Act 1: Ashes
From Gears of War
- For other uses, see Act 1.
Contents |
[edit] Situation Report - Ashes
A military prison can be an unforgiving place. But as cold and hard as the steel and concrete can feel, it can sometimes pale in comparison to the ruthless, unsympathetic demeanor of the men who run it. This is the hand that has been dealt to one Marcus Fenix, an accomplished soldier who has spent the past several years paying for a single indiscretion any loving son would have made. Charged with dereliction of duty for abandoning his post, Marcus has been left to rot in an otherwise vacant prison. With the Locust Horde on the prison's doorstep, his former commanding officer has pardoned everyone except him.
[edit] New Characters
As this is the very first act, you will meet many of the most important members of Gears of War here. Several, such as the Locust Queen, RAAM, Colonel Hoffman and Anya only appear in cut scenes.
- Marcus Fenix - Son of the famed military scientist Adam Fenix, Marcus established a reputation as a brilliant soldier during the Pendulum Wars, earning numerous field promotions and decorations. He was on the fast-track to an astounding military career - until the Locust-Human War. When the Horde breached the Jacinto Plateau's defenses, Marcus defied orders to save his father. He was too late. Marcus was charged with dereliction of duty and was sentenced to 40 years in Jacinto Maximum Security Penitentiary. Four years into his sentence, the Horde took over the prison but Marcus was rescued by his best friend, Dom, so that he could rejoin the fight against the Locust Horde. Marcus is the main protagonist of Gears of War.
- Dominic Santiago - Dominic has always believed in his country and his leaders, but his faith has been slipping in the face of this endless war. Dom lost his wife in the Emergence Day cataclysm. For him, the war on the Locust Horde is deeply personal. As Marcus' best friend, he testified at his tribunal, and prevented an execution, but was forced to accept the 40 year sentence handed down to his childhood friend. Never forgetting, Dom seizes the first opportunity to save Marcus' life, and convinces Minh Young Kim to enlist Marcus into Delta Team.
- Minh Young Kim - Lieutenant Kim is a proud, dedicated and ambitious soldier, a by-the-books believer in all things COG. To Kim, the Coalition of Ordered Governments is humanity's only hope for survival, and he feels that it is an honor and privilege to serve as a Gear. Only the strength of Dom's faith - and the scarcity of experienced soldiers - convinced Kim to consider bringing a former prisoner into his squad. Kim dies at the hands of RAAM, being stabbed through the gut by a serrated sword.
- Victor Hoffman - The commanding officer of both Delta and Alpha squads. He considers Marcus to be a criminal.
- Anya - The only human woman in the game, she gives orders and advice to Delta Squad through radio.
- Anthony Carmine - A competent solider and faithful Gear, Carmine is the youngest member of Delta Squad and is the most enthusiastic, often running out into the open to Chainsaw an opponent. With the reckless attitude and free approach to war, Carmine is always on the edge. Voted "most likely to get shot" at the military academy, it is ironic that Carmine is the first member of Delta Squad to die, by being sniped in the head, as he is the only member of Delta Squad to wear a helmet.
- Augustus Cole - An adrenaline junkie and former Thrashball player, Cole craves attention and prefers to take the most direct path to the Locust Horde in any situation. What he lacks in finesse he makes up for in raw energy. Cole is also supremely confident in his own abilities to overcome anything, regardless of the odds -0 and he hasn't been proven wrong yet. Cole and Baird have served together for years, and he treats Baird as he would an older brother, with a younger brother's license to torment. Cole joins Delta Squad from Alpha Squad, and makes up the spot that Carmine has just vacated.
- Damon Baird - Baird is perfectly capable of being a successful officer, but has never been promoted due to his poor attitude, short temper and his unwillingness to take on any responsibility. Baird's greatest strength is in his intelligence. He not only fights the Locust, but observes them as well. He's the closest the COG has to an expert, and when he tells his comrades to be quiet and listen, they know it is in their best interests to do so. Baird's only motivation is self-preservation. He's willing to do whatever it takes to get through this war alive, even if it means fighting alongside a troublemaker like Fenix.
- JACK - JACK follows the members of Delta Squad everywhere they go, albeit invisibly. This hovering, robotic assistant's primary function is to help with heavy steel doors that must be hot-cut by JACK's blowtorch. JACK is also capable of setting up communication links, downloading data, and transmitting info back to Command Control.
- Redshirt Gyules - A panicky member of Alpha Squad. He survives until they get into the Tomb of the Unknowns, where he hears a Berserker and panics. He accidentally runs right into its fists and gets ripped apart.
- Rojas - A member of Alpha Squad and friend of Dom. He is killed in an unknown manner and leaves behind a son who turned two only a couple weeks before his father died.
[edit] New Enemies
Not really 'new' as this is your first encounter with all of the Locust of any variety. Nevertheless, here is a list of those that come up in Ashes.
