Armored Core 6’s Balteus fight is its true first skill check

There are millions of dollars worth of Elden Ring players faced a humbling experience last year on their journey to Stormveil Castle, where they met Margit, the Fell Omen, one of the game’s first bosses and an early test of skill. Margit can be a challenge for Tarnished, who is relatively new in the Lands Between.

Fires of Rubicon: Armored Core 6.Players will suffer a similar beating when facing the machine AA 07 Balteus. It is perhaps the best. It is a good idea to use a different language. first boss of FromSoft’s new mech game. Balteus is different. Previous bosses include the tutorial style AH12 HC Helicopter which is easily defeated by a few strikes and staggers from the starter blade, and HAT-102 Juggernaut which has a computer controlled ally with very clear instructions.

Balteus is a surprise to face. It’s got a shield that regenerates, no protection, and it shoots 10,000,000 homing rockets per second. When it’s not raining rockets on you, Balteus is pulling out a massive flame sword and batting your AC like a pesky fly.

FromSoftware/Bandai Namco Image via Polygon

Margit the Fell Omen could be the ultimate test to see if you can handle the pressure. Elden Ring players, You can also find out more about the following:re’s no Sorcerer Rogier or Spirit Summon that can aid AC pilots in the battle of Balteus. Nor can players take a quick detour over to Murkwater Cave to acquire Margit’s Shackle. Balteus is sink or swim, and it’s theThe moment when players have to learn Armored Core 6,’s omnidirectional movement, how to best take advantage of staggered opponents, and how to optimize their mechs assembly.

The bad news is you must learn how to use all of Armored Core’s toolkit. The good news is that once you’ve learned what Balteus has to teach, you’ll be prepared for everything to come. From here, it (mostly), gets better.

Balteus, as you may know, can be defeated. To defeat it, you must learn to recognize its patterns of attack. It requires aggressive tactics — despite your best instincts, one of the best ways to break its shield or Attitude Stability is to fly right at it: absorb some of that missile fire, kick Balteus in the face, and blast it with a shotgun at point-blank range.

Players don’t have the option to grind XP and overlevel their way into becoming more powerful than Balteus. You can practice missions, earn cash by replaying them, or invest in AC weapons and parts. Most importantly, don’t “overheat” yourself; give yourself some rest. Don’t do what I did: fruitlessly engage in three hours of failed Balteus attempts in an attempt to hit a review deadline.

Yes, Balteus is a “skill check.” A gatekeeper. This is one of the half dozen difficulty spikes. Armored Core 6,. You can do it. And after having honed your skills, upgraded your AC, and faced greater challenges on Rubicon, you should return to Balteus and battle it again — you’ll find it’s not the impenetrable steel wall it once seemed.