Gears 5 Horde Skill Card List

Gears 5 debuts a fresh spin on the iconic Horde cooperative mode, extending the action-packed chaos into multiplayer. Stacked against overwhelming waves of enemies, it delivers some of the game's most gripping experiences to date. Gears 5 supports the latest evolution of Horde, transitioning to a hero-driven combat approach.

The recent changes highlight a need for strategy, carving out a list of Gears 5 Horde characters, each donning tailored loadouts of weapons and abilities. The mode also outlines distinct upgrade paths, unlocking unique "skill cards" as you level, granting three passive upgrades for each character. We've wrapped up every confirmed Gears 5 skill card, following our pre-release hands-on.

Del Skill Cards

The engineer and general handyman among the Horde lineup, Del builds foundations for impenetrable defense. With capabilities to lock down locales with sturdy fortifications, his accompanying skill cards focus on streamlined construction and repairs.

• Score Boost: Team score increased by 5 percent (Unlocks at Level 1)
• Ingenuity: 20 percent increased repair efficiency (Unlocks at Level 2)
• Rootkit: 1 second of repairing reduces cooldown by 1 second (Unlocks at Level 3)
• Reinforced Fabrication: 25 percent increased fortification health (Unlocks at Level 4)
• Armor Plating: Reduced damage to Fortifications by 20 percent (Unlocks at Level 5)
• Robotic Porting: 50 percent reduced recoil on DeeBee weapons (Unlocks at Level 6)
• Overclocked Locker: 10 percent increased Weapon Locker reload (Unlocks at Level 7)
• Flow: 20 percent damage resistance while repairing (Unlocks at Level 8)
• Efficient Sentry: 20 percent reduced cost to refill sentry ammo (Unlocks at Level 9)
• Efficient Fabrication: 15 percent reduced fortification cost (Unlocks at Level 10)
• Custom Robotics: 5 percent increased damage and active effects on DeeBee weapons (Unlocks at Level 11)
• Overload: Undamaged fortifications do 4 percent more damage (Unlocks at Level 12)
• Long Range Resistance: 20 percent resistance to long-range weapons (Unlocks at Level 13)
• Best Friends: 20 percent increased repair efficiency near Jack (Unlocks at Level 14)
• Epic Score Boost: Team score increased by 10 percent (Unlocks at Level 15)
• Healing Repair: Repairing provides 2 percent Stim (Unlocks at Level 16)

Fahz Skill Cards

High-damage, high-precision tools crown Fahz as the prized gunslinger of Gears 5. His X-Ray ability allows for seeing (and shooting) through walls, elevating his marksman capabilities. His skill cards reward stability and critical hits, finding value in accuracy over raw firepower.

• Score Boost: Team score increased by 5 percent (Unlocks at Level 1)
• Ambush: 20 percent increased critical damage to unwounded targets (Unlocks at Level 2)
• Counter Snipe: 20 percent resistance to precision damage (Unlocks at Level 3)
• Steady Hand: 40 percent reduced camera shake and stun (Unlocks at Level 4)
• Exploit Weakness: +20 percent critical damage during X-Ray (Unlocks at Level 5)
• Master Marksman: 10 percent faster precision rifle reloads (Unlocks at Level 6)
• Modified Longshot: 10 percent increased damage and active effects (Unlocks at Level 7)
• Embar Ammo Capacity: 10 percent increased EMBAR ammo capacity (Unlocks at Level 8)
• Patience: X-Ray recharges 100 percent faster while safe (Unlocks at Level 9)
• Critical Parade: X-Ray critical hits extend X-Ray by 10 percent (Unlocks at Level 10)
• Modified Embar: 10 percent increased damage and active effects (Unlocks at Level 11)
• Longshot Handling: 50 percent automatic reload chance on critical kills (Unlocks at Level 12)
• Explosive Critical Hit: X-Ray critical kills cause 50 percent splash damage (Unlocks at Level 13)
• Epic Score Boost: Team score increased by 10 percent (Unlocks at Level 14)
• Icy Precision: +50 percent damage to freezing enemies (Unlocks at Level 16)

JACK Skill Cards

JACK returns as your handy android companion in Gears 5, also serving as a playable character for cooperative play. With onboard cloaking technology, stun tools, and healing, the bot is an accessible, newcomer-friendly support role.

• Score Boost: Team score increased by 5 percent (Unlocks at Level 1)
• Healing Reach: 20 percent increased healing distance (Unlocks at Level 2)
• Zapper Upgrade: 20 percent increased damage (Unlocks at Level 3)
• Optimizer: 50 percent more power when smelting (Unlocks at Level 4)
• Portable Resupply: Carried weapons regen ammo (Unlocks at Level 5)
• Healing Upgrade: 20 percent increased healing rate (Unlocks at Level 6)
• Repair Speed: Repair fortifications 20 percent faster (Unlocks at Level 8)
• Mind Control Expert: Increase the health of Hijacked Enemies by 20 percent (Unlocks at Level 10)
• Explosive Hack: Hijacked enemies explode in a 20 percent increased radius (Unlocks at Level 12)
• Epic Score Boost: Team score increased by 10 percent (Unlocks at Level 14)
• Backstab: Hijack kills extend Hijack by 10 percent (Unlocks at Level 16)

JD Skill Cards

Another hard-hitting juggernaut on the offense, JD Fenix lives up the family name. Artillery call-in rains down hell with a button press, while skill cards further elevate the devastation.

