TL;DR
- Chapter 6 contains 11 secret areas essential for 100% completion
- Three locations require the Secret Key for access to premium rewards
- Open-world design allows flexible exploration but requires strategic navigation
- Secret areas contain weapon skins, rubies, gold caches, and collectible toys
- Proper preparation and route planning can save 20-30 minutes of backtracking
Doom The Dark Ages’ sixth chapter immediately establishes its open-world credentials through the Siege – Part 1 battlefield. This expansive level features Gore Portals scattered throughout the demon-infested city, creating multiple pathways for exploration. The developers specifically designed this section to showcase the game’s non-linear progression system. Hidden throughout the urban combat zone are 11 carefully concealed secret locations that completionists must discover to achieve perfect chapter progression.
Given the battlefield’s sprawling design, your approach to clearing Gore Portals can vary dramatically from other players’ routes. This guide provides precise map coordinates and environmental markers to ensure you don’t miss any hidden areas. Strategic preparation before diving into the chaos includes stocking up on ammunition and understanding the level’s verticality – many secrets require shield throws and platform climbing.
Common mistakes include rushing through main objectives without scanning environments thoroughly and missing the Secret Key early, forcing extensive backtracking. Advanced players should prioritize the key acquisition first to streamline their collection route.
Secret Area 1: Waterfall Entrance – Immediately after exiting the starting barracks, navigate leftward along the city’s perimeter until you encounter a cascading waterfall integrated into the fortifications. This natural landmark conceals the chapter’s first hidden compartment, easily missed if you charge straight toward combat zones.
Secret Area 2: Scalable Platform – While engaging demon forces at the initial blockade, identify the climbable structure on your right flank. Ascending this platform reveals an interior chamber containing one of the chapter’s ruby collectibles, though it’s secured behind a metal barrier requiring special access.
Secret Area 3: Weapon Skin Chamber – Within the same concealed space as the second location, retreat toward the entrance and pivot left to discover another locked gate. This and three subsequent hidden areas demand possession of the Secret Key – consult our dedicated key location guide to avoid frustration. The reward here justifies the effort: an exclusive weapon customization option.
Secret Area 4: Battlefield Underground – Navigate toward the devastated combat zone beyond the swamp region. Two colossal titans engaged in epic combat serve as an unmistakable visual reference point. From this spectacle, follow the leftward path until demon reinforcements ambush you. To their left flank lies a subterranean access point housing another key-locked gate containing a valuable ruby.
Secret Area 5: Gore Portal Puzzle – This hidden compartment resides adjacent to a mandatory teleportation portal. After solving the central area’s environmental puzzle, scout for cluster of boulders on the left periphery. Scaling these rocks reveals a destructible wall section – precisely aim your shield throw to breach the concealed chamber.
Secret Area 6: Sentinel Shrine Portal – Located in the map’s eastern quadrant near the Sentinel Shrine, continue past this landmark until a aggressive quadrupedal demon assaults your position. The adjacent entrance crowned with a Sentinel statue transforms into an accessible portal once you eliminate the threat, revealing another clandestine location.
Secret Area 7: Slayer Toy Chamber – The final metal-gated secret area demands the Secret Key for entry, but offers one of the chapter’s most coveted prizes: the collectible Slayer Toy. This adorable figurine represents significant completion progress and bragging rights among the Doom community.
Time investment for locating all seven primary secret areas typically ranges from 25-40 minutes depending on combat efficiency and prior knowledge of the Secret Key’s location.
Mastering Chapter 6’s secret locations requires understanding the level’s layered design philosophy. The open-world structure intentionally obscures certain areas to reward thorough exploration, but this can lead to inefficient routing if approached haphazardly. Optimal pathing involves clearing the northwestern sector first to acquire the Secret Key before tackling the eastern combat zones.
Pro Strategy: Before engaging any Gore Portals, systematically scout the perimeter for hidden pathways. Many players waste 20+ minutes backtracking because they missed early-game opportunities to collect essential items. The demon AI is programmed to herd players toward main objectives, so conscious deviation from the obvious path is necessary.
For players struggling with the open-world format, our Complete Guide offers fundamental navigation techniques applicable across multiple level types. Additionally, proper Class Guide selection can significantly impact your mobility and access to certain secret areas.
Action Checklist
- Acquire Secret Key from northwestern sector before tackling main objectives
- Locate waterfall along left city wall immediately after barracks exit
- Scale right-side platform and explore interior chamber
- Solve central puzzle, climb boulders, and shield-blast left wall
- Defend against quadrupedal ambush, then access newly activated portal
No reproduction without permission:Tsp Game Club » Doom The Dark Ages: All Siege – Part 1 Secret Areas Complete guide to finding all 11 secret locations in Doom The Dark Ages Chapter 6 with expert strategies
