Act 1: Ashes

For other uses, see Act 1.

New Characters

As this is the very first Act, you will meet several of the most important characters of Gears of War here. Several, such as RAAM, Colonel Hoffman and Anya, only appear in cut scenes, whilst the Locust Queen is only heard 'communicating' to RAAM.

• Marcus Fenix - Son of the famed military scientist Adam Fenix, Marcus established a reputation as a brilliant soldier during the Pendulum Wars, earning numerous field promotions and decorations. He was on the fast-track to an astounding military career - until the Locust War. When the Horde breached the Jacinto Plateau's defences, Marcus defied orders to save his father. He was too late and Marcus was charged with dereliction of duty and sentenced to 40 years imprisonment in Jacinto Maximum Security Penitentiary. Four years into his sentence, the Horde took over the prison but Marcus was rescued by his best friend, Dom, so that he could rejoin the fight against the Locust Horde. Marcus is the main protagonist of Gears of War.
• Dominic Santiago - Dominic has always believed in his country and his leaders, but his faith has been slipping in the face of this endless war. Dom lost his wife in the Emergence Day cataclysm. For him, the war on the Locust Horde is deeply personal. As Marcus' best friend, he testified at his tribunal, and prevented an execution, but was forced to accept the 40-year sentence handed down to his childhood friend. Never forgetting, Dom seizes the first opportunity to save Marcus' life, and convinces Minh Young Kim to enlist Marcus into Delta Team.
• Minh Young Kim - Lieutenant Kim is a proud, dedicated and ambitious soldier, a by-the-books believer in all things COG. To Kim, the Coalition of Ordered Governments is humanity's only hope for survival, and he feels that it is an honor and privilege to serve as a Gear. Only the strength of Dom's faith - and the scarcity of experienced soldiers - convinced Kim to consider bringing a former prisoner into his squad. Kim dies at the hands of RAAM, being stabbed through the gut by a serrated sword.
• Victor Hoffman - The commanding officer of both Delta and Alpha squads. He considers Marcus to be a criminal.
• Anya - The only human female seen in the game, she gives orders and advice to Delta Squad through radio.
• Anthony Carmine - A competent solider and faithful Gear, Carmine is the youngest member of Delta Squad and is the most enthusiastic, often running out into the open to Chainsaw an opponent. With a reckless attitude and free approach to war, Carmine is always on the edge. Voted "most likely to get shot" at the military academy, it is ironic that Carmine is the first member of Delta Squad to die by being sniped in the head. As he is the only member of Delta Squad to wear a helmet, this was likely a result of the COG helmets' inability to spot snipers.
• Augustus Cole - An adrenaline junkie and former Thrashball player, Cole craves attention and prefers to take the most direct path to the Locust Horde in any situation. What he lacks in finesse, he makes up for in raw energy. Cole is also supremely confident in his own abilities to overcome anything, regardless of the odds (-0) and he hasn't been proven wrong yet. Cole and Baird have served together for years, and he treats Baird as he would an older brother—with a younger brother's license to torment. Originally assigned to Alpha Squad, Cole joins Delta Squad, making up the spot that Carmine has just vacated.
• Damon Baird - Baird is perfectly capable of being a successful officer, but has never been promoted due to his poor attitude, short temper and his unwillingness to take on any responsibility. Baird's greatest strength is his intelligence. He not only fights the Locust, but observes them as well. He's the closest the COG has to an expert, and when he tells his comrades to be quiet and listen, they know it is in their best interests to do so. Baird's only motivation is self-preservation. He's willing to do whatever it takes to get through this war alive, even if it means fighting alongside a troublemaker like Fenix.
• JACK - JACK follows the members of Delta Squad everywhere they go, albeit invisibly. This hovering, robotic assistant's primary function is to help with heavy steel doors that must be cut through by JACK's blowtorch. JACK is also capable of setting up communication links, downloading data, and transmitting info back to Command/Control.
• Redshirt Gyules - A panicky member of Alpha Squad. He survives until they get into the Tomb of the Unknowns, where he hears a Berserker and panics. He accidentally runs right into it and gets ripped apart.
• Rojas - A member of Alpha Squad and friend of Dom. He is killed in an unknown manner, leaving behind a son who turned two only a couple weeks before his father died.

