10th - Combat Shotgun
Combat Shotgun in action
The Combat Shotgun is the first weapon you receive in the game and is the least useful. The best time (and on later levels usually the only) time you should be using this weapon is when you’re killing either cannon fodder enemies or if the sticky bombs mod is your favorite way to take out enemy weak points.
1st Weapon Mod: Sticky Grenades - Every shot fired that lands on a demon will explode.
2nd Weapon Mod: Full-Auto - Turns the weapon into a full-auto shotgun.
PROS
- Useful against swarms of cannon fodder enemies
- Good for staggering enemies (which is necessary when trying to get health)
- Viable option to taking out enemy weak points (sticky grenades only)
CONS
- Not useful against most of the enemies in the later levels
- Low ammo count
- Shares ammo pool with the Super Shotgun
- Low damage output
- Mods are pretty subpar compared to other weapons’ mods
9th - Ballista
The Ballista is one of the best weapons in terms of damage per shot. The ballista is a heavy-hitting weapon created by the same race that built the Fortress of Doom, the Sentinels. This weapon is vital depending on the situation, but usually it is a weapon that takes too long to charge up a shot and shares ammo with the Plasma Rifle, a weapon that has saved me quite a few times while playing through the game.
1st Weapon Mod: Arbalest - Launches an explosive projectile that explodes on its target after a delay.
2nd Weapon Mod: Destroyer Blade - Fires a horizontal blade that will cut right through most enemies.
PROS
- Powerful shot
- Arbalest will kill most flying enemies in one shot
CONS
- Long shot charge
- Low ammo
- Shares an ammo pool with the Plasma Rifle
8th - Rocket Launcher
Rocket Launcher in action
The Rocket Launcher fills it’s weapon role and goes beyond. The base rocket launcher is useful - especially against the Marauder enemy in the game - but it just does not do enough damage when compared to most other weapons. Mods are very important in making this gun better. Manually Detonated Rockets allows
1st Weapon Mod: Manually Detonated Rockets - Gives the option to detonate a rocket with the press of a button
2nd Weapon Mod: Lock-On Burst - Rocket will now fire three missiles on a target that you must first aim to lock on to first
PROS
- Ability to damage multiple enemies with one rocket
- Doesn’t share its ammo pool
- Great for crowd control
CONS
- Low damage output
- Can damage the player
- Rocket velocity is not too fast
- Slow movement when carrying this weapon
- Low ammo capacity
7th - Heavy Cannon
The heavy cannon is the second weapon you’ll unlock and one of the most versatile weapons in the game. The base weapon is this game’s assault rifle, but after some mods this weapon becomes so much more versatile. The weapon is best to use at medium to long-range and when dealing with cannon fodder enemies.
1st Weapon Mod: Precision Bolt - Turns the weapon into a sniper.
2nd Weapon Mod: Micromissiles - Every shot you fire will now be a small missile instead of a bullet.
PROS
- Great range
- Good damage output
- Precision Bolt is the best option for taking out enemy weak points from long ranges
- Micromissiles fully upgraded can put out some serious damage
CONS
- Shares an ammo pool with the chaingun
- Base weapon is nothing special
- Is overshadowed by every other useful weapon
6th - Chaingun
Chaingun in action
The chaingun is a go-to weapon when being overrun by hordes of demons. The weapon can mow down most demons faster than anyone other base weapons can and will be crucial in surviving some fights in the game. The biggest issue that you will find when using this weapon is how fast you will burn through this gun. The best mod is the shield when in use will block all shots fired at you and when you have the mastery for this weapon obtained you will be able to launch this damage back at demons.
1st Weapon Mod: Energy Shield - A large shield on the weapon blocks any fire that hits this shield
2nd Weapon Mod: Mobile Turret - Allows you to fire much faster but at the cost of movement speed
PROS
- Fast damage output
- Energy Shield Mod is VERY useful especially in harder difficulties
- Has pretty good range (Especially with the mobile turret mod)
- Great at slowing enemies down
CONS
- Shreds through your ammo
- Shares it’s ammo pool with the heavy cannon
5th - Super Shotgun
Super Shotgun in action
The classic Super Shotgun featured throughout the franchise is back and arguably better than ever. This time the super shotgun also comes with a grapple on its barrel, named the meathook, the weapon has been my favorite to use since getting it. The meathook can be used in a number of different ways, ranging from saving your life after going too far off the map during a gunfight or to close the gap between you and a demon.
PROS
- Fast damage output
- Meathook offers much faster movement
- Essential for obtaining armor
CONS
- Each shot uses up two shotgun shells
- Can run through ammo quickly
- Short-range
- Lack of mods
4th - Plasma Rifle
Plasma Rifle in action
The Plasma Rifle versatility is a life saver in later missions. It is most useful when dealing with enemies that have shields, but this weapon is the most important to upgrade. The mastery mod on the first mod, the heat blast is essential in doing damage during the game’s later levels. The mastery mod makes it so after you use the mod’s ability the weapon gains increased damage for a few seconds, allowing you to cause a large amount of damage on an enemy very quickly while this ability recharges with each shot you land.
1st Weapon Mod: Heat Blast - Landing shots on enemies heats the gun up which can be let out to damage enemies in front of you.
2nd Weapon Mod: Microwave Beam - Fires a constant stream of energy that makes its target immobile while being damaged.
PROS
- Best weapon to take out shields
- Fast fire rate
- Great against superheavy demons (when using Heat Blast with its mastery mod)
- Both weapon mods are useful
CONS
- Low damage output (Without Heat Blast Mastery)
- Plasma shots travel slow
3rd - The Crucible
Crucible in action
The Crucible is my personal favorite weapon in this game. There are few demons that can’t be sliced in half from one hit with the Crucible. This sword was the Doom Slayer’s sword when he fought with the Night Sentinels against the legions of hell. Now, reunited with it, it is hard for any demon to challenge the Doom Slayer when he’s carrying the Crucible. This weapon is a go-to when there’s a powerful demon that has you on the edge of losing. The reason why this weapon isn’t at the top is because of the ammo count, three, and also the fact that the only way to find ammo for the sword is by finding its ammo throughout the map.
