Enemies

Gears of War 2 Guide

Enemies

DRONE
These are the Locust that you will encounter most often. They are the standard, bipedal enemy present in any shooter. There several subtypes of Drone, and each uses a variety of weapons. The most common type of Drone are those that use the Hammerburst or Lancer Assault Rifle.

Grenadier: Wield Gnashers and tend to throw Frag Grenades. Grenadiers are easily discernable from standard Drones due to their lack of chest armour and bulkier frame. Don't get too close to these.

Sniper: Use the Longshot Sniper Rifle. They wear goggles and sometimes head armour.

Bolter: Wields a Boltok Pistol and tends to charge at its target.

Cyclops: Are discernable by their distinctive head armour. They wield the Lancer Assault Rifle and make use of its chainsaw bayonet to cut through enemies.

Flamer: A Drone-sized version of the Flame Boomer. As its name implies, this class of enemy uses the Scorcher Flamethrower. If one of the two tanks on a Flamer's back is punctured, it will begin to emit fire and promptly explode, taking its user with it. Take advantage of this by always concentrating your fire on one of its tanks and then backing off when fire begins to emit from it. one shot with the Longshot is enough is enough to accomplish this.

Troika Gunner: These guys man the Locust Troika emplacements. A well-thrown Frag Grenade or a headshot from a Longshot is enough to put an end to this enemy.

WRETCH
These small, mobile enemies use melee attacks to deal damage, and because they move very fast they can be quite hard to hit. Luckily, they are very weak, and can be killed with one melee attack in most difficulty levels.

TICKER
A small enemy with a sizeable explosive strapped to its back. Tickers explode when killed, and can also self-detonate if they're close enough to you or one of your allies. If you can't kill a Ticker from afar, the best way to deal with one is to melee it—which knocks them away from you and prevents them from detonating—and then fire at it from a safe distance. Don't melee a Ticker while it's down though, as that will just cause it to explode. Just make sure that you don't have your Lancer out before mashing that melee button because using a chainsaw on a Ticker isn't the best idea!

SEEDER
Seeders deploy Nemacyst, which is a slow-moving, flying enemy that explodes when it comes into contact with something

BOOMER
Gears of War 2 introduces a number of Boomer subtypes, all of which are briefly outlined below.

Standard: These guys are deadly. They use Boomshots, and if one manages to clip you, it's over. When you see one, take cover! They usually say "Boom" before they are about to shoot, so if you are aiming at one, duck back behind cover when you hear this.

Grinder: Uses a Mulcher chain gun. They are discernable from the standard Boomer by their square-shaped helmet.

Flame Boomer: Wields a Scorcher Flamethrower and moves about as fast as a standard Boomer. Can sustain more damage than a Flamer, but can also be killed quickly if one the tanks on its back is punctured by gunfire.

Mauler: Carries a flail and a Boom Shield. When the flail comes down, it will incapacitate any character within a certain radius. Maulers use their Boom Shields to ward off gunfire, so take aim and fire at any visible portion.

Butcher: A large Locust that carries a cleaver. These guys move very slowly and don't inflict much damage, so dealing with one is not much of a problem.

KANTUS
A tall, lanky Locust that throws Ink Grenades and carries a Gorgon Pistol. They are quite adept at dodging gunfire and have a large amount of health, making them difficult to take down.

THERON
An upgraded version of the Drone. They usually use Torque Bows so be very careful if there are any Theron around. If you notice that one is aiming a Torque Bow in your direction, get behind a piece of cover and wait until the Theron is forced to release the bolt.

PALACE GUARD
The toughest variant of Drone. They can wield a variety of weapons including the Gnasher, Torque Bow, and Hammerburst.

REAVER
You'll remember these guys if you played through the first Gears of War. Reavers are more commonplace this time around, however, and now have the ability to ground themselves on the battlefield. Reavers require a great deal of gunfire to bring down, and can deal a considerable amount of ranged and melee damage. Most Reavers are controlled by a handler and may also carry a gunner.

BLOODMOUNT
Quick, two-legged creatures that are used as mounts by some Grenadiers. Bloodmounts are quite dangerous up-close, as they can deal a considerable amount of melee damage. Furthermore, its handler can often still hit you while you're behind low cover due to his elevated position atop the Bloodmount. Hitting the Bloodmount with rapid gunfire will cause it to teeter, both stopping it in its tracks and possibly knocking the rider to the ground. You must kill both the rider and Bloodmount separately.