Doom: The Dark Ages Ancestral Forge Secrets & Collectibles

The Ancestral Forge mission is conducted in an open-ended mine setting, with abundant verticality and tucked-away alcoves. You’ll find a total of:

• Nine secrets: 3 gold chests, 3 wolf statues, 1 life sigil, 1 wraithstone, 2 rubies
• Two core collectibles: Ancestral Forge codex entry and Vagary toy
• One bonus weapon skin: Nightmare Super Shotgun (and the Accelerator skin as part of Seven Secrets)

This rich spread is an incentive for checking out everything, from shield-jumping to secret platforms to redoing old puzzle exercises from Siege Part 1. A couple of these are just flat-out helpful for your journey in Doom: The Dark Ages, so make sure to pick up what you deem necessary!

Preparation for Your Run: How to Find the Purple Key

Before going after any secret, go to the Ancestral Heart goal of the top-right quadrant on the map. Kill any enemies nearby, break the eastern wooden barricade, and collect the purple key, which unlocks many later secrets and chest rooms. Possessing the key, come up with a clockwise sweep of the map to conquer each point efficiently.

Detailed Walkthrough of Secrets and Collectibles

1. First Wolf Statue

Upon entering the open forge, turn right at the first fork (before the initial Sentinel Shrine) and unlock a gated passage with your purple key. Inside, break the first wolf statue, one of three you’ll need to clear to access the wraithstone shrine. These statues reappear from the Siege Part 1 puzzle and drop collectible rewards when destroyed.

2. Life Sigil

From Sentinel Shrine 1, go down by path to the bottom-left corner, where a crane holds the life sigil. Jump down and block to get to the claw of the crane, flip the switch to drop the sigil, and grab it.

3. Gold Chest #1

Continue along the curved pathway until you notice a tunnel that is darkly illuminated. Turn right, step into the light-blue lit hallway, and claim the first gold chest lying at the end.

4. Second Wolf Statue

Beyond the fighting arena to the left of the second Shrine of Sentinels, find the second wolf statue between two ancestral hearts. Smash it to further close in on the wraithstone shrine; this is a replica of the wolf-statue puzzle mechanics.

5. Ruby and Vagary Toy (Collectible)

Return to the top-left Ancestral Heart console, then head right onto a wooden platform. Use the purple key to enter an elevated room, and on the overlook you’ll see both a ruby and the Vagary toy collectible, securing these ticks off two objectives at once!

6. Ancestral Forge Codex Entry (Collectible)

Look over at the yellow-gas ravine on the same corner as yours, on a small wooden platform just below yours, lies the codex entry. Carefully jump down to pick it up before moving on.

7. Gold Chest #2

Return to the right side of the map where the purple-key gate meets the first entry corridor. Within this gate is the second gold chest within a small side passageway.

8. Wraithstone

Head up to the wolf shrine at top right, south of the ancestral heart. Breaking two statues, find and break the third wolf (jutting out of the rock wall) to knock down the barrier and get the wraithstone; all three wolves must be broken to access it.

9. Ruby #2

Proceed to the second half of the mission. End the hall and break up a thin rock wall to drop a gate through its chain to clear the path to the second ruby.

10. Gold Chest #3

Jump onto a concealed lift in the modern hall with glinting platforms, trigger it with your shield, then cross over to take the third gold chest.

11. Gold Cache

Just past Chest #3, climb up to the first wall, drop behind an enclosed section, and find a pile of gold on an unseen ledge.

12. King Novik Codex Entry & Nightmare Super Shotgun Skin

On the next elevated platform with a blue switch, backflip your shield to reveal an out-of-reach ledge. Use it to access the King Novik codex entry and the stylish Nightmare Super Shotgun weapon skin before finishing the mission.

Final Thoughts

The Ancestral Forge’s mix of environmental puzzles and well-hidden rewards makes it a standout chapter for completionists and lore hunters alike, especially in Doom: The Dark Ages. By following this clockwise route, anchored by grabbing the purple key and destroying the wolf statues, you’ll uncover every secret, collectible, and bonus skin without replaying the level.

Now gear up, shield-jump, and explore every nook of this sprawling forge! Also, if you’re a completionist and would like to get more guides for other missions for Doom: The Dark Ages, check out here!