Image: FromSoftware via HGG / Dominic Allain
Dominic loves to completely immerse himself in RPGs, then break them apart by modding and speedrunning them.
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
Armored Core 6 is host to a variety of weapons to fulfill several different playstyles, but it can be difficult finding out what the best weapons are. Fortunately, the game provides ample opportunity to test builds and find what’s right for you, which is nice since From Software continues their trend of throwing spreadsheets’ worth of stats at you.
If you’re looking for the best weapons in Armored Core 6, look no further, as we’ll go over the 5 best arm weapons and 5 best back weapons to outfit your entire mech.
Best Arm Weapons in Armored Core 6
SG-027 Zimmerman
The recent Patch 1.03.1 may have toned these shotguns back, but they still remain as an extremely powerful burst stagger option.
Unlocked after the mission “Ocean Crossing,” the Zimmermans favor hit-and-run tactics, where you weave in and out of the enemy’s optimal range, hitting them for large amounts of stagger each time. They even serve as a decent way to punish the enemy once they’re staggered.
These weapons have many options for combos. The Zimmerman can be doubled up for more burst damage or paired with something like a machine gun to maintain pressure while you’re reloading. When combined with a strong back weapon or pocket melee to punish, a lightweight Zimmerman build still remains a strong option. Just be mindful of the weapon’s long reload and high weight.
VP-66EG (Stun Gun)
A main feature of Arquebus weapons is that they tend to provide alternatives to the stagger-focused gameplay of Armored Core 6. Their stun guns provide a shockingly strong option in this regard.
Each hit from these weapons builds up a status effect called “Electrical Discharge.” When this status fills completely, the affected enemy takes a flat 1400 damage and gets stunned similar to a stagger.
The guns themselves are lightweight and fast firing, so they can fit with basically any parts. Since these won’t be doing much stagger on their own, you may want to use grenade launchers or other high stagger weapons on your back. This will give you an opening to keep piling on damage from electrical shocks.
WS-5000 Aperitif
Missiles are the premier option for long range combat in Armored Core 6, and the game gives you many different varieties. For missiles that you carry as arm weapons, the Apertif Siege Missiles reign supreme.
These fire 10 missiles that have a short delay before tracking enemies. With two of them on hand, you can apply serious pressure from a distance that even the fastest mechs will struggle to dodge. You’ll want to try and stick to the skies as much as possible with these, as they struggle at close ranges.
A quad-legged missile boat equipped with these weapons, along with a pair of back-mounted launchers, is the bane of PvP players everywhere in Armored Core 6 and also fares well in the story missions.
VE-67LLA (Laser Lance)
Combining blistering-fast speed with strong attacks is where the Laser Lance specializes. This is one of the best weapons to melee cancel with, where you start an uncharged attack and then cancel it with a quick boost.
The lance’s regular attack sends you very far forward on startup. When combined with the Kikaku booster, you’ll be able to close gaps in an instant.
When you see an opportunity, throw out a charge attack. It’ll send you flying at the enemy for a powerful attack that nearly completely fills their stagger gauge. You’ll be at the perfect range to blast them with a shotgun afterwards, likely staggering them completely.
PB-033M Ashmead (Pile Bunker)
The Pile Bunker is undoubtedly one of the most damaging weapons in Armored Core 6 but is also the one that take the greatest amount of skill to handle.
Its standard melee is a simple punch attack, giving you an option for melee canceling. The charge attack is what makes this weapon infamous. It’s able to stagger opponents in a single strike, or even defeat them outright if they’re already staggered.
Despite its overwhelming strength, the Pile Bunker’s charge attack is difficult to execute. For one, it has no innate movement, so you’ll have to position yourself well beforehand. That being said, you can carry the forward momentum of an Assault Boost or Quick Boost to gain some extra distance. Additionally, the charge attack has a lengthy startup time. If you try to follow-up a stagger with the Pile Bunker, agile enemies can escape before the attack executes.
The Pile Bunker takes prediction of when an opponent will charge at you or become staggered, but the reward for pulling a charged hit off is second to none.
Best Back Weapons in Armored Core 6
Songbirds
Grenade launchers in Armored Core traditionally deal huge damage, but at the cost of being slow and heavy. The Songbirds take the weight issue and substantially reduce it.
While it may not be as powerful per shot compared to its bigger brothers, it solves this problem by firing two grenades per trigger pull. It’s easy to fit on lighter builds while still packing huge damage and stagger. Most importantly, it’s tough to dodge on account of having splash damage.
Patch 1.03.1 did directly nerf this weapon’s damage and impact, but indirectly buffed it due to a change on how explosive weapons work. After this patch, explosives will automatically detonate after reaching their effective range limit. This makes it easier for grenade launchers (such as the Songbirds) and other explosives to hit aerial enemies.
Earshot
If you want to pack as much firepower into a single weapon as possible, the Earshot is for you.
This grenade launcher is extremely heavy but can fit on most builds with sacrifices elsewhere. What you gain in return is a weapon with some of the highest single shot damage and stagger in Armored Core 6. One shot will fill most of an opponent’s stagger bar if it connects, and two nearly guarantees a stagger.
The Earshot is a particularly tough weapon to dodge as well. The explosion radius is massive, ensuring enemies that don’t take a direct hit still eat impressive amounts of damage. Similar to the Songbirds, this weapon’s shots will explode upon reaching effective range, so you’ll have to control your range and remain aerial to avoid it.
VE-60SNA (Stun Needle Launcher)
Another OP weapon hit by the nerfs of Patch 1.03.1, the SNA is still a powerhouse when used properly.
These weapons fire a needle that explodes in an electrical burst, possibly inducing an electrical discharge in enemies. Between the electricity and the high raw damage, these stun needles can wipe out enemy health bars in a flash.
While they have demanding fitting requirements, it’s not too difficult to get two of them on heavier builds, such as tetrapods. From there, you can either take advantage of their Zimmerman-level impact to stagger enemies faster or take advantage of their high Direct Hit Multiplier to wipe out staggered foes.
BO-044 Huxley (Bullet Orbit)
In the midst of flashy, explosive options such as the Earshot, its easy for this little drone to fly under the radar. The Huxley orbit drone can put out incredible damage up close, however.
Activating the drone will have it hover over your shoulder and fire at locked enemies automatically. It fires quickly, and each shot puts out good damage and stagger. Combining this with a close-range shotgun or machine gun build will let you shred through anything that gets near.
The key to this weapon is managing its heat level. As it fires on enemies, it builds a heat meter. This heat will cool over time while the Huxley is inactive. Should the meter fill, the Huxley will overheat and take much longer to cool off. You want to use this weapon in bursts, allowing it enough time to cool down between assaults.
Vvc-700LD (Laser Drone)
These are even more of a fire-and-forget tool than missiles. After locking on, using this weapon will launch six small laser drones that orbit an enemy. It’s a good tool to keep pressure on enemies from a safe distance or behind cover, and the damage they deal is solid as well.
You can actually charge the weapon before firing as well. A charged shot will send two drones that fire much stronger lasers, perfect for when enemies are staggered. If you’re struggling to find a weapon to fill a back slot, you can’t go wrong with these drones.
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