New Enemies

Not really 'new' as this is your first encounter with all of the Locust of any variety. Nevertheless, here is a list of those that come up in Ashes.

• Drone - Drones are the basic Locust grunts, and they attack with limited intelligence. They rely primarily on the Hammerburst weapon, although some will come to possess a Lancer Assault Rifle every now and then.
• Grenadier - These bare-chested brutes are very aggressive and excel at short-to-mid range combat, thanks to their supply of Bolo Grenade and the use of the Gnasher Shotgun.
• Wretch - Wretches are fast, nimble creatures that run across the ceiling en masse and attempt to claw their prey to death. They are unintelligent and very easy to put down.
• Nemacyst - These flying organic bombs are spewed forth from the tail-end of a Seeder and are as deadly as they are putrid. They seem to harmlessly float toward their targets, but explode with deadly power on contact.
• Seeder - These massive creatures seldom leave their equally large Emergence Holes. They attack from afar by spewing a constant barrage of Nemacyst into the air. They can only be killed with the Hammer of Dawn.
• Berserker - This massive monstrosity can't see, but she can sure smell and hear! Capable of smashing through solid walls and killing humans with a single claw swipe, the Hammer of Dawn is the only way to stop her.

New Weapons

A list of all the new guns you'll be receiving in this level.

• Hammerburst - The standard Locust firearm as well as the first firearm you'll be receiving (since the official COG Lancer could not be scavenged by your savior, Dom). It fires in 6 round bursts at a very fast rate. It is strong, accurate, but not quite suppressive. Otherwise, it is a great weapon for mid to long range combat.
• Snub Pistol - Your first issued sidearm. It is not very menacing with its limited clip capacity (12 rounds) and limited strength but does offer a moderate scope for longer range combat.
• Bolo Grenades - The Gears of War frag grenade. It has an explosive attached to a chain and is thrown while spinning the spike and then releasing. While very powerful, this grenade does not have much of a blast radius and cannot hurt enemies behind cover. Therefore, it should be aimed accordingly and precisely for best results.
• Lancer Assault Rifle - The Gears workhorse weapon. It features automatic fire with a 60-round clip and an attached Chainsaw Bayonet for close-range encounters. It is a very well-rounded weapon and can kill very effectively from short to mid range. However, refrain from using it at long range as its accuracy will burn off many unnecessary rounds.
• Troika Heavy Machine Gun - The Locust standard mounted weapon. It is very powerful and can easily shred a body at short - mid/long range within 5 shots. The weapon offers a frontal shield for protection from the front, but offers no protection for the legs or the flanks. If all of the weaknesses are accounted for, this weapon will be extremely powerful and effective against the enemy. Don't forget to account for the weaknesses when the enemy is using it against you.
• Gnasher Shotgun - The Gears of War shotgun. It is useless at long range and weak at mid range. At close range, however, there is a chance for a one-shot kill. The weapon will stun the enemy at less than 10 meters and will blow the enemy into pieces at less than 3 meters.
• Hammer of Dawn - A satellite that fires Imulsion-powered beams of energy, it is a weapon of mass destruction. The weapon itself is a simple target designator that a Gear carries. The Gear then selects a target and, after a few seconds (for the beam to charge), will fire an immense beam. The beam's initial explosion is very powerful, and the beam can also hold itself out for about 7 extra seconds before it has to recharge. However, it can only be used outside and when a satellite is overhead.
• Boltok Pistol - The standard Locust sidearm. While it features an even smaller clip than the Snub Pistol (6 rounds), the strength within this magnum is quite useful. This strength, combined with the moderate scope (like the Snub Pistol), make the Boltok Pistol an effective weapon in a duel-type situation.

COG Tags

This Act contains 12 COG Tags dotted in various locations. Find them to go on your way to receiving several achievements! COG tags 1, 2 and 3 are found in 14 Years After E-Day, 4 and 5 are found in Trial By Fire, 6 in Fish in a Barrel, 7 can be found in Knock Knock, 8 and 9 in Hammer and 10, 11 and 12 are found in China Shop.

Sections

Act 1 is split up into eight levels, or chapters. They are listed below:

List of Acts in Gears of War
1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5