Gears of War 2 - Full Strategy Guide!, page 6, Feature Story from GamePro

Gears of War 2 - Full Strategy Guide!

By McKinley Noble
November 11, 2008 00:30 AM PST
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There are a lot of weapons in Gears of War 2, but there is always one single gun that's the best for a given situation. We're breaking down all the fun little toys in the game, from the gore-tastic Lancer Assault Rifle to the punishing Mortar gun. We'll also give a rating for each weapon, since we're all about sticking to the best gear on the field.

PISTOLS

Snub Pistol

The Snub is a good standby that you'll always want to have when you need a free hand. Even though it doesn't pack as big a punch as the larger rifles, it still has enough stopping power to have down minor Locust grubs that don't warrant your more precious ammo. Also, a Snub's clip holds a lot of ammo, so you don't have to worry about missing too much and just let the bullets fly.

Its only downside is that it's essentially useless against larger foes like Grinders and Reavers, so don't bring this gun to a big shootout.

Rating: 5 Bullets out of 5

Gorgon Pistol

While the Gorgon certainly looks dangerous, it's only a real threat when you can get close to your target. If you can keep enough distance to avoid melee attacks, this gun can really lay on hurt. If you're going to use it at all, make it an alternate resort for huge beasties or large groups of Locust, like Wretches.

Even so, this pistol is definitely the least useful of the group, and you should really only pick it up when you're in areas that contain a lot of ammo boxes.

The fact that the Gorgon's ammo reserve isn't built to be long lasting, doubled with its painful reload time, makes it one pistol that you might want to avoid if you've got other options available.

Rating: 3 Bullets out of 5

Boltok Pistol

If there's one thing that surprises most about the Boltok, it's the raw power of this single-shot weapon. When you consider a single round's force, coupled with the zoom capability, the Boltok is really a pocket sniper rifle in capable hands.

Even with all those pros, ammunition for this gun is tough to find in places without ammo boxes. At most, you'll barely get enough bullets to last through a prolonged gunfight. Still, if you're a dead-aim shot, using the Boltok to rack up headshots is never a bad idea.

Rating: 4 Bullets out of 5

RIFLES & MORE

Lancer Assault Rifle

As far as melee attacks go, you obviously can't do any better than the Lancer. The chainsaw bayonet is the real reason anyone carries this weapon, and it's awesome at surpising foes that stray too close. Even better, if you're not worried about getting shot at, the Lancer's bayonet is an excellent way to save your ammo.

What this rifle gains in melee ability, however, it lacks in firepower and accuracy. Sometimes, even an entire clip of Lancer ammo won't be enough to take down some enemies, and it's not the best choice for running targets. It's not the best, but it definitely has some noticeable perks on combat.

Rating: 4 Bullets out of 5

Hammerburst Assault Rifle

Throughout most of the game, the Hammerburst can definitely become your best friend. Even though it doesn't hold nearly as much ammunition as the Lancer, you can easily find extra bullets just about everywhere. Personally, we recommend that you should always have one strapped on your back, since you'll almost never have an empty rifle.

If the Hammerburst has any downsides, it's probably the drop in accuracy when you hold down the trigger. While the rounds are powerful, firing a quick volley means to you have to pay close attention to your aim. Even so, the tradeoff is more than worth it for the increase in power.

Rating: 5 Bullets out of 5

Gnasher Shotgun

Sure, the Gnasher has a nasty bite, but there's a limited amount of occasions where you'll benefit from using it during a campaign. On the plus side, if youre within swinging distance of your intended victim, the Gnasher is an almost assured one -shot-kill weapon. If you're at point blank distance and being pressured, this gun isn't too shabby.

However, we can't ignore the two flaws of this gun that make it impractical for most heated skirmishes. The eight-round capacity will often keep your Gnasher in the reserve list for use in combat, which isn't too helpful compared to either one of the rifles. Also, the power drops dramatically the farther way your target is -- and in Gears of War 2, you're better off using a Lancer's chainsaw if you're that close to your opponent anyway.

Rating: 2 Bullets out of 5

Longshot Sniper Rifle

Of course, the Longshot is one of the best weapons you can have for long-range shooting. Almost anything in front of the scope dies with a good headshot, and the zoom capability is far superior to any other gun in the game. Even the ammo capacity isn't bad, with about a couple dozen shots that can be stored at once.

While the reload is pretty slow, it's at least better than the Boomshot, which means that you shouldn't have any trouble getting off a few rounds before needing to switch weapons.

Rating: 4 Bullets out of 5

EXPLOSIVE & HEAVY GUNS

Scorcher Flamethrower

Undoubtedly, the best part about the Scorcher is that you don't need to be accurate to use it. Even if your target is hiding behind cover or a Boomshield, simply spraying the area is enough to cause serious damage. If you can pull off a prefect active reload too boot, the stream of flame gets even longer, making it even more deadly.

