When you take on the Strider boss in Armored Core 6 in the mission “Destroy the Weaponized Mining Ship,” the main threat comes from the Eye laser. The difficulty of this mission depends on which loadout you take. Unfortunately, you still don’t have many parts options at this point, so you’ll have to deal with a suboptimal build.
Armored Core 6 Strider boss recommended loadout
When you’re taking on the Strider boss and its Eye laser in Armored Core 6, speed is more important than firepower. You want to be able to hit the generators quickly and close in to attack the Eye as it’s cooling down between shots.
As stated above, you don’t have the catalog or the cash to put together an ideal build at this point, so you’ll have to do the best you can:
- Arms, Head, Core: Anything
- Legs: Nachtreiher
- Left and Right Hand Weapon: MG-014 Ludlow
- Left and Right Back Unit: BML-G1
The Nachtreiher reverse joint legs jump higher and farther than the standard bipedal set you’ve likely been using up to this point. Since this level has a lot of platforming, that extra jump height helps make your boosters stretch further.
You won’t face any ACs in this mission, and the generators and the Eye are relatively weak, so you don’t need to bring the big guns. The tricky part is getting in range to hit them.
Armored Core 6 How to beat Strider boss
This is one of a few levels in Armored Core 6 that’s dedicated to beating a single boss. The fight comes in three phases:
- Destroying the leg
- Taking out the generators
- Eliminating the Eye laser
Destroying the leg
You’ll need to accelerate toward the Strider quickly when the level begins. The Eye laser will start firing on you as you close in, so be ready to dodge it. Luckily, a lengthy charge-up choreographs when a blast is coming.
You must get close enough to the Strider to hit its leg. This part is self-explanatory; the only risk to you right now is the Eye. Just keep the bulk of the Strider between your AC and the laser, and you’ll be fine.
Taking out the generators
Once you immobilize the Strider, you must climb onto its back. There are numerous turrets along the way, and you can either eliminate them or dodge past them. As you approach the second segment of the Strider, the rebels will eject the damaged module, and you’ll need to jump over, lest you be left behind.
Once you cross over, four generators will be highlighted, and you’ll need to destroy each to bring down the shield protecting the eye. Once again, the hard part is keeping the bulk of the Strider between your AC and the Eye so it can’t damage you.
Fortunately, the generators are weak. The top one is the easiest to take out; then, you can hit both sides by briefly hovering in the air and hitting them from the side with missiles. The bottom generator is the hardest to remove since you’ll need to navigate to the underside of the Strider. However, as long as you’re conservative with boosting, you should be able to easily land on the platform on the ship’s belly and destroy the final generator.
Destroy the Eye boss
The Eye is the boss fight within a boss fight for this level. The giant laser has been your bane up to this point, and it’s finally vulnerable. So, how do you damage it without getting vaporized?
Start making your way toward the Eye and duck behind cover each time it fires. As you get closer, you’ll run out of cover and end up in the open. You’ll be highly vulnerable, but if you time it right, you can quickly Assault Boost into the upper right or level corner of the Eye. If you do this just right, you can unleash a fury of attacks while the laser is firing and not be hit.
Despite its high damage output, without the shield, the Eye is extremely vulnerable. Once you close to point-blank range and hit it with an alpha strike, it should go down very quickly.
Armored Core 6 Strider boss FAQ
A: Focus on speed rather than firepower when taking on the Strider boss and its Eye laser. In particular the Nachtreiher legs have a great jump rating that helps in this mission.
A: The main threat when fighting the Strider boss is the Eye laser. It has a lengthy charge-up, indicating when it’s about to fire, so you’ll need to be agile and prepared to dodge its blasts. As you progress through the level, always keep the bulk of the Strider between your AC and the laser to avoid taking damage.
A: Approach the Eye while using cover to protect yourself from its shots. When you get close and run out of cover, use the Assault Boost to move swiftly into the upper right or level corner of the Eye. If timed correctly, you can unleash a series of attacks on the Eye as it’s firing without getting hit. The Eye is highly vulnerable without its shield, so once you’re at point-blank range, it should be quickly defeated with an alpha strike.
