Beginner Build Tips

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon expects you to be able to build your own AC and adapt that build to the challenges you face. This build guide will walk you through the Tips and Tricks you'll need to build your own AC in AC6, as well as general AC build theory, and the Parts and Best OS Upgrades to unlock first as you tinker with your build.

A General Reminder About Building ACs

In general, it’s important to remember this: Armored Core is about the details. Doing something simple, like changing your FCS or generator, can make a big difference. Don’t be afraid to tweak your build. Often, the answer isn’t making a major change, but making a minor one. The difference between a build that works and one that doesn’t can be a single part. Keep tinkering and testing.

Start with Your Legs

This may seem counter-intuitive, as every AC has to have a core, but the place you should start is your legs, because they determine what you can carry. Heavy legs are slow, but can carry more (and heavier) weapons, while light legs are limited to smaller, fewer weapons, but are very fast. Medium legs are good for all-arounder builds that can do everything. Heavy and tank legs are great for durable, heavy weapon builds. And then there’s the tetrapod, which allows you to fly. Every style of legs offers a different build, and there are substantial differences within those categories.

At the beginning, you should be asking yourself one question: what do I want my mech to do? If the answer is “be really fast and get in the opponent’s face,” you probably want a build that uses light legs. If you’re looking to play at mid-range and do a little of everything, you’ll want to get medium legs. If firepower is your game, you’ll want heavy legs or tank treads. And if you want a specialized build that lets you rain death from above, you’ll want the tetrapod.

Almost every part in Armored Core is part of a set that naturally compliments one another, so if you’re unsure of what to do once you choose your legs, try equipping arms and cores from the same set of parts, and then experiment from there. Once you’ve figured out what you’re looking for in a general build, it’s time to head to the next step: weapons.

Pick a Balanced Toolkit, or…

Now that you have a general idea of the kind of AC you’d like to build, it’s time to dig into the weapons you’ll equip it with. You’ll have two weapons in your AC’s arms, and two on your shoulders, provided you can carry all of them. Now you just have to decide how to use those slots. In general, Armored Core is a game about specialization. Unless you are specifically going for a balanced build, it pays to specialize.

If you’re looking for a balanced build, we recommend using medium legs, equipping a rifle on your right arm, an energy sword on your left arm, a missile launcher on one shoulder, and another weapon of your choice on the other shoulder. You’ll probably want to choose something different from your other shoulder weapon, though running two missile launchers can work in the right build. Remember, you’ll want weapons that build stagger as well as deal damage. A weapon’s damage output will be marked as Attack Power on the weapon’s stats list, while stagger damage is labeled Impact.

Generally, it’s a good idea to have weapons that can do both so you can stagger enemies and then deal large amounts of damage. Most weapons tend to specialize in either Attack Power or Impact (though there are weapons, like energy words, bazookas, and rocket launchers that can do both), so choose carefully.

Specialize Your AC

Balanced builds, like the one you start with, are generally quite strong in Armored Core, but don’t let that deter you from leaning heavily into specialized builds, especially against tough bosses or other ACs in the Arena. Specialized builds naturally focus on doing one thing and doing it very well, but they can be very strong in the right situations or when played well.

A specialized build, for instance, might utilize dual shotguns and twin missile launchers to put constant pressure on the opponent and quickly stagger their ACS. Another example might use tank treads and dual-wield gatling guns to deal massive damage very quickly. All of these are valid builds that can work in the right hands and the right scenarios, but they'll run into trouble against ACs or bosses that counter their style of play. Plan - and adapt - accordingly.

Choose the Right Head, Core, and Arms

Once you have the legs and weapons you want, it's time to flesh out the rest of your AC. Now, you'll want to choose your head, core, and arms. These parts are important, but you generally have to watch out for fewer things as you cycle through them. The most important stats here are AP (your health), Attitude Stability (how resistant your build is to being staggered), EN Load (your energy load), and Weight.

These pieces are less important to your overall build and you can (and probably will have to) mix and match to accommodate for the other choices you make. Obviously, more AP and Attitude Control with less weight is the ideal, but this isn't possible. Your best bet is to shoot for the parts with the best stats you can get, while making sure you can equip the weapons you want.

