Gnasher Shotgun
From Gears of War
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [Source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Gnasher Shotgun is a lever-action close range weapon that is intended for instantly killing enemies within 3 meters of a Gear.
The Gnasher Shotgun is a powerful weapon if used in the right situation. It has an 8 round capacity and with more powerful rounds from Perfect Reloads, it can be devastating. The Gnasher also causes blood to splatter all over the screen of the person getting shot if at a close enough range, temporarily blinding and alerting the player that a shotgunner is nearby. It can take down a Drone or Theron Guard in one shot if the enemy is within range.
[edit] Use
This Shotgun is devastating in close quarters, but should never be used in medium or long range battles, as the pellets spread too far out to be useful. This weapon should almost always be in your hands while in a building, as it is devastating in close quarters and confined spaces (try holding a shotgun through the whole Act 4 when you're in the house).
In most cases, the shotgun is more convenient than trying to Chainsaw, as any damage you take will stun you momentarily while revving the Chainsaw up. Remember, because of the bullet spread, the Gnasher is more effective on stopping the chainsaw at relatively longer distances. But to actually deliver lethal damage, it must be used at close range, the most effective zone being the melee range.
The clip does not carry as many rounds (when compared to other COG weapons) to win in many situations, forcing you to reload often. However, if you are taking cover behind a small barrier, and an enemy is on the other side or is attempting to vault over it, it is very effective to blind fire above your cover with the shotgun, as this will almost always succeed in blowing said hostile to pieces. Note that the shotgun maintains more or less the same accuracy even while not aimed. A general rule of thumb is to aim slightly above your shoulder while blind firing, or to use the Crimson Omen damage marker as makeshift crosshairs.
[edit] Multiplayer
This weapon, by default, is among the starting set of weapons a player receives at the beginning of a match. Players are recommended to fire a full clip and perform a Perfect Reload for added power, but are to be aware of their remaining ammunition and time to use it, for the damage bonus does not last forever. The Gnasher is seen as the most often used weapon by people who do not go for different weapons during a round. It is one of the best ambushing weapons. Some players will even charge at an enemy suicidally to get them out of hiding and allow the rest of the team to kill him, even if he dies.
The strategies for using the Gnasher are rather different from that of the Campaign. In multiplayer, the tactics tend to be far more aggressive. It is not uncommon to use the shotgun for frontal charges, though it is advised it be used as an ambush weapon, as said earlier. In most cases, shotgun duels tend to degenerate into strafing contests, where two players circle each other trying to land a full shot on the other. More often than not, the shotgun delivers a one-hit kill, meaning shotgun duels nearly always involve at least one player getting killed (it is not impossible to escape, but highly discouraged; since one good shot is all it takes, it is best to fight till the very end and hope to win).
Shotguns can land headshots, and often occurs to highly damaged players. Also remember the melee; it deals enough damage to down a wounded player, or otherwise to stun the enemy long enough to blow him away with a point-blank shot. Beware of meleeing twice however, shotguns are notorious for being unable to melee twice, unless the B button is held down rather than tapped, meaning your second swipe will merely "pass through" your opponent, leaving you vulnerable. Warning: Melee with a shotgun is highly unpopular, as it is a close range weapon people would rather have duels. Using the melee on the host may result in the host kicking you out of the game. The host of the multiplayer match also posses a more powerful shotgun that only takes one or two shots to kill or down a player. This is much like having a shotgun that always has active reload rounds.
Note that unless you play as host or local matches, blood will not splatter on your screen like it does in campaign.
| Weapons of Gears of War | ||
|---|---|---|
| COG | Lancer Assault Rifle · Gnasher Shotgun · Longshot Sniper Rifle · Snub Pistol · Bolo Grenade · Hammer of Dawn · Chain Gun | |
| Locust Swarm | Hammerburst · Boltok Pistol · Boomshot Grenade Launcher · Torque Bow · Troika Heavy Machine Gun | |
