Overview — Gears of War 4 eGuide

Fight for survival against intensifying waves of enemies with up to four other Co-Op players.

Horde Ribbons

Ribbon	XP	Description
3rd and Long	125	Kill an enemy by downing that enemy three times in a Versus or Horde match.
Big Exit	75	Kill an enemy while grenade tagged.
Boombardier	50	Kill multiple enemies with a single explosive shot in Versus or Horde.
Charge	100	Bayonet Charge three enemies in a row in Versus or Horde.
Clear!	100	Have the most revives in Versus or Horde.
Clusterluck	100	Kill multiple enemies with a single Frag Grenade in Versus or Horde.
Combat Engineer	150	Build, repair, or upgrade five fortifications during wave halftime.
Construction Worker	20	Upgrade the Fabricator.
Contender	75	Have the most melee hits in Versus or Horde.
Coup de Grâce	50	Get the final kill with an Execution in Versus or Horde.
Death from Beyond	25	Kill an enemy while you are dead in Versus or Horde.
Demolition Man	100	Kill multiple enemies with a single Dropshot shot in Versus or Horde.
Diversity	50	Win a Horde match with a team that has no duplicate classes.
Downer	75	Down five enemies who are then killed by another player.
Equal Opportunity	50	Kill one of each enemy type in a Horde wave.
Evasive	100	Take the least amount of damage in Versus or Horde.
Final Word	50	Get the final kill in Versus or Horde.
Financier	150	Deposit 5000 power into the Fabricator.
First!	125	Get the first kill in Versus or Horde.
Go on Without Me	25	Complete the wave as the only dead player.
Grenadier	100	Have the most grenade kills in Versus or Horde.
Guys? Hello?	25	Spend the most time down but not out in Versus or Horde.
Hail Mary	100	Kill an enemy who is at least 200 feet away with the Boomshot or RL-4 Salvo in Versus or Horde.
Hat Trick	150	Headshoot three enemies in a row in Versus or Horde.
Headhunter	100	Have the most headshots in Versus or Horde.
Helping Hand	75	Assist teammates 10 times in Versus or Horde.
High ROI	75	Kill five enemies with a weapon from the Fabricator.
I Gotcha	25	Revive all four of your teammates in a single wave.
I Know Kung-Fu	75	Counter a close-cover combat move.
Industrious	100	Use more than one DeeBee weapon to kill a single enemy.
Inside Out	150	Kill an enemy with a Dropshot headshot in a Versus match.
Last Hope	150	Complete a wave as the only player alive.
Last Man Out	100	Be the only surviving member of your team in Versus or Horde.
Like a Boss	150	Complete a Boss Wave while not dead or DBNO.
Long Hauler	150	Complete all 50 waves in a single session.
Lumberjack	100	Chainsaw three enemies in a row in Versus or Horde.
Medic	125	Revive five teammates in Versus or Horde.
Methodical	50	Execute five enemies.
Military Intelligence	150	Mark five enemies who are then killed by someone else within ten seconds in Versus or Horde.
More Guts Than Skill	75	Kill yourself at least three times in Versus or Horde.
MVP	100	Have the most points in Versus or Horde.
No Smoking	100	Kill an enemy with a Smoke Grenade in Versus or Horde.
No, Wait!	75	Kill an enemy who is reloading in Versus or Horde.
Not So Fast	100	Kill an enemy who is executing a teammate in Versus or Horde.
Phat Loot	100	Complete a bonus objective.
Pistoleer	75	Have the most pistol kills in Versus or Horde.
Point Man	125	Pick up the most power in a wave.
Quick Clips	75	Have the most Perfect Active Reloads in Versus or Horde.
Repair Man	50	Spend 1500 power repairing fortifications.
Rope-a-Dope	25	Kill three enemies who are distracted by a decoy.
Rough Day	150	Die the most in Versus or Horde.
Sawdust	100	Kill five enemies with a Buzzkill in a Versus or Horde match.
So Close	100	Die within one second of either dying or self-reviving in Versus or Horde.
Special Delivery	25	Kill an enemy with a bag-’n’-tag in Versus or Horde.
Spray and Pray	50	Have the most blind-fire kills in Versus or Horde.
Stab ’Em	75	Kill an enemy with a knife Execution after a close-cover combat move.
Supervisor	100	Complete a wave with no kills.
Team Player	50	Have the most assists in Versus or Horde.
The Double	100	Kill two enemies within four seconds of each other.
The Quad	150	Kill four enemies within four seconds of each other.
The Quinn	175	Kill five enemies within four seconds of each other.
The Specialists	100	Win a Horde match with a team that’s all the same class.
The Super	25	Headshot a rolling enemy in Versus or Horde.
The Triple	125	Kill three enemies within four seconds of each other.
Tough Guy	50	Die the least in Versus or Horde.
Trick Shot	75	Get a Torque Bow headshot that is also a double kill in Versus or Horde.
Well Protected	75	Be the most revived member on your team in Versus or Horde.

