Got my copy the other day. Played three solo games so far, all with Marcus Fenix. Beat Emergence and China Shop first try. Lost on Belly of the Beast just now (stupid Lambent Wretches swarmed me bad not halfway in). Overall a very fun game.

Let's continue to agregate all result from BBG, EDGE and FFG's forurm ! I add your results :)

Yesterday night we won two 2 player game : Baird/Dom on Emergence and then Baird/cole on Scattered

GEARS OF WAR - BOARDGAME FFG/EDGE (for victory/victoire, D for defeat/défaite)

EMERGENCE

1 player : 11V, 5D
2 players : 10V, 1D
3 players : 4V, 3D
4 players : 5V, 2D

CHINA SHOP / MAGASIN DE PORCELAINE

1 player : 3V, 1D
2 players : 3V-3D
3 players : 1V, 7D
4 players : 0V, 1D

BELLY OF THE BEATS / RENCONTRE MACABRE

1 player : 0V, 2D
2 players : 7V, 0D
3 players : 0V, 2D
4 players : 0V, 1D

ROADBLOCKS / BARRAGE ROUTIERS

1 player :
2 players : 4V, 4D
3 players : 3V
4 players :

SCATTERED / DES FORCES EPARPILLEES

1 player :
2 players : 4V, 4D
3 players :
4 players : 0V, 1D

THE HIVE / LA RUCHE

1 player : 1V, 0D
2 players :
3 players : 0V, 2D
4 players :

China Shop 4 players, 1 run, 1 win.

Agonizingly tense in choke points, where we've been swamped by Wretches or mauled by the Berserk (too damn close!), but we made it first time, even if we ended up with 3 COGs bleeding along the way. Lessons learned: Dom should always be leading the way.

Belly of the Beast solo: 2 runs, 2 losses.

Lambent Wretches are devastating, and Theron Guards have the nasty habit of blowing away large amounts of cards/life while not dying even if shot with overkill.

Played the other night with a friend China Shop on two player, and won (Fenix and Baird combo).

Played with another friend, both Baird and Fenix again, on Emergence, and lost first time and then won on second run.

Happy New Year Everyone !!! Last days before X-files Invasion/Maya end of World/2013 (select your right answer)

Here are the first 2012's results From Edge's, FFG's and BBG's forums !

GEARS OF WAR - BOARDGAME FFG/EDGE (for victory/victoire, D for defeat/défaite)

EMERGENCE

1 player : 14V, 9D
2 players : 26V, 4D
3 players : 5V, 3D
4 players : 7V, 5D

CHINA SHOP / MAGASIN DE PORCELAINE

1 player : 3V, 1D
2 players : 8V, 9D
3 players : 1V, 8D
4 players : 1V, 2D

BELLY OF THE BEATS / RENCONTRE MACABRE

1 player : 0V, 5D
2 players : 13V, 1D
3 players : 0V, 2D
4 players : 2V, 1D

ROADBLOCKS / BARRAGE ROUTIERS

1 player :
2 players : 8V, 8D
3 players : 3V, 0D
4 players :

SCATTERED / DES FORCES EPARPILLEES

1 player :
2 players : 7V, 7D
3 players : 1V, 0D
4 players : 0V, 1D

THE HIVE / LA RUCHE

1 player : 1V, 0D
2 players :
3 players : 0V, 2D
4 players : 1V, 0D
 

Played first time with 3 people tonight on Belly of the Beast, and barely, by the skin of our teeth, won. The team was Dominic, Fenix, and Baird. The player with Dominic ran way up front and activated the resinator, and the deck ate us slowly away. I recommended the person who was playing Baird to just run to the other side of the map as fast as he could, and he had the whole swarm chasing him as Dominic and I (Fenix) got mowed down by double AI, slowing barely their unstoppable advance.

Key note, and this changes my future submissions, which will only be solo submissions if this thread continues: I have found what makes the game so unbalanced when with more players. The exploration (?) mark symbols on the maps only have one charge unless mission states otherwise (i.e. Emergence), whether you are playing anywhere between the 1 to 4 players.

That makes no sense.

The game is punishing players by letting them bring guests over to try the game out, treating the game as if it were still in solo-mode for exploration pick-ups. I realized this tonight when I was without any ammo tokens and my other group members had mediocre because they were grabbing the one-time exploration cards and drop tokens when they came up. When the session was almost over, I realized had I played solo, that would have been fair, but when you are having a difference in player amount, we each get an AI too for each person, but not an extra exploration for each person. So, the solution is to use ammo tokens to mark how many times an exploration has been used, and the card is THEN discarded when it reaches the starting player amount (weapon-drop tokens from monsters and such is still as normal). This fully balances the game as such as it would be in solo mode.

I have only played Emergence, China Shop, and Belly of the Beast thus far. If there is anything else that ignores players amount and should, change it, but as far as I can see, the only thing missing is Exploration cards are 1 use even in multiplayer, and that is unfair and discontinued in my personal friend circles. I will continue to submit solo games as I play them but submitted this option for those who wish to balance their Gears boardgame too, as I believe that was the original solution desired when the post began.

Comments? Criticisms? Will this make multi-player games fair now in Gears?

Tromdial said:

I agree. I though the same thing when I played my first solo game last week. When you have more ammos, your throw more dices and succeed more actions and observations shots.

Thanks for sharing ! Here we go for today ! (2 more victory on 2 players Emergence with a beginner tonight).

