The Gears of War series is known for having big guns, big explosions, and tons of gore. Today we are going to look through the entire Gears of War series and rank what guns pack the biggest punch. For this list, we will limit the number of weapons, only focusing on what the player mainly wields in the campaign and also included in multiplayer.
This excludes powerful weapons in-game lore we never got to use or one-time weapons in the campaign. Here are our picks for the most overpowered weapons in the Gears of War series.
10 Overkill Shotgun
The Overkill is a newer addition to the Gears franchise and quickly met with deadly results. These shotguns have a burst fire ability that makes it viable at longer ranges. Despite what the weapon having lots of power by releasing two blasts with one trigger pull, you shouldn’t spam fire, unless in melee range.
The spread of this gun gets worse the more you fire, but firing controlled bursts allow a tighter spread. Its power comes from this tight spread, allowing it to outrange other shotguns and provide the same damage. It is hard to resist not spamming this quad barreled shotgun, but the results show its power.
9 Gnasher Shotgun
The Gnasher Shotgun is a classic weapon, one that has stayed nearly untouched throughout each entry, and for a good reason. This short-barreled, lever-action shotgun has been dominating multiplayer matches and the Locust since 2006. Due to its multiplayer popularity, it has been dubbed one of the most used weapons of all time in the Gears series.
The Gnasher having the ability to headshot and combed with a melee hit then headshot called the “two-piece”. If ever met in close quarters against a Gnasher, you may already be dead.
8 Salvo Rocket Launcher
It is one of the few rocket launchers in the Gears series and still shares very devastating but chaotic firepower. Sporting 20 rockets, this weapon fires in a spiral pattern making it difficult to hit targets. Since being a heavy weapon, it is also challenging to move with, much like the Mulcher.
However, if you manage to hit a single rocket on a target, it can nearly or fully kill them on contact. The Salvo also supports a high fire rate, making this a hard to aim, yet fast and deadly weapon.
7 Tri-Shot Chain Gun
Another heavy weapon that sports incredible firepower is the Tri-Shot Chain Gun from recent Gears of War games. More like a distant brother to the Mulcher, an older chain gun from the first few games. Firing three bullets at once, with a more extended range, more damage per shot makes it better for mowing targets down at a distance.
Compared to the Mulcher, which has a much higher fire rate and shorter range, the Tri-Shot overheats faster. The overall damage of the Tri-Shot makes it a deadly weapon to be stuck at range. However, you can still outrun a Tr-Shot, so stick to quick cover, unlike the suppressing Mulcher.
6 Digger Launcher/ Dropshot Munitions Launcher
For newer fans of the Gears, games will recognize the Dropshot, for older fans would better know it as the Digger; either way, they both impact the battlefield identically. The Dropshot fires a drill that floats in a straight line that, when released, drills down and explodes.
On the other hand, the Digger fires a small creature attached to an explosive that digs in a straight line and uproots and detonates. Whatever version of this gun you use, its ability to penetrate cover or imbed itself into a target before exploding is devastating. This weapon is easily dodgeable yet can instantly kill an opponent given a chance.
5 Longshot Sniper Rifle
The Longshot is another classic weapon that has remained in every Gears game with minimal changes. This single-shot, bolt-action rifle has enough power to drop nearly any enemy dead with a single shot or heavily wounded. A single shot of this rifle has enough power to explode an opponent’s head.
Most weapons cannot penetrate cover; however, the Longshot is one of the few weapons that can target and headshot an enemy behind cover. Its primary strength is the amount of power a single shot from this rifle can do; one body shot brings an enemy near death.
4 Torque Bow
The Torque Bow, a combination of ancient and modern-day technology, a crossbow fires an explosive-tipped, armor-piercing bolt that can bring down the biggest of enemies in a single shot. Unlike other explosive weapons, this weapon maintains precision and can is useable over an effective long-range.
This bolt can stick to surfaces or into flesh before detonating, making this a nearly always instant kill in multiplayer. Since the Torque bow is still a bow, it requires a drawback before firing, that being its main only weakness.
3 Boomshot Grenade Launcher
Yet another long-time fan favorite gun, the Boomshot Grenade Launcher, is monstrous, that does what its name implies very well. Firing a high- explosive shell that explodes on impact, followed by another series of explosions from smaller bombs inside the shell.
Covering a wide range and very nearly always obtaining a kill after one trigger pull, the Boomshot does it all. The Boomshot is simple, effective, and very powerful to the point that it has remained in every Gears game to do one thing, go boom. You will always hear when someone has one, every time.
2 One-Shot
As the name implies, the One-Shot does that and at a devastating range. Unlike the rest of the guns on this list, the One-Shot has not appeared in many other games, due to how powerful it was. This heavy sniper rifle fires 20mm rounds and easily cuts through armor and nearly any target like nothing.
Outside of the standard drawbacks of movement for heavy weaponry, the One-Shot has trouble aiming to avoid the line of sight or flanking the user is most effective. However, one-shotting powerful Locust in the campaign and other players in multiplayer proved it to be too much to keep around in future games.
1 Hammer of Dawn
The most devastating weapon created in the entire Gears of War Series has and still is the Hammer of Dawn. Calling down a targeted imulsion-energized laser from an orbital satellite. Numerous times, this weapon has a consistent involvement in the games, comics, and throughout the lore, has brought nothing but pure death wherever used.
In-game, the player can call down a Hammer of Dawn laser, which follows a laser pointed weapon. Anything this laser touches is incinerated in seconds, human, Locust, earth, it is destroyed. The only counter to going against this weapon is simple, run.
NEXT: Gears 5: Full Story Summary and Recap