Conquest is Gears of War: E-Day’s zone-control mode. It resembles King of the Hill, but the active zone does not rotate on a standard interval. It remains active until one team accumulates enough occupation time to score. That one rule changes every rotation: leaving early can hand the opponent the unfinished point.
All players begin with equal equipment, Weapon Mods are disabled, and on-map Power Weapons create the strongest temporary ways to enter or hold a zone.
Read the current zone as unfinished work
Before moving elsewhere, check which team owns the zone, how much progress is needed, and whether an opponent can touch it. A nearly completed capture is valuable only if the team remains connected enough to finish it.
Do not predict the next location from an old rotation and abandon the current fight. The zone’s persistence means the opponent can turn partial progress into their own score. If a teammate scouts ahead, the other three should retain the ability to contest.
Use the live UI for score and overtime. Pre-release sources confirm the rule, not fixed numeric thresholds.
Break a defended zone in two actions
A zone break needs entry and stabilization. First remove or displace the defender with the best crossfire. Then put a player on the objective while teammates take the angles that stop an immediate retake.
Throwing all four players directly into the zone can create a single explosive or shotgun opportunity. Instead, one player pressures from a second lane, two enter close enough to trade, and the fourth blocks reinforcement or controls a Power Weapon.
Smoke can deny a sightline during entry. Because smoke is volumetric, move within its useful window and assume the opponent is repositioning too.
Hold the entrances that matter now
Once the team controls the zone, assign coverage based on enemy approach rather than static map diagrams. One player stays able to touch or contest; two cover the most likely entrances; one watches the flank without moving beyond trade distance.
After every elimination, reconsider the next approach. Unlike TDM, the goal is not a chase. A wounded opponent retreating away from the active zone may already be giving your team useful time.
Preserve ammunition for the retake attempt. A Power Weapon shot used on a distant, irrelevant target cannot stop the player who reaches the zone.
Rotate only when the current score permits it
The safest rotation begins after the active zone is resolved or when a deliberate split can guarantee both finish and setup. State who remains and who moves. If no one can explain how the current point completes, the rotation is premature.
Movement routes differ by map. Precinct rewards close flank checks; Outpost and Market can expose a long transfer; Skyward asks players to cover jumps; Park offers alternate winding paths around central sightlines. Practice the route in Player vs Bot before using it under Ranked pressure.
Never assume the new zone is safe because the opponent is visible at the old one. One player may already be waiting on the transition.
Value Power Weapons by objective impact
A Power Weapon is worth contesting when it helps break, hold, or deny the active zone. It is less valuable when the pickup route removes most of the team from scoring range.
Assign a collector and a cover player, then return the weapon to an angle that influences the objective. Track drops: if the carrier dies outside the zone, decide whether recovering the weapon or preserving capture time is more valuable.
Horde Weapon Mods never apply. Compare only the unmodified Versus weapon in the current public build.
Recover from a failed break
If the first entry loses two players, do not feed the remaining pair separately. Back out, regroup, locate the Power Weapon state, and choose a different pressure lane. The persistent zone may give the opponent progress, but another staggered death gives both progress and control.
Call the minimum goal: touch to prevent completion, remove one crossfire, or fully clear. A desperation touch can be correct near the score threshold; the same action early can be an unnecessary death.
Dynamic respawns are specifically a TDM feature in official descriptions, so do not assume the same spawn logic applies to Conquest without current-build observation.
Review zone value rather than kill count
After the match, ask when the team left an unfinished point, whether breaks had a second wave, which deaths occurred beyond objective influence, and how each Power Weapon changed capture time.
A player can have fewer eliminations and still create the winning flank or hold. Conversely, a long chase can inflate a stat line while the enemy scores uncontested. Use the win condition as the evaluation frame.
Record map, playlist, public build, and live rule values when sharing a guide. Seasonal or featured modes can alter conditions and should not silently replace core Conquest rules.
Conquest FAQ
When does the zone rotate?
It remains active until a team accrues enough occupation time to score, rather than rotating on a simple fixed interval.
Should someone always stand inside the zone?
Follow the live capture requirement. The squad needs at least one player able to contest or score while others protect relevant approaches.
Is Conquest a 4v4 mode?
Yes. All announced core Versus modes use 4v4 teams.