Tying your shoelace with one hand is tough. Scoring a date with the hot chick on campus is tough. And blasting through your average shooter is tough. But there's nothing tough about Gears of War. This $#!@ is hardcore.

Gear up for one of the most challenging battles you've yet faced. In our hardcore Gears of War guide, we'll turn any green soldier into a killing machine, both online and off. Read up and take notes before hitting the battlefield, or be just another dead grub on the pavement.

In this Gears of War strategy guide, you'll find:

• BASICS // General strategies for all level of players, plus details on the best weapons in the game.
• WALKTHROUGH // Complete Gears of War walkthrough to guide you through every stage on hardcore difficulty, plus screenshots and info for hidden Cog Tags and weapons.
• MULTIPLAYER // Multiplayer-specific playing tips and map info with weapon locations.
• SECRETS // Collect all thirty Cog Tags and unlock every achievement.

Guide by: Mark Ryan Sallee