DOOM: The Dark Ages is id Software's medieval prequel, released 15 May 2025, and it swaps Eternal's air dashing for a grounded fight built around a Shield Saw. Twenty two chapters run from Village of Khalim to Reckoning, broken up by Atlan mech brawls and flights on the dragon Serrat. Separate difficulty sliders let you tune projectile speed, enemy aggression and damage independently.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Village of Khalim | Shield Saw block and throw basics | Shield rush brawler | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Hebeth | Green projectile parries mastery | Shield rush brawler | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Holy City of Aratum | Four shield runes + gear | Parry counter Slayer or Shield rush brawler | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Abyssal Forest | Build optimization | Parry counter Slayer | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Spire of Nerathul | Min-max | Parry counter Slayer or Plasma shield breaker | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Village of Khalim)
The opening chapter, a burning medieval village that teaches blocking, the shotgun loop and your first melee charges.
Level/Difficulty: Chapter 1 Key Rewards: Combat Shotgun, Power Gauntlet, Rail Spike Shredder
What to Do in Village of Khalim
- Learn Shield Saw block and throw. The Shield Saw blocks incoming fire, throws like a chainsaw disc and staggers larger demons before returning to hand. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Shield rush brawler as your starting role. See our builds guide for why.
- Only green attacks can be parried. Train your eye on the colour before you train the timing, because attempting a parry on a non green projectile is a free hit for the demon.
- Acquire your first weapons upgrade: Super Shotgun or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Shield Saw block and throw fundamentals
- Shield rush brawler selected and functional
- Village of Khalim main content cleared
- Ready for Hebeth
Phase 2: Early Game (Hebeth)
The weapons facility chapter where the Slayer picks up the Shield Saw, which is when the game's real combat loop starts.
Level/Difficulty: Chapter 2 Key Rewards: Shield Saw, Plasma Accelerator
What to Do in Hebeth
- Work on Green projectile parries. Only attacks marked green can be parried. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Super Shotgun if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Shield runes fire on a successful parry, so pick the rune to suit the fight. Heaven Splitter turns a parried shot into a lightning bolt, which is the cleanest answer to ranged packs.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Holy City of Aratum.
- Consider whether Parry counter Slayer might suit your playstyle better than Shield rush brawler.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Green projectile parries integrated into gameplay
- Super Shotgun acquired
- Hebeth fully cleared
- Ready for Holy City of Aratum
Phase 3: Mid Game (Holy City of Aratum)
A wide urban chapter with vertical fights and the campaign's first serious crowd pressure.
Level/Difficulty: Chapter 5 Key Rewards: Super Shotgun, Plasma Cycler
What to Do in Holy City of Aratum
- Master Four shield runes. A successful parry fires whichever rune you have equipped. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Shield Saw. It's the best weapon and becomes accessible around now.
- The Power Gauntlet drops ammunition when it connects and the Dreadmace refills ammo on its single charge. Melee is your resupply system, not just a finisher.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Atlan mech fistfights for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Four shield runes mastered
- Shield Saw acquired or in progress
- Holy City of Aratum fully cleared
- Ready for Abyssal Forest
Phase 4: Late Game (Abyssal Forest)
Open woodland chapter, one of the densest for collectibles, with fights spread across a large map rather than sealed arenas.
Level/Difficulty: Chapter 8 Key Rewards: Grenade Launcher, shield runes and secrets
What to Do in Abyssal Forest
- Finalize your build. You should be running Parry counter Slayer or Shield rush brawler with optimized gear.
- Shield Saw should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- The difficulty sliders are separate controls. If the game feels too fast rather than too hard, drop projectile speed and leave damage where it is.
- Serrat dragon flight sections optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Spire of Nerathul.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Shield Saw upgraded to max
- Abyssal Forest fully cleared
- Ready for Spire of Nerathul
Phase 5: Endgame (Spire of Nerathul)
Late campaign tower chapter that hands over the crossbow before the final run of levels.
Level/Difficulty: Chapter 14 Key Rewards: Ballistic Force Crossbow
What to Do in Spire of Nerathul
- Spire of Nerathul tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- The Impaler carries only 10 spikes, so treat it as a marksman rifle. Save it for shielded demons and heavies instead of trimming imps with it.
- The endgame loop: run Spire of Nerathul, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Plasma shield breaker for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Serrat dragon flight sections mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Spire of Nerathul fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Playing it like Doom Eternal. There is no double jump and air dash loop here, and fighting from the air gets you killed.
- Blocking when you could parry. A block eats the hit, a green parry gives you a rune proc and a stagger.
- Ignoring melee because it looks slow. The Power Gauntlet and Dreadmace are how you refill ammo mid fight.
- Leaving the difficulty sliders untouched. id Software raised the base difficulty in a post launch update after players called it too easy, so revisit them if you last played at release.
- Rushing straight through open chapters. Shield runes sit off the critical path and they change how the whole parry loop feels.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Only green attacks can be parried. Train your eye on the colour before you train the timing, because attempting a parry on a non green projectile is a free hit for the demon.
- Shield runes fire on a successful parry, so pick the rune to suit the fight. Heaven Splitter turns a parried shot into a lightning bolt, which is the cleanest answer to ranged packs.
- The Power Gauntlet drops ammunition when it connects and the Dreadmace refills ammo on its single charge. Melee is your resupply system, not just a finisher.
- The difficulty sliders are separate controls. If the game feels too fast rather than too hard, drop projectile speed and leave damage where it is.
- The Impaler carries only 10 spikes, so treat it as a marksman rifle. Save it for shielded demons and heavies instead of trimming imps with it.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More DOOM: The Dark Ages Guides
- DOOM: The Dark Ages DOOM: The Dark Ages Overview
- DOOM: The Dark Ages Best Builds
- DOOM: The Dark Ages Tier List
- DOOM: The Dark Ages Beginner's Guide
- DOOM: The Dark Ages Tips & Tricks
- DOOM: The Dark Ages Weapons Guide
- DOOM: The Dark Ages Combat Guide
- DOOM: The Dark Ages Boss Guide
- DOOM: The Dark Ages Maps & Locations
- DOOM: The Dark Ages Crafting Guide
- DOOM: The Dark Ages Classes & Characters
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