Fabricator Placement
Your Fabricator is essentially your base, and you’re going to keep on coming back to this to build more Fortifications and acquire better weapons. Therefore, at the very start of the game make sure to place your Fabricator somewhere on the map that’s easy to defend and can give you a good vantage point over incoming enemies.
The countdown to wave one won’t actually start until you’ve placed the Fabricator down somewhere either, so take your time to pick the perfect spot before settling in for the long journey ahead. If you find that you’ve placed the Fabricator in too much of a dangerous place, you’ll be able to move it later on. It’s best to get it first time though so that you don’t have to move all of your defenses as well.
Build Fortifications
The Fabricator has a ton of different options for you in terms of the fortifications you can build, so do yourself and the rest of your team a favor and make the most of what’s on offer. From automated turrets to fences, everything will come in incredibly handy when you’re fending off the Swarm.
Generally, it’s a good idea to build turrets behind fences. The fences will slow the enemy down, damage them slightly, and allow your turrets plenty of time to dish out the damage. Decoys are also handy to dot around the map as they attract enemies towards them. Combine these with an explosive weapon such as the Boomshot to drop multiple enemies with one hit. Being clever with the fortifications you build and where you place them will make your life a lot easier when it comes to the tougher stages of Horde 3.0.
Power Runs
Power makes the world go round… at least it makes your Fabricator run in Horde 3.0, anyway. Conveniently, fallen enemies will drop Power for you, used to charge up your Fabricator and purchase new fortifications and weapons. While it’s definitely possible to pick up Power while the round is still going, leave this until the end and be clever in who you send out to pick it up.
If one of your team is using the Scout class, they should definitely be the primary Power scavenger in your team. The Scout’s unique ability doubles the amount of Power they’ll pick up compared to any other class. Use this to your advantage so you can build more fortifications and survive for longer. You’ll have a good 20-30 seconds before the next round starts too; this should give you ample time to reach most of the Power dropped by the Swarm and return to your Fabricator safely.
It’s also worth noting that the more Power you deposit in your Fabricator, the faster it’ll level up, in turn unlocking stronger fortifications and more powerful weapons.
Check Your Fortifications
Fortifications are definitely going to make your life easier, but they won’t if you don’t keep checking up on them. Just like you, your fortifications have health, and those that offer defense in the form of offense also have ammo. It’s important to ensure that each of your fortifications has ample ammunition, and isn’t about to break on you just as the next wave of the Swarm appear.
While one of your team is out picking up the Power left by your fallen enemies, at least one person should be checking up on your existing fortifications to ensure they’re in good check. Anything that’s looking a little worse for wear can be repaired with the Repair Tool, which the Engineer class will start off with from the beginning. If you don’t have an Engineer in your team don’t worry, the Repair Tool can be bought from the Fabricator for 5000 Power.
Upgrades
As important as it is to keep your fortifications intact, the ones you place at the beginning of your Horde 3.0 quest aren’t going to be doing all that much for very long. You’ll want to ensure you’re upgrading these too as you go, as well as putting down higher level fortifications directly from the Fabricator.
Once your Fabricator has leveled up, any existing fortifications you’ve already placed become eligible for an upgrade. This doesn’t pop up to you automatically, but the option becomes available once your Fabricator has been leveled up. As long as you’ve got the Power in your Fabricator, you’ll be able to upgrade your fortification to the same level as your Fabricator. Doing this regularly will ensure you can hold out until wave 50.
Bonus Objectives
Every few waves, Horde 3.0 will task you with completing a bonus objective with a lucrative reward on offer for your efforts. While these can sometimes be pretty tricky, they’re certainly worth trying if you can get your whole team working on them.
Sometimes these will involve getting a number of headshot kills, and other times you’ll be tasked with getting a certain number of kills with a particular weapon. Though trying to kill the horde in a specific way is the last thing on your mind as you’re fighting off five drones with your shotgun, the supply crates rewarded should you succeed can provide anything from additional ammo to those insanely powerful RL4- Salvo rocket launchers that the Guardians are normally bombarding you with. Not only are they incredibly fun to use if you do get them, but they’ll keep you incredibly well-equipped for the next couple of rounds.
Work as a Team
After a good few matches of Horde 3.0, this is probably one of the most evident tools in the more successful games, and the one most lacking in matches where everything falls apart. Working as a team, communicating what needs to be done, and helping one another out in times of need is the key to succeeding in Horde 3.0. While it’s definitely possible to play with complete strangers and not talk to one another, it’s going to get a lot more difficult to effectively beat the boss waves that come every 10th round.
Get vocal when you’re playing and talk to your teammates; even if they’re not responding to you, at least you can call out when you need picking back up, or advise them of a big threat coming from the opposite direction.
Be Patient
Horde 3.0 has a habit of lulling you into a false sense of security. Enemies can take a while to get in range of your weapon from where you’ve set up camp, and during the early waves, it’s normally quiet and easy enough to run out and take the fight to them. However, during the later waves, even if it’s the early waves following a boss battle, let the enemies come to you. Thanks to the buffs the horde receive after each boss wave, enemies can take far more damage and deal more out than you’d think.
Take your time, sit back, and let them come to you. It may seem a little boring, but it’s far better than having to watch from the sidelines because some Swarm drone rekt you with its shotgun.
For more tips, tricks, and guides be sure to check out our Gears of War 4 Wiki.
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