The general disposition of this post is perhaps more important than the text itself.  
 
You literally shouldn't ever go into this game worrying about winning. Not that there aren't strategies or gameplans that aren't effective, or that the skill level of the players create an impenetrable barrier of entry, but it is a difficult game to enjoy if you're concerned monomaniacally with winning or killing or stats. Because you will more often than not get pretty messed up pretty often.  
 
Great blog.

I played with SmokeDawg420. Kind of a dick.

Jokes aside, I completely agree with everything you said. I just have to get over that "I should get the kill every time I'm one-on-one" thing. It gets me so frustrated when I don't, especially 3 or 4 times in a row, and I start playing like shit. My W/L ratio has fallen from a 1.5 to a 0.8, but that might have more to do with playing with randoms instead of with my friends recently.

Gears of War is a game about love.

i agree that's why i proudly wear my assists medal

Thats how I play with the exception of a bloodlust filled Retro charge every so often. I usually go 7 kills 5 deaths and 12 downs and 3 to 4 revives.

@applet0n said:

@KingWilly: You sound like the kind of guy I want to play alongside.

this.

@KingWilly: You sound like the kind of guy I want to play alongside.

As far as I concern Sawed-OFF Shotguns players are the only players in GoW3

@KingWilly: You sound like the kind of guy I want to play alongside.

So Gears 3 multiplayer is like a metaphor...for life.

Some people like to shotgun, some people like power weapons, and some people like the Retro Lancer charge. Me? I’m the guy who likes assists. I’m the guy who likes spotting. I’m the guy who gets on the mic and tells SmokeDawg420 that there’s an angry SOS Locust barrelling behind him looking for a kill.

Hi, my GT is Ol Dirty Bearon, and I’m your best friend in Gears of War 3.

You always hear about “That Guy” on the winning team. He’s at the top of the leaderboard, earning MVP ribbons hand over fist, but his stats say 3 kills to 5 deaths. Then, you notice he has 12 downs. Then, you notice he has 5 revives. Then some people think, “Wow, what a noob, why is he helping other people?”

But not you, not if you’re smart.

You see, a lot of people who play Gears multiplayer like to think, somehow, it’s all about the instagibs. It’s all about the three-on-one KABOOM ribbons with the SOS. They like to think that, if it was just them against me and my squad, they’d tear us to pieces. The problem with that thinking is that it’s all about “me,” it’s about what “I” want. Newsflash: Gears of War is a team game.

That’s what this blog is all about. I want to teach you how to be a Team Player, how to earn a crap-load of ribbons, and how to, above all, win the admiration and respect of your peers. See, it’s not just you that will turn the tide and win the day. It’s not just your buddy XxAssASSinatexX either. It’s all of you, working together.

Here are some basic tips and loadouts to get you on the path to not just winning the battle, but the war.

Support Gunner

Lancer

Gnasher

Frag Grenades

Gorgon Pistol

SPECIAL: Mulcher

Classes don’t exist in Gears 3, and they shouldn’t. Everyone customizes their starting loadout for their own style of play. This particular loadout is designed to make you a walking tank—so long as you hide behind a couple squad mates and know what you’re doing.

Tips: Spot your enemies. I mean it. The first instinct of a Support Gunner should never be to try and get the kill. These are the fearless warriors who would rather spot an enemy incursion and try to down an enemy before looking for the glory kill. They spend a lot of time behind cover, and they always, always stick close to a friend. If your friend moves one way, you move behind. You’re a follower in this role, not a leader. Your gunfire is meant to suppress and contain the threat, and reviving your squad takes priority over your precious KDR.

All of the Support Gunner’s weapons are designed to do two things; one is to suppress the enemy, the other is to down the enemy. The Lancer and Gorgon Pistol are great weapons to do this with, as with focused fire from two or more squad mates it brings any opponent to their knees. Even the Scouts. You know, the flippy assholes who like to dodge like they have Parkinsons.

Assassin

Retro Lancer

Sawed-Off Shotgun

Smoke Grenade

Boltok Pistol

SPECIAL: OneShot

Tips: Are you the kind of player who loves to Roadie Run? Who loves to sneak behind the enemy team and blow as many of them away as you can with a single SOS round? Yeah, we know who you are, and we don’t like you—unless you’re working for us. The Assassin is a master of the scenic route. They will never actively engage an enemy entourage coming straight toward them. Their first instinct is to run as far away as possible, as they know a single Retro burst or SOS round will not save their lives.

