If you’ve played any Doom game in the last 30 years, you know the super shotgun is more than just a weapon – it’s a status symbol of hell-slaying power. The super shotgun in Doom: The Dark Ages stays true to that legacy, but adds a handful of new mechanics that make it feel far more versatile than its 2016 and Eternal counterparts. I’ve put 47 hours into the game’s campaign, horde mode, and casual multiplayer matches so far, and I’ve tested every possible upgrade and loadout combination for this weapon to pull together this no-fluff guide. Even if you’re a long-time Doom veteran, you’ll probably find a few tricks you haven’t tried yet to get more out of this iconic shotgun.
What Makes the Super Shotgun in Doom: The Dark Ages Stand Out From Previous Entries?
First, let’s get the stats out of the way for anyone who loves to crunch numbers. The base model fires 12 pellets that deal 20 damage each, for a total of 240 damage if all pellets hit a target. That’s 30% more base damage than the Eternal super shotgun, and the pellet spread is 25% tighter, so you’ll land more hits at slightly longer ranges. The wider one-shot kill range than any other close-quarters weapon makes it a go-to for almost every encounter, but it’s not without flaws. It only holds 2 shots per mag, and the default reload time is 1.8 seconds, which feels like an eternity when you’re surrounded by charging Imps. The biggest new addition is the hook alt fire, which lets you either pull small enemies straight to you or yank yourself towards larger enemies to close distance fast. I was skeptical of this feature at first, but it’s become one of my favorite parts of the new weapon design.
Optimal Usage Scenarios for the Super Shotgun in Doom: The Dark Ages
You might be tempted to use this weapon for every fight, but it works best in very specific scenarios to get the most value out of your limited shotgun shell ammo. The sweet spot for damage is between 5 and 15 meters; any farther than that, and most pellets will miss, wasting a shot that could take out a mid-tier enemy. It’s the best weapon for taking out grouped mid-tier enemies in a single blast if you line them up properly, which comes in handy for the many tight corridor ambushes in the game’s second and third acts. The hook alt fire is not just for movement – you can use it to yank shielded enemies’ covers off before blasting them, which saves you from wasting rocket ammo on heavily armored targets. I’ve put together a quick list of do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when you’re using the weapon:
- Use it to clear tight corridor ambushes where enemies are clustered within 15 meters
- Pair it with the heavy assault rifle to pick off far enemies before closing in with the shotgun
- Avoid wasting shots on floating lost souls unless they’re within 5 meters, as their small size lets most pellets miss
So what happens if you use it outside these scenarios? You’ll burn through shotgun shells way faster than you can find them, and you’ll get stuck with no way to take out close range enemies during big horde fights. I learned that the hard way during my first run through the Necropolis level, when I wasted 12 shells on long-range Imps and got taken out by a Hell Knight that popped around a corner.
Best Mods and Upgrades to Unlock First for the Super Shotgun
You can unlock upgrades for the super shotgun as you find weapon mod bots scattered across the campaign maps, and not all upgrades are created equal. I tested every possible upgrade path, and there’s a clear order that will make the weapon feel way more powerful early on. Prioritize the faster reload upgrade before any other, as it fixes the weapon’s biggest flaw. This upgrade cuts reload time by 30%, dropping it down to 1.26 seconds, which is fast enough that you won’t get swarmed between shots. Next, unlock the pellet spread reduction mod, which tightens the spread even further and extends the effective range to 20 meters. That means you can take out Hell Knights from farther away without wasting half your pellets. The final upgrade I recommend is the hook armor boost, which gives you 5 points of armor every time you pull an enemy to you with the alt fire. It might not sound like much, but those small armor boosts add up during long horde fights, and they’ve saved my life more than once. You can skip the explosive pellet mod if you want; it deals extra damage but has a chance to hurt you if you’re too close to the blast, and I’ve never found it worth the tradeoff.
Super Shotgun Loadout Combos for Every Game Mode
The super shotgun works with almost every loadout, but there are specific combinations that work far better for different game modes. For campaign runs, I pair it with the heavy assault rifle for long-range picks and the rocket launcher for large groups of far away enemies. This combo covers every possible encounter type, and you won’t find yourself scrambling to swap weapons when a mix of Imps and Mancubi spawn. For horde mode runs, I swap the assault rifle out for the chain gun, which lets you mow down large groups of low-tier enemies while you save shotgun shells for mid-tier and boss enemies. For horde mode runs, always keep at least 20 shotgun shells in reserve so you don’t get caught empty during wave spikes. For casual multiplayer matches, I pair the super shotgun with the double barreled sidearm, which lets you finish off enemies that survive a single shotgun blast with a quick one-shot from the pistol. You don’t want to rely on the super shotgun alone in multiplayer, as most opponents will use long-range weapons to stay out of your effective range. But if you can close the distance fast with the hook alt fire, you’ll be almost unbeatable in close-quarters map sections.
At the end of the day, the super shotgun in Doom: The Dark Ages is exactly what long-time fans want: a familiar, powerful weapon with just enough new twists to keep it interesting. You don’t need to be a pro player to master it, either – just remember to stick to the effective range, prioritize the reload upgrade first, and only use it when it makes sense instead of wasting shots on far away enemies. I still get a little rush every time I pick one up at the start of a new campaign run, because I know I’m about to turn every hellspawn that crosses my path into red mist. If you test out the tips in this guide, you’ll be dominating every encounter in no time.
