Gears of War: E-Day Act 4 Hard Cases Guide – All 46 Locations

Act 4 contains 46 Hard Cases, more than any other Act in the Campaign. They are spread across all six chapters, with the largest groups in Hope and Ruin and Tough as Nails.

Hard Cases are worth opening even if you are not chasing 100% completion. They contain weapon mods, armor mods, Tactical Gear mods and extra mod slots, and collecting every Hard Case in the Campaign is required for Relax. I'm the Map.

Chapter	Name	Hard Cases
1	Hope and Ruin	14
2	Technical Difficulties	3
3	Tough as Nails	12
4	Signals	5
5	Paths Diverge	4
6	Critical Failure	8
Total		46

Act 4 has two large exploration areas, so use the district map and Tac-Com before leaving each section. Several cases sit above street level, inside side rooms or behind optional routes that are easy to walk past when following the main objective.

Act 4 Chapter 1: Hope and Ruin – 14 Hard Cases

Hope and Ruin opens into the Golden Quarter. The safest route is to clear the cathedral and Burial Grounds first, then sweep the Regalia Hotel area, the university/Kalona Square side and finally the Opera House district.

#	Location	Reward	How to Find It
1	Opening Stairs	Pulse Mod Slot, Pulse Drone Mod: Retention Battery, Breechshot Mod: Composite Chassis	As soon as the chapter opens, take the stairs down on the left instead of following the main route forward. The first Hard Case is at the bottom of that short side path.
2	Sanctuary Cathedral Remains	Gnasher Mod Slot, Gnasher Mod: Slugs	Move into the Golden Quarter and head toward the Sanctuary Cathedral ruins in the southeast. Search the eastern side of the ruined cathedral before leaving the area.
3	Burial Grounds – East Side	Striga Mod: Cut Magwell	Enter the Burial Grounds and work across to the eastern side. The case sits away from the direct route through the cemetery, so sweep the edge before moving on.
4	Road South of the Burial Grounds	Breechshot Mod: Long Range Stabilizer, Ripper LMG Mod: Ricochet Ammo	Leave the Burial Grounds and follow the road south until it ends. At the end of the road, take the paved path on the right-hand side to reach the case.
5	Regalia Hotel – Side Reception Room	Snub Mod: Concession Ammo	Enter the Regalia Hotel and check the small side reception room rather than staying only in the main lobby. The case is inside that side room.
6	Regalia Hotel Lobby – East Corner	Lancer Mk1 Mod Slot, Lancer Mk1 Mod: Burst Stabilizer	Stay inside the hotel lobby and move to the eastern corner. Search beside the lobby furniture/pillars for the second hotel Hard Case.
7	Alley Northeast of Regalia Hotel	Hammerburst Mod: Forged Barrel	Leave the hotel and head northeast, toward the space between the hotel and the Burial Grounds. Check the small alley tucked between the buildings for the case.
8	Fountain Courtyard South of Regalia Hotel	Torque Bow Mod Slot, Torque Bow Mod: Composite Chassis	From the hotel, move south-southwest into the courtyard with the fountain. Search around the courtyard rather than continuing immediately toward the next objective.
9	Restaurant Storeroom	Breechshot Mod: Gore Loader, Ripper LMG Mod: Strike Plating	In the open area southwest of the hotel, enter the restaurant in the northwest corner. Go into the storeroom/back room to find the case.
10	Coffee-Shop Side of the Plaza	Stim Mod Slot, Stim Mod: Mag Triage	Stay in the same open district and work toward the southwest side near the coffee-shop frontage. The case is outside rather than hidden inside a building.
11	Kalona University Plaza – South Corner	Prototype Lancer Mod: Close-Quarters Barrel, Stim Mod: Tempo Emitter	Go to the plaza in front of Kalona University. Search the southern corner of the plaza before heading toward Kalona Square.
12	North Gate of Kalona Square	Ripper LMG Mod: Extended Mag, Prototype Lancer Mod: Active Compensator	Reach Kalona Square and move toward the northern gate. The Hard Case is near the gate, so grab it before passing through toward the Opera House side.
13	Opera House Square – Subway Entrance	Hammerburst Mod: Precision Rifling, Pulse Drone Mod: Healing Resonance	In the square outside the Opera House, go to the southwest side near the subway entrance. Search beside the entrance before using any route that leaves the area.
14	Back Alley Near Highview Forum / Pool Hall	Ripper LMG Mod: Holo Sight, Stim Mod: Suppression Field	From the Highview Forum area, head east-northeast toward the Pool Hall and enter the back alley. The final chapter case is tucked along this side route.

Before leaving the Golden Quarter, make sure the chapter count shows 14/14.

