This guide is intended to be a comprehensive guide for every single weapon at your disposal in the game, to work in conjunction with my previous guide concerning the many enemies you will fight. This guide is spoiler-free, save for the mention of a couple of late-game weapons you will acquire.

This guide also possesses some comparisons between weapons, to help you better decide when to use which weapon. Note that while I try to be objective as possible with most strategies, some of them come from my own personal experience, and you may have varying results or strategies of your own. I encourage all who read this not just to consider the strategies in this guide, but to develop some of your own to better accompany your playstyle.

DOOM Eternal gives you access to a wide variety of weapons, including your seven "main" guns, a set of extra equipment and abilities for harvesting resources or gaining an extra advantage in combat, and a few powerful mid-to-late game "superweapons."

Each of your main weapons can equipped with one of two mods (except for the Super Shotgun, which only has one mod that is automatically available), unlocked throughout the game at your leisure and switchable in the middle of combat. These mods are crucial in gameplay, so do not neglect them.

All guns require ammo (duh), and several guns may share ammo types between each other, forcing you to choose between them for which one is right for a certain situation. Among these are the Shotgun/Super Shotgun, the Plasma Rifle/Ballista, and the Heavy Cannon/Chaingun. One gun is not necessarily better than the other; use the right weapon for the right situation and you will prevail.

All weapons are virtually impossible to miss, so don't stress yourself out trying to find them. The only mainline weapon in the game you could possibly miss is the Chaingun, and even then it is a rather slim chance of missing it.

Upgrades: All weapon mods in the game possess two or three upgrades that can be purchased for 3 and 6 (or 1, 3, and 5) Weapon Points, respectively. Once all upgrades for a mod have been purchased, you will unlock a Mastery challenge for the mod. This challenge will require you to use the mod in some way to unlock the final upgrade.

Upgrade Points: You can unlock a total of 10 Weapon Points per level. Usually, you will be granted five for completing a level, one for each predetermined "combat encounter" you complete. It should be impossible to miss these; however, the game may sometimes glitch and not award you some. There is no fix for this besides replaying the entire level and hoping it works the next time around. Three more points will be granted for completing the level's Slayer Gate, if one is present. The last two are usually awarded for completing the two "secret encounters" in the level, one for each encounter.

Certain levels may lack Slayer Gates or Secret Encounters; usually, these levels contain a boss fight, and will award you the extra points at the end of the level once the boss fight is completed. Some late game levels will simply not feature Slayer Gates because they have all been completed; the extra three points from these are simply assigned to the regular combat progress.

With 7 upgradeable weapons, each with two mods (except for the Super Shotgun, which only has one mod), it will cost you 117 Weapon Points to fully upgrade every mod in the game. Assuming you fully complete every level and acquire your weapon upgrade points, you will have enough points to unlock all of these upgrades, though you cannot refund these points once spent.

Mastery Tokens: Later on in the game, you will find a special kind of collectible called Mastery Tokens. These are rare finds that will allow you to bypass a Mastery challenge for free, allowing you to immediately access the Mastery upgrade for that weapon. There are seven of these in the game, though they are not available until the later levels. With thirteen mods in the game, this allows you to skip about half of your mastery challenges, particularly the more tedious challenges or the less useful upgrades that you simply don't want to put the effort into unlocking.

The first weapon in the Slayer's arsenal, and a reliable tool throughout the game, especially early on. The Combat Shotgun, while not as powerful as its bigger brother, the infamous Super Shotgun, is a reliable close-range weapon for many situations. Its mods also give it much more versatility, allowing you to adapt to different situations that the Super Shotgun may prove ineffective for.

The Combat Shotgun uses shells, along with the Super Shotgun. Unfortunately, you have a disappointingly low number of shells, only able to hold 16 at the beginning of the game and only being upgradeable to 24. Therefore, it is important to make careful use of this weapon to get the best out of your limited ammo supply.

While you have Sticky Bombs equipped, the shotgun will be able to launch an arcing explosive that will stick to whatever surface or enemy it lands on and explode about a second after impact. These bombs are incredibly useful, and you will want to use them quite often, as they cost no more than a single shot, effectively boosting your damage for free.

When the mod is active, you will see a trio of arrows on the outside of your reticle to show how many bombs you have left (initially 3, but upgradable to 5). These bombs will slowly reload individually over time, but if they are depleted, they will all reload at once; they will be unusable during this time, but it is faster than waiting for them to reload individually.

The first and most obvious advantage of these bombs is, as explosives, they are wonderful for clearing out groups of smaller enemies. A horde of Imps or Zombie Soldiers can be wiped clean with a well-placed Sticky Bomb or two, especially if your Frag Grenade is recharging. They also deal more damage than a regular shot, allowing you to deal more damage against heavier enemies; as each bomb only costs one shell, there is no good reason not to use these when you need them.

Another advantage is their effectiveness against weak spots. Sticky Bombs are acquired very early into the game and will consistently prove to be an effective tool against enemies with destructible weak points, such as Arachnotrons. Though not as precise or effective at range as the Precision Bolt, they are easy to aim and can be fired multiple times in succession, useful when you don't have time to line up a shot with the Precision Bolt. They are also the only weapon besides Frag Grenades that will cause a Cacodemon to instantly stagger when fired into its mouth.

The Sticky Bombs can be fired surprisingly far, especially once you get a feel for the arc it launches in, allowing you to dispatch targets from much further away than the shotgun could reach. This can be useful for dispatching enemies from a safe distance if they are too dangerous to approach, or if an enemy is attempting to flee from the wrath of your buckshot.

Upgrades:

• Quick Rack: Sticky Bombs reload 20% faster (3 Points)
  
• Bigger Boom: Sticky Bombs have a 45% bigger explosion (6 Points)
  
• Mastery: Five Spot (You may have 5 Sticky Bombs loaded at once)

For the Mastery challenge, you must destroy 25 Arachnotron turrets with Sticky Bombs. This is one of the easier challenges in the game, so I would strongly recommend against using a Token to bypass it. The Mastery for this weapon is convenient, though not crucial, as the full reload animation is already fairly quick to begin with.

The other mod for the Combat Shotgun, trading ammo efficiency for sheer damage output. When activated, the Combat Shotgun will perform a brief "transformation" animation (similar to the Chaingun's Mobile Turret mod) before greatly increasing its fire rate. This can have staggering DPS potential, allowing you to carve a path through smaller enemies or shred a larger enemy in mere seconds, dealing even more DPS at close range than the Super Shotgun.

This, of course, comes with a couple of notable drawbacks, the first being that it burns through ammo incredibly fast. As a result, you must be careful of your ammo supply, though the Mastery upgrade is helpful for extended usage. The other drawback is that while the Shotgun is transforming, it is unusable for a brief period, and once it is transformed, you will move slower, making you an easier target.

Truthfully, I think it's safe to say that this is one of the weaker mods in the game (especially compared to Sticky Bombs), but it's up to you to decide how useful it is. It's necessary for killing the Stone Imps introduced in TAG Part 2, but can otherwise be ignored for most of the game.

