Gears of War 4 isn’t the most innovative game in the world, but for many fans of the series, burned as they were after the experimental Gears of War Judgement, it’s just what the doctor ordered. It’s a rousing return to form, offering a new age translation of the now classic Gears of War formula.
It’s bound to go down as one of the highest selling games of this year- millions are probably already playing the game worldwide. And as with the previous games in the series, there’s a lot more going on with Gears of War 4 than you might expect. In this guide, we cover it all. From locations of collectibles (Cog Tags, Pamphlets, Documents, books, magazines, reports,objects and more) to Horde Mode classes, tips and tricks, from leveling up faster and advice about the Multiplayer mode to some of the Achievements and gaining experience points faster (XP), this guide covers everything. Let’s get to it.
Collectibles Locations:
Gears of War 4 may not be a sprawling open world game, but it’s not wanting for collectibles. From Cog Tags to pamphlets, documents, books, magazines (of course), reports, objects, and more, there’s a whole lot for players to collect in this game. This video below shows you just how to get your hands on it all.
How To Level Up Faster And Gain More Experience Points (XP):
You want to level up fast so you can take on any and every threat the game and other players can throw at you. You need more XP to be able to level up fast. While no true shortcut to getting more XP quicker really exists, playing through the mode Arms Race can help you level up a tad faster. The video below shows how.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFMo_lkn8Ak
Horde Mode 3.0 Guide:
The signature multiplayer mode of the series, Horde Mode has returned in Gears of War 4, and it’s leveled up. Now known as Horde Mode 3.0, the mode offers a full fledged, fully developed and fleshed out alternate style of game within Gears of War 4. Most players are likely to spend most of their time playing Gears 4 in Horde- that’s why it’s necessary that they understand what they’re doing and how best to deal with the mode’s intricacies. To start with, here are some tips and tricks:
Don’t rush into playing on higher difficulties. Horde Mode can be brutally difficult- it’s best to start on lower difficulties, and work your way up from there.
Always have an Engineer and Scout on your team. Having a balanced team is all well and good, but most of the firepower your squad will have in Horde will come from these two classes. Plan your squad accordingly!
Don’t rush into wiping out a wave! Items and bonuses littered on the ground disappear as soon as a wave is killed- the best thing to do is to leave a couple of weaker enemies around near the end of the wave, and go around picking up all the item and bonus drops, before finishing the wave off. On which note…
Weapon lockers store the items and weapons you pick up. Not only that, but they also restock and refuel their ammunition.
Pay attention to Bonus Objectives! Completing these can net you more supplies and items, which can be handy in a pinch.
Play with your team. For the love of all that is good, don’t try to lone wolf things.
Pay attention to Bounties! Bounty cards are specific cards that you can get from within packs that you purchase with Gold. Once equipped, you can set about completing that Bounty. Bounties are usually along the lines of killing a certain amount of enemies, or completing a certain quantity of Horde Mode waves. Doing so nets a lot of XP and currency- so they’re always useful to keep around.
Horde Mode 3.0 Classes
There are five classes in Horde Mode 3.0, which is a change from before. Each class has a special role to fill in a squad, and each class gains bonuses for weapons that it is good with. In addition, each class is good with the following five General Skills:
- Build Cost – Fabricator items cost reduced by 2% per level.
- Carry Speed – Lets you move faster while carrying fortifications.
- Execution Bonus – Enemies will drop more Power upon being executed.
- Fortification Health – Fabricator items have more health.
- Team Revive – While equipped, the Fabricator has a new Team Revive option.
In addition, the five classes:
Engineer: Arguably the most important class in Horde Mode, Engineers’ true value is not in the kills that they rack up, but in their ability to fix things using the Repair Tool, and keep others alive. Without an Engineer, you would be forced to buy a Repair Tool, which is very expensive, and risk losing out on the extra firepower you could otherwise be investing in.
Scout: Also essential, especially on higher difficulties, Scouts increase the amount of Power you earn during a round. They’re basically a combination of Tank and DPS classes, making them ideal for Horde mode.
Soldier: The basic class, Soldiers specialize with Grenades and Assault Rifles. Used mostly to dish out damage to enemy waves, their primary focus is on attack and damage, not on supporting the team.
Heavy: This is the class you want to use if you’d rather use bigger, heavier weapons. Heavy classes are especially great at higher levels- on lower levels, their bonuses can be rather useless or negligible. If you decide to play Heavy, make sure you level the character up, because on higher levels, the Heavy class is lethal.
Sniper: Snipers are snipers- great at picking off enemies effectively from a distance. Like the Heavy class, it can be a while before their true usefulness is revealed.
Multiplayer Guide: Tips And Tricks
Horde Mode is all well and good, but for a lot of players, multiplayer Gears of War is where it’s at. The good news is that multiplayer in Gears 4 is as great as ever- arguably, it’s better, actually. It’s more nuanced, and far better balanced, than Gears multiplayer ever has been before.
If you’re going to jump into multiplayer, then you need to know what you are doing. Whether you are a newcomer to the multiplayer mode, or a veteran of the series, these videos below, covering everything from beginner tips and tricks, to more advanced strategies, and beyond, are going to help you find your footing in Gears of War 4‘s multiplayer.