Horde mode returns in Gears of War 4, allowing you to join up to four other players as you fight through 50 waves of increasingly difficult enemies. The selection of foes starts out with weak DeeBees, but as you progress, stronger DeeBees and Swarm spawn into the battle. Build fortifications and purchase new weapons to increase your odds against the adversaries.

The first step is to find the Fabricator and scout the map out. Move the Fabricator to a defensible location and protect the area from the onslaught of enemies. Gain power from defeated foes and use it to build fortifications and weapons at the Fabricator. This is key to making your way through all fifty waves.

Starting a Game

At the Horde Menu, you can select a Standard online game, a Private match, upgrade your Class Skills, and select a Bounty. A Standard game allows you to select a difficulty, at which point matchmaking finds an online game for you. While it searches for an available spot, you have the opportunity to Gear Up—giving you a chance to view your stats, buy Gears Packs, and customize your Horde character, class, and Bounty.

Select Private to host a Horde match. Once inside the lobby, you select the map, difficulty, and starting wave. Invite up to four friends to join the game. Each player can use this opportunity to customize the character, class, and Bounty.

Difficulty

Select between four difficulties before beginning a game of Horde. This modifies your health and the damage you deal against the enemies. Casual gives you a significant boost in damage over the three tougher settings. Player health takes a big hit as the difficulty goes up, giving you only 210 health at the top setting—making cover and team play that much more important.

It is necessary to level up your classes to complete the tougher difficulties. The game is extremely tough if you do not have a full team, so try matchmaking if you do not have enough friends to fill a squad.

Difficulty Modifiers

Difficulty	Description	Player Health	Player Damage	Score Bonus
Casual	Start your Horde career here.	275%	250%	1x
Normal	Standard difficulty for beginning classes.	150%	170%	2x
Hardcore	A serious challenge for mid-level classes.	70%	130%	3x
Insane	The true endurance test for high-level classes.	35%	100%	5x

Horde Cards

Purchase Gears Packs from the Store to find Horde Class Skills and Bounties. Skills give you an improved chance at defeating the Swarm with stat bonuses and special skills. Consumable Bounty cards allow you to set a challenge on your Horde game. Complete the action listed on the card to earn bonus XP. Refer to the Appendices for a full list of cards.

Just like the rest of the Gears cards, these can be destroyed for a small amount of scrap. This can then be used to create cards that you own. The following table shows the scrap required to create a new card, and scrap gained with a destroyed card. Note that there are no Legendary Horde Skill cards.

