The best all-round loadout in Gears of War: E-Day is the Prototype Lancer paired with the Gnasher: the Lancer covers mid range with a faster fire rate and deeper magazine than recent Lancers, and the Gnasher still decides most close fights. For range, grab the Longshot whenever you can, and in Horde Siege and the Campaign the Gut-Puncher grenade launcher earns its slot against groups. Those rankings are our picks, not an official tier list.
They are built on what The Coalition has published about each gun for Gears of War: E-Day: its gameplay updates post, Xbox Wire’s launch tips guide, and the October 14 patch notes, verified against official patch notes as of the November 6 patch. The Coalition has not published a full weapon list or a full set of damage numbers, and community tier lists disagree with each other, so we only rank weapons the developer has confirmed.
Updated November 7, 2026: The Coalition’s November 6 patch toned down three weapons: the Striga’s headshots, the Lancer MK1’s Active Reload bonus and how far its damage carries, and the Gut-Puncher’s Active Reload bonus. Our top picks did not change, and we noted the Lancer MK1 and Gut-Puncher changes below.
The Best Weapons at a Glance
| Weapon | Type | Best for | What The Coalition says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prototype Lancer | Assault rifle with chainsaw | Everything mid range | Higher fire rate and deeper magazine than recent Lancers, “a great all round rifle” |
| Gnasher | Shotgun | Close range, Versus | 6 shells, reloads round by round with active reload |
| Longshot | Sniper rifle | Long range, tough enemies | Fires a long-range slug that stacks damage on big targets |
| Breechshot | Marksman rifle | Headshots | One-shot headshot kill in PvP, round-by-round reload |
| Hammerburst | Burst rifle | Accurate mid range | 6-round burst; a perfect active reload raises its fire rate |
| Lancer MK1 (Retro) | Rifle | Close range, recoil control | “Deadly in-close,” usable further out if you tame the recoil |
| Snub | Pistol | Finishing downed enemies | Fires as fast as you pull the trigger, very quick to draw |
| Gut-Puncher | Grenade launcher | Groups in Horde Siege and Campaign | Has its own achievement for hitting two Grubs with one round |
| Torque Bow | Bow (power weapon) | Versus map control | Appears on Skyward in Versus, per the patch notes |
Every projectile in E-Day now has simulated ballistics and travel time, so shooting outside a weapon’s ideal range means leading your target. That makes the long guns harder to use than in earlier Gears games and rewards picking the right weapon for the distance.
Our Pick for Most Players: Prototype Lancer and Gnasher
The Prototype Lancer is the gun we would never drop. The Coalition calls it “a great all round rifle,” and Xbox Wire’s launch guide says the chainsaw Lancer offers “close-to-mid range firepower” with a “big ol’ (upgradeable) mag.” The chainsaw is a real tool too: Boomers can now be executed with a Lancer chainsaw once they are at low health, which cuts a long fight short.
The Gnasher is still the close-range king, but it changed. It holds 6 shells instead of 8 and reloads one or two rounds at a time with an active reload, so you can top up a single shell to finish a kill. Our Gnasher guide covers the habits that win shotgun fights.
Best Weapons for Versus
Versus is the one mode where weapon choice is level. Every player starts with the same loadout and there are no weapon mods, so matches turn on aim, movement and the on-map Power Weapons.
- Gnasher for the close fights that decide most rounds.
- Breechshot if you can land headshots. The Coalition confirms a one-shot headshot kill in PvP, and the October 14 patch fixed hit markers that were missing after Breechshot headshots.
- Prototype Lancer to pressure from mid range while teammates push.
- Power Weapons to win map control. The patch notes confirm the Torque Bow appears on Skyward. The Coalition has not published which Power Weapons spawn on every map.
The October 14 patch also fixed Lancer MK1 melee attacks that failed to kill in Versus, but the November 6 patch toned down its Active Reload bonus and made its damage drop off sooner at range, so keep the Retro for close fights. Our Ranked guide covers how Versus skill is measured.
Best Weapons for Horde Siege and the Campaign
Horde Siege and the Campaign reward a different loadout, because you fight large groups and tough enemies, and both modes let you change guns mid-mission. Supply Caches sell weapons for Energy in Horde Siege, and Xbox Wire’s launch guide says caches around the city in the Campaign “let you switch up your loadout, too.”
- Longshot for tough targets. Xbox Wire’s guide describes using it to stack damage into a Boomer “before it gets close to you.”
- Gut-Puncher for groups. The Coalition built an achievement around it, Two Grubs, One Gut-Punch, for hitting two Grubs with a single round. The Coalition’s November 6 patch toned down its Active Reload bonus, but it is still our pick for clearing groups.
- Prototype Lancer for steady damage between waves, with the chainsaw for low-health Boomers.
- Heavy weapons. You can now do most movement while carrying a heavy, and you can rip Heavy Weapons right off turret bases, which The Coalition calls “a great way to acquire them in Horde Siege.” The Heavy Boomshot in E-Day is the Locust’s Prototype Boomshot.
Which weapons you start with in Horde Siege depends on your class. Our Horde Siege class guide explains each loadout and which class to play first.
Weapon Mods Change the Ranking
In Horde Siege and the Campaign, weapon mods can change how a gun behaves, and The Coalition’s own example is a bayonet on the Gnasher. Mods are shared across every Horde Siege class, so a modded Prototype Lancer follows you to every class that equips it. Xbox Wire’s guide adds that Campaign side missions often reward a weapon mod.
If a modded weapon felt weak at launch, try it again: the October 14 patch fixed “multiple issues causing certain Weapon Mods to not perform as described,” without naming which ones. Our weapon mods guide explains how to unlock and buy them.
Tips Most Players Miss
- Practice in Combat Training. It lets you try weapons against short Locust encounters, with up to four players.
- Perfect active reloads matter more than ever. The Hammerburst fires faster after one, and the Gnasher and Breechshot reload round by round.
- Fire automatics in bursts. The Coalition tuned recoil on some automatic weapons to reward short bursts, and scopes now have sway.
- Use smoke. Smoke Grenades now use volumetric smoke that blocks both player and AI sightlines, which covers a reposition or a charge.
Our controller settings guide covers aim and reload settings, and every other guide is on the Gears of War: E-Day hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best weapon in Gears of War E-Day? For most players, the Prototype Lancer. It works at most ranges, has a deep magazine and a chainsaw for executions. Pair it with the Gnasher for close fights.
What is the best weapon for Versus in Gears of War E-Day? The Gnasher, because most Versus fights happen at close range. If you can land headshots, the Breechshot is the strongest mid-range pick, with a one-shot headshot kill in PvP.
What is the best weapon for Horde Siege? We lean on the Prototype Lancer for steady damage, the Longshot for Boomers and other tough enemies, and the Gut-Puncher for groups.
How many shells does the Gnasher hold in E-Day? Six, down from eight in earlier games, to balance its new round-by-round active reload.
Can you change weapons in the middle of a mission? Yes. Horde Siege Supply Caches sell weapons for Energy, and the Campaign has caches that let you change your loadout.
Do weapon mods work in Versus? No. Versus has no weapon mods, so every player starts on the same footing.