Overview:
+Estimated achievement difficulty: 7/10
+Offline: 61 (1245)
+Online: 21 (755)
+Approximate amount of time to 1245 (offline): 150+ hours
+Approximate amount of time to 755 (online): 500+ hours
+Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 2 (Possibly 1, see Step 1a)
+Number of missable achievements: None (Chapter Select)
+Do cheat codes disable achievements? Mutators are safe to use.
+Does difficulty affect achievements? Yes (Campaign only)
+Glitchy achievements? None
+Unobtainable achievements? None
+Extra equipment needed? No
Introduction:
Welcome to the COG! Err.. actually the COG disbanded, sorry about that! Gears of War 3 is the end to a fantastic third-person sci-fi shooter trilogy. The achievements in this one are fairly straightforward (as they were in the other two), but will take quite a bit of time. You're looking at two plays of the campaign, and hundreds of hours playing all the other game modes to obtain Seriously 3.0 - or you can cut it short at 900/1000 with much less work. I put the difficulty at 6/10 mostly due to completing Horde on Insane for one of the Onyx medals is rendered cake with the use of mutators. The campaign is not all that difficult (even on Insane, especially playing in Arcade co-op or with the Casual/Insane trick, or with mutators), and despite the need to spend hundreds of hours on the achievements, that doesn't make the achievements themselves "difficult."
There is an achievement tracker in the game's Stats & Awards menu that is extremely detailed. If you're not sure what exactly you may be missing for an achievement (such as a weapon execution or kill with locust characters in Beast mode), check there and it should help you figure it out.
Step 1a: Insane Arcade Playthrough
If you have a friend or can find someone willing to help you, you can go straight for the Insane achievement using Arcade mode. Since the host controls the difficulty here, even someone who has not started the campaign yet can get credit for beating the game on Insane if the host has unlocked it and uses it. If you also do this with a full group and find all the collectibles, you will only need one playthrough of the campaign. Otherwise, do Step 1b and proceed to Step 2 to use the more traditional two playthrough approach.
Step 1b: Casual, Normal or Hard Campaign Playthrough
You'll need to play the campaign once to unlock Insane difficulty if you can't find help doing Step 1a or just choose not to. I would suggest getting your collectibles on this playthrough so that you don't have to worry about them on a harder difficulty. I wouldn't bother doing the 4-player co-op achievement here unless you already have a few friends lined up, you can save that for the next step as it will help make that easier anyway.
Step 2: Insane Campaign Playthrough
Now you'll want to find three people to join you and play through the entire game in 4-player co-op to unlock both of those achievements. Play on Arcade mode to make it much easier, net another achievement and work toward some of the medals for Seriously 3.0 as well.
Step 3: Horde and Beast
There are only a few achievements actually associated with these game modes, so complete each to their "ends" (wave 50 for Horde, 12 for Beast) and get the few medals leveled up that have their own achievements. Those will come while working on Step 4 though, so you don't really need to worry too much about them here.
Step 4: Seriously 3.0
Alright, here it is. Epic's final hurrah. The full medal list can be found linked under the achievement in the guide section. This will take hundreds of hours to complete, so make sure you've got some patience and actually enjoy the game! Also, if you'll be using a method to boost any games played while you're away, make sure to install the game and get a wired controller or charge kit so your system/disc doesn't die and the controller doesn't shut off.
Step 5: Horde Command Pack DLC
This DLC is extremely easy. Basically you'll be grinding out some fortifications to unlock the Silverback's rocket function and max out your Command Center, then finding a group of 3-5 players to do the online achievements.
Step 6: RAAM's Shadow DLC
Another fairly easy set of DLC achievements. The time and difficulty are extremely dependent on how lucky you are finding or setting up boosting methods to get your executions on Kim. Otherwise, not much to it.
Step 7: Fenix Rising DLC
The time for this one is going to depend highly on what level you were and how many ribbons you had when you started. If you were already level 100 with all 132 ribbons, you'll just need to grind to level 100 again. If you were only halfway on both those goals, you'll need considerably more time. The difficulty is largely based on the annoyance of a few ribbons that take some luck or coordination. Definitely the hardest and most time consuming DLC yet, but still not too horribly difficult.
Step 8: Forces of Nature DLC
This DLC for the most part is incredibly easy with boosting parties. Without them, it becomes difficult as well as time consuming. At this point, "I've Got This" will be the most difficult to earn since your fortifications will mostly be done.
Conclusion:
Much like the other games in the series, you'll have an extremely enjoyable campaign experience and very deep online game modes to enjoy. The achievements will take a long time to complete, but aren't all that difficult really.
x360a would like to thank The Pants Party and lifeexpectancy for this roadmap
Gears of War 3 Achievement Guide
Show completed achievements
Show secret achievements
There are 82 achievements with a total of 2000 points
Insane difficulty is unlocked by first completing the game on any other difficulty. I would suggest saving your Insane playthrough to couple with the 4-player "We Few, We Happy Few..." achievement, as that will make it quite a bit easier. Playing in Arcade mode, you will respawn so long as one person alive, so this will also help. See Step 1a of the Road Map for a trick to skip right to this difficulty, though you'll need a friend who has already unlocked Insane to help you with it.
The other campaign trick from Gears 2 returns in this game as well. If you have a friend who would like to help you, they can set their difficulty in co-op to Casual while you play on Insane, and they will be able to mow down all the enemies while you hang back out of danger. So long as your personal difficulty is set to Insane you'll get credit for it - however, they will not. This does not work in Arcade mode though - everyone gets set to the host's difficulty.
You can also use mutators and still receive this, which makes it even easier yet. In the Chapter Select menu, you will see an icon in the upper right corner indicating which difficulty you have completed it in.
Collectibles save instantly, so if you play casually and need to go back for anything, just load up the appropriate chapter, grab the collectible and you can immediately exit and load then next chapter you need.
Act I
Prologue - Troubled Past
COG 1/15: As soon as you have control of Marcus, exit the room and look to the right at the closed door. Face it and press to kick it down. The COG is on the floor.
Chapter 1 - Anchored
COG 2/15: After the helicopter cutscene and once you've cleared the deck for the second time and before you head up to the upper decks, keep to the left side of the boat. You'll spot a container with the Omen logo on it. Head past and behind this, and then turn around and look up onto the walkway above. You'll see a dead body hanging off the edge and the Tags. Shoot the body once, to make the Tags drop down.
Chapter 3 - Homecoming
COG 3/15: Once you're in control of the Loader, kick down the first obstacle. Now exit the Loader and head past the Food Supplies and into a open room in the right corner. The Tags are on the desk up ahead.
Chapter 4 - Helping Hand
COG 4/15: Once you have your ammo and the guy opens the new gate for you, turn left and stick to the brick wall. Just down off the side near the waters edge and next to a dead body, you'll find the Tags.
Chapter 6 - Hanging by a Thread
COG 5/15: A little on from the Bayonet, you'll encounter some more Locust. Deal with them, then look for the white van to the left. Next to this, you'll see a laddar heading down beside the bridge. Head down it and follow the walkway to the first centre section. The Tags are on the other side of the small barricade.
Act II
Chapter 1 - Shipwreck
COG 6/15: In the area you rescue your team, look for the container with the Omen icon on it (It's near the waters edge). Look behind this and the Tags are on the floor.
Chapter 3 - Forced Entry
COG 7/15: To obtain these Tags you'll have to kill the 5 lookout Locust without them sounding off any alert horns. If done without any alerts, a side entrance will open. Once you've entered the new route, just follow the path and the Tags are on the level below next to some ammo.
Chapter 5 - Hijack
COG 8/15: From the same gate look across to the stairs the other side. When on the 2nd floor, enter the building right in front of you. The Tags are down to your left.
Act III
Chapter 2 - Rescue
COG 9/15: During the Lambant Berzerker fight within the fort, look for the big lit up metal door to the right of the wall the Berzerker jumped over. Just to left of this are the Tags.
Chapter 4 - Ghost Town
COG 10/15: After the Note and in the next courtyard, look for a little stall inside the blocked off Deli building that says 'Fresh Meat'. Head into the side room on the right (or you can jump over the counter) and then head through the door in the corner and into the back room to find the Tags.
Act IV
Chapter 1 - Ashes to Ashes
COG 11/15: Just after the guy pushes the container full of Lambent Pollops at you, head up the slope and head for the crumbled building on the far left. Inside opposite the barrel are the Tags.
Chapter 5 - Bon Voyage
COG 12/15: When given the choice, take the 'Dockyard (search for fuel)' path. During the first fight in this area, you'll be alongside a docked ship. Head up the stairs to your right then over the ship and then when you're off the ship, do a u-turn on yourself to the right. Head up to the containers and the Tags are on the floor.
Act V
Chapter 2 - Blackout
COG 13/15: Before you take the lifts up to the new area, push the button between the 2 crates to open the garage and grab the Silverback. Once you're on the new floor head into the room marked 'Storage 3' on your left. Kick down the door in the corner and the Tags will be there on the right.
Chapter 3 - Shattered Paradise
COG 14/15: After the previous collectable you'll come to a hall where you'll be ambushed by some Locust. At the other end of this hall, next to a dead body and a planter, you'll find the Tags.
