Armored Core VI Chapter 1 guide: How to beat Balteus for ‘Attack the Watchpoint’

Armored Core VI is out now and while players should expect a FromSoftware game to be difficult, it seems not everyone was prepared for just how tough this would be. If you picked up Armored Core VI at launch, then you’ve probably started your playthrough and may have already encountered one of the toughest bosses in the game. I’m talking about Balteus, the final boss for Chapter 1.

At the end of Chapter 1, you’ll be tasked with eliminating Balteus for the mission “Attack the Watchpoint.” But despite this serving as the finale for Armored Core VI’s prologue, Balteus is considered one of the toughest bosses in the game. And there’s no shortage of people complaining about the difficulty.

Balteus is fast-moving with a strong shield, and continuously rains down hellfire missiles from above. The key to this encounter is knocking out its shields, staggering it, so that it crashes to the ground and you can deal meaningful damage. But how do you do so?

Armored Core VI: How to beat Balteus

Depending on your playstyle, there are multiple approaches to taking on Balteus. A highly recommended loadout is:

• Right Arm: Pulse Gun (great for taking down Balteus’ shield)
• Left Armo: Plasma Blade (good for doling out massive damage when Balteus is staggered on the ground)
• Shoulders/Back weapon: Missile launchers (great for attacking at a distance while on the move)
• Legs: Bipedal
• Booster: Quick boost
• Arms, Core: Prioritize AP

With this build, you’ll want to play aggressively and take down Balteus’ shield as soon as possible. Your goal is to get in close and use your pulse gun to drain Balteus’ shields. Once Balteus is staggered, unload with the rest of your weapons, with the Plasma Blade dealing the most damage.

A few things to note when fighting Balteus:

• At about 40-50% health, Balteus will recharge its shield, resulting in a huge damaging pulse burst. Stay away from this!
• Following the shield recharge, Balteus will pull out flamethrower blades and unleash sweeping attacks. Boost away from these.

Check out the video below for a look at how to defeate Balteus.

I know it may seem impossible, but the more you play and the more you get familiar with Balteus’ attack patterns and animations, the better you’ll get. Stick with it!