Choosing the Best Melee Weapon in DOOM: The Dark Ages

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Major Innovations in DOOM: The Dark Ages

One of the significant upgrades in DOOM: The Dark Ages is the introduction of melee weapons. This version changes melee combat dynamics compared to earlier DOOM installments, offering a finite number of melee charges that recharge over time. Players can choose from three unique unlockable melee weapons, each providing distinct advantages for melee attacks.

In the past, some players felt that melee attacks in DOOM Eternal lacked impact. For those who share that sentiment, it’s worth noting that melee combat is anything but ineffective in DOOM: The Dark Ages. While various melee weapons possess different strengths, every melee style available proves to be a potent tool against adversaries. Additionally, melee attacks can be crucial for replenishing health and ammo, making them a vital component of your overall strategy. I’ll share my insights on the top melee choice, but exploring each option is equally valuable.

The Power Gauntlet: Fast and Hard-Hitting

The Power Gauntlet is your initial melee weapon in DOOM: The Dark Ages and serves as your primary option for a while. Among the melee weapons, the Power Gauntlet boasts the quickest recharge time, making it ideal for executing combos. Each hit within a three-hit combo increases in damage, encouraging you to use your charges strategically against tougher foes. Additionally, parrying Hell Surge attacks instantly refills your melee charges, facilitating combo execution.

Upgrading the Power Gauntlet brings various powerful abilities. Here’s a breakdown:

Power Gauntlet Upgrade	Effect
Finisher	Enhances the damage of the final hit in a melee combo.
Duelist	Parrying Hell Surge attacks accelerates melee regeneration.
Jolt	The initial hit in this weapon’s combo inflicts Shock.
Encore	Unlocks a fourth hit in your Power Gauntlet combo, obtainable only through a Parry.

I appreciate that the Power Gauntlet has upgrades geared toward faster charge recovery, keeping melee combat viable. The Jolt upgrade is particularly beneficial, as the Shock status effect amplifies damage on your following hits. If frequent melee usage is your goal, the Power Gauntlet is likely your best choice.

The Flail: Strong but Slower and Effective Against Armor

The Flail balances the melee options in DOOM: The Dark Ages. While its individual strikes deliver more power than the Gauntlet, it has a slight splash damage effect. Although not as powerful as the Dreadmace, it does recharge faster. Additionally, the Flail inflicts extra damage on armored enemies, which can be advantageous if your firearms lack similar capabilities. I tended to favor the Super Shotgun for its upgradeable damage, so the Flail didn’t fit my playstyle as much.

Here’s a list of Flail upgrades and their effects:

Flail Upgrades	Effects
Conditioning	Reduces Flail charge recovery time by five seconds.
Ignite	Sets demons on fire, prompting them to drop armor.
Resonant	Deals extra damage to armor and shields. Striking these generates armor shards.
Engulf	Causes Flail splash damage to also ignite, leading to armor drops.

The Flail’s upgrades are attractive for their ability to drop armor, providing a much-needed buffer when facing enemies. However, my personal experience showed the Flail to be less optimal for my setup compared to the other two melee options.

The Dreadmace: Unmatched Power and Recharge Time

The Dreadmace operates differently than the other melee weapons in DOOM: The Dark Ages. It comes with a single charge that has the slowest recovery rate. However, the sheer force behind its attacks compensates for the infrequency of its use. The Dreadmace inflicts tremendous splash damage, making it easy to take out multiple foes in one strike. Each hit also fully replenishes your ammo, allowing you to regain momentum in battles. Additionally, parrying Hell Surge attacks can decrease the cooldown period for the Dreadmace. In rooms with extra melee refills, this weapon can really shine.

Here’s a breakdown of Dreadmace upgrades and abilities:

Dreadmace Upgrades	Effect
Reaper	Enemies slain drop additional health.
Obliterator	Increases damage dealt to nearby demons.
Riposte	Parrying a Hell Surge attack while the Dreadmace is charged allows two attacks instead of one.

The first few upgrades focus on enhancing the Dreadmace’s existing strengths, making it straightforward yet effective. The weapon shines when paired with its final upgrade, which allows two powerful strikes to take out numerous enemies. Between the ammo and health replenishment along with its raw power, it’s hard to find a reason to prefer the other melee options over the Dreadmace.

Why Choose the Dreadmace in DOOM: The Dark Ages

While melee combat is an enjoyable addition, I found that it wasn’t always the best tactical choice. When within striking distance for a Power Gauntlet combo, I’d often prefer to shoot with the Super Shotgun. That’s why I believe the Dreadmace stands out as the superior choice. Its ability to deliver impactful damage in one swing makes it more efficient than executing a combo. Additionally, the health and ammo refills keep you in the fight while waiting for cooldowns.

Moreover, you frequently encounter melee recharges, and parrying becomes more common as you face additional enemies. This ensures you won’t often wait long for your Dreadmace to recharge. Unless you prefer frequent melee combat, I wouldn’t recommend the other two options as better choices. However, you will need to rely on either the Power Gauntlet or the Flail until you unlock the Dreadmace.

In the early game, I favored the Power Gauntlet for its effectiveness against weaker opponents. While the Flail has its perks, it lacks the strength needed to stand out. DOOM: The Dark Ages intended for the Flail to serve as a balanced middle ground between the Power Gauntlet and Dreadmace, but it ended up feeling somewhat underwhelming. However, if armor penetration is a concern and you’re not utilizing effective firearms, it may still be worth considering.