The hell gates have opened, and now the forces of Hell are pouring into the modern day earth.
There's no doomslayer to help us, only the blood and guts of the United States military.
So, fantasy games aside, in a realistic invasion of Doom Eternal's version of Hell, could modern
firepower stop the invasion of our planet?
First, we're ignoring the concept of the hellwave that was released in the video game version
of both the invasion of Mars and Earth, as this exists strictly to explain why in both
games you as the doom slayer are completely alone in your fight against Hell's forces.
First up is the cannon fodder of Hell's forces- an army of belligerent, if extremely slow,
hell-possessed zombies.
These are humans that fell to the influence of hell, and as the invasion of our world
expands, will be the most common enemy.
Other demons will be wrangling up civilians to drag kicking and screaming into hell, where
the possession can be finalized and the zombie returned as a foot soldier in Hell's army.
Luckily, these guys are extremely slow and have little tactical awareness.
The Mecha-zombies feature some machine upgrades, but they lack the ability to work together,
move very fast, or take cover.
Picking off zombies will be extremely easy for even regular American infantry forces
to do, gunning them down by the dozens with the help of platoon heavy weapons like the
M240 machine gun or .50 cal.
Even standard rifles will put a zombie down quickly.
Large concentrations can easily be dealt with using attached fire support such as a mortar
element or artillery.
Next is the tentacles guarding hell-nests, which are created in order to start converting
our dimension into one mirroring Hell's own.
Hell-nests will be a priority target for American forces, as they propagate extremely quickly
and belch out environmental poisons that can be extremely hazardous.
Approaching on foot will summon swarms of tentacles which can crush or eviscerate troops-
but eliminating a hell-nest is an easy job for American air power or long range attack
via US Army ground-attack missile batteries or good old fashioned artillery.
One step up from zombies will be the growing ranks of Hell-possessed soldiers.
As the conflict wears on and American troops are captured alive, more and more hell soldiers
will make their appearance.
Featuring more intelligence, agility, and a better sense for tactics than zombies, Hell
soldiers are still little threat to even normal infantry forces, as they are consumed by rage
and blindly charge into combat.
Running head on at a platoon of US Army infantry dug into fighting positions is a quick way
to cease existing, as plenty of Hell soldiers will doubtlessly find out.
The Carcass begins posing a challenge to real-life military forces.
Capable of scurrying very quickly on metal legs, the Carcass can also emit blasts of
sonic waves that can incapacitate soldiers from a distance.
As a support unit, the Carcass can also create force barriers to protect other demons or
trap human soldiers.
This enemy's main weakness though is that it must get relatively close to seriously
threaten its target, as its sonic weapon- like any weapon of its type- has very limited
range.
Still, it would be quite devastating in close quarters combat, where it can supplement its
sonic blasts with a whirlwind of limbs.
Nonetheless, Carcasses would be completely helpless against mechanized infantry or any
type of combat vehicle, and closing the distance through heavy weapons fire against a platoon
of dismounted infantry would be quite lethal.
Without legions of humans to corrupt, the first forces the US military will encounter
in defense of American soil will be the Imps, the frontline troops of Hell's forces.
Scavengers with a predator-level intelligence, Imps may be dumb but they come in large numbers.
Luckily they also need to get stupidly close to launch their signature fireballs, and in
close quarters combat can only slash with sharpened claws on their hands.
American body armor and combat helmets can easily repel either of these attacks, and
the flame retardant properties of US uniforms will help protect from fireballs.
Though any imp wishing to launch a fireball will have to get really close to do so, and
likely be blown to bits way before getting near.
Backing up hordes of Imps will be flying Revenants, the first airborne forces of Hell.
Up until now, none of Doom Eternal's demons have posed a serious threat in a realistic
combat environment, but the Revenants change this up.
Featuring jump jets that allow them to quickly change positions, and dual rocket launchers,
a single Revenant could pose a serious risk to a squad of infantry.
The best bet would be to combat these demons from the safety of armored vehicles, capable
of shrugging off the low payload rocket attacks- but realistically, American infantry would
face these demons on foot more often than not, and a single Revenant could wipe out
several soldiers before being brought down itself.
Luckily, these are not natural demons and thus exist in low numbers.
Pinky Demons are the first demon to pose a threat to American armored vehicles.
While possessing no weaponry capable of actually destroying an armored vehicle, a Pinky could
easily overturn light to medium armored vehicles with its incredible strength- not to mention
rend infantry limb from limb.
