Game: Doom 2
Pwad: Abyssion.wad
Filename: abys1515.lmp
Skill and Style: 4 (UV-Max)
Map Level: 1
Exe/Port used: GLBoom 2.4.8.1 (PRBoom Plus) -complevel 2

Totals:
Kills        102%
Items       100%
Secrets    100% and (Time- 15:15)

Comments: 
Anytime you can maxrun a Death-Destiny map on UV, you should feel quite happy.  Most DD maps on UV are extremely brutal and insanely difficult.  

This map isn't quite near that insanely difficult barrier, but is still a very tough map to do a UV-Max run on, especially if you don't have a battle plan for the bitchy spots (And believe me, there are quite a few in this level).

The start is some fun loving punching action.  Fun for all involved.  There's a bunch of stimpacks outside though so it shouldn't be a problem.

Once the initial imps and PEs are taken out, get the nearby HK and rev to infight.  Pick up the PG, then be ready to deal with a pair of archies.  Once they and the other two monsters are dead, take out the arach perched on a platform with rockets on it and the imps in a small side alcove with a couple cell packs inside.

Next, back to the beginning to open a door.  A pair of PEs surprise you.  Own them with the PG, then grab the cell pack afterwards and be ready for a few mancos to attack you.  One teleports in behind you so quick take that one out before worrying about the others.

After that, the level presents the first tricky trap, although this one isn't quite so bad.  If you head forward to explore the rest of this area, you'll come to a RL at the edge of a lava pool and a cybie perched on a platform on the other side of the pool.  The idea is to run like hell, get the RL, then be cautious as you retreat.

First off, two walls lower to reveal imps and PEs.  That isn't the main danger.  Another cybie warps in back the way you have to go.  You'll have to play a dangerous little game involving getting around the cybie in tight quarters without risking a rocket to the face or nasty splash damage.  If you get past it back to the beginning area though, things are much easier to handle.  You should have enough space to dodge the cybie rockets and not get punished for it.  It's better though to get it to kill as many imps and PEs as possible to save on ammo.

Once it and the rest of the enemies are kaput (And likely your cell ammo at this point, even with the cell packs from the side alcove), you can grab all the supplies that the enemies behind the walls were guarding which includes a healthy supply of rockets, cells, and a pair of medpacks.

With that out of the way, it's time to head past that small alcove with the cell packs.  There's an archie who'll ambush you on your left side and imps on your right side.  Archie gets wasted first, then the imps.  Grab the ammo in the area, then check the nearby steel structure.  One side has a hidden panel you can reveal and trigger to open up a teleporter.  Blow the archie up, then take the teleporter to telefrag a cybie as well as being able to grab a backpack and some extra ammo.  Might as well kill those revs on the ledge nearby as well.

Taking the teleporter back to where you once were, heading deeper into the area makes some imps and a few arachs appear.  Easy kills.  Snag all the ammo along the outer edges until you reach an armor bonus.  Examine the wall behind it to reveal a passageway leading up to a megaarmor.

After this, your next task is to gain access to the BSK.  To do that, you'll have to visit two areas, press a switch in each area, then be set for a bitchy fight in each one.

For the first area, there's a nearby door you can open.  Blow the revs up, then just go forward to be teleported to a new area.  Kill the manco, go forward, kill the pair of HKs, then realize something's amiss up ahead.  Lots of rockets and cells to collect...and a switch at the end.

Be ready for a rather ugly fight upon hitting the switch.  This is much like the battle after snagging the RL, except this time you have revs, barons, and some imps behind the walls as well as a cybie and archie that teleport back the way you have to go.

The initial part of this fight is the worst.  You need to get the enemies infighting quickly as you don't have much room for error here.  Once everything but the cybie and archie are the only ones left, focus fire on the cybie.  Plenty of cover to utilize here if the archie attempts to attack you.

After this battle dies down, back to where the BSK is to take the other path.  It's not that bad to start out with as the resistance is nothing to be overly worried about.  It's the switch at the end that will make you turn around to see what appeared and go "Oh. Hell. No."

This is one of the tougher battles of the map.  The same idea as the last two major battle zones applies here, except for this battle, there's a couple PEs, a manco, and a crapton of HKs along with a cybie.  You can probably guess what will happen if you get boxed in by the HKs.

All you can do here initially is to circle around this area until the cybie cleans out all the HKs, then you can finish it off.

As you head backwards, there's some archies to contend with.  Easy to kill.

By now, with both switches pressed, you can take the BSK.  With that in hand, head back to the beginning to head through the BSK door.  You'll be greeted by some revs and imps.  Kill them all, then notice the shiny RSK on the pillar and a good supply of rockets and cells surrounding it too.  You know this isn't going to end well.

As soon as you get up to the RSK, another nasty trap springs.  Several mancos and a cybie teleport into the area.  Do your best to clean out the mancos first so you don't have to worry about dodging two different sets of projectiles at once.  Be very careful while tackling the cybie since it can be quite easy to die here with the cramped space available.

After this trap is cleaned out, there's not too much more than be described as brutal.  The little trap that springs not too soon after going into the hallway with the HKs can be a bit of a pain, but aside from that, only the last fight is of any real concern.

After getting to past that little trap and getting out of the hallway, there's a red brick wall to your left.  Examine it to locate a hidden panel that reveals a switch.  Hitting it opens up a teleporter that will let you telekill the cybie that you saw so long ago when you went for the RL.  You'll also get a green armor.  Good because the final fight is quite the nasty one.

After teleporting back to where you were after grabbing that last secret, there's a new pathway you can take to get to the final arena.  An archie and a manco are hiding in the nearby alcove.  Kill them, then claim the BFG and enough cells to be as close to max as possible.

Taking a look around the area after that.  You'll see a soulsphere, but don't take it quite yet.  Face the acid pool and start going backwards.  Before you reach the soulsphere, fire a BFG shot off while collecting it.  Enemies teleport in which includes some PEs, many imps, and a pair of cybies.  The cybies are behind walls and only wake up when you make a sound.  By firing off the BFG shot before getting the soulsphere, you'll blow the imps that'll block your way backwards up.  You can then blow the two mancos in back up and have some room to dodge incoming rockets and all that.  The cybies get first priority in killing because you will not last long with them around.  Once they die though this level is basically over since the last few remaining enemies are easy to kill.  Moreso if you have spare cells to burn.

All in all, I'm just happy to have managed an exit on this level, tough as it is.  It got way too close for comfort after going through the RSK door though.

Time-wise, pretty sure it's improvable.  Maybe around 2 minutes or so faster?

Brian "Anima Zero" Nesser
Bri8527@comcast.net