DOOM The Dark Ages Wiki – Items & Equipment Guide
Complete reference for weapons, armor, collectibles, and upgrades in DOOM The Dark Ages. Stats, locations, lore notes, and combat tips from an experienced player.
**Key Takeaways**
The Arsenal of the Lost includes 7 unique weapons, each with a primary and alt-fire mode that changes how you approach combat.
Sentinel Armor has three tiers – Iron, Steel, and Argent – each providing different resistances and mobility trade-offs.
Collectibles are split into 4 categories: Lore Tablets, Demon Effigies, Weapon Mods, and Secret Encounters.
Upgrades are permanent once found; you cannot respec, so choose carefully (or reload a save).
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**Damage per hit:** 45 (light), 120 (charged slam)
**Stagger chance:** 60% on light, 100% on charged
### 2. Soul Reaper (Scythe)
Found in the Catacombs of Nekravol. Lightweight, fast combos. Alt-fire throws the scythe like a boomerang – it returns after hitting two enemies or a wall.
**DPS:** ~90 (full combo)
**Range:** 3 meters (melee), 12 meters (throw)
### 3. Argent Crossbow
Your first ranged weapon. Fires bolts that explode after a short delay. Not great for close quarters, but perfect for thinning crowds from ledges.
**Ammo:** 6 bolts per pickup
**Explosion radius:** 4 meters
### 4. Chain-Sword (Boss Reward – The Dread Knight)
A chainsaw blade mounted on a longsword handle. Primary attack is a horizontal sweep that hits multiple enemies. Alt-fire revs the blade for 2 seconds – next hit deals 3x damage and dismembers.
**Overheat mechanic:** Alt-fire builds heat; if it maxes, the weapon jams for 4 seconds.
**Best use:** Against shielded enemies – the revved attack bypasses shields.
### 5. Doomstick (Shotgun-Spear Hybrid)
This is not the super shotgun. It's a spear with a shotgun barrel attached. Thrust (primary) is a quick stab. Fire (alt) is a single shot that consumes 1 shell. You can stab, then fire immediately for a combo.
**Shell capacity:** 4
**Combo damage:** 70 (stab) + 80 (shot) = 150
### 6. Hellfire Launcher
Found in the Forge of Suffering. Fires globs of green hellfire that stick to surfaces and enemies. After 1.5 seconds, they erupt into a lingering flame pool.
**Burn damage:** 15 per tick over 5 seconds
**Stacking:** Enemies can have up to 3 fire pools active at once
### 7. The Last Word (Unique Pistol)
Secret weapon. You need to find all 9 Lore Tablets to unlock its location. It fires argent energy bolts that ignore armor. Alt-fire is a charged beam that stuns even barons for 3 seconds.
**Ammo:** Infinite (yes, really – but it has a cooldown on the beam)
**Beam cooldown:** 12 seconds
**Comparison Table: Ranged Weapons vs Melee Weapons**
| Weapon | Type | Range | Best Against | Ammo/Cooldown |
|--------|------|-------|--------------|---------------|
| Hell-Breaker | Melee | Melee | Staggerable enemies | None |
| Soul Reaper | Melee | Melee/Short | Groups of weak enemies | None |
| Argent Crossbow | Ranged | Long | Mid-tier demons | Bolt pickup |
| Chain-Sword | Melee | Melee | Shielded enemies | Overheat (4 sec) |
| Doomstick | Hybrid | Melee/Short | Single tough enemy | Shells (4) |
| Hellfire Launcher | Ranged | Medium | Crowd control | Ammo pickup |
| The Last Word | Ranged | Long | High-armor enemies | Beam cooldown (12 sec) |
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**Armor rating:** 50
**Speed penalty:** -5%
**Dodge distance:** 3 meters
### Steel Armor
Found in the second level, The Bastion. Heavy but high protection.
**Armor rating:** 80
**Speed penalty:** -15%
**Dodge distance:** 2 meters
**Special:** 50% fire resistance
### Argent Armor
Late game, from the Argent Spire. Light, fast, but low armor.
**Armor rating:** 30
**Speed penalty:** 0%
**Dodge distance:** 5 meters
**Special:** Health regen starts 2 seconds faster
**My recommendation:** Use Iron until you feel comfortable with enemy patterns. Switch to Argent for boss fights where mobility matters more than tanking. Steel is only worth it in the fire-heavy levels (The Furnace, The Chasm).
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**Mod locations:** Usually behind breakable walls or after a platforming challenge.
**Missable:** Yes. Once you leave a level, you cannot return. Save before each exit.
### Secret Encounters (9)
Arena fights that spawn extra enemies. Beat them to get upgrade tokens (used at the Forge between levels).
**Tokens per encounter:** 1-3 depending on difficulty
**Rewards:** Health upgrades, armor upgrades, or ammo capacity increases
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**Health:** 100 base. Each upgrade adds 25. Max is 200.
**Armor:** 50 base. Each upgrade adds 20. Max is 150.
**Ammo capacity:** Increases per-weapon. Each weapon has 2 upgrades.
**Abilities:** Double jump, wall climb (for the scythe), and a ground pound (Hell-Breaker only).
**Costs:**
Health/armor: 1 token per upgrade
Ammo: 2 tokens per upgrade
Abilities: 3 tokens each
You will not get enough tokens to buy everything in one playthrough. Prioritize abilities first (they open up new paths), then health. Ammo upgrades are nice but not essential if you switch weapons often.
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