Upgrades:

• Quick Recovery: Transforming back from Full Auto mode is 50% faster (1 Point)
  
• Faster Transformation: Transforming to Full Auto mode is 50% faster (3 Points)
  
• Fast Feet: Movement speed while in Full Auto mode is increased by 20% (5 Points)
  
• Mastery: Salvo Extender (Killing an enemy in Full Auto mode will cause them to drop shell ammo)

For the Mastery challenge, you must kill 15 Pinkies with Full Auto mode (this is made much easier by use of Ice Bombs). If you plan on using this mod regularly, the Mastery is extremely helpful, as it provides you with much-needed ammo to continue your barrage of buckshot. It is particularly useful when mowing through hordes of smaller enemies, as they will die more often, meaning they will drop more ammo for you to use.

• Though it deals more damage per shot, the Super Shotgun will consume two shells with every pull of the trigger. Use the Combat Shotgun where the Super Shotgun is overkill, such as killing smaller enemies or finishing wounded bigger ones, to conserve your precious supply of shells.
  
• Likewise, the Super Shotgun may kill enemies before you have a chance to glory kill them. Using the Combat Shotgun will make it easier to stagger an enemy without killing them, allowing you to acquire health easier.
  
• The Combat Shotgun is much more effective at range, especially with the Sticky Bombs mod. Use it when you want to keep your distance while still dealing damage.
  
• Despite its extreme damage, the Super Shotgun is surprisingly ineffective at destroying weak points. Use a couple of Sticky Bombs to weaken a more dangerous foe before you reel yourself in for the Super Shotgun blast.
  
• With the Full Auto mod, your damage output can exceed even the Super Shotgun in close quarters, at the cost of your ammo supply. Use it when you are in a tight situation that not even the Super Shotgun can fix.

A reliable, mid-to-long range weapon, useful for tracking down faster enemies and dealing with foes from a comfortable distance. Though it does not have as much base DPS as many other weapons, it will nonetheless prove to be a valuable tool in your arsenal. It shoots fast, straight, and can chew through weaker enemies in just a couple of shots.

The Heavy Cannon, also known to some as the Heavy Assault Rifle (as it was titled in 2016), uses bullets for its ammunition supply, an ammo type shared with the Chaingun. Though you have a large supply of bullets, you may find yourself chewing through them quickly, especially with the use of the Heavy Cannon's mods, both of which consume increased amounts of ammo.

The Precision Bolt enables a scope feature on the weapon; in fact, the only scoped weapon in the entire game. This allows you to pick off enemies from extreme distances, but it is also useful up close, especially when quickscoping against enemies. It consumes 6 bullets for one round, but it does increased damage and can potentially pierce through enemies.

The Precision Bolt's main usefulness is in the destruction of weak points. It does EXTREME damage to weak points, even more so than a regular Ballista shot. This can allow you to disable certain enemies from a safe distance, or up close in a pinch. A direct hit is guaranteed to destroy a weak point, be it an Arachnotron turret, Revenant cannon, or Mancubus flamethrower. It is also particularly useful for killing Drones towards the end of the game, popping their heads open to reveal the resources within.

The Precision Bolt has a reload period, shown by a display around the crosshair (turning orange after being fired, and turning grey when it is ready to fire again). While it reloads, however, the regular fire of the gun is still available, so you can keep shooting while you wait for another Bolt to be ready. There is no time for the mod to "activate," allowing you to fire the instant you begin zooming in (you can fire before the scope animation is even complete; learning how to quickscope with this mod will improve its efficiency in combat greatly). Alternatively, you can also combo it with other weapons during the reload period (swapping between the Precision Bolt and the Ballista is an effective option at any range).

Upgrades:

• Mobility: Movement speed in Precision Bolt mode is increased by 15% (3 Points)
  
• Fast Loader: Precision Bolt reload speed is increased by 20% (6 Points)
  
• Mastery: Headshot Blast (Killing an enemy with a headshot will cause a secondary blast that will damage nearby enemies)

For the Mastery challenge, you must kill 75 enemies with headshots. While this challenge is lengthy and tedious, it isn't one worth worrying too much about, as the blast from the headshots is not all that powerful (though it can sometimes falter weaker enemies). While the upgrades for this mod are excellent, I would not worry too much about the Mastery, though if you believe yourself to be a good enough marksman to hit headshots consistently, it may prove useful.

Returning from 2016, you can charge and fire a salvo of tiny, yet surprisingly strong missiles with this mod. Activating this mod will cause the missiles to charge for a brief moment, before you can let loose a controlled burst of up to a dozen missiles to erase hordes of smaller enemies or deal significant damage to bigger ones. The missiles will stick to surfaces or enemies, and detonate soon after impact.

The biggest disadvantages of this mod are the reload time, and the ammo consumption. After firing a full burst, it will take several seconds to load the missiles again. Additionally, each missile costs 2 bullets to fire, meaning you will burn 24 bullets per salvo (once the Mastery is unlocked, you will burn through ammo even faster). While the damage output is certainly worth the increased consumption, you should take care not to let the bullets go to waste, or you will find yourself out of rounds surprisingly fast.

There is one other, somewhat lesser-known disadvantage of Micro Missiles: they will NEVER falter (i.e. stun) enemies, and they will NEVER damage weak points. The Micro Missiles can only deal damage, and have no other tactical usefulness. It is also difficult to leave enemies alive for a glory kill, due to their delayed fuse time; you may fill an already wounded heavy enemy with them, and accidentally blow them back to Hell (disclaimer if you are already in Hell) before you have a chance to beat the health out of them.

The game claims that the missiles will home in on targets, though their guidance is very subtle and not very helpful. Therefore, make sure you try to hit the missiles as close to the enemies as you can, so that they do not go to waste; treat them as if they are completely unguided, including leading your shots as necessary.

Upgrades:

• Quick Recharge: Micro Missile reload time is decreased by 35% (1 Point)
  
• Instant Loader: Micro Missile "charge" time is decreased by 75% (3 Points)
  
• Primary Charger: Killing an enemy with the Heavy Cannon's regular shot will increase Micro Missile damage by 30% for 5 seconds (5 Points)
  
• Mastery: Bottomless Missiles (Fire missiles infinitely, without ever having to reload)

For the Mastery challenge, you must stick (not kill) 3 different enemies with a single salvo (meaning no reload), 15 times. This is a fairly easy challenge, with a wonderful payout. You can do ridiculous amounts of DPS with the Bottomless Missiles against smaller and bigger enemies alike. With the Primary Charger upgrade, you only need to pop a Zombie or Imp before letting a barrage of damage-boosted missiles loose on your foes. Take care, however, as with Bottomless Missiles enabled, you will burn through your ammo extremely fast.

• The Chaingun may have a higher DPS, but the Heavy Cannon deals more damage per shot, making it much more ammo-efficient.
  
• The Chaingun has a wider spread, making it less effective at range. The Heavy Cannon is much more effective when dealing with enemies at a distance, though its projectiles travel slower.
  
• On the topic of DPS, if ammo efficiency really isn't your thing and you want to kill a lot of things fast, the Bottomless Missiles mastery can be on par with the Chaingun for dishing out massive amounts of damage, potentially even more potent with Primary Charger active.
  
• The Chaingun is woefully ineffective against weak points. A single Precision Bolt shot will save you both ammo and time when dealing with Mancubi, Arachnotrons, and the likes.

