Gears of War: E-Day Best Horde Siege Builds: Classes, Skills and Loadouts

In Gears of War: E-Day, the builds in this guide will help you survive the Locust assault and reach extraction in Horde Siege. We cover Assault, Breacher, Marksman, and Medic, including which weapons to bring, which mods to unlock first, and where to spend Energy. We also explain which class fits each playstyle and how to assemble a squad that will not collapse during the first difficult wave.

Which class should you choose in Horde Siege?

If you are entering the mode for the first time, we recommend Assault. It performs well at mid-range and rewards the classic Gears playstyle of firing from cover. Pick Medic if you want to spend more time keeping teammates alive. Marksman suits players who prefer precision shots and priority targets, while Breacher is built for aggressive close-range combat. Breacher is especially demanding when it comes to timing because diving into a crowd is easy. Getting back out alive is the interesting part.A quick way to choose your build:

• Assault - cover fire and stuns. Prototype Lancer, Sonic Disruptor, and bonus damage against Stunned enemies.
• Breacher - close-range damage and healing from kills. Incinerator, Gnasher, and Adrenaline Injector for short high-risk pushes.
• Marksman - critical damage and scouting. Longshot, Hammerburst, and Pulse Drone for revealing enemies.
• Medic - healing and objective support. Hammerburst, Gut-Puncher, and Stim Vaporizer.

These are our recommended setups for different roles, not a promise that every build performs identically on every map. For mods whose localized wording is unclear, we use the English in-game name. If you cannot find a card in your menu, compare its effect as well as the title. The weapons translated as Incinerator, Longshot, and Gut-Puncher use those exact names in the English interface.

How class skills and mods work

Every class has a passive bonus, its own Tactical Gear, and a separate progression track up to level 30. The passive defines the class's main strength, while Tactical Gear provides an active ability with a cooldown. Your build is then completed with Armor Mods, Weapon Mods, and Tactical Gear Mods. Start by looking for effects that work together. A stun plus bonus damage against Stunned targets is much more useful than several unrelated upgrades that rarely interact.Weapon Mods first unlock through class progression and are then purchased with Weapon Parts. A weapon's customization in Horde Siege is shared across classes, so a Prototype Lancer you have already modified keeps those mods when another class equips it. That makes it reasonable to invest in one favorite weapon first before expanding your arsenal. Character skins are cosmetic and can be chosen independently. If you want to unlock more of them, see our Gears of War: E-Day skins guide.The mods below are listed in the order we recommend for each build. If a weapon, card, or extra slot is still locked, begin with the part of the setup you already have and expand it as you level. The alternatives are there specifically so the build remains playable before every ideal piece is unlocked. You do not need to buy the entire loadout before your first mission.

Best Assault build - cover, stuns, and reliable damage

Assault deals increased damage while in cover. Its Sonic Disruptor Stuns Drones and interrupts attacks from other enemies in a cone in front of the player. That is the core of this setup: stop the push, fire from a protected position, and recover through successful kills. It works especially well on defensive objectives where the Locust are already moving toward your position.

Assault weapons and mods

Build the core loadout like this:

• Primary weapon - Prototype Lancer. Prioritize Cover Brace, Full Metal Jacket, Holo Sight, and Chainsaw Autoloader.
• Secondary weapon - Hammerburst. Prioritize Full Metal Jacket, Precision Rifling, Headhunter Burst, and Combat Scope. It is useful when you need more precise target selection at mid-range.
• Sidearm - Snub. Concussion Ammo works well for extra control. Follow it with Forged Barrel, Aim Stabilizer, and whichever optic you prefer.
• Equipment - Stun Grenade. If it is still locked, take a Frag Grenade instead. For longer defensive objectives, you can replace the grenade with available deployable equipment, but both occupy the same slot.

Cover Brace greatly improves accuracy while firing from cover and helps you take advantage of Assault's passive bonus without excessive spread. Full Metal Jacket grants stronger Perfect Ammo after a Perfect Reload. Chainsaw Autoloader grants a Perfect Reload after a chainsaw execution, giving you another way to return to a fully effective magazine when an enemy gets close. Do not leave a strong firing position just to force this interaction unless the opportunity is genuinely safe.

Armor and Sonic Disruptor mods

For Armor Mods, prioritize Opportunity Targeting, which increases damage against Stunned enemies, and Best Defense, which heals you when you kill enemies from cover. The first supports the main stun-damage loop, while the second helps sustain you through longer fights. If you are losing too much health before securing the first kill, replace one of them with Hardened Cover for better defense while in cover. The right choice depends on why you are going down: not enough damage or too much incoming fire.For the Sonic Disruptor, prioritize:

1. Retention Battery - increases Disruptor duration.
2. Burst Capacitor - improves its cooldown.
3. Reload Servo - deploying the Disruptor grants a full Perfect Magazine.

Before a wave, choose cover with a clear view of the main approach and a second escape route. Use the Disruptor when enemies are actually close enough to threaten the position, then immediately focus fire on the Stunned targets. The device works in front of you, so poor facing can leave the main threat outside the cone. If a teammate is reviving someone, controlling the enemies around them can be more valuable than chasing extra kills.

