basketball hoop, and if they land true, you will be a very sad basketball hoop. Because you are now missing 120 health. The Hell Knights are easy to kite in open spaces with few enemies around, but you will almost always have other threats to deal with. They become a bit of a joke when faced with Siege mode though.

Imps: Do not underestimate their low placement on the list. Alone, they are helpless, but they become as dangerous as a Baron when in numbers. Their basic fireball is 45 damage, and when there are 15 of these little basterds running around the arena at once, every arena fight is going to be a game of dodgeball. Except the balls are on fire and have spikes and weigh 93 pounds and are travelling and 50 miles per hour. Control their numbers or pay the price, ESPECIALLY in the UAC and Res Ops.

Revenant: When they are not Dooting to their heart's content, Revenants enjoy screaming at players and throwing water balloons filled with lava at them. Although they are quite nimble, Revenants tend to stay out of melee range and instead shoot missile barrages. The missiles do minimal damage- only somewhere between 15-30. Their melee attacks are strong, but they tend to fly too far away to swipe at you. Perhaps they should stick to Dooting.

Possessed Soldiers: These former UAC Marines are equipped with a Plasma Rifle that does a measly 15 damage. They are weak and able to be completely annihilated with even the most basic attacks. Their threat comes into the form of "Party Bals". These disco balls of doom fly at you at high speeds, only to stop in your face and deal like 75 damage. They will never come at a time other than when it is most inconvenient, and they are usually fired in sets of 3.

Spectre: They are just camouflaged Pinkies that have no front-facing armor. Although you need to be alert to notice them, they are very easily dispatched in comparison with their brethren, taken out in a single Siege Mode Blast.

Hell Razers: These sad excuses for Demons shoot laser beams like they're the other half of the Possessed Soldier's disco balls of death. Unfortunately, the beams don't tend to be accurate at all, and will simply burn you for a few ticks unless you stand completely still. Attacking them makes them flail around and either cancel their beam or swing it into the ceiling.

Possessed Security: Although being annoying due to their infuriating habit of absorbing any and all damage you throw at them, Possessed Security is the proud proprietor of the lowest-range attack in the game. As long as they don't sneak up on you, they pose no threat other than being a drain on your explosive ammunition.

Possessed Engineer: This uncommon enemy is usually found roaming the hallways of the Mars Facility. Kill them before they can approach you and stay away from the blast zone, or else wonder where your face went. No, like seriously. Your face is not blast-proof when an entire tank of highly volatile welding fuel is involved.

Unwilling/Possessed: These poor UAC desk workers are the exact definition of cannon fodder. Regardless of their irritating tendency to wake up from a nap in the middle of a Gore Nest removal, they stagger towards you at speeds topped by unassisted quadriplegics. Despite this, I see tombstones for deaths caused by these zombies on EVERY LEVEL. If you manage to die to a Possessed on Necropolis, you are an idiot.

It should be noted that the Possessed and Unwilling are actually extremely helpful when wandering the hallways of the Mars Facility. You can drain them for health/armor with a Siphon Grenade, blast them with weapons to fulfill weapon masteries, you name it.

Ignoring the fact that it's fun as hell to rip demons limb from limb, Glory Killing on Ultra-Nightmare isn't always in your best interest. While you play Connect 4 with demon intestines, you're stuck where you are, and staying in one place is a big no-no. You are invincible during a Glory Kill, but it still gives the demons time to ready a vicious attack on you, something you can't prevent during a Glory Kill animation. There is nothing worse than finishing off an Imp only to be met with a pool of corrosive acid at your feet from a Cyber-Mancubus or a Party Ball in your face. The Savagery Rune makes this safer, but if you need this guide, you shouldn't be using Savagery.

Of course, it's not always a terrible idea. For example, if you're a bit low on health and are presented with some Possessed roaming the halls, they are great fun to punch for 5 HP. I recommend staggering them first, since you shouldn't be taking chances considering they do 65 damage, but mashing your melee key on them will work when ammo is low. They stagger after one pistol whip, so just don't miss.

You can also do it if you know you're not in much danger, or if you are seriously low on ammo. Other than that, do your best to stop yourself from smashing heads and instead consider a Shotgun blast instead. Or don't, I'm not your mom.

Before jumping right into the hardest mode of the game, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the tactic of Quickswitching. This is done by switching to a different weapon immediately firing off one of your guns or their mods. It helps to ignore reloads, cooldowns, and rechambers. Quickswitching gives you a sizable DPS boost if you are quick enough about it. Is it required? Hell no. But it's definitely pretty fun and typically makes things a bit easier.

You will need keybinds in order to carry this out effectively. It's a good idea to read the section on keybinds for info.

I recommend you find a rotation of weapons that works well for you. There isn't necessarily a correct way to do it, and you don't necessarily need to cover every weapon. You can switch between two if you would like.

I need to stress that this technique can become risky if you begin to panic. Rockets and Explosive Shot can cause a lot of self-damage if used in close quarters, and it takes a lot of practice to know when to use them in the heat of the moment.

This technique is not required to complete Ultra-Nightmare. If you find yourself fumbling or too preoccupied to dodge to an effective degree, do not hesitate to stick to just one gun. Poorly performed Quickswitching can lose you DPS and cause a lot of self-damage. This game is absolutely beatable when switching weapons conservatively.

The enemies of this game on Nightmare are absolute units. Almost anything that poses a threat to you is a bullet sponge. And rocket sponge. And plasma sponge... You get the idea. Quickswitching helps to alleviate the tankiness, but things can still become messy without the use of a BFG.

Luckily, I have no shame, and most of the readers here probably don't either. So I present to you the Insta-Siege.

The Siege Mode mod for the Gauss Cannon is the strongest standard weapon in the game. Its main weakness is its immobile charge-up (you're still a sitting duck with mastery and you know it). However, by shamelessly abusing a glitch in the game, you can fire Siege Mode instantly, and go right back to shooting another gun.

Simply hold anything but the Gauss Cannon, press your keybind to switch to the Gauss Cannon, and hold down Alt Fire and Fire while you are pulling it out. The Siege shot will fire instantly. It does insane damage - much more than a standard Gauss shot.

