Best Mutators to Make Horde Mode Easier

Gears of War 3's Horde mode is very challenging, especially when playing on Insane difficulty. Use these mutators to make Horde mode easier.

Up to three mutators are allowed in one game. The three presented to you will greatly lower your overall score, but will make completing Horde mode much easier.

Infinite Ammo. This mutator gives all starting weapons gives all starting weapons and pistols infinite ammo. Imagine being able to spray bullets indefinitely without fear of exposing yourself to collecting ammo.

This does not apply to weapons that are picked up (i.e. longshot, mulcher), so be wary when trading a starting weapon with one on the ground.

Super-Reload. When used with the Infinite Ammo mutator, all your starting weapons become amazingly more dangerous. The Super-Reload mutator allows you to keep your weapon's active reload status indefinitely until you switch weapons or reload again. As well, any ammo that has been replenished by an active reload will be added on top of your clip! For example, you fire a Hammerburst five times. You active reload. You now have five active reloaded burst shots as well as a full clip of ten, totally 15 bursts.

When used in conjunction with Infinite Ammo, you can deliberately burn ammo to use an active reload.

Remember that active reloaded bullets do significantly more damage than regular ones, so active reload whenever possible.

Insta-Gib Melee. This mutator enhances your melee attacks to instant-kills. Imagine being able to fall drones, maulers, and even berserkers with a mere punch!

Insta-gib Melee and boomshields go very well together. you can run around the map and simply melee most of your enemies.

Make note that Insta-Gib Melee does not apply to large bosses such as the Lambent Zerker and Brumag.

These mutators will make your quest to eradicate the Locust Horde much less difficult.

Retro Lancer or Lancer?

Both are very powerful, but which one is more suited for you?

The Retro Lancer has very high stopping power. It is very inaccurate however, and is only effect between close to medium range, unless fired in short bursts. The Retro Lancer is equipped with a bayonet that can be used in a bayonet charge.

Bayonet charges may vary in usefulness depending on the situation. The player must have a running start in order to instantly kill an enemy on contact. While the player is running, the player has very little control over how much their character can maneuver. If the player is shot while charging, the player will slow down, making the player either lose enough speed to not be able to kill, or simply die. If the opposing character performs a dodge-roll, then the bayonet charge will only inflict major but not lethal damage. A bayonet charge can ram through several smaller enemies such as formers and polyps.

The regular Lancer is a very balanced weapon. It has less stopping power than the Retro Lancer, but it is much more accurate and holds much more ammunition per clip. Unlike the Retro Lancer which is equipped with a bayonet, the Lancer has a mini-chainsaw attached to it, allowing the player to saw any infantry sized enemy in close quarters. Instant kill, obviously.

A chainsaw must be revved before using. Revving takes only a second, but will lower and will need to be revved again if shot. Chainsawing enemies in campaign and horde mode has many advantages. Not only does it guarantee a kill, it renders the player invincible in the duration of the player mauling their enemy. The chainsaw can continue to kill enemies surrounding the player. This allows the player to regenerate health even while surrounded by enemies. However, the player does not gain invincibility in versus mode. Chainsaws are much less effective than shotguns, therefore it is generally not recommended to use during online matchmaking.

In general, the Retro Lancer is stronger but more inaccurate, and vice versa for the Lancer. An experienced Gears of War player should use a Retro Lancer however, due to its stronger potential.

Do You Use a Hammerburst?

The Hammerburst is a an underused weapon that Gears of War 3 pros should be using.

When was the last time you used a Hammerburst? Probably when you ran out of ammo on your primary gun right? Not many people know how strong the Hammerburst really is.

The Hammerburst is capable of taking down someone in only eight shots, and only seven if you've active reloaded. If you have a good trigger finger, you can pump out that many bullets in a second or two.

Gears of War 3's newly made Hammerburst can let you aim down the gun's iron sight, making the Hammerburst the most accurate starting weapon in the game. As well, the gun has very low recoil, allowing you you to shoot at targets without much difficulty with aiming.

So why doesn't everyone use a Hammerburst? It is simply because it's a hard weapon to use. The Hammerburst is limited by it's 20 round magazines making you reload almost after every time you take down an opponent. Reloading is different as well, and can cause many players to jam the Hammerburst since the slide goes to from an attempted reload to a small active reload bar. As well, the Hammer burst doesn't have a chainsaw or bayonet like the Lancers, which greatly reduces the player's ability to melee an enemy down.

If you are an experience player, and is good at Gears of War 3, you should definitely pick up the Hammerburst and give it a try. Technically, the Hammerburst is the strongest starting weapon a player can choose out of the three. So start using the Hammerburst now. Once you become proficient in using this underrated weapon, you will become the most dangerous player in the game.