How to Upgrade Combat Shotgun in DOOM The Dark Ages
Image via: Bethesda Softworks
Combat shotgun is back, and it's more vicious than ever in DOOM: The Dark Ages. The very first weapon squaring in players' hands sets the tone for the medieval-meet-mecha carnage to follow. But what begins as a standard close-range blaster quickly transforms into a versatile, upgradeable powerhouse capable of incinerating hordes and strategically shifting battlefield momentum. Here's how to upgrade it smartly and why each path matters.
The significance of upgrading
While lots of damage awaits from the base-model Combat Shotgun, the real fun starts once you begin unlocking upgrades. Upgrades not only do damage more but now do elemental type stuff, status effects, and even crowd control for some. By choosing wisely along its skill tree, you can build the shotgun to fit your unique play style: whether it be hit-and-run tactics or aggressive in-your-face front-lining.
Doom: The Dark Ages - 10 Combat Tips for Beginners
Stages of upgrade
Incendiary is the first must-have upgrade. It is available early for just 50 Gold. This mechanic puts a Burn status onto impacted enemies after you deal a certain amount of damage with your shotgun.
Burned enemies drop extra armor pickups — a mechanic that plays nicely with the franchise's "push-forward" combat style. This not only boosts survivability for you, but also synergizes with future upgrade paths. Think of it as that first prerequisite: without it, you'll lock out Tier 2 options.
Once Incendiary is alive, the real strategic choices commence in Tier 2 where there is a fork between Smelt and Blast. Smelt is dedicating itself particularly towards the armor mechanic by increasing even more the armor dropped by Burned enemies. It's excellent for those who find it difficult to keep alive in higher, longer, or in-between tougher engagements.
Blast then changes the game altogether. Burned enemies explode on death, inflicting AoE damage to nearby demons. This mod is just a wave-clear monster, great for thinning out fodder when you're surrounded.
Tune Up or Flare Up, for this tier introduces modularity. You can swivel these upgrades at will but only one can be active at a time.
Flare Up gives Burn to all fodder enemies automatically, and that is often excessive. Fodder dies in one or two shots anyway, so this is an unneeded perk.
Tune Up probably will have the most significant impact and is really the go-to upgrade for squeezing out the best possible efficiency from every shell.
All about strategy
To really weaponize the Combat Shotgun, follow this recommended upgrade path:
Start with Incendiary - unlocks Burn and armor gain.
Tier 2: Pick Blast turns Burn into explosive power.
End with Tune Up in Tier 3-maximizing utility without wasting damage on already-doomed demons.
8 Things You Didn't Know Were Possible In DOOM: The Dark Ages
Upgrading the Combat Shotgun in DOOM: The Dark Ages wasn't just about raw firepower; it was about finding the right synergy in gear-you could either farm armor off enemies killed with Burn or blow them up in grand chain reactions with the right upgrades. In essence, this is a powerhouse even late in the game with demon-slaying. Don't be fooled by its ugly beginnings: build it right and this weapon packs one of your most lethal punches into the enemy.
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