Chapter 5 - Ascension
COG 15/15: Once you've dealt with the Queen and entered darkish room. Look in the back right corner. On the wall should be an Omen sign and next to that some crates. Smash the crates to reveal the Tags.
I would save this for your second playthrough on Insane. Having real teammates will make it much easier compared to using the AI. Or if you're not worried about the difficulty playing solo/with less people, you can run this on Casual to get through it a bit quicker. You also may as well turn on Arcade to knock out "Welcome to Arcade Mode."
In the Chapter Select menu, you will see an icon in the bottom right corner which will represent what type of co-op you completed it in.
Executions can be done from the start in Standard Campaign mode, so work on that first. Otherwise, you'll need to get 200 kills with the five main weapons (first five listed below) or 40 kills with the other weapons to unlock their execution moves for any Versus game modes. This can be easily done in local matches against bots. Use every weapon on a map, then switch. Once you down an enemy, stand next to them and hold to use your equipped weapon's execution move (unless otherwise noted). You will need to use all of the below executions:
Lancer
Hammerburst
Retro Lancer
Gnasher Shotgun
Sawed-Off Shotgun
Gorgon Pistol
Boltok Pistol
Boomshot
Digger Launcher
Hammer of Dawn
Mulcher
Mortar
One-Shot
Scorcher
Torque Bow
Longshot
Cleaver
Shield Bash
Face Punch (COG + Snub Pistol)
Arm Rip (Locust + Snub Pistol)
Curb Stomp (tap instead of hold)
Neck Snap ( to make Meatshield + )
Chainsaw (Hold with Lancer equipped)
Bayonet Charge (Hold with Retro Lancer equipped)
People seem to be having the most trouble finding a Cleaver and the One-Shot. Cleavers can be found easily in Act 2, Chapter 2 (also, this execution needs to be done from the side of the enemy). The One-Shot can be found in Act 2, Chapter 3.
See "Welcome to Beast Mode" for a description of this game mode and a gameplay video. Here is a complete list of all the playable Locust that you will need a kill with to unlock this achievement.
Wild Ticker ($75)
Ticker ($75)
Wretch ($225)
Butcher ($300)
Savage Drone ($450)
Bloodmount ($750)
Savage Corpser ($900)
Kantus ($975)
Savage Grenadier ($1050)
Mauler ($1350)
Giant Serapede ($1350)
Boomer ($1500)
Savage Boomer ($1650)
Armored Kantus ($3375)
Berserker ($5625)
People seem to have difficulty getting a Wild Ticker kill. There are two ways to do this: you can either eat a grenade a blow up like a normal ticker, or use your weak melee attack on a downed enemy (have a friend help you or use two controllers).
Obviously this will be easiest on Casual, and with some co-op friends to help. You can complete this in any combination of maps, so long as you complete every numbered wave at some point. In other words, you can do Wave 1 on a map, then switch maps and do Waves 2-33, then switch again and do Wave 34-36 and finish Waves 37-50 on another map. It doesn't matter what maps you use for each wave, just so long as the wave was complete at some point.
You can buy back in if you die, so try to save up some money for the final boss wave. It costs $7500 at that point. Teammates can gift each other money if they are low. Also, don't waste money on too many fortifications during the boss waves, they tend to plow right through them anyway without much detriment to their health.
Using mutators will also help quite a bit; the top row contains helpful ones such as unlimited ammo, though these must first be unlocked. You can check their requirements in the Stats & Awards menu.
This medal requires you to complete 10 Horde Challenges. The challenges only appear every fourth wave (4, 8, 12, etc). They are small side missions tasking you with getting kills in specific ways such as chainsaws, executions, headshots, etc. Best done while playing Casual, especially if it gives you the chainsaw challenge. Must be done in co-op (can just be an idle second controller though).
This medal requires that you keep your multiplier maxed out in Arcade Campaign for 10 Chapters. You can do the same chapter repeatedly; Act 2, Chapter 7 being the easiest of them. The video below shows how, and can also be used for the "First Among Equals" achievement.
This medal requires that you gain the most points in Campaign Arcade 60 times. You can simply load up Act 2, Chapter 7 with an idle second controller on Casual to boost this. See the video in "All for One, One for All" for a walkthrough.
For a complete list of Onyx medals and their requirements scroll down, or you can check your progress in-game by going into the Stats & Awards section from the main menu. Is it quite a daunting task to max all these out, but aside from getting the online kills, they can be easily boosted or even left to run while you're away with a wired controller for the games played medals. It will still take a substantial investment of time to unlock this achievement. Hundreds of hours in the least.
As for getting to Level 100, you will earn experience in every game mode including Campaign, Beast and Horde. However, the main bulk of experience comes from the public Versus modes. I personally prefer either Team Deathmatch or Capture the Leader, but play whatever you're best at since doing well will obviously translate into earning the most points.
Once you have completed both requirements, the achievement will unlock. It does not matter which order you complete them in.
Onyx Medal Guide
You do not need to have participated in the beta or be Lv100 in Gears 2 to earn this achievement.
In total there are 65 onyx medals you need to earn in order to unlock the Seriously 3.0 achievement, you will also need to rank up to LV100 but that will most likely come naturally while going for the onyx medals. The medals have tiers, kind of like challenges in Halo: Reach. It goes bronze > silver > gold > onyx.
The information about every medal will look something like this:
NAME OF THE MEDAL
DESCRIPTION ( BRONZE / SILVER / GOLD / ONYX )
EXPLANATION/SOLUTION
VERSUS MEDALS
Every versus medal can be earned in private matches with custom settings VS casual bots or friends, I recommend you to set the number of bots to "Fill" if you're going to play the matches otherwise you will not be able to earn any of the important ribbons. However, if you are afk playing, it helps to put the bots at 1 or 2 cause you will still earn progress to most of the medals.
Also remember that you can choose what weapons will spawn on what place, if you're going for fire kills for example, set everything to hammer of dawns or scorchers.
VENGEFUL
Execute (10/20/50/100) nemeses.
A nemesis is an enemy who killed you 5 times in a row without you killing him in the same match.
I don't have a super good method for this, I have been using 2 controllers and killed myself with the 2nd controller 5 times then executed the 2nd controller.
CAPTOR
Kill (50/200/500/1000) enemies with a captive.
Press X while standing next to a downed enemy to take them as captive, you can only use melee and your pistol like this. You can knock out a great deal of these while going for leader captures.
WAR SUPPORTER
Play in (5/10/20/30) Gears events.
The way to earn it is to play online during 30 different Gears Events, to check what events are comming up, go to the "Event Calendar" option in the main menu.
MVP
Earn (5/25/100/500) MVP ribbons.
You get the MVP ribbon by finishing a match with the most points. If you plan on playing vs bots, this will come way way way before you finish the 18,000 matches you need to play. Must be done with bots set to "Fill" or in a match full of players.
FIELD SERVICE
Reach Level (25/50/75/100).
You gain EXP from pretty much everything in Gears 3. You get the most points out of playing Ranked Matches, however expect your opponents to be more skilled than in quick match. If you don't turn off your console you never lose your consecutive bonus either. If you want a good method to gain EXP check out the video under Afficionado.
VETERAN
Play (100/500/2000/4000) matches.
Since you need to play 3,000 matches of each game mode, this will come naturally. Check each individual game type medal for ways to idle boost. Check the video below for a more elaborate description on how to idle boost all game modes.
MATCH WINNER
Win (50/250/1000/3000) matches.
Same as "VETERAN" except you can play the matches yourself if you really want to win every one of them. You can also plug in a 2nd controller for the other team to even out the odds.
HEADSHOT
Get (100/500/2000/4000) headshots.
You can score headshots with most single-fire weapons. Easiest for me is to down someone, then fire 2 rounds in their head with the snub pistol. Other good weapons for this are the boltok pistol, the longshot or the torque bow. Video shows easy method with a 2nd controller.
HEAVY WEAPONS
Get (100/500/2000/6000) heavy weapon kills.
One-shot, Mulcher and Mortar counts as heavy weapons.
EXPLOSIVES
Get (100/500/2000/6000) explosive kills.
Grenades, Boomshot, Torque Bow and Digger counts as explosives.
FINISHER
Get (100/500/2000/6000) executions.
You execute someone who is downed by pressing Y or X (meat shield) while standing next to them, chainsaw-kills and bayonet-charges also counts as executions and stack with kills for that weapon.
SKUNKER
Skunk enemy team (25/100/500/2500) times.
Win without letting the enemy team win a single round, cannot be won in 1 round matches. Recommend you to go for these while going for "Sovereign" and "Leader" medals or if you want them done as quick as possible, Warzone set to 2 rounds will be best. Must be done with bots set to "Fill" or in a match full of players. You won't get it every time but it will go up little by little.
LEADER
Earn (10/50/150/300) Untouchable ribbons.
