Boot Camp

If you're a Gears of War virgin, you'll quickly find your typical run 'n' gun tactics have no place here…unless you like being turned into hamburger meat. However, if you're a Gears of War veteran, then the same skills apply here.

Take Cover

Unlike most shooters, your enemies are quite the expert marksmen and will use every opportunity they have to fill you full of holes. In order to hold your own against these guys, taking cover during every battle is a must!

Thankfully, Gears makes taking cover easy—it's using it effectively that's the challenge. First and foremost, running to a place of cover leaves you vulnerable, so it's often best to find the nearest cover point and attack from there. For example, taking cover on either side of the doorway leading into most rooms is often an excellent cover point. While you may be a short ways from the battle, it will almost ensure that you're safe from harm's way.

Now, taking cover by itself isn't enough to win you the battle—no, you'll have to learn how to use it effectively. In short, if you're not shooting, you shouldn't be standing—keep your head out of the line of fire unless you need to take a shot. And even then, fire in short, controlled bursts then immediately duck back out of sight.

Battle Tips

While taking cover is the most important aspect of battling, there are a few others things you can do to turn the tide in your favor. First up: Locust holes. These openings in the ground are where the locusts emerge from. While they'll automatically close after enough time has expired, you can close them early by tossing a grenade inside, thereby preventing more enemies from spawning. Second: Flanking. If you're having trouble targetting a shielded foe, try finding a cover point to the side and shooting them from there. Also, if an enemy gets into your face, don't forget your primary weapon doubles as a chainsaw!

Reloading

Gears of War features something known as the "Active Reload." This is pretty much a timing based mini-game that determines how quickly you can get back into the action. Tapping the reloading button once causes a white bar to move horizontally along your ammo counter—tap it again in the 'white' zone for a well-timed reload. However, if you tap it outside this zone, your gun will jam, costing you several seconds. But with a perfect reload—tapping the reload when the moving bar overlaps the stationary one—you'll reload almost instantly and your bullets will deal more damage for a short period of time!