The 5 Toughest Duke Nukem 3D Enemies

There are certain enemies in all shooter games that just have that knack of being incredibly annoying and hard to kill. This game is no different. 

These are the top 5 hardest Duke Nukem 3D enemies. At least, in my opinion. Let me know if you agree in the comment section at the end of the article.

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What are the hardest Duke Nukem 3D enemies?

5. Pig Cop

Pig Cop - Duke Nukem 3D
Pig Cop – Duke Nukem 3D

Purely for being one of the most annoying/difficult Duke Nukem 3D enemies you encounter early on, the Pig Cop is worthy of a mention. 

These tanky, muscular pigs are a mutation from L.A.P.D officers and can do some serious damage with the shotguns that they wield. 

Despite being slow, the Pig Cop has very high HP, and when you couple this with strong durability and the ability to deal relatively high hitscan damage, this boar-like police officer has the potential to be quite problematic in the opening stages.  

4. Protector Drone

Protector Drone - Duke Nukem 3D
Protector Drone – Duke Nukem 3D

Introduced in the Atomic Edition of Duke Nukem 3D, the Protector Drone is as dangerous as it is ugly. This three-eyed alien monstrosity has fins coming out of every orifice and spikes protruding from its alien shoulders and hands.

What makes the Protector Drone one of the most difficult enemies in Duke Nukem 3D is not its appearance, though, but its high level of durability and its proclivity for firing large Shrink Orbs projectiles at Duke. 

To kill the alien, two hits with an RPG will suffice. This is probably the best way to go about it, too, as the beast is immune to the Shrinker Ray.

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3. Octabrain

Octabrain - Duke Nukem 3D
Octabrain – Duke Nukem 3D

I can still vividly hear the shrieking sound that the Octabrain makes. Perhaps that influences the decision to place it so highly among the most difficult Duke Nukem 3D enemies, but boy did these creatures used to terrify me. 

This floating brain monster is usually found underwater, and oftentimes you’ll hear it before you see it, leading to some horrifying encounters. It attacks by shooting psychic miles at Duke, and has the ability to both swim and fly in order to catch the player. 

Fortunately, the Octabrain can be eliminated before it has the chance to become too dangerous. This is because the creature needs time to charge its attack. Whilst it is doing so, seize the opportunity to take it down quickly, preferably with explosive weapons for good measure.   

2. Assault Commander

Assault Commander - Duke Nukem 3D
Assault Commander – Duke Nukem 3D

This brown, fat monstrosity is one of the most unnerving creatures you can come across in the game. Not only is it grotesque in appearance, but it also has the potential to throw you off guard and cause some serious damage. 

Sitting on a large floating platform, the Assault Commander flies around the map and fires rocket launchers at Duke. If it gets close, the giant blob monster can even perform a melee attack by spinning around on the platform and attacking Duke with the blades at the side of the platform. 

No doubt about it, the Assault Commander is one of the hardest Duke Nukem 3D enemies, but there are a few ways to dispose of it. The easiest way to kill it is to use the Shrink Ray gun and then kick it into oblivion. Failing that, though, you’ll want to get the Shotgun and the Freezethrower out.  

1. Sentry Drone

Sentry Drone - Duke Nukem 3D
Sentry Drone – Duke Nukem 3D

Without question, the Sentry Drone is the hardest of the Duke Nukem 3D enemies. This flying robot is annoyingly agile and evasive, and has a very strong armored exterior to make up for its lack of firepower. 

Although it doesn’t have any weapons to shoot at Duke, it can deal huge damage by exploding at point-blank range. Think of it as a very fast and robust suicidal robot. 

The only way to slow down the Sentry Drone’s advance is to shoot at it with prolonged and sustained fire. It will evade your attack from side to side, and while it does so it will not advance closer. This makes the Chaingun Cannon a good option if the drone is in mid-distance range. 

The best way to escape a Sentry Drone unscathed is to bait the enemy towards you and allow it to self-destruct with an obstacle between you and the drone. This is because the Sentry Drone will not recognize the obstacle and only goes by the distance between itself and the player. 

Get in Touch

Who do you think are the hardest enemies in Duke Nukem 3D? Agree with our list? Let us know in the comment section below!

For any enquiries, contact me at richard@blogofgames.com

If you want to see an impressive walkthrough of Duke Nukem 3D, check out the great YouTube video below by Jums. 

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