Gears Tactics Guide - Basics, Tips & Mechanics You May Not Know About (Topic)

Microsoft's newest game, Gears Tactics, has successfully combined the typical Gears of War dynamics and brutality with turn-based and variable XCOM-style gameplay. The balance between the number of mechanics and the availability of the gameplay deserves special praise, which makes it possible to recommend the game as the best opportunity to get acquainted with the genre. At the same time, the number of subtleties and unique features of the game should not be underestimated, and therefore, for a quick immersion in the gameplay, we wrote a Gears Tactics guide, where we will introduce you to the basics and offer some useful and not obvious tips on new tactics from Microsoft.

Don't wait for another XCOM

Let's start with the most obvious. If you do not go deep into the advertising materials of the game and decide to buy based on colorful screenshots, excerpts of gameplay videos and the alluring phrase "turn-based strategy" in the genre column, then you can be surprised not to get another XCOM. Yes, basic mechanics like the turn-based system and the need to use cover remain recognizable. But instead of the nonlinearity typical of XCOM and the need to develop the base, a linear plot came with the ability to choose the next mission and pick up additional tasks along the way.

The presence of a linear plot imposes some restrictions on the gameplay, especially on the difficulty of "Iron Man". Having chosen it, watch the health of the main characters, because the loss of at least one of them will lead to a loss and the game will inexorably erase all the save from the computer. But the death of the dummies hired in the tavern will not affect the outcome of the battle.

Execute opponents if possible

Following the precepts of the series, Gears Tactics inherited the execution mechanics on PC. Notice how, after the damage taken, the exhausted alien fell to his knees? Do not pass by, end his suffering in a particularly bloody manner - execute the execution. What for? Firstly, the execution is just a spectacular way to get even with the enemy, and secondly, the execution in Gears Tactics gives all team members an extra action point.

There are a few things to pay attention to when executing an execution:

• Execution does not require action points;
• After execution, all characters except the one who performed the finishing move gain additional action points. If you want to extend the duration of your turn, do executions as soon as possible;
• Executions are performed only when you are near the enemy and there is a glowing skull icon above his head. When sending the hero to execute the enemy, calculate in advance whether he has enough action points to get close to the locusts.

Consider the peculiarities of the "observation" mechanic

Let's continue the Gears Tactics guide with another mechanic called "observation", but inherited from the XCOM series. Its essence is quite simple: you give the character a sector that he should control and automatically attack opponents entering it. As a defensive tactic, "observation" does its job well. Everything seems simple, but there are many nuances here.

For example, given the presence of friendly fire, we do not recommend placing your characters in the path of the sector selected by the "observer". It is also important to consider that in this mode the character is able to shoot exactly as much as he has left action points, and all shots do not carry critical damage (the exception is the unique ability of snipers). And a couple more useful Gears Tactics tips: Use Vanguard-class stun shots to disrupt enemy surveillance, and be aware of opponents like tickers that can slip through the field of view.

Remember the lack of a strict order of moves

Gears Tactics should be especially praised for the desire of the developers to create the most flexible and convenient hero control system, which is well manifested in the absence of a strict sequence of moves. As long as the characters have action points, you can freely switch between them, which will help you quickly adapt to the tactical maneuvers of the locust.

Get creative with controlling and closing locust holes

Expanding Locust Holes are one of the main sources of recruiting enemy squads in Gears Tactics, so it's obviously worth closing them as soon as possible. But to begin with, it will not be superfluous to put a couple of characters in the "observation" mode in front of the hole in order to control all opponents emerging from it and not be caught off guard.

Note in the Gears Tactics guide that there are at least three ways to close holes:

• The most classic is to blow it up with a grenade. But it only works if the pit is fully disclosed, otherwise you will simply lose equipment and action points;
• Place a non-contact mine on an unopened pit by a scout. This is the only way to destroy the pit and all the enemies crawling out of it in advance. After the actions taken, you can count on getting an achievement;
• Explode with tickers. Do you want to get another achievement and reach the highest level in the skill of destroying locust holes? In this case, use their own weapons against the enemies - throw off the tickers straight into the pit. This can be done both with explosives and with some abilities of the heavy infantry.

Use self-healing and respawn mechanics wisely

When one of your characters, being exhausted, fell to his knees, the most important thing is not to waste time and try to revive him faster than the locust squads can reach him. After respawning, the hero automatically receives 3 action points, which will allow him to hide from the field of view of enemies, not forgetting to cover them with a burst from the faithful lancer.

Along with respawning at the initial difficulty levels, the game offers a self-healing mechanic. The mechanics are convenient and greatly simplify the passage of Gears Tactics. However, we recommend using it only at critical moments, for two reasons: unlike resurrection, self-healing gives only one action point and the mechanic is allowed to be used only once in the entire mission for each individual hero.

See also a selection of the best games to play during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Topic of Article: Gears Tactics Guide - Basics, Tips & Mechanics You May Not Know About.
Author: Jake Pinkman