Highlights
- Tinkering and fine-tuning one's AC is the key gameplay element in Armored Core 6 , with access to various weapons and parts to build an ideal mech.
- Players should avoid not caring about weight when creating their ACs, as heavier loadouts limit movement and burst potential, which is crucial for mobility in combat.
- Having diverse armaments is important to adapt to different enemy ACs and take advantage of their weaknesses rather than sticking to one weapon loadout.
The key element of Armored Core 6 in terms of gameplay is tinkering and fine-tuning one’s AC. Having access to an assortment of weapons and AC Parts at the Assembly and Shop essentially gives players all the tools they need to build their ideal mech to tear up the missions.
Asking which AC build is the best is subjective to a player’s playstyle, but there are some general rules when creating mechs in the game. ACs are assembled to reflect their pilot’s skills, and making the most of the parts is key to making that happen. Here are some mistakes players should avoid in order to keep their ACs running and gunning at optimal efficiency.
5 Not Caring About Weight
The first thing players need to consider when creating their ACs is what kind of leg parts they will use. Each leg type has specific stats in terms of movement, stability, and armor. But the most important stat leg types have is their respective load limits.
Packing an AC with every shoulder and arm weaponry can be done, but players need to remember that doing so will make their leg type options limited: the Tread leg type can bear the most load, while the Reverse Joint legs can hold the least weight.
It’s also worth noting that the heavier an AC is, the more limited its movement and burst potential will be. Given that mobility is a top priority in Armored Core 6’s combat, players need to keep in mind that the quality of an AC’s loadout is better than slapping on the big weapons and being a slow-moving target for enemies.
4 Not Having Diverse Armaments
When it comes to weapons, Armored Core 6 lets players customize their respective ACs with whatever armaments they desire. Players can run their ACs with various Kinetic, Explosive, and Energy weapons to wreak havoc on enemy mechs during missions.
Once players get to battle with more advanced ACs, however, they will soon realize that sticking to one kind of weapon loadout is not ideal. Some of the later bosses have varied shields that would render some weapon types useless. While it is still possible to brute force their AC build against bosses, it will be a lot harder than to switch out weapons that are more advantageous.
Having different weapon types lets players determine what their enemy AC is weak or strong against, and from there, they can adjust their play style and weapon loadout to take out their target.
3 Going Over the EN Load
The EN Load in Armored Core 6 is an AC’s collective energy load from its various parts and armaments. Certain parts consume more energy than others, and this will affect energy-related abilities: having too many energy-consuming parts will result in an AC having EN Shortfall. EN Shortfall happens when a current AC’s loadout exceeds the maximum EN Load their AC can handle. Once an AC is under EN Shortfall, it can’t sortie, so players need to ensure their parts are within the EN Load.
EN Load is also essential for movement since energy is responsible for how fast ACs can recover their energy following a Quick Boost or how quickly they can ascend or descend mid-air. It is paramount that players choose which generator is the best one for their AC setup.
2 Not Selling Unused Parts
Completing and replaying missions is how players gain money to buy Parts in Armored Core 6. After getting enough money, players can spend it on the Store: each Part varies in price, with some weapons, Core, and Leg Parts costing more than others.
As players progress through the missions and new parts become available in the Store, more often than not, players keep their unused Parts. In the earlier stages, selling Parts is a good way to get money since players get their money back in full.
1 Not Testing the AC
Once players have completed assembling their ACs, more often than not, they will stress test their mech on the missions right off the bat. While the game doesn’t penalize heading to missions, it would be better to test run ACs on the proper testing area. The Test Area is more time-efficient compared to heading straight to the missions: if an AC’s weapon or movement doesn’t feel right, players can immediately adjust on AC Test, unlike when on a mission.
Accessing the Test Area is easy and readily available on the Assembly interface (by pressing R1 or the Right Bumper). Since the meat of Armored Core 6’s game is about customizing ACs, players should make the most of the Test Area to see whether their ACs need more tweaking or adjustments to get the best version of their mechs or not.
Armored Core 6 is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
