Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Guide
Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon Hub.
Author: Griffin.
Genres: Action Adventure, Platformer,
Welcome to the Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon guide which will help you either Liberate or condemn Rubicon, a planet filled with some of the most precious resources in the Galaxy: Coral, an energy source that can sustain a planets population for millenia.
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PC.
- Trophies: 30: Platinum: 1, Gold: 5, Silver: 10, Bronze: 14.
- Achievements: 30: 1,000 G.
- Release Date: 25-Aug-2023.
- Missable: None as long as you don’t complete your third playthrough.
- Glitched: Nothing yet.
- Online: None.
- Difficulty Rating: 7/10.
- Approx. time to 100%: 60+ Hours.
When you first start Armoured Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon, be prepared to get beaten down time and time again. The game itself is made by the team at FromSoftware who are also responsible for some of the largest challenges in mainstream gaming with games having been developed such as Bloodborne, Dark Souls Remastered, Dark Souls II S.O.F.T.S., Dark Souls III, Demon’s Souls, Elden Ring and many more besides none of which are considered simple games.
Armored Core 6 doesn’t take the souls approach, however, it does bring the difficulty with some of the fights in game being incredibly challenging, however, that said, you are going to have the gear and weaponry to stand up to anything that stands in your way just as long as you have the skill to wield the weaponry and pilot your custom built Armored Core through Rubicon’s challenges that await you.
As you progress through the opening mission(s), take the time to learn the game, learn what the different weaponry you have on offer and will acquire can do, its limitations, damage, effectiveness against different enemy types and how well it works for your playstyle.
Customisation is a big factor in A.C.6 and can be the key to victory or defeat against a seemingly underwhelming opponent who can easily smash you apart without a seconds glance, You have all manner of weaponry to wield from plasma blades to pulse rifles, gatling guns to laser shotguns, grenade launchers to missile launchers and damn near everything you can think of in between.
The same goes for your gear as well, you could, on some missions see a very fast, agile AC be a real benefit to you until you come against a tough boss who will shred your health bar away. Then, once you’re dead, you go into the Assembly menu, go full tank and roll over the boss like it wasn’t even a challenge. Builds in this game are of the utmost importance to understand so you can be ready for the enemy(s) you are about to face or even those who have just killed you.
You will die a lot in this game, there’s no way around that fact. It is designed to be tough and if you combine breakneck speeds with heavy hitting opponents and the fact you can only have a maximum of 3 repair kits, you’re going to suffer your way through the game, which, unlike most of From Software’s other offerings is mission based rather a fully or semi open World so once you complete a given mission you’ll be back at your garage where you can then prep for your next mission(s).
Upon starting the game, forget about S Ranks, don’t worry about the Endings until you get to Chapter 3 (the game is made up of 5 chapters each with their own set of missions) and you will need to play through the game 3 times. One base playthrough, another in New Game+ which is where you will unlock the 2nd of the 3 endings as long as you make alternative choices to those which were made on your first playthrough then the final ending is only available on your third and final playthrough (as long as you haven’t missed anything).
Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon is a very complex, in depth game which will have you scratching your head on occasion and getting angry at how a boss is seemingly unbeatable until you find the correct combination of weaponry, build and tactics to bring them down making this somewhat of a strategy game as well as having massive explosions every few minutes giving you the best of a good number of Worlds. Unless you like easy, non challenging games then this isn’t for you anyway.
Working through your first playthrough is where you will unlock the majority of weapons, gear, equipable items and game modes, all of which have their purpose against given enemy types. If you have an agile enemy, equip homing missiles or maybe a blade for getting up close and personal, if you come up against a tank or a larger boss, equip some hard hitting rocket launchers and blast them in to oblivion.
On your first playthrough you should aim for unlocking The Fires Of Raven Ending where, along the way you can also unlock:
- The Fires of Raven.
- Expansion Collector.
- Data Log Collector.
- Testing Complete.
- Illegal Entry.
- Operation Wallclimber.
- Contact.
- Ocean Crossing.
- A New Threat.
- Ayre and the Coral.
- Into Unknown Territory.
- Re-education.
- The Floating City.
You can also fulfil the requirements to unlock several others along the way throughout your first playthrough which are:
As I mentioned earlier, there are 3 playthroughs you will need to complete, as you work towards the 3 endings which you I strongly recommend you go for in the following order:
You will need to complete certain missions to achieve a given ending and if you make a mistake you will lock yourself out of an ending so please ensure you read all 3 respective guides before going into Chapter 3 as nothing else matters before then unless you’re on subsequent playthroughs by which point you will know what you’re doing anyway.
