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The Gnasher Shotgun[1] was a short-barreled, stockless, lever-action military shotgun that was commonly deployed by the Coalition of Ordered Governments' Gears. It was relatively small and easy to aim, making it exceptionally useful for close quarters combat, and was a reliable and rugged weapon.
History[]
As the COG's standard-issue shotgun, the Gnasher fired 12-gauge buckshot rounds, spraying nine pellets of shot per shell in a cone. Because of its wide spread and high power, the Gnasher was not particularly difficult to aim and was often capable of taking down man-sized targets in a single shot. The Gnasher also has decent range for a shotgun, capable of inflicting (albeit minimal) harm to targets up to 8 meters away.[2]
Despite the Gnasher's origins in the COG, like most weapons it was eventually taken into the hands of the Locust Horde, specifically the Grenadier class of Drone. Grenadiers often used the Gnasher to lethal effect against the COG.
As long as eighteen months after the Sinking of Jacinto, Gears, Locust, Lambent, and Stranded gangs alike utilized the Gnasher in combat against one another.
Attacking[]
A dedicated close-quarters weapon, the Gnasher lacked the range of many contemporary firearms, but had devastating power. A point blank, full contact shot would often kill its target outright in a shower of gore. At close range, the Gnasher could down human-sized targets in two or three shots, but its performance fell off significantly at further ranges.
Execution[]
The Gnasher's execution involved grabbing the shotgun by the barrel and smashing the downed enemy's head with the butt of the shotgun, much like a golf club. This execution was introduced in Gears of War 2 and remained in Gears of War 3 and Judgment. It was changed slightly in Gears of War 4, where the execution involved stomping on the downed enemy's right leg, causing them to flinch upright, and then smashing their head with the butt of the shotgun.
Gears Tactics[]
The Gnasher is the primary weapon of the Scout class. It boasts the highest base damage of any weapon, but is limited by its short range and small ammo capacity.
Base Stats[]
- Damage: 350
- Crit Chance: 20%
- Crit Damage: +100%
- Range: 3 Meters
- Ammo Capacity: 3
Behind the scenes[]
- The Gnasher placed second on Gears of War's "Top 5 Weapons." [1]
- When a player reloads the shotgun, the character flip-cocks the lever.
- This technique was popularized by, and is likely a reference to, Terminator 2: Judgment Day .
- Regardless of how many shells have been fired, the player will always reload three shells.
- The Gnasher has undergone several visual, audio, and functional overhauls throughout the series.
- Having the Veteran Gear achievement from Gears of War 2 unlocks a golden weapon skin for the Gnasher in Gears of War 3.[3]
- In the Gears of War 3 campaign, Act 4 Chapter 1, two Stranded can be seen armed with Gnashers, with one asking the other to show him the "two piece" again. The two piece is a popular technique used by players online in which the player first melees their target, damaging and briefly stunning them, and then follows up with a Gnasher shot for an easy kill.
- As of January 2012, the Gnasher Shotgun is the most used weapon in Gears of War 3, according to epicgames.com.
- It is one of the few weapons that could be fitted into the Savage Locust's Multi-Turret, along with the Mk 1 Lancer Assault Rifle and Boomshot Grenade Launcher.[4]
- Gears of War 4 introduced a tactical shell holder mounted on the right side of the shotgun, though this is simply aesthetic.
Appearances[]
- Gears of War: Judgment
- RAAM's Shadow
- Gears of War (First appearance)
- Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
- Gears of War 2
- Gears of War 3
- Gears of War 4
- Gears 5