Act 4 Chapter 2: Technical Difficulties – 3 Hard Cases

This chapter is much shorter, but the train and platform sequences create natural one-way transitions. Search each stop before boarding the next train.

#	Location	Reward	How to Find It
1	Subway – Opposite the Supply Cache	Disruptor Mod Slot, Disruptor Mod: Explosive Resonance, Hammerburst Mod: Cut Magwell	Once you enter the subway section, locate the Supply Cache and then look directly across from it. The first Hard Case is on the opposite side of the area.
2	Final Station – Small Room Above the Stairs	Ripper LMG Mod Slot, Ripper LMG Mod: Cover Brace	At the final station, go up the stairs. When the corridor turns right, ignore the turn for a moment and continue straight into the small room ahead. The case is inside.
3	Skyrail Platform	Prototype Lancer Mod: Tactical Scope	Before boarding the skyrail/monorail train, check the platform on the right-hand side of the train. Open the case before getting aboard.

You should have 3/3 before leaving the station sequence.

Act 4 Chapter 3: Tough as Nails – 12 Hard Cases

Tough as Nails is the other major Hard Case sweep in Act 4. Prospect Bay has multiple warehouses, rooftops, alleys and optional areas, so clear each cluster before following the main objective out of it.

#	Location	Reward	How to Find It
1	Outside the Civilian Base	Hammerburst Mod Slot, Hammerburst Mod: Skeleton Frame	Leave the civilian base through the gate and immediately turn right. The case is outside the building opposite the green Rockwell Shipping truck.
2	Alley South of the Freight Yard	Breechshot Mod: Tactical Scope, Striga Mod: Combat Scope	Head toward the Freight Yard in the northwest of Prospect Bay. Search the alley directly south of the yard, near the far northwest corner of the map.
3	Helipad South of the Dockyard	Longshot Mod: Sniper Scope, Torque Bow Mod: Quickload Quiver	Go to the helipad south of the Dockyard. The Hard Case is on the pad, but opening it triggers a combat encounter, so reload and prepare before interacting with it.
4	Trapped Locust Train Car	Gut-Puncher Mod: Acid Rounds, Torque Bow Mod: Primed Coils	Complete the Trapped Locust Secondary Objective. After using the controls and clearing the Locust from the train carriage, enter/search the now-open train car for the Hard Case.
5	Prospect Bay Mechanics Garage – Back Room	Striga Mod: Ricochet Ammo	In the center of Prospect Bay, just southwest of the Power Grid Station, enter the vehicle mechanics garage filled with COG vehicles. Open the back room to reach the case; be ready for the ambush triggered when you enter.
6	Catwalk North of the Mechanics Garage	Striga Mod Slot, Striga Mod: Rotor Charger	From the previous garage, go north into the alley, climb onto the trucks and use them to reach the elevated catwalk. Follow the catwalk around to the case.
7	Adjoining Warehouse	Torque Bow Mod: High Explosive Bolts	From the catwalk case, continue into the connected/adjoining warehouse rather than dropping back to the street. Search the interior for the next case.
8	Warehouse Rooftop South-Southeast of Civilian Base	Longshot Mod: Cover Brace	Find the large group of warehouses south-southeast of the civilian base. Get onto the roof and work all the way toward the rear of the rooftop to find the case.
9	North Wing Armory – Southeast Corner	Disruptor Mod: Vulnerability Resonance, Injector Mod: Perfect Amplifier	Enter the North Wing Armory west of Seradyne Manufacturing. In the southeast corner, climb the ladder to the upper level and open the case there.
10	Warehouse Balcony	Ripper LMG Mod: Inertial Regulator, Longshot Mod: Combat Scope	In the central warehouse cluster, look for the outside balcony between the buildings. Reach the balcony from the nearby interior/catwalk route and search it for the case.
11	Weapons Warehouse – Southwest Corner	Stim Mod: Synaptic Field, Pulse Drone Mod: Spherical Emitter	When the main objective takes you through the weapons warehouse, search the southwest corner before completing the objective and leaving the building.
12	Outside the Power Plant	Armor Mod Slot, Breechshot Mod: Spring-Loaded Mag	After arranging safe passage out of the weapons warehouse, follow the exit route toward the Power Plant. Before leaving the chapter area, check beside the truck outside the Power Plant for the final case.

The easiest cases to miss are the train-car reward from Trapped Locust, the rooftop case and the cases hidden across the warehouse catwalks.

Act 4 Chapter 4: Signals – 5 Hard Cases

Signals has five cases concentrated around the gas station, electrical substation and radio tower.