You can also perform a melee attack and hold down Alt Fire and Fire in the same way, but if you do it like this, you're stupid. The only time to do this is on that one Rune Trial where you have a Siege Mode Gauss Cannon. I think it's Saving Throw.

Disclaimer: This consumes 60 Plasma for some reason, so be mindful of how much you have remaining. However, you will only NEED 30 to execute.

Here is a video by Byte Me in case you can't figure it out (the video is wrong about Plasma consumption): https://youtu.be/dtPt_URCw6M?t=50

The bossfights in this game are pretty hard, aren't they? I bet it makes you nervous to think about fighting them on Ultra-Nightmare. I bet you're screaming and crying so hard right now at the notion that the Cyberdemon would bend you over and use you like a Green M&M fleshlight filled with mayonnaise for hours on end. Would you like a clean pair of pants?

None of that matters for our purposes. We're going to flat out destroy these basterds in moments, with no risk to your personal safety.

You'll need to obtain a high framerate. You'll need 90 FPS at the minimum. Lower your settings, disable v-sync, do what you must. You can keep your normal settings whenever you aren't fighting a boss.

When it's time to fight the boss, just shoot the BFG over their head and hold down the weapon wheel.

It's that easy.

The projectile will zap the hell out of them at a normal rate while time slows to a crawl. The more FPS, the more damage they take. It might take 2 shots if your framerate is low or if you suck, but it's still better than the alternative.

Here's a video if you're struggling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spYi4BogG94
(The guy playing sucks balls but the technique still applies)

If your PC can't reach a very high framerate... good luck.

Choosing what weapons to use is too situational to give any proper guidelines for, and it really depends on what weapons the player likes to use. I will instead provide the necessary info for you to make an informed decision.

In order to make it a bit easier on your eyes and to simplify navigation of the guide, I have split the Weaponry Section into 3 Parts. Part 1 includes the Pistol, Combat Shotgun, Heavy Assault Rifle, and Plasma Rifle.

You never really should be using this weapon outside of the first 5 minutes of the game. It brings nothing to the table outside of poor accuracy and feeble damage. Its weapon mod isn't entirely useless for a little while, offering a high-damage alternative in order to snipe or spawnkill, but is simply too weak to compete with anything else.

Mod Notes: Avoid spending any upgrade points.

This weapon is serviceable for disposing low-health targets such as Imps, Possessed Soldiers, and fodder enemies in the halls. It isn't particularly great for higher-damage opponents, but can easily whittle them down if given some time and space. It has sufficient range to stay in moderate range of larger targets. Its main strength is its mods.

Mod Notes: Explosive Shot is generally the way to go. In the early game, it is your only weapon able to quickly dispose of your enemies past medium range. Its mastery can be earned rather quickly, and doing so while taking no risks can easily be done by the end of Argent Tower (or as soon as Foundry). The clusterstrike is a fast, consistent source of large damage and effective at long range, boasting intuitive aim and low travel-time. It performs admirably with the quickswitching technique.

This isn't to say that Charged Burst is bad. When mastered, it's very strong. I still think Explosive Shot (mastered) is simply stronger and more versatile. If you are electing to not quickswitch, maybe Charged Burst is better for you, because you'll actually be able to utilize its mastery. You should probably still use Explosive Shot early-game though.

The HAR is one of the best options for sniping and other very distant engagements. Its hitscan nature and lack of projectile arc means that you can consistently hit a moving target at very long range. However, the HAR fires what appears to be Nerf Darts with pebbles taped on the front, giving it a noticeably high time-to-kill. The low damage output of the weapon means it is a poor choice in close/mid-range combat.

Mod Notes: The Micro Missiles are a champion for practical use. Not to say the Tactical Scope doesn't have its merits- it does improve your long-range sight and increase bullet damage when mastered. But you shouldn't need this for anything but sniping. The Micro Missiles, however, fire faster than the Assault Rifle itself, home in on targets, and explode for significantly more damage than a bullet. The mastery for this mod allows you to fire the missiles without cooldown, which turns the weapon into one of the highest DPS weapons in the game. The Missiles are essentially a replacement for the Heavy Assault Rifle in its entirety. Let it be noted that there are few things more enjoyable in this world than firing these things off with Haste or Quad-Damage active.

The Missiles also function extremely well when used in conjunction with quickswitching. Only Quick Launcher is needed, since sustained fire of the Missiles is typically unnecessary.

The Plasma Rifle is quite similar to the Heavy Assault Rifle in that it rapidly spews out low-damage projectiles. However, it is more suited to close and mid-range combat, given that its bullets (plasma balls?) travel more slowly. The weapon does have its advantages however- its damage is much higher than that of the HAR. Thanks to its increased damage, it's a very effective weapon for early-game Spray n' Pray™, especially when under hot pursuit from Hell Knights. The main disadvantage of the Plasma Rifle is its ammo type, which is shared with the Gauss Cannon. Although this is a non-issue when the Rich Get Richer rune is acquired, it is not likely that you will want to use the Plasma Rifle at this stage of the game.

Mod Notes: Although most guides recommend Stun Bomb, don't grab it straight away. It's nearly fruitless early-game except against something like a Hell Knight. Heat Blast, on the other hand, makes early-game crowd control quite easy. By using the Plasma Rifle as a Spray n' Pray™ weapon, the Heat Blast will almost always have a large amount of charge in it. Given that most enemies at this stage of the game don't have much health, it works perfectly to turn them into little chunks of tasty demon meat. It also works as sizable damage to Revenants and Hell Knights. When mastered, it's still effective late-game since you can whip it out on a whim and blast it whenever you want.

Stun Bomb becomes a better option mid-game because of the introduction of Pinkies and Barons. Often times you will find yourself unable to stop a Pinky when it's making its way downtown straight to your booty. This will render them useless for a few seconds, so you can flank them and put them down like the animals they are. And Barons are just really dangerous.

In order to make it a bit easier on your eyes and to simplify navigation of the guide, I have split the Weaponry Section into 3 Parts. Part 2 includes the Rocket Launcher, Super Shotgun, Gauss Cannon, and Chaingun.