• Score Boost: Team score increased by 5 percent (Unlocks at Level 1)
• Officer's Prerogative: Artillery fires one additional round (Unlocks at Level 2)
• Lancer GL Mastery: 30 percent reduced recoil, 2 percent increased headshots (Unlocks at Level 3)
• Daddy's Boy: 20 percent damage resistance near Marcus 4 (Unlocks at Level 4)
• Concussive Strike: Artillery stuns enemies for 6 seconds 5 (Unlocks at Level 5)
• Launcher Mastery: 10 percent fast reloads and active bar duration (Unlocks at Level 6)
• Custom Lancer GL: 10 percent increased damage and active effects (Unlocks at Level 7)
• Good Kill: 20 percent of kills near friends drop ammo (Unlocks at Level 8)
• Custom Boomshot: 10 percent increased damage and active effects (Unlocks at Level 9)
• Spotter Support: Artillery drops 2 round on ally marked targets (Unlocks at Level 10)
• Launcher Capacity: +1 increased ammo capacity (Unlocks at Level 11)
• Razor Hail: Explosive hits cause bleeding for 20 percent of damage (Unlocks at Level 12)
• Epic Score Boost: Team score increased by 10 percent (Unlocks at Level 14)
• Confirmed Kill: Kills with Artillery recharge Artillery by 10 seconds (Unlocks at Level 16)

Kait Skill Cards

Outsmarting and overcoming foes, Horde brings out Kait's scouting strengths in Gears 5. Players stay on the move via stealth and agility while slipping under the radar using active camouflage.

• Score Boost: Team score increased by 5 percent (Unlocks at Level 1)
• Long Reach: 100 percent increased power pickup distance (Unlocks at Level 2)
• Driven: 20 percent damage resistance from explosive (Unlocks at Level 3)
• Reaper: Executing enemies gives 15 percent Stim (Unlocks at Level 4)
• Laceration: Shotgun damage causes bleeding for 30 percent of damage (Unlocks at Level 5)
• Overkill Stock: 30 percent reduced recoil (Unlocks at Level 6)
• Cloak Batteries: Duration increased by 10 percent (Unlocks at Level 7)
• Shotgun Speed Loaders: 10 percent increased reload speed (Unlocks at Level 8)
• Enhanced Stim: 20 percent resistance to damage while Stimmed (Unlocks at Level 9)
• Blood Resonance: Bleeding enemies take 50 percent more shotgun damage (Unlocks at Level 10)
• Custom Gnasher: 5 percent increased damage and active effects (Unlocks at Level 11)
• Stim Batteries: Stim Capacity is increased 20 percent (Unlocks at Level 12)
• Overkill Ammo Capacity: 10 percent increased Overkill ammo capacity (Unlocks at Level 13)
• Epic Score Boost: Team score increased by 10 percent (Unlocks at Level 14)
• Blood Drain: Killing bleeding enemies extends Cloak by 1.7 seconds (Unlocks at Level 16)

Marcus Skill Cards

Sporting the Lancer in-hand, Gears 5 revives the series icon alongside the classic firearm. The heavyweight withstands a beating and his "Living Legend" ultimate guarantees a headshot with every trigger pull.

• Score Boost: Team score increased by 5 percent (Unlocks at Level 1)
• Dug In: 20 percent less damage in cover (Unlocks at Level 2)
• Extended Rifle Mag: 40 percent larger assault rifle magazine (Unlocks at Level 3)
• Explosive Resistance: 20 percent damage resistance from explosives (Unlocks at Level 4)
• Brutal Efficiency: Chainsaw kills recharge Living Legend by 15 seconds (Unlocks at Level 5)
• Friendlier Fire: 10 percent larger Living Legend radius (Unlocks at Level 6)
• Last Ditch: 25 percent increased damage when Marcus has low health (Unlocks at Level 7)
• Lancer Stock: 50 percent reduced Lancer recoil (Unlocks at Level 8)
• Custom Lancer: 10 percent increased damage and active effects (Unlocks at Level 9)
• Rifle Feedback: Rifle hits increase Living Legend time by 34 percent (Unlocks at Level 10)
• Defensive Stim: Stim Capacity is increased 40 percent (Unlocks at Level 12)
• Epic Score Boost: Team score increased by 10 percent (Unlocks at Level 14)
• Band of Brothers: Living Legend generates 25 Stim per seconds (Unlocks at Level 16)

Sarah Connor Skill Cards

Plucked from the upcoming Terminator: Dark Fate theatrical debut, Sarah Connors joins as a bonus tank among the cast, dealing and absorbing damage. The shotgun delivers an impactful kick, heightened by her ballistic upgrade. Although a smaller skill card pool than mainline characters, each upgrades her top strengths.

• Score Boost: Team score increased by 5 percent (Unlocks at Level 1)
• Grenade Capacity: Grenade capacity increased by 1 (Unlocks at Level 2)
• Stopping Power: 50 percent increased stopping power (Unlocks at Level 4)
• Tough Skin: 20 percent melee resistance (Unlocks at Level 6)
• Modified Frag: 20 percent increased damage and blast radius (Unlocks at Level 8)
• Heavy Preparations: +40 percent ammo capacity (Unlocks at Level 9)
• Epic Score Boost: Team score increased by 10 percent (Unlocks at Level 10)
• Follow Up: 5 second Heavy Hitter recharge on shotgun streak (Unlocks at Level 16)

Expect further skill cards in Horde mode as new characters hit Gears 5. In the meantime, Gears 5 remains available for preorder, currently starting as low as $50 via Amazon.