Armored Core 6 is not a Souls game but shares some of its DNA. Unsurprisingly, the latest FromSoftware title has put many players to the test with the very first boss. Armored Core 6 begins with the mission ‘Illegal Entry,’ which features the HC Helicopter boss fight towards the end.
The game’s mechanics may feel unfamiliar to most players just getting into the Armored Core series. That makes the HC Helicopter look more challenging than it is. Follow this Armored Core 6 guide to understand better the HC Helicopter and how to beat it.
HC Helicopter – Main Attacks
The HC Helicopter does not have any complicated moveset. In fact, players must mostly look out for the missiles. You will see it coming once you notice the red boxes near the HC Helicopter’s lower part accompanied by a particular sound effect. There are multiple ways to outmaneuver this attack.
One, anticipate them and use quick dodge to get out of the way. Two, quick dodge in opposite directions while floating in the air. Or, you could use the buildings as a cover if you’re near one of those at the right time.
The HC Helicopter has another variant of a missile barrage attack. You’ll see the Helicopter launching waves of missiles from its sides. Keeping an eye on its launchers will help you determine their path. For this, you can again use the quick dodge to get your Armored Core away. In most cases, dodging in the direction of the Helicopter should work just fine.
This attack will require you to use quick dodges consecutively. Take a second to wait until your EN or stamina is full again.
Besides the two missile-based attacks, the HC Helicopter has no dangerous weapons. The Helicopter will constantly strafe around and use its machine gun. These bullets barely conflict any damage to your Armored Core, and with a moderately high health bar with repair kits on the side, they don’t pose much threat. However, moving around on the battlefield is still better to avoid being hit as much as possible.
How to Beat the HC Helicopter in Armored Core 6
Similar to Sekiro, enemies stagger once their impact meter fills up. The way to do that is to maintain continuous assault. Once an enemy is staggered, your Armored Core can deal free damage for a short while. With that said, the HC Helicopter is pretty susceptible to your blade attack.
Arguably, the best way to begin the Helicopter boss fight is to attack it with your blade as soon as it enters the arena. Once that’s done, try to keep up with the Helicopter by staying under it. Keep firing at it to pressurize its impact meter while chipping away its health as well.
Ideally, you’d want to utilize your blade attack heavily in this boss fight. The Helicopter will keep changing positions, so be aware of it. Its impact meter will fill up rather quickly, so keep up the assault and use the blade attack whenever it moves slowly.
FromSoftware has revived the mech games genre with Armored Core 6. After the tutorial boss, you can finally access one of the game’s best aspects: customization. You can revisit this boss fight and tackle new ones with stronger weapons.
