General Gears of War 3 Map Tactics

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These tips are especially important in team games like versus mode Team Deathmatch. First, some general map tactics and tips that apply to all maps. Team tactics will win any battle, especially if your team captures and holds certain points on the map. Areas that are higher, near key weapons or terrain features, and offer overlapping fields of fire are important.

Its also of great benefit to know where to find the weapons on the map (weapon spawns) and where to expect your enemies to be going to and from. Know where the weapons are so you can use those more powerful weapons and know where your enemies will be going and you can plan safer routes of travel and know where to look for them when you go on the offensive or where they are entering into your defense.

Keep in mind on some maps that power weapons like the mulcher are just as well used as bait as well as picking them up for use. Speaking of bait, if you notice one of your teammates is hanging out behind some cover well-hidden, you can run past him to find an opposing player to harass. Fire at him until you get his attention and he fires back. You’ve become the bait now, so when he does fire back at you, turn and run. Make sure you run past your teammate who is hidden in cover in a great spot to nail the unwary enemy as he runs past.

PLACES THAT ARE HIGHER/RAISED
Areas of the map that offer an overview of areas below offer the importance of good view and field of fire. From a raised position you have more of a view of the battle and better fields of fire than someone below.

AREAS NEAR WEAPON SPAWNS OR KEY TERRAIN FEATURES
Areas on the map near key terrain features or weapon spawns are important. Weapon spawns offer the power of powerful weapons beyond default the smoke grenade, assault rifle, shotgun and snub pistol.

OVERLAPPING FIELDS OF FIRE
Positions offering overlapping fields of fire are important, and offer superior defensibility.

GOW 3 Multiplayer Map Gameplay Tips & Tactics

Azura (Versus Booster Map Pack*)

KEY POSITIONS: Balcony + stairs, sniper rifle spawns.
KEY WEAPONS: Digger/Boomshot, sniper rifles, frag/indendiary grenades and mulcher/hammer of dawn.

KEY TACTICS (more later)

1) Keeping the balcony under your control and using that to choke the center out from enemy use. This leaves them access to their sniper rifle which you can counter with a roving patrol of 2 to prevent, hunt & dispatch the sniper; or an “as needed” team of 2 to hunt & dispatch the sniper.

Blood Drive (Versus Booster Map Pack*)

KEY POSITIONS: Spawns (Hospital and Diner), stairs, the Triage Room and Train Station, grenade spawns

KEY WEAPONS: Torque Bow/Longshot, ink/indendiary grenades, boltok pistol/gorgon pistol.

KEY TACTICS (more later):

1) Defend your spawn by keeping the stairs under your control. You have to guard against frontal attacks and on one flank in case the opposing team approaches the back entrance near where your grenades spawn. Tag a grenade in the room on your flank as a trap and as an alarm – when the grenade goes off you know someone is there.

2) Go down the stairs, pas your grenades and go for the opponent’s flanks. While they are busy attacking from a frontal attack you may be able to draw 1 or 2 of them by attacking from their flank where their grenades spawn. You can stay way back at the stairs and fire at them from a distance or you can move forward into their room (assuming the room is not defended or you can overwhelm its defenders).

If you have the numbers, and have pressed forward into the room where the grenades spawn you can harass them further attacking enemies on the stairs. If done well you can drive them back up into defending at their spawn point. I’ve watched this tactic start with 3 players going to the flanks then being joined by others and driving the opposing team back into the spawn – but not taking the spawn, otherwise known as a spawn trap. You will be spawn trapped when the opposing team limits your team’s movement to your spawn area. But the since opposing team is not actually in your spawn area, you continue to spawn there. If the opposing team actually “captures” your spawn area (i.e. they are in your spawn area) a spawn switch may take place in which case you will spawn but not at the original location where you began. Spawn traps often happen on the Overpass map since holding the high area in the center and flanks outside of the spawn can give the opposing team control of the immediate area outside of your spawn.

Bullet Marsh (Versus Booster Map Pack*)

KEY POSITIONS: Mill interior, nearby bridges and cover nearby.
KEY WEAPONS: Sniper rifles, ink & incendiary grenades and boomshot.

KEY TACTICS (more later)

1) 1 player gets the sniper rifle and hangs back, another player shoots out the generator hoping to take out a slow sniper on the opposing team (killing the generator causes Kryll to “attack” at the sniper and boomshot spawns) until it self-repairs and powers the lights again sending the Kryll away. With your sniper in the back behind the sniper spawn, some teammates can move into the Mill’s interior rooms near the incendiary grenade spawn. Grenade stick some grenades in strategic places for protection and hold the middle. In addition, if you have a talented player or two they can form a roving patrol watching for a) attacks from the flanks from the area near the generator/boomshot spawn b) raid close in to the other team’s positions just beyond the Mill to keep them from approaching and c) harass and misdirect players near the opponent’s spawn while being careful not to draw fire from their teammates above.

Checkout (Retail Version)

No Tips Posted Yet

Clocktower (Versus Booster Map Pack*)

No Tips Posted Yet

Dry Dock (Retail Version)

No Tips Posted Yet

Gridlock (Retail Version)

KEY POSITIONS: Boardwalk (sniper rifle spawn) + stairs, the raised bank and restaurant areas + stairs

KEY WEAPONS: Longshot, boomer/digger, frag/indendiary grenades, gorgon pistols.

KEY TACTICS (more later):

1) The bank/restaurant areas are more defensible than the sniper rifle spawn, but you pretty much need that sniper rifle. If your team can get the sniper rifle plus the digger/boomshot and you can take the bank or restaurant you are in business. From these raised areas you can control a lot of the surrounding area, including the center of the map. Try to keep control of your spawn, too since you don’t want your opponent’s spawning behind you since it can be more difficult to defend the stairs closer to the spawns. If you can get the frag/incendiary grenades you’re even better off. One player up there with a sniper, another with a lancer or hammerburst rifle and a third can help out with pistol for long range harassment/supression or other weapons for those who get in closer.

If you can, try to control the boardwalk/sniper spawn, too with aid from your teammates at the bank/restaurant. If you can’t control the boardwalk you risk losing the sniper rifle when a new one spawns.

Hotel (Retail Version)

No Tips Posted Yet

Mercy (Retail Version)

No Tips Posted Yet

Old Town (Retail Version)

No Tips Posted Yet

Overpass (Retail Version)

No Tips Posted Yet

Rustlung (Versus Booster Map Pack*)

No Tips Posted Yet

Sandbar (Retail Version)

No Tips Posted Yet

Thrashball (Retail Version)

No Tips Posted Yet

Trenches (Retail Version)

No Tips Posted Yet

* Versus Booster Map Pack was a free DLC map pack at Thanksgiving 2011

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Brief Description of GOW 3 Maps
$15/1200 MSP DLC Expansion Pack: Gears Of War 3 DLC RAAM’s Shadow