Scrap Required for Creation and Gained When Destroyed

Rarity	Burn	craft
Common	5	40
Rare	20	100
Epic	150	600
Legendary	600	2400

Find duplicates of a Class Skill card to upgrade its level and improve the effect. The following table displays the number of duplicates required to increase the skill to Levels 2 through 5. As you can see, this requires a whole lot of Gears Packs, with 20 versions of the same card needed to max out a skill’s potential. As more skill slots are gained, you will want more maxed skills. Remember that unwanted cards can be destroyed for scrap, and owned cards can be created. Be careful to only scrap Class Skill cards that are positively unwanted. Refer to the Classes section later in this chapter for detailed information on all skills.

Card Requirement for Upgrading

Level	Duplicate Cards Required
2	1
3	3
4	5
5	10

Bounties

Collect Horde Bounty cards from Gears Packs. These cards allow you to earn bonus XP for completing tasks. The following table lists all of the Horde Bounties available. Select the Bounty you wish to work on from the lobby. Note that you must own the card to attempt the Bounty, and it must be completed in one match. Once completed, though, it is removed from your deck.

Bounty	Description	XP / Credits	Rarity	Card Set
Assault Rifle Kills I	Kill 100 or more enemies with an assault rifle (Lancer, Retro Lancer, Hammerburst, Enforcer) during a Horde match on any difficulty.	3000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Engineer Challenge I	Beat the first 20 waves of a Horde match while playing as the Engineer class on any difficulty.	10,000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Heavy Challenge I	Beat the first 20 waves of a Horde match while playing as the Heavy class on any difficulty.	10,000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Scout Challenge I	Beat the first 20 waves of a Horde match while playing as the Scout class on any difficulty.	10,000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Sniper Challenge I	Beat the first 20 waves of a Horde match while playing as the Sniper class on any difficulty.	10,000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Soldier Challenge I	Beat the first 20 waves of a Horde match while playing as the Soldier class on any difficulty.	10,000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Explosive Kills I	Kill 100 or more enemies with an explosive launcher (Boomshot, Dropshot, Torque Bow, RL-4 Salvo) or Frag Grenade during a Horde match on any difficulty.	5000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Fortifications I	Build five or more fortifications during a Horde match on any difficulty.	2000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Fortifications II	Build 50 or more fortifications during a Horde match on any difficulty.	20,000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Hardcore Challenge I	Beat the first 20 waves of a Horde match on Hardcore difficulty.	20,000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Headshot Kills I	Kill 100 or more enemies with headshots during a Horde match on any difficulty.	5000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Horde Challenge I	Beat the first 10 waves of a Horde match on any difficulty.	1000 XP	Common	Promo
Horde Challenge II	Beat the first 20 waves of a Horde match on any difficulty.	10,000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Insane Challenge I	Beat the first 10 waves of a Horde match on Insane difficulty.	10,000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Insane Challenge II	Beat the first 20 waves of a Horde match on Insane difficulty.	20,000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Kills I	Kill 50 or more enemies during a Horde match on any difficulty.	2000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Kills II	Kill 500 or more enemies during a Horde match on any difficulty.	20,000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Normal Challenge I	Beat the first 20 waves of a Horde match on Normal difficulty.	10,000 XP	Common	Launch Series
Normal Survival I	Beat all 50 waves of a Horde match on Normal difficulty.	1000 CR	Rare	Launch Series
Rare Engineer Survival I	Beat all 50 waves of a Horde match while playing as the Engineer class on any difficulty.	750 CR	Rare	Launch Series
Rare Hardcore Survival I	Beat all 50 waves of a Horde match on Hardcore difficulty.	1100 CR	Rare	Launch Series
Rare Heavy Survival I	Beat all 50 waves of a Horde match while playing as the Heavy class on any difficulty.	750 CR	Rare	Launch Series
Rare Horde Survival I	Beat all 50 waves of a Horde match on any difficulty.	750 CR	Rare	Launch Series
Rare Insane Survival I	Beat all 50 waves of a Horde match on Insane difficulty.	1200 CR	Rare	Launch Series
Rare Scout Survival I	Beat all 50 waves of a Horde match while playing as the Scout class on any difficulty.	750 CR	Rare	Launch Series
Rare Sniper Survival I	Beat all 50 waves of a Horde match while playing as the Sniper class on any difficulty.	750 CR	Rare	Launch Series
Rare Soldier Survival I	Beat all 50 waves of a Horde match while playing as the Soldier class on any difficulty.	750 CR	Rare	Launch Series