- Drone - Drones are the basic Locust grunts, and they attack with limited intelligence. They rely primarily on the Hammerburst weapon, although some will come to possess a Lancer every now and then.
- Grenadier - These bare-chested brutes are very aggressive and excel at short-to-mid range combat, thanks to their supply of Frag grenades and the use of the Gnasher Shotgun
- Wretch - Wretches are fast, nimble creatures that run across the ceiling en masse and attempt to claw their prey to death. They are unintelligent and very easy to put down.
- Nemacyst - These flying organic bombs are spewed forth from the tail-end of a Seeder and are as deadly as they are putrid. They seem to harmlessly float toward their targets, but explode with deadly power on contact.
- Seeder - These massive creatures seldom leave their equally large Emergence Holes. They attack from afar by spewing a constant barrage of Nemacysts into the air. They can be killed only with the Hammer of Dawn.
- Berserker - This massive monstrosity can't see, but she can sure smell and hear! Capable of smashing through solid walls and killing humans with a single claw swipe, the Hammer of Dawn is the only way to stop her.
[edit] New Weapons
A list of all the new guns you'll be receiving in this level.
- Hammerburst - The standard Locust firearm as well as the first firearm you'll be receiving (since the official COG Lancer could not be scavenged by your savior, Dom). It fires in 6 round bursts at a very fast rate. It is strong, accurate, but not quite suppressive. Otherwise, it is a great weapon for mid - mid/long range combat.
- Snub Pistol - Your first issued sidearm. It is not very menacing with its limited clip capacity (12 rounds) and limited strength but does offer a moderate scope for longer range combat.
- Bolo Grenades - The Gears of War frag grenade. It has an explosive attached to a chain and is thrown while spinning the spike and then releasing. While very powerful, this grenade does not have much of a blast radius and cannot hurt enemies behind cover. Therefore, it should be aimed accordingly and precisely for best results.
- Lancer Assault Rifle - The Gears workhorse weapon. It features automatic fire with a 60 round clip along with an attached Chainsaw Bayonet for close-range encounters. It is a very well rounded weapon and can kill very effectively from short to mid range. However, refrain from using it at long range as its accuracy will burn off many unnecessary rounds.
- Troika Heavy Machine Gun - The Locust standard mounted weapon. It is very powerful and shred a body at short - mid/long range within 5 shots. The weapon offers a frontal shield for protection from the front, but offers no protection for the legs or the flanks. If all of the weaknesses are accounted for, this weapon will be extremely powerful and effective against the enemy. Don't forget to account for the weaknesses when the enemy is using it against you.
- Gnasher Shotgun - The Gears of War shotgun. It is useless at long range and weak at mid range. At close range, however, there is a chance for a one-shot kill. The weapon will stun the enemy at less than 10 meters and will blow the enemy into pieces at less than 3 meters.
- Hammer of Dawn - An satellite that fires Imulsion powered beams of energy, a weapon of mass destruction. The weapon itself is a simple target designator that a Gear carries. The Gear then selects a target and after a few seconds (for the beam to charge) will fire an immense beam. The beam's initial explosion is very powerful, and the beam can also hold itself out for about 7 extra seconds before it has to recharge.
- Boltok Pistol - The standard Locust sidearm. While it features an even smaller clip than the Snub Pistol (6 rounds), the strength within this magnum is quite useful. This strength combined with the moderate scope (like the Snub), the Boltok Pistol can be very effective in a duel type situation.
[edit] COG Tags
This contains 12 COG Tags dotted in various locations. Find them to go on your way to receiving several achievements! COG tag 1, 2 and 3 are found in 14 Years After E-Day, 4 and 5 are found in Trial By Fire, 6 in Fish in a Barrel, 7 can be found in Knock Knock, 8 and 9 in Hammer and 10, 11 and 12 are found in China Shop.
[edit] Sections
Act 1 is split up into several parts, 8 in all. They are listed below:
| Gears of War Walkthrough | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gears of War | Act 1: Ashes · Act 2: Nightfall · Act 3: Belly of the Beast · Act 4: The Long Road Home · Act 5: Desperation | |
| Act 1 | 14 Years After E-Day · Trial By Fire · Fish in a Barrel · Fork in the Road · Knock Knock · Hammer · Wrath · China Shop | |
| Act 2 | Tick Tick Boom · Grist · Outpost · Lethal Dusk · Dark Labyrinth · Powder Keg · Burnt Rubber · Last Stand | |
| Act 3 | Downpour · Evolution · Coalition Cargo · Darkest Before Dawn · Angry Titan · Tip of the Iceberg | |
| Act 4 | Campus Grinder · Bad to Worse · Hazing · Close to Home · Imaginary Place · Entrenched | |
| Act 5 | (PC only: Impasse · Comedy of Errors · Window Shopping · Powers That Be · Jurassic Proportions) · Special Delivery · Train Wreck · Pale Horse | |
