Dive into the high-stakes world of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, where ruthless corporations, rebel factions, and a mysterious energy source called Coral clash on a scarred alien planet. As a cyborg mercenary piloting a customizable mech, every decision you make shapes the fate of Rubicon 3 in this intense, fast-paced vehicular combat game from FromSoftware. Before you jump into the cockpit, here are eight essential things to know to master the brutal battles and complex mechanics that define this thrilling reboot across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
The tips you can find in this list have been chosen to facilitate the initial incursion into Armored Core 6. We have more practical ones, explaining what you should focus on doing in the first hours of the game, as well as more general ones, giving you some guidelines of how to approach the missions you need to complete in the game.
Practice makes perfect – and saves you money
Practice in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is crucial not only for mastering the complex mech controls and combat tactics but also for saving money in the long run. By repeatedly playing training missions and replaying completed missions, you gain valuable experience, unlock new parts, and earn credits without the risk of costly failures. This approach helps you refine your builds and strategies, making you a more efficient pilot and reducing unnecessary spending on repairs and upgrades. The game encourages experimentation and learning through practice, which ultimately leads to better performance and financial management within the game.
If you’re a FromSoft diehard, you might plan on skipping the tutorials and jumping straight into Armored Core 6. But you shouldn’t. Training missions are great, and you gain a lot by doing them.
The training mode in Armored Core 6 is a good chance for you to familiarize yourself with all the commands related to piloting your mech. From dodging attacks to targeting multiple enemies with missiles, training mode gives you the bread-and-butter of controlling an armored core. In addition to this, the missions run you through some basic strategic concepts, such as scanning enemies to learn their position before engaging in combat.
By completing training missions, you also earn new pieces as well as weapons. Since modifying builds is not cheap, and you don’t have access to all the means to farm money, these free pieces are more than welcome.
There is merit in hiding
In Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, there is significant merit in hiding and using stealth tactics. The game encourages players to utilize scanning tools to detect hidden enemies and take advantage of moments when opponents are unaware of your presence, allowing for surprise attacks that can shift the tide of battle. This strategic element adds depth to the fast-paced combat, as players can plan their approach carefully rather than rushing headlong into combat. Effective use of cover and timing your engagements can help you avoid being overwhelmed by groups of enemies or powerful rival Armored Cores, making stealth and tactical positioning crucial for survival and success on the battlefield.
Zipping through the enemy lines with heavy artillery is part of the fantasy of mech games. But Armored Core 6 is not this type of game, and it punishes any careless action. That’s why you should first learn to use the environment to conceal your position before attacking enemies.
The levels in Armored Core 6 vary in terms of theme and design, but all of them are designed to give you more than one option when it comes to approaching enemies. Consider using the terrain to hide and find a good position. In case you have been spotted by the enemy, hide behind walls and buildings. Fights in Armored Core 6 are pretty intense, so finding a good hiding spot is vital to reassess the situation and come up with a new strategy.
Slicing enemies is cheaper than shooting them
In Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, engaging enemies with melee weapons can often be more cost-effective than relying solely on ranged firepower. Melee combat, such as slicing with blades, consumes less ammunition and can quickly stagger foes, creating openings for devastating follow-up attacks. This approach not only conserves valuable ammo but also allows for aggressive, close-quarters combat that can overwhelm groups of enemies without the constant need for costly reloads or resource management. Players who master melee tactics can efficiently dismantle enemies while preserving their long-range weapons for tougher encounters, making slicing a cheaper and strategic alternative to shooting.
Right off the bat, the game gives you a pulse blade, a weapon for melee combat with high damage output. Nothing is cooler in Armored Core 6 than flying toward your target and slicing it with a pulse blade. What you quickly learn, though, is that melee is a high-risk-high-reward playstyle. But, when mastered, it will save you money.
Using a pulse blade forces you to get closer to enemies, a difficult spot to be in a fight. However, most blades are capable of instantly destroying regular enemies, or causing a lot of damage to a boss. Depending on the situation, this trade-off is worth the risk.
By using melee attacks, you not only end enemies faster, but you’re also saving resources. Ammunition is limited and you might end up running out of bullets before completing the mission if you don’t manage your ammo correctly. So, to prevent this terrible scenario from happening, you can focus on finishing weaker enemies with melee attacks.
Invest in upgrading your repair kits
Investing in upgrading your repair kits in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is essential for survival and efficiency in combat. While the number of repair kits you can carry is capped at three throughout the game, you can significantly boost their healing power through the OS Tuning system. By spending OST Chips in the Damage Control tab, you can upgrade the Repair Kits – Optimization feature, increasing the amount of AP restored from the base 4,000 up to 6,000 per kit. This enhancement allows you to recover more health per use, making your Armored Core more resilient during tough encounters and boss fights. Upgrading repair kits is especially valuable as it maximizes your healing potential without increasing inventory space, helping you manage damage more effectively on the battlefield.
