Armored Core 6, much like the other Armored Core games, hides some of its best AC parts in chests during missions. These parts range from AC Body components to rare weapons and cannot be acquired in any other way.
Finding all the hidden parts in Armored Core 6 is essential if players want to have access to every AC part in the game. Many of them open up new options for AC design and battle strategy and some of the game's best energy weapons are found in this way. This guide is broken down by mission, listing all the available hidden parts in each mission that contains them.
Infiltrate Grid 086
The mission to Infiltrate Grid 086 at the beginning of Chapter 2 is the first opportunity players get to acquire some hidden parts. In this case, there are four AC body parts available throughout the mission, all of which are commonly utilized by the Dozer faction.
HC-3000 WRECKER
The first part can be found after getting ambushed by some Heavy MTs while opening a door. Take them out, head through the door, and proceed through the building until the only way forward is by dropping through a hole in the floor. After dropping through the hole, players should turn around and look for the chest at the end of this hall behind some fuel tanks.
CC-3000 WRECKER
The next part can be found a little further into this building. After reaching the room with the huge furnace, players should jump through the gap to get to the room on the opposite side of the furnace where the chest can be found. It's guarded by a few MTs, but nothing players can't handle by this point.
AC-3000 WRECKER
This third part is the best-hidden item in this entire mission. Players should head back to the big furnace and climb into one of the pipes on either side of the flame. (If approaching from the previous part, it'll be the pipe on the left) Follow this pipe and the path it leads to, drop where necessary, and use a scan to spot the enemy AC waiting to attack. Take out the AC and then grab the chest from just past where they were hiding.
2C-3000 WRECKER
After exiting the Furnace Room and continuing forward, players will reach a large room with a bunch of enemies and some explosive tanks hanging above them. Turn right just before this room and wrap around the side to find the final chest guarded by an MT.
Tunnel Sabotage (IA-CO1W1: NEBULA)
The NEBULA rifle (which is a powerful weapon for ACs with sufficient EN Load) can be found in the tunnel sabotage mission during chapter 3. After clearing the first room full of enemies inside the cave and landing on the roof of a building, players should head further into the cave and land on the first bridge spanning the cavern. Look up from here to spot another bridge high above the rest of them and fly up to it. Turn left to find a section of the cave with some MTs and an LC. The chest can be found just past where the LC was.
Survey the Uninhabited Floating City (IA-CO1G: AORTA)
To track down the AORTA Generator, players should head for the mission "Survey the Uninhabited Floating City" and follow the beacons until they disable the first fog control device. After this, players should fly in the direction shown in the first picture above for a little to find an oval-shaped building with the chest on top of it.
Eliminate "Honest" Brute
This mission has three chests to track down though fortunately, they aren't too tricky to find.
WB-0010 DOUBLE TROUBLE (The Chainsaw)
To get hold of a snazzy chainsaw for the left arm of an AC, players will need to drop down and proceed through the level as normal until the next platforms they can drop onto have lasers to avoid covering them. The platform on the left has the chest on it and players can land right next to the chest with a decent jump (see the first image above.)
BC-0600 12345 (Booster)
To get this handy booster, players will need to continue onward in the mission until they find the platform that looks like a turntable for a train (see the first image above) and then head down the tunnel on the right. From there, players can climb up and along the crane and find the chest on top of it near the end.
WB-0000 BAD COOK (The Flamethrower)
To get hold of a Flamethrower players will need to continue through the mission until they pass through an energy barrier and drop into a building full of lasers. In the room full of lasers the chest can be found in a corner. Players might consider blasting away some of the MTs to make it easier to search for it.
Underground Exploration - Depth 1 (IA-C01L: EPHEMERA)
The legs from the EPHEMERA set (used by a notable boss later in the game) are found halfway through this mission. After the partition closes and players are forced to fight some MTs, players will need to access the controls to open the partition. By heading to the back of the alcove where the controls are, players can find the chest containing this part.
Underground Exploration - Depth 2
This mission contains two parts, which aren't too hard to hunt down.
IA-C018B: GILLS (Booster)
After defeating G5 - Iguazu, players will be attacked by an unmanned defense weapon that fires lasers at them. Chase it down until it tries to ambush the player in a narrow hallway, and then take a right turn to find a side room with a chest containing this booster.
IA-C01A: EPHEMERA (Arms)
To get the EPHEMERA Arms, players should head back out to the chasm after getting the GILLS and turn right. Players should drop off the edge and hover down to find a tunnel. Ayre will mention that this connects to the control room. Take out the MTs in the room the tunnel leads to and then use the launch pad to jump into the air. At the top of the jump, players will see a ledge with some MTs and the chest on it. Head over there and take out the MTs to claim the prize.
Underground Exploration - Depth 3
Once again there are two parts to find in this mission, both fairly easy to get to. If players are finding it difficult to reach the chests while the Snipers are firing, it might be worth flying to the central platform and circling it to attack all the snipers before going for the chests (This is also a good strategy for taking less damage on an S-Rank attempt of this mission).
IA-C01F: OCELLUS (FCS)
To get this part players will need to make a right after getting into the main chamber and hop over to one of the platforms that skirt the outer rim of the area. It's sitting out in the open on a large platform to the right of the entry point.
IA-C01C: EPHEMERA (Core)
From the last chest, players should fly to the central building where the snipers are (do a lap to take them out first to minimize the damage they can do) and then head for the side of the structure opposite the entrance to this cavern. There are struts connecting this central structure to the walls, and the chest is at the end of the strut at the back of the room.
Reach the Coral Convergence
There are two hidden parts in this mission, and both of them are easy to miss if players aren't searching carefully.
IA-C01W3: AURORA (Shoulder Weapon)
To get the AURORA Shoulder Weapon players will need to head towards the first objective (the two enemy ACs) and then take a sharp right turn to find a raised section with some buildings on it. The building on the left at the back has the chest on top of it. These can be great for dishing out damage against staggered targets but are quite tricky to land a hit with otherwise.
IA-C01W2: MOONLIGHT (Moonlight Greatsword)
To find the legendary Moonlight Greatsword, players will need to take out the two enemy ACs and head for Walter's marker. This will have players overlooking a vast basin spanned by a bridge. Players will need to drop down into the Basin to find the sword, and it's probably safest to take out all the giant death wheels that are driving around the Basin before trying to get to it. That said, a player with a decently fast AC could probably just dash in and snatch it.
The Moonlight Sword is in a chest among ruins at the far side of the Basin, on the left, and is surrounded by the aforementioned Wheels.
Regain Control of the Xylem
This mission, only accessible in NG++, contains the final two hidden part chests.
IB-C03W3: NGI006 (Shoulder Weapon)
To get hold of the Coral Missile Launcher, players just need to turn left and look down at the start of this mission. Drop down to the lower area and look straight ahead to find the chest guarded by some weak enemies.
IB-C03W4: NGI 028 (Shield)
After taking out all the Parasite Modules on the Xylem, players will be told to head to the control room. Instead of heading straight for the marker, players can use the marker to orient themselves. By heading in a straight line away from the marker and wrapping around the obstacle in the way, players should be able to find a shaft with the chest at the bottom of it. This contains the Coral Shield.
Armored Core 6 is available for PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.