As their name implies, power weapons are very dangerous. Because they are stronger than your default Rifle/Shotgun/Pistol loadout, you must pick them up from their spawn points on the map. Additionally, power and heavy weapons are single spawn. That is, there can be only one Torque Bow or Digger on the map per spawn point at a time. As long as a power weapon is held, it does not respawn. You can take advantage of this by holding back with a power weapon that you want to keep out of enemy hands.
Longshot
> The Longshot is the supreme long-range power weapon… it is lethal in the right hands.
Weapon Profile
The Longshot is a pure sniper rifle, capable of killing in a single headshot, whether zoomed or not. The Longshot does not down with a body shot, whether or not it’s Perfect Reloaded. Nevertheless, even a non-Perfect hit can help a nearby teammate down a marked target if you coordinate your fire.
All players should be aware of the Longshot’s “scope glint.” Whenever someone activates the zoom on this weapon, the scope will cast a visible glint. If you happen to be the one in the crosshairs, this clues you in that someone is zoomed in and lining up a shot on you.
Note that the Longshot can still be effective as a suppression tool even if you aren’t the best sniper in the world. Get some distance and some elevation, mark targets, and call out your shots. Body shots at long range are dead easy. If you coordinate with a teammates, you can almost guarantee a down or a kill as long as they’re in position to finish off the wounded target. As for headshots, there’s no substitute for practice. If you’re looking for easy kills, stay at long range and go for headshots against enemies in cover. Foes aim-firing a weapon over cover make great targets for this.
Be sure to switch to another weapon if you expect to engage anywhere closer than medium range. You don’t want this weapon in your hands when a Gnasher comes around the corner.
TORQUE BOW
> The Torque Bow is a mechanized longbow that fires penetrating explosive bolts.
Weapon Profile
The Torque Bow is a unique weapon, combining the best parts of a bow and an explosive weapon. You must ‘charge’ the Torque Bow by holding the Fire button. Doing so causes the explosive bolt’s projected arc to straighten out, from a dropping trajectory to an unwavering line. Once the Torque Bow is fully charged, you can unleash the bolt for a nearly instant pinpoint shot. Anyone hit by the bolt is dead a second later. On top of that, if you score a headshot, it’s instantly fatal and penetrates to any target beyond.
You can use a Torque Bow shot as a near-miss explosive, but its radius isn’t impressive, so don’t try this stunt unless you’re sure your target is weak. Torque Bow shots that are not fully charged do not penetrate their target and simply bounce around the field until they detonate. Thus, this is a poor weapon to use at close range, as it takes too long to charge a shot to penetrate.
The charged Torque Bow is extremely accurate. Anywhere from medium to medium-long range works best to hit shots without risking a close-quarters engagement. Ideally, you want to coordinate with a teammate providing distraction so you can line up the shot cleanly. Flanking and high ground both make the Torque Bow extremely lethal, as it’s easier to land a fatal shot from a good distance with the Torque Bow than the Longshot. When you’re in a flanking or elevated position, you rarely have to worry about cover obscuring your shot.
Digger
> The Digger is a penetrating explosive weapon that ignores cover and blasts enemies with a proximity explosive.
Weapon Profile
An unusual weapon, the Digger launcher is a Locust specialty. It fires ‘Diggers,’ explosive bio weapons that dig through the ground in a straight line until they detect an enemy’s presence. Once it’s in range, the Digger bursts out of the ground and detonates, killing or incapacitating anyone nearby.
The Digger is a powerful explosive weapon, and it’s ideal for taking out opponents hiding behind thick cover. It’s especially lethal if they can’t see you when you fire, because the Digger is easy to see moving through the ground in the open. Try not to use the Digger as an open-field weapon. It’s too easy for your target to roll out of the Digger’s way.
Instead, use the Digger to take out foes that are in cover and firing at your teammates. A large group of enemies in a small space is ideal, as the blast is almost guaranteed to take down at least one target. The Digger projects a very recognizable sound and visual effect when it’s digging, so alert opponents can easily avoid it. Try to fire at distracted enemies or larger groups.
Boomshot
> The last word in explosive firepower, the Boomshot launches a powerful explosive that detonates on impact, instantly killing anyone in the blast zone.
Weapon Profile
An explosive missile launcher, the Boomshot is a lethal power weapon, capable of instantly killing one or more targets with a single shot. The Boomshot launches its projectile with a low arcing flight path. To hit a target at a great distance, you need to aim slightly high to compensate for the drop. At shorter range, it’s extremely easy to score a killshot with the Boomshot…simply aim near the feet of an opponent and watch him pop.
Because the Boomshot is both powerful and easy to use, you can expect a rush for this weapon on any map cycle that includes one. Make a point of either fighting for it, preferably with your team, or going for the other power weapons on the map…they generally get less attention when the Boomshot is present.
Headshots with the Boomshot have a lethal penetrating power similar to Torque Bow shots; they’re instantly lethal and they continue through to any target beyond the initial victim. The difference here is that a Boomshot projectile is considerably more dangerous than a Torque Bow shot in most situations. This isn’t a common occurrence, but it’s cool when it happens!
Scorcher
> A brutal flamethrower, the Scorcher can produce a blinding sheet of flames.
Weapon Profile
The Scorcher is a flamethrower, a short-range weapon featuring several unique attributes compared to other Gears weapons. First, it has a blinding effect. In a confusing melee with multiple players, you can create extra chaos by firing into the middle of the battle, literally turning it into a firefight.
Second, you can easily hit multiple targets at short range, something few other weapons can achieve effectively. Next, it has excellent stopping power and essentially perfect accuracy…firing at a target trying to rush you behind cover makes for an easy kill. The major downside to all of these perks is that the Scorcher is a short-range weapon that requires time on target to kill. Unlike a shotgun that can potentially kill in a single shot, you must keep a stream of flame on a target to down it and kill it. That’s time that your target can use to kill you with a weapon possessing a strong alpha strike.
You can also use the Scorcher fairly effectively against a target behind cover at a short distance. It ignores the damage resistance bonus for a target behind cover. This is a minor perk, but still a perk. More importantly, it can completely obscure your foe’s view, depending on the direction from which you’re approaching. If the terrain favors you, using the right side advantage to round a corner can be effective with the Scorcher.
The Scorcher’s Perfect Reload bonus is increased range, a very useful boost. Because the Perfect is fairly easy to accomplish, try to save your reloads until just before you engage in battle to make the most of the weapon.