Hammer of Dawn

The Hammer of Dawn was a COG Imuslion-energize satellite^[1], invited by the UIR and later stolen by the COG. It first used as a strategic weapon^[2] but forced to become a tactical weapon in the Locust-Human war.

Contents 1 Background 2 Use 3 Multiplayer 4 Gears of War 2 5 Note about creation dates 6 References

[edit] Background

The Hammer of Dawn was a COG weapon stolen from the UIR, developed approximately 3 years^Note before Emergence Day. Before the COG had their hands on it was being developed and implemented by the UIR, approximately 3 years before the Emergence Day.^[3]

The Hammer of Dawn consists of two separate elements: an orbital satellite equipped with an Imulsion-powered directed particle energy weapon and a hand-held laser designator to be carried by COG ground forces. Use of the Hammer requires that an orbital satellite first be aligned with the general area of operation, and that it have a line of sight to the targeting unit (thus limiting most uses of the Hammer to the outdoors). Once a visual link between the targeting unit and satellite has been achieved, the user must point the hand-held unit's laser at the intended target, at which point the orbital satellite will lock onto the laser's point of termination and begin a sustained particle energy blast on the site. The initial explosion from the laser's termination is the most powerful and can cause extensive damage to anyone nearby. The blast is also capable of continuous delivery for up to 7 more seconds after the initial explosion with real-time laser tracking (allowing the beam's trajectory to be adjusted mid-firing), and directs its output into an area of approximately one square foot. At full power the Hammer is capable of penetrating both artificial and natural armoring and is thus the only troop-deployed weapon capable of damaging Berserkers and Seeders as well as smaller units and even some buildings.

The Hammer of Dawn is also capable of combining beams (as illustrated in the clip involving the destruction of the surface) in order to take out a larger area and deal far more damage than an individual hammer strike. The only disadvantage to this weapon is that it needs an aligned satellite and clear sky.

[edit] Use

The Hammer of Dawn is a WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction) in the Gears of War game. As stated before, it fires Imulsion powered satellite beams and is extremely powerful. This weapon is not to be used at close range, as the explosion is extremely damaging and capable of taking out the weapon wielder as well. At longer ranges, it can take out just about anything, from infantry to Emergence Holes to the more powerful Locust such as Seeders and Berserkers

The satellite beam is a 7-second charge that causes a very powerful initial explosion. That initial explosion is when the beam is at its strongest, as it can instantly take out any regular infantry soldier nearby. As the beam is held, however, the strength gradually drops to a mere beam that gradually reduces health like any other weapon. Therefore, it is best to get a good positioning of the trajectory of the beam for maximum effectiveness in its initial explosion. One of the main weaknesses of the Hammer of Dawn is its aiming mechanism. If units are on the move, the designator must be adjusted to follow them or the satellite cannot complete its locking sequence. A better way to take out targets is to either aim at the ground near them (with bigger target, chances of missing is smaller) or at another distinct object that is near them (ex. Cover). This will decrease the chance of the target escaping.

[edit] Multiplayer

In multiplayer, this weapon is not recommended unless players have the element of surprise in their favor. It is also important to note that the Hammer of Dawn requires three melee strikes to down an opponent. This weapon is used when the player have a general idea of the location of the enemy. In close range, it threatens to kill the wielder at the same time. The beam of energy in multiplayer is far longer than the beam in single player. Also, it has unlimited ammo in multiplayer instead of restricted to the time limit in single player, though it requires an open sky. If there is too little time to switch to the Shotgun when enemy is at close range, players have the option to quickly evade by diving towards or sideways to or from them in order to: 1. Melee the enemy and finish up with an Execution such as a Curb stomp, or dive sideways to throw off their aim and switch to the Shotgun immediately after you stopped diving.

When the player is under cover or is protected by teammates, the Hammer of Dawn can be a devastating weapon. Such protection from close range attacks is vital, seeing that the weapon is useless for defense. Also beware of long-range weapons like the Longshot or Torque-Bow, because they can fire faster and far more accurately than the Hammer of Dawn, while making it difficult for the Hammer user to fight back because of the range. Higher elevations can be used to the wielders advantage, giving him/her the ability to fire down on enemy territory.

The Hammer's strength comes from the fact that the beam makes the opponent's cover nearly obsolete. The wielder can kill several unsuspecting opponents because of this, aiming the beam behind the enemy's barricade. Being the most powerful weapon in the game in terms of damage, the beam has the highest chance of a one-hit-kill on any target from the initial blast. This can result in two, three or even four kills at once. In the map Rooftops for example, the Hammer wielder tends to be the deadliest member of the team.

[edit] Gears of War 2

The Hammer of Dawn's beam has received a graphical re-design, being more powerful, and looking more "beam-ish". In Gears of War 2, the Hammer has limited ammo for about 4 bursts or 20 seconds, but only in multiplayer/Horde. The initial explosion caused by the laser striking the ground with force has massive splash damage able to kill an enemy instantly for up to about 12 meters, although after the laser strikes, it will have to be directly shone onto the victim's body for about half a second of burning to kill them, and the laser becomes gradually weaker and dimmer the longer it's shone down for.

[edit] Note about creation dates

Initially, the Hammer of Dawn was said to be developed approximately 12 years after the Emergence Day. However, this is contradicted in Gears of War: Aspho Fields, where it is revealed that the Aspho Fields conflict was about the Hammer of Dawn technology itself, at that time being developed and implemented by the UIR, approximately 3 years before the Emergence Day.^[3] Until a source of greater canonicity than Aspho Fields confirms the former, the Aspho Fields date is the accepted canon. The contradiction in its creation dates could just be that Aspho Fields was only over the technology itself, while it was only actually used after E-Day in order to counter the Locust threat.

[edit] References