Another franchise staple returning in DOOM Eternal, the Plasma Rifle is an extremely fast automatic weapon, great for dishing out damage quickly up close. Compared to its similar counterpart, the Heavy Cannon, it has slower and less precise projectiles, making it less effective at range, but a higher rate of fire for close-range combat. Additionally, enemies killed with the basic fire will create a small explosion, dealing slight damage to nearby enemies, making it fantastic for dealing with groups of fodder.

The Plasma Rifle uses Cells as ammunition, shared with the heavier Ballista. Besides its use as an automatic weapon, it also has a particular advantage against a couple of specific enemies, namely ones who project energy shields. Dumping a round of plasma shots into a shield from a Soldier or Carcass will cause the shield to overload and explode, causing damage to any nearby enemies, including the wielder of said shield.

Though similar to how it worked in 2016, the Heat Blast mod has been altered in a few ways. For starters, it does much more damage when fully charged now, though it does not charge as a constantly building amount; it charges in three different "stages," represented on the crosshair when the mod is equipped. Additionally, it will only fire as a cone in front of you, as opposed to a circle around your entire person, so you must aim it at whatever you want dead.

The heat level builds passively as the gun is fired, building up in its three stages until it is full. Firing after the heat level has fully charged will have no additional effect, but the heat will not dissipate under any circumstances, even switching weapons; the only way the heat will disappear is if the mod is switched to Microwave Beam and back. After firing the Heat Blast, the gun will require a brief moment to cool down before it can be fired again.

The Heat Blast mod can be used against groups of smaller enemies or as a combo against larger enemies. You can dump a barrage of plasma shots into a heavier enemy, before blasting them in the face with the excess heat. It is also surprisingly effective against weak points when fully charged, so it can be useful against enemies with them in a pinch.

Upgrades:

• Quick Fire: Cooldown period after using the Heat Blast is reduced by 25% (3 Points)
  
• Super Heated Rounds: Heat Blast charge per shot (and therefore overall charge time, under sustained fire) is increased by 25% (6 Points)
  
• Mastery: Power Surge (After using a fully charged Heat Blast shot, the Plasma Rifle's damage will be increased for a short time)

For the Mastery challenge, you need to kill 2 or more enemies with a single Heat Blast, 30 times. Note that killing additional enemies in a blast will not count extra towards this challenge. The Mastery bonus is quite useful, however, as it further adds to the usefulness of the simple, but effective shoot-and-blast combo, especially against heavier enemies. The damage boost is significant, and by the time it has worn off you can already fill up the first two stages again, allowing you to quickly trigger it again.

More of a finisher move than a mainline combat tool, the Microwave Beam nonetheless has its uses in the right situation. Once an enemy is targeted with it, you can fire a beam to cook them from the inside, rendering them immobile while you laser them to death. The progress can be tracked with a bar below the crosshair; once full, the enemy will explode, dealing significant damage to everything around it.

The time it takes to cook the demon depends on the size of the enemy and how much health it has remaining, so it will take longer to cook heftier enemies if they have not been damaged. The bigger the enemy is, the bigger and badder the following explosion will be, so it is best used on large, heavily damaged enemies for best results.

However, the Microwave Beam has a number of significant downsides that limit its usefulness. For one, it has an incredibly short range, even when upgraded, so you must get in close before you can use it. Second, it takes a few moments for the beam to charge and fire, which can be irritating (and lethal, at the wrong moments). The single worst thing about the Microwave Beam, however, is how it slows your movement speed to a crawl while in use, leaving you vulnerable to just about every other demon on the map while it is in use. Dashes and jumps are still possible, though they are reduced, limiting your ability to reposition yourself.

For all these reasons, the Microwave Beam is best used as a finisher, rather than a main method of attack.

Upgrades:

• Faster Beam Charge: Charge time (to fire, not to kill) is reduced by 66% (3 Points)
  
• Increased Range: Targeting range is increased by 50% (6 Points)
  
• Mastery: Concussive Blast (Killing an enemy with Microwave Beam will create a larger, non-damaging secondary blast that falters enemies)

For the Mastery challenge, you must kill at least one other demon with the Microwave Beam's explosion, 15 times. This is an easy challenge, considering that you can easily kill a fodder enemy in about a second and take his friends with him. The upgrade itself isn't all that useful, but it certainly doesn't hurt to have.

In comparison to the other two weapon pairs, the Ballista and Plasma Rifle are so vastly different that there's not much to even compare about them. However, there are a few things to consider:

• Both weapons are effective against shields, overloading them and causing them to explode, but the Plasma Rifle is generally better for this, as it can deal damage faster and save ammo; there's no good reason to burn a Ballista shot just to blow up a single Shield Soldier.
  
• The Plasma Rifle excels at dealing with hordes of smaller enemies, perhaps more so than any other main weapon in the game. The Plasma Rifle burns ammo, but the Ballista will burn ammo even faster, with much less group potential.
  
• Both weapons use ammo quickly; keep chainsawing to keep your reserves up.

Big, slow, and extremely dangerous. The Rocket Launcher has been reworked to be far more strategic than it was in the previous game, and far cooler-looking as well. Unlike the previous game, most of your explosive weapons will not damage you in DOOM Eternal, but it is the opposite for the Rocket Launcher: now, it damages you even more than it did before. Its fire rate and projectiles are far slower, forcing you to choose your shots carefully, as well as limiting you to a pathetically low ammo supply, not unlike the shotgun.

The upside? Massive amounts of damage, far more than anything else in your arsenal, excluding the superweapons. Whether clearing out groups or taking down heavy enemies, the Rocket Launcher is very effective at getting the job done in DOOM Eternal, whatever the job may be. It is also surprisingly effective against enemies with destructible weak points, though it will likely kill such enemies outright faster than it destroys their weak points in most situations.

Note that one particular hazard for using the Rocket Launcher is the Carcass, who was designed with the express purpose of harassing rocket-users. As he projects a shield directly in front of you with little warning, you may accidentally fire a rocket straight into it in the middle of combat, causing it to blow up straight in your face. Remain aware of your surroundings to avoid such embarrassing incidents.

Simple as it sounds; the ability to remotely detonate a rocket mid-flight, just like its counterpart in 2016. While its uses may be limited, and it can generally be outshined by the other mod, it is nonetheless still helpful to have in the right situations, especially once upgraded. Enemies with strong frontal armor, such as Pinkies and Shield Soldiers, can be taken down much more easily by simply detonating a rocket behind them. Make sure not to detonate it in your face (or do, I'm not your mother).

The Remote Detonation is also useful for dealing with crowds of enemies that you can't score a good angle on for a direct hit, such as when you're below them. Firing a rocket over their heads and detonating at the right time can allow you to achieve equally destructive results without dealing with the hassle of finding a good firing angle.

Upgrades:

• Proximity Flare: Rockets will trigger a blue flare when they are within detonation range of a target (3 Points)
  
• Concussive Blast: Remote Detonations now trigger a larger secondary, non-damaging blast that can falter demons (6 Points)
  
• Mastery: Explosive Array (If a rocket is detonated while in Proximity Flare range of an enemy, it will activate additional explosives to create a larger explosion)

For the Mastery challenge, you must kill 60 enemies while the Proximity Flare is active. The upgrades for Remote Detonation make it much more useful for crowd control, as the concussive blast and larger area of effect are both great for dealing with groups of enemies, big and small. Though the following mod outshines it in sheer DPS potential, the Remote Detonation mod has a high degree of utility.

