Last month, I found a beat-up Doom the Dark Ages Abyssal Forest toy hidden under a stack of used board games at my local flea market, and I almost dropped my coffee when I saw it. Most official merch for the popular Doom total conversion mod only gets limited production runs, so finding a unit for under $20 felt like winning a mini lottery. If you’re a fan of the mod’s eerie, overgrown Abyssal Forest level, you’ve probably stared at photos of this toy online and wondered if it’s worth tracking down for your own collection. I’ve spent the past four weeks testing cleaning hacks, custom paint jobs, and display setups for my copy, so I’m breaking down everything you need to know before you start your search.
How to Spot an Authentic Doom The Dark Ages Abyssal Forest Toy
Bootlegs of this toy have flooded secondhand marketplaces over the past two years, so it’s easy to waste money on a low-quality knockoff if you don’t know what to look for. The first thing you should check is the bottom of the plastic base, where all authentic units have a official manufacturer stamp on the bottom of the base with the mod team’s logo next to a small serial number. Bootlegs almost always leave this stamp off, or use a blurry, misprinted version of the logo.
You should also look for the glow-in-the-dark eye coating on the forest demon figure that comes attached to the toy’s central tree. Bootlegs use regular neon paint for the eyes, so they won’t glow even after hours of sitting in sunlight. The final easy check is the finish on the trees: authentic units have a matte finish on the twisted tree trunks, while bootlegs use cheap, shiny plastic that looks noticeably cheap in natural light.
The Doom the Dark Ages Abyssal Forest toy uses softer plastic for the demon’s horns than most mass-produced action figures, so they’re more likely to bend if you drop them. Don’t write off a slightly bent unit as a fake, though – you can fix bent plastic easily with a few seconds of exposure to a hair dryer on low heat, followed by a minute holding the horn in the correct position until it cools.
Easy Fixes for Common Toy Defects
Even authentic units often have small manufacturing defects, since they’re produced in small batches with less strict quality control than big-brand action figures. The most common issue I’ve seen is small paint chips on the demon figure’s armor or the tree bark, usually from shipping or improper storage. For these chips, pick up a cheap set of acrylic model paints matched to the mod’s official color palette, dab a tiny amount of paint on the chip with a toothpick, and let it dry fully before touching it again.
Loose joints are another common issue, especially with the demon’s arms and the small mushroom accessories that slot into the base. To fix loose joints, add a tiny drop of clear nail polish to the joint socket, let it dry for 30 seconds, then push the limb back into place. The nail polish adds just enough friction to keep the limb secure without gluing it in place permanently, so you can still reposition it later if you want.
You might also notice that the glow-in-the-dark eyes and tree accents fade over time, especially if the toy has been stored in a dark box for years. To recharge the luminescent coating, leave the toy in direct sunlight for two to three hours, then test it in a dark room to see if the glow is back to full strength. Never use harsh cleaning products like bleach or window cleaner on the toy, they’ll strip the paint and ruin the glow effect permanently, even if you recharge it later.
Fun Custom Mods to Make Your Toy One of a Kind
If you want to make your toy stand out from every other copy out there, you don’t need fancy tools or years of customizing experience. I tested three simple mods that anyone can pull off in an afternoon, and all of them cost less than $10 total to complete. None of these mods require permanent alterations to the original toy, either, so you can reverse them if you ever want to resell your unit later.
- Custom bioluminescent moss add-on: Glue tiny pieces of glow-in-the-dark craft moss to the base of the tree trunks to mimic the glowing foliage found in the mod's hidden secret areas. Use removable poster glue instead of super glue so you can peel the moss off later without damaging the base.
- Blood splatter effect: Use a small toothbrush to flick diluted red acrylic paint onto the demon figure and tree bark for a more weathered, battle-worn look that matches the mod's gory aesthetic. Test the splatter on a piece of paper first to make sure you get the right consistency, so you don’t end up with big blobs of paint on the toy.
- LED base upgrade: Tuck a tiny battery-powered warm white LED strip under the toy's plastic base to cast a spooky, flickering light through the tree branches when you display it in a dark room. Look for a strip with a tiny battery pack that fits behind the base, so you don’t have visible wires ruining the display.
I tried the LED base upgrade first, and it makes the toy look like it’s pulled straight out of the game’s loading screen when the lights are off. Just make sure you don’t use hot glue to attach the LED strip, it can melt the thin plastic base and leave unsightly burn marks. I used double-sided poster tape, and it’s held up perfectly for three weeks so far with no damage to the base.
Best Ways to Display Your Collectible
Once your toy is cleaned, fixed, and customized to your liking, you’ll want to display it somewhere that shows it off without risking damage. The first rule is to avoid leaving it in constant direct sunlight, even if you like recharging the glow effect. Long term sun exposure will fade the paint over time, so pick a spot that gets indirect light for most of the day, and only set it in direct sun for a few hours every couple of weeks to recharge the glow.
A clear acrylic display case is a great investment if you want to keep dust off the toy, since the twisted tree branches trap dust easily and can be hard to clean without bending the small twigs. Look for a case that’s at least two inches taller than the toy, so you have space to add small extra accessories like mini demon figures or fake foliage around the base if you want.
Keep the toy at least 3 feet away from heat sources like radiators or space heaters, high temperatures can warp the plastic and cause the tree branches to bend permanently. If you’re part of local or online Doom modding communities, you can also set up a dedicated mod-themed shelf next to your gaming setup, and display the toy alongside other Doom merch, mod zines, and custom controller skins to create a fun conversation starter for guests. If you ever plan to resell the toy later, keeping the original packaging (even if it’s a little beat up) can increase its value by up to 40%, so don’t throw it away if your unit comes with it.
At the end of the day, the Doom the Dark Ages Abyssal Forest toy is more than just a piece of plastic on a shelf. It’s a tribute to the hundreds of modders who spent years building one of the most creative Doom total conversions ever released, and a fun way to show off your love for the game to anyone who visits your home. Whether you’re a casual collector who just wants a cool display piece, or a hardcore mod fan who wants to customize every detail of your unit, it’s one of the most unique pieces of Doom merch you can add to your collection. Just take your time searching for an authentic unit, don’t overpay for a bootleg, and have fun making it your own.
