Best weapons in Armored Core 6
Dominate missions and multiplayer alike with these overpowered Armored Core 6 weapons
Looking to unlock the very best weapons in Armored Core 6 early on? If you're coming from other recent FromSoftware titles, then the overwhelming torrent of gunfire and explosions in each mission of Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon can be a little overwhelming. Fortunately, your AC mech can be equipped with enough firepower to devastate every enemy you come across. And some of the weapons you can unlock are just downright overpowered.
In this guide we'll walk you through the very best weapons in Armored Core 6, and how to get your hands on them and use them to inflict maximum destruction upon even the most dangerous bosses in the game. Ranging from grenade launchers and machine guns to melee weapons and flamethrowers, you'll dominate both the campaign and multiplayer duels with these high-powered weapons.
Best Armored Core 6 weapons
Here are the very best weapons in Armored Core 6:
- PB-033M Ashmead Pile Bunker
- Songbirds Grenade Cannon
- 44-141 JVLN Alpha Detonating Bazooka
- SG-027 Zimmerman Shotgun
- VE-60SNA Stun Needle Launcher
- BML-G1/P20MLT-04 Missile Launcher
- DF-GA-08 HU-BEN Gatling Gun
It's important to remember that your mech isn't just about one weapon. To maximise the effectiveness of any of the above top-tier weapons, you need to back it up with the right Armored Core 6 builds, or you may end up thinking that these weapons are substandard. We promise you, they're not.
Below we'll explore each of these weapons further and explain not only how to unlock them but also how to make the most of them with the right parts and playstyle.
PB-033M Ashmead (Pile Bunker) - Best weapon in Armored Core 6
The Ashmead Pile Bunker melee blade is ludicrously powerful, and the best weapon in Armored Core 6 right now as long as you have the guts to consistently get up close and personal with the big bosses of the game. Melee weapons in general deal very high damage to compensate for the added risk of getting so close to an enemy, but the Pile Bunker frankly makes all other melee weapons - and ranged weapons for that matter - seem obsolete.
The Pile Bunker's charge attack deals a leg-jellying 4,630 damage, and against a staggered enemy that number goes well into the 5,000s. That's enough to deal over half an enemy AC's health in damage. It's the weapon I used to kill almost every Arena enemy in the game back to back with the same mech. Just use explosives to stagger the enemy, then go in for the kill with the Pile Bunker. If you've been shying away from melee in Armored Core 6, the Ashmead Pile Bunker is worth taking the plunge.
How to get the Pile Bunker:
The Pile Bunker will become available in the Shop once you complete Chapter 1. The first chapter contains 11 missions and ends with the mission, "Attack The Watchpoint". After completing this mission, the Pile Bunker can be purchased from the Shop for 185,000 COAM. It's worth it, trust me.
Songbirds (Grenade Cannon)
Songbirds are among the most powerful explosive weapons you can obtain in Armored Core 6. They're so effective that I've taken to carrying two on my mech at all times. With solid hits, the combo is nearly guaranteed to stagger even the toughest enemies in the game, leaving them wide open to high-damage attacks (cough cough Pile Bunker cough).
While the explosive power of the Grenade Cannon forces a bipedal or reverse joint mech to hold still for a moment to fire, you can switch to a Tetrapod or Tank setup to stay on the move while you engulf your target in explosive destruction. And even if you want to stay bipedal, the effectiveness of the Songbirds outweighs its disadvantages, giving you an easy to use weapon with a huge amount of impact damage and enough of a blast radius to wipe out clusters of smaller enemies with one hit.
How to get the Songbirds Grenade Cannon:
Just like the Pile Bunker, the Songbirds Grenade Cannon is made available in the Shop after completing the "Attack The Watchpoint" mission which concludes Chapter 1. Every time you complete a chapter, a bunch of new parts are made available in the Shop. The Songbirds is available for 182,000 COAM.
44-141 JVLN Alpha (Detonating Bazooka)
The Detonating Bazooka is another top-tier explosive weapon for the same reasons as the Songbirds: it deals very high impact and health damage with a very respectable blast radius for an arm weapon. While it doesn't pack quite the same punch as the Songbirds Grenade Cannon, the JVLN Alpha has a larger damage multiplier against staggered enemies and sports a faster reload time. This, coupled with the fact that it's an arm weapon rather than a shoulder-exclusive weapon, makes it a more well-rounded and versatile choice for anyone looking for a bit of explosive firepower.