Also returning from 2016, the Lock-On Burst is able to remedy one of the Rocket Launcher's biggest flaws: its terrible fire rate. With this mod, the DPS of the Rocket Launcher against single targets is boosted significantly, allowing an absolutely terrifying amount of damage to be dealt out to whatever it is locked on to. When the mod is activated, it will begin locking on to the closest enemy under the crosshair, charging up its burst as it does so. Once charged, the player can let loose a volley of three rockets at their discretion, tracking down their target until they hit something.

Naturally, this mod is more useful for killing heavier, individual enemies than dealing with groups, as you can only lock on to one enemy at a time (or two, after mastery), though the rockets will still deal significant damage to any enemies who find themselves too close to the intended target. The rockets are also useful for tracking fast-moving enemies, though they may impact against walls or other surfaces if the target is moving too much, as their pathfinding is not the best.

The biggest issue with Lock-On Burst is that it may sometimes lock onto the wrong target, usually a passing Imp who gets between you and the intended receiver. This will force you to break the lock and reacquire it, costing you precious time and generally irritating you. As such, try to make sure the crosshair is as far from other enemies as possible while remaining on the intended target to minimize the occurrence of such incidents.

Upgrades:

• Fast Reset: Lock-on recharge time is decreased by 37.5% (3 Points)
  
• Quick Launch: Lock-on speed is increased by 50% (6 Points)
  
• Mastery: Dual Lock (A second lock-on target can be acquired; note that this will not split the rockets between both targets, but fire two three-shot bursts in succession)

For the Mastery challenge, you must kill 15 Prowlers with Lock-On Burst. While Prowlers are generally not worth a Lock-On Burst, it will instantly kill them if all three connect, so this is a fairly easy challenge. All of these upgrades make this already dangerous mod even more so, allowing you to fire more rockets more often. Dual Lock can be useful for dispatching two heavy targets at once, though unfortunately the locks must be acquired successively (i.e. you will not establish both locks at once, even if they are standing right next to each other).

Unlike most of the other weapons, the Rocket Launcher has no counterpart to share ammo with. Rockets are for the Rocket Launcher, and only the Rocket Launcher, so you don't have to worry about balancing your ammo with another weapon. The Rocket Launcher does have an extremely low supply, only having 9 to 13 rockets available, so you should still moderate your supply carefully.

Here it is, folks, the one you've all been waiting for. It's back, it's better, it's bloodier than ever, it's the iconic tool of the Slayer, the Super Shotgun itself. Dealing incredible amounts of damage at close range, the Super Shotgun is unmatched in sheer damage output at point-blank range, and comes with a fancy new grappling hook for swiftly closing in to that range.

Not even the iconic Super Shotgun is without its downsides, however. It has been changed quite a bit from its generally OP iteration in 2016. Its range is miserable outside of what could barely be considered more than melee distance, forcing you to close in to dangerous proximity of your enemies to make effective use out of it. It also consumes two shells per shot, putting a strain on your already limited supply of shotgun ammo, and takes some time to reload (though this can be mitigated by switching to another weapon and back).

Unlike the other weapons, the Super Shotgun only has one "mod," which is equipped with the SS as soon as it is acquired. This mod is a crucial part of the SS's playstyle: a grappling hook, able to latch itself to enemies and pull you towards them for a sweet French kiss of buckshot. This allows you to traverse the battlefield quickly, and mitigates the poor range of the SS.

Once latched on, the hook will begin to rapidly pull you in until you reach melee distance, manually break the connection with your own movement, or break line of sight with the enemy, such as if they should retreat behind a wall or jump down a ledge (some enemies may be frozen in place while hooked, while others, typically larger ones, will move normally). Note that grappling the enemy does not do any significant amount of damage, so be prepared to deal with them as soon as you are reeled in. Also note that even if you are out of ammo, you may still switch to the SS and use the hook anyway.

Learning how to use the hook effectively is essential to combat, as it greatly enhances your mobility. It is the best tool in your arsenal for traversing the battlefield, especially in arenas featuring more vertical combat. It is useful for far more than simply reeling yourself towards a target, able to let you reposition yourself quickly if you wish to move to a more strategic location, or put some distance between you and another enemy (obviously not the one you just hooked).

Upgrades:

• Quick Hands: Meat Hook recharge time is decreased by 25% (3 Points)
  
• Fast Hands: Super Shotgun reload speed is increased by 33% (6 Points)
  
• Mastery: Flaming Hook (Enemies caught by the Meat Hook will be briefly set on fire, causing them to drop armor)

For this Mastery, you must kill 50 enemies while using the Meat Hook; note that killing multiple enemies in a blast WILL count extra, as you only need to kill enemies while using the Hook, not necessarily the enemy you hooked. It allows you to harvest small amounts of armor at any point in time with a hook and a point-blank blast, which is incredibly useful given the rather long recharge time of the Flame Belch. I would almost consider this upgrade essential, so I would recommend getting it done as soon as possible.

• Sheer burst damage output. The Super Shotgun is far more effective at point-blank range than the Combat Shotgun, likely even being more efficient in terms of damage per shell.
  
• The Combat Shotgun does not possess a grappling hook, being much more suited towards dispatching enemies from a medium distance. If you want to get up close and personal, let the hook work for you.
  
• The Super Shotgun will often falter most enemies, even the larger ones, giving a skilled player extra time to swap to another weapon and deal additional damage or to simply get away before the enemy can retaliate.

An incredibly slow, high-damage beam weapon similar to the Gauss Cannon from the previous installment, yet not quite the same. The Ballista shares its ammo supply with the Plasma Rifle, consuming 25 cells per shot. The Ballista fires in a straight beam that has no travel time, making it useful for dispatching enemies at any distance, and it is very effective at destroying weak points. As an added bonus, it does bonus damage against flying enemies, namely the Cacodemon and Pain Elemental, making it an effective weapon for clearing the skies.

The fire rate is miserably slow, however, even more so than the Rocket Launcher. After firing a shot, it takes a couple of seconds to reload, far more than anything else in the game. To circumvent this, it is essential to learn how to combo with the Ballista: firing a shot with it, switching to another weapon (the Super Shotgun is a popular candidate), firing a shot or two with that weapon, and switching back to the Ballista. As a result, you will spend those couple of seconds still dealing damage, as opposed to not dealing damage.

A sort of "charged shot" for the Ballista, similar to the Precision Bolt from 2016, though regrettably without the scope. When the Arablest is activated, your view will zoom in, and it will charge up an explosive shot at no additional ammo cost. When fired, it will embed itself into an enemy or surface (preferably the former) and explode shortly afterwards, dealing extra damage to the enemy and all enemies nearby.

This nearly doubles the Ballista's damage output, with the added bonus of area damage. It also grants even more of a damage bonus against flying enemies, able to punch a Cacodemon out of the sky in one shot, and a Pain Elemental in two. Be wary, as your movement speed will be slightly reduced while charging it, though you will still be able to dash normally.