Fabricator

When you start a game of Horde, a Fabricator is found in the center of the map. Use TAC/COM to quickly find it. This device gives the team access to fortifications and weapons. To begin, approach one side and secure it by pressing . This picks up one side of the Fabricator. Move around to push and pull it around. Once you have found a good spot for it, press again to drop it. Another player can grab the other end to double the movement speed.

Fabricator Level

Level	Power Spent
2	30,000
3	90,000
4	120,000

The Fabricator highlights in red to notify you that it cannot be placed at the current location; blue signifies an acceptable spot. Once it has been deployed, a 30-second timer counts down to the first enemy spawn. If it has not been placed after five minutes, the timer automatically begins.

Wave Progress

The wave number and a red bar are shown in the upper-left corner of the HUD, just above your current Energy holdings. The bar represents the number of enemies left in the current wave—depleting as the DeeBees and Swarm are eliminated. Once five remain, this switches to a number. After you defeat the final foe, the leaderboard is displayed for a short period. Then a 30-second timer allows you to prepare your defenses before the next wave begins.

Power

Defeating enemies earns power, which in turn is used to build/repair fortifications and purchase weapons from the Fabricator. There is a small, instant gain of power with each defeated foe, but a bigger pile of power is left behind at the point they are taken out. If you fail to grab it before the final enemy is defeated, you can pick it up during the 30-second break without the bonus. Once the next wave begins, though, the power is removed from the battlefield.

Power is required to purchase anything from the Fabricator. Each player begins the game with 1000 power, which is automatically deposited to the Fabricator once it is touched. Note that joining a game in progress does not grant you the starting 1000 power. If you are killed, your power is left behind in a big pile, so be sure to collect it before the next round begins.

Downed and Death

If you are downed, your teammates can pick you up within a time limit, unless of course an enemy finishes you off. An exclamation icon appears at the bottom of your HUD to signify that a teammate needs help. Press to be pointed in the right direction. When you die, your COG Tags are left behind, at which point you can be revived. Approach the tags, hold the button to pick them up, and return to the Fabricator.

The team is given one free revive per round. All subsequent revives cost power, which increases by 2500 each time. Once the round ends, all dead players are revived for free. Use this information wisely to decide if a revive is worth the cost. There is a Rare General Skill, Team Revive, that allows you to revive all teammates from the Fabricator—for a cost.

Revival Cost per Round

Death	Cost (Power)
1	0
2	2500
3	5000
4	7500
5	10,000
6	12,500
7	15,000
8	17,500
9	20,000
10	22,500*

*Continues to increase by 2500 with each death.

Do not pick up someone’s COG Tags unless you intend to revive the player, or you will not be able to deposit your power. Players revive with full ammo, so dying can sometimes be a good thing.

Fortifications

Barriers, decoys, sentries, turrets, and weapons lockers are available for purchase at the Fabricator once it has been placed. Deploy these anywhere on the map to assist in your battle against the enemies.

Barriers slow or stop enemy progress. Place them at entrances to your base to slow them down. Place sentries or turrets so that they face these locations, and they will mow down the weakened foes.

Decoys attract enemy fire. Use them to absorb weapon fire, allowing you and your teammates to take down the distracted opponents.

Sentries attack enemies within range. These automated guns are great for protecting the team. Use them to alert the team of enemy presence or to protect a player’s flank.

Shock Sentries stun and slow enemies. Target openings to your base with these automated weapons to slow down an enemy rush.

Turrets are heavy weapon emplacements that must be manned by a player. This uses up a member of the team, but its power is greater than the sentries.

