DOOM: The Dark Ages – Full Weapon Guide with Locations & Upgrades

by Sacheen · May 13, 2025

Unlock the full potential of your arsenal in DOOM: The Dark Ages. This complete guide covers every weapon, where to find them, and all available upgrades.

The DOOM franchise has always been about blasting demons to pieces with some of the coolest weapons in gaming, and DOOM: The Dark Ages proudly keeps that tradition going. While you start off with just the Combat Shotgun, it’s not long before you’re collecting a full-blown medieval-meets-futuristic arsenal.

There are 15 main weapons, plus the Shield Saw and Power Gauntlet, and four Shield Runes that enhance your shield-based skills. None of the weapons are missable, and nearly all of them are upgradable via Sentinel Shrines. Some weapons even let you choose between two abilities as you go.

Here’s everything you need to know about unlocking, upgrading, and using each piece of gear. Also check some tips.

🔓 All Equipment Unlocks by Chapter

Chapter	Unlocks
Chapter 1 – Village of Khalim	Power Gauntlet, Shredder
Chapter 2 – Hebeth	Shield Saw, Accelerator
Chapter 4 – Sentinel Barracks	Pulverizer, Impaler
Chapter 5 – The Holy City of Aratum	Cycler, Super Shotgun
Chapter 6 – Siege – Part 1	Flail, Chainshot
Chapter 8 – Abyssal Forest	Grenade Launcher
Chapter 9 – Ancestral Forge	Ground Fissure Shield Rune
Chapter 10 – The Forsaken Plains	Rocket Launcher
Chapter 11 – Hellbreaker	Holy Swarm Shield Rune
Chapter 12 – Sentinel Command Station	Ravager, Auto Turret Shield Rune
Chapter 14 – Spire of Nerathul	Heaven Splitter Shield Rune, Ballistic Force Crossbow
Chapter 15 – City of Ry’uul	Dreadmace

🔫 Projectile Weapons & Upgrades

Combat Shotgun (Starting Weapon)

A classic DOOM staple. Solid, reliable, and deadly from start to finish.

Upgrades:

Incendiary – Burn effect; demons drop armor.
Smelt – Burned demons drop more armor.
Blast – Burned demons explode on death.
Tune Up – Fires 3-round bursts.
Flare-Up – Instantly applies Burn to fodder enemies.
Eat This! – Increases projectile count per shot.

Super Shotgun (Chapter 5)

Feels powerful and badass but lacks armor/ammo generation.

Upgrades:

Speed Loader – Faster reload time.
Shatter – Increased damage vs. armor.
Eat This! – More projectiles per shot.

Shredder (Chapter 1)

Combo-based projectile weapon with unique synergy.

Upgrades:

Pincushion – Applies AoE blast with parries or Shield Throw.
Ricochet – Hits chained enemies marked by Shield Saw.
No Frills – Faster rate of fire.
Barbed – More secondary damage and synergy with Shield Charge.

Impaler (Chapter 4)

High-skill, high-reward weapon focused on headshots and parries.

Upgrades:

Stalwart – Gain Impaler ammo from shield skills/parries.
Salvage – Picking up ammo powers up next shot.
Chronospike – Slows time when aiming; big damage boost.
Lobotomy – Headshots refund melee charges.

Accelerator (Chapter 2)

Plasma-style charge weapon that rewards smart pacing.

Upgrades:

Feedback – Build Charge for more damage.
Stabilizer – Tighter spread at max Charge.
Modulator – Faster fire rate at max Charge.
Heatblast – Unleash Heatblast on release; kills restore ammo.
Mega Cell – Slower Charge decay.
Overload – Boosts Supercharged damage.

Cycler (Chapter 5)

Zaps enemies and chains lightning when upgraded right.

Upgrades:

Shock – Applies shock for bonus damage and chaining kills.
Amplify – More damage vs. Shocked demons.
Fulmination – Longer Shock duration and more lightning arcs.
Overload – Builds Charge and increases damage based on demon size.

Pulverizer (Chapter 4)

Rapid-fire weapon that thrives in dense demon groups.

Upgrades:

Runic Skull – Boosts speed and fire rate at max Charge.
Runic Strike – Melee strikes build and maintain Charge.
Flay – More projectiles per shot; wider spread.

Ravager (Chapter 12)

Top-tier gun—heals you, feeds you ammo, and melts everything.

Upgrades:

Vampirism – Gain health at max fire rate.
Ignition – Faster ramp-up, no movement penalty.
Slow Burn – Slower ramp-up, higher damage (with movement penalty).
Supplier – Damaged enemies drop Skullcrusher ammo.

Chainshot (Chapter 6)

High-precision weapon with a charge-and-fire system.

Upgrades:

Eldritch Blessing – Parry to instantly charge.
Gravitational Flux – Deals more damage to armor.
Cosmic Breach – Explodes at full Charge on hit.

Grenade Launcher (Chapter 8)

Situationally strong—great for direct hits and AoE chaining.

Upgrades:

Fragment – Every 3rd direct hit drops cluster grenades.
Rupture – Cluster bombs if target is marked by Shield Saw.
Cataclysm – Every 2nd hit drops clusters.

Rocket Launcher (Chapter 10)

Classic boomstick with high risk/high reward play.

Upgrades:

Cannibalism – Self-damage heals you after a parry.
Cooked – Parrying empowers your next shot.
Blood Sacrifice – More splash damage, more self-damage.
Bloodlust – Cannibalism lasts longer.

Ballistic Force Crossbow (BFC) (Chapter 14)

Basically the BFG—huge AoE damage, limited ammo, no upgrades.

Uses dedicated hotkey: Triangle (PS) / Y (Xbox)
Not on the weapon wheel
Can’t be upgraded

🛡️ Shield Saw & Melee Weapons

Shield Saw (Chapter 2)

Part shield, part deadly boomerang—tons of synergy with other gear.

Shield Saw & Melee Weapons Doom The Dark Ages

Upgrades:

Retaliation
Power Surge
Extended Edge
Steadfast
Harvester
Blade Master

Power Gauntlet (Chapter 1)

The Slayer’s signature melee weapon—perfect for combos and finishers.

Upgrades:

Finisher
Duelist
Jolt
Encore

Flail (Chapter 6)

Scorches enemies and shatters shields for health and armor.

Upgrades:

Conditioning
Ignite
Resonant
Engulf

Dreadmace (Chapter 15)

Slow but brutal—amazing area control and kill-chaining potential.

Upgrades:

Reaper
Obliterator
Riposte

🔮 Shield Runes (Special Abilities)

Shield Runes add extra abilities tied to your Shield gear:

Ground Fissure Rune (Chapter 9)
Holy Swarm Rune (Chapter 11)
Auto Turret Rune (Chapter 12)
Heaven Splitter Rune (Chapter 14)

Whether you’re chasing completion, testing out different builds, or just looking for your favorite boomstick, DOOM: The Dark Ages gives you the tools—and the upgrades—to play your way. There’s no shortage of fun combos and setups to experiment with, and thanks to the ability to revisit chapters, you can take your time with weapon mastery too.

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DOOM: The Dark Ages – Full Weapon Guide with Locations & Upgrades

🔓 All Equipment Unlocks by Chapter