I’m not going to lie to you, Chapter 1 of Armored Core 6 is rough for new players. After struggling through a surprisingly hard fight in the very first mission, the game’s difficulty cools down a bit. Sure, there are some tough challenges, but they’re surmountable with a bit of trial and error. Then at the end of Chapter 1, the game pits you against an absolute beast of a fight in Balteus. If you’re struggling here, you’re not alone. This is a massive difficulty jump that stops almost everyone in their tracks.
Beating Balteus in Armored Core 6 requires mastery of the game’s fundamental mechanics. For example, you’ll want to stagger it with weapons that have high Impact damage, and then drain its health bar with weapons that have high Direct Hit Modifiers. Energy weapons excel at draining its pulse armor, and explosive-resistance armor will mitigate much of Balteus’ incoming damage. While there’s a lot more to the fight than this, these basics will make the encounter go much smoother.
In truth, there are several ways to defeat Balteus in Armored Core 6. This makes explaining a “best” build for the fight a bit futile, but we can at least offer a few pointers.
What build should you bring for Balteus?
As mentioned above, you want a good mix of Impact damage alongside weapons with strong Direct Hit damage. Impact is what fills the stagger gauge, and you want a somewhat consistent stream of it so Balteus’ gauge doesn’t drain back down. Conversely, Direct Hits are what occur when you damage a staggered enemy, which is why weapons with high Direct Hit modifiers do so well. If you just spam all your artillery at once, you’ll wind up doing less damage and likely drain your ammo in the process.
Ultimately, the loadout you pick for this will depend on your build and your playstyle. However, I find that going for a super bulky build works well here. Sure, wearing heavy armor and tank treads will severely cut down your mobility. However, you’ll dramatically decrease the damage you take, which should make the battle less frustrating for those new to mech games. Even bulky builds can dodge and use Assault Boosts, so lean in on these moves if you go this route.
Energy weapons will help drain its pulse armor when its up, but it won’t exclusively maintain pulse armor throughout the fight either. A strong sword will inflict serious damage here, especially if you charge your attack. I wouldn’t say bringing one is essential, but it can help with this encounter.
How to dodge Balteus’ attacks in phase 1
Balteus will always begin the encounter by launching a massive barrage of missiles in every direction. While the offense here can look overwhelming, this will serve as a good opportunity to get in some attacks quickly. Assault Boost towards Balteus right away and unleash your best weapons to drain the pulse armor it starts with. By the time the missiles actually start to approach you, they’ll likely come at you in waves. Dodge as best as you can, and don’t worry if you can’t dodge every single one.
Throughout the fight, Balteus will similarly unleash large swaths of homing missiles in several directions. Just remember that they’ll keep clustering together as they lock on you, so avoid these groups of shots the best you can.
You’ll also want to pay extremely close attention to your HUD, and play with sound effects turned up if you can. When you see the red danger indicators (pictured above) alongside the universal “Danger” beeping sound, Balteus will hit you point-blank for high explosive damage. This happens fast, so start dodging the second your brain processes what’s going on. This attack really hurts too, and it can easily take you by surprise if you’re in close range. Even an imperfect dodge is preferable to having a huge amount of your health drained.
Note that every time you drain Balteus’ pulse armor, it will become staggered immediately. Conversely, when Balteus reengages its pulse armor, it will knock you back if you’re too close. This won’t inflict damage though, so steel your nerves and prepare to keep putting the pressure on.
Balteus phase 2
After you drain Balteus’ health to 50%, Ayre will warn you to get clear. Do not take this warning lightly. It will unleash a massive explosion around itself that will inflict serious damage if it catches you. If Balteus happens to be staggered, it might not engage this move until it recovers. Still, the moment you see its health reach the halfway point, try to get out of the way immediately. Drain as much EN as it takes to dash out of there.
Balteus will begin mixing in flamethrower attacks in its moveset in addition to its existing moves. Many of these are close-range, with Balteus swinging fire like a sword. To handle this, either get scarce when it approaches or time your dodges well.
Additionally, when the red danger indicators along with the beeping appear, Balteus may now instead coat the ground with fire. Pay close attention to what Balteus is doing. Whenever you see fire coming out of Balteus’ attacks, it’ll prepare to use a flamethrower-based attack on you (pictured above). Jump up and hover for as long as you can to safely avoid this attack.
It honestly can be a bit jarring to fight Balteus here. It will either close in or dash away at seemingly random, so make sure your attacks aren’t ricocheting in the heat of battle. Saying “stay cool” sounds easier said than done, but watching the enemy’s attacks will make dodging a lot easier. However, if you’re in absolute doubt, try getting off the ground and dodging midair if your build allows for it. This will help avoid those flamethrower attacks and the blast radius of any explosive damage.
Look forward to the future
I’ll once again repeat that Balteus borders on a cruel, mean joke for new players. Namely because immediately after this fight, you’ll earn access to incredibly powerful weapons that can straight up trivialize it. After I cleared Balteus, I tried it again with my newly unlocked DF-GA-08 HU-BEN Gattling Guns and the Songbirds equipped on my back weapon slots. These were such a huge jump in power that Balteus felt like a joke, and many enemies since this fight have fallen to this weapon combination too.
In other words, keep your hope up as you fight against Balteus. The game will keep throwing challenges at you, but it won’t necessarily stay this hard throughout its duration. If your current build just doesn’t work, consider going back to your garage and trying something new. You’ll likely feel short on cash at this stage of the game, so remember that you can get full refunds for spare parts by selling them. Keep as many weapons in your inventory as you can hold so you can equip different options at the checkpoint you’ll unlock just before the fight.
Armored Core 6 is a tough game, but if you’ve made it this far, you have what it takes to cross the finish line. And if you continue to struggle, there’s no shame in repeating training missions to get the basics of the game down. You can do this!