#	Location	Reward	How to Find It
1	Gas Station – Van	Pulse Drone Mod: Vulnerability Resonance	At the gas station where the first fight takes place, move to the back-right corner of the area and search inside the van for the case.
2	Gas Station Roof	Torque Bow Mod: Skeleton Frame	After clearing the snipers, climb onto the roof of the gas station where they were positioned. The second case is up there.
3	Electrical Substation	Snub Mod Slot, Snub Mod: Laser	During the second major combat encounter, search the electrical substation area thoroughly before continuing toward the radio tower.
4	Radio Tower Compound – Left Side	Prototype Lancer Mod Slot, Prototype Lancer Mod: Chainsaw Extractor	Once you get through the gate into the radio-tower compound, head left outside the main building. The case is along that side of the compound.
5	Radio Tower Compound – Back Left	Ripper LMG Mod: Huge Magazine, Incinerator Mod: Laser	Stay outside the radio-tower building and continue around to the back-left side. The final Signals Hard Case is near the rear of the compound.

Check for 5/5 before leaving the radio tower.

Act 4 Chapter 5: Paths Diverge – 4 Hard Cases

Paths Diverge contains four cases. The last one appears after the chapter's final boss encounter, so do not leave the area as soon as the fight ends.

#	Location	Reward	How to Find It
1	Prospect Bay Power Station – North Corner	Disruptor Mod: Healing Resonance, Lancer Mk1 Mod: Skeleton Frame	Inside the Power Station, go to the rear/northern corner rather than following the objective straight through. The case is tucked into that back section.
2	Reaver Fight Area – Burnt Van	Prototype Lancer Mod: Incendiary Ammo	After defeating the Reaver, do not leave the combat area immediately. Go to the southern corner near the burnt-out grey van to find the case.
3	Gavel Dockyard Supply Cache Room	Gut-Puncher Mod Slot, Gut-Puncher Mod: Hard Launch	In the eastern part of the Gavel Dockyard, enter the Supply Cache room and search inside for the Hard Case.
4	After the Chapter Boss	Breechshot Mod: Blood Groove	Once the final boss is defeated, follow the route out but watch the east wall. The last Hard Case is along the exit path before you leave the area.

Your chapter total should show 4/4 before the transition.

Act 4 Chapter 6: Critical Failure – 8 Hard Cases

Critical Failure is more linear than the open Act 4 chapters, but several cases sit in small side rooms or immediately before major fights.

#	Location	Reward	How to Find It
1	Refinery Reception	Armor Mod: Pack Mule	As soon as you enter the refinery, stop at reception. The Hard Case is to the left of the reception desk, so grab it before moving deeper into the facility.
2	Elevator Roof	Torque Bow Mod Slot, Torque Bow Mod: Stake Bolts	When the elevator brings you up to the rooftop section, climb onto the roof of the elevator itself. The case is sitting on top.
3	Reaver Drop-Off Platform	Pulse Drone Mod: Precision Capacitor, Stim Mod: Vulnerability Field	Later, when a Reaver drops four Locust onto a platform after communications are lost, clear the fight and move onto the same platform where the enemies were dropped. The case is there.
4	Keycard Fight Room – Right Side	Ripper LMG Mod: Precision Rifling	After obtaining the keycard, you reach a large room where another fight begins. Before entering the center of the room, look to the right for the case.
5	Room Beyond the Fight – Floor Opening	Armor Mod: Executioner	Cross the large fight room and enter the room on the opposite side. Go to the far end near the large hole in the floor to find the case.
6	Corridor After the Blue COG Room	Striga Mod: Tactical Scope	After finding the dead COGs in the blue room, enter the next corridor. When the route tells you to turn left, continue straight instead into the small room at the end. The case is on the right inside.
7	Lightmass Missile Plans Control Room	Incinerator Mod: Holo Sight, Disruptor Mod: Wave Condenser	In the control-room section where Marcus comments on the missile plans displayed on the wall, search the back-right corner before moving on.
8	Opposite the Final Supply Cache	Ripper LMG Mod: Impact Rounds	In the next room, locate the Supply Cache and then look directly opposite it for the final Act 4 Hard Case.

Once the eighth case is open, your Act 4 War Journal total should be 46/46.

Act 4 Hard Case Checklist

Chapter	Expected Total
Hope and Ruin	14
Technical Difficulties	3
Tough as Nails	12
Signals	5
Paths Diverge	4
Critical Failure	8
Act 4 Total	46

If you are missing a case, check Hope and Ruin and Tough as Nails first. Together they contain 26 of the Act's 46 cases and have the most side buildings, rooftops and optional routes.

For the standard lore pickups, use our Act 4 Collectibles Guide. For all Campaign completion categories, see the E-Day Collectibles, Hard Cases, Supply Caches & Secondary Objectives guide, or return to the Gears of War: E-Day guide hub.