Gears Tactics is a gnarly take on the turn-based tactical strategy genre, and I'm not just talking about chainsaw executions. This game can be tricky, and on the higher difficulties it's downright punishing, but we're here to help with five of the best tips to help you conquer the challenging gameplay of Gears Tactics.
Below, find out how to use and abuse downtime, why you should always recruit, how to get tough with overwatches, how to easily deal with electronic holes, and tips for prioritizing action points (and the best to watch out for). in each class).
#1: Use and Abuse Downtime
The first tip we have for you is to use your downtime.
After clearing areas of grubs, you often have a short respite to complete the next objective, such as opening a door or regrouping at an evacuation point.
During this hiatus, you are free to lose a few turns while waiting for your important cooldowns to return. This is especially useful with grenades and support healing abilities, as you can reload your team without fear of retaliation.
However, Gears Tactics spawns enemy reinforcements to try and counter this tactic, so don't try forever.
You can usually get away with 2-3 rounds without any problems, but you can also let your units guard a large area to greatly reduce threats.
#2: Always Recruit
Recruits will usually have multiple weapon mods, often better than the ones you found yourself. These can be exchanged for your heroes to increase the power level of your main team.
For example, I didn't have any mods to give Mikayla when she joined my party, but by recruiting a rookie sniper at the same time, I was able to pass all of their upgrades onto her, immediately making her a bigger threat. .
If you see multiple recruits with the text “leaves after 1 mission” but you have limited spaces, you can still recruit each troop individually, remove their gear, fire them, and then repeat this cycle with each available troop.
Once you're in the final act, this tactic isn't as useful as you'll have acquired rarer mods, but you'll frequently come across new recruits who are a higher level than your existing team members. , so be sure to update your list regularly.
#3: Get Tricky With Overwatches
Enemy overwatch cones can be a real threat, but there are some useful tools to get around them.
First, use waypoints.
Waypoints allow you to fine-tune your movement to sneak past overwatch cones while remaining efficient in your actions. By default, these are set to "CTRL+MB1" or "LT+A" on the controller.
Then know that Gears Tactics has friendly fire.
You can abuse this by wandering into the surveillance cone of an enemy doubled over another enemy. If you're careful with your alignment, you can often trigger overwatch and watch as a Locust Drone shoots its friend in the back instead of you.
It goes both ways, however, never stack your own Overwatch cones on an ally!
Finally, there is a little trick that can help you avoid overwatch shots on rare occasions.
If you absolutely have to activate surveillance on an enemy, try running your soldier on the outer corner of the cone, as this seems to be the least accurate area of ​​their vision. This sometimes lets you escape without a scratch, but it's a cutting-edge tactic.
#4: Emergency Electronic Hole Repeller
Gears Tactics makes it clear in the first mission that you can close emergence holes with a grenade throw, right? But what if your grenade is on reload or your unit is out of range?
Well, there are a few more ways to prevent electronic holes from ruining your day. The first is quite simple: overlay the opening with Overwatches.
This will usually wipe out all surface enemies, but often you have a swarm of locust enemies on the map that you can't afford to ignore, so what else can we do?
Arrow shots and torque bow shots can also safely close E-holes from a distance, which is often your best bet if you've managed to pick up one of these powerful weapons.
The final method of stopping E-holes is to use the Grenade Plant ability before the hole opens. This closes the hole as soon as it opens, preventing enemies from getting through.
The cooldown is also not activated if you have thrown a grenade recently, which is extremely useful. Just make sure to plant the grenade then run away, this explosion will likely kill your soldier instantly.
#5: Prioritize Action Skills
There's a universal tip when it comes to deciding which skills you should unlock for your soldiers: always pick skills that give you free actions.
Getting free actions in a turn-based strategy game is like getting free draws in a card game or free spins in a tabletop game – it dramatically speeds up what you can accomplish in a single spin.
Some key skills to look for are Teamwork and Empowerment in the Support skill tree, Chain Shot and Ultimate Shot in the Sniper skill tree, and Breach for the Vanguard.
These skills, especially when used in combination, can seriously change the outlook of a battle. Sure, snipers can be built to take down big enemies in one shot, but taking out five units and repositioning in one turn is almost always better in my book.
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These are some of our top tips and tricks for getting started in Gears Tactics on the right foot. Do you have any tips and tricks other players should know? Let us know in the comments below.
For more on Gears Tactics, why not check out our review?