You get the untouchable ribbon by finnishing a round of CTL as leader without letting the enemy capture you at all. There is a trick to make you leader every round, you need to have 2 controllers and a dummy profile. Make your dummy profile the main player by pressing start with the 2nd controller at the "PRESS START"-screen, this will make your dummy profile the main player and you the secondary player. Start a match of CTL with rounds to win at 1 and cap time at 10, the key here is to put both you and your dummy profile on the same team vs 5 bots. The first match you start will have the dummy as a leader but every match after that you will be the leader! Must be done with bots set to "Fill" or in a match full of players.
ABDUCTOR
Capture (25/100/250/500) enemy leaders.
Earned in CTL by grabbing the other teams leader for as long as it takes to win the round. Must be done with bots set to "Fill" or in a match full of players.
ASSISTANT
Get (125/500/2000/5000) assists in Versus multiplayer.
Damage an enemy and let a teammate get the kill. Will surely come by itself if you plan to play in real matches online, if not, wait till you knocked out all the kill medals, then play KOTH or CTL with insane bots, find a place with a good view of the map and just spot and spray with your lancer, letting the bots do the killing.
MEDIC
Revive (50/250/600/1200) squadmates.
Press X while standing next to a downed teammate. These will most likely come while going for all the other medals, just revive whenver you have the chance. If you really want to knock these out fast, play CTL with a bot and a 2nd controller and turn friendly fire on. Keep hitting/shooting your leader till he goes down, then revive him, rinse and repeat.
COVER
Earn (10/50/200/600) Buttoned Up ribbons.
You earn the Buttoned Up ribbon by spending the most time in cover in a match, using a meat shield will also count as cover. If you have a turbo controller you can get these while you let your game sit by putting something heavy on the a button. You'll get this medal every match this way. Must be done with bots set to "Fill" or in a match full of players.
ACTIVE RELOADER
(500/2500/10000/25000) perfect active reloads.
Will most likely come naturally while going for kills, otherwise, the snub pistol is the fastest gun to reload, master it and spam reloads.
LANCER
Get (100/500/2000/6000) Lancer kills.
Chainsaw kills counts as well.
HAMMERBURST
Get (100/500/2000/6000) Hammerburst kills.
RETRO LANCER
Get (100/500/2000/6000) Retro Lancer kills.
Retro charge kills counts as well.
GNASHER SHOTGUN
Get (100/500/2000/6000) Gnasher Shotgun kills.
SAWED-OFF SHOTGUN
Get (100/500/2000/6000) Sawed-off Shotgun kills.
PISTOLS
Get (100/500/2000/6000) pistol kills.
Snub, Gorgon and Boltok are the pistols. Try to pick up a meat shield so you can work on "CAPTOR" at the same time.
SPOTTER
Spot (250/1000/5000/12000) enemies.
Aim at an enemy and press your left stick will spot them. Try to do this as often as you can while working on Rifle kills etc.
PYRO
Kill (50/300/1000/3000) enemies with fire.
Scorcher, Hammer of Dawn and Incendiary grenades are the fire-based weapons.
SAPPER
Destroy (10/50/200/1000) enemy grenades.
Shoot a grenade that is tagged to a wall or to the floor by an enemy. Easy, but tedious, to boost with a 2nd controller, just tag the smoke grenade you start with and shoot it with your main profile. You can also team up with a buddy for it (see video).
GUARDIAN
Rescue (50/250/600/1200) leaders in CTL.
Make an enemy release your leader by throwing a smoke grenade at him/her or kill/down him/her. Chances are these won't come naturally, then you can put yourself and a casual bot on one team, a second controller on the other team. Put the bleedout to 5. Make it so the bot is the leader by finishing the first round (if he's not leader from the beginning.) then you just have to keep capturing him with your second controller and rescue him with your main profile. You can team up with a buddy to replace the bot if you want this to go smoother.
CTL
Play (100/300/1000/3000) CTL matches.
Set the capture time to 10 seconds. If you're going to idle play you can plug in a 2nd controller and set the number of bots to 1, make it so it's you and the bot vs the 2nd player. This will end the matches swiftly and you'll always win thanks to the bot on your team.
KOTH
Play (100/300/1000/3000) KOTH matches.
Set the ring score to 60. If you're going to idle play you can plug in a 2nd controller and set the number of bots to 1, make it so it's you and the bot vs the 2nd player. This will end the matches swiftly and you'll always win thanks to the bot on your team.
WARZONE
Play (100/300/1000/3000) Warzone matches.
I always fill these with bots and maybe even put the time limit at 2 to earn as many "Last Man Out" ribbons, you need 3000 of these for the "HARD TARGET" medal.
EXECUTION
Play (100/300/1000/3000) Execution matches.
I always fill these with bots and maybe even put the time limit at 2 to earn as many "Last Man Out" ribbons, you need 3000 of these for the "HARD TARGET" medal.
TDM
Play (100/300/1000/3000) TDM matches.
Set the stock to 10. Put the bots at "Fill" and enable friendly fire for faster matches.
WINGMAN
Play (100/300/1000/3000) Wingman matches.
The method I use is to use 2 controllers, put them on one team, make the amounts of bots 2 so it will be a 2v2 match. Set the time limit to 2 (For those really big maps like sandbar) and disable all weapon pick ups. The bots will rush and kill you almost right away for some reason, ending the match in 4 rounds.
ALLFATHERS
(Bronze/Silver/Gold/Onyx) Medal in all game modes.
MASTER-AT-ARMS
(Bronze/Silver/Gold/Onyx) Medal with all 5 starting weapons.
RIFLEMAN
(Bronze/Silver/Gold/Onyx) Medal with all 3 starting rifles.
HARD TARGET
Earn (100/300/1000/3000) Last Man Out ribbons.
Be the last person on your team to die, cannot be obtained in KOTH, Wingman or CTL. You'll knock out a great deal of these while afk-playing TDM/Execution/Warzone. If you still need more, turn on friendly fire and play private warzone games vs bots. As soon as the spawn protection is over, kill all your team mates with the gnasher and you'll earn a Last man out ribbon. Finish the match by suiciding or just kill everyone on the opposing team. Must be done with bots set to "Fill" or in a match full of players.
SHOCK TROOPER
Earn (100/300/1000/3000) First Blood ribbons.
Score the first kill of the round, can be earned in horde and beast as well but only once per session, not every wave. Must be done with bots set to "Fill" or in a match full of players.
OLD SCHOOLER
Curb stomp (50/250/1000/3000) enemies.
Press Y (don't hold) next to a downed enemy to execute them with a curb stomp. Stacks with "Finisher" medal.
BATTLE MISTRESS
Play as a female in (25/100/500/1000) matches.
The female characters are Sam, Anya, Civilian Anya (COG) and Myrrah (Locust). See VETERAN for quick method.
SOVEREIGN
Win (25/100/250/500) CTL rounds as leader.
Almost the same as untouchable, except you can get picked up, you get credit as long as your team wins the round.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Get (100/500/2000/6000) map-based weapon kills.
Every weapon that is not among the 5 starting weapons count as a map-based weapon.
HORDE MEDALS
FOR THE HORDE!
Completed all 50 waves of Horde on (Casual/Normal/Hardcore/Insane).
I have no good method for this yet, but playing with the mutators "Infinite Ammo", "Super Reload" and "Instagib" on helps A LOT. Read about a solo method here. MadmanRAB also made a video for it.
HORDER
Complete (100/500/1000/2000) waves of Horde.
Cumulative, you can do the first wave on casual as many times as it takes if you want.
ARCHITECT
Earn Founder ribbon (10/50/150/300) times.
You earn the Founder ribbon by building a base, it's the tower like structures that you have to build to even start playing horde. Cannot be earned solo and only once per session per person.
SQUAD LEADER
Earn Point Man ribbon (50/150/300/500) times.
You earn the Point Man ribbon by finishing a wave with the most points, cannot be earned solo. Easy with a 2nd controller.
FIELD ENGINEER
Complete (100/250/500/1000) fortification modifications.
Barriers, decoy, turrets etc all counts as fortifications. Building/repairing/upgrading/reloading counts towards this. These will come naturally while going for the 2000 completed waves.
Beast Mode tasks you with using the Locust enemies to kill groups of Stranded and COG. It is basically a reverse of Horde mode. You need to eliminate every enemy before the time runs out, though kills will earn you more time (starting with one minute) as well as money to purchase better characters. You can do this on Casual for the easiest go of it.
You can get this easily while boosting for "All for One, One for All" and some of the other medals needed for Seriously 3.0, otherwise you can couple your 4-player co-op playthrough of the campaign with Arcade mode to get it easily.
If you have played either previous games in this series, this achievement will unlock automatically when you start the game and you will not have access to Casual Versus. If you have not played a Gears before, you will only be able to play this mode, and will advance (and receive this achievement) after some number of matches. It is basically a place for people completely new to the Gears multiplayer to get acquainted before being thrown into the mix with veterans. There does not appear to be a specific number of matches or level you need to reach before it unlocks, so the best advice I can give is to keep playing until you advance.
After every match you play, you will receive a bonus, which increases depending on how many matches you've played in a row. For this achievement, you will need to play a total of ten matches consecutively without logging off the game to max out the bonus at 1000 points. You can switch gametypes if you'd like, just keep playing MP matches until it pops.