Obtaining the Rocket Launcher greatly improves your ability to deal fast damage and attack groups. It is quite powerful, able to kill Imps and stagger Possessed Soldiers and Hell Razers in one shot. It is important to exercise caution though, since the weapon is very dangerous to use in close quarters.

Mod Notes: This is a weapon where the mod choice doesn't matter all that much. Remote Detonation makes it easy to hit demons with less precise aim, and demands less ammo than the Lock-On Burst. It also enables you to hit demons that are close to you by simply detonating it behind them. On the other hand, Lock-On Burst will never miss without an obstruction, and opens up for more DPS than the Remote Detonation. Additionally, the Burst makes more sense in the context of Quickswitching, since you don't need to continue to hold the Rocket Launcher after firing in order to utilize the mod. Neither mastery is very useful, or else I would have made an attempt to get them when completing UN.

This is the only weapon I would recommend switching mods mid-combat for. Both offer very powerful boosts in relatively exclusive situations.

This weapon essentially obsoletes the Combat Shotgun's standard shot with its chad-like damage that cuts through Hell's worst delinquents like swiss cheese. Although weak at even mid-range, the Super Shotgun does insane damage that synergizes incredibly well with Quickswitches. Its shell cost is twice that of the Combat Shotgun, but the damage reward is well worth the loss.

Mastery Notes: Being able to fire the shotgun twice halves your ammo costs and doubles your damage output everytime you whip this thing out. It's easily attainable by lining up and popping a cap directly into the buttocks of the Possessed and Unwilling you find outside of arena fights. Easily achievable by the end of Lazarus Labs (or even Kadingir if you like to live dangerously).

The Gauss Cannon is capable of firing a very powerful beam of plasma with perfect accuracy across an infinite distance. It functions admirably in any situation, although there are times when its alternatives will do a better job. It shares ammo with the Plasma Rifle, causing issues when trying to use both weapons at high frequency.

Mod Notes: The choice is a no-brainer. Siege Mode is the strongest non-special attack in the game, able to kill almost every demon in 1 hit. Only three demons can withstand more than 1, none of them surviving 2 shots with more than a scrap of HP. Applying the Insta-Siege technique described earlier can more than double your overall DPS, at the cost of a lot of ammo. There is merit to Precision Bolt, but there is nothing it can do that Siege Mode cannot do better (except save ammo).

This massive weapon completely unfit for any human to wield can dish out fast damage at the cost of its ammunition pool. Despite its downsides of low bullet damage and the fact that it can't hit anything past the range of 2 inches, the Chaingun boasts one of the highest unmodded DPS in the game. Although it is outclassed by Quickswitching with the stronger weapons, it still performs admirably with sustained fire.

Mod Notes: Although the consensus is that Mobile Turret is the best mod for this weapon, I want to assert that Gatling Rotator isn't entirely useless. There is no denying that Mobile Turret deals MUCH more damage per second. However, using it slows you down considerably, making it more dangerous to use in battle. Additionally, it has an inconvenient deploy time and also slightly blocks vision in the bottom of your screen. Gatling Rotator is therefore safer to use, and can provide a very rapid rate of fire on-demand by simply holding Alt Fire when not in use. Its mastery can also save ammo by increasing your per-bullet damage, meaning less ammo loss and higher DPS.

So in short: Gatling Rotator is safe and effective. Mobile Turret is less safe, more effective, and completely awesome.

In order to make it a bit easier on your eyes and to simplify navigation of the guide, I have split the Weaponry Section into 3 Parts. Part 3 includes the Chainsaw, BFG, and equipment items.

This weapon will kill any demon you ask it to and turn them into an ammo piñata at no additional charge. The chad demons require more fuel to piñata-fy than the beta ©uck demons. The Chainsaw can be used in two main ways: to replenish ammo, or as a Get Out of Jail Free Card.

By using the Chainsaw on fodder enemies, you can efficiently your fuel to recover huge sums of ammo with just 1 gas tank. This technique is best used when Rich Get Richer is either unavailable or simply ignored. It is great for enabling us casual scum to abuse Insta-Siege to kill everything instantly. When used in this way, the Chainsaw is also one of the fastest ways to master Ammo Boost and Vacuum.

Your other option is to save your Chainsaw fuel for when something is trying to touch tips with you and happens to be MUCH girthier than you are. This generally consumes more fuel, but serves as a pseudo-BFG for emergencies.

Whichever way you choose to use the Chainsaw, just don't use it like I do. I keep my fuel for those "Oh sh*t" moments but never use it anyways, because my reasoning is "WHAT IF THERE'S A BIGGER 'OH SH*T' MOMENT". I am also an idiot.

Nobody knows what the F in BFG stands for (due to its full name being classified information and redacted to anyone not tier 3 or higher within the UAC), but every player knows what the weapon is good for.

It blows things up, good and hard. It's a full arena wipe if fired correctly, with its tendrils of Argent Energy touchier than Father Jimothy at the Christian Preschool.

This very big gun used to either counter emergencies or prevent them entirely. Know how much BFG ammo is near to you at all times in order to know when you can use it liberally, and when to save it for later. Equipping the mastered Ammo Boost rune is a tremendous way to use this gun as often as possible.

Although it doesn't look or sound very powerful, the Frag Grenade causes a very damaging blast that can turn Hell Razers, Imps, and Possessed Soldiers alike into red mist. It can be used as a finisher, a fire-and-forget, or supplemental damage, making it the most deadly equipment item.

The Hologram is the most defensive piece of equipment, creating a copy of yourself for the demons to mercilessly rip apart while you send a fat rocket in their direction. It can alternatively be used to try to divert a charging Pinky away from your direction. Although it doesn't always draw all the attention (only about 50%), it's a good tool to get demons off your back when things get messy. If your Praetor Suit is upgraded for Equipment, I recommend dropping a Hologram when a situation begins to seem remotely fishy.

This is probably the best one to use for combat on Ultra-Nightmare.

This equipment item is best used in conjunction with mastered Equipment Power, which makes it easy to recover both health and armor rapidly with 2 or more enemies in its radius. The Siphon Grenade is incredibly useful, able to pad your health/armor and keep yourself above the Rich Get Richer threshold. However, due to its requirement of the Equipment Power rune to approach its highest potential, the Siphon Grenade is best reserved for Unwilling and Possessed to recover in between battles, in order to free up space for other, more important combat runes.

