Gears 5

You must get to Level 15 w/ each of the 6 original Horde characters:
- Kait
- JD
- Del
- Marcus
- Fahz
- Jack

Here is the method for grinding character XP netting you about 1000xp per 15-20 Horde match

Setup:
Horde - Custom - Host - Options
- Set the Wave to 46, and make sure it's "visible in Lobby Browser"
This will allow help from others and you get 1 skill card every 5 consecutive waves completed so that's why you start on 46.

- One person be Del (not necessary but advised) and once match starts carry the Fabricator to one side of the map (Any map will do but I use Reclaimed most of the time). Once there get Del to start building 3-4 Lv.4 Sentry Turrets, I would advise building a weapons locker as well. Anyone who is not Del should go to the fabricator and dump all of the starting power for Del to use.

Use Power On: 3-4 Level 4 Sentry Turrets & 1 Level 4 Weapon Locker if feasible

- Don't bother spending power on perks, use it for the turrets. You get the most of the XP for completing the waves so there's no reason to be selfish buying things that only help you while doing this.

Watch this video for more info and to see this method in action and being set up :)
- The first 4mins explain the method and getting started.
- @ 15:30 I start the final wave 50 and get granted the character XP if you just want to see that.

All of my Gears 5 Achievement Guides can be found here! :) (Mobile Friendly)
https://www.bradleafsfan9.com/gears-5
Gears 5 Video Guide Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvrkjkOmqksppEgx319Lm...

*Final edit due to PvE updates and Achievement alteration.

Note: All PvE classes (with the exception of Jack) can now be used in Escape, which may be a quicker mode for most players to level up in. This guide was originally created for the purpose of levelling up in Horde.

As stated in the achievement description you will need to reach level 15 with the following classes:

-Kait Infiltrator
-JD Demolitions
-Del Mechanic
-Marcus Veteran
-Fahz Marksman
-Jack

Class XP level requirements:

Start - Level 1
100 XP > Level 2
500 XP > Level 3
1,000 XP > Level 4
1,500 XP > Level 5
2,000 XP > Level 6
2,500 XP > Level 7
3,000 XP > Level 8
3,500 XP > Level 9
4,000 XP > Level 10
6,000 XP > Level 11
8,000 XP > Level 12
10,000 XP > Level 13
12,000 XP > Level 14
15,000 XP > Level 15

For those interested you can continue to level up:
20,000 XP > Level 16
40,000 XP > Level 17
60,000 XP > Level 18 (previous max level)
80,000 XP > Level 19
100,000 XP > Level 20 (new max level)

Getting the most class XP for your time:
Completing higher difficulties will provide higher class XP however I would highly recommend lower difficulties to begin with and then moving up to Insane, Inconceivable, and Master. I would also recommend not worrying too much about whether you get the most kills or earn MVP on every wave as class XP is linked more to wave completion. As a baseline the full 50 waves will net you around 5000 class XP on Beginner difficulty (Boost active) however the later waves will reward the majority of class XP. With this being said repetitively completing waves 41-50 will see the most class XP gained, although it may be more beneficial to run waves 46-50 as this skips mini-bosses as well as a few other dragged out waves.

Note: Boost will also impact class XP gains.

I received exactly 4000 class XP on two occasions for completing waves 46-50 on Insane difficulty (Boost was active).

The importance of skill cards:
Although completing higher difficulties is obviously the better choice it’s important to note that class level does not necessarily equal a more buffed class as this is linked more to the skill cards being upgraded. As you level up each individual class you will unlock new skill cards however to upgrade them you will need duplicates, which can be gained by either using Gears Coins or completing at least five consecutive waves i.e. you will receive one card for every five waves that you complete in one sitting.

Higher difficulties also provide a higher chance of receiving rarer skill cards (see in game for more details).

Setup Methods:
A Mechanic, or equivalent class, should start off by building several barriers to help slow down the majority of the enemies. The rest of the team can move them into position. Depending on the team's needs one or two weapons lockers* may be required. Plenty of sentries will help slow down and wipe out enemies if you have the power to purchase and upgrade them too. There should be a Demolitions class on the team that can utilise a weapons locker* for the Lancer GL (purchased from the fabricator). With a buffed enough Demolitions using the GL grenade, plus bleed damage from the Razor Hail skill card, they should wipe out plenty of enemies and even take down any bosses with ease. Bastions should also be a focus for everyone when they appear although Demolitions can usually take them out quickly by shooting the shield with an active Boomshot.

If you're playing more waves than just five or ten it's good practice to capture the taps (now with improved buffs) and/or build a forge so that Jack can dismantle weapons for more power (use Jack's Optimizer card for extra power). The Mechanic can still focus on building sentries and barriers to hold back plenty of enemies, while Jack swoops round collecting weapons for the forge and reviving others that will be desperately trying to take out the all the enemies.

Tip: A lot of players focus on hoarding their own power to upgrade their perks and/or start randomly building things which don't help the team. It's better if everyone works together and deposits into the fabricator, at least in the beginning.

Recommended Skill Cards:

Infiltator - Laceration (L5), Blood Resonance (L10) [shotgun focused]

Demolitions - Custom Lancer GL (L7), Custom Boomshot (L9), Razor Hail (L12) [explosive focused]

Mechanic - Ingenuity (L2), Reinforced Fabrication (L4), *Overclocked Lockers (L7), Efficient Fabrication (L10) [defence focused]

Veteran - Custom Lancer (L9), Focus (L10), Headshot Master (L15) [rifle focused]

Marksman - Ambush (L2), Exploit Weakness (L5), Explosive Critical Hit (L13) [precision focused]

Jack - Healing Reach (L2), Zapper upgrade (L3), Optimizer (L4), Healing upgrade (L6), Explosive Hijack (L12) [support focused]

Horde Frenzy:
Horde Frenzy is a 12 wave variant of horde with a boss wave every 4 waves. A full 1-12 waves run on Master difficulty will provide 4 skill cards and approximately 12,000 class XP (Boost active). The average time for a full run of Horde Frenzy should take about 30 minutes depending on the map and skill level of the team.

Thank you to BigPoppaHoyle, I Ebon Hawk I, and AbsoIuteZero x for their additional horde information.

Prior to Operation 5, classes were linked to characters. The following classes were known as:

Infiltrator - Kait
Demolitions - JD
Mechanic - Del
Veteran - Marcus
Marksman - Fahz
Jack - Jack

In this video and at the time of this post I break down options 1, 2, and 4. At the time of this video, there is currently a 4x XP event running until January 4th, however, these methods are still superior to other ways of leveling. These methods will net you a great deal of Class experience ("CXP") and a good amount of Profile experience ("PXP").

One of the fastest ways to level up your classes in Gears 5 introduced after Operation 5 is to play with the mutators or difficulty.

1) Horde Frenzy - Overload - Master difficulty
2) Escape - The Surge - Insane difficulty with these mutators on More Filler Enemies, More Drones, More Health, More Pouncers, Ironman
3) Escape - The Clock - Master Difficulty
4) Horde - Jingle Juvies (until January 4th) Inconceivable difficulty
5) Daily/Featured horde/escape maps

To reach level 15 you will need to complete either 5 Horde Overload runs or 2 jingle juvies. Horde Overload gives you 21K CXP while Jingle Juvies gives you 42-46K CXP. These are by far the most efficient methods. Once the 4X XP event is finished I will update with newer values.

In terms of hours spent you’re looking at roughly 5 hours from level 1-20 for Horde Frenzy Master Overload and Inconceivable Jingle Juvies.