If you’ve ever sunk 10+ hours slaying demon hordes through the gritty, blood-soaked levels of Doom The Dark Ages, you’ve probably stared at your favorite character’s design mid-boss fight and thought, “I need that on my shelf.” I’ve been there. I spent three months hunting down a mint condition Marauder figure back when the first wave dropped, and I’ve learned more about Doom The Dark Ages action figures in that time than I ever thought I would. This guide pulls from all my trial and error, plus conversations with 20+ fellow Doom collectors in local hobby groups, to help you build the collection you want without wasting cash on low-quality knockoffs or overpriced resold stock.
What to Look for When Shopping for Doom The Dark Ages Action Figures
The first rule of shopping for these figures is to skip the random third-party listings on unvetted platforms unless you know exactly what you’re looking for. Most official Doom The Dark Ages action figures are made by McFarlane Toys, and they all have official id Software and Bethesda licensing branding printed on the bottom of the box. If that logo is missing, it’s almost certainly a knockoff, and you can expect flimsy joints, smudged paint, and details that don’t match the in-game designs. For example, many knockoff Marauder figures have glossy bright red shoulder pads, while the official versions have a muted, matte finish that matches the game’s grungy aesthetic.
If you’re buying used, always ask the seller for close-up photos of the joints and paint before you pay. Loose joints are the most common issue with secondhand figures, and they can make it impossible to pose your figure without it tipping over or falling apart. I once bought a used Doom Slayer figure for $15 that looked perfect in the listing photos, but its right arm was so loose it fell off as soon as I took it out of the box. I fixed it with a $3 bottle of joint tightening gel, but it’s a hassle you don’t want to deal with if you can avoid it. You should also check for paint chipping around the edges of helmets and weapons, as those are the first areas to get damaged during handling.
You don’t have to splurge on limited edition releases right away. The standard 7-inch Doom Slayer figure retails for around $25, has 22 points of articulation, and comes with a shotgun and a crucible blade. It’s perfect for new collectors who want to test the waters before dropping more cash on rare pieces, and it’s still one of the most well-made figures in the entire line.
Most Sought-After Doom The Dark Ages Action Figure Releases
There are hundreds of official and fan-made Doom The Dark Ages action figures floating around the market, but a few specific releases have become holy grail items for collectors. I’ve tracked prices and availability for these for the past three years, and these are the three that consistently sell out fast and hold their value:
- Limited Edition Glow-in-the-Dark Doom Slayer: Released exclusively at major gaming conventions in 2022, only 5000 of these were ever made. The eyes, chest rune, and crucible blade glow bright neon green under black light, and mint-in-box copies regularly sell for 3x their original $50 retail price. I’ve only ever seen one in person at a local hobby swap, and the owner turned down a $450 offer for it on the spot.
- Deluxe Marauder with Hell On Earth Diorama Base: This 7.5-inch figure comes with interchangeable axes, a detachable fabric cape, and a 4-inch base that looks like cracked, lava-filled hellscape pavement. It’s the best-selling official Doom figure ever made, and restocks on the official Bethesda store sell out in under 10 minutes every time they’re announced. You can usually find used copies in good condition for around $60 if you keep an eye on hobby forums.
- Retro Pixel Style Imp Figure: A surprise drop for the Doom franchise’s 30th anniversary, this figure blends the Dark Ages Imp design with the blocky pixelated art style of the original 1993 Doom. It’s a favorite among long-time fans who want to blend their love of classic and modern Doom titles, and it’s one of the few figures that works equally well in retro and modern gaming display setups.
It’s okay if you can’t get your hands on any of these right away. The chase is half the fun of collecting, and I still haven’t tracked down the glow-in-the-dark Doom Slayer for my own collection. Don’t fall for resellers marking these up to 10x their retail price either—most limited run figures get small restocks every 12 to 18 months, so you can save hundreds of dollars if you’re willing to wait.
How to Customize Your Doom The Dark Ages Action Figures
One of the best parts of collecting these figures is modifying them to match your own personal preferences, or to create rare variants that were never officially released. I’ve customized 11 of my own Doom The Dark Ages action figures over the past two years, and these are the tips that saved me from ruining hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise when I was starting out. First, always practice on cheap knockoff figures before you modify official releases. You can find low-quality knockoff Doom Slayer figures for $10 on most online marketplaces, and they’re perfect for testing paint colors or joint modification techniques without risking your good pieces.
If you’re repainting parts of your figure, use acrylic paint instead of regular craft paint. Acrylic paint adheres to plastic far better, dries to a scratch-resistant finish, and won’t leave a sticky residue even after years of display. Use small, fine-tip brushes for detail work like painting runes on the Doom Slayer’s chest or adding wear marks to weapon edges, and always apply a thin clear matte sealant after the paint dries to prevent chipping. I once skipped the sealant on a custom Imp figure I made, and the paint flaked off within a month when I tried to reposition it.
If you want to swap parts between figures, heat the plastic joints with a hair dryer for 10 to 15 seconds before you try to pry them apart. Cold plastic is brittle and will snap easily, but slightly warmed plastic is flexible enough to pull apart without breaking. Don’t use a heat gun for this step—they get far too hot and will melt the plastic in seconds. I made that mistake early on and turned a perfectly good Marauder arm into a puddle of goop before I realized what was happening.
Pro Tips for Displaying and Preserving Your Collection
Even the most high-end Doom The Dark Ages action figures will get damaged if you don’t store and display them correctly. The first and most important rule is to never leave your figures in direct sunlight for more than a few hours at a time. UV rays will fade the paint faster than anything else, and I learned that the hard way when I left a Doom Slayer figure on my windowsill for three months. Its bright red armor faded to a pale pink, and the figure lost almost 70% of its resale value in that short time.
Use dust-proof acrylic display cases for high-value figures. Dust gets stuck in the tiny crevices of jointed figures really easily, and wiping it off with a cloth almost always leads to tiny paint scratches over time. Acrylic cases cost $10 to $20 each depending on the size, and they’ll keep your figures clean and protected for years. If you want to make your display look more immersive, you can add small LED strip lights to the inside of the case to mimic the hellish red or green lighting from the game. My Marauder display has a small red LED strip behind the diorama base, and it looks like it’s straight out of a boss fight level.
Don’t leave your figures in extreme poses for months on end. If you have a figure holding a heavy weapon above its head, or standing on one foot, the joints will stretch out over time and get loose much faster than if you keep them in a more neutral pose. I swap the poses of all my figures every two to three months to keep the joints in good shape, and I’ve never had a figure get loose joints from display alone. If you’re moving your collection, wrap each figure individually in bubble wrap before putting it in a box, and don’t stack heavy boxes on top of the ones holding your figures.
At the end of the day, collecting Doom The Dark Ages action figures is all about celebrating a game you love, not about checking boxes or spending thousands of dollars to impress other collectors. Whether you’re just picking up your first basic Doom Slayer figure or hunting for that rare glow-in-the-dark edition to complete your set, take your time, do your research, and only buy pieces that make you excited to look at them every day. You don’t need a perfect collection right away—build it one figure at a time, and have fun with the process.
