Doom Eternal is filled with intense combat, thrilling encounters, and numerous upgrades that can make or break your slaying experience. Whether you’re just starting or are already deep into the game, focusing on the best upgrades for your weapons, suit, and runes can elevate your gameplay. In this guide, we’ll dive into the best strategies for utilizing Runes, Suit Upgrades, and Sentinel Crystals to maximize your efficiency as a Doom Slayer.

1. Sentinel Crystals: Maximizing Health, Armor, and Ammunition

Sentinel Crystals are among the most significant upgrades in Doom Eternal. These upgrades increase the maximum amount of armor, health, and ammunition you can carry, making them essential for surviving the relentless demon onslaught. You’ll need to use Sentinel Batteries to unlock these crystals, which are located in the Sky Castle.

How to Unlock Sentinel Crystals:

• Location: In the Sky Castle, you’ll find several sealed doors. The Sentinel Crystals are located at the bottom of the room, opposite the main control room.
• Priority: Start by unlocking the doors to Sentinel Crystals as they are crucial for long-term survival.

Recommended Upgrades:

• Ammunition (Early Game): In the beginning stages, increase your maximum ammunition, as you’ll find yourself running out frequently.
• Health and Armor (Later Game): As you progress, prioritize upgrading your health and armor to improve survivability.

2. Suit Upgrades: Enhancing Your Combat Efficiency

Your suit upgrades directly impact how well you can fight and traverse the game world. Some suit upgrades require multiple points, so make sure to save up.

Key Suit Upgrades:

• Quick-Draw Belch & Belch Armor Boost: These upgrades are essential for improving your survivability. Quick-Draw Belch reduces the time between uses, while the Belch Armor Boost ensures more frequent armor drops.
• Loot Magnet: This upgrade automatically collects dropped items, including armor and ammunition, which saves you time and keeps you out of danger.

Other Useful Suit Upgrades:

• Faster Recharge for Grenades: Both the Flame and Ice Grenades are key tools in combat. Faster recharge times allow you to use these more frequently, giving you a tactical advantage.
• Faster Ledge Grabs & Weapon Switching: These upgrades improve your mobility, allowing you to traverse the battlefield more effectively and dodge enemy attacks.

3. Best Runes: Improving Your Combat and Survivability

Runes provide powerful bonuses to your combat effectiveness, and some are game-changers. Here are the best runes to focus on:

1. Chrono Strike:

• Effect: Slows down time while in the air when you right-click. This gives you the ability to make precise shots on enemy weak spots, dramatically enhancing your aiming ability.
• Tip: Equip Chrono Strike whenever possible, as it changes the way you can approach combat and gives you a clear advantage in most battles.

2. Equipment Theme:

• Effect: Reduces the cooldown of your equipment (Chainsaw, Grenades, and Flame Belch) when you kill enemies affected by your equipment (frozen or set on fire).
• Tip: Always have this rune equipped to maximize your use of essential equipment during fights.

3. Seek and Destroy:

• Effect: Triggers glory kills from a further distance, making it easier to finish off enemies without risking close combat.
• Alternative: If you prefer a different approach, consider the “Dazed and Confused” rune, which increases stagger duration, though it’s generally less useful than Seek and Destroy.

4. Bloodfield (Optional):

• Effect: Increases movement speed after a glory kill. While useful in tight arenas, it’s not as impactful as Chrono Strike or Seek and Destroy for most players.

4. Upgrades for Enhanced Mobility and Exploration

Some of the most underrated upgrades in Doom Eternal are related to mobility and exploration. These can make traversing the battlefield and finding secrets much easier.

Recommended Mobility Upgrades:

• Faster Dash & Faster Reloading: The Dash upgrade is crucial for evading enemy attacks, while faster reloading makes it easier to stay on the offensive.
• Exploration Upgrades: The larger auto map reveal radius helps you find hidden areas and secrets more easily. Additionally, the item finder is beneficial if you’re focused on collecting all the secrets.

5. Barrel Immunity and Environmental Damage Reduction

While not essential, some upgrades can help reduce the damage taken from environmental hazards:

• Immunity to Barrel Explosions: Reduces the damage taken from exploding barrels, which can be a significant threat in some areas.
• Less Damage from Toxic Sludge and Radioactive Water: These upgrades are useful if you have trouble with certain environmental challenges.

Conclusion

Doom Eternal offers a deep range of customization options through Runes, Suit Upgrades, and Sentinel Crystals. The best strategy is to prioritize upgrades that improve your ammo capacity, armor, and health early on, followed by maximizing your combat efficiency through runes like Chrono Strike and Equipment Theme. Suit upgrades, such as faster grenade recharges and increased mobility, can also make a significant difference in your survivability and combat effectiveness.

By carefully selecting the best upgrades based on your playstyle, you’ll be able to thrive in the brutal world of Doom Eternal. Keep experimenting, and don’t hesitate to adjust your strategy depending on the specific enemies and arenas you’re facing.