Close Combat Tactics in ARMORED CORE 6: Sword Mastery

Mastering close quarters combat with a blade in Armored Core 6 can be a daunting task for new players. However, understanding a few key tactics and skills can help you become an unstoppable force on the battlefield.

Choosing the Right Parts

The first step is equipping your AC with components optimized for swordplay:

• Arms: Prioritize arms with high Melee Specialization to boost your damage and accuracy. The VB-92X arms offer a good balance.
• Legs: Speed is essential, so choose lightweight bipedal legs with high mobility like VL-62Rs.
• Generator: Pick a generator with quick recharge to constantly boost around enemies. The VGE-75 is a good starting option.
• Head: Head parts mostly affect scanning, so focus on aesthetics. The IV-NOH2 head provides a sleek samurai look.

Mastering Movement

Agility is key to effective close quarters combat. Learn to quickly boost in and out to strike exposed enemies:

• Initiate with a quick boost to rapidly close distance on targets.
• Slash once or twice then quick boost sideways or backwards to evade return fire.
• Utilize vertical boosts to launch attacks from above or dodge wide-scale bombardment.
• Time your boosts to conserve energy – don’t spam boost nonstop.

Reading Enemy Attacks

Keen observation of enemy movement will allow you to exploit openings in their attacks:

• Strafe around stationary or slowly tracking weapons to access their vulnerable rear armor.
• When enemies begin winding up for a heavy attack, dash in and strike during their cooldown.
• Bait enemies into committing to an attack then boost past them as they miss.

Activating Overdrive

Your Overdrive ability can give you a decisive edge once mastered:

• Launch Overdrive just as you initiate an attack to maximize damage.
• Use it to quickly dash through bombardments that would normally deplete your AP.
• Activate it preemptively when low on health to withstand otherwise fatal hits.
• Wait until larger enemies’ weak points are exposed before triggering it.

Putting it All Together

With practice, you’ll be able to smoothly chain together moves to devastate enemies:

• Lead with rockets or energy weapons to destabilize targets then move in for the kill.
• Blast through shields with your shoulder weapons before cutting deep into armor.
• Draw enemies into committing to poorly-aimed strikes then punish overextensions.
• Remain constantly on the move, only staying still to deliver finishing blows.

Master these skills, and you’ll slice through missions with graceful, deadly efficiency. Veteran AC pilot Johnny_Blade describes struggling with Balteus at first due to relying too much on ranged weapons. But after upgrading to lighter arms and legs optimized for swordplay, along with learning to time his boosts to evade attacks, he can now effortlessly dodge Balteus’ onslaught while quickly exploiting openings to drain his health. With practice, you too can attain true sword mastery against any foe. The path is long, but follow these steps to become an unstoppable force in Armored Core 6.