Gears of War Online Weapon Guide

Gears of War is by far on of the best games to play on Xbox live. You don't have to suffer long waits to get into games, and the competition is not so hard that a new player could not survive online. There are however a few good tips and tricks that a player can utilize to maximize the damage he does to the other team, and earn a lot of points to up his ranking.

The first thing you need to do is actually play the single player game. Gears of War is unlike any other first person shooter on the market today, and if you try to jump into the action online you're going to be slaughtered. Play the single player mode, complete a few missions and the decide if your ready for online, because remember that your opponents are going to be a lot tougher while playing Xbox live. Try and at least play and beat the missions up to the point in which you fight the Berserker. This will give a player a good feel for most of the weapons in the game, and the play style that Gears of War implements.

Learn what guns are good for online play because they are going to be slightly different then what you're used to in single player. Gears of War online seems to focus on really close range combat, and really far ranged combat, nothing in-between so be prepared to practice with a limited amount of weapons like the shotgun and sniper rifle.

The shotgun seems to rule close range combat, but it's a little inaccurate and inconsistent for my taste. I personally like using the chainsaw bayonet to hack my opponents to death, and plus it's the coolest way to score a kill. Pistols are actually a decent close range weapon, if you have no other choice, but are a lot weaker then the shotgun, and never score one hit kills like the chainsaw bayonet. Your machine guns become worthless at close range so be sure to think fast and switch weapons.

The only really good long range weapon in Gears of War is of course the sniper rifle, and if you get good with this gun you can possible be unstoppable. The sniper rifle is a rather hard weapon to use because the controls are a bit unorthodox, but once you get the hang of it you'll be performing head shots no problem. Grenades are another good long range weapon, if that seems odd, and can flush out enemy groups or get one hit kills if placed right.

The Hammer of Dawn is an interesting weapon and will come in handy if you know how to use it. The Hammer of Dawn can only be used in outside areas but if it hits its mark performs an instant kill. This weapon is good to be used from concealed locations and when an enemy squad is rushing you because you can easily get multiple kills with this weapon if you're adept at using it.

Getting good with the sniper rifle is probably the most important aspect of online play, followed closely by being able to wield the shotgun effectively so be sure to practice with both in unranked matches, or against your friends in a local game.