Lancer Assault Rifle

The Lancer Assault Rifle, also known as simply the Lancer, is a fictional class of firearm weapons featured in the Gears of War media franchise. Variants of the Lancer appear in the video game series as well as in related media, beginning with Gears of War. The most well known model is the Mark (MK) 2 Lancer Assault Rifle, a mid-range assault rifle with a fully operational chainsaw for a bayonet, and is usually available as one of the starting weapons used by the protagonists of the series. The Lancer has been very well received since the inception of the Gears of War franchise and has been subject to numerous licensed merchandise. Video game journalists have called the Lancer one of the most iconic weapons in video games. Characteristics Within the series, the Lancer series of assault rifles are standard issue weapons for Coalition of Ordered Governments ("COG") soldiers. The Mark 1, also known as the Retro Lancer, has a traditional blade-type bayonet. The Mark 2 Lancer Assault Rifle, the successor of the older Mark 1 model, is originally developed by Adam Fenix, the father of series protagonist Marcus Fenix. Its chainsaw bayonet when accelerated will quickly kill its victim; this is usually represented by a short animation where the target is executed by dismemberment. In Gears of War 4, Marcus Fenix wields a customized Mark 2 Lancer which features several design changes. His "Custom Lancer" serves as the in-universe basis for the Mark 3 introduced in Gears 5, which comes in two variants: the standard Mark 3 with a chainsaw bayonet, and the Lancer GL which is capable of firing laser-guided clusters of grenades with its under-barrel mortar in lieu of a chainsaw bayonet. The Lancer has had its ammo capacity, magazine size, and firepower constantly downgraded and upgraded throughout the series due to gameplay balance concerns.