With your first playthrough complete you will then be able to begin new game + which is a bit more challenging that your first playthrough but as long as you have followed along with the parts guides you will have more than enough gear to bring down anything that stands in your way.
New Game + will hold some seriously challenging fights which will push you beyond your limitations in some cases with a good number of 1vs2, 2vs2 and even a 1vs 3 AC Mission where speed is key to success.
Throughout New Game + you will, as long as you follow along with our guides unlock:
Then, with New Game + completed you will have 1 final playthrough to go through, however, it is a tricky one and there are several missable elements which will require a fourth playthrough if you miss them, chief among which, the last 3 Arena fights under the Analysis tab will become available and need to be completed before you finish your third playthrough other wise, at the time of writing, they are no longer available when you start New Game +++.
Throughout your third, and hopefully final playthrough, you will unlock the following:
- Stargazer.
- Master of Arena.
- Asset Holder.
- Tuning Expert.
- Alea lacta Est.
- Weapon Collector.
- External Parts Collector.
- Combat Log Collector.
- MIA.
With everything completed above you will then need to work towards S Ranking every Mission in the game which is done by going through Replay Mission then achieving the best Rank unlocking:
As long as you have followed along with all of the guides I have put together for Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon, you will then unlock:
Which is a highly coveted Platinum to achieve!
140 G
Armored Core
Acquired all trophies.
Unlock the other 29 trophies throughout Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon to earn Armored Core.
70 G
The Perfect Mercenary
Cleared all missions with an S Rank rating.
Obtaining S Ranks requires you to play at your best and most efficient, however, they aren’t unlocked the same for everyone as it greatly depends on your playstyle, for me, I went for a double bazooka build for the most part with dual missile launchers on my back and 1 shot most things with the bazooka.
This, for me, conserved ammunition which is a key factor and reduced the amount of damage I took as having a powerful FCS equipped allows you to achieve target lock from further away.
I wouldn’t worry about S Ranking missions until much later in the game as the gear you will acquire along the way will make S Ranks a lot easier especially if you’re aiming to get them on your first playthrough as opposed to your subsequent playthroughs (3 playthroughs are needed on your way to unlocking Armored Core).
There are several missions locked behind new game+ and new game++ so these will have to be S Ranked as and when they appear.
The 3 main factors you need to focus on to achieve S Ranks are:
- Health lost.
- Ammo Spent.
- Time Taken.
If you’re struggling to obtain S Ranks, change up the weapons you are using as well as your playstyle working on your combat skills and dodging abilities. Take the time to learn each mission (see Stargazer for information on every mission in the game).
Knowing the enemy placement and what you have to do to complete a given mission will help greatly in achieving S Ranks. For example, I was trying to go for an S Rank on an early mission: Destroy Artillery Installations, I took out the Artillery in the South, East then West whilst barely taking any damage.
I was fast, efficient and I couldn’t get past A Rank. As soon as I switched the targets and went East, West, South I took a lot more damage, spent more ammunition but because I was faster, I earned an S Rank so it really does depend on how the mission feels you performed.
Vary your playstyle, be as efficient as possible and learn the missions, then, with end game weaponry, you will have a much easier time taking the various targets and bosses down earning S Ranks along the way.
70 G
Stargazer
Cleared all missions.
Before you can access every mission in the game you will firstly need to complete the campaign of Armored Core VI 3 times through new game, new game + then new game ++.
The missions themselves are initially broken down across 5 Chapters as follows with more becoming available in both New Game+ (2nd Playthrough) and New Game ++ (3rd Playthrough).
Check out the Stargazer guide for everything you need to complete all of the missions in the game.
70 G
Master of Arena
Cleared all Arena programs.
Arena programs will become available once you have complete mission 9: Retrieve Combat Logs with more combat logs becoming available as you progress through your first playthrough with more Arena programs unlocking in New Game+ and even some being locked behind New Game++ missions so you will need 3 playthroughs to unlock every Arena progamme.
Check out the Master of Arena guide for everything you need to unlock every Arena program in Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.
70 G
Asset Holder
Obtained all parts.
Aside from S Ranking all missions (see The Perfect Mercenary for more information), obtaining all parts will make up the majority of your playtime as there are, in total 306 parts you need to acquire which I’ve broken down into the following guides:
Weapon parts (see Weapon Collector for full details).
External Parts (see External Parts Collector for full details).
Inner Parts (see Internal Parts Collector for full details).
You will also need to acquire all of the :
- Expansion Parts. (See Expansion Collector for full details).