Note that one slight disadvantage to using the Arbalest is that your shot changes from an instant beam to a solid projectile with travel time; as a result, it is possible for an enemy to move out of the way before the shot hits them. Make sure to lead your shots accordingly, if necessary.

Upgrades:

• Full Speed: Movement speed is increased by 30% when charging Arbalest (3 Points)
  
• Stronger Explosion: Arbalest explosion size is increased by 60% (6 Points)
  
• Mastery: Instant Salvo (Arbalest will begin instantly recharging after a direct hit)

For the Mastery challenge, you must kill 20 Cacodemons. This can be a fairly easy challenge if you can acquire and upgrade the Arbalest mod early on, as you will fight many Cacodemons soon after acquiring the Ballista. It is also a very useful mod, as it significantly reduces the worst downside of the Ballista: its reload speed. With the mastery unlocked, you can lay down a barrage of shots about twice as fast as before (provided you don't miss), which is especially useful in all situations.

As the Arbalest is to the Gauss Cannon's Precision Bolt, so is the Destroyer Blade to Siege Mode. Consuming 50 cells to fire, worth two regular shots, it is a chargeable wide blade of energy capable of slicing through hordes of enemies and doing massive damage, at the cost of your movement, just like the last game.

While charging the Destroyer Blade, your movement will rapidly decrease until you are practically not moving at all. During this time, you cannot dash (though you can still jump), leaving you extremely vulnerable to anything that moves (which is to say, everything). Because of this, the Destroyer Blade is extremely situational and requires careful planning, a downside that limits its general usefulness. If you can get it charged without being turned into mincemeat, however, the results can be devastating.

Upgrades:

• Charging Blast: At maximum charge, the Destroyer Blade will emit a blast wave that falters demons (3 Points)
  
• Rapid Chains: Charge time is reduced by 20% (6 Points)
  
• Mastery: Incremental Blade (The blade can now be charged and fired in three stages, allowing it to be fired before full charge, requiring 16, 33, and the usual 50 cells respectively)

For the Mastery challenge, you must kill at least 3 enemies with the Destroyer Blade, 15 times. Honestly, this mod has fairly limited use, due to how much it slows you down. Though it is useful for carving through hordes or dealing significant burst damage, there are much more practical methods of accomplishing either, particularly methods that don't involve you standing still and defenseless for several seconds. When combined with the Ice Bomb, however, you may be able to get enough breathing room to charge it properly.

As stated before, there's so much different about these two guns that there's hardly anything to compare. However, there are still a few general tips about when to use this gun over the other.

• Where the Plasma Rifle excels in group combat, the Ballista excels in dealing out heavy damage to larger enemies, especially with an upgraded Arablest.
  
• When fighting Pain Elementals and Cacodemons, there's really no better option than the Ballista. No weapon can do as much damage to them as quickly, period.
  
• Once again, keep an eye on your ammo reserves. Despite this weapon's slow fire rate compared to the other, you may still find yourself burning through ammunition quickly due to the high amount of ammo consumed per shot.

The last, but certainly not the least of your main weapons, the Chaingun is back with a vengeance. No longer requiring any time to spin up (though there is a short delay in response to pulling/releasing the trigger), the Chaingun will fire at maximum speed all the time. It shares its ammunition supply of bullets with the Heavy Cannon, though it possesses a much higher rate of fire, able to shred through even larger enemies in seconds.

The Chaingun is particularly useful in faltering enemies while it lets loose a constant hail of bullets on them, stopping them from advancing on you while you pump them full of lead from a comfortable distance. This is particularly useful against Hell/Dread Knights and Barons of Hell, who make it their goal to close into melee distance as fast as possible.

The only real downsides of the Chaingun are its extreme rate of ammo consumption, and its ineffectiveness at long range. Because of this, it is much better to use the Chaingun at close to medium range so that your ammo does not go to waste.

What's cooler than having a minigun with three separate tri-barrels? A minigun with four separate tri-barrels. The Mobile Turret is the Chaingun's offensive mod, able to turn an already impressive weapon into a killing machine with little competition. Once transformed, its fire rate increases exponentially, sending its DPS through the roof at the cost of an equally ridiculous rate of ammo consumption.

The only downside to the Mobile Turret (aside from ammo consumption) is that it can take a couple of moments to transform, and sustained fire can quickly overheat it, rendering it useless for several seconds. Fortunately, both of these problems can be remedied with upgrades, making it overall a very reliable mod.

Upgrades:

• Rapid Deploy: Transformation speed increased by 50% (3 Points)
  
• Fast Gunner: Increased movement speed when in Turret mode (6 Points)
  
• Mastery: Ultimate Cooling (Mobile Turret will never overheat)

For the Mastery challenge, you must kill 5 enemies in a single turret deployment without overheating, 10 times. These upgrades, while simple, significantly reduce the few problems you may suffer with the Mobile Turret.

A very unique mod, in that it is primarily defensive rather than offensive. When activated, it will, as the name suggests, produce an energy shield in front of you, absorbing all attacks until it is depleted. It is simple, but incredibly effective, allowing you to sit comfortably behind mobile cover while you run around the battlefield.

The Shield's recharge time is rather slow, unfortunately, and it will be further slowed based on how much it was depleted while it was up. Because of this, you cannot rely on the Energy Shield for regular cover, but rather to give you a few moments of safety when you most need it. It should go without saying that the Shield can save your life on many occasions, when timed properly.

Upgrades:

• Fast Recovery: Shield recharge time is reduced by 37.5% (3 Points)
  
• Dash Smash: Dashing into Heavy demons will falter them (6 Points)
  
• Mastery: Shield Launch (Dealing enough damage while the shield is active will launch it forward on release, faltering and slightly damaging all demons it hits)

For the Mastery challenge, you must deal 20000 damage while the shield is active. This is one of the easiest mastery challenges in the game, as it doesn't take very long at all to rack up such a number. These upgrades, like with the Turret, enhance an already potent mod to have additional usefulness. While the Mobile Turret is far more powerful, the Energy Shield is useful for keeping yourself safe in tight situations without sacrificing firepower.

• The Heavy Cannon cannot dish out nearly as much damage as the Chaingun (except with the Micro-Missiles), making it far more effective against heavier demons.
  
• The Chaingun can falter even the strongest of enemies, giving you more breathing room where the Heavy Cannon cannot.
  
• The Chaingun is useful for plowing through hordes where precision or ammo efficiency are not concerns.

Chainsaw, the Great Communicator, one of the most valuable tools of the game. The Chainsaw is not equippable as an actual weapon, but is swung once when the key for it is pressed, automatically initiating a kill animation on the targeted enemy if there is enough fuel. The enemy will be carved open to reveal the wonderful boon inside; all types of ammo (save for BFG/Crucible charges), to refill your arsenal and get back to killing.

The Chainsaw requires fuel to operate, and you have a very limited supply, only able to carry up to three charges at a time. Should you run out, however, you will regenerate one point of fuel after 20 seconds, ensuring you can always chainsaw smaller enemies. If you're impatient, fuel cans can sometimes be found that will give you a point of fuel, or you can strategically stockpile your fuel points until you are full and carve open a Heavy enemy.

