Gears Tactics isn’t rogue-like the same way XCOM is, so there’s a more narrative-driven campaign. While there’s perma-death for random soldiers, that’s not the case for the main cast (Gabe, Sid, and Mikay

The newest installment in the Gears of War line of games, Gears Tactics _ , is a completely original take on the _Gears franchise. While Gears is known for the over-the-shoulder third-person gunfights and tearing through hordes of enemies in a 3D environment, Gears Tactics keeps that momentum but in a different style. Tactics is similar to games like XCOM where, instead of controlling one character, the player controls a squad of characters while looking at a battlefield with a top-down perspective. This requires players to play Tactics more strategically then they would any other Gears g

While Gears Tactics doesn't have the mod support XCOM 2 has, there are a few mods on the market that can improve or change the game. Most of them have to do with rebalancing weapons, spawning more enemies in missions, and changes to loot boxes. These mods can either be to make the game easier or harder, depending on which

One of the major diversions to traditional tactics games, a playthrough in Gears Tactics doesn't end when the story ends. Veteran missions take place after the story is completed, and players lead their COGs in mission after mission, so anyone can keep playing with their favorite squadmates even after the story is o

The whole point of a strategy game is to test the mind (like chess), but if the most recent playthrough wasn't challenging enough, it might be time to up the difficulty. Be sure to prepare for the next difficulty, because it can be a major step

While the term Knight might conjure up chivalry or grace, the ones in Divinity Original Sin 2 are much more brute shock troops. They will prioritize a large heavy or long-reaching weapon, a bit of armor, and nothing much else. A first-level Knight probably won’t have any form of magic. But, one can work towards more combat-focused schools like death spells or metamorphosis at high levels. Still, the Knight’s role is to charge into the thick of battle, chop up enemies, and withstand enough damage to keep go

While Tactics stays true to the lore and world-building of the original games, its gameplay can feel foreign to those who are new to turn-based tactical strategy games. Each move needs to be made carefully to ensure that all units survive and that your team doesn't get overwhelmed by the large hordes of enemies. While players are encouraged not to die in the original Gears games, the consequences for dying in Tactics are a lot more severe as units that die do not come back. This makes knowing some battlefield basics key to succeeding in Gears Tacti

Here’s a tip: if taking on a tough boss, injure all the weaker enemies first, but don’t kill them yet. When their health is sufficiently whittled down, unleash a string of executions at once to give a huge boost in action points that can be used on the b

Gears Tactics is the latest game in the Gears (or Gears of War , as boomers may call it) franchise. A radical departure for the third-person shooter series, Gears Tactics is instead a tactical, turn-based RPG similar to XCOM or the recently released John Wick Hex . So far, it’s also only available on PC, not the Xbox

Lastly, it is important to know your enemy. There are four different classes of enemies in Tactics, and each one has their own abilities and stats. It is important to learn what classes look like and what they do before rushing into battle because some enemies are more dangerous than others. Knowing how to defeat a certain type of enemy before engaging can give the player an upper h

Wretches are a more volatile class that, while still weak in terms of hits they can take, they will rush friendly units and attack with melee attacks. Overwatch is best used against these enemies as they will never attack from far off and will always try to get as close to the player as possi

Speaking of bullet penetration, keep in mind it’s a double-edged sword. Grenades can damage friendly units if they’re too close to the point of impact, but so can every other attack, a fact players might learn the hard way if you have a unit on overwatch and they hit one of your soldiers who’s behind a moving en

While getting around is important, it is vital that the player considers not just that they are moving, but where they are moving. Having soldiers sprint around the field at random is more of a risk than anything; chaotic movement just means more opportunities to get caught alone. A solid first use of points is getting some elevated overwatch. Try shifting a soldier into a position that will allow them to watch over the battlefield and throw them into overwatch. Doing so will lower the risk of more mobile soldiers getting surrounded - making the center of the field a danger to cross can make the opponent think twice about getting into a flanking position. For the remaining soldiers, it is worth spending points to form some triangular traps. Use some points to move and create overlapping fields of fire that cover up the enemy deployments before blasting away. This will pay out in forcing enemy movement away from your troops - by threatening multiple sides of a piece of cover, players can force a well defended enemy to displace, often scoring some hits for that well-positioned overwatch soldier. Importantly, save some points to avoid bunching up. While it is entirely possible to take advantage of a good flank with multiple units, be sure to reserve an action point to put some space between the soldiers you have making the hit. More than one solider side by side is a golden opportunity for a grenade, which can be even more catastrophic if the cover itself gets taken out. By using action points to get some overwatch, triangulate on enemy positions, and source Skills keep spacey, players can keep a battlefield handily under cont