Dealing with damage taken during a mission is part of Armored Core 6’s unique challenge factor; having more potent repair kits will make your life easier. In every mission, you only have three repair kits. Their standard potency isn’t enough to fully heal you, though, forcing you to use more than one repair if you don’t want to take risks. The only way to replenish repair kits after using all of them is by either dying or receiving resources from Walter, the handler, which doesn’t happen often. So, the best option is to focus on upgrading the repair kits as soon as possible.
These upgrades are unlocked once you get access to the Arena, a mode where you face 1v1 fights against NPCs. By winning matches, you receive some good rewards, such as money, cosmetics, and OST Chips, which are the ones you need.
Alongside the Arena, the OS Tuning system also becomes available. Access the OS Tuning menu to spend your OST Chips on upgrades for your mech. Besides repair kit optimization, you find Core Expansions. These are items you equip in the Expansion section of your mech to get a special ability.
Fly your way out of trouble
In Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, mastering flight is essential to staying alive and gaining the upper hand in combat. Constantly moving, especially by taking to the air, helps you avoid enemy fire and exploit the full three-dimensional battlefield, making it harder for foes to hit you. Flying also allows you to control engagement distance and strike from unexpected angles, giving you a tactical advantage. Remember to upgrade your mech’s legs and thrusters to enhance your mobility and sustain flight longer, and use boost and quick boost effectively to dodge attacks and reposition swiftly. Embracing aerial combat can be the difference between victory and defeat, so fly your way out of trouble whenever possible.
In every mission you run in Armored Core 6, your main goal is to stay alive until the objective is concluded. Avoiding taking unnecessary damage is crucial. To efficiently prevent enemies from hitting your mech, you must use all the spatiality that the game offers.
One of the best strategies to defend yourself from the enemy’s attacks is to stay in the air and constantly move. All builds in the game have the capacity to jump into the air. Although the amount of time they can stay in the air is always limited, some builds can stay longer than others. In any case, by simply gliding briefly and changing position in the air, you become a harder target to hit.
This strategy is pretty basic but it takes some time for you to get used to how long your mech can stay in the air without having to check its fuel every five seconds. Even so, in general, you should avoid spending too much time on the ground, even if your build is less mobile due to weight.
The solution for a problem is usually right in front of you
In Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, the solution to many tough challenges often lies in the basics you start with rather than overcomplicating your approach. After experimenting with various complex builds and strategies, many players find that returning to a simple, versatile loadout-like the stock handgun and pulse blade-combined with patience and learning enemy patterns, is frequently the key to overcoming difficult encounters. This highlights that sometimes the most effective strategy is right in front of you, waiting to be rediscovered through experience and adaptation.
The path of a pilot is not easy, and you might end up facing enemies that your current build seems incapable of dealing with. In Armored Core 6, to become attached to a build is to make your life extremely difficult, since it restricts the strategies you can try. Changing your build is not easy at the beginning of the game, so if you have no clue about what you need to change in your mech, pay attention to allies’ and enemies’ items.
During a couple of missions, you end up receiving assistance from other mercenaries. Because their presence is only meant to guide you, they usually won’t finish the mission for you. But you can take their loadout as a basis to change your own strategy. Pay attention to the type of missiles they use or how they position themselves, for example.
In other cases, even enemies might give you an idea of how to beat up a boss. Some missions throw at you a miniboss before the final confrontation. They aren’t necessarily easy, but usually minibosses are quite different from the final boss, so you usually fight enemies using weapons and strategies that can be useful further in the mission.
Read the signs to survive
In Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, learning to read the various signs and indicators during combat is crucial for survival. Pay close attention to your HUD elements like the missile lock-on crescent, the compass showing enemy positions and elevations, and the warning tones that alert you to overheating, ammo status, and successful locks. These cues help you anticipate enemy attacks, manage your resources, and choose the right moment to strike or evade. Mastering these signals will allow you to react instinctively in the heat of battle, giving you a vital edge against tougher foes and complex encounters.
While Armored Core 6 is a third-person game, you can find all the visual elements one would expect to see from the cockpit of a mech. The game’s HUD is much more than an aesthetic element to bring the fantasy of piloting giant robots to life. It’s also a crucial survival tool.
The HUD in Armored Core 6 assists in tracking everything happening around you. It doesn’t matter how tactical you want to be; many fights are usually extremely intense and hectic. Flying units pass overhead, while terrestrial ones send explosive laser beams in your direction. It’s a lot. But if you learn how to read the HUD, you’ll be fine.
