Armored Core 6’snotoriously difficult boss battles encourages players to customize their AC and find the play style that suits them best. But with the plethora of parts, stats, enemies and objectives to consider, this can quickly become a daunting task. Happily, while there is no perfect build for every encounter, a few have emerged to dominate the meta. Even better, you can build one of them as early asChapter 2!
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Since the majority of your damage is inflicted after staggering an opponent, this build is optimized to shred through defenses, and quickly deal extensive damage in that window. Here’s the rundown.
Best Parts & Weapons
Arm Weapons
For the arms, this build utilizes a Double Trigger setup, with both the right and left arms equipped with theDF-GA-08 HU-BEN GATLING GUNS. Not only do they look badass, they can unleash absolute bullet-hell with their high rate of fire and large magazines. Perfect candidates to maintain pressure,fill an opponent’s impact meterand get those staggers in.
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Their ideal range sits at around 130m, so you’ll want to stay at mid-range to get the most out of them. As an added benefit, their high ammo capacity and low ammunition costs ensure you have enough ammo for any engagement, without spending too much on each mission.
Back Weapons
For the back, this build equips theSONGBIRDS GRENADE CANNONon the right shoulder, and thePB-033 ASHMEAD PILE BUNKERon the left. The Songbirds’ high Attack Power and Impact compliment the double Gatling setup by delivering powerful shots and staggering opponents. It also has a high effective range at 625m, making it great for attacking enemies at a distance before closing the gap.
Once an opponent is staggered, that’s when the Pile Bunker comes into play. It isone of the best melee weaponsin the game, and its charged shot is what will deliver the most damage in this build. To utilize the Pile Bunker, you’ll first need to unlock theWeapons Baymodification in your OS Tuning. Once you’ve done that, you may equip it in your left shoulder slot, and switch to it using LB/Q (controller/PC) during combat.
Since this build features heavy weapons and a close play style, it makes sense to have an AC with high AP and Altitude Stability. TheAH-J-124 BASHOfulfills these requirements, making it a reliable unit with good defense.
Since a large portion of your defensive stats are concentrated in the core, this build utilizes theDF-BD-08 TIAN-QIANG. It has an impressively high AP and Altitude Stability, while also featuring excellent defenses against kinetic and explosive damage.
The arms are perhaps one of the most important considerations for this unit, and theAR-012 MELANDER C3are going to be your best bet. They have sufficient load limit to carry heavy weapons, but more importantly, have good Firearm Specialization and Melee Specialization to make sure you’re hitting more of your shots and maximizing your damage.
To support all these heavy-duty parts, and allow that up close and personal play style, there is but one candidate for the legs. TheDF-LG-08 TIAN-QIANGBipedal legs are going to literally carry you, with their high load limit, AP, and decent maneuverability.
For the booster, theALULA/21 Eis going to be your best friend. It’s high Thrust and QB Thrust will keep you nimble enough to stay close and avoid devastating attacks, despite the significant weight of this build.
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They also have the advantage of a low QB Reload Time and high Melee Attack Thrust to close the gap and deliver those powerful Pile Bunker charges.
Since the majority of your time is going to be spent raining lead with the Gatling guns, thebest FCS for the occasionis going to be theFCS-G2/P05. It has excellent Medium-Range Assist while featuring good Close-Range Assist as well.
TheVP-20Sisone of the best Generators, and can handle all the energy requirements you’ll need for this build. Its strengths are its high EN Recharge and Supply Recovery which will let you recover and use your quick boost often – an essential part of this build’s play style.
For your expansion slot, you can either go withASSAULT ARMORorTERMINAL ARMOR, depending on which you prefer. Assault Armor is great if you want to get close and deliver a few instances of massive damage. Alternatively, if you want more survivability, Terminal Armor will help you tank one fatal hit, leaving you with 1 AP. Both can be unlocked in the OS Tuning.
To optimize your build, you’ll want to invest some OST chips in unlocking and upgrading a few features. If you’ve completed all your arena missions, you should have a decent number of OST chips, which you’ll want to allocate as follows.
The first thing you’ll want to unlock with your chips isBoost Kick, which will unleash a powerful kick at the end of your Assault Boost, letting you close the gap and deal decent damage. Next you should unlock theWeapon Bayfeature, which will let you equip the Pile Bunker to your shoulder slot and switch it out with your arm weapon in battle. Following that, you may spend chips to get eitherAssault ArmororTerminal Armor, depending on which you prefer. With your remaining chips, you can invest inKinetic Weapons – Fire Control TuningandMelee Weapons – Drive Control Tuningto boost your bullet and melee damage as per your preference.
you may always reset your OST chips by spending a nominal amount. However, you cannot re-allocate them in the midst of a mission, so prepare well before you sortie.
Best Ways To Play This Build
While each boss will have different attack patterns that will affect your actions, your ideal play will likely be:
It’s a good idea to make a habit of switching out the Pile Bunker immediately after a charged shot, so that you don’t get caught up in the flow of the battle and forget to switch in your primary weapon.