This is a viral achievement. I wouldn't really suggest going out of your way to find someone to boost this with, as it will spread extremely fast. This does have to be done by execution though, not just a normal kill. The easiest way to accomplish this is by chainsaw, as it does count as an execution.
This medal requires that you participate in 30 "Gears events" which can be found using the Event Calendar on the main menu of the game. Make sure you play whatever mode is required for the event at least once to get credit. Sometimes it will have its own playlist, sometimes it'll be in normal Horde, etc.
During Act 4, Chapter 1 you will need to avoid shooting or touching any of the ash people. If the AI or an enemy shoots/runs into one, it will NOT void the achievement. Just be sure you do not personally hit one. Best to do this solo. Once you reach the hideout, make sure you watch for a caged room on your way to Griffin's office. Approach the cage so that the person inside opens it for you. The achievement will unlock once you enter it. Follow the video below.
DLC: Horde Command Pack
There are 5 achievements with a total of 250 points
You can host a match on the DLC maps with any number of non-DLC owners joining you, so you don't technically need to find other people with the DLC to get this achievement. The people who join will not be able to earn the achievement though. To unlock the achievement, you need to complete at least one wave on any difficulty with all five players in the group.
I would suggest finding four others who DO have the DLC, or as few as two others if two people sign in second accounts (press on your second controller to sign in a guest), and get "Kill Locust (Like a Boss)" at the same time, hosting and completing one of the boss waves on Hardcore difficulty using all Onyx Guards. The other people who need to host just need to get everyone in and finish a wave on any difficulty, then you can quit out and repeat for everyone else. May as well do "Places to See, People to Destroy" with the same group hosting Beast matches.
This needs to be done on either Blood Drive, Rustlung or Azura.
You'll first have to upgrade your barriers to Level 7 by spending $120,000 on them to unlock the Silverback itself, then spend another $500,000 on the Silverback to reach Level 3 and unlock the rockets. Then buy the Silverback and use the rockets by spending $10,000 to arm it, planting with the A button and firing with the right trigger to kill any 500 enemies during Horde waves.
Alternatively, you can find a friend who has the Silverback upgraded enough, have them purchase and arm it with the rockets, then use it yourself. Even if you have not spent a dime upgrading a Silverback, the kills will still count.
You'll first have to upgrade your Turrets to Level 8 by spending $360,000 on them to unlock the Command Center itself, then spend another $40,000 on the Command Center to reach Level 4 and unlock the Hammer of Dawn. See "What Does This Button Do?" for information on upgrading fortifications. Unfortunately the Command Center can not be damaged with Friendly Fire, so it is best to buy it and then die and restart from the beginning of Horde to keep purchasing it. If you play on Thrashball with a second controller (give its money to your main profile) you can buy two Command Centers per round.
Obviously Wave 10 would be the easiest for this. Feel free to use mutators to make it even easier (Infinite Ammo and Super Reload being the best, along with Instagib Melee) and skip right to Wave 10 so you only need to play the one wave. Make sure you have a full party of five players (can be as few as three real people with two guest accounts), you're all using the proper Onyx Guard skin and you're on Hardcore difficulty.
May as well get everyone "Host with the most" and "Places to See, People to Destroy" with the same group. Make sure everyone gets a turn!
Note: You must be alive at the end of the wave to unlock the achievement.
DLC: RAAM's Shadow
There are 10 achievements with a total of 250 points
You'll need to complete the new story content at least twice. Once in 4-player co-op in either Standard or Arcade, then at least once more with any number of players in the opposite mode of your 4-player playthrough. Your second run can be done solo if you'd like, and both of them can be done on Casual to make it easier.
You take control of RAAM early in Chapter 2. To use his Kyrll, simply pull + as if you were shooting down sights with a gun. You can hold down to prolong the attack and kill multiple enemies before you need to recharge. You'll use RAAM twice during the campaign, but will likely get this done the first time.
To use the Mauler, you will need to be either Player 3 or Player 4 in a co-op game. You can boost this with one other person if they sign in a second account and you join them to become Player 3.
During Chapter 2 you can easily get all of these kills done; use the reticule while shielding yourself to "aim" the reflected bullets at the COG.
You will have the opportunity to use the HODCC two times during the campaign, once in Chapter 1 and again in Chapter 4. You'll likely only get around 25 kills from both, so you'll have to boost a few of these with the Chapter 4 section being the better of the two. Make sure if you're going to reload a checkpoint that you exit the overhead view for the kills to register first.
After eliminating the Seeders at City Hall in Chapter 4, head to the construction site to grab the Loader. Use to punch and you should be able to kill a handful of enemies in the area. You can also leave the last one alive (so you don't create a new checkpoint) and reload your checkpoint to knock out all ten kills quickly before moving on so you don't have to come back for this.
Note: This can also be unlocked using the Silverback. Also, make sure you do not have the Instagib Melee mutator on or the kills will not register.
Using any of the four new COG characters from this DLC pack (listed below), play any ten matches in normal online matchmaking. This does not have to be done consecutively or in any specific gametype, though it can not be done in private matches.
Set your Locust character as RAAM so you can try to work on this whenever you find someone else playing as Kim (and if you're feeling generous, be Kim while COG to help others get it). Note that it requires an execution; go for a chainsaw if the other player is unaware of your presence, or use the lancer to gun someone down and move in close for an easy ground execution. This can not be done in private matches, so it is slightly up to luck that you get the proper character across from you to attempt this in normal matchmaking. You will need ten executions of Kim as RAAM in total.
There is one small trick that might work out to try and boost this with only one friend. Have your friend join a match and wait until his side is full of human players but the other side has at least one bot. Use your Guide Menu to "Join Session in Progress" and you should be put on the other team. From there, find a place to meet on the map to do the business.
Otherwise, you can get a group of five and join a match, but have the host of the party leave once the game loads up. The remaining four people will no longer be in a party and may be matched on different sides. Keep playing this way until everyone gets their kills. Be sure to help out your host after!
The final option to try this alone is to flood your internet with downloads or streaming video so that you will be placed into a match with all bots. You'll have to get lucky to be placed on Locust and have a Kim bot across from you, but after a few attempts it should work out.
This can be done on any map or difficulty, so choose a map you're comfortable with and do Casual to make it easier. You will need at least three people for this (two people can use guest accounts), though finding two more to avoid that shouldn't be too hard using the Achievement Trading Thread. Each person will need to select a different character so you have all five of the below represented.
Lt. Minh Young Kim
Tai Kaliso
Michael Barrick
Alicia Valera
Jace Stratton
DLC: Fenix Rising
There are 7 achievements with a total of 250 points
You can do this alone or with a group and on any difficulty, a full group on Casual obviously being the easiest. You will need to complete a full match (12 consecutive waves) on each of the following five maps:
This does not have to be done in one sitting, though every wave will need to be completed at some point. You can do it on Casual to knock it out more easily, and find some friends to help if you want (though you can do it solo if need be). You only need to do one of the five available maps, not all of them like the Beast achievement. See "Now They Begin to Understand" for a list of the Fenix Rising maps.
Most people seem to find Escalation to be easiest solo. Others have suggested The Slab. Take a tour of each and see if you can find a comfortable spot to defend if you can't find (or don't feel like finding) a group to do this with.
Find a group of four other people (or you can get a minimum of two others if they both use second profiles) and make sure everyone has their online COG character set to Recruit Clayton, and their Locust character set to Savage Marauder. Simply join your favorite Versus game mode and play until you've won a match from both sides with everyone having their proper skins loaded. Note that this CAN be done in Private matches and does not have to be the normal public Versus.
Level 100 requires 3,851,750 experience to unlock. The easiest way to boost your experience will come from earning (and re-earning) Onyx medals - see "Seriously 3.0" for a full list and guide for those. There are many medals that can be quickly boosted by yourself (some require two controllers), though you'll get a ton of experience working on the other achievements in the game and the other DLC as well. Different methods work for different people, and some just like to earn experience as they play the Versus mode normally. Do what feels right for you and try to make it something you'll enjoy so this isn't a complete annoyance.
To physically "re-up" once you have hit level 100, go to the "Stats and Awards" screen and press .
Note: If you have already reached Level 100 prior to owning this DLC, NONE of the experience you earned after that will carry over to your second tour of duty when you choose to re-up. You will start back at Level 1 with nothing.
Remember what we did for "Time to Re-Up!" just a second ago? Do it again. That's right, another 3,851,750 experience and another option to "re-up" your profile, at what will essentially be level 200. But hey, at least that's the last time you'll need to do this for an achievement... right, Epic?
Note: Re-upping will remove the completed requirement of reaching level 100 for Seriously 3.0 - if you are close to earning all your Onyx medals, you may want to wait to re-up this second time... unless you plan to get to level 300!
Many of the ribbons in the game will come naturally while playing online or working toward the other achievements. However, some may take a large amount of skill and/or luck, so coordination with others will make them quite a bit easier.
How can I tell which ribbons I need? To track your ribbon progress, start from the main menu and scroll down to "stats and awards". After pressing to enter your "stats and awards" menu, press the four times to see: Stats and awards, your Gamertag, Ribbons.
