Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is a game all about building a giant robot that can wreak havoc across the battlefield. If you’re new to the series, it may seem very overwhelming with all the different kinds of parts you can build your mech with.
You may start wondering what the deal is with some Armored Core 6 mechs having four legs, or instead the torso is stuck on top of a gigantic set of tank treads. Are there strengths to doing this? Yes, there are some huge differences to giving your mech four legs instead of just two. By the time the release date rolls around, you’ve got to grips with the story and characters, the only thing left to do will be dive in and build the strongest mech possible.
Bipedal
Bipedal legs are the most diverse class of leg in Armored Core games, and Fires of Rubicon is no different. They come in lightweight, midweight, and heavyweight variations. Bipedal types are the most common class for beginners as they are the easiest to get the hang of and build around. Bipedal legs will be able to fire back-mounted cannons, but at the cost of high recoil and low accuracy while on the move.
Lightweight bipedal legs will also have a huge advantage of being able to be some of the fastest and lightest mechs in the game, but at the cost of much lower defensive statistics and incredibly restrictive load limits.
Middleweight bipedal legs will be the strongest all-rounder, offering a good mix of armor points, defense, and load limits while still maintaining decent mobility.
Heavyweight biped builds will be much slower in terms of mobility, but will make up for it with higher defenses and the ability to equip extremely heavy loads.
Bipedal builds will likely be the most beginner-friendly of the bunch offering players the strongest flexibility while maintaining tons of versatility. Heavier bipedal legs will also offer stronger kick attack potential due to the sheer weight.
Reverse-Joint Bipedal
While reverse-jointed bipedal legs may just seem like a visual change with the knees going in the other direction, it’s much more than that. Reverse-jointed legs have the advantage of being built for more maneuverable mechs, primarily for either super high jumps or more sustained flight than a typical biped is. Reverse-joint legs will also be available in both light and heavy variations, with heavyweight types being able to handle higher loads and having stronger kick attack potential.
Players looking for a highly niche build such as a sniper or flanking type build will want to look at lightweight reverse-joint legs for their part choices. Heavyweight types will excel still at a long-range flanking role, but at the cost of speed and jump height instead opting for more equipment loads and a tighter turning radius than typical bipeds.
Tetrapod
Tetrapods, or “Quads” as referred to by some players, are radically changing in Armored Core 6. In previous games, tetrapod legs let players fire shoulder-mounted cannons without needing to stop moving and kneel down. But now in Armored Core 6, that’s baked into all leg classes, so tetrapods need new features to stand out.
In Armored Core 6 tetrapod legs have the ability to hover in midair for an indefinite amount of time and can sustain flight longer than all other leg classes. To activate the hover mode, just tap the jump button once in midair. Tap the button again to deactivate hover mode or switch to Assault Boost for a quick getaway. Tetrapod legs will also have higher recoil absorption than all bipedal types when using larger back-mounted weapons.
Tread
Tread legs have a unique feature – not only do they have the most recoil absorption of any other leg class, they offer tons of armor and massive load limits. Another new feature is built into Assault Boost, where you can spend huge amounts of energy to gain lots of speed forward.
If your mech is a tread leg type, using Assault Boost also has you cause damage if you ram into an enemy. This can also cause tons of stagger damage against smaller enemies and anything that isn’t a boss, so playing super aggressive and up-close is now something encouraged with tread types rather than standing far back and hoping you have enough ammo to kill the enemy before they close the gap.
Now that you’ve decided on the best leg type for your mech build, you might want to make sure the Armored Core 6 system requirements match up to your setup, so you can take on enemies in their hordes.