All Powerful DOOM: The Dark Ages Weapons – Every Weapon Explained

Doom: The Dark Ages introduces to the Slayer’s arsenal a formidable mix of classic guns, medieval-themed weaponry, and brutal close-quarters combat weapons, comprising 12 distance firearms, the Shield Saw, and three specially designed melee tools, all of which are designed to take on Hell’s varied abominations. Each weapon serves a unique strategic function, from the reliable Combat Shotgun for up-close burst damage to the Rail Spike Impaler’s far-reaching precision.

Medieval flair shines in the Shield Saw, which is both offense and defense, and in the Flail and Dreadmace’s blunt force, allowing players to destroy demons in bone-crunching melee.

This article boils down each weapon’s fundamental mechanics, ammo information, and optimal battlefield use, arming you with what you need to take down Doom: The Dark Ages’ most fearsome enemies. Check out here if you’d like to see how to unlock them!

Ranged Firearms

Combat Shotgun

The Combat Shotgun is your default opener to any battle, shooting a high-damage, spread-pattern blast ideal for close quarters. With its modest ammo capacity and fast pump cycle, it’s perfect for clearing lesser demons out of the way in a hurry or staggering larger ones to pave the way for heavier guns. It’s the backbone of any Slayer arsenal for the early chapter of The Dark Ages.

Rail Spike Shredder

A mid-tier bruiser, the Rail Spike Shredder fires deadly metal spikes at high intervals, easily ripping through armor and flesh. With 120 spikes in ammo reserve, its continuous rate of fire is great at crowd control as Slayers mow down hordes before they get close. Accuracy is consistent at all ranges, making every shot matter even during the chaos of combat.

Power Gauntlet

The Power Gauntlet merges ranged electrical blasts with brutal melee power, offering Slayers a hybrid option for mid-range combat. While ammo is scarce compared to gun equivalents, its shock has a chance to stun heavy demons, opening them up for follow-up blows. Its dual nature also bridges the gap between naked guns and pure melee arms.

Advanced Ballistic Arms

Shield Saw

A Doom: The Dark Ages exclusive, the Shield Saw is a saw-blade riot shield that can be lunged to bisect enemies or parried to negate incoming attacks. With four shield runes, it grants temporary invulnerability frames on a successful block, making it a lifesaver against aggressive demon rushes. Use it to control space, break heavy armor, or buffer your next offensive salvo.

Plasma Accelerator

Drawing on ancient tech, the Plasma Accelerator shoots high-energy bolts that can span multiple enemies in a straight line. Thanks to its long effective range and relatively small ammo counts, it’s perfect for whittling down mobs of enemies before they get close. Charged shots also stagger shielded demons, opening up weak points for other guns to exploit.

Skullcrusher Pulzer

For explosive power, the Skullcrusher Pulverizer fires devastating concussive blasts that are great at dealing area-of-effect damage to clustered foes. Limited ammo demands careful timing: use it to burst open groups of enemies or finish off bosses during vulnerable windows. Raw destructive power comes at the cost of a payoff in accuracy and situational awareness.

Rail Spike Impaler

When enemies fall back to range, the Rail Spike Impaler is your go-to sniping weapon, firing slow but high-damaging spikes with pinpoint accuracy. Feeding from a mere 10 spike magazine, it boasts the highest damage-per-shot of ranged guns in its tier, with headshots being lethally effective. Great for picking off high-priority targets before they close in.

Plasma Cycler

Blending explosive burst and rapid fire, the Plasma Cycler shoots a burst of energy rounds that detonate on contact, perfect for both mid-range suppression and close-quarters shock. With ammunition usage balanced between single-target sniping and wide-area annihilation, it finds its place in between. Experienced Slayers can chain Cycler shots to stagger enemies repeatedly, making it quite useful, especially in Doom: The Dark Ages.

Super Shotgun

The Super Shotgun returns for close-quarters carnage, firing dual barrels with tremendous stopping power. While it reloads more slowly, the trade-off is enormous pellet spread and knockback, making it ideal for clearing rooms. Mastery is in “double-tap” techniques to get as much damage output as quickly as possible.

Reaver Chainshot

Rounding out ballistic arms, the Reaver Chainshot fires chained blades that ricochet between enemies, shredding through multiple demons per mag. Specialty ammo mechanics are enhanced by creative angles and environmental bounces to get the most out of crowd control. Underrated and lethal with proper application.

Melee Armaments

Flail

Medieval brutality incarnate, the Flail fires a spiky ball at foes, radial explosions erupting on impact. Its distance and crowd-clearing potential make it an excellent panic tool when ammunition is low. The hordes in Doom: The Dark Ages can easily overwhelm you if you’re not careful, so it’s good to have this plan B!

Dreadmace

The Dreadmace pulverizes with bone-crushing strikes that shockwave through demon lines, dealing brute damage and a chance to drop extra health pickups with the Reaper upgrade. Well-timed swings can stagger lumbering beasts nicely.

Mace

A simple weapon, the lighter counterpart to the Dreadmace. The Mace is ideal for quick switches and extended melee combats, great for ripper moves and finishers. While other weapons in Doom: The Dark Ages might overshadow it, don’t underestimate it!

Final Thoughts to Keep in Mind

• Weapon Cycling: Adapt to enemy types! Impaler for ranged enemies, cycle to Shield Saw or Flail for armored brutes.
• Ammo Management: Reserve high-damage ammo (Impaler, Pulverizer) for bosses; use the Shredder or Cycler for standard encounters.
• Upgrade Synergy: Invest runes or mods in stunlock or damage output for key weapons like the Combat Shotgun and Shield Saw.

Mastering this versatile arsenal is the key to survival in Doom: The Dark Ages. Experiment with combos, exploit enemy weaknesses, and let your weapons rewrite the rules of Hell.