Weapons lockers allow the team to store up to four weapons, where ammo is automatically refilled.

Fortifications in the Fabricator are automatically upgraded as the Fabricator levels up. For example, if you have a Level 3 Fabricator, Level 3 fortifications are built. The cost of upgrading a fortification in the field is equal to the difference between the new and old levels. Therefore, upgrading a placed item from Level 1 to 4 costs the same as purchasing a Level 4 item. Note that each fortification is marked with a number, representing its current level.

A red bar displays the health of each fortification. Fire the Repair Tool at the defensive item to heal it. Sentries and turrets also show a blue bar, which represents the weapon’s ammunition. This is also refilled with the Repair Tool.

A destroyed fortification drops power equal to 25% of the build cost. Therefore, there may be an occasion where it is best to allow a defensive item to be destroyed instead of attempting to repair it.

Repair Tool

A Repair Tool is required to repair fortifications and refill the ammunition for sentries and turrets. Only the Engineer class begins with the Repair Tool, but anyone can purchase one from the Fabricator for 5000 power.

Simply aim toward a fortification and fire to repair. This costs power and earns XP, so be careful that you do not eat through your power reserves. Power used does not contribute to leveling up the Fabricator. When you repair a sentry or turret, the ammo is steadily refilled. Red and blue bars represent the item’s health and ammunition respectively.

Fabricator Option

If you have a Fabricator Option equipped, it becomes a choice when accessing the Fabricator. Found to the left of the fortifications, it is only available to the player who has the skill equipped. Select this option to purchase the skill, and it is automatically used. More information about these abilities is given in the Classes section later in this chapter.

Purchase Weapons

As the Fabricator is leveled up, weapons become available for purchase. This is the only way for non-Engineer classes to obtain a Repair Tool. Once the Fabricator reaches Level 3, all weapons except for pistols and grenades can be purchased. In the right hands, the more powerful weapons can be more valuable than any fortification. The purchased weapon replaces the currently equipped gun.

Weapon Costs

Fabricator Level	Weapon/Tool	Cost
1	Repair Tool	5000
2	Lancer	1750
2	Gnasher	1500
2	Enforcer	1250
2	Hammerburst	1750
2	Markza Mk1	2750
2	Retro Lancer	2500
2	Overkill	2250
2	Longshot	3000
2	Dropshot	4000
2	EMBAR	3750
2	Boomshot	4000
2	Torque Bow	3750
3	Mulcher	5000
3	Buzzkill	6500
3	Tri-Shot	5500
3	RL-4 Salvo	6250

The Enemies

DeeBees and Swarm join forces to take down the COG players in Horde 3.0. Wave 1 begins with weaker DeeBees, such as Shock Trackers and Peace Makers. Tougher robots are added in the next few waves. Then the Swarm join the fight, followed by Juvies, Drones, Grenadiers, and Hunters. At Wave 10 a boss spawns into the mix, randomly chosen from a Carrier, Kestrel, Snatcher, or Swarmak. These guys present a tough challenge for the COG. Defeat the Boss Wave, and the process starts over with only DeeBees in Wave 11, but they are more numerous and tougher to take down. These enemies are covered in more detail later in this chapter.

A wave has a point value associated with it, as well as as well as a group of enemies. Enemies are randomly selected from a pool until there are not enough points to spawn more. Since one of the four bosses is present in the enemy pool at each tenth wave, it is possible for another boss to appear after you defeat one. Therefore, it is best to defeat the smaller enemies before taking down the superior.

Assists and kills grant points, while dead enemies drop power. Each kill automatically provides a small amount of power, but the rest must be collected on the battlefield. Special kills, such as Executions, earn bonus XP.

Poisons

Starting with Wave 11, penalties, called Poisons, are added to the game—making the enemy that much tougher to defeat. At Wave 11, enemies gain double health. Wave 21 introduces better accuracy for the Swarm. Once you reach Wave 31, they do double the damage. Reach 41 and all three stats are raised to two and a half times the usual. Poisons are cumulative and remain through Wave 50.

