Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is finally upon us, and that means a lot of new players will flood the Xbox One servers to get their hands on Gears for possibly the first time. Even some veteran players may need a bit of a refresher course on how the weapons in Gears Ultimate Edition work compared to Gears 3 and Judgment. With the first game in the series being nearly 10 years old, a lot of people have forgotten how it plays. In addition, the developers made a few adjustments to the original game. In this article, we break down all of the weapons in Ultimate Edition and how to use each one effectively.
Lancer
The Lancer is a medium to long-range weapon that allows you to dish out suppression fire from a distance. It works well to support teammates who may be in a close quarters battle by weakening the target from a distance so your teammate can finish him off with a single shotgun blast.
Gnasher
The trick to using the Gnasher effectively involves knowing which shot to use and when to use it. You should use blind fire at close range and a quick score from medium range. To quick scope, simply pull up the scope and then immediately fire the weapon. This allows you to maneuver much better compared to keeping the scope up at all times.
While the Gnasher has a melee function, it’s not recommended. At the very least, do not try to melee often with the Gnasher. If you get hit while attempting to melee, your character will get stunned for a short time. Against a skilled opponent, this is more than enough time to secure a kill.
Snub Pistol
As a secondary weapon, the Snub Pistol is an important part of your arsenal. It inflicts quite a bit of damage and works especially well during the down time when your primary weapon is reloading. If you have good aim you can score headshots with the Snub Pistol for an instant kill.
Smoke Grenade
The biggest thing to note about the Smoke Grenade in Gears Ultimate Edition is that it does not stun. In other Gears of War games the Smoke Grenade will stun an opposing player, but that was not the case in the original Gears or War and therefore it isn’t the case in Ultimate Edition. You can use the Smoke Grenade to cover your team as they push toward an enemy or objective, or even to cover yourself. It works especially well if there’s an enemy sniper in the area.
Longshot
The Longshot is the sniper weapon in Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. As you might expect, it works best to take out enemies from a distance. You can use it while camping or even bait an opposing player into going for a power weapon. Simply wait near a power weapon spawn point until you see an enemy go for it, then take him or her out with the Longshot from a safe distance.
Torque Bow
The Torque Bow is essentially a crossbow that fires grenades instead of arrows. You can stick the grenades to opposing players or shoot a wall (or the ground) near the opposing team. If you hit an opposing player directly it will result in an instant kill. However, if there’s a group of players you can launch it towards the middle of the group (generally at the ground) to heavily damage and possibly kill all of them. You can even bounce the grenades off walls for trick shots once you get good with the Torque Bow.
Boomshot Grenade Launcher
The Boomshot is best used when aiming at your target’s feet. You can hit a target directly and even score multiple kills with a single shot, but it’s best to aim at their feet unless you’re skilled with the weapon. If you hit a target directly it will be an instant kill, but if you tag their feet they’ll be down but not out, so you’ll need to follow up with an additional attack. Of note, the Boomshot in Gears Ultimate Edition only has two shots compared to the three shot version in other Gears of War games.
Frag Grenade
The Frag Grenade was altered a bit since the original Gears of War. In Ultimate Edition it travels farther and resembles the Gears of War 3 variation of the weapon. The best way to use this weapon is to aim where the opponent will be instead of where they are. The trajectory of the attack is a bit slower than you might expect, so if you throw it where the opponent is currently, you will likely miss your target.
Hammer of Dawn
The ultimate weapon in Gears of War is the Hammer of Dawn. It calls down a laser from a satellite high above and can clear an entire team instantly. However, there is a distinct sound when the weapon is about to fire to alert skilled players. In addition, once you have the Hammer of Dawn, everyone knows it. While this can work in your favor as a psychological weapon, it’s best to use it by aiming at walls or the ground near an enemy instead of right at him or her. This makes it difficult to avoid, and you can see the enemy a bit easier without the laser directly blocking your view.
Knowing your weapons isn’t enough to win at Gears of War. Read our tips on movement and wallbouncing to give you a leg up on the competition!