FCS, Boosters, Generators, Oh My

Okay, so now we have all of our external parts. Now it's time to deal with the internal stuff that makes our AC work. First, you'll want to choose an FCS (Fire Control System). The core stats here are Close-range Assist, Mid-range Assist, and Long-range Assist, which improve the aim assist at the range indicated. But you'll also want to pay attention to Missile Lock Correction and Multi-lock Correction, which indicate how long it takes missiles to lock on and how long multi-lock takes. You'll want to choose the best FCS for the range you want to play at, and the one that best fits your missile set-up, if you have one.

With that out of the way, it's a great time to pick your Booster. This is one of the most important parts you'll choose. There are three core stats here: Thrust, Upward Thrust, and QB Thrust. Try to get these as high as you can while minimizing EN Load and Weight.

Finally, you'll need to choose a Generator. The core stats are EN Capacity and EN Recharge. Obviously, you'll want the best stats while managing your Weight and EN Load, but if you're not using a high Thrust Booster or energy weapons, you'll need a less powerful Generator. This is why you do this one last.

Tweak Everything

Okay, your build is done, right? Probably not. The reality is, even if you've followed this guide, you'll probably need to tweak some stuff to deal with weight limits, EN shortfalls, the right amount of AP, and so on. Once you have a good idea of what you want, it's time to start mix-maxing your build to maximize your AC's stats, spend some time in the store to look at new parts, and test, test, test. You're going to spend a lot of time in the Assembly, so get used to it.

Don't Be Afraid to Change It If It's Not Working

One of the biggest problems beginners run into in Armored Core is staying with the same build long after it stops working. If you're running into problems, it's usually for one of a few reasons:

• You're dying too quickly/You're getting outmaneuvered or having trouble dodging attacks
• You aren't doing enough damage quickly enough
• You're running out of ammo or Energy at important moments

First thing first: to solve the problem, you have to identify it, so if something is giving you trouble, you need to sit down and figure out what the problem is. Then, you need to figure out how to solve it.

You're Dying Too Quickly or Having Trouble Dodging Attacks

If you're dying too fast, your AC probably doesn't have enough AP or defense to weather whatever storm you're up against. Generally, you can solve this by building a sturdier AC, upgrading your Repair Kits, or making your AC harder to hit. You can do the latter by equipping a better Booster or making your AC lighter and faster and avoiding the damage altogether dodging.

You're Not Doing Enough Damage

If you're not doing enough damage, it's probably time to change your loadout. This issue could come down to weapon type. If you're having trouble breaking through a pulse shield, use a pulse weapon or something that causes high Impact damage. If the enemy is dodging your attacks, it's time to equip a weapon that fires faster, like a gatling gun or an assault rifle. If you're not able to consistently Stagger an enemy, it's time to equip weapons with more Impact damage. It might just be as simple as heading to the store and buying a better weapon.

Remember, depending on your build, you may need to rework everything about your AC to make the changes you need. Don't be afraid to change everything! Luckily, you can always sell parts to the store for their purchase price if you need to buy new ones, so don't be afraid to sell something because you might need it later. You can always buy it back for the same price once you need it again. You can also replay missions to build up your war chest. And you can always change your AC from the menu if you die.

You're Running out of Ammo or Energy at Key Moments

This is one of the harder problems to solve; it may not be a problem with your build, but with how you're piloting your AC. You may be panic dodging and wasting your energy, wasting ammo because you're missing shots, or not watching the heat on your energy weapons. Changing your build might alleviate some of these things, but before you start drastically reworking things, try to pay attention to what's causing your problem. Sometimes you just need to approach the way you're moving, dodging, or when you're using certain weapons.

You're Playing on Tilt

Playing angry, commonly referred to as "playing on tilt," is a great way to lose even when your build is the right one. Armored Core 6 can be a very challenging game that tests not only your skill in combat but also your ability to change your build to meet the challenge at hand. It's not uncommon to do almost everything right and lose because you made a single mistake at the wrong time. In those cases, consider taking a break and coming back with fresh eyes and a new build or strategy. Sometimes, the best thing to do is step away.