If you haven't already, you should try to personalize your keybinds to make your life easy.

For the most part, you only need to redo your weapon keys. The default ones are devised by a complete and total rarded dumbas, and you definitely shouldn't be using the weapon wheel. You should bind each weapon to a convenient key that is easy to remember. It will take a bit to get used to, and you might need to revise your bindings before you find the right fit. This is especially important if you're not a virgin-loser -that-doesn't-Quickswitch. Also don't bind the pistol because it ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ sucks.

Make sure your other important keys are easily reached as well. Most of the default ones are pretty sensible, although the "switch equipment key" is bad on some keyboards. Just make sure like before to make them convenient.

Here are my weapon keys for reference:

1 - Combat Shotgun
2 - Super Shotgun
3 - Rocket Launcher
// - These three are here because they are weaponry staples. The Combat Shotgun sucks on its own but its Explosive Strike is quintessential to my playstyle.

4 - Chaingun
// - This isn't really a convenient keybind but I don't use this gun much. I'll whip it out for Mobile Turret now and then but usually only for bosses. You can rebind this to C if you want because it's easier. You would need a new button for crouch, but who cares.

Z - Heavy Assault Rifle
X - Plasma Rifle
// - These weapons are similar in nature so it makes sense to keep them together. They're easy to reach with a thumb so I can Micro Missile the crap out of things whenever I want. And besides, even though they suck balls, you still should make sure you can easily use them in early-game.

Mouse5 - Gauss Cannon
// - This is the most convenient bind of all. It's also PERFECT for Insta-Siege since you can just mash all your mouse buttons at once and then blow the legs off a Hell Knight loser. You could rebind this to Shift if you don't have a Mouse5. You'd need to replace Walk but once again who cares.

⬜ - Pistol
// - die

Choosing how to spend your Praetor Tokens and Argent Cells on Ultra-Nightmare is a very formidable task. You need to make sure that you're making the right move, or else you will probably die from your stupid decisions.

Luckily, there are a few things you can remember and apply to minimize your chance of choosing wrong. I want to clarify that what I am suggesting will not ALWAYS be the right decision: but as a general rule, these are your best options.

Allocating Argent Cells should be done with the knowledge that it will refill the category you choose to maximum capacity. Take note of your ammo, health, and armor levels before cracking open a cold one, and consider how much restoration is nearby for each category. Restoration items should be used to calculate what might be wasted, and what can be grabbed to reduce or expand any differences.

That aside, when you do crack open the cold one, just grab what you think you need. It's that simple.

One word of advice that I didn't realize until a month after completing UN: there is extra benefit to upgrading health early and ammo late.

In the early game, upgrading health means that you will get more health drops when at the same HP. If you're down to 50 HP, the game will drop you significantly more pickups when your max is 150 instead of 100. I say this as a tip for the early-game because it's much harder to get one-shotted from 50 when enemies are still mostly fodder.

Later on, ammo upgrades will refill your BFG stock. I don't really need to explain why this is phenomenal.

Your first Praetor Tokens should go to maxing out Environmental Resistance. As tempting as the other upgrades may be, preventing accidental death from barrels is a very high priority. Being less susceptible to self-damage is handy as well. If you like to live dangerously, you can skip everything after Hazard Protection until later.

You should probably upgrade Dexterity next. Its first upgrade is its best one, making it faster to switch between weapons and therefore increasing your DPS (when Quickswitching, of course). Its other upgrades, however, should be put on the backburner. Climbing ledges is a rare occurrence in the middle of combat, and it never really helps to keep you safe even when platforming. Using multiple mods for a weapon generally isn't a good practice for Ultra-Nightmare. Switching mid-combat can be dangerous, and upgrading two mods for the same weapon will dilute upgrade points. To each their own though- but I recommend saving the mod switching upgrade for last.

When upgrades are secured for Barrels O' Fun and Adept, your next mission should be to upgrade either Equipment System or Powerup Effectiveness. Both upgrade paths have their merits, but I choose to try to put at least 2 upgrades into powerups first. The health regen upgrade is very useful, and if you choose to level it to max, it keeps you safer longer, no matter which powerup it is. Equipment System has good upgrades as well, but I personally feel that it is a bit silly until you obtain Equipment Power.

You shouldn't be upgrading Area-Scanning Technology. It's worthless for our purposes, but if you have extra points in The Necropolis/VEGA Central Processing, go for it.

It's important to choose what Runes to use, because the right combination can be life-saving on Ultra-Nightmare; or even prevent you from needing your life saved. This game is too complex to present a reasonably sized list of combinations- instead I will simply explain the strengths of certain Runes. Not every Rune is present, because some of them are outclassed or simply useless for our purposes.

Don't be scared to change Runes for a moment to get a quick bonus. Switching to Ammo Boost before grabbing some pickups or changing to Equipment Power to siphon from some Possessed is never a bad idea, and you can switch back in a moment's notice.

Vacuum: This Rune is very good for when sh*t hits the fan. Being low on health causes killed demons to drop some for you, and if you manage to kill a lot of them quickly (BFG helps), then you will be showered in it. Vacuum helps to suck them up quickly to minimize chance of dying while you are vulnerable. It performs very well during boss fights. If you find yourself in danger with less than 50% of your maximum armor + health, then you should equip this right away.

Ammo Boost: You can't do anything in this game without ammo, and often you may find yourself desperately needing more than you have. The Ammo Boost Rune is excellent for minimizing the chances of this happening. Upgrading the Rune grants a chance for enemies to drop BFG ammo, which means you have more freedom to use it. This bonus makes Ammo Boost one of the most powerful Runes in the game. I recommend equipping it (mastered) at all times once you unlock the BFG.

Equipment Power: Although every equipment item benefits from this Rune, its main purpose is to make Siphon Grenades into a powerhouse. Using them while having Equipment Power equipped is the fastest way to regain health and armor, especially when used on helpless Possessed and Unwilling. I switching on and off (mostly late-game) in between fights to restore yourself to maximum. Of course, using it in the middle of combat is powerful as well.

