Doom The Dark Ages Shield Saw Guide

Doom The Dark Ages builds on its predecessors, delivering a perfect combination of storytelling and satisfying combat. The game adds more weapons compared to the older Doom games, and the Shield Saw takes the center stage almost every occasion. This weapon is extremely strong in combat and is massively connected to the game’s exploration. Want to find all the secrets of the new Shield Saw so you can master it? Here is a complete guide on the new Shield Saw in Doom The Dark Ages.

Doom The Dark Ages: All Shield Saw Combat Uses

The Shield Saw in Doom The Dark Ages is a massive asset in combat, helping with blocking and parrying enemy attacks, taking down ranged enemies, and parrying projectiles and close-range attacks. Here are all the ways you can use the Shield Saw in Doom The Dark Ages:

1. Parry and Block

One of the strongest attributes of the new Shield Saw in Doom The Dark is the ability to block and parry enemies. Holding the block button and right-clicking on PC by default will block any damage until the shield hits its threshold. The shield threshold meter can be seen on the screen below the cursor when blocking.

Besides blocking, which is excellent for negating attacks, Doom The Dark also has a parry system. Hell Surge attacks, either melee or projectile, completely negate the damage and stun surrounding enemies or reflect back the attacks in case of a projectile. However, only attacks marked as green can be parried in Doom The Dark Ages.

2. Shield Charge

Shield Charge is the most potent attack the Slayer has at his disposal during the game’s initial stages. Holding the block button and pressing the attack button launches the slayer at the enemy, dealing strong damage in a small area.

This attack is perfect for closing the distance on enemies and stunning them briefly. Using this attack on generic demons will instantly kill them. You can also use this attack to kill stronger enemies when dazed instead of the Execution attack.

3. Shield Throw

The Shield Throw is another instrumental attack for the Slayer, which scales much better in the late game. Throw the Shield at enemies to mow them all down in a straight line. The Shield upgrades in the game also buff the throw a lot more than the other abilities of the Shield Saw, making it scale really well in the later stages.

The Shield Throw is also used to break shielded enemies with one strike, and hitting a stronger demon lodges the shield saw on their bodies, stunning them for a brief time. The latter ability is perfect for preventing enemies like Revenants from running away.

4. Shield Runes

Shield Runes unlock a tad bit late in the game, but they are incredibly useful nonetheless. There are four Shield Runes that execute four different types of abilities on a successful Hell Surge projectile parry. Here are all the Shield Runes available in Doom The Dark:

• Ground Fissure: Summons a ground-splitting fissure that travels before the slayer, damaging and faltering demons in its path.
• Holy Swarm: Unleashes a swarm of ethereal daggers that spread out and seek out nearby demons.
• Auto Turret: A shoulder-mounted Auto Turret will activate, firing ballistic rounds at a single target in front of you.
• Heaven Splitter: Transforms Hell Surge projectiles into a bolt of energy that calls down lightning on impact, stunning nearby demons.

All four runes have four different upgrades each, further increasing their effectiveness and damage.

Doom The Dark Ages: All Shield Saw Exploration Uses

Besides the combat, the Shield Saw is heavily used to find the deepest secrets in each chapter of Doom The Dark Ages. Here are the different ways you can use the Shield Saw to explore the game to its fullest.

1. Environmental Shield Charge

Environment Shield Charge is one of the first abilities you get for exploration. Using it, the slayer can break through blocked walls marked in green. Besides that, this ability can also be used to move certain green-marked boxes, which can be used to climb specific locations and complete puzzles. Previous Doom players already know this mechanic through the Slayer punch method.

2. Shield Recall Jump

Another really cool exploration ability of the Shield Saw is the ability to Shield Recall Jump. This ability lets the Slayer throw the shield at Flesh Nodes to embed it on them and then use it as support to cross the distance. A good way to find hidden areas is to look for the Flesh Nodes and use them to reach new places.

3. Environmental Shield Throw

The Shield is one of the biggest assets of the slayer when it comes to exploration. The slayer can throw the shield at energy nodes near doors to open them. The shield can also be used to break specific things at a distance, which can open doors or unlock other secret areas. The Wolf Statues can only be broken using a Shield Throw as well.

How to Upgrade the Shield Saw in Doom The Dark Ages

The Shield Saw also has its upgrades, like the other weapons in Doom The Dark Ages. To upgrade the Shield Saw, you must find a Sentinel Shrine in the overworld. The Shield has a base and rune upgrades. Find a Sentinel Shrine in the overworld in any campaign chapter and head to the Shield section.

Select the upgrade you want to make and press and hold the spacebar while having the upgrade selected. To upgrade the Shield Saw and Runes, you must spend Gold on them.

All Doom The Dark Ages Shield Saw Upgrades

The base upgrades increase the base Shield attacks like Shield Throw and Shield Charge, while the Rune upgrades are specifically for the rune ability. Here are all the Shield base upgrades in Doom The Dark Ages:

All Shield Base Upgrades

• Retaliation: Parrying Hell Surge attacks will trigger a larger, more powerful shockwave that causes nearby demons to Heavy Falter.
• Power Surge: Energy Shields that a throw hits will cause your shield to bounce to nearby enemies.
• Extended Edge: Shield throw has an extended reach against fodder demons.
• Steadfast: The shield will recover faster from taking damage, and also recover faster after breaking.
• Harvester: Killing multiple generic demons with Shield Throw will empower your next Shield Charge, allowing it to damage the primary target more.
• Blade Master: The stun duration of the Shield Saw is increased.

All Shield Rune Upgrades

• Ground Fissure: Summon a ground-splitting fissure that travels before you, damaging and faltering demons in its path.
  • Aftershock: The distance the ground fissure travels is increased.
  • Wavefront: Demons hit by the ground fissure are scorched and drop armor.
  • Megathrust: The size and damage of the ground fissure are increased.
• Holy Swarm: Unleash a swarm of ethereal daggers that spread out and seek nearby enemies.
  • Outbreak: Summon additional ethereal daggers and increase dagger damage.
  • Upsurge: Summon even more ethereal daggers and increase dagger damage.
  • Plague: Summon the maximum amount of ethereal daggers and increase dagger damage.
• Auto Turret: A shoulder-mounted Auto Turret that fires ballistic rounds at a single target in front of you.
  • Extended Magazine: The duration of the Auto Turret is increased.
  • Health Extractor: Demons damaged by the Auto Turret drop health.
  • Rapid Fire: The Auto Turret’s rate of fire and damage per shot increase.
• Heaven Splliter: Transform Hell Surge projectiles into a bolt of energy that calls lightning down, stunning nearby demons.
  • Induction: The stun duration of the Heaven Splitter is increased.
  • Megaburst: The area affected by the Heaven Splitter is increased.
  • Gigawatt: Inflicts the Shock effect on demons affected by Heaven Splitter.

We hope that using our Doom The Dark Ages Shield Saw guide, you master this seemingly tame but herald of destruction. This weapon completely changes the combat experience, especially the parry ability, which is highly satisfying to pull off. Tried out the Shield Saw in Doom The Dark Ages yet? Tell us in the comments below.