Armored Core 6: ACS Anomaly explained

Armored Core 6 has dozens of customization options, all of which suit your AC/mech to excel in different areas. The game does a decent job of walking you through your options, however, some stuff seems sort of left for you to figure out on your own as you progress.

This can mean that players might not know about status effects and other features that could have been helping them out for quite some time now. The ACS Anomaly status effect is particularly easy to miss.

What is ACS Anomaly in Armored Core 6?

ACS Anomaly is perhaps the least common and most unknown status effect in Armored Core 6. Of course, we all know about Impact and Stagger by now, the system that builds up to cause ACs to become unable to act for a moment and take increased damage. Lesser known but still prominent is Electric Discharge, which causes massive damage when this meter is filled. But what about ACS Anomaly?

Many Armored Core 6 players might not even know this is in the game. ACS Anomaly is another meter that builds up, just like Impact and Electric Discharge. When it is full, ACs will become extremely more vulnerable to damage as well as Impact. Think of it like weakening an opponent—lowering their shields.

What causes ACS Anomaly in Armored Core 6?

This is why the effect is so unknown—it is very rare, and you need a keen eye and some deductive reasoning to even learn that it exists and how to cause it. If you look at any weapons stats, you’ll see four small square icons. The first icon will have a bullet of some sort, then a picture of a weapon, then one or multiple bullets, and then, most likely, a blank square.

Related: What is the electric discharge status effect in Armored Core 6?

The fourth square indicates special status effects—Electric Discharge and ACS Anomaly. If a weapon has the Electric Discharge effect, it will have an icon of an AC with its chest highlighted. If the weapon has ACS Anomaly, it will display an icon of an AC with its legs highlighted.

The icon is so easy to miss, it almost seems intentional—especially because pressing Start/V to bring up the Contextual Help Guide won’t actually tell you about these four icons. Rather, you must bring up the License Menu (Triangle/Y/F while not in any other menu) and find Tips at the bottom of the list.

Related: Armored Core 6: What are stagger and impact in AC6?

Here, you will find the tip System Abnormality: ACS Failure towards the bottom, which will describe the condition, but won’t actually tell you that there is an icon associated with it. That part is for you to figure out using Sherlock Holmes reasoning, apparently.

Related: How to beat “Honest” Brute in AC6

As is stated in the description, heat-based weapons are what cause this effect. Namely, fire. That means you can cause an ACS Anomaly using the Bad Cook Flamethrower or a Napalm Launcher. Using these in conjunction with weapons that deal massive damage quickly to exploit the weakened state caused by the ACS Anomaly is actually devastating, and gives a whole new meaning to the flamethrower (which I always thought was super weak).