Quake II/Final Showdown

Level objectives
The objectives for this level are to eliminate Makron, the Strogg leader, then locate an open escape pod and leave before the asteroid blows up.

Strategy / Walkthrough
Once the matter transporter beams you to Makron's secret hideaway built into an asteroid orbiting Stroggos, you cannot go back. The only choice is to face him and destroy him. Explore the concourse around the perimeter of the station and pick up what items you need. You should also have at least one Invulnerability item and one or more Quad Damage items. Save the game now.

Ride one of the two lifts up to the main station platform to meet the enemy. Makron is waiting in the guise of a large, fearsome-looking walking machine. There are two movable floor panels with corresponding floor buttons, except that each button opens the panel on the opposite side of the station platform. The recovery area below the platform is well stocked with supplies, so duck in there when you are running low on ammo or armor. It can also be used to escape Makron and pop up behind him on the other side. Watch out for the two transparencies in the ceiling of the recovery area by the button that operates the access panels; they'll stop most projectiles, but you'll still take damage from energy weapons. Makron is armed with something like the BFG10K.

After you destroy Makron's heavily armed walker, he pops out of the wreckage, but don't be fooled by his smaller size. With head and arms consisting of rail guns, he is just as deadly as when he was astride the large machine. Keep running, dodging and firing until you cut him in half and take him down for good.

Once Makron has been reduced to a few quivering chunks of machinery and a brain, the station platform begins shaking violently. Before heading to the east lift to enter the open escape pod, return to the recovery area below to enjoy the secret and a bonus. (See Secrets, below.)

In a final cinematic sequence, the escape pod ejects from the side of the station, the asteroid explodes and you find yourself back on the surface of Stroggos. Mission accomplished!

Strategy for Sissies
If you just want to get this over with and you've had the good sense to keep at least one Invulnerability and one Quad Damage in reserve, you can destroy the Makron almost as easily as shooting a Light Guard with the Rail Gun. Equip the Hyper-Blaster (assuming you have full ammunition for it), activate the Invulnerability, walk right up to the Makron, activating the Quad Damage, and just unload everything in the Hyper-Blaster at him. Other weapons, except for the Blaster and basic Shotgun, will also work. For example, with the BFG10K, two hits to the armed walker, wait until it falls over and the Makron pops out, and then two more hits, will do the job with ten or more seconds of Invulnerability / Quad Damage remaining. There is no challenge in this and, frankly, the Makron boss-battle is a bit of an anti-climax if done this way.

Strategy for Skilled Players
Actually, if you're nimble you can quite easily take the Makron down with just a full load of grenades without using an Invulnerability or a Quad Damage, even on "Hard" difficulty. It's a good idea to be well armored, however, in case you take any hits. The idea, of course, is to use the big pillars in the arena for cover and hit the Makron repeatedly without being hit yourself. The grenade launcher is ideal for this.

While the Makron is in his slow-moving armed walker, hide behind a pillar and wait until his pursuit of you reveals a foot. Place a grenade on the foot and move around the pillar so that you are hidden again. Repeat until you have hit him with 50 to 60 grenades (hard difficulty). You should be able to do this without him hitting you even once.

The smaller Makron is best dealt with in a slightly different way, as he is faster moving and more compact. As soon as you see him come around the pillar after you, dodge away and keep going around the pillar until you come up to his back. He will turn around, but not fast enough to avoid you landing a grenade on him and running around the pillar in the other direction. You could use rockets or the rail gun instead of grenades. Keep going around one way and then the other, finding him facing away from you and hitting him as he turns. Most of the time, he will not be fast enough to hit you back. If you don't get the dance quite right, he may get a shot off and do you damage, but that's why you have the armor. It will take less damage than the armed walker to bring him down, maybe 30 grenades (hard difficulty).

Secrets
This level has one (1) secret, plus a bonus:
 * After the Makron has been destroyed, go down into the corridor under the arena floor. Stand on the floor buttons to open the ramps to this area if you haven't already done so.  A second corridor branches off at right angles.  There is a crack in the wall at the end.  Blast it open and step through to collect the secret.  Enjoy a gallery of pictures of Id Software contributors to the Quake II project.
 * Bonus — At the end of the picture gallery there is a hole in the floor with a ladder leading to a special area. Climb down to see what Strogg commanders do in their leisure time.  Remember the cryptic sequence of characters that was revealed in the bonus for the Research Lab (A.H.D.S.S.I.B.H. bjjc)?  It purportedly stands for "A Hall Displays Secret Snapshots In Boss's House — Brandon James & John Carmack", an early hint of the bonus in the Final Showdown.