Any ribbons "greyed out" are still needed, while those colored with white numbers attached (indicating how many times you've received the ribbon) have already been collected. The list provided in this guide will be numbered according to how they appear on your screen, left to right and top to bottom (row 1: 1-7, row 2: 8-14, etc.)
To limit the length of this guide, one method is listed for each ribbon that I've personally used or quoted from another member that I felt was better than my own. Please note that there are multiple methods for getting each ribbon and members are encouraged to post their method in this guide, videos too.
Key: Solo-Playing with one controller on your main account. Two-Playing with two controllers, one with your main account and the other as a "guest". Partner-Playing with a friend, each with your own account and controller. (Local or XBOX Live) Party-Playing with three or more friends over XBOX Live.
Glitched Ribbons will be listed here and will have more than one explanation listed under it's original heading. #13: Retribution (Public/Ranked)
Important note: When playing splitscreen in any game mode, some ribbons may not "pop-up on screen." If your keeping track and your certain you've fulfilled the requirements, you may quit the match to check your ribbons page for the ribbon. Finish the current wave before quiting the match.
Multiplayer Ribbons can be unlocked in any of the six versus gametypes; Team Deathmatch, Warzone, Execution, Capture the Leader, King of the Hill, Wingman. Please note that some multiplayer ribbons can be earned in separate game modes, such as Horde.
Note: All available slots in a versus match must be filled by either players or bots or any combination of both in order to guarantee earning multiplayer ribbons.
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1: MVP – Highest point total for the match Solo; Private 1 round Warzone match filled with casual bots. Use roadie run to get to the enemy faster (casual bots don't sprint) and get more kills than your team.
2: First Blood – Earned the first kill of the round Partner; Private 1 round Warzone match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and both use roadie run to get to the middle faster (casual bots don't sprint) then quickly kill your friend.
3: F.I.F.O. – First to die in a round Partner; Private 1 round Warzone match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and both use roadie run to get to the middle faster (casual bots don't sprint) then have your friend quickly kill you.
4: Last Man Out – Last man standing on your team Partner; Private 1 round Warzone match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and communicate where your teammates are for each other to help eliminate all of the casual bots first, earning this ribbon for both of you.
5: Better Man – Won a sudden-death showdown Partner; Private 1 round Warzone match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and communicate where your teammates are for each other to help eliminate all of the casual bots first. Once they're all dead, kill your friend before the timer runs out.
6: Clutch – Killed 3 or more as last man standing to win the round Partner; Private 1 round Warzone match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and communicate to him/her where your teammates are to help eliminate your team as quickly as possible while you avoid killing or getting killed. Once they're all dead, kill your friend and their teammates before the timer runs out.
7: Never Had a Chance – Won every round in a match Solo; Private Warzone match with 2 rounds filled with casual bots. Win both rounds without losing a round. Using roadie run, map weapons, and cover if needed, this is pretty quick and easy.
8: The Double – 2 quick kills in a row See The Quinn for more info.
9: The Triple – 3 quick kills in a row See The Quinn for more info.
10: The Quad – 4 quick kills in a row See The Quinn for more info.
11: The Quinn – 5 quick kills in a row Party; Private KOTH match set at 60 pts. Have 4 friends on your team (5 players vs 5 bots) and allow the bots to take control of the ring. This will group the team close together making this easier. While this is happening, you need to pick up some type of grenade. Toss the grenades into the group to help get Clusterluck and finish off the rest quickly with your guns. If there's any "strays" away from the group, have your teammates down them so that you can quickly shoot them for the kills.
12: Nemesis – Killed same opponent 5 times Two; Private 1 round Team Deathmatch filled with casual bots. Place your 2nd controller on the opposite team and simply use the splitscreen to see where it spawns each time after killing it.
13: Retribution – Killed your nemesis Several have reported being unable to obtain this in public/ranked matches. I've been able to use the following methods: Two; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Using your guest account, run to your main account and kill it 5 times. (use splitscreen to see where it spawns) Then placing your guest account away from all the action (current spawn and capture point) take control of your main account and go kill your guest account. Simply shoot until dead. Partner, Private Team Deathmatch filled with casual bots. Communicate to your partner locations on the (preferably bigger) map for him to get 5 kills on you. Then have your friend meet you so that you can down him/her and perform an execution to earn the ribbon.
14: Swift Vengeance – Revenge killed your last killer Partner; 1 round team deatchmatch filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and both use roadie run to get to the middle faster (casual bots don't sprint) and let your friend quickly kill you. Have your friend stay safe while you respawn so you won't have as far to go to meet him/her in order to kill them.
15: Solid – More kills than deaths in a match Solo; Private 1 round Warzone match filled with casual bots. Get at least 2 kills in this match in case you die. (2 kills, 1 death)
16: Denied! – Ended an opponent's kill streak Partner; 1 round team deatchmatch filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and both use roadie run to get to the middle faster (casual bots don't sprint) and let your friend quickly kill you. Have your friend kill at least one bot while you respawn, then go to meet him/her in order to kill them. Don't let your friend be killed by the bots before your able to.
17: Killing Spree – Killed 5 opponents without dying See Godlike for more info.
18: Rampage – Killed 10 opponents without dying See Godlike for more info.
19: Unstoppable – Killed 15 opponents without dying See Godlike for more info.
20: Invincible - Killed 20 opponents without dying See Godlike for more info.
21: Godlike – Killed 25 opponents without dying Party; 1 round Team Deathmatch set to 20 respawns filled with casual bots. Have 5 friends play on the opposite team that allows you to kill them, doesn't allow any bots to kill them, and doesn't kill you. (pick unique skin to make it easier for your friends to identify you) Last kill of the match will unlock this ribbon.
22: Trick Shot – 1 Torque Bow headshot leading to a double kill Score a headshot with one Torque Bow shot that earns a double kill - have 2 people on the opposite team on Thrashball. Have one person stand behind the other on the steps. Torque Bow the person in front in the head and it will go through their head into the person behind them and explode.
Hat Trick – Scored 3 headshots in a row without dying Party, KOTH match filled with casual bots. Have 3 friends play on the opposite team and replace map weapons with favorite weapon for headshots (for me: Longshot) and have them meet you away from the "hill". Using your weapon of choice, line up headshots on your friends and after "popping" all 3 heads, the ribbon unlocks.
24: Mortarfied – Killed multiple opponents with a single Mortar shot Solo; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Choose a map with mortar (trenches, mercy) and use roadie run to get to it's location. Then while the bots are fighting over the ring, launch mortar strikes into the heart of them. If 2 or more are killed in the blast, this will unlock.
25: Clusterluck – Killed multiple opponents with one grenade See The Quinn for more info.
26: Grenade Hug – Killed an opponent after being grenade tagged Partner; Private 1 round Warzone filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and both use roadie run to get to the middle faster (casual bots don't sprint) and have your friend collect a grenade (preferably Frag) and tag you with it. Stay next to each other so that he dies too.
27: Sapper Star – Killed an opponent with the opponent’s own planted frag grenade Partner; Private 1 round Warzone filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and both use roadie run to get to the middle faster (casual bots don't sprint) and have your friend collect a frag grenade and tag a wall. While s/he is standing next to the frag, shoot it to make it explode, killing your friend.
28: Ole! – Grenade tagged a Retro charging opponent Partner; Private 1 round KOTH filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and both meet away from the ring. Make sure to pickup a grenade and your friend has the Retro Lancer equipped. Don't have your friend charge you directly, you'll only end up dead. It's about timing. Have him/her charge from your left to right across your face a few times to judge when to hit to get the tag. They should be roughly in the middle of their "charge" when s/he crosses your face.
29: Boombardier – Killed multiple opponents with a single Boomshot blast Solo, Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Select either a map with a boomshot or replace some of the map weapons. Roadie run to get the boomshot and when the bots are fighting over the ring, lob some shots into the middle of them and your bound to get this ribbon.
30: Hail Mary – Boomshot kill from over 200 feet (credit: 1001puppys for method) Load Act V, Ch. 2 on casual in arcade, you must have at least 2 players in the match to earn ribbons. Get the Silverback before the elevator at the beginning. When the elevator is stuck, take the Silverback down hallway 3 and break into the doorway to get the boomshot. Progress onward, saving your boomshot ammo and killing enemies until you get outside. Kill the two reavers and turn the corner. After you see the MAELSTROM tower, Jace will say something about it and you'll get a checkpoint. This is where you do it. Back up a tad bit and wait a little while, and when the flying dudes kinda bunch up, FIRE! If you are lucky, you can get up to 9 hail mary ribbons in one shot. Fire away until you are out of ammo, just to be sure.
31: Kaboom! – Killed multiple opponents with a single Sawed-Off Shotgun blast Party; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Have the sawed-off equipped and your 2 friends on the opposing team. Have them meet you somewhere on the map (away from the ring) and stand side by side. Aim between them at a very close range and pull .
32: Roadblock – Stopped a Retro charge with the Sawed-Off Shotgun
Partner; Private 1 round KOTH filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and both meet away from the ring. Make sure to have the sawed-off equipped and your friend has the Retro Lancer equipped. Don't have your friend charge you directly, you'll only end up dead. It's about timing. Have him/her charge from your left to right across your face a few times to judge when to pull to get the kill. They should be roughly in the middle of their "charge" when s/he crosses your face.