You won’t be able to acquire every part in game until are on New Game++ (your third playthrough) so work your way through the game where you will acquire a lot of weaponry initially then focus down on the remaining parts you require.
Check out the Asset Holder guide for a full break down of every part in the game.
70 G
Tuning Expert
Performed all OS upgrades.
O.S. Upgrades or Operating System Upgrades will become available once you have completed mission 9: Retrieve Combat Logs and require you to spend OST Chips which are obtained by completing Arena programs (see Master of Arena for more information).
For every opponent you defeat in the Arena, you will be gifted a set of OST Chips which then allow then allow you to spend those OST Chips on upgrading your O.S. There’s a lot of upgrades you will need to perform which will require you to go through part of but not finishing New Game++ (your third playthrough).
Check out the Tuning Expert guide for everything you need in order to perform all OS upgrades.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
30 G
The Fires of Raven
Reached ending: “The Fires of Raven.”
The Fires Of Raven is widely considered to be the bad ending and is the one I strongly recommend you go for on your first playthrough and is how the rest of the Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon guides are structured.
You essentially need to side with “Cinder” Carla and Handler Walter in order to destroy Rubicon leaving nothing but desolation and a barren planet in the wake of your efforts.
Check out the, The Fires Of Raven Ending guide for the Missions you need to choose and the order you need to complete them in so as to successfully burn Rubicon in The Fires Of Raven.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
30 G
Liberator of Rubicon
Reached ending: “Liberator of Rubicon.”
The Liberator of Rubicon is the ending you should be focusing on during your 2nd playthrough and is obtained by essentially choosing the opposite Missions to the ones you chose for The Fires of Raven Ending.
There are some heavily challenging Missions throughout New Game + including a very nasty 3 vs 1 Mission if you’re not quick enough to take down your opponents before their reinforcements arrive.
Check out the Liberator of Rubicon Ending guide for everything you need to become Rubicon’s Saviour.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
30 G
Alea Iacta Est
Reached ending: “Alea Iacta Est.”
Alea lacta Est is the final and true ending of Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon and one you can only acquire on your third playthrough once you have achieved both The Fires Of Raven and Liberator of Rubicon Endings through your first and 2nd playthroughs respectively.
There will be several new Missions that become available in New Game ++ and you need to ensure you don’t complete the playthrough until you have unlocked Master of Arena, otherwise you will need to complete a fourth playthrough so to save time and to be as efficient as possible, complete the Arena Analysis fights as soon as they become available to save any hassle.
Check out the Alea lacta Est guide for everything you need to achieve the true ending in Armord Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
30 G
Weapon Collector
Obtained all weapon parts.
Weapon parts play a very important role throughout Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon as if you can’t hurt and take the enemy they will finish you off in seconds so as a famous man once said, a good offence is the best defence which is very true in Armored Core VI.
After all, dead enemies can’t hurt you anymore. You will receive most weapon parts as you progress through the game as mission rewards which are then purchasable from the shop.
There are, however, several other weapons in game that you need to earn, find or otherwise obtain in order to collect them all and with 186 different weapon parts to collect you have a lot of work to do before you can unlock Weapon Collector.
Check out the Weapon Collector guide to help you find the weapons I have broken down into their 4 main categories which are:
You will need every single weapon in the game regardless if you use use them or not.
30 G
External Parts Collector
Obtained all frame parts.
Frame parts, similar to the weapon parts (see Weapon Collector for more information) will take up a lot of your time as there are 90 parts in total for you to acquire just for the frame alone.
The Frame parts are broken down into the following categories:
Check out the External Parts Collector guide for exactly what you need to do in order to unlock every Frame part in Armored Core Vi.
30 G
Internal Parts Collector
Obtained all inner parts.
Inner parts are arguably a lot more important than the Frame parts (see External Parts Collector for more information) as they control how fast and efficiently you can boost, dodge, ascend and move around as well as enhancing target lock or even defining how much power you are afforded for your rig which dictates which parts you can use and how effectively you are at using them.
There are, in total, 36 Inner parts to acquire in Armored Core VI, however, don’t be drawn into the low number giving you a false sense of security, you will need to be highly skilled to acquire them all.
I have broken down the Inner parts into their own categories which are:
Check out the Internal Parts Collector guide for how to acquire every Internal part in the game.
30 G
Expansion Collector
Obtained all Core Expansions.
The Core Expansions are by far the simplest of all of the collectibles you need in Armored Core VI with there being just 4 of them in the entire fame. They’re not all that difficult to acquire either if truth be told.