Poisons by Level

Poison	Starting Wave
2x Enemy Health	11
2x Enemy Health, Enemy Accuracy	21
2x Enemy Health, Enemy Accuracy, Damage Received	31
2.5x Enemy Health, Enemy Accuracy, Damage Received	41

Bonus Objectives

Every fourth wave, a Bonus Objective gives you an opportunity to earn extra power by completing a set task. This appears at the start of the wave in the upper-left corner of the HUD. Progress toward completion is always shown. Press the TAC/COM / Objectives button (LB) to remind yourself of the objective. There are seven possible Bonus Objectives.

Possible Bonus Objectives

Objective	Note
Chainsaw—Kill six enemies with the chainsaw or retro charge	Requires Lancer or Retro Lancer, which are used by three classes (Heavy, Scout, and Soldier). They can be purchased from a Level 2 Fabricator. Plus, the Lancer is dropped by Swarm Drone Elites. These close-quarter Executions are very effective against smaller two-legged enemies, such as Juvies, Drones, Peace Makers, and Deadeyes. Watch out, though, as you are vulnerable when using the chainsaw.
Execution—Execute eight enemies	Perform a vault kick against an enemy behind cover to stun it, and then perform an Execution. Note that headshots, chainsaw, and retro charges also count as an Execution.
Headshots—Kill seven enemies with headshots	Easiest for the Sniper who is equipped with the Markza Mk1 and Longshot, though any gun can score a headshot. Accurate, long-range weapons can be purchased from a Level 2 Fabricator.
Kill Streak—Kill 10 enemies in any 30-second window	The kill count always notes the number of kills in the past 30 seconds. Let a group of enemies amass near your base before taking them down. Use explosives to hit multiple targets. This objective simplifies with more players on the team.
Survival—Complete the wave without dying	Everyone on the team must survive the entire wave without dying to complete the objective.
Time—Complete the wave in x time	The time varies depending on the wave.
Turret—Kill seven infantry units with a manned turret	Put a player or two on turrets and let the enemy move into your base before mowing them down.

You do not get a Bonus Objective on Boss Waves, thus allowing for ten opportunities when starting on Wave 1. No matter what wave you begin on, the Bonus Objective always appears three rounds later—unless, of course, that is a Boss Wave. For most of these tasks, a portion of the maximum power is earned for partially completing an objective.

Once an objective is complete, power is given to the players. If an objective is only partially completed, power is rewarded at the end of the wave or when the timer reaches zero. The maximum amount of power available is based on the following table.

Max Power Earned from Bonus Objective

Wave	Max Power Available
4 – 9	2000
11 – 19	4000
21 – 29	6000
31 – 39	8000
41 – 49	10,000

Air Drops

Completing an objective immediately earns two Air Drops, which are delivered near the Fabricator. Open one to reveal weapons or ammunition. Five duplicates of the rewarded weapon are given so that everyone can have one. When collecting an ammo Air Drop, everyone receives ammunition. The contents of the crates are randomly selected from the following:

Ammo for all players
5x Dropshots
5x Frag Grenades
5x Incendiary Grenades
5x RL-4 Salvos
5x Shock Grenades

Scoreboard

Hold the View Scoreboard button to check the current score. Progress on your active Bounty is displayed, as well as current Poisons and equipped skills. Players are ranked based on points earned during the wave. At the end of the wave, a Survival bonus is given based on how many players survived the wave. A difficulty multiplier is applied (Casual x1, Normal x2, Hardcore x3, Insane x4). Wave completion and a Consecutive Wave bonus earn XP and Credits, while completed Ribbons give more XP.

At the Scoreboard, press to view the overhead map. This allows you to see the current location of all teammates, as well as any marked enemies.