It costs one point of fuel to chainsaw all Fodder enemies, except for Maykr Drones, which require three (but should not need to be chainsawed anyway, as they drop ammo via an alternative method). All Heavy enemies in the game cost three fuel to chainsaw; while this is only possible when you are full on fuel, it can be useful for removing stronger enemies from play instantly, such as Dread Knights and Cyber-Mancubi. Unfortunately, Super Heavy enemies cannot be chainsawed under any circumstances.

Be careful not to use the Chainsaw against enemies when you do not have the fuel to do so, as you will be trapped in an animation, which can cost you precious seconds of time in the middle of hectic combat. If, god forbid, you should run out of ammo for ALL of your weapons, the game will forcibly switch you over to the Chainsaw. This is the only way to "equip" the Chainsaw in this game like you could in 2016, though it is by no means a practical one, and you should stick to simply swinging it around with the assigned button.

If you're using the Chainsaw whenever it's available, you should never be running out of ammo for all of your weapons; if you are, it's because you aren't using the Chainsaw often enough. The game does NOT have enough ammo pickups scattered around to sustain you, and you MUST use the Chainsaw to keep your reserves up.

At first glance, it seems like having a rechargeable, shoulder-mounted flamethrower would be a devastating weapon to mix into combat. Unfortunately, the Flame Belch is not intended to do any significant damage whatsoever, unable to kill even a basic zombie on its own. So why is it so useful? The Flame Belch is your main supplier of armor throughout the game, an extra layer of health on top of your regular supply to keep you alive longer, which is always helpful.

Once activated, the Flame Belch will spray a deceptively long-reaching jet of flame for about a second, setting all enemies caught in the blast on fire for several seconds. During this time, any and all damage received will cause them to drop armor, and killing them will make them burst into a small shower of armor pickups. They will also drop a tiny amount of armor on their own, though it is often a negligible amount.

As a shoulder-mounted weapon, the animation for firing is quick and does not interrupt you, so you can still move and fire during this time. In fact, turning while the Flame Belch is firing can allow you to douse a much larger group of enemies if they are within range, as it only needs to contact for a split second to set them ablaze. The more enemies that are on fire, the more armor you can harvest.

You will find that the Flame Belch has an irritatingly long cooldown, so it is important to maximize its effectiveness wherever you can. The best way to use it is by setting a huge group of Zombies or Soldiers on fire, and combining it with a well-placed explosive or Blood Punch, killing them all immediately and showering you in armor.

Alternatively, if you don't have many fodder enemies around, but a few heavy ones, you could set a larger demon on fire and start dumping bullets into them. This will make them drop plenty of armor for you, and if you can kill them before they extinguish, you'll get a lovely bonus.

The Flame Belch has a unique system of upgrades; unlike all weapons and equipment, it is not upgraded through Weapon Points or Praetor Tokens, but indirectly through Sentinel Crystals. As you increase your health, ammo, and armor, you will find options to upgrade the Flame Belch as well by selecting two upgrades in a single "category."

Upgrades:

• Quickdraw Belch: Flame Belch cools down faster (Health/Armor)
  
• Napalm Belch: Heavy/Super Heavy enemies stay on fire for longer* (Ammo/Health)
  
• Belch Armor Boost: Enemies drop armor at a higher rate (Health/Ammo)

These upgrades are critical in making the Flame Belch more powerful, and, in my opinion, are far more important than the other three Sentinel Crystal boosts. I would make it a priority to unlock these upgrades first when choosing your Crystal upgrades, as all three will allow you to get more armor more often.

*Note that heavier enemies will actually burn for less time than smaller ones, even with the Napalm Belch upgrade.

Those of you who played the previous game may remember the Frag Grenades, those cute little firecrackers you picked up early on that could barely kill a group of Imps. Honestly, you were far more likely to kill yourself with those things than you were to kill anything else. Not anymore. This game's grenades are now a force to be reckoned with, and as an added bonus, they no longer deal damage to you.

As they are fired from the shoulder-mounted launcher, you don't have to worry about being interrupted by an animation in the middle of combat. It is a potent weapon on its own, great for dealing with groups of troublesome enemies or simply dealing some extra damage to a heavier one. It is also the only weapon besides Sticky Bombs capable of triggering the Cacodemon's instant stagger, making it useful against them in a pinch.

The Frag Grenade is generally best used in conjunction with other equipment, being the Flame Belch and/or Ice Bombs; you can set a group on fire before blowing them all to pieces (and armor shards), or freeze a group of pesky demons before shattering them with a Frag Grenade. They're also nice if you just need a little breathing room, as you can fire one directly at your feet with no harm to yourself.

The Frag Grenade operates on a cooldown timer rather than an ammo supply, so make sure to keep an eye on its timer to ensure you aren't caught without a grenade ready to go when you need one. Rather than being upgraded with Weapon Points, the Frag Grenade is upgraded via Praetor Suit tokens in the Suit upgrade menu; these upgrades are powerful, but expensive, so spend wisely.

Upgrades:

• Faster Frag Cooldown: Recharges faster (3 Tokens)
  
• Combustion Concussion: Emits a secondary, larger, non-damaging explosion that falters enemies (3 Tokens)
  
• Scatter Bombs: Enemies killed by the explosion will spawn additional, smaller explosives (4 Tokens)
  
• Frag Stock Up: Can hold two grenades at a time (5 Tokens)

These upgrades make an already powerful piece of equipment even more dangerous to enemies in all situations, and a fully upgraded Frag Grenade is an incredibly powerful weapon. The faster recharge, combined with the double charge supply, allow the grenade to be used far more often, and the scatter bombs make it even more effective against groups. Meanwhile, the concussive blast will in turn make it much more useful against heavier enemies, giving you a moment to counterattack while they are momentarily stunned by the grenade.

Why wait until Hell freezes over, when you can speed the process up a little? The Ice Bomb, the final piece to your shoulder-mounted equipment launcher, will detonate on impact and freeze all enemies caught in its range, leaving them completely vulnerable to your onslaught. A pretty COOL piece of equipment all around.

The Ice Bomb works against enemies of all shapes and sizes, making it nICE in all situations where you need demons to just stop and CHILL for a moment. While it deals no damage on its own, it's great to combine with your other weapons and equipment. Pop a grenade or rocket into a helpless cluster of frozen demons, or set them on fire for easy armor harvesting. Why can frozen demons be set on fire? Don't ask questions.

The Ice Bomb is particularly useful against troublesome, fast-moving enemies like the Whiplash and Prowler, locking them down for an easy kill. It is also extremely effective against Pinkies, as their turning speed makes it difficult to get behind them properly; simply pop an Ice Bomb, and you can leisurely walk behind them before blowing them apart.

Like the Frag Grenade, the Ice Bomb must be upgraded using Praetor Tokens as opposed to Weapon Points. The Ice Bomb shares a firing button with the Frag Grenade, and you must manually toggle between the two; note that they do NOT share a cooldown and may be used completely independent of each other.

