Armored Core 6: How to beat chapter one boss BALTEUS in AC6

If you’ve met the PCA SP autonomous craft BALTEUS in Armored Core 6, odds are good: you’ve been blown up, barbecued, shocked, and generally stomped on.

It took us a minute to figure out all of these crafty tricks, but our blood, sweat, and tears paid off. And it’s all for you, dear reader. Here’s how to knock out this meddlesome mech.

Best BALTEUS build in AC6

There are many effective BALTEUS builds that focus on different aspects, but this build specializes in speed and evasion while also being able to attack from afar using the Laser Cannons when needed. When charging in to avoid BALTEUS’s barrage, use the sword to get high damage in. Every other time focus on evasion.

How to beat Balteus in AC6

Before getting into this fight with Balteus, ensure your build is set up just right. You want to aim for about 11,000 health, so a medium build focusing on mobility is the way to go. We found the Tetrapod legs very useful as they let you easily hover and dodge incoming missiles.

You’ll also need to close large distances to attack, so focus on faster recharging—if you’re too slow in this fight, you’ll be headed for the scrap heap.

Weapons-wise, you’ll need to pack the Disruptor Cannon to break down Balteus’ bubble shield. On your other arm, we recommend the Plasma Sword; it not only deals out decent damage but also locks on and seeks enemy targets if you’re close enough.

For your shoulders, we packed the Eight-pack Verticle Missile Launchers. Choose a chip that gives you better medium to close-range tracking to ensure your missile locks are quick enough.

Attack phase one: Missiles. Lots of missiles

How to dodge Balteus’ missiles

Balteus opens with a massive barrage of red missiles. A direct hit from this salvo will nuke half your health bar, so avoid it at all costs. Hit your boosters, charge right at it, then dodge left or right. This should keep you from getting caught in the curtain of projectiles and allow you to attack. Going up into the air is an excellent way to dodge Balteus’ missiles. A direct hit in the air will do less damage than getting caught by the full salvo on the ground.

Counter-Attack

Start blasting away with the disruptor cannons and fire your missiles. Feel free to throw in a few sword slashes if you’re close enough. The entire objective of phase one is to take its shields down. Otherwise, he’s invulnerable to attack. Once the security is broken, it staggers. Hit it with your sword for massive direct damage, and then open up with your projectiles.

Keep an eye out because Balteus will go vertical; this is a sign it’s about to fire its heavy cannon. It will stagger you most of the time and leave you open to the missiles. Dodging this is crucial as it can quickly wear you down with just two to three hits throughout this phase. It’ll take some practice, but once your dodge timing is down, its cannon shouldn’t be an issue.

Once its shields are down, launch your flurry of missiles. Keep an eye on its health bar as it lowers. When it reaches around 50 percent health, Balteus will unleash a massive energy pulse that does decent damage. You’ll see it charging up, giving you a few seconds to dodge backward. Ayre will also warn you to get out of the way. Get clear of the blast zone and get ready for Phase II.

Phase two: Through the fire and the flames

When you’ve removed more than half of Balteus’ health, it shifts into fire-based attacks. It’ll charge straight at you with jets of flame shooting out of its sides. It can also drop a massive napalm bomb. It’ll hit its jets and zoom high above the battlefield—this is your cue to dodge back or up, fast. The bomb covers a considerable portion of the arena in flames, and you want nowhere near it.

In this phase, it also uses a flame slash and a shotgun, so you’ll want to keep to a medium distance.

Time your attacks when Balteus is cooling down and plug away at its health bar.

Down for the count: Defeating Balteus

It won’t be easy, but you can send Balteus to the mech graveyard with many dodging and well-timed attacks. Don’t be surprised if you don’t have any repair kits left and are low on health; we finished this fight with about 3,200 hp left. [Editor’s note: This thing walled me for three solid hours during my review.]

Related: Armored Core 6: Best build to beat Chapter Two boss SEA SPIDER in AC6

Pat yourself on the back because even with a guide, this is a tough fight that tests your mech piloting skills. Check out our other guides for more tips and tricks while you navigate the Rubicon.