Cultic has tons of creepy, bloody, and deadly enemies that make for fun and rewarding obstacles. As you follow the game’s corpse-ridden trail of the occult, you will encounter strange and frightening new foes. Our complete guide to every Cultic enemy has you covered for those who wish to get the upper hand and learn the best method for dealing with any cultist or monster.
Very Minor Spoiler Disclaimer (No Storyline Spoilers)
Cultic has amazing cinematic reveals for many enemies. Each is an unforgettable experience, and we don’t want new players to miss out! Many enemies in Cultic have scripted events that beautifully introduce most new enemies.
These events are scripted and have a lot of environmental build-ups, so if you haven’t beaten Cultic or been introduced to all of the game’s enemies and want to be surprised by the reveals, you may want to hold off or only read the sections for those enemies you want to learn how to beat.
There are no storyline spoilers in this guide. You can also use the Table of Contents below to jump to the particular enemy you are interested in learning how to defeat. If you are interested in how to defeat all of the bosses in Cultic, check out our linked companion guide.
With this minor disclaimer out of the way, let’s get on with our guide on how to beat all Cultic enemies.
Table of Contents
All Enemies in Cultic
1. Hatchet Cultist – A Relatively Strong Type of Cannon Fodder
Hatchet Cultists are the lowest-tier enemy in Cultic but can be smarter and deadlier than average video game cannon fodder. As their name implies, they throw axes at the player. Due to how Cultics’ physics work, each thrown axe becomes a 3D object instead of a projectile such as bullets. These thrown axes can intercept bullets, dynamite, Molotovs, and other objects.
All of this makes Hatchet Cultists relatively easy to eliminate, yet difficult to approach in some situations.
2. Handgun Cultist
The Handgun Cultist is the second most common Cultic enemy who wields the same Handgun the player uses and is dressed in blue robes. Whenever the player is in their line of sight, the Handgun Cultist will prime and fire their weapon.
The number of shots the Handgun Cultist makes increases with the selected difficulty. Typically, the Handgun Cultist fires three times, but on Hard they fire four times, and on Extreme they fire five times.
The Handgun and Hatchet Cultist go down from a few weak-spot hits from the Handgun, one from the Lever Action, and easily explode into bits from one Shotgun blast. This means that both are relatively fragile, yet they do deal more damage than most basic enemies.
3. Shotgun Cultist – The First Truly Threatening Enemy Type in Cultic
Shotgun Cultists are the first deadly class of enemy that players encounter in Cultic. They are easy to spot because of their bright red robes. A Shotgun Cultist has far more range with their Shotgun than you with yours, so stay out of open areas.
Watch Our for Their Dynamite
They also can throw a bundle of dynamite. They do this with a higher chance if the player takes cover, so stay mobile. Not only are Shotgun Cultists deadly because their Shotgun blast is hitscan and does a lot of damage, but their dynamite can make them extremely dangerous in small rooms or if they aren’t eliminated first.
Eliminate Shotgun Cultists first with the Lever Action, or lead them around a corner to avoid their TNT bundles. However, if you’re lucky, Shotgun Cultists can blow up their friends with their dynamite bundles, so stay clear of them yet try to arrange a favorable placement of enemies!
Related Article: Complete Cultic Review
4. Harvester
The Harvester is one of the first monster enemies that the player will encounter in a fantastical and creepy crypt. Whenever the Harvester is alerted, the player can hear a sudden revving of a chainsaw before it charges while laughing.
The Harvester’s Moveset
The Harvester has multiple moves designed to corner the player while attacking. Its main move is slashing with a chainsaw, which, unlike other melee attacks, prevents the player from moving as the blades ravage their character.
In the Cultic game, the Harvester also throws bombs that explode after a few seconds. They also toss bear traps, which can be disabled by shooting them or throwing objects into them.
How to Defeat Harvester Enemies in Cultic
The best weapon to use against a Harvester is the Shotgun, as it’s the only weapon with enough knockback to push the monster away from you in case their melee weapon catches you. The Harvester’s main weakness is its movement speed.
However, the Harvester’s movement speed steadily increases as the monster takes damage, so if this butcher starts to move faster, it indicates they are low on health and should be focused down quickly.
