‘Armored Core 6’ introduces players to a wood chipper with its boss tutorial

Armored Core 6 is here with great reviews and solid early player numbers, given that it would never release on the scale of something like Elden Ring, despite being a FromSoftware title.

But as players launch themselves into the game, they find that the game has a very hard wall that they throw you against almost immediately, the first boss of the game. It’s the AH12 HC helicopter and it’s proving to be a litmus test for new players and veterans of Armored Core alike.

One of the main problems with the first boss is that you can’t specify your mech for the fight specifically, because it’s too early in the game for that. This is literally the tutorial, so you’re stuck with the gear you’re given and it’s purely focused on mechanics. The mechanics are…difficult. The advice includes staying on the ground as much as you can and balancing your and the boss’s stagger gauges, making sure his doesn’t go down with periodic light shots. Use the environment for cover and use the assault boost and melee for increased damage opportunities.

Some say the boss fight is one of the hardest in the history of FromSoftware, a studio known for tough boss fights, despite being what amounts to a tutorial for the game. It’s considered a “knockout” for new players, especially content creators who have been struggling a lot on streaming to get over it, despite wanting to play what’s new and compelling to their audiences.

However, there are other bosses in the game that are more difficult, including Batleus much later on:

Players report between 90 minutes and 5 hours to beat the first boss, especially if they are unfamiliar with the genre. Some are asking for the tone to be lowered, but this is FromSoftware so it seems unlikely unless there is some bug, which doesn’t seem to be the case.

It seems like a harsh, but necessary, crucible to the game. It’s a huge relief when you take out that boss and sets you up for what you can expect from the rest of the game, which will destroy you in whole new ways. The point is not to give up too soon, because if you can get through it and you’re happy you did, you’ll probably enjoy the rest of the game. If you quit out of frustration, maybe I can’t blame you, but it’s probably worth persevering.

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