So you’ve run into your first tough opponent in Armored Core 6. If the FromSoftware logo didn’t signal this enough ahead of time, should have eventually felt the difficulty beginning to spike sooner rather than later. While this mission, Attack the Watchpoint, may have gone smoothly despite a deadly run-in with another operator, things go south real quick once you’ve seemingly completed your objectives. Ahead of you floats an opponent unlike any you’ve fought so far in the game, and trust us, this won’t be the first time you feel this. Here’s how to beat Balteus in Armored Core 6 (AC6).
How to Beat Chapter 1 Boss Balteus in Armored Core 6
Balteus uses Pulse defenses in Armored Core 6, so you can take the defensive advantage from this boss by using the HI-16: GU-Q1 Pulse Gun, and if you’re using a Biped, consider using the Pulse Blade too. The Pulse Gun will quickly chip away at his shields when he has them up as long as you stay relatively close during your barrages.
Related: Armored Core 6: Best Parts to Buy First
You can wail on him with whatever weapons you have equipped once his shields are down, with the Laser Cannon often being a solid choice as he’s a slow target that suffers against powerful shoulder-mounted weapons. The Laser Cannon and Plasma Missiles are solid choices throughout this battle if available. In the early stages of this fight, Balteus will unleash enormous missile barrages, so keep some quick boosts banked, you’ll need to be in the air to dodge most effectively.
If you use the Pulse Blade, get up close and personal and be prepared to be astonished at how quickly you can stagger him. But don’t get greedy, just deal enough damage and retreat, as he’ll prepare some hefty rocket barrages that can overwhelm your defenses. When he attacks in the early phases, prepare for a lot of rockets, but stay moving and preferably in the air, and you’ll be fine.
Finally, once you get him to around 30% health, he’ll likely unleash an Assault Armor attack, which is a large Pulse explosion that can stun you and do massive damage. You’ll know it’s happening when he glows with a white-green hue and stays still, so boost away ASAP and immediately start attacking from a distance. In fact, in the late phase, keep your distance for as much as possible, as he begins to use close combat attacks, swinging in a fiery arc, and again, staying on the ground will be punished in this fight.
Your spoils? A nice achievement for clearing Chapter 1, and expanding access to more AC parts and even opportunities for Arena battles. He’s a tough fight but is just a warmup compared to Chapter 2.