Seek and Destroy: Only useful for a Berserk. It really just helps turn the game into more of a point-and-click adventure than it already is while going Berserk. It also just helps you snap to enemies faster to waste less time on the powerup.

Savagery: Also only useful for a Berserk. It keeps you in glory kill animations for a shorter time, potentially saving you from a lot of uncontrollable damage.

Rich Get Richer: Being able to ignore your ammo count is a blessing that keeps on giving. Not only is it less of a hassle, but being able to expend ammo without a second thought helps you to destroy threats in no time using the Insta-Siege. It also allows Lock-On Burst to be more valuable, since you no longer use almost 10% of your ammo every time. I recommend equipping this at all times your armor meets its threshold.

Saving Throw: Need I say why this is a necessity on Ultra-Nightmare? Just make sure that if you lost your life using it, to re-equip it before finishing a level. This is the only way it will refresh for the next level. Unless you have expended your extra life, never unequip this Rune.

"Why isn't In-Flight Mobility here?"
It is my opinion that you are better off not using this Rune, as it will most likely create bad habits and/or reliance. Learning to maneuver without it will help you dodge in the early game more intuitively than having to operate under two different sets of jumping physics.

I understand why people may like it, but there's little you can dodge with In-Flight Mobility that you can't dodge without.

It's an inconvenience to have to actually finish the challenges that your Runes demand of you, but thankfully, your most powerful ones can be upgraded in almost no time. Except Ammo Boost. Ammo Boost is hard.

It's quite easy to abuse the fact that Munitions Crates are filled to the brim with exactly the amount of ammunition you need, and in this case, you will need all of it. Every time you find a Munitions Crate, simply equip these Runes and fire off every bullet, shell, rocket, and cell in your possession. Then you can punch the box for a lot of ammo pickups.

This also works when you Chainsaw demons, just make sure to not drain ALL of your ammo.

When you obtain the Hologram, equip the Rune and select the Hologram. Then mash your equipment button and your weapon keybinds until you max it out. This one seriously takes about 6 seconds to finish if you've upgraded Dexterity.

Rich Get Richer is conveniently located in the halls of Lazarus Labs where there are endless weaklings to assert dominance on. You can easily max this out by equipping Equipment Power and whipping out your Micro Missiles. Shoot a missile, stand near it, take like 3 damage, and then toss a Siphon Grenade at the Possessed. Repeat 12 times. If you time it right, you can get two progress points with one Siphon Grenade.

If you have a lot of balls then you can upgrade it according to this guide. I've never done it myself because I don't have balls, so I'll let this guide explain it instead (the part you're looking for is near the bottom): https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1993297071

It's certainly better for your health to equip as many runes as possible. That number will never exceed 3, but you can certainly reach that maximum earlier than intended. It's very easy, actually.

Here's the video since I never learned to do this myself (skip to 0:50)
https://youtu.be/nadEChg4_zs
This means that Dazed and Confused can get some attention in the early-game because you don't have anything better to fill the extra slots with. Until you get Equipment Power. Then it's byebye to Dazed and Confused.

Here's just some final, general, miscellaneous advice I really think you should know. It might be redundant with other parts but just bear with me.

-You can check the 100% Speedrun by Byte Me for help on certain engagements and restorative items. It was a valuable asset to me when I did my run. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDkWioXuPz0

-Practice levels before you play them after Argent Facility. I don't care if the stage is easy, you should do it anyways. You can run a mirror Nightmare run with your UN save or you can just play it on a finished slot. Just make sure you practice to not fall into holes and know the encounters well enough to survive with minimal damage.

-Do not engage hanging Imps with anything but explosives. Alternatively, you can run at them with a Chainsaw, hold left click, and shove the blade in their a$$cheeks. They'll just explode into ammo with no animation.

-You should consider upping your FOV to 115 or higher. The extra peripheral vision is a gift and it also makes it harder to fall off of things and die while you're busy shooting. And it makes you feel fast.

Keep in mind that the Heavy Assault Rifle's crosshair becomes nearly invisible at this point. It's an unfortunate side effect, but you will probably be fine just aiming in the general direction of the demons. It has to hit them eventually.

-Visit all the secrets on levels 1-4. They are all safe to go find, and the extra 2 weapon points per level are game-changing in the early game. You will be able to buy all upgrades for Explosive Shot and Super Shotgun as well as some miscellaneous upgrades by the end of Argent Facility. After this, the weapon points aren't as meaningful, and some of the secrets are seriously dangerous to get.

-Just because weapons are bad doesn't mean they aren't useless (except the stupid pistol). The Combat Shotgun, Heavy Assault Rifle, and Plasma Rifle are all terrible choices once you reach hell, but their mods are an absolute goldmine. Pulling them out just to use their mod is often a very good idea.

-Barrels are obnoxious until you can get Barrels O' Fun. They do massive damage and can kill you instantly. Unless you have plans to use them against enemies, destroy them as soon as you see them.

-Force closing the game with Task Manager or Alt+F4 will usually let you start where you closed it. You can use this if something glitches that causes a softlock or death.
// -Try not to use this for deaths from combat or platforming. If you do this, why are you playing Ultra-Nightmare at all?

-Sometimes crashes will unfortunately cause you to rapidly lose life and die immediately when you resume the game. It believes that tampering was involved and punishes you accordingly. If this happens, there is nothing you can do. Alt+F4-ing the game to avoid death will not change your fate.

-Self damage is a nasty way to go. Be mindful of where you fire explosives.

-It's normal to be nervous when you get far into a game. If it helps, know that you are significantly less likely to die after clearing Kadingir. And if the nerves are really affecting you, practice the levels a few times before playing them.

-Plan for when you encounter BFG pickups and then use the gun as often as that allows. It's better to use it to avoid sticky situations entirely rather than use it to escape them.

-Being proactive about making progress on Ammo Boost can help you attain its mastery before the end of Advanced Research Complex. This way you'll never be without bonus BFG drops. Combine this with the above advice and just fire the BFG every time one of those green rings falls to the ground. Then plan out your shots for the normal pickups.

-You can pause with the Dossier to equip runes and mods that you need in a situation. This doesn't really have any downsides to you, and can help you when you need it most.