5. Harvested
The Harvested are waiting victims of the Harvester, first encountered when the player enters its lair for the first time. The Harvested don’t show up often and shamble aimlessly toward the player.
These shambling corpses are slow like zombies. But if engaged in melee, their bodies will detonate into a shower of gore, damaging the player. Don’t let these enemies near your character; take them out early.
6. Ghost – The Most Terrifying Enemy Type in Cultic
The Ghost is probably the most terrifying enemy in Cultic. Their reveal is a horrific and beautiful buildup, and it does a fantastic job of showing their powers.
Telekinesis Powers
The Ghost has two main methods of attacking the player using psychic abilities. The first is to use telekinesis to control objects in the arena and hurl them at the player. If any throwable object is nearby, the Ghost can pick it up and launch it at the player.
The Ghost can grasp explosive barrels, lanterns, and even your dynamite. Moreover, they can use their telekinesis while concealed behind full cover, making them an unpredictable threat.
Choke Hold
Secondly, if the player gets too close to the Ghost, it can use its psychic powers to ravage the player, making the screen turn red and slowing them down while they take constant damage. The Ghost can only use its second attack if it is in line of sight with the player; otherwise, it will continue throwing objects at them.
How to Defeat this Frightening Cultic Enemy
The Ghost makes no noise when altered, giving the player absolutely no warning when they are about to strike. Ghosts can float, making them oftentimes easy to spot, but if they hide behind walls, position yourself away from any throwable objects. Thankfully, Ghosts have low health, so a few shots from the Handgun or any weapon can quickly bring them down.
7. Corpse
Corpses, also known as zombies, shamble and wander aimlessly until they detect the player, at which point they become incredibly aggressive. Despite being walking corpses, these undead creatures can move very quickly and can lunge at the player if they get too close.
Corpse Weakness
It is recommended to pick off these shambling Cultic enemies at a medium distance or shatter them with dynamite.
Fire does wonders against any enemy, especially against Corpses. Use nearby lanterns to reduce them to ash before they can swarm you. If all else fails, use the Shotgun weapon for its knockback effect to create some space between you and the undead horde.
8. Shield Cultist
Shield Cultists are basic Cultists armed with tower shields, making ranged weapons less effective against them. These Cultists are much more than their non-shielded counterparts, and while their shield is up they cannot be damaged by ranged weapons from the front.
However, you can damage them from the sides and behind, and well-placed headshots will ignore their shields if you aim above them. This can be difficult to do in certain positions, but it is worth trying if you gain enough skill, such as by reading our Cultic beginners guide.
How to Deal with Their Shields
The shields of these protected Cultic enemies have limited HP and can be destroyed by getting up close with a shotgun or using explosive weapons like dynamite or lanterns to bypass them. Shield Cultists can be equipped with axes or handguns, which can make them more or less aggressive depending on their other weapon.
9. Brute – Another Powerful Monster Enemy in Cultic
The Brute is the second monster that the player will encounter in Cultic. It is essentially a giant monster composed of multiple bodies, including that of a gorilla, which the cult can barely contain.
Its attack pattern consists of charging the player, punching, and ground-pounding any destructible obstacle in its way. The Brute has a lot of health but, as intimidating as it looks, it can easily be dealt with if you keep your distance.
However, the Brute does have a leap attack to close the distance, but they will only jump at the player if they move slightly out of their melee range. The Shotgun works great against Brutes. Alternatively, fire damage can quickly whittle their health down.
10. STEN Cultist
STEN Cultists, otherwise known as Machine-gunner Cultists, are heavily armed Cultic enemies who remain stationary and cover more aggressive allies. Taking a few shots from a STEN Cultist may not be significant, but receiving multiple bullets can stun-lock you and easily break your ballistic armor.
Avoid engaging STEN Cultists in open areas, just like Shotgun Cultists, and wait for their reload animation to counterfire.
Like all other cultists in Cultic, aim for the head when fighting against a Sten Cultist. Yet, be ready to retreat into cover if your shot misses and they reload before you can fire again. We recommend using the Lever Action against them since fighting them with a STEN will take too long to bring them down.
11. Adept Cultists
Adept Cultists are highly armored and well-trained cult members who can devastate you from multiple ranges. These powerful Cultic enemies are essentially a hybrid of the Shotgun Cultists and STEN Cultists.