2011/01/03 GEARS OF WAR - BOARDGAMEGEEK/FFG/EDGE (for victory/victoire, D for defeat/défaite)

EMERGENCE

1 player : 16V, 9D
2 players : 28V, 4D
3 players : 5V, 3D
4 players : 7V, 5D

CHINA SHOP / MAGASIN DE PORCELAINE

1 player : 3V, 2D
2 players : 9V, 9D
3 players : 1V, 8D
4 players : 1V, 2D

BELLY OF THE BEAST / RENCONTRE MACABRE

1 player : 0V, 7D
2 players : 15V, 2D
3 players : 0V, 3D
4 players : 2V, 4D

ROADBLOCKS / BARRAGE ROUTIERS

1 player : 1V, 2D
2 players : 9V, 8D
3 players : 3V, 0D
4 players :

SCATTERED / DES FORCES EPARPILLEES

1 player :
2 players : 7V, 7D
3 players : 1V, 0D
4 players : 0V, 1D

THE HIVE / LA RUCHE

1 player : 1V, 0D
2 players :
3 players : 0V, 2D
4 players : 1V, 0D

Woops! You missed my victory in Belly of the Beast on 3 Player. We barely won. It was in my giant post.

willmanx said:

Yeah, I usually play boardgames solo as much as I do with friends. When I saw there was no balance on how many uses an exploration had between the amount of players, I knew that had to be the reason for the upscale difficulty.

Thanks for sharing ! a forgotten win of Tromdial on 3P belly of the beast

2011/01/03 GEARS OF WAR - BOARDGAMEGEEK/FFG/EDGE (for victory/victoire, D for defeat/défaite)

EMERGENCE

1 player : 16V, 9D
2 players : 28V, 4D
3 players : 5V, 3D
4 players : 7V, 5D

CHINA SHOP / MAGASIN DE PORCELAINE

1 player : 3V, 2D
2 players : 9V, 9D
3 players : 1V, 8D
4 players : 1V, 2D

BELLY OF THE BEAST / RENCONTRE MACABRE

1 player : 0V, 7D
2 players : 15V, 2D
3 players : 1V, 3D
4 players : 2V, 4D

ROADBLOCKS / BARRAGE ROUTIERS

1 player : 1V, 2D
2 players : 9V, 8D
3 players : 3V, 0D
4 players :

SCATTERED / DES FORCES EPARPILLEES

1 player :
2 players : 7V, 7D
3 players : 1V, 0D
4 players : 0V, 1D

THE HIVE / LA RUCHE

1 player : 1V, 0D
2 players :
3 players : 0V, 2D
4 players : 1V, 0D
 

Roadblocks, 4 players, 1 Victory/1 Defeat.

Great exercise in card management. You run/follow too much, you've spent too much cards/life, and you're blasted. You move too slow, you're swarmed by Tickers. You spread in too many areas, you can't revive bleeding fellow COGs. You stay in a tight group, you suffer area damage.

Yep, interesting comment. Some results from BGG and yours added

2011/01/06 GEARS OF WAR - BOARDGAMEGEEK/FFG/EDGE (for victory/victoire, D for defeat/défaite)

EMERGENCE

1 player : 16V, 9D
2 players : 28V, 4D
3 players : 5V, 3D
4 players : 7V, 5D

CHINA SHOP / MAGASIN DE PORCELAINE

1 player : 4V, 2D
2 players : 9V, 9D
3 players : 1V, 8D
4 players : 1V, 2D

BELLY OF THE BEAST / RENCONTRE MACABRE

1 player : 0V, 7D
2 players : 15V, 2D
3 players : 1V, 3D
4 players : 2V, 4D

ROADBLOCKS / BARRAGE ROUTIERS

1 player : 1V, 2D
2 players : 10V, 8D
3 players : 3V, 0D
4 players : 1V, 1D

SCATTERED / DES FORCES EPARPILLEES

1 player :
2 players : 7V, 7D
3 players : 1V, 0D
4 players : 0V, 1D

THE HIVE / LA RUCHE

1 player : 1V, 0D
2 players :
3 players : 0V, 2D
4 players : 1V, 0D

Well, I was going to save off from updating my plays until I'd completed my plays of Hive, but seeing as there are yet no 2 COG games of Hive listed, and, umm, 'cos we won , might as well put it up.

And it all looked very bleak around turn 3, Cole threw a Bolo into an area with 2 Drone, Kantus and 2 Theron Guard, only rolling 2 dmg. Okay, that's not so bad, but Firefight was the next AI card!!! Cole was SO bleeding out. But that was the only bleeding out, Marcus managed to revive him after surviving 2 Drone attacks himself without the benefit of cover. Skorge was looking invulnerable during the early attacks, then Reinforcements showed up, putting the final map with Drone, Skorge and 3 Theron Guards. Luckily, Skorge being Locust B and thus moving from Reinforcements meant both Marcus and Cole got to guard against him, then it was Marcus's turn and he used Pummel for two overkill Hammerburst attacks, second of which killed Skorge. Next AI card would've seen the Theron Guards activate!

Dam said:

Oh yeah! I forgot I played The Hive too a few nights ago. So it was late, I played on casual. Played with Marcus Fenix solo. 30 mins in, I have five cards in my hand after wiping a Wretch out. Only one Drone activates. He comes up to me, I dodge while in partial cover. His 3 attack dice versus my 4 defense dice. He rolls all double-wounds and I roll no defense.

I look at my 5 card hand, I look at the dice, I look at my hand again, I look at dice again, I put game away.