-If you're Quickswitching and using Lock-On Burst: When you switch to the Rocket Launcher, you can fire a rocket, then start locking on immediately, and then when the burst fires, you can fire one more shot. This puts out a lot of damage very quickly.

-If you think you know what works better than I do, then by all means do it. This is not a one size fits all guide. My playstyle may not fit yours. I might not be doing things the best way possible. Do what you need to do.

I won't go into too much detail, as there are many guides on Steam to provide you with a very detailed walkthrough of the game. Instead, I can provide key information that is either relevant to Ultra-Nightmare specifically or just generally unknown.

You'll be playing this one a lot. The first fight is quite difficult, but you aren't losing anything by dying to it. The rest is quite easy.

Note that Ultra-Nightmare starts after the elevator. There is no Gore Nest to contend with.

- After jumping down into the very first fight of the game, pre-aim the spot where a Possessed Soldier will spawn. Then just cap him in the face and shoot the barrel 15 feet in front of you because something almost always spawns there.

- Shooting the barrels from a safe distance is the fastest way to kill anything in this level.

- Don't interact with the Automap. There is a bug involving Area-Scanning Technology that will sometimes cause you to level it after confirming an upgrade for another category. It's not like the Automap will help you anyways.

- Your first Praetor token should go directly into Environmental Resistance.

- After obtaining the Praetor Token, ignore secret #2 and instead jump across the gap to get the Field Drone. Choose Explosive Shot unless you are an idiot. THEN go back to open the secret, since you will be swarmed after pulling the lever.

- Put your very first weapon point into Speedy Recovery for your Shotgun. DO NOT ARGUE WITH ME YOUNG MAN!

- You can hide in the secret #3 cave and shoot explosives at the Imps until they stop spawning.

- Take the high ground™ as quickly as possible during the final fight. It's MUCH safer up there, and you are less likely to be exploded by a barrel.

This is my favorite level by far. Although not without its challenges, the amount of restorative items makes this a fairly safe level, as long as you skip the Gore Nest. The VEGA Terminal is long and tedious, so try not to die so you don't have to come back later.

- Take a moment and complete Two-Fer and Variety is the Spice of Death challenge on the Possessed at the very beginning of the level.

- The Resource Operations Gore Nest is possibly the most difficult fight in the game. Luckily for you, it's skippable, and if you have no dignity, then you are going to skip it. Do it like this:
(Imgur Link if embeds are being stinky: https://imgur.com/a/478FhMU )

It's a bit hard and might take a few (or a lot) of tries, but it's better than taking that fight. The demonstration was done on a save way past that stage in the game, but it doesn't matter.

- Ignore the Field Drone the first time you encounter it. Instead, use it after you find the Plasma Rifle secret. I strongly encourage picking Heat Blast as your mod, since the fight outside the airlock will be dangerous. It will also prove useful during Foundry.

- Outside the airlock, utilize Spray n' Pray™ with the Plasma Rifle and rip up some basterds with the Berserk. It's a manageable fight if you use your Heat Blast well.

- For the airlock fight, you can also just grab the Berserk for damage reduction and climb up the side of the building and skip the fight entirely. A bit risky imo.

- Ignore the munitions crate until you've cleaned out the rest of the halls in the level (unless you really need it). It means you won't need to upgrade ammo from the Argent Cell because of an ammo shortage. Unless you most definitely don't need a Health/Armor upgrade.

This stage is very stressful due to the barrels and Hell Knights. It's imperative that you know your surroundings to avoid environmental hazards as well as you can. It will probably take you a few tries to pass, and that's normal.

- Due to the nonlinear nature of this stage, it is possible to return to cleared areas to claim any restorative items. This is very useful, since you can ignore health and armor pickups that wouldn't help you at the moment, and return to get them when you are low.

- Before doing anything, I recommend grabbing the Rocket Launcher secret. Make sure to not activate the lockdown on the catwalk Gore Nest.

- After obtaining the Rocket Launcher, return to the top floor and grab the field drone. I advise getting Remote Detonation for the Rocket Launcher, since it will make the ventilation room much more tolerable.

- Unless you have a lot of room to either kite or lead a Hell Knight, just chainsaw as many as possible. They are not worth the risk. Especially the ones that spawn in the Yellow/Blue gore nests.

- Do not mess with the Possessed Engineers in the halls. Know where they are and dispose of them safely.

- You can use the Argent Cell to upgrade your ammo and refill your chainsaw, for one more easy Hell Knight kill.

- The Hell Knight that surprises you in front of the Yellow Keycard door can be easily clapped with the exploding barrels on the walkway. Just make sure to not stand near them. If the barrels have already been bonked, then best of luck to you. Hope you've got some chainsaw fuel.

- There are 2 wandering Hell Knights that show up after destroying the Yellow Keycard nest (I think). Make sure you are prepared to deal with them. One hangs out in the room with the field drone, and the other hangs out near the Yellow Keycard door. They are easy to kill as they approach you on the bridges, I recommend you destroy them for Combat Rating.

- The final fight on the ventilation fans is stressful. Make sure to keep moving and destroy your threats quickly so it doesn't feel like playing 3 dimensional Soundodger+

- Seriously, that final fight is hard. If running around holding Mouse1 with a Plasma Rifle while screaming at the top of your lungs is what it takes to kite the Hell Knights, do that.

- Don't forget about the Imp and Possessed that crawl out of the floor after watching Olivia play on her SmartFridge.

There's not too much challenge to the fights in this level, but it's just really easy to get a bit lost. However, the map is rather interconnected, so backtracking to Health Stations and Ammo Boxes is not too far out of the way.

- Save weapon upgrade points to upgrade the Super Shotgun to maximum when you obtain it. It's important to start earning progress towards Double Trouble as soon as you can.

-In the skirmish after the classic room, hiding like a little scared ♥♥♥♥♥ in the entrance might cause the Imps and Hell Knights to spawn behind you. Either be ready for it or just don't do that.

- If you're in the habit of ignoring the automap (like me), don't forget to grab it for this level. It's a free weapon point for a stupid challenge.