33: Lumberjack – Chainsawed 3 opponents in a row
Partner; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team meet you somewhere away from the ring where you can hold with lancer equipped to chainsaw him/her. Do this 3 times in a row without dying to get the ribbon.
34: Charge! – Retro charged 3 opponents in a row
Partner; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Have your friend meet you somewhere away from the ring where you can hold with the retro lancer equipped to charge him/her. Make sure you have some room to get up to speed. Do this 3 times in a row without dying to get the ribbon.
35: Military Intelligence – 5 opponents spotted ending in a kill
Partner; Private Team Deathmatch filled with casual bots. Have your friend on your team to kill each bot you spot. To aim at the bot, pull the and click your left analog stick. Communication makes this really easy.
36: Not So Fast – Killed an opponent who was executing a teammate
Partner; Execution match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and remember shotgun is your friend! Simply have your friend down one of your teammates and when he starts an execution, make sure you shoot him point blank with a shotgun.
37: Negotiation Over – Headshot an opponent with a meatshield
Partner; Private CTL match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team. Pick up your weapon of choice for headshots while your friend takes down your teammates and captures your leader. While s/he is holding still (using your leader as a meatshield) line up a quick headshot and this ribbon pops as their head does.
38: Oscar Mike – Killed a Roadie Running opponent with a headshot
Partner; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team roadie run towards you from a good distance when you've picked up your headshot weapon of choice. After s/he begins their run, aim for the head and shoot. Level ground makes it even easier.
39: The Super – Killed an evading opponent with a headshot
Partner; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team meet you away from the ring after you've picked up your headshot weapon of choice. Have him/her stand back far enough for about 2 forward flips. Then have your friend do a forward flip to see where the head is as they roll towards you. (should be about chest high) When ready, do it again while aiming for where it will be and time your shot. May take a couple of tries and active reloads make it easier.
40: Death from Below - Killed an opponent with a grenade while downed
Solo; Private Execution match filled with casual bots. Roadie run towards the frag grenades to collect them first and select them on your d-pad. Simply let the enemy down you and when they walk up to try an execution, pull .
41: Death from Beyond – Killed an opponent after you have died
Partner; Private Warzone match filled with casual bots. Have your partner on the opposite team and once you have some grenades, plant one where your partner can walk into it after s/he kills you.
42: Death from Above – Killed multiple opponents with a single Hammer of Dawn blast
Solo; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Change some map weapons to the Hammer of Dawn and run to get one as the match starts. Then as the bots converge on the ring, drop some lovely beams of energy into their numbers. 2 or more kills will get the ribbon.
43: No, Wait! – Killed an opponent while they reloaded
Partner; Private match filled with casual bots. Have your friend meet you somewhere and let him/her take a few shots at whatever. When your ready, have your shotgun aimed at them from point blank range and tell them to reload. Once they've started reloading, pull .
44: Special Delivery – Killed an opponent with a bag & tag
Party; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Have 2 friends on the opposite team and you collect some frag grenades. Meet away from the ring and shoot down one friend (don't kill) and pick them up with to use as a meatshield. Face your other friend, who should be against some cover or wall, but nothing between the two of you and close enough for a forward flip. Press and enjoy watching the show.
45: No Smoking – Killed an opponent with a smoke grenade
Party; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Have 2 friends on the opposite team. Meet away from the ring and shoot down one friend (don't kill), have your other friend pick him/her up (revive with ) and repeat again. After s/he has been downed twice, select your smoke grenade () and tag the friend who's been downed twice with .
46: Never Surrender – Came from defeat to win a match
Solo; Private 2 round Warzone match filled with casual bots. Make sure friendly fire is turned on. At the begginning of the match, kill all of your teammates and go get yourself killed. The next 2 rounds, simply use your best weapons/strategy on your enemies to win both rounds.
47: Unlucky Bastard – Only player on your team to die in a round
Party; Private 1 round Warzone match filled with casual bots. Make sure friendly fire is turned on with all 4 friends on your team. Let one of your friends kill you at the beginning, then hope they're good enough to take on those bots without dying.
48: Team Player – Most assists in a match
See #49-Personal Assistant for more info.
49: Personal Assistant – Assisted 10 kills in a round
Partner, Team Deathmatch filled with casual bots. With your friend on your team, simply down enemies as s/he finishes them off. Use roadie run to your advantage and this will go pretty quick.
50: Medic – Revived 5 teammates in a round Note: Rare instance that doesn't require the room to be filled.
Two; Private 2 round Capture the Leader match with 2 bots and friendly fire on. Put your guest account on your team (2 controllers vs 2 bots), have your gnasher equipped, and select the Sandbar map. If your the leader in the 1st round, simply run to the enemies to get downed and captured. Once your 2nd controller is the leader, switch to your Gnasher, wait for the spawn protection to wear off as you position yourself to down him at point blank without having to aim. Then simply pull then press and keep repeating until ribbon pops up. Then pause and return to menu, no need to finish the match.
51: So Close – Killed while recovering from down but not out
Partner; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team meet you away from the ring. Let your friend down you, have them switch to shotgun as your tapping to get up. Just as your almost standing, (the animation for tap will disappear along with the picture of you on your hands and knees to be replaced by an image of you standing) have your friend shoot you point blank with the shotgun. This ribbon is about timing.
52: Survivor – Revived yourself 5 times in a round
Partner; Private 1 round KOTH match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team meet you away from the ring. Let your friend down you. Then tap to get back up. Repeat, then get killed. After respawning, repeat the whole series again. After respawning again, let your friend down you again and after picking yourself up, that should make 5. Finish the match.
53: Methodical – 5 executions in a round
Party; Private 1 round Execution match filled with casual bots. Have 4 friends on your team and let them help you down the bot team. As each is downed, you must execute them by holding or tapping .
54: Stop Thief! – 5 kills stolen by others in a round
See #49-Personal Assistant for more info.
55: First to Fight – First kill in every round of a match
Partner; Private 2 round Warzone match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and both use roadie run to get to the middle faster (casual bots don't sprint) then quickly kill your friend.
56: Final Word – Final kill of the match
See #57-The Cleaner for more info.
57: The Cleaner – Final kill in every round of a match
Party, Private 2 round Execution match filled with casual bots. Have 4 friends on your team and make sure they allow you to get the final kill in both rounds. Once the final enemy is downed, stand close for prompt to tap or hold .
58: Coup de Grace – Final kill with an execution
See #57-The Cleaner for more info.
59: Vigilant – Won a match with no deaths and 10+ kills
See #21-Godlike for more info.
60: Smooth Operator – Highest K/D ratio in a match
See #21-Godlike for more info.
61: Tough Guy – Fewest deaths in a match
See #21-Godlike for more info.
62: Rough Day – Most deaths in a match
Partner; Private 1 round KOTH with 60 points total filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team meet you away from the ring and kill you. Repeat about 5 times and if the match hasn't been decided by the bots, capture the ring for whoever is in the lead to end the match.
63: Stay Down – More downs than kills in a match
See #49-Personal Assistant for more info.
64: Executioner – Most executions in a match
See #53-Methodical for more info.
65: Evasive – Least damage taken in a match
See #21-Godlike for more info.
66: Contender – Most melee hits in a match
Solo; Private 1 round Warzone match filled with bots. Don't use the lancer, but simply melee a couple of bots by pressing to down them and kill them. Then simply finish the match. Watchout for shotguns.
67: Pacifist – More revives than kills in a match
Partner; Private 1 round CTL match filled with bots. Have your friend on the opposite team and both keep bots at bay from your leader while your partner keeps downing him for you to pick up. Get enough revives to feel comfortable finishing the match without too many kills.
68: Spray and Pray – Most blindfire kills in a match
Solo; 1 round Warzone match filled with casual bots. Use the weapon your comfortable with (lancer for me) and get close to the enemy early. Slip in behind low cover that you can direct your blindfire by using the analog sticks and pulling . Don't use . Get 2 kills this way and just finish the match. Your likely to get #77-Buttoned Up this way too.
69: Headhunter – Most headshot kills in a match
Partner; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposite team meet you away from the ring after you've collected your headshot weapon of choice. Kill your friend with headshots (5 is plenty) and finish the match.
70: Carmine’s Star – Most headshot deaths in a match
See #69-Headhunter but switch places with your friend.
71: Grenadier – Most grenade kills in a match
See #25-Clusterluck for more info.
72: Pistoleer – Most pistol kills in a match
Solo; Private 1 round Warzone match filled with casual bots. Down every opponent you can with any weapon, then quickly switch to your pistol. Kill the downed opponent with the pistol and you'll have this ribbon.
73: Quick Clips – Most perfect Active Reloads in a match
Solo; Private Warzone match filled with casual bots. This is a matter of timing your active reloads with your weapon of choice. Shoot a few rounds and hit to reload and time the active reload along the bar to stop in the white area by again pressing . Get about 3 in the match and you'll earn the ribbon.
74: Clear! – Most revives in a match
See #50-Medic for strategy, except finish the match and have the room filled with casual bots.
