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The Arena in Armored Core 6 pits the player against an AI opponent in a tense, 1v1 duel. With each opponent beaten, the player climbs higher in the rankings. That means tougher enemies but also more opportunities to unlock valuable OST Chips. FromSoftware’s brilliant AC title pulls no punches, and the Arena can be challenging. Every opponent faced within is unique, so it’s hard to build an AC with stats that can handle them all. There are numerous builds that would work, but this is arguably the simplest and best build for Arena. Here’s everything you need to know to get started.
Left And Right Arm – Hu-Ben
The DF-GA-08 Hu-Ben gatling gun shines so much on this build that its worth running in both hand slots. Ignore the low Attack Power: with 1300 Total Rounds and blistering speed, these offer remarkable DPS. These are heavy, energy-hungry weapons, but they form the cornerstone of this build. The strategy is simple: unload upon the enemy until they’re dust. Though these gatling guns sometimes run out of ammo in story missions, there’s no opponent in the Arena that can tank that many bullets.
R-Back – Stun Needle Launcher
The VE-6OSNA Stun Needle Launcher is optional and could be replaced with another heavy back weapon of your choosing. It’s not the most flexible weapon, after all, because its long charge delay can make hitting fast targets a pain. The Stun Needle Launcher is a great shield-buster and is included in this build for two reasons. Not only does it break shields, it also quickly builds Impact, staggering you opponent.
L-Back – Spread Bazooka
The SB-033M Morley spread bazooka acts like a shotgun-bazooka hybrid, scattering shaped charges. Dodging this generous AoE attack at close or mid-range is difficult, even for mobile ACs, which is what makes it such a good compliment for the Stun Needle Launcher. Nothing about this tank build is subtle: catch your opponent with the Morley and then follow up with the Stun Needle Launcher to stagger them. Then it’s open season for damage.
Head – Basho
The AH-J-124 Basho head unit may be blunt and ugly, but it offers phenomenal AP for a head. Fancier strategies require fancier models, but this tank build is designed to tank. Players running this in the Arena are expecting to get shot. Using the Basho takes some of the sting out of every attack, but you know you’re pretty much guaranteed to outlast most opponents.
Core – Tian-Qiang
The DF-BD-08 Tian-Qiang core is described as “a defensive foundation with extremely heavy, sturdy armor.” A core this heavy tells the player a lot about how the rest of the build will come together. You can’t run something this heavy on flimsy reverse-joint legs, after all. When running an Arena build like this one, players must be careful managing their movements. Your movements are slow and cumbersome. Plan accordingly.
Arms – Tian-Lao
As the name suggests, DF-AR-09 Tian-Lao arms are the natural complement to the core we’ve chosen. One glance at the shoulders can tell you what these arms are all about: thick armor. As a tank build, this AC will be eating lasers, missiles, and sword swings in pretty much every battle. As with several pieces in this build, these arms can be swapped for similar equipment if the player wants, as long as the focus stays on AP. This is a FromSoftware game, after all, so it won’t be easy.
Legs – Bornemissza
The LG-022T Bornemissza legs are one of the most important pieces of this Arena build other than weaponry. These weapons provide a heavy, strong, stable platform. It’s these legs that allow the player to mount the heavy weapons that will punch through pretty much every enemy in the Arena. Keep in mind that the Bornemissza legs come with pre-installed boosters, so you won’t be able to choose a booster of your own.
FCS – Abbot
The FC-006 Abbot makes a calculated trade-off, surrendering long-range missile capabilities for a focus on precise targeting assistance at close range. The gatling guns that are the stars of this build have a terrible time at long range, so you don’t want to be that far from your enemies anyway. Keep close and let your heavy weapons do the work with this simple FCS.
Generator – VP-20S
Heavy-weight ACs in Armored Core 6 don’t typically use this generator, but it actually works well with this particular build. Every good Arena build needs to find the right balance of weight and energy expenditure, and the VP-20S fits well here. Providing sufficient energy to stay mobile while powering beefy weapons like the Stun Needle Launcher, the VP-20S is a quirky pick but a suitable one here.
Expansion – Terminal Armor
The final choice for the build is the Terminal Armor. This Core Expansion deploys an extremely durable but brief shield. The first attack that would destroy the AC instead reduces it to 1 AP. Terminal Armor is in some ways the key to this build. Hit enemies hard and fast with everything you have, tanking their attack when necessary. Even if the enemy manages to work their way through your AP, Terminal Armor will give you a brief window of invulnerability to attack with impunity and finish them off.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is available now for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