Upgrades:

• Faster Ice Cooldown: Recharges faster (3 Tokens)
  
• Permafrost: Enemies remain frozen for longer (3 Tokens)
  
• Ice Drops: Damaging and killing frozen enemies will cause them to drop health (4 Tokens)
  
• Frost Bite: Frozen enemies take increased damage (5 Tokens)

These upgrades are crucial to increasing the combo potential of the Ice Bomb with other weapons, particularly the last upgrade, as the increased damage against frozen enemies is a significant boost. Additionally, if you are starved for health, you can freeze and burn a massive group of enemies before using a Blood Punch, grenade, or other preferred method of disposal to drop massive amounts of armor AND health.

Technically an ability rather than a weapon, displayed alongside the Dash counter on your HUD. You may notice early on in the game that, for such a ripped guy, the Slayer's melee is laughably bad, not even able to kill a Zombie in less than several hits. Why is it that a man who can rip demons in half can't even do enough damage to break their nose?

The Blood Punch remedies this, being an extremely powerful melee attack that will automatically activate when within melee range of an enemy, creating a shockwave that damages all enemies around you. This will kill most fodder enemies in one hit, and do significant damage to heavier ones, especially a select few that are vulnerable to it (the Pinky and Cyber-Mancubus being the most notable of this list).

The Blood Punch is limited to a single charge, but it can be refilled with two glory kills. With the Health/Armor for Blood upgrades from the Sentinel Crystals, you can recharge it slightly with each health/armor pickup while at the full amount of the respective resource; this can be useful when paired with the Flame Belch and the Ice Bomb (and potentially the Punch and Reave rune, though this requires a Blood Punch to be ready) to instantly dispatch a group of fodder enemies and recharge your Blood Punch instantly.

The Blood Punch will also falter just about any enemy it hits, allowing you a moment of breathing room in a tight spot even if it doesn't kill the intended target. Use it if you get backed into a corner and find you have nowhere to run, as it very well may save your life. Though it only takes two glory kills to recharge, you don't want to get backed into a corner without a Blood Punch ready to go.

Be warned that the Blood Punch has an annoying tendency to be triggered accidentally, especially while going in for a glory kill. You may attempt to swing at a staggered enemy, only for another one to get too close just as you press the melee button and swing at them instead, wasting a Blood Punch charge AND likely killing the enemy you wanted to glory kill instead. If possible, try to ensure that you're lined up properly for a glory kill to avoid triggering it accidentally.

Upgrades:

• Stronger shockwave
  
• Glory killing Heavy/Super Heavy demons will instantly restore a Blood Punch charge
  
• You can store two Blood Punch charges

The Blood Punch is not upgraded like anything else in the game. The Blood Punch is only upgraded at predetermined points in the story, following the completion of certain missions (specifically, those that conclude with boss fights). The game will notify you when these upgrades are acquired in the summary screen. While there is no way to get them any earlier, you will be able to (like anything else you unlock) keep these upgrades when you replay levels. Note that glory killing a Super Heavy demon will still only refill one Blood Punch charge.

The big you looked gun itself. Returning once again, the BFG is back and ready to see some more action. It is functionally identical to how it was in the prevoius game, firing a huge, green ball of plasma out that automatically lashes tendrils of energy out at anything it passes by, stunning them and dealing massive, often fatal damage. It now features a counter under its reticle of how many enemies it has hit with its current shot, allowing you to know just how much carnage you've wreaked with it.

Sadly, the BFG just isn't as strong as it once was. Its ammo pool has been reduced, now only able to carry two shots, with no way to expand storage. Additionally, it is not guaranteed to kill the larger enemies of the game, and many Super Heavy demons like the Tyrant and Doom Hunter are often able to shake off a blast from full health.

You will also find the ammo is incredibly scarce, with the only way to replenish ammo being through predetermined pickup points around the map as glowing green boxes. You may notice that the BFG does not carry 2 rounds of ammo, but instead carries 60, and consumes 30 per shot; the reason for this is that it shares its ammo supply with the Unmaykr, discussed in the next section.

The BFG is best utilized by not firing directly for an enemy, but rather firing outwards and into an open, enemy-filled space. The ball will continue to damage all enemies in sight until it impacts against something, so the longer it goes before it hits anything, the more damage it will do. However, it will deal significant damage to whatever it does hit, so a direct hit can be useful for killing those heftier Super Heavy enemies that would otherwise shake it off.

• The BFG is a fire-and-forget weapon; simply blast it off in the middle of the room, and watch the sparks and guts fly.
  
• It is particularly useful if you are dealing with a large amount of demons, spread apart in a large arena, as the BFG's range is quite long, including the length of its damaging tendrils.
  
• The Unmaykr is terribly ineffective at range in general, due to its wide spread, so the BFG is useful if you're looking to get rid of enemies who are further away.
  
• Let's be honest, the BFG looks way cooler.

So, you did it! You pushed through all six Slayer Gates, and collected your keys! Time for your reward, locked away in the Fortress of Doom. The Unmaykr is the other "superweapon" of the Slayer's arsenal, sharing an ammo pool with the BFG. Though it only consumes one point of ammo per shot, it fires a triple-shot laser burst with every shot, sort of like an amped-up version of the Plasma Rifle.

The Unmaykr can probably achieve in just 30 of its 60 shots what the BFG couldn't in two, if used properly. Though they may not look particularly impressive, the laser bolts deal incredible amounts of damage, and will stagger most enemies from just a single hit, while also dealing massive amounts of damage to them. This conveniently keeps enemies locked down for you to continue blasting them into oblivion.

When used at mid-range, its triple-laser spread can allow you to deal with hordes of enemies at no additional ammo cost, while up close, when all three of its lasers hit an enemy, it can shred even the toughest baddies in nearly an instant. Unfortunately, this spread makes the weapon a poor choice at long range, for the fairly obvious reason of wasted ammo.

In the end, however, the Unmaykr still suffers from the same #1 issue as the BFG: lack of ammo. Even though it's far more ammo-efficient than the BFG, the lack of capacity and extreme rarity of drops severely limits its usability all the same. While I would still recommend it over the BFG, I can still honestly say it's not that good.

• The Unmaykr is far more efficient in ammo consumption than the BFG. Use it when you want to take down a troublesome group or bigger target without burning off half your precious ammo supply in one shot.
  
• The BFG can prove ineffective at close range; should you be swarmed and fire into a crowd, it may simply impact against an enemy up close, ending its carnage rather quickly. Meanwhile, the Unmaykr excels in close quarters, shredding through the hordes without mercy.
  
• Come on, you worked through six Slayer Gates to get this thing. Are you really going to let all that hard work go to waste?

Alright, it's been long enough, I think we can all agree that the Crucible was (and still is) pretty disappointing. Though not entirely useless, its lack of ammo capacity/availability renders it little more than a simple gimmick you can play with every now and then. For how cool it looks on the surface, it's ultimately the most boring weapon in the game.

So what exactly is the Crucible? The Crucible is the Slayer's personal sword, acquired fairly late into the game as part of the story. Though it is only capable of acting within melee range, it is capable of killing any non-boss enemy in the game instantly (excluding the Doom Hunter and Marauder)*. This is best used for dealing with Arch-Viles before they have a chance to summon reinforcements, or quickly taking down a Tyrant.