Achievements Guide:
Zen and the Art of Reloading
Perform 25 perfect active reloads
Level 10
Reached level 10
Level 50
Reached level 50
Seriously 4.0
Completed Insane Campaign, ribbons, rank placements, Horde maps, re-ups, classes and five skills (3)
Gone With The Windflare
Killed 15 enemies using the environment during a windflare
Drop the Beat…down
Got 3 Dropshot headshots
The Sound Of Silence
Carried the Customized Lancer Marcus gave you to the end of Act V Chapter 2
But You Can’t Pick Your Family
Found 5 weapons in snot bubbles
Ready for More
Completed all Campaign Acts
Learned the Hard Way
Completed all Campaign Acts on Hardcore or Insane difficulty
The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors
Completed all Campaign Acts on Insane difficulty
Collector
Recovered 5 Campaign collectibles
Pack Rat
Recovered 10 Campaign collectibles
Completist
Recovered all Campaign collectibles
Remember the Fallen
Recovered all COG Tags in Campaign
Brothers Till The End
Completed all Campaign Acts in Co-op (any difficulty)
I Have a Very Particular Set of Skills
Upgraded a Skill Card to maximum level
At First I Was Afraid, I Was Petrified
Survived the first 10 consecutive waves of Horde in a squad
Stay Classy
Reached level 10 in every launch Horde class
Gold Digger
Spent 100,000 power in the Fabricator (across all sessions)
Rollin’ With the Homies
Earned the maximum Consecutive Match Bonus in Versus
Triple Play
Killed 3 enemies with a single Buzzkill shot
I Live. I Die. I Live Again!
Rescued someone from inside a Snatcher
Stop Hitting Yourself
Killed a Guardian with a Guardian weapon
Come And Knock on My Door
Completed one Act in Co-op Campaign
Classy Move
Reached level 10 in one Horde class
Chest Candy
Earned one of each launch Ribbon
Custom Made
Won a Match using a non-Starter Character and non-default Weapon Skin
Ranked and Filed
Achieved a rank in all launch Core and Competitive game modes
Whoomp, There It Is!
They Yanked, you Shanked
Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.
Upgraded Fabricator to maximum level
Master Craftsman
Crafted a Legendary card
Craftsman
Crafted a card
Pounsus Interruptus
Killed a Pouncer mid-pounce with Shotgun or Chainsaw
Call a Dr. If Lasting More than 4 Teammates
Resurrected 4 teammates using the Fabricator
Thank You, Sir. May I Have Another?
Re-upped once
Please Sir, Can I Have Some More?
Re-upped ten times
Sugar Daddy
Deposited 1,000,000 power in the Fabricator lifetime
It’s a Start
Earned 1000 Credits lifetime
Moving on up!
Earned 10000 Credits lifetime.
I’m Drumpf
Earned 100000 Credits lifetime
Skills That Make Me a Nightmare
Upgraded 5 Skill cards to maximum level
I’ve Killed Things, Seen Places
Completed 50 consecutive waves of Horde in a squad on every Launch Series map
Bilford Bogin!
Completed 50 consecutive waves of Horde in a squad
Big Ol Hero
Got the “Big Ol Hero” Ribbon ten times
Say Hello to My Little Friend
Got the final winning kill in Arms Race
Now That’s a Knife!
Killed 10 enemies with combat knife after yanking or kicking
Look out! Uh… Never Mind
Killed 25 enemies by dropping pods on them
Killdozer
Ran over 15 enemies with the Loader
Bounty Hunter
Completed 20 Bounties
How’s it Going to Work? Teamwork!
Won a Casual Co-op Versus match
Talent Gets Kills, Teamwork Wins Games!
Won a Hardcore Co-op Versus match
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!
Won a Normal Co-op Versus match
To Go Fast, Go Alone. To Go Far, Go Together
Won an Insane Co-op Versus match
Give a Name. Any Name
Completed 50 consecutive waves of Horde as Sniper on Insane in a squad (any map)
I Have Approximate Knowledge of Many Things
Completed 50 consecutive waves of Horde as Scout on Insane in a squad (any map)
Oh What a Day! What a Lovely Day!
Completed 50 consecutive waves of Horde as Soldier on Insane in a squad (any map)
Job’s Done
Completed 50 consecutive waves of Horde as Engineer on Insane in a squad (any map)
I Choose Violence
Completed 50 consecutive waves of Horde as Heavy on Insane in a squad (any map)
And We’re Back
Completed the Prologue and watched opening credits
And You Said We Couldn’t Fly
Rode the ore transporter counterweight cable
As If Snatchers Weren’t Bad Enough
Survived the Pouncer ambush outside of the tram station
Betty’s My Kind of Girl
Fought your way to the Dam using Jack Jr. and Second Betty
Broadcast This!
Defeated the Speaker and his Swarmak mount
Jinn’s Overreaction
Defeated the Vulture while riding on a Track Mule
Long Enough We’ll Need This
Defended the Speyer Radio Tower while waiting for backup
Looks Like an Elevator to Hell
Rode the ore transporter to the bottom of the mine
Not Going to Stop Us, Right?
Defeated the Hive Boss
One Hell of an Exhibit
Survived the onslaught of Swarm while holding up in the museum
Raiding is what Outsiders Do
Liberated a Fabricator from Settlement 5
Still Not Ironic
Restored power to the Dam by resetting the generators
Warriors, Kings….Wizards
Survived the King’s chamber and discovered a way out of the catacombs
Welcome Home
Escaped from your childhood home
When it Leads to War
Defended your Outsider Village from the COG
You Smell Bad
Rescued Marcus from the Snatcher pod
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