Armored Core 6: Best build to defeat the Cleaning Unit in AC6

If you’ve run up against the cleaning unit in your Armored Core 6 playthrough and are having trouble don’t worry, we’re here to help. We’ll walk you through all the parts we used in our AC to overcome this oversized vacuum.

Arms – HML-G2/P19MLT-04 missile launchers

The four-cell handheld missile launcher is the workhorse of the early acts. With solid attack power, recharge, and weight, it makes it an ideal tool for nearly every encounter. When it comes to fighting the cleaner, missiles come especially in handy.

You’ll need to target the cleaner’s smokestack as missiles that successfully fly down it will stagger the boss. This is its Achilles’ heel, so be sure to shoot a bunch of missiles.

Shoulders – BML-G1/PO3VTC-08 missile launchers

These eight-pack missile launches fire vertically, i.e. straight up into the air and then down onto the target. It’s perfect for targets that have shields or thick armor up front. In this case, these launchers are perfect for hitting the cleaner’s weakspot—the smokestack.

Head – HD-012 Melander C3

Melander parts are fantastic for medium-weight builds, providing solid protection without the weight. We’ll be tooling this build to be slightly lighter on its feet so we won’t be using all Melander parts.

Core – BD-012 Melander C3

Okay, so yes, this is another Melander part but it’s a special lightweight one. We’ll do something different with the arms, promise. Lighter weight will equal better mobility but we don’t want to sacrifice all of our protection in case one of the cleaner’s massive arms happens to connect.

Arms – AC-2000 Tool Arm

As promised, a non-Melander part. The AC-2000 tool arms were originally designed for recovering scrap, not reducing ACs into scrap but they’ve since been repurposed. The purpose here for our build is the light energy footprint, we don’t want to waste precious energy in a fight where we’ll be using our dodge and boost quite a bit.

Legs – LG-012 Melander C3

There are two versions of these legs, choose the lighter-weight ones. While they offer less protection, they’ll keep our weight low and give us the mobility we’ll need. Even a thousand pounds less or more can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Boosters – ALULA/21E

Though these are technically for a lightweight build, we’re going to put them on this light/medium build. We like the mobility you get from these and found it helpful in this fight to execute tight turns and dodges. When the Cleaning Unit is charging at you, you’ll want to get out of the way quite quickly.

FCS – FCS-G2/P05

Given this arena is a little tight—you’re basically in a garage—we favor the medium-range assist that comes with the FCS-G2/P05 fire control system. Given the tight space, you can’t actually get that far away from the unit, meaning it’s not a good fit to go long-range.

Generator – DF-GN-06 Ming-Tang

Choosing the right generator can be tricky as they’re typically one of the heaviest parts for your AC. We like the Ming-Tang for its balanced performance without adding a ton of weight to our builds.

Expansion – Pulse Armor

We’re pretty big fans of the pulse armor, given you can choose when to activate it. Once you flip the switch a bubble of protection will form around you and stick with you as move. This is especially helpful as you’ll have just enough time to turn it on if you know you’re about to get nailed by one of the cleaner’s heavy attacks.

With this setup, we like your chances of turning the cleaner into scrap metal.