How to beat the Gladiator boss in Doom Eternal
The Gladiator's boss is found in Doom Eternal's eighth mission, Sentinel Prime. Here, the Doomslayer is haunted by visions of the past, providing a glimpse into how he became the bloodthirsty warrior he is today. The mission itself is quite short, with the gladiatorial combat being the main attraction. There are no demons to fight in the first part of the level thanks to the lore of Sentinel Prime, which gives the Doomslayer safe passage due to his status. However, that all changes once you reach the arena, as Hell's Last Priest sends the Gladiator to kill you.
The Gladiator functions much like the Marauder, shielding himself from your attacks with a shield. Like the Marauder, the eyes of the shield flash green when the gladiator is about to attack. Attacking after the green flash will cause the Gladiator to fail, opening up new attacks. Super Shotgun is your best for the first phase. Just shoot the Gladiator at the right time and use the Flame Belch and Frag Grenades frequently. When the gladiator's health bar is empty, you can move for a glory kill to advance to the second phase of combat.
Phase two makes the Gladiator much more aggressive and agile. Its twin masses allow it to attack you from across the arena, and it can spin one around and send your shots back at you. It can also create energy walls that will lock you into a small space. He will then send you energy cords which you can luckily dodge by jumping over them. Ropes can be difficult to avoid, so pay attention to their high and low points so you can dodge them effectively. To deal damage during this phase, the Lock-On Burst mod for the Rocket Launcher is your best bet. If you don't have this mod, you can either use the rocket launcher alone or use the heavy cannon or plasma rifle to do lasting damage. Anything that will allow you to keep your distance is ideal. After lowering the final health bar, set yourself up for glory to complete the fight.