75: Well Protected – Most revived player in a match
See #74-Clear! except have your main account as the leader and play with your guest account to keep shooting and reviving it.
76: Guys? Hello? – Most time down but not out in a match
See #52-Survivor for more info.
77: Buttoned Up – Spent the most time in cover
Solo; Private 1 round KOTH match filled with casual bots. As soon as the match begins, get into cover. Then wait for the match to end. Maybe make a sandwich while you wait.
78: Under The Radar – Earned no other ribbons in a match
Two; Private 1 round Warzone match filled with casual bots. Have your guest account on the same team with friendly fire turned on. Use your 2nd controller to kill a bot teammate first, then kill your main account, then kill the last 2 teammates and get your guest account killed.
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Capture the Leader Ribbons are designed to be earned specifically in this gametype. They are available in any public/ranked/private matches.
79: Untouchable – Never captured when playing as the leader
Party; Private CTL match filled with casual bots. Have a friend host, then you join first, then 3 other friends all on the same side (5 players vs 5 bots) and you should be leader by no later than 2nd round. It's okay to increase rounds if you're having trouble getting leader. Simply don't get caught while defeating the other team. Goes pretty quick on casual.
80: Lead by Example – Killed 5 opponents as the leader in the round
See #79-Untouchable for strategy, while you're the leader have your friends down opponents so that you can easily get 5 kills before winning the round.
81: Want Something Done – Captured the enemy leader when playing as the leader
See #80-Lead by Example for stategy, except when you're ready to end the round you must capture the leader when it's downed by getting close and pressing while your friends protect you for the victory. This will also give you #82-Captiv-ating.
82: Captiv-ating – Captured the enemy leader
See #81-Want Something Done for more info.
83: Secret Service – Most leader rescues in a match
Partner; Private CTL match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on your team so that when he's the leader, he can purposely get captured. When you're ready, toss a grenade (smokes work well) or shoot the captor to free him. 3 "saves" is more than enough to finish the match.
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Wingman Ribbons are designed to be earned specifically in this gametype. This is capable in any public/ranked/private matches.
84: Rear Guard – Survived every round of Wingman
Partner; Private Wingman match set to 10 points filled with casual bots. Have your friend play as your Wingman and this will go quick. Stick together and have him/her revive you if you get downed.
85: Avenged – Killed your Wingman’s assassin
See #84-Rear Guard except don't kill the last bot before your friend purposely gets killed by it, then kill it for the ribbon.
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King of the Hill Ribbons are designed to be earned specifically in this gametype. This is capable in any public/ranked/private matches.
86: Top of the Hill – Killed 5 opponents from inside the ring
Party; KOTH match set to 60 points filled with casual bots. Have 4 friends on the same team with you and quickly capture the first ring by using roadie run (casual bots don't sprint). While standing inside the ring, have your friends help down the bots while you shoot to kill.
87: Ring Breaker - Broke opposing ring 3 times in a round
Partner; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Have your friend on the opposing team quickly capture the first ring while you kill his/her bots and s/he kills yours. Once the ring is captured, have your friend back out so that you can break the ring and capture it. Then you back off so your friend can break and capture all while holding off bots (easy on Thrashball). Repeat this 2 more times so that you both earn this ribbon along with #88-Ring King.
88: Ring King – Captured a ring 3 times in a round
See #87-Ring Breaker for more info.
89: Dead Ringer – Won a round of King Of The Hill by shutting out the opposing team
See #86-Top of the Hill for more info.
90: Eye on the Prize – Most points earned in the ring
Solo; Private KOTH match filled with casual bots. Use roadie run to get to the first ring and capture it (300pts.) and down/kill all enemies you can. Simply repeat this method for all rings and you'll get this ribbon without any trouble.
91: Sacrifice – Broke the ring alone while down but not out
Partner; 1 round KOTH match set to 60 points filled with casual bots. Bigger maps make this easier, since respawns are further away and have your friend on the opposing team. Focus on killing your friend's bots while s/he kills yours as s/he is capturing the ring. Once the ring is captured and no bots are an immediate threat, have your friend down you outside the ring, so that you can crawl into the ring while DBNO. Communication makes this easier.
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Beast Ribbons are available to earn in either public or private. You must have a minimum of 2 players in order to guarantee earning ribbons.
92: Pop Goes the Weasel – Blew up 3 enemies at once (Ticker)
Party; Private match set on casual. Select a smaller map and when the match begins have at least one friend select a wild ticker (to destroy any fortifications in your way) while you choose the ticker and the rest of your friends use wretch or drones. While the wretches and drones focus on downing opponents as someone runs to revive them so they're grouped together, have the wild ticker destroy anything preventing you from getting to the group of enemies. Once in the middle of at least 3 crawling together, make yourself explode by pulling .
93: Indigestion – Killed an enemy with a swallowed grenade (Wild Ticker)
Partner; Private match set on casual. Allow your teammate to get as many points as possible each round to unlock the Kantus. Once s/he has selected the Kantus, s/he should select the ink grenade () and plant it (). As the wild ticker, press when your next to it to eat it. Let your friend down an enemy and then get next to the enemy to explode by being shot.
94: Monkey-Dog – Multiple enemies you stunned were killed (Wretch)
Party; Private match on casual. Have your friends focus on killing enemies that are stunned when you scream with the wretch. () Perhaps the easiest guarantee to get the ribbon is have your friend use a boomshot to kill 2 or more stranded when you stun them in one shot. They must be killed, not downed, when they are still stunned from your screaming.
95: Meatshop – Killed 4 enemies without dying (Butcher)
Party; Private match on casual. Have your friends down enemies for you to make it easier. Use melee () or the cleaver () to get 4 kills in the round without dying.
96: Team Shaman – Healed 4 teammates at once (Kantus)
Party; Private match on casual. Focus on getting as many points as you can to unlock Kantus. Start the next round by selecting Kantus and having your friends select the drone. All 4 drones walk through barbed wire fence and become injured, simply press to heal all 4.
97: Team Saviour – Revived 3 teammates at once (Kantus)
Party; Private match on casual. This is better in the later rounds with laser fences. Have 3 friends get themselves downed at the same time by running into these laser barriers. Once all 3 are down, press as a Kantus to earn this ribbon.
98: Pillager – Destroyed 5 fortifications in a round
Partner; Private match on casual. At the beginning of the match, choose the wild ticker and focus on destroying fortifications with while your friend keeps the enemy at bay.
99: Test Driver – Played as 5 different Locust in a round
Partner; Private match on casual. Have your friend play as a wild ticker to focus on fortifications to increase time limit. Meanwhile, choose a different locust each time after dying and quickly engage the enemy to get killed. May be easier in round 2 or 3 with money saved up. Get an occasional kill to increase time limit.
100: Antihero – Killed 5 different Heroes in a round
Party; Private match on casual. When you finally get a round with 5 heroes, select your best locust available. Have your friends help by downing them, but use communication to get the heroes locations for the kills.
101: Ready for the Heavies – Unlocked the final row of Locust
Party; Private match on casual. Have your friends play more of a support role as you try to rack up as many "points" as possible each round (getting kills and destroying barriers). Once the final row is unlocked, select one (Beserker is fun) and finish the match.
102: Just in Time – Completed the wave with only 1 second left
Party; Private match on casual. Have your friends save the last enemy and wait to down it until there's about 5 seconds left. When the clock reaches 1, kill it.
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Horde Ribbons are available to earn in either public or private. You must have a minimum of 2 players in order to guarantee earning ribbons.
103: Long Hauler – Completed all 50 waves in one session
Note: If you haven't done this yet, I recommend doing it on a Fenix Rising map for the achievement: Defending the Past.
Party; Private match on casual with easy (-25%) mutators enabled. A full party and mutators will make this pretty easy, but it's still a bit of a grind. Be smart, work together and this will be over before you know it.
104: Point Man – Earned the most cash in the wave
Two; Private match on casual. Simply kill everything in the first round while your guest sits idle.
105: Combat Engineer – Worked on 5 fortifications in one deployment
Check out the video by Vietxx:
106: Founder – Established a COG base
Two; Private match on casual. Simply place a command post at any of the locations available when prompted to press .
107: Financier – Gave $5,000 to teammates
(credit: megamangaea for method) Don't spend on anything. Play until you have $5000 then spam give money ( + ) to someone. You can have your guest or friend give you money, it'll be faster.
108: Reconnaissance – In Ghost Cam, spotted 3 weapons before they were picked up
Partner; Private match on casual. This works better in wave 2-3 when more dropped weapons will be available. Kill all but 1 enemy. (if possible make it a butcher) Let this enemy kill you and use the ghost cam to spot weapons for your friend to pick up.
109: Observer – Survived the wave but with no kills
Two; Private match on casual. Place your main account in cover near your command post that you plan to defend. Play with your guest account to kill all enemies and protect your main one.
110: Phat Loot – Completed a wave Challenge Objective
Party; Private match on casual. Wave challenges appear every 4th wave if no wave was failed. Complete the challenge to earn this ribbon.
111: Last Hope – Survived the wave as the last one alive
Two; Private match on casual. Place your guest account away from you and the command post. Then just control your main account and kill enemies while your guest is killed. Finish the wave for the ribbon.