- The field drones aren't super important at this point in time, especially the one in the Weed Farm. You aren't gaining any mod-able weapons this level and if you don't plan on having multiple mods per weapon, it makes no sense to claim any. I advise grabbing at least 1 though.

- There are quite a lot of health-stations scattered throughout the facility. Don't be afraid to save them for later if you fall low on HP.

- The less time you spend wandering, the better. No point adding more risk with platforming/visiting pointless areas (like the Weed Farm if you have no use for the extra mod).

This user was kind enough to point out an additional exploit that I was unaware of. Apparently the weed room I encouraged you to skip can respawn fodder endlessly for you to to molest, which can make your weapon masteries basically free. He says to do this:
1. Enter the room from one side
2. Kill the possessed to farm the masteries
3. Disengage from other incoming imps / soldiers
4. Walk around to the other door, there are 2 entries to this room, once you enter from another door, all the fodder will respawn.
5. Repeat the process untill you finish masteries.

The platforming in this stage is a difficult challenge. Make sure you have an avid understanding of the cycles when scaling the tower. The fights are very hard at times too, since the Mancubus is tanky and dangerous. You'll need to take care of them fast.

- You can skip most of the dangerous platforming on the Pipeline, and also avoid the Imp spawns. You can jump on a structure that lets you grab onto the handrails of the field drone secret.
Here's a video: https://youtu.be/UHf1LS_L0vg
(Imgur link if embeds are being stinky: https://imgur.com/a/KIBWMIk )

- The platforming in this level is difficult. Take no risks, don't be afraid to wait an extra 20 seconds for a cycle to pass.

- There are health stations located very close to both Argent Cells. You should upgrade either ammo or armor in this level.

- Make sure to grab the Gauss Cannon secret on your way out. It's safe, and you avoid fighting the Imps that spawn when you grab it in Kadingir.

- After Olivia throws herself into Megatron's 🅿️iss stream of death, make a beeline for the Invincibility powerup, and proceed to jump down the 🅿️iss stream of death and fall all the way to the bottom. The enemies will not follow. Then just wait 2 minutes for the game to automatically end the sequence because it thinks you're bad. Congratulations, you are now officially spineless!

This stage is a big milestone. It can get really hard at some points, especially before you can get Siege Mode. If you can clear everything up through this, you are most likely able to complete the whole game.

- Pick off the Mancubi from afar when possible. They spawn early in the first fight, and are found ambiently across the map. Snipe them with Gauss and Rockets while you can.

- The fight with the Barons is a stressful one, but is easily overcome with Siege Mode (you don't even need Insta-Siege if you shoot them as they spawn). Do not, (and I mean DO NOT) forget the Lost Souls that spawn midway through.

- If you're feeling ballsy, you can work on your mastery for Double Trouble on the Unwilling/Imps that are fighting with the first Baron when you first enter. Both parties are too distracted to attack you. You can do the same when the Imps and Unwilling are infighting before the final arena.

- The final fight of the level can be quite dangerous, and the red fog doesn't help at all. You can run up all the hill to the exit and use the path as a chokepoint. It's got a curve so you can take cover from Mancubus projectiles. I think a Baron will spawn behind you, so just be ready for him.

There is not to be said about this map. The fights are pretty tame, although there are a noticeably large amounts of Cacodemons and Revenants. Neither of them are that dangerous.

- You can skip a lot of the early action rather easily. After the first fight, just run like shown, directly to the Rune Trial Stone: https://youtu.be/-PssxEWMA9g
(Imgur link if embeds are being stinky https://imgur.com/a/edaxWmL)

Honestly, I've completed the Campaign ~10 times and I'm still not sure how this level is meant to be traversed. I thought this was the correct way the first 8 times. And if you did too, then great! Keep it up.

- The megahealth/Elite Guard secret seems scary, so just practice the jump a bit beforehand. You can use the jump pads if you'd like. Or just use In-Flight Mobility for 5 seconds. Or just skip it entirely.

- The same deal as Argent Facility applies here: the less time you spend wandering, the better.

This is another fairly easy stage. Its main dangers come from the outdoors areas, first with the Cyber-Mancubus encounter, and then with the Canyon traversal. Other than that, you should be fine.

- There is a metric butt-ton of Possessed in the halls before the office Gore Nest. Use them for masteries.

- Dispose of the Possessed Engineers before disturbing the outside Gore Nest.

- Spot out the Lost Souls and shoot them before trying to parkour around the canyon. There are 3 waves of them, I think.

- Don't bother with every secret around the canyon. Just grab the Argent Cell and the Megahealth.

- When in the BFG research labs, activate the prototype and then stand directly in front of the contraption for a cool prize

- Don't use the BFG on the 90000 Possessed after obtain the weapon. Just shoot a barrel with a gun.
// - As an alternative, use them for masteries, preferably the non-explosives.

- Go crazy with the BFG on the last room. There are 3 pickups scattered around. Make sure to claim them before spawning the final 2 Barons, or else you will not be able to pick them up.

This is the second hardest stage in the game. It is a long stage, and its fights can drag on for a significant amount of time. Luckily, the introduction of Siphon Grenade and Rich Get Richer will be able to curb the difficulty.

- This level is GREAT for masteries. There is a ton of Possessed roaming around. No matter what, you should be able to finish Double Trouble. Then you can probably master another mod entirely, whether it be Heat Blast, Remote Detonation, or Mobile Turret.

- The arena fights in this stage (especially the last one) are cramped and hectic. Know where the BFG pickups are and use it accordingly.

- The halls after grabbing Rich Get Richer are absolutely filled with fodder demons. You can damage yourself with Micro Missiles and then throw a Siphon Grenade (with Equipment Power) to easily earn mastery progress.

- In the dissection lab, make sure to be prepared for the Mancubus at the far end to wake up. He cannot be killed preemptively, and there is a significant chance he will not stir during the brawl.

- The Pinky Room should not be underestimated. Things can go sideways very quickly. Have Holograms and upgraded Stun Bomb at the ready and do not be afraid to use the BFG.

- Refer to the Bosses section for how to defeat the Cyberdemon.

// - I would recommend, however, fighting the Cyberdemon's first stage to conserve BFG ammo. The first part of his fight is effortless, it's the second part you gotta worry about.