How to get the Detonating Bazooka:
The JVLN Alpha Detonating Bazooka is unlocked for you automatically upon reaching Hunter rank 2 in Armored Core 6. You increase your Hunter rank by collecting Combat Logs throughout missions. If you've been collecting every Combat Log as you go through the campaign, then you'll reach Hunter rank 2 and unlock the Detonating Bazooka towards the end of Chapter 1.
SG-027 Zimmerman (Shotgun)
Shotguns are excellent weapon choices across the board in Armored Core 6, but the Zimmerman sets itself apart from the rest with its increased effective range. With other shotgun builds I've tried, I've had to sacrifice more than I'd like in order to compensate for the close-range focus. With the Zimmerman, I can comfortably obliterate enemies from the same range that I'd tend to use any automatic weapon.
If you're used to using faster-acting magazine-based weapons in Armored Core 6, then you may find the Zimmerman's 2 second reload time between shots a little frustrating. But if you're looking for a hard-hitting close-to-mid-range option that can reliably wipe out any lower-level enemy in one hit and deal shocking amounts of damage to more dangerous enemies, the Zimmerman is a fantastic choice well into late-game.
How to get the Zimmerman Shotgun:
The Zimmerman Shotgun is unlocked in the Shop once you complete Chapter 2 of Armored Core 6's story. Chapter 2 culminates with the 14th mission of the game, named "Ocean Crossing", and you'll need to beat a deadly boss to get to this point. After that, the Zimmerman can be purchased for either arm for 115,000 COAM.
VE-60SNA (Stun Needle Launcher)
The VE-60SNA Stun Needle Launcher is a one-of-a-kind weapon that is provided during the campaign specifically to take down a certain boss. But its usefulness extends far beyond that one mission. This easy-to-use, accurate, powerful launcher is a fantastic weapon for keeping the pressure on a dangerous enemy mech, thanks both to its high impact and health damage and the stun buildup that it inflicts with every hit.
Keep using the Stun Needle Launcher throughout a fight, and you'll find the enemy becomes far more manageable thanks to the stun buildup keeping the target locked down and unable to utilise its full mobility. So if you abandoned this weapon the moment you finished its associated mission, perhaps you should pick it up again and take it for a spin.
How to get the Stun Needle Launcher:
The Stun Needle Launcher is unlocked automatically once you reach the "Destroy The Ice Worm" mission at the end of Chapter 3, and you'll need it to complete that mission. You'll be provided with one free of charge for your right shoulder, but you can also purchase one for your left shoulder from the Shop for 283,000 COAM.
DF-GA-08 HU-BEN (Gatling Gun)
I'm not a huge fan of automatic weapons in Armored Core 6, but there's no denying a pair of Gatling Guns at close range continuously firing at an enemy and cutting down its health in seconds is a very satisfying thing. The Gatling Gun may be bulky, but it's very versatile and extremely easy to use both against solo enemies and groups. It really is as simple as holding down the trigger.
Of course, like all such weapons, you need to make sure you're near enough to the target that your bullets don't ricochet. The Gatling Gun may not need to reload but it will run out of bullets quite easily if you use it as your main damage-dealer over the course of a mission. Still, as part of a larger suite of weapons of different kinds, the Gatling Gun is a strong contender for the best "just keep firing" weapon in Armored Core 6.
How to get the Gatling Gun:
The Gatling Gun is part of the same batch of weapons as the Pile Bunker and Songbirds Grenade Cannon, which is unlocked in the Shop once you beat the final mission of Chapter 1, "Attack The Watchpoint". After this point, the Gatling Gun becomes available for 170,000 COAM.
BML-G1/P20MLT-04 (Missile Launcher)
It's unusual in any game for one of the best weapons to be available from the very first mission, but the basic BML-G1 Missile Launcher is just so useful throughout the entire campaign, it's hard not to recommend it. While it lacks the damage potential to be effective against the later bosses, there's really nothing better when it comes to quickly and cleanly wiping out squads of smaller enemies. And that's important when even the lowliest enemy mech in Armored Core 6 is capable of dealing a lot of damage if you leave it to do its thing.
As you progress through the missions you'll of course unlock bigger and stronger missile launchers, but none of them have the same speed and ease of use as the basic day one BML-G1. A pair of these strapped to your back can take you through a large portion of the campaign without any reason to switch things up.
How to get the Missile Launcher:
Ah, that's the beauty of it, you see. The BML-G1 Missile Launcher is unlocked from the very first mission! No progression needed! You're free to give it a whirl from your opening moments as an Armored Core pilot.
That's all seven of the best weapons we've found in Armored Core 6, and how to get your hands on them. To make sure you're well prepared to bring your full arsenal to bear, check out our guides on how to reload in Armored Core 6 and how to save your loadout in Armored Core 6.