Armored Core 6 Balteus boss: best build and strategy

Everything you need to tear apart Balteus' Pulse Shields and win in Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon's Attack the Watchpoint mission
Armored Core 6 Balteus boss: best build and strategy
Armored Core 6 Balteus boss: best build and strategy /

Armored Core 6’s Balteus is a huge AC kitted out with loads of missiles and thick Pulse Shields that make it hard to fight, and it’ll likely be your first big roadblock while playing Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. This AC unit is designed specifically to take you down, and so you’ll have to design an AC specifically to counter it.

The key here is taking out the Pulse Shield quickly and effectively – just shooting at it with ordinary weapons will have you stuck in a cycle for a long period of time. Just make sure to use the AC parts we suggest in this guide, and you will be able to walk through Balteus during Armored Core 6’s Attack the Watchpoint mission.

Best Balteus build – AC6

armored core 6 balteus boss glhf (4)
FromSoftware, Bandai Namco Entertainment

As usual, the most important factor in a build to take down Balteus is the weaponry. Balteus’ missile swarms are actually fairly easy to dodge as long as you pick your moment, so you don’t need to necessarily be super small or lightweight. If you want to build a literal tank in order to take down Balteus, you absolutely can. Just make sure you have something to penetrate those Pulse Shields.

As such, we’re listing a Pulse Gun – this weapon is short-range, so you’ll need to get close to Balteus in order to use it, but it will rip apart the Pulse Shield in no time, leaving the AC staggered, allowing you to unload your most powerful weapons. To that end, we suggest a big chargeable melee weapon to make the most of the moments when Balteus is staggered.

In this build, you can swap between the Pulse weapon and your melee weapon in your left hand, while peppering with bullets and missiles consistently with the right.

  • Right arm: RF-025 SCUDDER
  • Left arm: HI-16: GU-Q1
  • Right back: Vvc-70VPM
  • Left back: Vvc-770LB

How to beat Balteus – AC6

armored core 6 balteus boss glhf (1)
FromSoftware, Bandai Namco Entertainment

Balteus is threatening because of how many missiles it can launch at once, on top of a tough Pulse Shield that will make it tough to break through and actually deal damage. But of course, if you’ve followed out weapon build instructions as outlined above, you’ll have everything you need to take it down.

armored core 6 balteus boss glhf (3)
FromSoftware, Bandai Namco Entertainment

Your right arm and right back in our weapon build are an assault rifle and vertical Plasma Missiles. You can pepper Balteus with both of these as soon as they reload, from any range. Meanwhile your left hand has the Pulse weapon, and your left back has a melee weapon you can swap to for big damage. You want to get close to Balteus before you let loose with your Pulse weapon to take its shields apart.

armored core 6 balteus boss glhf (2)
FromSoftware, Bandai Namco Entertainment

As soon as Balteus staggers, swap your priority to dealing damage with all weapons, prioritizing your melee option. Repeat this while dodging incoming attacks, and you will take Balteus down quickly and easily.


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Dave Aubrey
DAVE AUBREY

Dave Aubrey is an award-nominated (losing) video games journalist based in the UK with more than ten years of experience in the industry. A bald man known for obnoxious takes, Dave is correct more often than people would like, and will rap on command.