These shocktroop demons are heavily armored in the front and made for one purpose: break
through enemy lines and create openings for other demons.
Luckily for American forces, they can count on a whole host of vehicle and infantry-level
anti-tank weapons such as TOW guided-wire missiles and recoilless rifles capable of
punching through modern tank armor.
Regardless, Pinky demons will pose a serious threat on a realistic battlefield and would
need to be priority targeted for elimination.
Gargoyles pose another major threat to American ground forces due to their superior mobility.
With the ability to launch balls of energy or slash with their claws in diving attacks,
Gargoyles present a serious problem for dismounted infantry, though no threat to armored vehicles.
Securing the cities back from Hell's forces though will require the use of dismounted
infantry, and while they are extremely weak, Gargoyles can be agile enough to present a
problem.
The use of vehicle mounted CIWS (see-whiz) systems such as those found on naval ships
would present a very easy solution to the Gargoyle problem however, and the weapons
could use mounted M249 or M240 machine guns for quick integration into the American ground
forces.
Lost Souls will be another major problem for American forces, capable of threatening even
armored vehicles.
These floating fiery skulls will immediately charge an enemy and explode, making them lethal
against infantry and lightly armored vehicles.
Luckily, they are very fragile, and would be easy prey for a land-based, vehicle-mounted
CIWS system such as that used to combat Gargoyles.
In fact, the development of exactly such a system, not currently in existence, would
be of utmost priority as only the fast targeting of a computer and a very high rate of fire
could keep the skies over friendly infantry safe from Hell's more agile airborne forces.
A daunting challenge, but not an impossible one to overcome.
Distant cousins of the Imps, Prowlers will pose another significant challenge for America's
infantry.
These agile demons may be physically weak, but they have the ability to instantly teleport
from up to fifty meters away, meaning US troops would have to keep these guys at range or
be forced to fight them face-to-face.
Prowlers will often teleport behind their prey however, and in the close quarters combat
environment of urban warfare, Prowlers will be a lethal threat to US troops.
The Whiplash is the first female demon to emerge from Hell, and quite a daunting challenge.
While completely helpless at a distance, Whiplashes are able to slither along extremely quickly,
making them difficult targets.
Once in close range, they can use attached chain whips with deadly results.
If allowed to close on infantry, Whiplashes could be deadly, but armed with modern combat
rifles having ranges of hundreds of meters, the Whiplash- like most of Hell's demons-
only poses a serious threat in close quarters combat.
The Cacodemon may be Doom Eternal's most iconic demon, but it's also the most easily defeated
by realistic weaponry.
While capable of taking a huge amount of punishment, the slow, lumbering demon can be shot out
of the sky by any number of weapons, and would be completely helpless against fast-moving
Apache attack helicopters or infantry-level anti-air weapons.
Pain Elementals are the grown-up versions of Cacodemons in a sense, though again would
pose little threat in the real world.
While they're capable of spitting out Lost Souls which explode on impact, it also requires
them to get fairly close to their targets to do so- and infantry-level weapons would
easily destroy a pain elemental well before getting within range given their slow speed.
Vehicle mounted weapons and even combat drones would easily defeat any number of Pain Elementals
before becoming a significant threat on the battlefield.
Hell Knights were created to exploit the breaks in enemy defenses created by charging Pinkies,
and they do so with frightening power.
The Hell Knight's armored carapace makes it all but immune to small arms fire, and the
only chance American infantry would have of stopping one in its tracks would be heavy
weapons fire such as the .50 caliber machine gun or Mark-19 automatic grenade launcher.
Even these however, would have little effect on a charging group of Hell Knights, meaning
that without combat vehicles or air support, American infantry forces would suffer devastating
casualties to Hell Knight attacks.
Recoilless rifles, common amongst US Army and Marine Corps platoons would be extremely
useful against Hell Knights, but these demons would be best dealt with by fire support platforms.
We're now getting into Hell's heavy hitters, the types of demons requiring heavy firepower
to put down permanently.
Leading the charge is the Mancubus, a hulking mass wielding dual flame cannons.
While the cannons can be devastating, they require pretty close ranges to be used effectively
as its longer range fireball attacks could be easily avoided by infantry fighting from
defensive positions.
With its heavy weapons and huge girth, the Mancubus is very slow on its feet, though
its great mass also means it can take a great deal of punishment.
