Recommended Builds - Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon Guide - IGN (2024)

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 several recommended sample builds, and explain the theory behind them. If you need extra help, check out our Beginner Build Tips for the Tips and Tricks you'll need to build your own AC in AC6, as well as general AC build theory, and the Best Parts and Best OS Upgrades to Unlock First as you tinker with your build. Finally, check out the full Parts List to see how to get every part used in these recommended Armored Core 6 builds.

If you know what kind of build you're looking for, jump to:

• Lightweight Builds

• Medium Builds

• Heavy Builds

• Aerial Builds

Lightweight Armored Core 6 Builds

Lightweight builds sacrifice AP and higher damage weapons for speed, maneuverability, and evasion. These builds thrive on being up close and personal. Our goal with these builds is to maximize their advantages while still maintaining good damage output, stability, and AP.

Legion

An early game build, Legion is designed to build stagger quickly with its twin Haldemans and dual missile launchers, and deal massive damage up close when you overload the enemy's ACS. It's a fast, relatively sturdy build that makes use of some of the best early game parts - including the ALULA/12E booster, NACHTREIHER core parts, and MING-TANG generator. Best of all, the core of this build can be expanded upon with better parts later, to keep doing the same thing, only better. And yes, it's totally capable of beating BALTEUS.

Legion 2.0

A mid-game build that can carry you all the way through Armored Core 6, Legion 2.0 drops the HALDEMANs for ZIMMERMANs, which may be the best gun in the game when used properly, upgrades the Missile Launcher, and adds a sword to the back of your AC for extra damage. The goal here is to stagger enemies quickly with your ZIMMERMANs and Missile Launcher, and then use the Pulse Blade's high Direct Hit stat to pile on the damage while they're staggered.

Medium Armored Core 6 Builds

Medium builds can do just about everything; they strike a good balance between AP, mobility, and firepower, but they don't excel at any one area. As a result, they can be some of the hardest builds to play, especially against bosses. Our goal with these builds is to take advantage of the additional firepower and build options medium builds offer without sacrificing our movement and evasion options.

Gun 13

Gun 13 is a solid early-game, mid-range medium build that does just about everything well. It builds stagger well because of the CURTIS (feel free to switch this to a Laser Rifle for more oomph) and its vertical missile launcher, and it deals lots of damage when it staggers enemies thanks to its Laser Cannon and Pulse Blade. Best of all, you get many of these parts either for free or by doing training missions, keeping costs low. We wouldn't recommend running this build against BALTEUS, but it should work just fine against other ACs, MTs, and just about everything else.

Shotgun Wedding

The post-BALTEUS Shotguns Medium Build. Dual Zimmermans means high damage and high stagger, and once they're stunned, switch to the Pulse Blade to get in even more damage. Vertical Missiles mean you can engage enemies from afar and keep their stagger gauge high if you have to back off. This build also sports good AP and Boost Speed.

Get Michigan

Get Michigan is designed to do one thing, and one thing only: take down G1 Michigan in the mission "Intercept the Redguns" in Chapter 4 (though it will work for other missions, too). This mission puts you up against a ton of MTs and Michigan himself, so ammo is a hot commodity. The BAD COOK will torch most MTs quickly (and do sizeable damage to Michigan, too), allowing you to save your Missile Launcher and Laser Drone ammo for Michigan. If he gets too close or you stagger him, use the Laser Lance's charged attack to close the gap quickly for huge damage.

Heavy Armored Core 6 Builds

Heavy builds sacrifice things like "mobility" and "Quick Boost" for incredibly high AP and high damage from their heavy weapons. These builds are often quite literally tanks, using the increased carrying capacity and AP of tank treads to stack builds that can absorb tons of punishment while dealing out some of their own, too. Our goal with these builds is to maximize their advantages while still maintaining decent mobility and evasion.

Hotshot

Hotshot is an early-game build that focuses on playing at close to mid-range without sacrificing firepower. The Bazooka and SONGBIRDS deal high damage, while the HALDEMAN takes care of anything that dares to get close. If you're farther away, you can build up ACS strain by using your Missile Launcher. In the very early game (pre-BALTEUS) consider swapping the HALDEMAN for another XUAN-GE if you want more firepower and the SONGBIRDS for another Missile Launcher or the VP-60LCS to maintain damage.

All In

All In is a mid-to-endgame build that goes all in on high damage and AP. The goal of this build is to get up close and personal with your Gatling Guns, stagger the enemy, and then blow them away with the EARSHOT's outrageous damage output. The Laser Drones also build stagger and help deal with enemies at range. All In won't win you many ranged fights, but it has the health to tank enough hits and get up close and personal with just about anything.

Aerial Armored Core 6 Builds

Aerial builds use tetrapod legs to hover and rain down damage from out of harm's way. There are only a few tetrapod options in Armored Core 6, so our options are limited. In general, we want to exploit high-damage, chargeable weapons that would require you to enter a stance with bipedal legs, make sure we can hover for a long time, and give ourselves plenty of missile options to make these builds work.

Death From Above

This build more or less re-creates the build you use in the tetrapod training mission, but on lighter legs. It does a little bit of everything: the twin Missile Launchers (on Vertical, one regular) allow you to barrage enemies from all sides. The CURTIS provides a fairly powerful rifle that can be charged for even more damage, and the GOU-CHEN can be used for high damage or to deal even more damage when you stagger your enemy. This build can also stay in the air for quite a while, and has high AP. Best of all, all of these parts can be acquired early in the game.

Going Loud

A late-game tetrapod build, Going Loud brings the damage. It features an extremely powerful, chargeable Laser Rifle for engagements at range, retains the GOU-CHEN for massive damage potential, upgrades the Vertical Missile Launcher, and adds Laser Drones to really keep the opponent guessing. It is heavier and slower than Death From Above, but it's also got more AP, is very energy efficient, and can stay in the air for quite a while.