PROS
- One hits nearly every demon
- Only weapon that can kill a Titan
- Great design
CONS
- Limited ammo available on maps
- Max ammo count of three
2nd - BFG 9000
BFG 9000 in action
The BFG 9000 is one of the franchise’s staple weapons. Most people who have played DOOM remember using the BFG (Big F***ng Gun) for their first time. The BFG 9000 in this game fires a green ball which can cause massive damage to enemies hit by the ball or enemies that are hit by the weapon’s arc. The BFG is the weapon that you should make sure has a shot in it saved for when nothing short of an act of God can save you. This weapon can eviscerate just about any enemy that has the poor fortune of being in the crosshairs of it. Sadly the weapon is almost too powerful and for this the ammo count on it is horrible.
PROS
- Can damage groups of enemies
- Able to one-hit most enemies
- Great for room clearing
- Amazing panic weapon
CONS
- Abysmal ammo count
1st - The Unmakyr
The Unmakyr is another weapon that fits the category of a panic weapon. In order to unlock this gun, you must obtain six empyrean keys, which can be gained from completing slayer gates. The Unmakyr closest comparison is the BFG 9000 if it was a submachine gun. While a single shot of this weapon won’t kill nearly everything in the room, it usually will kill whatever is in its sights. The main reason why it is above the BFG is due to the fact that this weapon can have an ammo count of up to 60 shots, allowing players to rely on this weapon for much more than the single-shot you’ll usually have with the BFG.
PROS
- Good ammo count
- Insane damage output
- Also an amazing panic weapon
CONS
- Shares ammo with the BFG
EQUIPMENT LIST
Everything in this list recharges its ammo as opposed to must be collected (except for the Chainsaw kind of as it will only recharge when completely empty)
5th - Chainsaw
No other game has a chainsaw this useful
The chainsaw is essential in DOOM: Eternal as it is the best source of ammo. The chainsaw can hold up to three jerrycans of fuel, the 1st can recharge on its own while the other two must be picked up. Basic demons can be killed with a single charge but to kill more powerful demons you’ll need to have saved up three cans of fuel to kill them. The chainsaw is the most important item you use in DOOM: Eternal, the only problem is that the weapon itself isn’t that good. Collecting enough jerrycans to kill any demon that isn’t cannon fodder can take a while, and unless your ammo reserves are upgraded to the max there’s a good chance you’ll run out of ammo before you finish stockpiling jerry cans like it’s toilet paper in a pandemic.
PROS
- Grants ammo on kill
- Grants a second of immunity
- Regenerates ammo when empty
CONS
- Have to save up jerry cans in order to kill most demons with this weapon
- Can take a while to reach 3 jerrycans in some areas
4th - Frag Grenades
The frag grenade is just one of the many abilities you'll use to overcome Hell
Frag Grenades, unupgraded, are not very useful. Fully upgraded frag grenades, mixed with ice bombs and/or flame belch, are pretty useful. Frag grenades and the next two pieces of equipment all come from your suit and recharge after use. Frag grenades certainly are useful (especially on Pain Elementals and Cacodemons) they just are not game-changers.
PROS
- Can be paired with ice bombs to be devastatingly effective
- Great for crowd control
CONS
- Does little damage to some heavy and all super heavy demons
3rd - Blood Punch
Blood Punch is a powerful punch that can demolish weaker demons and damage stronger demons. In order to use this ability all you need to two is kill two demons with glory kills. Blood punch only gets better as you progress through the story and by the end of it is another ability that players should make sure to take advantage of.
PROS
- Useful on shield enemies
- Very easy to charge up
- Also is a source of health (With the Punch and Reave ability equipped)
CONS
- Only one hits weaker demons
2nd - Flame Belch
By the end of the game, your upgrades will make flame belch into one of the most versatile weapons you have to fight against the hordes of demons
The Flame Belch is an item that can help turn the tide during a combat encounter. Making sure that you unlock the right upgrades, Flame Belch can be the best source of armor, which isn’t too easy to come across. This alone makes it a very useful tool at your disposal.
PROS
- Best source of armor
- Good for crowd control
CONS
- Not the best damage output
- Not effective without upgrades
1st - Ice Bombs
Just about anything caught in its radius will be frozen, allowing for an easy kill by the doom slayer
Ice Bombs are one of the go-to options when being overwhelmed by demons. Even without upgrades, being able to freeze demons harassing you can be a lifesaver in certain moments. With upgrades this equipment becomes even more useful as it grants abilities such as the ability to gain health from damaging frozen enemies. Completing DOOM: Eternal is much easier when players make sure to use Ice Bombs as often as they can or need to.
PROS
- Great source of health
- Great for crowd control
- Also a great panic item
CONS
- Slow recharge time maybe? (there really isn’t anything specifically wrong with this equipment)
You May Also Be Interested In:
- Doom Eternal Best Weapons (Ranked Worst To Best)
- Top 10 Games Like DOOM: Eternal (Games Better Than Doom Eternal In Their Own Way)
- DOOM: Eternal Story in 10 Points
- DOOM: Eternal Review
- DOOM Eternal Best Mods for Every Weapon
- DOOM Eternal Best Demons, Ranked
- All DOOM Eternal Demons from Weakest to Strongest
- 10 Best DOOM Eternal Achievements and How to Get Them
- Top 5 DOOM Eternal Best Builds