112: Go on without Me – Completed the wave as the only one dead
See #111-Last Hope except switch places with your guest account.
113: High ROI – Killed 5 enemies with a weapon you purchased
Partner; Private match on casual. Purchase a map weapon by pressing and get 5 kills. Have your friend play a support role to help and give you money if needed. Goes quick on wave 1.
114: I Gotcha – Revived all 4 teammates in one wave
Party; Private match on casual. Try saving 1 enemy (like wretch) for last, then let each friend get downed as you quickly revive them with . After reviving all 4, kill the enemy.
115: Like a Boss – Survived a Boss Wave without going down or dying
See #103-Long Hauler except don't go down during a boss wave. (10/20/30/40/50)
116: Rope-a-Dope – Killed 3 enemies in a wave that were attacking a decoy
Two; Private match on casual. Build a decoy and watch for enemies attacking it. Kill them as they shoot at it or physically attack it to earn the ribbon.
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Campaign Ribbons are available to earn in either public or private (arcade or standard). You must have a minimum of 2 players in order to guarantee earning ribbons.
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Campaign Ribbons are available to earn in either public or private (arcade or standard). You must have a minimum of 2 players in order to guarantee earning ribbons.
117: Botanist – Shot 5 Lambent Pods in a chapter
Two; Private Arcade on casual with Super Reload mutator. Load Act 1, Chapter 3 and shoot the pods on the stalks once you get to the park and the street beyond. If you haven't gotten 5, reload last checkpoint.
118: Mech Jockey – Killed 10 enemies with a Silverback
Partner; Private Arcade on casual. Load Act 1, Chapter 2 and after you and your friend get the silverbacks (at the end of the level) start the boss fight. Have your friend focus on the boss while you shoot the drones and polyps.
119: Flyswatter– Killed 5 Shriekers
Two; Private Arcade on casual with Super Reload mutator. Load Act 2, Chapter 5 and kill all the Shriekers in the beginning. 4 are at the start and you'll quickly run into 2 more. Pause and return to main menu after the ribbon pops up.
120: Quick Kicker – Kicked 5 small enemies
Two; Standard Campaign on casual. Load Act 1, Chapter 2 and as soon as the polyps start dropping from the vents at the beginning, switch to either the Gnasher or Pistol. Press to kick 5 polyps (kick em all if you want) and then pause to return to main menu. Ribbon unlocks as soon as you've kicked 5.
121: Pull! – Killed a ground bursting enemy in the air
Two; Private Arcade on casual with Super Reload mutator. Load Act 2, Chapter 2 and you'll eventually come across some Therons (with cleavers) that burst from the ground. Have your active (super) reload flashing to take them out while in the air. If you miss them, simply load last checkpoint.
122: Dewormer - Killed 3 Lambent Headsnakes
(credit: Paul Broughton for method) I've just done it this way with 2 controllers, on casual arcade with no mutators on. For Pruner and Dewormer load up act 4 chapter 2 and shoot the drudges anywhere but the head and hopefully it'll evolve, then shoot the arms. Then shoot the stomach and it will turn into a snake. Once all enemies are dead, reload the checkpoint. Do not jump the wall to proceed as this will trigger a checkpoint. I only got 2 drudges per checkpoint but reloading doesn't wipe what you've already killed for ribbon purposes.
123: Pruner – Sever 5 Lambent mutant arms
See #122-Dewormer for more info.
124: Pig Sticker – Retro charge 4 Formers in one charge
(credit: Quid Squid for method) Load up Act 3 Chapter 6 (Brothers to the end) on arcade (with second controller or co-op partner). When you start off pick up the retro lancer on the wall and retro charge into the oncoming formers. There are plenty of places on this chapter to obtain this (at the beginning, when the church doors burst open, in the finale) could possibly work on the next Act when they come from the elevators.
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Arcade Ribbons are available to earn in either public or private. You must have a minimum of 2 players in order to guarantee earning ribbons.
125: Ace – Most kills in an Arcade chapter
Two; Private Arcade on casual. Load up the Prologue and don't bother touching the guest controller. Once outside, roadie run to the enemies and kill as many as possible. Make sure you get all of the Boomer kills. Aiming and active reloads make this go by quickly. Multiple ribbons will be earned.
126: Hand Holder – Most revives in an Arcade chapter
Two; Private Arcade on casual. Play on Act 1, Chapter 1 and at some point place your guest account in harm's way. Have your main account next to it (almost like a human shield) and as soon as it's downed, press to revive. 1 is all you need in this method. Simply play your main account and be sure to collect ammo boxes to get #128-Stockpiler ribbon when the chapter ends.
127: Wingman – Most assists in an Arcade chapter
See #125-Ace for more info.
128: Stockpiler – Most ammo taken in an Arcade chapter
See #126-Hand Holder for more info.
129: Conservationist - Least ammo taken in an Arcade chapter
See #126-Hand Holder except trade places with the guest account.
130: Number 1 – Earned the highest score in an Arcade chapter
See #125-Ace for more info.
131: Priority Target – Highest score for a single kill in an Arcade chapter
See #125-Ace for more info.
132: On Your Feet, Soldier – Completed Arcade chapter without going down but not out
See #125-Ace for more info.
DLC: Forces of Nature
There are 10 achievements with a total of 250 points
Easiest with friends, but can be done solo. I found the map Artillery to be good for playing solo because you can bunker down and kill enemies as they come to you. Casual with mutators as you prefer of course.
For a walkthrough of the Immulsion Cleaver on Jacinto, check the youtube video below. Once you get the elemental cleaver usable (rock bridge raised on Jacinto for instance), just kill enemies with it until it runs out of "ammo".
Note: It seems if you have the Comet mutator on and charge with the elemental cleaver and kill someone in the charge, it counts towards the achievement. It didn't take any of the Cleaver's ammo away and it was definitely counting towards the achievement for me.
You can't die and restart from current wave or the beginning, and you can't use it up and buy it again. This means you'll have to 'activate', use it, and quit all the way out and restart horde a few times or use The Maggot's tip above.
Note: Do not drop the cleaver, as if you do it reverts to a regular one and doesn't count anymore. This includes if you get downed, so be careful. Also, smaller enemies like tickers use less of the cleaver's 'ammo' than large ones like boomers.
Your silverback only has to be at level 2 for this (on need 'max' retail levels not Horde command pack levels). If you've met all the requirements, start a game in any mode and once you get to map selection back out and it should unlock. You don't even need to complete a game.
This can only be obtained in public quick or ranked matches. Not only that, but you get regular maps even in the FoN Guardian playlist, so no guarantees you'll even get a FoN map while playing Guardian, making this achieve a pain. See Natural Selection for maps.
Choose Mechanic Baird for your 50 waves for Unstoppable force and Horde Natural and build/repair fortifications whenever you can. This should come easily while going for the other 2. Easy mutators do not affect how much money you earn, nor do they affect how much of the money you spend 'counts' towards the achieve. The only thing that increases $$ earned is difficulty and it isn't worth the trade off. We did it on Casual with 3 easy mutators and all 5 of us had this by wave 50, with plenty to spare.
Play as Savage Hunter in a private or public versus match. Down opponent, pick them up, tap Up on the d-pad. Repeat 20 times. I did this on Mercy with a couple dummy controllers in system link. Smoke grenades work fine, but if the guy you bag and tag doesn't have a grenade for you to take when you bag him, you have to find a grenade before doing the next one.
By far the hardest achievement (other than Seriously) in Gears 3, period. It is currently only available in FoN playlist->quick or ranked match. Play until you are the leader then while playing as leader kill 10 opponents in ONE round on a FoN map. The best ways to do it in public MM are:
1. Play with a full team of 5 against bots (late at night bot matches are common) and have them down bots while you finish them off. If you have bots on your team they will invariably kill the enemy leader too fast.
2. Attempt to boost it in quick match using the same technique as the Foreshadowing achievement. Start a quick match with all 5 people in a party. Have the party leader quit out once the match starts. After the rest of the party finishes the round they're in, have the leader rejoin the match in progress from his friends list. Starting on the next match, it should split your team so you can "give" each other kills. Watch out for the bots though, they're mean now. Randoms will make either of these methods harder, but try sending a party invite to them.
3. To stay on a FoN map once you get one, just get stalemates by killing the leader and everyone but one player on both teams. This starts a 1-minute sudden death followed by a stalemate if the last 2 people are still alive. Stalemates will allow you infinite rounds on the same map so you can allow the leader position to cycle through your boosters while on a FoN map.
Just have everyone take Mechanic Baird since you need him for building $50,000 in fortifications. Choose wave 10 as your starting wave and turn on friendly fire. Keep dying and restarting from current wave until you get a lambent beserker. You must be alive when the lambent beserker goes down to get it. This can be done via system link if your internet is down or something.
to kick it down. The COG is on the floor.
to use your equipped weapon's execution move (unless otherwise noted). You will need to use all of the below executions:
with Lancer equipped)
+
as if you were shooting down sights with a gun. You can hold down 
and enjoy watching the show.
to get up. Just as your almost standing, (the animation for tap 
to reload and time the active reload along the bar to stop in the white area by again pressing 
