Armored Core 6: How to Beat Balteus

Learning how to beat Balteus in Armored Core 6 can be a headache for many players. It will immediately serve as the toughest boss thus far when you first encounter it. Overcoming this fight requires precise positioning and the right arsenal.

Recommended Build Against Balteus

Balteus has a Pulse Shield, which can be destroyed efficiently by Pulse Weapons such as Pulse Guns and Pulse Blades. Thankfully, those are already available to you prior to the “Attack the Watchpoint” mission: the one where you fight Balteus at the end.

The Pulse Gun and the Pulse Blade available to you during this fight are the HI-16: GU-Q1 and the HI-32: BU-TT/A, respectively. You can purchase the HI-16 GU-Q1 from the Parts Shop for 90,000 COAM. The Pulse Blade is your default L-Arm Unit at the beginning of the game.

As for the Back Units, equip the BMG-G1/P03VTC-08 and the VP-60LCS. The former is a Vertical Missile Launcher and the other is a Laser Cannon. Your R-Arm Unit, the HI-16 GU-Q1, can overheat fairly quickly and the Pulse Blade has a short cooldown after each use. Use your Back Units while your Arm Units are cooling down to maintain damage output.

Feel free to play around with whichever Frame and Inner parts you want to equip. Just be sure they can carry the Load and EN Load of your weapons. You’ll want to be fast enough while having enough AP to endure Balteus’s attacks.

The Specific Build Assembly We Tested

However, if you want a suggestion as to what to exactly equip all around, follow the list below and you’ll have a build that’s fast enough to keep up with Balteus without being too fragile.

• R-Arm Unit – HI-16: GU-Q1
• L-Arm Unit – HI-32: BU-TT/A
• R-Back Unit – VP-60LCS
• L-Back Unit – BML-G1/P03VTC-08
• Head – HD-012 MELANDER C3
• Core – BD-011 MELANDER
• Arms – AC-2000 TOOL ARM
• Legs – DF-LG-08 TIAN-QIANG
• Booster – BST-G2/P06SPD
• FCS – FC-006 ABBOT
• Generator – VP-20C

This build has enough AP to take many of Balteus’s attacks without the AP getting to zero while also being fast enough to keep with it. Most importantly, it can sufficiently carry your weapons.

Best Strategy to Beat Balteus

The Pulse Gun on your right hand works best when it is fired at close range. On a similar note, the best way to beat Balteus is to get very close to it. You can also land your blade attacks more accurately if you’re able to maintain a short distance from the boss. Furthermore, getting underneath Balteus can let you avoid a lot of its missiles.

With that in mind, become familiar with Balteus’s attacks. Learn how to dodge them, when to close in, and when to counterattack.

The Balteus fight has a total of three phases. It has an attack that appears in every phase while some only happen during certain phases. In some instances, Balteus will fire basic weapons at you such as its Bazooka, Shotgun, and Gatling Gun. You can avoid these by Quick Boosting left or right—away from the front of Balteus.

Balteus’s Attacks

However, there are certain attacks that you specifically need to watch out for. These are Balteus’ deadliest attacks.

• Tri-Directional Missiles – Balteus fires three salvos of missiles. One from each side of its rings and one from above. During this attack, boost towards Balteus while slightly moving to its left. As soon as you’re close to it, hit it with your Pulse Blade and Pulse Guns. You may still get hit by the missiles, but as long as you move fast, most of them will miss you.

Tip

Alternatively, if you can close the distance quickly enough, getting underneath Balteus before it launches its missiles can let you avoid most—if not all—of these pesky projectiles.

• Scattered Missiles – Balteus first launches the missiles on its sides. It then follows up by firing another salvo of missiles from its horizontal rings. During this attack, Balteus fires more missiles, but they are more scattered. Assault Boost to Balteus from an elevated position when it does this attack to evade it.
• Pulse Explosion – Balteus does this attack when the second phase of the fight begins. This happens when its health drops to 50%. When Ayre says, “The waves are intensifying!”, this means Balteus is about to perform a Pulse Explosion. Move away from it as soon as possible to avoid getting hit. You can continue to attack Balteus from afar with your Pulse Gun and Back weapons during the retreat.
• Melee Attacks – Arguably Balteus’s deadliest set of attacks, it will begin to slash its flaming blade at you starting from its second phase. It’s best to Quick-Boost to Balteus’s back as fast as you can or jump into the air and hover above him when it does. Balteus will only dash towards you when it is about to perform a melee attack. With that in mind, as soon as it gets close to you, dodge to its back or jump above your foe.

Note

The moment Balteus starts performing melee attacks, it will continue to do so even more than it does its ranged attacks. Be prepared to dodge a series of melee attacks from then on.

• Flamethrower – Once Balteus’s health drops to about 25%, it will use its Flamethrower. It will get close to you and shoot its flamethrower at a sweeping angle. When it does this, jump over Balteus and attack it from above.

Keep all of that in mind and always prioritize getting close to Balteus. Always fire your weapons at it from close range and watch its Pulse Shield falter and its AP drain. Keep at it and you’ll defeat this unrelenting machine.

Balteus isn’t easy to beat, but when you do, you’ll have officially cleared the first chapter of the game. There are tougher bosses along the road, but if you’ve managed to beat Balteus, you’ll beat those as well.

Once you make it to the later parts of the game and acquire better weapons and gear, try replaying this mission and see if you can’t defeat Balteus faster with the same strategy but stronger weapons. You may even end up receiving the S-Rank rating for this mission!