Although the Scorcher can really lay down some hurt in the right hands, its firepower and distance doesn't quite stand up to heavier weapons with headshot-killing capability. Still, using it in conjunction with a Hammerburst or a Snub Pistol makes it a powerful part in a two-gun combo. The ammo capacity isn't too bad either, but it runs out quickly if you get too trigger-happy.

Rating: 4 Bullets out of 5

Boomshot

As an ace-in-the-hole, the Boomshot is more than capable of weeding out enemies at long-range or mid-range. One round from this beast is pretty much fatal for anyone, and the initial shot can yield a damaging secondary spread. In a heated multiplayer skirmish, the Boomshot is essentially what will make other players run from you.

While it's big and intimidating, the Boomshot still has a couple weaknesses that are easy to exploit. Its single-shot round means that you won't be able to rely on it when fighting smarter groups of enemies on wide maps, and you'll need to be conservative about your ammo. Also, don't forget that it's just as easy to blow yourself up with the Boomshot is your target is too close -- or if you accidentally shoot yourself in the foot.

Rating: 4 Bullets out of 5

Torque Bow

While you won't have too many opportunities to pick up a Torque Bow, it's a great alternate weapon for those with good aim. The only good way to use its arrows is with a fully charged shot, which will kill almost anyone if you can score a headshot. Also, the Torque Bow is a much better melee weapon than most of the other guns.

Even though you need to be painfully accurate to have much use for this weapon, the arrows are quick to reload. Even if you don't get a direct hit, the resulting explosion will still do more good than harm. Find a Torque Bow, and save it for those big brutes instead of wasting precious bullets.

Rating: 5 Bullets out of 5

Hammer of Dawn

It's big, heavy, and will quickly destroy anything in its path. If you have enough distance on your target, a clear sky and steady aim, the Hammer of Dawn is great for clearing streets and tightly packed groups of large enemies in open areas. However, its inability to be used indoors, as well as the firing delays after lock-on, can make this gun more trouble than it's worth -- we only recommend this bruiser for rare occasions and a few maps.

Rating: 3 Bullets out of 5

Mulcher

When you see a Mulcher on the field, run for dear life or die. The extremely quick rate of fire coupled with the reasonably wide spread of damage can put any foe on ice before they know what's hit them. If you're near cover, we highly recommend planting the Mulcher down and letting loose on anyone within your eyesight.

Make sure to fire the Mulcher in short bursts, though. If it overheats, you're short on luck while it cools down, leaving you open to be attacked. Instead of waiting, just drop the gun and use a ready weapon -- once you've spent a clip, the Mulcher should be ready to be picked up again. As with all the big guns, you won't be as mobile while packing this weapon, but the large ammo capacity more than makes up for it.

Rating: 5 Bullets out of 5

Mortar

It can be hard to aim, but with practice, the Mortar can be just as deadly than the Hammer of Dawn. If you're in an open area, use this gun to ravage foes hiding behind cover or Boomshields. Plus, if you can bottleneck enemies at a single point on map, it makes the job that much easier.

Keep in mind that the Mortar is essentially useless in close quarters and areas without open air. If you misfire, you're as good as dead. Also, it's sometimes easy to misjudge the distance and give foes too much time to dodge the incoming shells, so be accurate!

Rating: 3.5 Bullets out of 5

(BOOM)SHIELDS & GRENADES

Boomshield

Be assured, you'll always want one of these babies when you can get your hands on them. Not only can the Boomshield protect you as portable cover, but you can use it with any one-handed gun -- we recommend the Snub or Boltok Pistols. Spiking it in the ground as temporary cover works pretty well, too.

Be warned, however, that enemies can easily kick down your Boomshield cover, which means you'll need to pick your position wisely. Additionally, your speed and maneuvering ability will drop drastically when this shield is equipped. In some cases, being able to Roadie Run and roll can be more helpful than becoming a walking tank, especially with someone's packing grenades or a Scorcher.

Rating: 4 Bullets out of 5

Grenades

If you can slap a Frag on an enemy, consider them done like dinner. They're also not bad for setting traps and catching unaware foes in a fatal explosion. For flushing enemies out of cover or securing certain areas on a map, the Smoke and Ink grenades are preferable to the Frag. For most cases, the Ink grenade is the best for large groups of enemies, while the Frag is our choice for must-kill situations. Frag grenades can also be found just about anywhere, making them the most accessible of the bunch.

Rating: 5 Bullets out of 5 (Frag)

Rating: 3 Bullets out of 5 (Smoke)

Rating: 4 Bullets out of 5 (Ink)