Demo Man

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Demo Man is challenge #9. Character Isaac icon.pngIsaac starts with Dr. FetusDr. Fetus, Remote DetonatorRemote Detonator, and the Match StickMatch Stick trinket. The goal is to defeat Boss Mom's Heart ingame.pngMom's Heart or Boss It Lives! ingame.pngIt Lives!. This challenge is available after unlocking Dr. Fetus.

Difficulty

The only weapons are Bomb.pngBombs, which can harm Isaac if he's too close. The Remote DetonatorRemote Detonator works on the Dr. Fetus bombs that replace tears but does not prevent them from exploding after their fuse runs out.

Match StickMatch Stick causes more bomb drops than other drops, such as Red Heart.pngHearts or Chest.pngChests. Since there is an unlimited supply of bombs, this can be a hindrance.

Strategy

  • Since every run starts with Dr. Fetus, there is a virtually infinite supply of bombs. Anything that would normally use bombs can be done by attacking.
  • While Remote Detonator does not prevent bombs from detonating, using it will still cause them to explode prematurely.
  • Shot speed will cause the bombs to launch faster and farther.
  • Flying can help with avoiding explosive damage in tight quarters. This can make Lord of the PitLord of the Pit or Spirit of the NightSpirit of the Night more valuable.
  • The infinite bombs allows testing every wall for Secret RoomSecret Rooms and Super Secret RoomSuper Secret Rooms. They also enable Isaac to escape rooms without clearing them by blowing open the doors.
  • Acquiring explosion immunity via items such as IpecacIpecac, (except in Rebirth) Host HatHost Hat or PyromaniacPyromaniac make this challenge significantly easier. Ipecac immunizes Isaac only to the bombs fired by Dr. Fetus, however, not their possible fragments or other explosions.
  • If one manages to acquire (in Repentance and Repentance+) Rocket in a JarRocket in a Jar, this challenge will be made easier, as the rockets travel linearly and explode on contact, making self-damage less likely.

Placed Bombs

  • Match StickMatch Stick causes more bomb drops than other drops. Since regular bombs are more powerful than the Dr. Fetus bombs, this can be a boon. Dr. Fetus bombs can blast obstacles and walls, allowing placed bombs to be saved for combat.
  • Combined with the Remote DetonatorRemote Detonator, more control can be had over placed bombs and can lay traps with them. This is especially useful during boss fights with invincibility periods, such as Boss Mom's Heart ingame.pngMom's Heart and Boss Pin ingame.pngPin, as multiple placed bombs can be laid near the boss's spawning point and detonated all at once.
  • If a placed bomb is misplaced, they can be moved by walking into them. Placed bombs will not explode until Remote Detonator is used, so Isaacs can move out of the way of explosive damage.
  • It is possible to drop the Match Stick by using Ctrl(PC), R2(PS4), R2 + RT(Xbox) or ZR(3DS, Switch).

Reward

Trivia

  • This challenge is a reference to Team Fortress 2's 4th class, the Demoman. In the game, the Demoman uses a sticky bomb launcher, that launches bombs which can be manually detonated, much like the combination of the two items this challenge revolves around.