The basic elements from Armored Core 6’s HUD that you should pay attention to are the bars around the target. They show not only if your missiles are ready to be launched or if it’s possible to deploy your shield. The central part shows you the enemy’s HP as well as their Staggering Bar. Now, in addition to these, the HUD comes with red alerts that are followed by sounds to warn you that an enemy is setting their target at you. By getting used to the sound and visual alerts, you can start aerial maneuvers to escape from the attack.
Be patient and observe
When starting out in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, patience and careful observation are crucial. The game’s challenging mech battles require you to study enemy patterns, movements, and weak points before engaging aggressively. Fast targets may initially seem difficult to hit, but they often slow down, giving you opportunities to strike effectively without wasting valuable ammo. Taking your time to learn each boss’s attacks and adapting your strategy accordingly will help you overcome tough encounters. Experimenting with different mech builds and loadouts after observing what works best can also give you an edge. Ultimately, persistence combined with a keen eye for detail will lead to success in this demanding game.
After spending some time with the game, you learn that getting attached to a build only makes things more difficult for you. So you start adapting. However, the path to victory in Rubicon is a mix of changing your build and learning your enemy’s moves.
While Armored Core 6 is no Dark Souls nor Elden Ring, the game does reward you for studying enemies and understanding their patterns. In Armored Core 6, your build is only a part of the solution. Once you find a build that seems to work on the fight you’re having trouble with, the next step is to practice. The process is quite frustrating initially but eventually the fight becomes easier due to how well you and your mech are prepared for the fight.
The first step is to learn what the enemy does and when. There are enemies with more than one phase, or that become more aggressive if they are close to you. By internalizing the patterns, your responses are quicker. After you memorize the fight and come up with a build that seems optimal for the encounter, finishing the fight will only depend on your reflexes. Good luck!
What crucial tips will help me master Armored Core 6’s combat
To master combat in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, focus on these crucial tips:
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Prioritize Mobility and Agility: Equip lightweight parts and high-mobility boosters to dodge attacks effectively and close the distance quickly, especially for melee builds.
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Understand and Optimize Your Build: Learn all stats thoroughly, including parts and AC stats, to tailor your mech for specific combat roles-whether melee, ranged, or balanced.
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Use Quick Boosts and Assault Boosts Smartly: These maneuvers help you close gaps and initiate attacks or evade enemy fire, but remember they don’t grant invincibility-use them for positioning rather than pure dodging.
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Master Distance, Speed, and Direction: Maintaining optimal distance and movement speed while changing direction unpredictably helps avoid enemy hits in PvP and PvE.
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Leverage Target Assist: Enable target assist to lock onto enemies during boss fights or intense encounters, allowing you to focus on positioning and firing.
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Combine Core Expansion with Other Abilities: Timing your core expansion with offensive and defensive maneuvers maximizes combat effectiveness-practice situational awareness to use it at the best moments.
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Balance Weapon Choice and Build: Choose weapons that suit your playstyle-fast pulse blades for quick strikes or heavy pile bunkers for raw power-and balance weight to maintain mobility without sacrificing firepower.
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Adapt Your Strategy to Enemy Types: Different foes require different tactics; adjust your build and approach accordingly, using ranged weapons to soften targets before closing in or focusing on close-quarters combat when appropriate.
Mastering these elements will give you a significant edge in the brutal, fast-paced battles of Armored Core 6 across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.
How do I choose the best weapons for fast, powerful melee attacks
To choose the best weapons for fast, powerful melee attacks in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, focus on these key factors:
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Weapon Speed and Weight: Opt for lightweight melee weapons that allow rapid strikes and quick recovery times. Smaller blades or fast-hitting melee arms enable you to chain attacks swiftly without sacrificing mobility.
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Attack Rate vs. Damage: Balance the weapon’s attack speed with its damage output. While fast weapons like daggers or small blades offer quick successive hits, heavier weapons deliver more power but slower swings. For a fast, powerful melee build, favor weapons that combine high attack rate with decent damage.
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Build Synergy: Match your weapon choice with your mech’s stats and parts to maintain agility and boost melee damage. Prioritize parts that enhance melee attack power and speed to maximize weapon effectiveness.
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Special Abilities and Combos: Some weapons have unique heavy attacks or combo potential that can turn the tide in close combat. For example, weapons with wide attack arcs or special heavy moves can deal massive damage quickly if timed well.
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Customization and Upgrades: Upgrade your chosen melee weapon to increase damage and speed, and customize it with mods or parts that enhance critical hits or attack power.
In summary, the best melee weapons for fast, powerful attacks are those that are lightweight for speed, have strong damage potential, and synergize well with your mech’s build and combat style. Small blades, fast-hitting arms, or weapons with special heavy attacks are ideal choices to dominate close-quarters battles in Armored Core 6. This approach aligns with real-world insights where lightweight weapons like daggers or knives allow rapid strikes, while heavier weapons trade speed for power.