How to Defeat Adept Cultists
Adepts use the STEN if the player is far away or a Shotgun if the player gets too close. The best way to fight against Adepts is to stick close to cover and use either explosives or fire.
Because the Adept Cultists have Armor, they will take longer to kill, so do not rush them. Also, Sten Cultists wear iron helmets, making headshots less effective on them, unlike other Cultists who can quickly die with one shot from the Lever Action.
12. Devourer
The Devourer is another horrific monster that mimics a large human; however, when the player gets close, its torso splits vertically and charges the player like a bull.
Unlike the Brute, the Devourer can lob giant acidic blood balls at the player if it cannot reach them, making it a threat even at range. Devourers are similar to Brutes in terms of their large health pools, strong melee attacks, and weaknesses.
However, Devourers are prone to get stuck on terrain, making them exploitable. Use Molotovs, lanterns, and the shotgun if they get too close.
13. Skeleton – This Cultic Enemy is Really Threatening Only in Hordes
Skeletons are basic enemies that are introduced halfway through Cultic’s first chapter. This type of enemy has been reanimated from the remains of imbued Cultists and acts similarly to the basic Cultists.
Skeletons come in two versions, Hatchet and Handgun Skeletons. Like the Hatchet and Handgun Cultists, these Skeletons share the same role and behaviors but have less health. Since they have less health, Skeletons often come in bigger clusters or swarms compared to Cultists; otherwise, they aren’t a significant threat.
14. Sharpshooter
Sharpshooters are trained snipers who can take your head clean off if you stay out in the open. These cultists typically stay positioned on the high ground, like hills or places with a good view.
Once this Cultic enemy spots the player, one can hear a round being loaded into their bolt-action rifle before they fire. Players can use this sound cue to duck into cover before they are fired upon, and if they fire back but don’t get them, they can often retreat to another position.
How to Deal with This Dangerous Cultic Enemy
Sharpshooters are powerful but have a generous sound queue, followed by a short window to duck into cover to avoid their shots. If you close the gap on a Sharpshooter, they will pull out a Handgun instead.
Although they look tougher because they wear armor, you can still get them with one well-placed shot. A sharpshooter is only deadly if you cannot locate them or they stay out in the open, so eliminate them before jumping into the fray.
15. Grenade Launcher Cultist – A Rare but Threatening Enemy in Cultic
The Grenade Launcher Cultist does not often appear throughout Cultic. We may see them implemented more in Chapter 2, but for now, you will encounter them approximately ten times or fewer in Chapter 1. The Grenade Launcher Cultist wields the same Launcher as the player and launches one shot at a time; however, the grenade leaves a visible trail, yet it still detonates on impact.
These Cultic enemies are easy to eliminate and don’t threaten the player much unless they stay hunkered down in one position for too long. Use any long-range weapon to engage them before they try to flush you out of hiding.
16. Incinerator
The Incinerator Cultist is one of the tankiest and most difficult enemies to eliminate. These enemies are armed with an Incinerator, which launches napalm in short bursts or one big rocket.
These Cultic enemies can create a lot of fire patches on the ground, making it challenging to move around arenas; plus, they wear Armor, so they soak up a lot of damage. Like the Adepts, Incinerator Cultists wear helmets, making them more resilient to headshots. They are slower like the Shield Cultists, so use explosives if you have any, or use the Grenade Launcher or FG-42.
17. Armor
The Armor is one of the last non-boss enemies you will face in Chapter 1 of Cultic. They are essentially reanimated corpses, living in suits of Armor.
How to Deal with Armored Enemies
Despite them appearing slow, the Armor is very agile and has a slight lunge on its slashing attack.
These enemies are slightly tankier versions of Corpses and, thus, should be treated the same way. Use dynamite whenever they bunch up or the Shotgun if they get too close. Unloading both barrels from the Shotgun will easily shred them apart.
Wrap Up on Our Guide on How to Defeat All Enemies in Cultic
That’s our look into all of the non-boss enemies of Cultic. Although each enemy may seem simple at first, their placement and positioning often make them more imposing and threatening.
Every enemy has a weakness, and you, as the player, have a plethora of bullets, explosives, and guns to cleanse these undead abominations. If you enjoyed our short preview into Cultic, then check out our list of the best boomer shooter games you can play today for more great options.
Happy slaying for now!