Assassins also love to employ the use of Smoke Grenades. They know it doesn’t down, they know it doesn’t kill, but they also know that a well placed Bag n’ Tag smoke bomb will do a hell of a lot more to disrupt the enemy team than attacking up the middle. The Assassin is also patient, willing to wait thirty seconds for a power weapon spawn to return, and when they see the enemy coming toward it blissfully unaware, the Assassin rolls into them, and lets a hearty blast explode from both barrels. The beauty of the Assassin is that, for some reason, they frustrate enemy players. A lot. That’s why they’re a healthy asset to any team. Can you think of something more demoralizing than getting one-shotted with two friends by a single SOS round?

And remember, a good Assassin is always letting his team know where the enemy is.

Grenadier

Torque Bow

Boomshot/Digger

Boltok Pistol

Frag Grenades

SPECIAL: Mortar

Tips: The Grenadier loves to make things go Boom. They’re the ones on Xbox Live party chat doing their best impression of the Boomer. They’re the ones who save your life from a 3-on-1 with a well placed Boomshot. They’re the ones who know just which walls to tag with a frag. In short, when you see a Grenadier coming, get the hell out of the way. Then again, the best Grenadiers are the ones who you never see coming.

If you’re going to play as a Grenadier, remember that while you have the heaviest artillery, the hardest hitting firepower, you’re not invulnerable. You’re not Superman. Always stick close to a buddy. A Support Gunner, if you can. While they spot and lay down suppressing fire, it gives you time to charge up a Torque Bow shot, throw a well placed frag, or unload with your Boomshot. Grenadiers love their Support Gunners, and Support Gunners all too happy to help.

General Philosophies

These are general tips designed to get you playing more like a Team Player. You’ll notice after following these philosophies, you will not only rank up a lot faster, but you will also reap the spoils of warfare in Gears 3 unlocks, modes, ribbons, and precious, precious medals.

REMEMBER: 15 SPAWNS PER TEAM, NOT 15 SPAWNS FOR YOU This is the most obvious one I’ve seen. Too often people treat their spawn pool as a plaything to be disregarded. At worst, they think it’s a score card. It is neither of these things. The spawn pool is there to let you know that you are not just beholden to yourself and your own safety, but to your teammates as well. If 15 drops to 14, that isn’t just the fault of the person who died, it’s your fault as well. You could’ve been there to protect them, you could’ve been on the mic telling them about the two-man team coming up behind him. Remember; you’re not playing just for yourself, you’re playing for your squad.

GHOST CAMERA: YOU’RE NOT USELESS IF YOU’RE DEAD

A big thing I’ve noticed is that when the chips are down and there’s one man against five, the entire team will often go silent while they wait for their brother in arms to die a painful, gibby death. It doesn’t have to work that way. If you find yourself to be out of the game, waiting for the next round, get to work. Ghost Camera is there for a reason, and it can help your remaining players turn the tide and bring victory back from the jaws of death. Don’t be afraid to speak, to inform your team where the enemy is moving. Guide them, tell them where to go and what to do. Just because you’re dead, doesn’t mean you can’t help.

BE KEVIN COSTNER, BE THE BODYGUARD

The blue guy beside you isn’t just a random bot, it’s a person. It’s a person who enjoys the game just like you. For this battle, for this war, they’re your brother, so treat them like one. Pick them up when they’re down. Share ammo when you find it. And always, always, stick together. One man covers forward, the other looks back every so often. Get into the ritual of sharing and caring, and you’ll find that when you’re down and need help, your brother will be right beside you, ready to chainsaw every Locust prick in his path to get you back into the fight.

THE WIN IS WHAT MATTERS, NOT YOUR KDR

Everyone has a bad game. Hell, last night I had a game where I went 1 and 10 after three hours of excellence. If you find yourself having a bad game, don’t worry about it, and work for the team. If you can’t catch a kill one game to save your life, focus on spotting, focus on finding the enemy placements and camping zones. Don’t be afraid to take a bullet for your brother. And, hell, if all else fails, equip a frag grenade and run into a group of enemies. Get downed, and pull that R-trigger as fast as you can. It works for the terrorists, it’ll work for you.

And that’s all I got for now. Those are my tips from going to a .5 KDR with 20 wins and 50 losses, to a 2.3 KDR with 200 wins and 94 losses. Like I said, the spoils of war come with team work, and no other way. If you find yourself falling into bad habits, just remember that the win bonus will taste all the sweeter once you realize that it wasn’t just your friend who made it all happen, it was you.

It was all of you.