Gears of War 3 multiplayer weapons and maps guide

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Learn how to keep all of your body parts attached with our guide to the weapons, maps, and gameplay of Gears 3 multi

Damage: 76 (91 w/perfect reload)

Fire Rate: 250

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Magazine Size: 20

The Hammerburst in Gears 3 is pretty much the same as the one in Gears 2. The weapon is very accurate with minimal recoil, making it ideal for long range shooting. It’s also semi-automatic, which means it fires only as fast as you can pull the trigger. A new feature of this weapon is a first-person, zoomed-in iron sights mode that you can activate by pressing the right stick.

Above: Gears of Duty

The Hammerburst requires a steady aim to use effectively, especially at long range. It is not recommended for mid to short range combat, though that doesn’t mean the right person can’t make it work. Unlike the Lancers, it has no special melee option.

Damage: 500 (600 w/perfect reload)

Headshot Bonus: No

Fire Rate: 60

Magazine Size: 8

The Gnasher is a standard shotgun that requires a good amount of skill to wield effectively. It has much greater range and accuracy than the Sawed-Off shotgun, though it’s not as powerful. There is a significant drop-off in damage as you get further away from your opponent, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take out the enemy from short to mid range with two or three shots.

Aiming vs Hip firing -

If you’ve played Gears 3 online for more than a few minutes, then you know all the cool kids hip fire their Gnashers. But this is no easy task: you need to be virtually touching your opponent to kill them with a single hip fired shot, not to mention have the experience to know exactly where to face. Going for these kills also leaves you exposed until you close the distance, and the better players can stop you dead in your tracks.

Because hip fire shotgun kills only happen at very close range, you’ll want to get in your enemy’s face as fast as you can while also avoiding damage. Get a feel for the exact distance you move when you roll so that you can quickly (and stylishly) make up those last couple yards before the close kill.

Aiming from a small distance with the Gnasher can be effective too, though you won’t get instant kills. A good tactic is to aim just before firing, then let go of the left trigger while you’re cocking the Gnasher, then aim again and fire. This in-and-out snapping allows you to track a target a lot quicker than if you were to stay aimed down the sights the entire time.

Damage: Enough (2500 if you want to get technical)

Headshot Bonus: Are you kidding me?

Magazine Size: 1

The Sawed-Off is a beast, but only when used correctly. There is absolutely no point in aiming with this weapon, as the range is ridiculously short. The upside, as you’ll find out, is instant vaporization of anyone close enough to touch. And the massive spread means that you can be at almost a ninety degree angle when you fire and still get the kill.

Above: From hugs %26 kisses range, the Sawed-Off essentially erases an opponent

In order to prevent abuse (well, extreme abuse) the reload time on this weapon is excruciatingly long. If you don’t kill your target in one shot, you’d better haul ass, or at least dance around until the shells are reloaded. As such, this is a great weapon to punish reckless enemies rushing around a corner.

If you do plan on using the Sawed-Off in a more offensive fashion, make sure to keep bouncing off cover and rolling as much as possible. It is crucial to fire at the right time, as an early shot is completely useless and you’ll likely be killed for your mistake.

Damage: 375 (413 w/perfect reload)

Headshot Bonus: Yes

Magazine Size: 1

The Longshot is the Gears version of a sniper rifle. If you can’t score a headshot, there is little reason to use this weapon, as the enemy will fully heal from a body shot by the time you reload. If you don’t happen to be a skilled marksman you can still squeeze some use out of this weapon by taking less precise shots against enemies that are already under fire.

Even so, we recommend that you leave the Longshot alone or trade it off unless you really are skilled enough to get consistent headshots. Many players grab this gun just because it’s a ‘power weapon’ and are unable to put it to good use. As a result, their team suffers by not having another fighter on the frontline helping in a more traditional manner with more traditional weaponry.