Despite the sheer number of dangerous enemies present in this stage, it's still a fairly easy one. There is usually enough space to be able to dodge, kite, and hide from the Barons and Mancubi.

- Remember that this level is the best time to upgrade Saving Throw (if you are going to). The instructions can be found at the bottom of this guide: https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1993297071

- After activating the skull switch in the room with the acid floor that spawns the Mancubi, grab the Invincibility orb immediately and get in the face of the big boys. You can cap them twice point-blank with a Super Shotgun and again with the Gauss, and that should drop them. Once both are killed, rush into the Pinky room and kill them while your invincibility remains.

- You can fire a Siege Mode blast at the Mancubus waiting for you under the dropdown floor the moment you have view of him. This will stun him, preventing him from damaging you immediately.

- Don't spawnkill the Baron with Berserk on the final fight. Wait for him to move, or else you might drop through the floor on accident after the glory kill.

This is a fairly forgettable stage. I'm not sure why. It's got unusual level design, a unique soundtrack, and a cool boss at the end. I suppose it just blends together with Titan's Realm. Whatever. It's still pretty easy.

- There is a Chainsaw pickup and a gas canister in the first arena. You can Chainsaw the final Cyber-Mancubus and then pick them up. He is particularly deserving because his spawn is extremely inconvenient to you.

- You can put the yellow skull in the wall before going for the blue skull. It's not important, but it'll save you 5 seconds later. Also, I haven't been able to think of something useful to write since Argent Tower.

- In the Quad-Damage arena, you'll want to BFG when the four Cyber-Mancubi spawn near the end. They are very dangerous to contend with, even with a powerup.

- The arena after the Field Drone gives you plenty of time to set up. The demons are too busy infighting to pay any attention to you for about 20 seconds, even if you shoot at them.

- Before running into the "hallway arena", you can grab the Haste if you haven't already. It makes it marginally easier.

- When entering the final fight before the boss, fire a BFG over the left wall, over the Baron's spawn point. It should kill the Mancubi and Barons, although one Baron might survive.

- The Hell Guards can be dispatched the same way as the Cyberdemon.
// - I'm not sure how it works with first stage, probably just stun him and then do it.
/// - This fight is also easy enough that you might not need the BFG for either stage. If you decide to try it on your own first:
// - After the 3/5-ish mark of the first stage, you need to chunk him fast. The more the Hell Guard is damaged, the more dangerous his attacks become. You do NOT want him to be acting aggressively, or else suffer consequences.
// - In the second stage, try to keep both of the Guards stunned. You can achieve this fairly easily by damaging one of them quickly with Lock-On Rockets, Super Shotgun, Cluster Strike, etc., and then Insta-Sieging the other. Grenades with Equipment Power also fill this role well.

This is a short but very difficult stage. However, there is a TON of BFG ammo stored around, meaning you can fire it fairly indiscriminately. Also, the fights are completely awesome.

- You can pretty much snipe the Imps with Rockets and Gauss in the vertical dropdown. The music won't stop until you reach the bottom, so you won't know exactly when they're done. Use your best judgment.

- The room with the electrified levers is a cakewalk. Use the Berserk to destroy the first wave of monsters. The second wave can be eliminate with a BFG shot towards the exit. The Cyber-Mancubus will walk directly into the line of fire.

- There are 3 Pinkies (and some other nasties) wandering the non-secret area before the elevator. One of them spawns in a different area than the other two. Ensure that you aren't snuck up on by the third.

- Beware of breaking the cooling coils in rapid succession in the cooling room. This can often softlock the game. Instead, take your time and do them gradually, although breaking 2 at once to start the fight is fine.
// - If the softlock happens, you can rocket-jump over the force field with the Gauss and continue. Or use a booster pad.
/// - You can do this anyways if you wanted to, probably.

- The final arena is the most difficult fight you will face for the rest of the game. Use the BFG frequently and try to stick near the far side of the room (near the lift) if you can.
// - Remember that there is an insane amount of redundant BFG ammo in the next level.

- Don't even think about visiting the final Elite Guard.

You've made it to the final level. The hardest parts of the game are behind you. Don't you dare die now. The combat is hard, but the arenas are easily cleared with one BFG shot.

- If you don't like getting sniped by Imps and won't need the extra BFG ammo in the first skull switch, just take them out immediately with it. You won't need the gun for the rest of the fight because you'll be Berserked the whole time.

- If you're using Savagery + Seek and Destroy for the Berserk, watch where you're going. Several demons will spawn near the edge, and you can fall off if you aren't careful.

- Don't grab the large armors after leaving the first arena. There's no point to fighting the spawned enemies, and there's a megahealth before your next battle.

- You can try to pick off the Hell Knights and Imps that are pre-spawned before each battle.

- Certain demons spawn more than others in each arena. Pinkies and Revenants dominate the first Wraith. (Cyber-)Mancubi dominate the second Wraith. Barons dominate the third Wraith.Hell Knights and Imps spawn in massive numbers in each. You can use this info to know what weapon mods and equipment are most useful to pre-equip.

- If you've completed the final arena, you're pretty much done. Use the BFG glitch to finish the Mastermind.
// - No matter what happens, you should be provided enough BFG ammo to finish the fight. One should be enough, two might be necessary if it glitches, and three is basically a failsafe. One is provided at the third Wraith after the fight and 2 in the boss arena.
// - The Spider Mastermind will probably still flail around on the ground a little even after being drained completely by the BFG glitch. Just shoot at her a bit and make sure you don't die. Seriously, if you lose now, you suck.

Congratulations. You've completed Ultra-Nightmare in the absolutely worst way possible. It was a challenge, no doubt. You should be proud of yourself even if you used some questionable tactics.

I sincerely hope this guide helps anyone hoping to complete this mode. Just remember that it takes a little perseverance to finish a task like this one.

If you have questions, comments or pure, unfiltered hatred for me as a human being, you should leave them below. I'd be happy to respond.

And if you're looking for more to do after this: play the game with some kind of challenge. Combat Shotgun only, re-learn how to play without Insta-Siege (which will be hard because you definitely used this as a crutch like I did), limit your runes, etc. This game feels great to play every time through it.