Best Breacher build - close-range aggression without constant DBNOs

Breacher is designed for close-range combat and has improved resistance to melee damage and status effects. The Adrenaline Injector immediately restores health and grants Adrenaline, reducing incoming damage while increasing the damage you deal. We recommend building around close-range kills that keep your weapon loaded and your health up. Pick a good target, activate your tools, and then close the distance. Do not sprint into a full firing line just because the class is called Breacher.

Breacher weapons and mods

For close-range combat, use:

• Primary weapon - Incinerator. Breacher unlocks it at level 9. Prioritize Volatile Payload, Auto-Canister, and Cylinder Choke.
• Secondary weapon - Gnasher. Prioritize Springloaded Mag, Full Metal Jacket, High Capacity Mag, and Bayonet.
• Sidearm - Snub. Invest in your primary weapons first. Basic accuracy and magazine upgrades are enough for the pistol.
• Equipment - Frag Grenade. Save it for groups or objectives where an explosion clears the route faster than ordinary gunfire.

Until the Incinerator unlocks, use the Gnasher for close-range work and the Hammerburst for enemies that are too dangerous to approach. Once the Incinerator is available, the second slot can stay on the shotgun if you want to continue pushing without waiting for a long reload. Two short-range weapons are not ideal for every mission, however. On open maps, keeping a rifle is often the smarter choice. Do not spend Energy swapping equipment simply to match a written build when the next objective clearly demands something else.

Armor and Adrenaline Injector mods

The key Armor Mod pair is Proximity Reload and Proximity Regen. The first grants a Perfect Reload after a close-range kill, while the second heals you. Until Proximity Regen is available, Proximity Scavenger is a useful replacement because close-range kills can drop ammunition. These effects need you to actually finish enemies. A long duel with one heavy target does not sustain the build as well as a chain of kills against normal enemies.For the Injector, prioritize:

1. Burst Capacitor - improves Injector cooldown.
2. Retention Battery - extends Adrenaline duration.
3. Regenerative Compound - improves health regeneration while Adrenaline is active.

Activate the Injector when you are about to enter a dangerous close-range fight or after taking damage when you still have a safe opportunity to keep pushing. After each kill, reassess the next target and your escape route. Adrenaline expires, but the exposed flank remains. Against large enemies, use the gaps between their attacks and rely on squad support. Even with a strong Gnasher setup, range and weak-point accuracy still matter against armored targets.

Best Marksman build - critical hits and useful Pulses

Marksman gains increased critical damage, while the Pulse Drone reveals enemies for the squad. This build is designed around priority targets that are better removed before they reach your frontline. Accuracy, ammunition, and the ability to switch weapons quickly are more important than stubbornly staying scoped in. If several shots in a row miss, reposition or switch weapons before your teammates get surrounded.

Marksman weapons and mods

For long and mid-range combat, use:

• Primary weapon - Longshot. Prioritize Precision Long Barrel, Full Metal Jacket, Forged Barrel, and Marksman Scope.
• Secondary weapon - Hammerburst. Prioritize Full Metal Jacket, Holo Sight, Composite Chassis, and Springloaded Mag.
• Sidearm - Snub. Aim Stabilizer and an available magazine upgrade help when you need an emergency backup.
• Equipment - Frag Grenade. Use it when enemies bunch together or when you need to create space for a retreat.

Precision Long Barrel increases critical damage and accuracy while also allowing rounds to pass through multiple lined-up targets. A comfortable scope helps you find the next target faster, so choose one that matches the sightlines on the map. The Hammerburst handles situations where taking time for a Longshot shot has become too dangerous. If an enemy reaches you, swap weapons and rebuild distance before returning to precision fire.

Armor and Pulse Drone mods

For a Pulse-focused build, we recommend Cash Back, which gives Pulsed kills a chance to supply ammunition, and Stay Frosty, which improves defense and weapon stability while aiming. Cash Back is chance-based, so it helps with ammo economy but does not create an infinite supply. If Active Reload timing is your biggest problem, try Muscle Memory, which increases the Active Reload window and Perfect Ammo duration. Mag Triage is another useful alternative because Perfect Reloads heal you.Upgrade the Pulse Drone in this order:

1. Focal Lens - increases Pulse Drone range.
2. Burst Capacitor - improves cooldown.
3. Retention Battery - extends Drone duration.

Take a position that overlooks the approaches to the current objective and Pulse enemies before the main exchange begins. Prioritize the threat that can damage the squad fastest: a heavy gunner, a flanking enemy, or a target with an exposed weak point. Stay close enough that the squad can still support you. When the objective moves, move with it. A perfect sniper position is useless if the actual fight has already shifted two streets away.

Best Medic build - healing, revives, and group damage

Medic has faster health regeneration, and the Stim Vaporizer heals and revives Gears inside its area, including players from other squads. We recommend building around frequent Stim usage while also protecting the Medic's own survivability. A living support player can still recover a bad push. A downed Medic lying next to everyone else is mainly participating in the atmosphere.