Check out the Expansion Collector guide for how to acquire all 4 Core Expansions in Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
30 G
Combat Log Collector
Obtained all combat logs.
Combat Logs are acquired by taking down specific enemies throughout the 3 playthroughs you need to complete to do everything in the game, some enemies are mandatory where as others are completely off the beaten track in hidden away areas.
You will be able to see which Missions have outstanding Combat Logs for you to find by going to the Replay Mission option then if the text reads: Complete then you have every Combat Log in that Mission, if, however, it read Pending then you still have some hunting to do.
Check out the Combat Log Collector guide for everything you need to acquire every Combat Log in the game.
30 G
Data Log Collector
Obtained ten data logs.
Data Logs are acquire by scanning fallen ACs, you will easily have enough before you’re halfway through your first playthrough.
30 G
Testing Complete
Cleared all combat aptitude evaluation programs in the Arena.
See Master of Arena for more information.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
15 G
Illegal Entry
Cleared mission: “Illegal Entry.”
Take out the defences as you work through the base obtaining the I.D. logs from each of the fallen A.C’s then use the elevator to get up to the boss arena, interact with the final A.C. in the crater where you will be ambushed by the AH12 HC Helicopter.
The fight against AH12 HC Helicopter can be tough given your lack of experience in the game at this point so use your boost to get up close and melee the boss which will take off large chunks of health.
Avoid the incoming missile barrages by jumping off the ground then send your own salvo back when possible and focus fire on the various guns that cover the Helicopter until you bring the chopper down completing the mission.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
15 G
Operation Wallclimber
Cleared mission: “Operation Wallclimber.”
Operation Wallclimber is the 8th mission in the game and can be a tough one mainly due to the boss so ensure you have equipped some better gear, especially AOE plasma weapons if you have the resources for them.
Go through the city removing the MT’s and avoiding the powerful Mech on the top of the wall who will pepper you with Missiles that can knock chunks off of your health bar.
Head for the right side of the wall whilst avoiding the central area as there is a powerful Tetra-Pod waiting for you which I recommend you avoid for now, deal with the turrets as you ascend the wall then go through the door to be inside the base.
Clear the enemies then restock at the Sherpa before going out to face off against a very challenging boss: HA-T-102 Juggernaut who is impervious to damage from the front, spins around very quickly after trying to ram you and is all in all a very bad time of things.
In the first section of the fight, you will have an ally so use the ally to take the hits allowing you to unload on the Juggernaut’s back. Once the ally leaves, however, things can get tricky so fly up and unload your best attacks into the Juggernaut’s head allowing you to deal some damage to the back of it.
Avoid the mines that come out the back of the Juggernaut as well as the charged attacks then keep dodging behind as best as you can in the air and send explosives into its back, preferably plasma based as they have a large area-of-effect until you bring this overgrown bulldozer down concluding the mission.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
15 G
Contact
Cleared mission: “Attack the Watchpoint.”
Attack the Watchpoint is the 11th mission in the game which will conclude Chapter 1 and is the toughest by a long way that you have to work through mainly due to the fact there are 2 very tough bosses with the second being especially challenging.
Check out the Attack the Watchpoint guide for everything you need to take down both Sulla and Balteus with the latter being the toughest challenge you will have encountered in the game so far by a long way.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
15 G
Ocean Crossing
Cleared mission: “Ocean Crossing.”
Ocean Crossing is the Mission which concludes Chapter 2 and holds a powerful boss, the Sea Spider which will heavily test your skills as it comes at you with a multitude of laser and slam attacks which can easily rip chunks from your health bar as well as staggering you leaving you open for even more damage.
Check out the Chapter 2: Ocean Crossing Mission guide for everything you need to conclude Chapter 2.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
15 G
A New Threat
Cleared mission: “Attack the Old Spaceport.”
Ensure you have a decent set of agile legs or even a Tetra-Pod set as you will initially need to take down 5 PCA Warships then ascend to the top of the tower, take out the awaiting LC units then destroy 2 more PCA Warships before being thrown into a tough 2 vs 2 boss battle against 2 PCA Lieutenants.
You will need a variety of weaponry including ranged, hard hitting and melee to be as efficient as possible in this Mission. Check out the Chapter 3: Attack the Old Spaceport Mission guide for everything you need to take down the Spaceport.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
15 G
Ayre and the Coral
Cleared mission: “Destroy the Ice Worm.”
Firstly, before you even think about Sortieing for the Mission, ensure you have equipped the Stun Needle () as any other weaponry will effectively be useless against the Ice Worm.
