DOOM: The Dark Ages: 10 Best Weapon Upgrades

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In the game titled “DOOM: The Dark Ages”, they’ve refreshed the traditional weapons from the previous two games by giving them a darker, medieval-inspired look as part of the Slayer’s armory. Similar to the last two games, this new title offers numerous weapon upgrades for players to acquire just like before.

In The Dark Ages, most weapons retained similar functions, but in the latest DOOM game, the emphasis has shifted towards engaging enemies up close, essentially putting you within arm’s length or even closer.

Regardless of how you prefer to play, there’s a suitable weapon for every player, and the majority of these weapons will follow a straightforward upgrade path that demands gold, rubies, and rare wraithstones to progress.

For all types of players, there’s a perfect weapon to match, and most of these weapons will have an easy-to-follow upgrade process using gold, rubies, and special wraithstones.

As a passionate enthusiast, choosing the right weapon upgrades first is crucial to maximizing your gaming experience. That’s why I’m excited to walk you through my list of the top 10 must-have weapon upgrades, carefully ranked according to their utility and versatility.

10.
Chronospike

Impaler

From what I gather, the Impaler could prove to be a formidable tool given its high critical damage. However, its limited firing speed and dishearteningly short range make it less practical in combat situations.

In essence, Chronospike enhances the underperforming weapon. By keeping the trigger pressed, this improvement allows you to temporarily decrease the flow of time, resulting in increased damage during the slowed-down period.

9.
Ignition

Ravager

In a simpler context, The Ravager is like the modern-day equivalent of the Middle Ages. Just as the Middle Ages were a period of great destruction and change, The Ravager is exceptional at causing intense damage over time, particularly against single targets or larger enemies in close quarters.

However, keeping a blaze on a demon could potentially put you at risk of sustaining harm. This is why Vampirism is a beneficial enhancement to consider investing in, as it causes demons to drop health boosts when your character reaches their peak firing speed.

Given that information, it’s best to focus on increasing the Ravager’s maximum fire rate first, hence choosing Ignition as your subsequent upgrade is advisable. This modification will cause the weapon to produce an abundance of health pickups faster than you can collect them.

8.
Cannibalism

Rocket Launcher

The Rocket Launcher can be challenging to wield effectively from a distance because its rockets move sluggishly, similar to a snail’s crawl.

The game appears to encourage self-destructive behavior with your enemy, as the Rocket Launcher’s upgrade Cannibalism works by healing you when you hurt yourself following a successful counterattack. This upgrade offers a laughably risky yet potentially rewarding option.

It’s a fun upgrade to get, especially if you want to combine healing with crazy high damage.

7.
Heatblast

Accelerator

In this game, the Accelerator serves as an equivalent to the Plasma Rifle seen in the last two games, implying that Heatblast is back once again.

With Heatblast’s second-level enhancement, you can accumulate energy before releasing a potent burst, effectively ending your attack with a strong explosion.

After accumulating at least one charge, you’re able to activate Heatblast. However, the gauge tends to spike slightly whenever you let go of the trigger.

It can be challenging to activate Heatblast as it doesn’t have a simple manual trigger. Instead, you must wait for a charge to build up and then release the trigger, which could prove difficult during intense battles.

Additionally, this is a relatively advanced upgrade option, so you may need to use your accumulated gems (rubies) to acquire it.

6.
Pincushion

Shredder

In the game, The Shredder is an automatic weapon available at the start, and from the get-go, you have the option to select either the Pincushion or Ricochet upgrade. In my case, I went with Pincushion.

As a gamer, I can now fortify my gameplay by placing reinforced spike traps onto beefier demons. Once these spikes penetrate deeply enough into their tough hides, I get the chance to hurl my shield at them, unleashing a devastating wave of embedded spikes that not only harm the targeted demon but also damage nearby ones.

As a gamer, I find Pincushion to be a far more adaptable upgrade compared to Ricochet. You can set off the explosion even when your shield is already attached to an enemy, given you shoot swiftly enough. It’s also a much more rewarding result for concentrating fire on a larger demon.

5.
Shock

Cycler

Upon obtaining the Cycler, it gains the ability to dish out Shock damage straight away as an initial upgrade.

The condition “Shock” increases the vulnerability of demons to your attacks, causing them to sustain more damage. Upon elimination of a Shocked demon, an electric discharge occurs, spreading the shock effect to nearby foes.

This upgrade is particularly beneficial during the initial stages of the game, as it allows you to inflict Shock earlier using the Power Gauntlet’s enhancements and the Heaven Splitter Rune.

4.
Smelt

Combat Shotgun

Despite being a starting weapon, the Combat Shotgun is an utter workhorse.

This weapon inflicts a moderate amount of damage from any distance, and its primary enhancement is Incendiary – a basic feature that allows you to ignite demons and cause them to drop armor upgrades as they burn.

Instead, let’s choose Smelt as our method, since it causes burning demons to drop more armor items. While Blast can ignite multiple enemies, a different option from the list will handle taking care of weak demon minions, so we won’t need that ability specifically for this purpose.

3.
Eldritch Blessing

Chainshot

I initially harbored some reservations towards Chainshot because of its charge-and-release mechanism, but after investing considerable hours with it, I must admit that it stands as one of the top-tier weapons within this game.

The primary enhancement, Eldritch Blessing, makes this weapon particularly useful because it swiftly powers up your shot immediately following a successful block.

Enhanced over time, the Chainshot becomes an exceptional one-on-one weapon for taking down bosses and powerful demons. It gives you the ability to annihilate your adversaries with just one well-placed shot.

2.
Extended Edge

Shield

As a gamer, my shield stands tall as the cornerstone of my combat equipment, deflecting attacks from every lowly demon that dares to cross its path and even hurling shards at them when needed.

Enhancing your shield with the Expanded Edge provides a straightforward modification, expanding its coverage area and facilitating the elimination of more demons effortlessly.

In denser combat situations, this upgrade significantly reduces the threat level of minor demons, making them virtually insignificant. This allows you to concentrate more on dealing with the tougher demons.

1.
Speed Loader

Super Shotgun

Apart from that, there’s not much more I could add about the Super Shotgun. It stands out as a legendary weapon, not only within this game series but across the entire gaming world.

Despite losing the ‘meat hook’, it goes back to its core abilities by becoming an incredible force in inflicting damage up close, but this comes with a trade-off: a slower rate of fire.

Don’t worry, as the initial enhancement for the Super Shotgun you can get is a Speed Loader. This enhancement increases the firing speed.

Even though this enhancement might seem straightforward, it’s indispensable for a heavy-duty weapon like the Super Shotgun. In fact, its power significantly amplifies upon completing its full upgrade with the “Devour This!” mod.

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2025-05-15 16:09