Gears of War: E-Day Weapons Guide — Full Arsenal and Usage Tips#

Arsenal Overview#

The Gears of War: E-Day arsenal is 12 core weapons plus heavy/mounted weapons. The era the game is set in means most of what you carry are “early models” — the Lancer is still a Mk1, and a few weapons even carry a prototype flavor.

Weapon Tier List (Game8 Media Ratings)#

Game8 put together a media-style weapon tier list (not an official ranking, treat it as reference only):

The Ripper is listed separately because it can be looted from Locust corpses — it is not a permanent part of your loadout, but free, temporary firepower found on the battlefield.

Core Weapon Breakdown#

Lancer Mk1 (S-Tier Primary)#

The face of the game, with a toggle between semi-auto and full-auto fire:

• Full-auto: mid-range suppression and sealing Emergence Holes, and sustained fire builds your Rage meter along the way;
• Semi-auto: precise long-range taps that conserve ammo;
• Tip: open engagements with full-auto suppression to feed Rage, then switch to semi-auto mid-fight to pick off Snipers and high-value targets.

Prototype Lancer (S-Tier Primary)#

The prototype model with a chainsaw and a bigger magazine than the Mk1:

• Chainsaw executions are directly tied to an achievement in Horde Siege (the Beta skin task requires 5 Prototype Lancer chainsaw executions);
• The larger mag makes it a better fit for sustained suppression than the Mk1;
• The cost is acquisition and ammo economy — resupply for the prototype model is not as common as for the Mk1.

Gnasher (Series Classic)#

A close-range shotgun that reloads shell by shell:

• Manual reloading is a prerequisite for using it — the auto-reload timing is out of your control and will break your gunfight rhythm;
• The primary weapon for indoor sections (Pay N Save, Octus Station);
• Together with the lunge, it gives you two answers at close range.

Longshot (A-Tier)#

A sniper rifle for picking off Snipers and high-value targets at range. Enemy Snipers are extremely dangerous in this game, and the Longshot is the correct answer to “countering snipers with a sniper.” Look for positions with an elevation edge first when choosing emplacements.

Gut-Puncher (A-Tier, New Weapon)#

A grenade launcher and one of the game’s new weapons:

• The mainstay against big targets — it is staged on the field for the first Brumak fight, which makes the design intent clear;
• Area damage is just as effective against clusters;
• Ammo is precious: save it for big targets and groups, and don’t spend it on lone Drones.

Incinerator (A-Tier, New Weapon)#

The Locust flame shotgun (new):

• Sustained burn damage gives it unique suppression power against clusters and enemies hiding behind cover;
• Its close-to-mid-range area-damage role complements the Gnasher;
• Extremely efficient against enemies gathered around an Emergence Hole.

Ripper (Special Acquisition, High DPS)#

An SMG that can be looted from Locust corpses:

• High DPS, with a fire rate that ramps up the longer you keep firing;
• Weakness: small mag and a slow reload — the right way to use it is “short-window bursts,” not sustained spray;
• A savior for ammo economy: free firepower in ammo-drought sections (Tough as Nails and others), use it and drop it.

Other Core Weapons at a Glance#

Heavy and Mounted Weapons#

The shared discipline for heavy weapons: they are scenario resources, not loadout pieces — the moment your ammo runs dry, swap back to your own setup, and don’t let “I’m holding the big one” make you forget supply management.

Ammo Economy: The Game’s Biggest Weapon Challenge#

Ammo runs tighter in this game than in its predecessors. Four commandments of weapon management:

1. Clear division of labor: a primary gun (Lancer family) plus a close-range plan (Gnasher) plus a pistol (Snub/Striga), with no overlapping roles;
2. Clear every supply point: max out your main weapons at the supply points in every stronghold section — especially before boss fights (the defenders specifically remind you before the first Brumak);
3. Corpses are resources: the Ripper is looted from Locust corpses; never waste free firepower;
4. Grenade discipline: a grenade’s first use is always sealing the spawn hole; crowd damage comes second.

Weapon Matchups for Boss Fights#

Beyond the weapons themselves, what sets your combat ceiling is the active reload, Rage, and executions covered in the combat system guide — the two together form a complete firepower loop.