These demons would be prey for American air support and ground combat vehicles such as
the M1 Abrams tank or M2 Bradley IFV, both of which would make extremely short work of
a Mancubus.
The Arachnotron may be a heavy fire support platform,but it's surprisingly quick and capable
of climbing walls or hanging upside down from ceilings.
Their fast-firing plasma cannon and ability to saturate an area with grenades makes them
lethal threats for infantry, and would be best faced by armored vehicles or eliminated
by air support.
Luckily, Hell's forces can do little to stop high-flying American air power, and Arachnotrons
would be easy prey for Apache attack helicopters.
Infantry caught without air support though would have to rely on anti-tank weapons at
their disposal, though casualties would be exceedingly high in such an engagement.
Without a doubt the highest priority on any battlefield, Arch-Viles would be a kill-on-sight
threat level to American fighting forces, or else.
With their ability to summon other demons, blast enemies with fire from afar, and summon
pools of flame, Arch-Viles must be eliminated extremely quickly or else will overwhelm American
forces.
The superheated columns of flames that they can summon would not only devastate infantry,
but also pose a threat to any armored vehicle other than an Abrams tank.
Luckily, these demons are low in numbers, and with Hell's inability to combat America's
air power, they would be easily spotted by airborne recon assets and eliminated via air
support.
Still, if not dealt with quickly their presence on a battlefield could spell disaster for
American forces.
Hellbarons are essentially Hell Knights on steroids, with the addition of a ranged balefire
attack.
They serve primarily the same purpose as Hell Knights though- to break through enemy lines,
but are reserved for only the most critical of combat operations.
That's good for American military forces, because with their obsidian armor, HellBarons
are completely immune to small arms fire.
Only heavy weapons or better yet- vehicle mounted autocannons- could stand a chance
of stopping a Hellbaron.
While very few demons pose a realistic threat to American armored vehicles, the Hellbaron
is quite capable of piercing the armor of even an M1 Abrams tank- though a single shot
of an Abram's 'silver bullet' depleted uranium round would be enough to put a Hellbaron down.
So far, none of our demons have been able to pose a significant threat to America's
armored vehicles unless they get in close.
That changes with the Doom hunter, a cybernetic organism equipped with rockets, machine guns
and arm cannons.
Its rockets could easily penetrate even the top armor of an M1 Abrams tank, and its rapid-fire
machine guns can shoot armor-piercing rounds capable of overcoming the armor of a Bradley
IFV.
These demons may be low in number, but are a huge threat that would require either air
support or mechanized forces to bring down, at last giving America's M1 Abrams a truly
worthy adversary.
With their incredible range of over 4,000 meters though, DoomHunters better close the
distance fast or be prey to the sustained long-range fire of Abrams tanks or the Bushmaster
autocannon of an M2 Bradley.
Lastly, we come to the vaunted Cyberdemon- the ultimate weapon in Hell's arsenal.
Outfitted with a missile launcher in place of an arm and towering well over thirty feet
high, Cyberdemons are the rarest of Hell's forces.
And that's a good thing too, because the barrage of missiles a Cyberdemon is able to dish out
would overwhelm even M1 tanks.
With its great mass, even the silver-bullet main cannon round of an Abrams would have
little effect on a Cyberdemon, and the only way for US forces to put one down would be
air power.
Close air support from ground-attack F-35s or A-10 Warthogs would be about the only thing
capable of stopping a Cyberdemon in its tracks, though it's likely that the cannon in either
airplane would have little effect against these demons.
Instead 1,000 pound JDAMs would be the weapon of choice against these monsters, or perhaps
even air launched cruise missiles.
Realistically speaking, while Hell's forces are terrifying, their only obvious strength
in a real battle against modern American military forces would be numbers.
Even some of the heavier class demons such as Hell Knights/Barons, Mancubus, and Arch-viles,
while posing a serious threat to infantry forces, would be no problem at all for American
air power.
Hell's greatest weakness in combating modern US forces would be its complete lack of air
power, and its inability to deny the skies to American ground-attack aircraft such as
the F-16, the A-10, and Apache attack helicopters.
American artillery would also make short work of large concentrations of demons, and while
Doom Eternals' demons may be terrifying to face one-on-one, in reality they would never
be able to successfully invade a world full of modern military forces- let alone those
equipped with futuristic technology.
Want another epic matchup?
Check out US Versus The World, or check out this other video instead!