Gears of War: E-Day Prototype Lancer — Damage, Reload, Chainsaw
Weekend 2 tuning, mid-range habits, and five chainsaw executions for the Crush the Bug Icon.
The Prototype Lancer is E-Day’s chainsaw rifle — the battlefield kit-bash that becomes the franchise’s signature gun. During Open Beta it is also a challenge weapon: the Crush the Bug Icon needs five Prototype Lancer chainsaw executions before the August 17 cutoff. The August 12 Weekend 2 patch changed how the gun shoots: higher base damage, lower perfect Active Reload bonus. This page covers both the combat habit and the execution grind.
Patch list: Weekend 2 patch. Reload HUD: Active Reload. Class kits that start with the rifle: Siege Classes. Reward table: Open Beta rewards.
What Weekend 2 changed
Early Access feedback said the Prototype Lancer felt weak unless you hit a perfect reload every magazine. The Coalition answered with a consistency pass, not a new fire mode:
- Base damage up — mid-range body shots matter even on a standard reload
- Perfect-reload damage down — the Active Reload window is still worth hitting, but it is no longer the only way the gun works
In Versus that makes the Lancer an honest answer to players who only slide with a Gnasher. In Horde it means Assault and Marksman can hold a street without praying for a perfect every time. Hit detection in Horde also improved the same day — if a burst “whiffed” in week one, try the same angle again before you swap weapons.
Aim-assist text in the beta settings menu is still incomplete. Practical rule: default assist in Versus, Snap Aim and Lock-On in Campaign and Horde only. Aim Assist Settings.
How to fight with it
The Prototype Lancer is a mid-range rifle with a melee finisher. Stay outside Gnasher hug range and inside Longshot charge time. Use cover that still exists after micro-destruction — wooden crates are not a plan. Burst, reload, reposition. A perfect Active Reload is a bonus magazine, not a religion.
| Situation | Do this |
|---|---|
| Versus lane on Outpost | Hold the angle, punish sliders who stop short |
| Market interiors | Hip to Gnasher if the fight collapses; do not spray the rifle around corners |
| Horde street / R.I.G. | Assault default; Sonic Disruptor then Lancer the stunned pack |
| Horde pad | Mid-range clean-up while Breacher holds the lip |
| Execution hunt | Soft a target first; chainsaw a downed or staggered Locust, not a full-health Boomer |
Assault starts on the Prototype Lancer and should keep it as the flexible gun. Marksman pairs it with Longshot — Lancer for anything that closes after a Pulse Drone tag. Breacher should not live on the rifle. Medic can use it between revives.
Horde Weapon Mods can nudge the Lancer once you buy them with extracted Weapon Parts. Versus never gets those mods. Do not practice a Horde attachment and expect it in Ranked.
Chainsaw executions for the Crush the Bug Icon
The Icon is five Prototype Lancer chainsaw executions, not five melee kills with other weapons and not five chainsaw revvs that get canceled. Practical farm before the beta closes:
- Equip the Prototype Lancer — another rifle will not credit the challenge.
- Prefer Horde Siege on Infantry. Locust give more execution opportunities than Versus players who slide away.
- Soft targets with bullets or a teammate’s stun (Assault Sonic Disruptor helps), then finish with the chainsaw.
- Wretches and downed Drones are faster than hero-sawing a Tank.
- Versus still counts if you can catch a downed opponent, but it is slower and saltier. Use it only if you are already in a Social match for headshots.
Revving the saw has audio. In Versus that is a warning. In Horde it is fine if your squad covers you. Taking damage while revving can stumble the animation — do not start a saw in a Corpser slam. Invasion Events are the wrong time to farm the Icon.
Progress on the five executions carried from Early Access into General Open Beta. If you have three, you need two more before August 17 at 10:00 AM PT, not a fresh set of five.
Active Reload after the damage split
Center-reticle Active Reload is the E-Day default. A perfect still speeds the magazine and adds some damage — just less than week one. A failed window is slower than a calm standard reload. If you panic-mash, you lose the gunfight the August 12 notes tried to make fair. Practice in Combat Training or a quiet Blitz, then take it to Versus. Controls if you need to move the binding.
Related pages
- Weekend 2 patch — official Lancer line
- Gnasher Combat Guide — what beats you up close
- Open Beta rewards — Icon plus the rest of Crush the Bug
- How to Extract — do not die farming saws on the pad
- Weapon Tier List — post-buff ranks
- Active Reload — HUD options
- Guides Hub — tutorial index
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers for Emergence Day prep and launch week.
What did the August 12 patch do to the Prototype Lancer?
It increased base damage and reduced the perfect Active Reload damage bonus, so mid-range fire is more consistent without a perfect reload every magazine.
How do I unlock the Crush the Bug Icon?
Perform five Prototype Lancer chainsaw executions during the Open Beta. Other melee weapons do not count. Progress carries between the two August weekends on the same account.
Is Horde or Versus better for chainsaw executions?
Horde Siege on Infantry is faster because Locust present more finishable targets. Versus can count but players slide away and the rev is loud.
Do Lancer Weapon Mods work in Versus?
No. Weapon Mods are Horde Siege and other PvE. Versus uses identical fair-start loadouts.
Which class should main the Prototype Lancer?
Assault is the default owner. Marksman uses it when targets close. Breacher should stay on close-range tools except for a mid-range swap.