With the complex nature of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, there will be many things players both old and new will have to get up to speed with in order to enjoy the game as it is meant to be. Combat is undoubtedly a key part of the experience, and having the knowledge of what certain weapons are able to do will most certainly be helpful. For anyone hoping to understand everything there is to know about all weapon and damage types in Armored Core 6, this is the right place to start.
Weapon and Damage Types in Armored Core 6
Weaponry in the game can largely be categorized into three main types, namely kinetic, energy, and explosive. This applies to not just the ranged weapons, but also the selection of melee weapons that can be put on an Armored Core. Then there are defensive pulse shields to look at, which can come in handy for those that like to play a bit more defensively.
Kinetic
This will likely be the most familiar form of weaponry to most, as kinetic weapons are best used to inflict physical damage using blunt force. They are excellent at close to medium range, and offer a nice balance of both attack power and impact, which contributes to the staggering of enemies.
In most cases, kinetic weapons possess the highest direct hit adjustments of all weapon types, which causes plenty of damage to staggered targets. Such weapons usually fire quickly compared to the other types, with plenty of rounds to sustain a prolonged Sortie.
Energy
Energy weapons are all about using energy beams to rain destruction down on your foes. The slow fire rate may not be appealing, but the increased range can go a long way in balancing that equation. For increased damage, these weapons can be charged up for a more powerful attack. It is key to note that energy weapons are great at reducing a target’s AP, but are inefficient in building up strain to stagger an opponent.
Under this category, there are also three sub-categories to further differentiate energy weapons in Armored Core 6:
- Laser – Fire standard blue beams that travel straight.
- Plasma – Fire purple beams that cause plasma explosions at the point of impact, causing constant damage to those caught in the radius.
- Pulse – Fire green orb-shaped projectiles that can effectively break down pulse armor and shielding.
While there is limited ammo for energy weapons, they depend on a heating system to keep things running. Quick successive use can cause overheating, leading to a lengthy cooldown before becoming available again, which is another consideration for players to have.
Explosive
Similar to kinetic weapons, explosive ones also uses physical projectiles, but these are the big hitters that can lead to explosive outcomes. They have the highest attack power and impact out of all weapons, but the extremely slow rate of fire means it’s a risk to use them against fast-moving targets. The high recoil from firing these weapons will mean most ACs have to be stationary when engaging any opponent, which is a risky move.
As such, they perform best when used against a staggered enemy, or against weaker targets clustered together that are unaware of your approach. Another excellent benefit of explosive weapons is that range does not dull their effectiveness, so full damage is delivered whenever there is impact.
Explosive weapons can be divided into two sub-categories:
- Missiles – In general, fire off multiple smaller projectiles that can have homing capabilities. Multi-lock can allow for hitting several targets with a single volley.
- Bazookas/Grenades – Fire off a single but high-velocity explosive, causing large explosions at the point of contact. Usually requires sacrificing mobility to execute the attack.
Coral Damage
In due time, players will come face to face with enemy attacks and AC parts that can deal Coral-based damage. This fourth damage type is unique in its own right, as it ignores all defensive specs to inflict maximum attack power on its target. Coral attacks are distinct, identified by the crimson color that accompanies any attack.
For those that are hoping to survive, be sure to get out of the way when you see such attacks coming, and if you can, get your hands on the AC parts that can do this to your opponents instead.
Melee Weapons
On the other hand, there are melee weapons that can form part of the arsenal in Armored Core 6. They specialize in causing high damage and impact up close, and are limited to the left arm slot on a mech. Should you face up against enemies holding shields, melee weapons can make short work of them.
All melee weapons can be charged to unleash a unique attack, and there are also combo strings to extend the damage dealt to any unfortunate machine caught in range. Locking on targets can allow melee attacks to initiate boosters to close the gap when attacking as well.
Most melee weapons require a cooldown after use, so be wary of that. They are excellent alternatives to help players save ammo, and can usually dispatch any of the weaker enemies in just a hit or two. Despite the damage type categorization, melee weapons are on their own when it comes to passive buffs from the OS Tuning system.
Pulse Shields
Lastly, Armored Core 6 gives players the opportunity to use Pulse Shields, which can only be equipped to the left back slot. Upon use, these shields can mitigate both damage and impact of incoming attacks to the front of the mech. Depending on the dampening specs, damage will be reduced by the corresponding percentage.
Pulse Shields have an initial guard mechanic that functions like a parry, and offers significantly higher damage reduction values. This mechanic is only present during the period immediately upon deploying the shield, so be sure to check out the IG duration stat when finding the best shield. Same with energy weapons, constant use will cause overheating, so watch out for that.
Despite their defensive use, Pulse Shields do not prevent an AC from getting staggered, and should enemies utilize melee and pulse weapons, those can break through a shield easily too.
As with most things in the game, it is best to have a balanced arsenal when it comes to weapon and damage types in Armored Core 6. For more help with the game, be sure to check out related content below, and for everything else, you can search Twinfinite.
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