Medic weapons and mods

For mid-range support, use:

• Primary weapon - Hammerburst. Prioritize Full Metal Jacket, Holo Sight, Huge Magazine, and Incendiary Ammo. Use it for normal firefights and save your Gut-Puncher ammunition for targets that justify it.
• Secondary weapon - Gut-Puncher. Medic unlocks it at level 9. Prioritize Shaped Charge, Overcharged Ammo, Concussion Rounds, and Extended Belt.
• Sidearm - Snub. Basic accuracy and magazine upgrades are enough while most of your investment goes into the rifle and launcher.
• Equipment - Frag Grenade. On defensive objectives, you can replace it with available deployable equipment after coordinating the purchase with the squad.

Until the Gut-Puncher unlocks, use the available Lancer Mk1 and your preferred secondary. The Gut-Puncher is excellent against groups and can also close E-Holes, but its ammunition is limited. Check the target before spending a grenade round. A lone weak enemy is usually better handled with your rifle so you still have explosive ammunition when the next dense wave arrives.

Armor and Stim Vaporizer mods

For Armor Mods, start with Flesh Wounds and Combat Lifesaver, unlocked at levels 3 and 8 respectively. Flesh Wounds improves your health regeneration, while Combat Lifesaver improves sprint speed and defense while reviving. If status effects are repeatedly causing problems, consider Thick Skin, which reduces their duration and damage.For the Stim Vaporizer, prioritize:

1. Burst Capacitor - lowers the cooldown so the field is available more often.
2. Focal Lens - increases range and makes it easier to cover teammates spread across nearby positions.
3. Vitality Emitter - increases healing from the Stim waves and removes Stunned. If sustained coverage on one defensive position matters more, use Retention Battery instead.

Stay near the center of your squad so you can reach the frontline while still having cover nearby. Deploy the field when several teammates lose a large amount of health or to bring DBNO players back up before they die. If someone must interact with an exposed objective, placing healing near them in advance can make the interaction much safer. The Stim Vaporizer does not replace taking cover from heavy fire and cannot respawn a player who has already died and needs to return through their COG Tags.

Best squad composition for difficult missions

For a coordinated four-player squad, we recommend one of each class as the easiest starting point. Medic handles healing, Assault controls incoming pushes, Marksman removes priority targets, and Breacher stops anything that breaks through at close range. The roles are clear before the squad even deploys. If nobody enjoys Marksman, replacing it with a second Assault is perfectly reasonable. Confident play on a familiar class is more valuable than forcing a composition nobody wants to use.During long defenses, assign directions in advance. During moving objectives, decide who leads the route. Medic should not have to chase a Breacher who sprinted halfway across the district alone, and Marksman should not keep guarding an objective the squad has already abandoned. When another squad joins the same major fight, take advantage of the extra firepower, but keep your own extraction and mission goal in mind.

Which Squad Skills should you upgrade first?

Squad Skills are separate from personal mods because all four members of your squad benefit from them. They are found during missions, including through Secondary Objectives and Invasion Events, and are upgraded with Energy at Supply Caches. Any squad member can buy the next level. Decide in advance who is spending on team upgrades so everyone does not burn their Energy on personal gear at the same time.Choose from the available Squad Skills based on the current problem:

• Tactical Cooldown - when the squad needs the Stim Vaporizer, Sonic Disruptor, Pulse Drone, and Adrenaline Injector more often.
• Increased Damage - when everyone is surviving but heavy enemies take too long to kill.
• Increased Health - when players are going DBNO before they have time to react.
• Critical Damage - for squads that consistently hit enemy weak points.
• Cache Discount - when a lot of the mission remains and the team expects to make several more purchases.

Do not design your entire build around one specific Squad Skill appearing because it may not drop during the current run. Also avoid using old beta prices and percentages as live values. Upgrade costs increased by launch and several effects changed. Check the current description and price in your version of the game. Energy buys temporary squad strength for the current mission, while Weapon Parts are used for permanent Weapon Mod progression.

How to level your build and keep Weapon Parts

Start with one class and one main weapon, then unlock the most important effects for that combination. Short Blitz missions are useful when learning a new setup because they let you practice the combat loop while reaching extraction more frequently. Take Secondary Objectives when the squad has enough resources and control to complete them safely. To keep the Weapon Parts collected during a mission, the squad needs a successful extraction. A huge bag of loot does not make a failed deployment profitable if none of it comes home.Consider class level together with the mods you have unlocked and how reliably your squad performs. The developers recommend approximately levels 10-20 for Infantry, 20-30 for Commander, and maximum class level for Allfather. These are recommendations rather than guarantees. Reaching level 30 does not compensate for the wrong weapons or a squad that refuses to coordinate. If extraction regularly fails on the current difficulty, stabilize the build on easier missions first.Do not mix Horde Siege progression with Campaign upgrade routes. The Campaign has its own rewards, which we cover in our guide to all Secondary Objectives in Gears of War: E-Day. In Horde Siege, focus on class progression and Weapon Parts earned in the mode. Before deployment, check which cards are actually equipped. Before the final fight, check your ammunition and Tactical Gear cooldowns. These simple steps often do more for a successful extraction than one extra theoretical upgrade.