Gears Tactics: Recommended Skills for Each Class

For starting stats go with +3 in either Strength or Finesse, +1 Warfare, +1 Scoundrel, and a Civil Ability that fits your character, like Thievery for Fane or Persuasion for Red Prince. Initial skills should include Crippling Blow for strong close-range damage, Battle Stomp to clear out areas and knockdown enemies, and Adrenaline to get bonus AP on your first action. Because the main Knight weapon is two-handed, they will have access to All In, which deals additional damage for 3 AP. If playing a human Knight, use Encourage at the start of a turn before attacks, not after as a means of spending unused AP. The same should be done for elf Knights and Flesh Sacrif

The specialization branches available to the Heavy allow for the building of someone who controls a conflict zone through either stoic, unshakeable defence or sheer force of firepower. For those looking to settle in, picking up Redeploy from the Specialist branch and Dig In from Demolitionist can be incredibly useful. The ability to relocate the Anchor updated blog post means more freedom on where to set up a defensive line, while the boost to accuracy to all teammates within range with Dig In means that a solid, hard to penetrate firebase can be set up with relative ease. For those looking for a more forward approach, the combination of Ultra Shot and Heat Up from the Artillery branch all but insure absolute destruction. Heat Up’s 25% boost to damage that stacks with every shot is effective on its own, but pairing it with an ability that literally causes the Heavy to shot a target til either it drops or the gun goes “click” allows for an actual nightmarish amount of firepower to be leveled on an enemy. Regardless of which path the player chooses, an all-important skill is Suppressive fire. It essentially stonewalls a 4 meter cluster of enemies, breaking any overwatch they have in place and preventing them from moving for the entire subsequent turn. Suppressive Fire changes repositioning a team from dangerous legwork to a walk in the p

Gears’ strong history of delivering stellar presentations remains intact with Gears Tactics. Though the perspective is different and the action turn-based, Gears Tactics looks fantastic. Splash Damage has managed to provide a presentation that looks and sounds the way a Gears game should. Whether it’s the violent growls of the Locust, the sounds of a chainsaw revving or the brutal popping sound a head makes following a headshot, the presentation perfectly captures the essence of the franchise. Though it may not have the close-up shots of a shooter, Gears Tactics still features plenty of detailed textures and models for players to admire, particularly in the menus. A suite of features allows players to extensively customize the visual experience on PC. Meanwhile, plenty of accessibility options exist to ensure that whoever wants to enjoy Gears Tactics can. It’s another fantastic Gears game to look at and listen to.

Gears Tactics proves that there’s a lot more that can be done with the Gears of War IP besides just third-person shooters. The game has some pacing issues and some repetitive missions, but it’s otherwise a very engaging turn-based strategy game that should please both fans of the genre and Gears of War enthusiasts al

The handiest first Talent is The Pawn (from having that Scoundrel point) which grants free extra movement, though it is mutually exclusive with Executioner. Other great candidates include Living Armor for much needed magical armor recovery, Hothead for more critical hot chance, Opportunist to prevent enemy movement, and What a Rush to punish enemies that manage to damage health direc

The game also, surprisingly, doesn’t have much to do once the credits roll. Outside of Veteran Mode, which does tweak the formula with modifiers, there are no additional multiplayer or co-op modes to jump into. For a franchise that built itself on robust multiplayer and co-op options, Gears Tactics feels light on modes. While it may focus too much on side quests, it makes up for it with solid gameplay. Like a traditional tactics style game, Gears Tactics is played from a top-down perspective with players taking turns to maneuver around the map, attack and set up tactical positions. During your turn, each character gets three actions to move, take cover, fire on enemies, set up overwatch, use abilities or execute downed enemies.

Despite some stumbles, Splash Damage has successfully taken the essence of the Gears franchise and transferred it into a turn-based strategy game. Gears Tactics is a true Gears title with a campaign that builds and expands the franchise’s lore, all while introducing new characters and adding new wrinkles to old ones. The turn-based gameplay fits well within the universe, providing plenty of strategy both on and off the field. Combined with some genuinely excellent main missions, Gears Tactics comes together nicely. It does frequently stumble thanks to the repetitive and frequent side quests that vastly hurt the pacing, but remains a joy to play throughout its many hours. Gears Tactics is a solid turn-based game that’ll make Gears and tactics fans happy.