The Silverback Rocket Launcher is the Silverback's secondary weapon after the Chain Gun. This tri-barrelled rocket launcher could only be fired when the Silverback prones itself on the ground to absorb recoil.
The damage done by the Rocket Launcher is severe, as the weapon could switch between launching one precise rocket or all three at the same time, depending on its application and use.
Strategy[]
In Gears of War 3, the Rocket Launcher is a dangerous weapon to both the target and the user. The explosive radius of the Rocket Launcher is the same as the Boomshot Grenade Launcher or a Bolo Grenade, which means it could deal with swarms of enemies as well as heavier units and even bosses. The Rocket Launcher could only launch one rocket at a time with a magazine of four before needing to reload. The fact that the Silverback needs to be immobile and prone in order to fire the weapon, may make the Rocket Launcher situational as an enemy could easily bypass and flank the Silverback if he/she is not careful.
The Rocket Launcher returns as a campaign-only weapon in Gears 5. In Act 2: Chapter 1, the Rocket Launcher fires all three rockets simultaneously in a burstfire cycle, rather than the single shot from Gears 3. The one from the Riftworm Village has unlimited ammunition, so the only thing the player needs to worry is being flanked. On Act 3 however, the Silverback found in the RNV Borascu has limited ammunition. It has a max rocket load of 36 rockets and must fight against the extremely agile and fast Leech Flock (of which thee are two of them) and infected Rejects.
Fortunately, the Rejects are easy to deal with and the Rocket Launcher has limited homing capabilities (most likely heat-seeking), ensuring each shot hits. Moreover, the Rocket Launcher's magazine could hold up to 12 rockets, three times that in Gears 3; the damage done by the rockets is immense against the Flock, reducing it with one and a half dozen rockets.
Appearances[]
- Gears of War 3 (First appearance)
- Gears 5
Behind the Scenes[]
- Originally (as pictured above), the Rocket Launcher was meant to be wieldable by normal infantry. Why it was shifted as Silverback exclusive is unknown.
- Why the Rocket Launcher has such a drastic change in its internal magazine, let alone firing type is unknown.
- It is unknown why the Rocket Launcher never makes an appearance in Elizabeth Carmine's Silverback ability, given that it is balanced by a lack of mobility.