When active, the Crucible will display a visual ammo counter under the crosshair showing how many charges it has left (with a maximum of 3). Crucible pickups are visible as glowing red swords, floating above the ground. Though a couple of specific encounters will give you an abundance of them, you must still be mindful of your ammo supply, only using the Crucible when you deem it absolutely necessary.

All demons will consume one charge, regardless of how big they are...or how small. Killing an Imp with this weapon will cost as much as it does to kill a Tyrant, so you must be extremely careful where you aim the Crucible before swinging it. Ammo is extremely rare, even more so than the BFG/Unmaykr ammo, forcing you to be highly selective of when to use it.

*Doom Hunters cannot be killed by the Crucible while still mounted on their sleds; however, the Crucible can instantly destroy the sled, though it still consumes a charge (making them cost 2 charges total, which is fairly wasteful). Marauders can technically be killed if they are caught while stunned, but their quick recovery time and the long animation of activating the Crucible makes this incredibly difficult to pull off. They will otherwise block your attacks, but will not waste a charge.

The first DLC does not introduce any new weapons. However, as it is considered a "separate" campaign from the main one, starting a new game will start you off with a full arsenal, regardless of your progress in the main campaign: all weapons, mods, masteries, suit upgrades, and runes will be available to you from the start. Aside from the new "support runes," unlockable as Slayer Gate-style collectibles in the DLC campaign, there are no new additions to your arsenal. The Crucible will no longer be available (not that there's much lost there).

Like the first DLC, the second part of the DLC campaign is considered separate, and will grant you a full arsenal upon starting, regardless of your progression in the base game or DLC 1. You do not immediately start with any new weapons, and your Crucible will still be gone; however, you will soon receive a new weapon in its place, listed below.

Honestly, this weapon feels like what the Crucible should have been. Not some gimmicky one-shot weapon with virtually no ammo, but a strategic weapon able to turn the tide of any combat situation when used properly. The Sentinel Hammer is activated with the same keybind as the Crucible (V by default). It is not overly useful for damaging enemies (save for fodder, especially Stone Imps) directly, but is rather used as a support weapon, stunning enemies and gathering resources for you.

When the Sentinel Hammer is activated, you will immediately use it (as opposed to the Crucible, where you must separately draw it and attack), jumping into the air and slamming it down in front of you. This will create a small shockwave at the point of impact, stunning and slightly damaging all enemies around it. Stunned enemies can be distinguished by cartoon-like stars swirling around their heads; they cannot be glory-killed in this state, but are otherwise out of commission for a short time.

The other, far more useful aspect of the Hammer is its resource gain, as it will cause all enemies hit by the shockwave to drop an abundance of ammunition. Against a large crowd of enemies, this can be equivalent to (or even more than) a chainsaw use, allowing you to conserve fuel for use against larger enemies if desired. It will also produce additional health and armor drops from enemies frozen by the Ice Bomb or ignited by the Flame Belch.

The Hammer only has one charge, however, meaning that you always have to recharge it after every use. Fortunately, this is done relatively easily, as it is recharged through the simple means of getting glory kills or destroying enemy weak points (Arachnotron turrets, Revenant launchers, etc.), which you only need to do twice to replenish your Hammer. Additionally, several arenas will have multiple pickups (similar to the Crucible pickups) scattered around that will instantly replenish the Hammer if you need it urgently.

The Hammer's stun only lasts for a few seconds, though these few seconds can be incredibly valuable if spent properly. It is incredibly useful against enemies who can otherwise prove hard to kill, especially the infamous Marauder, whose stun period can be extended from a precious second or two into several seconds and allow you to kill them almost immediately.

Upgrades:

• Enemies will drop more ammo when hit
  
• Enemies will drop more health/armor when hit (when frozen/flaming)
  
• Enemies will be stunned longer when hit

Like the Blood Punch, the Hammer is not upgraded through any sort of currency, but instead by story progression; specifically, the mandatory first part of the Escalation Encounters found on each level, which will grant you an upgrade (in the respective order listed) when completed. Though the second part of each encounter (which grants you a cosmetic) can be skipped, the first part is required, making the Hammer upgrades guaranteed.

Horde Mode only: The Sentinel Hammer will be acquired automatically at the start of the third "mission. While it is functionally identical to its use in the campaign, the required number of "points" to recharge it has been doubled from 2 to 4, meaning it will take 4 glory kills/destroyed weak points.

Many of these are taken from my other guide (listed below!), but are still equally applicable nonetheless.

• NEVER stop moving. Many faster enemies will be constantly pursuing you across the battlefield, and standing still for even a moment can have potentially fatal consequences. Jump and dash regularly to avoid being pinned down.
  
• Remember your ABC's: Always Be Chainsawing. Unless you are reserving fuel to take down a heavier enemy, there's no reason not to carve open fodder whenever you can if you're down to one point of fuel. Getting in the habit of regular chainsaw use will ensure you never run out of ammo.
  
• All guns do damage. Just because a weapon is not explicitly recommended for fighting an enemy does not (generally) mean that it is ineffective in a pinch. The most important skill in DOOM Eternal is knowing how to adapt to a situation on the fly and effectively use every weapon at your disposal.
  
• Use your equipment regularly. Your Flame Belch is an essential tool for staying alive longer, and the Frag Grenade and Ice Bomb are both very potent. Combining them in the right situations can make them even more effective.
  
• Save for the Rocket Launcher, most of your explosives cannot damage you under most circumstances. If you're in a bind, chuck a Frag Grenade or Sticky Bomb at your feet! You'll be fine. Probably.
  
• Be careful of melee attacks. Though some are stronger than others, all enemies in the game possess highly damaging melee attacks (even the fodder enemies), so when you are closing in for a shotgun blast or a Blood Punch, be sure to damage them and move out of range before they retaliate, or simply kill them before they can.
  
• Learn how to combo your heavier weapons. The reload time on the Super Shotgun, Ballista, and Rocket Launcher are all quite lengthy, and learning how to quickly swap your weapons will minimize the downtime where you are not shooting. This is an essential tool for improving your damage output.
  
• Some weapons and mods do more damage to weak points than others. Among these are the Sticky Bombs, the Precision Bolt, and the Ballista shot (and, on occasion, the Heat Blast). Use them when dealing with pesky enemies that you'd like to disable quickly.
  
• Although there are more than enough upgrade points to fully upgrade your arsenal by the end of the game, you can only get so many at once. Spend wisely to unlock what's better for your arsenal and playstyle first. (For new runthroughs, I would personally recommend getting the Sticky Bombs and Precison Bolt first, as they are far more strategic than their respective weapons' alternative mods.)
  
• Most importantly, rip and tear until it is done. When you lose health and armor, keep pushing through the hordes to take back what is yours. Use the chainsaw regularly to keep your ammo full at all times, and if necessary, dance around the edges of the arena to reap some necessary resources from wandering fodder.

Thank you for reading my guide! Be sure to give it a good rating if you enjoyed it. If you are looking for a guide to what kind of baddies you'll be using your impressive arsenal against, be sure to check out my other guide, which can be found below.

As stated before, these strategies are from both in-game/online guides and my own personal experience, so be sure to figure out what does and doesn't work for you. If you have any particular suggestions for strategies to add, please let me know and I will add them as soon as possible. Now get back to ripping and tearing!

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