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These Are the Best Shield Runes to Use in Doom: The Dark Ages

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May 26, 2025

On May 26, 2025

With shield runes in Doom: The Dark Ages, you are no longer just playing defense. You are playing offense and defense at the same time. You’re parrying, setting traps, dealing damage, and punishing anything dumb enough to shoot at you. Even though there’s less than a handful of shield runes to mess around with, they all do something different.

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Some send lightning crashing down. Others summon daggers, turrets, or explosions. Some are good for one-on-one fights, while others shine at crowd control. But let’s find out just how well they stack up against each other.

4

Auto Turret

Perfect For Single Targets

Auto Turret Shield Rune in Doom: The Dark Ages

If you want a shield rune that focuses on one enemy at a time, the Auto Turret is for you. With this rune, a turret pops out over your shoulder and starts unloading on the nearest enemy. You don’t control it; it does its thing on its own, peppering the target with bullets for a short while.

Auto Turret is particularly useful when you’re up against something tanky and just want a bit of extra pressure without taking your focus off the rest of the fight. You unlock this rune in Chapter 12, during the Sentinel Command Station mission. The turret becomes more effective the more you upgrade it. It fires longer, shoots faster, and hits harder. One of the upgrades even causes enemies hit by it to drop dead instantly, which is a nice move when you’re stuck in a rough spot and don’t have time to play around. All in all, the Auto Turret is for those who want a focused shield rune that just concentrates on one target and not for crowd control.

3

Holy Swarm

Releases a Bunch of Flying Daggers That Chases After Enemies

Holy Swarm Shield Rune in Doom: The Dark Ages

The Holy Swarm rune shows up in Chapter 11, during the Hellbreaker mission. You get it as part of the story, so no complicated detours or secret paths. Instead of just blocking an attack, a successful parry against a Hell Surge blast causes a bunch of daggers to shoot out from your shield.

What I love particularly about the Holy Swarm rune is that the

weapons
don’t just float around; they find nearby enemies and slice them up. It’s especially good when you’re surrounded by weaker demons. You block once, and they basically get shredded without you having to follow up immediately. Holy Swarm works best when you want to punish enemies for crowding you, not when you’re trying to shut them down mid-attack. So if you’re the love turning defense into offense without getting flashy about it, Holy Swarm fits the job.

2

Ground Fissure

Creates a Linear Shockwave That Clears Enemies

Ground Fissure Shield Rune in Doom: The Dark Ages

Normally, parrying just deflects projectiles, but with this rune, if you time your shield right and block a Hell Surge attack, it triggers a shockwave that rips through the ground in a straight line. The fissure looks cool and more importantly can actually hurts enemies and knock them back a bit, giving you breathing room. You can get the Ground Fissure shield rune in Chapter 9, right after that scene where Thira activates the giant heart. Once the Doom Slayer slots his shield into the machine, you can claim the Ground Fissure shield rune.

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As you upgrade it, the fissure gets stronger and more useful. It starts covering more ground which means more enemies get caught in it. One upgrade makes scorched enemies drop armor, which helps keep you alive longer during chaotic fights. Another one boosts the size and damage of the fissure, so it’s more than just a poke. So if you’re someone who likes controlling space and countering at the right moment, Ground Fissure makes the shield feel a whole lot more tactical without turning it into a gimmick. It’s a rune you’ll want to experiment with, especially when enemies start stacking up.

1

Heaven Splitter

Best Rune for Crowd Control

Heaven Splitter Shield Rune in Doom: The Dark Ages

You find the Heaven Splitter rune in Chapter 14, right in the thick of the Spire of Nerathul mission. Instead of just stopping a Hell Surge blast, it catches that energy and slams it back down in the form of a lightning strike. That strike not only hits hard, but also stuns any demons near the impact.

Heaven Splitter is especially good when you’re surrounded or need to shut things down for a second to regroup or reposition. With upgrades, this rune not only stuns, but also shocks enemies. Heaven Splitter is all about controlling the battlefield. It’s not about raw damage or constant firepower. Rather it’s about timing your defense just right to turn chaos into an opening. It perfect for when you’re juggling a bunch of enemies and need a little breathing space to take charge of the fight.