Armored Core 6: How to beat the Balteus ‘Attack the Watchpoint’ boss
Chapter 1’s capstone boss is one of the toughest you’ll face early on in Armored Core 6.
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While there are a few tough fights in the first chapter ofArmored Core 6, all of them pale in comparison to its capstone boss. The fearsome PCA “Balteus” craft will fly in to intercept you right after you meet Ayre, and while shedoesgive you some helpful tips to defeat it, it’s still largely a battle that the game expects you to figure out and win by yourself.
The Balteus is extremely deadly, and will kill you very quickly if you’re not careful or are struggling to adapt to its capabilities. Don’t worry if you’re having a hard time battling it, though — we’re here to help with some crucial information, tips, and tricks. These include build and loadout suggestions for your Armored Core, a full overview of the Balteus' attacks, details on how the fight changes as it progresses, and more.
Armored Core 6 Balteus: Best build, weapons, and loadout
The Balteus isn’t a particularly fast enemy, meaning that it’s pretty easy to hit with most weapons. However, it’s also incredibly tough-armored between its pulse shield and its large health pool. In terms of its offensive capabilities, it’ll be attacking with hundreds of missiles throughout the fight, along with cannon blasts, shotgun-like bursts, and ferocious flaming melee attacks.
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With these conditions in mind,we found that it was best to use a fast and lightweight Armored Core optimized for lots of evasive maneuvering with evasive dashes and Assault Boosts. In terms of your weapons, there are two approaches that will work well here. If you’d prefer to be more aggressive,pair a well-rounded rifle with an energy blade melee weapon. Alternatively,you can trade the energy blade for a bazooka if you’d rather not get too close. Opting for melee will give you better overall damage, while the bazooka is a safer option. Regardless of which hand weapons you’re using,we definitely recommend using missile launchers on your shoulderssince they’ll be able to consistently hit the Balteus and contribute lots of damage.
Since the Balteus has a pulse shield,using a pulse weapon to disable it quickly is also a good option. However, the issue with these is that they have extremely low ammo reserves, so if you’re struggling to deal lots of damage with your other weapons each time the shield goes down, your pulse weapon won’t last as long as a regular one. Itcanwork, but in our experience, using a rifle-type weapon is easier since they’ve got plenty of ammo, while also still doing damage that’s good enough to wear down the Balteus' shield reasonably fast.
For your Armored Core’s Expansion,we found Pulse Armor to be the best option. It provides you with a powerful on-demand energy shield that can be used a few times throughout the fight if you need one. A good offensive alternative would be Assault Armor, which you can use to damage the Balteus up close with an energy blast while simultaneously vaporizing incoming projectiles.
Armored Core 6: How to beat the Balteus
The Balteus is quite a difficult boss, but with the right approach and strategy, you’ll emerge victorious from this thrilling battle. Here’s what you need to know.
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Hammer the Balteus with your weapons constantly while continuing to evade its missiles and melee attacks, and you’ll eventually come out on top. This boss is pretty difficult, so don’t feel discouraged if you keep dying; every death is a learning opportunity, and once you’ve got a good grasp of the fight’s pace, you’ll have a much easier time beating it.
When the Balteus falls, you should celebrate, for not only will you have defeated one of Armored Core 6’s toughest early bosses, but you’ll also have finished the game’s opening chapter. There are many challenging encounters ahead, of course, but you can charge forth with the knowledge that you have what it takes to overcome them.
Armored Core 6 is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PS5, and PS4. It’s one of thebest Xbox gamesandbest PC gamesof 2023, and we can’t recommend it enough.
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Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).