You will, after the Mission, be able to purchase a second Stun Needle, however, initially you only get the one which you need to use to send a Needle into the Worms “face” allowing Rusty to fire a Railgun shot.
There are 3 shots Rusty needs to fire permitting you and your allies a small window to unload everything you have into the Ice Worm to decommission it permanently.
Check out the Chapter 3: Destroy the Ice Worm Mission guide for everything you need to conclude this Mission as well as Chapter 3.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
15 G
Into Unknown Territory
Cleared mission: “Underground Exploration – Depth 3.”
Underground Exploration – Depth 3 is the third Mission in Chapter 4 and will require you to be incredibly skilled at navigating through the biome itself as you will have everything from PCA Weaponry to Laser Sniper Turrets to deal with as well as consistent ambushes.
Once you have destroyed the power module, you will have 2 minutes to take down a very agile, hard hitting, tough boss, disengage the locks, fly out of the structure and get to safety so you only realistically have a minute to take the boss down which can be a heavy challenge.
Check out the Chapter 4: Underground Exploration – Depth 3 Mission guide for how best to tackle this tough Mission in the depths of Rubicon.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
15 G
Re-education
Cleared mission: “Reach the Coral Convergence.”
This will be the toughest Mission you will have faced in the entire game but a good measure, especially if you want all of the Combat Logs as well.
Just focusing on the Mission, you start off in a 2 vs 1 fight against 2 heavily armed and fortified AC’s, both of whom need bringing down then make your way through Institute City staying out of the lake below unless you fancy a challenge (and Combat Logs) to the large crater which used to hold a deep lake.
Instead of the lake, you will instead find CEL 240, an incredibly powerful Coral based Mech who is a serious challenge to take on and the barrier between you and the end game of Armored Core VI.
Check out the Chapter 4: Reach the Coral Convergence Mission guide for a look at how to take down the C-Series weapon not once, but twice!
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
15 G
The Floating City
Cleared mission: “Take the Uninhabited Floating City.”
Ensure you have some hard hitting precision weaponry before going in to this one as well as bringing an agile high powered build with you as you need to flit about between the roads and rooftops taking down enemies before they destroy the Xylem tower whilst on a 5 minute time limit.
Check out the Chapter 5: Take the Uninhabited Floating City Mission guide for the best way to take down the onslaught before they can destroy the Tower.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
15 G
MIA
Cleared mission: “MIA.”
You will unlock the MIA Mission as long as you are going for the ALea lacta Est ending which you won’t be able to unlock until you are on your third playthrough so progress through the game choosing the following Missions as you go on New Game ++:
- Chapter 1: Attack the Dam Complex: Choose Accept when the Rubicon Liberation Front ask you to take out the 2 Redguns.
- Chapter 3: Prevent Corporate Salvage of New Tech.
- Chapter 3: Eliminate the Enforcement Squads.
- Chapter 3: Coral Export Denial.
- Chapter 4: Eliminate V.III.
Choosing and completing the above Missions will then make the final Mission in Chapter 4: Reach the Coral Convergence an Alt Mission which will task you with defeating both V.II Snail and G5 Iguazu.
With that Mission completed you will then be able to play the first Chapter 5 Mission on New Game ++: MIA.
Check out the Chapter 5 MIA Mission guide for everything you need to know for how to take down your opponents and be placed under the protection of Allmind once and for all.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
15 G
Training Complete
Cleared all training programs.
Training programs will become available as you progress through the first initial missions in the game with you being able to complete every training program by the time you have completed mission 8: Operation Wallclimber.
Check out the Training Complete guide for everything you need to complete all 7 training modules.
Video courtesy of FuzionByte.
15 G
Hardware Engineer
Assembled an AC.
Simply equip any new part to your AC to unlock Hardware Engineer.
Check out the Asset Holder guide for how to acquire every part in the game.
15 G
Software Engineer
Upgraded your AC’s OS.
Once you have completed mission 9: Retrieve Combat Logs you will be able to perform OS Upgrades (see Tuning Expert for more information).
O.S. Upgrades are performed by obtaining OST Chips which themselves are acquired by defeating opponents in the Arena (see Master of Arena for more information).
Simply perform your first Operating System Upgrade to unlock Software Engineer.
15 G
Graphic Designer
Changed the coloration of your AC.
Once you have completed the first mission: Illegal Entry (see Illegal Entry for more information) you will then have access to your Garage where you can click on AC Design> Paint> Entire Frame then select any colour options to unlock Graphic Designer.