The Gears of War 2 Horde mode consists of 50 waves of locusts. Each wave has a certain number of locusts you must defeat in order to progress onto the next wave. If you are truly serious about getting a high score in the leaderboards for Gears of War 2 Horde, then you should play only with friends, in private Horde mode, and on the Hardcore (or Insane) difficulties.
In order to do well, you need a unique strategy and camping location for each map. However, there are general rules that you have to follow in any horde match. This guide gives 10 rules that you need to follow if you are serious about reaching wave 50 of Horde on the Hardcore difficulty.
1. Team Communication – It is essential that everyone on your team has the ability to communicate. This usually means each person needs a microphone and has to be able to talk with the rest of the team. Without communication, it is not possible to warn your teammates about a threat that they are unaware of, and this will lead to a sure loss for your team.
2. Camp – Everyone on your team HAS to camp to succeed in Gears of War 2 Horde. This means you have to select a certain area on the map where your whole team has to stay. You CANNOT leave your camp in the middle of a wave for any reason.
3. Use Shields – Recently, Epic updated Gears of War 2 so that locusts can now kick down shields that are placed backwards (facing the entrance), which was not previously possible for locusts to do, which means backward shields can get knocked down. Nonetheless, you NEED to use shields. Without shields, Horde is IMPOSSIBLE! You will need AT LEAST 2-4 shields blockading the entrance to your camp, and at least 2-3 additional shields inside your camp for further protection and also for emergencies.
If you are holding a shield, and press L-trigger to block with it, you will become immune to most damage. Maulers can still kill you, an ink thrown by Kantus will hurt you, a grenade thrown by a grenadier will hurt you unless your shield is facing the frag, and splash damage from a boomshot or torque bow will still damage you unless of course your shield is facing the point of impact. A general rule of thumb is “the more shields, the better”. You can NEVER have too many shields. Also not that at the start of every wave, you HAVE to re-plant all the shields otherwise they will disappear within 15 seconds.
4. Stock Ammo – A Wretch (also Butchers) is the most valuable enemy in this game when you play Horde. DO NOT kill Wretches. Leave at least 1 (ideally more than 1) wretch alive. Wretches are mostly helpless and really cannot kill you unless you are very careless. If the last enemy of the wave is a Wretch, you can simply leave it alive, and your whole team can leave the camp and stock up on guns and ammo while that 1 Wretch is alive. When finished, everyone get inside the camp and kill the final Wretch to finish the wave and start the next one. This is the ONLY time in Horde when you should leave your camp, when the last enemy is a Wretch.
5. Sires – Be very scared of Sires. These creatures will knock your shield down without even trying. If there is a Sire anywhere close to your shields, get your whole team to kill it immediately as it will knock down all of your shields in a matter of seconds. Sires are start showing up in waves ending with 6.