The Best Weapons In Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon

Summary

• Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon challenges the Soulsborne formula by focusing on mech customization and strategy against bosses.
• The Pile Bunker is the best melee weapon, dealing high impact damage and staggering bosses with its fast charge attack.
• The Laser Handgun is a top choice for dual-wield builds, with high rate of fire, impact damage, range, and accuracy.

It’s rare for a studio that effectively pioneered a genre to, just over a decade later, buck the trends of that genre entirely in their latest release. Leave it to FromSoftware to not only take that approach but blow it out of the water with Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon. While there are unmistakable elements of the studio’s legendary Soulsborne franchises that have worked their way into their new mech-action game, the bones and guts of this release are entirely their own beast.

The game’s challenging bosses are where Armored Core 6: Fire Of Rubicon most obviously goes against the Soulsborne formula. In a Souls game, players would need to learn a boss’ moveset to spot dodge windows. In Armored Core 6, they must also learn how to customize their mech (or Armored Core) to suit the opponent they’re facing. The game’s customization features over 100 AC pieces, all of which have perks and detriments. One of the most crucial AC pieces players will choose from is their weapons. Here are the very best weapons the game has to offer.

Updated on March 8th, 2025, by Evan Regan: Now that Armored Core 6 has been out for almost two years, the game’s community has established—more or less—the meta for the most reliable AC builds. However, the beauty of this game (as with all FromSoftware games, really) is that virtually every weapon is viable so long as the player using it likes the way it feels. However, some weapons are more reliable than others, and after the buffs and nerfs that came in Patch 1.02, this list has been updated to feature a more complete collection of the best weapons in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon.

13

WB-0010 DOUBLE TROUBLE (Chainsaw)

It’s A Classic For A Reason

The fact that chainsaws have persisted into the future depicted in Armored Core 6 says a lot about how consistent these tools are. Officially an old demolition tool that was repurposed into an AC weapon, the DOUBLE TROUBLE Chainsaw has a lot of bite to go with a relative lack of bark. It may be unassuming, but that’s part of what makes it dangerous.

While charging this weapon’s attack, the player’s AC will hold it out in front of them, and any enemy it comes into contact with will sustain continuous damage. As a further bonus, any bullets that impact an AC that is charging this weapon’s attack will have their damage reduced (although their impact damage will remain the same). If the player is staggered while charging their Chainsaw, they can resume the charge as soon as they recover. It’s a versatile and very beginner-friendly weapon, and while it isn’t spectacular, it can certainly get the job done.

12

PB-033M ASHMEAD (Pile Bunker)

There’s Nothing Like A Close-Range Beatdown

For the melee weapon ACs out there, the choices available are all solid in terms of effectiveness. Some deal more damage or stagger than others, but overall, if a player wants to have a melee weapon in their left hand, any option will do.

However, if they want the best, that weapon is the Pile Bunker. This gauntlet has excellent impact damage and can stagger most bosses with a single hit if they’ve been softened up a little. Once staggered, the Pile Bunker’s extremely fast charge attack can wipe out a good chunk of health while still leaving time to fire off a few other weapons before the enemy gets back up (if they get back up).

11

DF-GR-07 Gou-Chen (Grenade Launcher)

Here Comes The Boom

The Gou-Chen becomes available fairly early in the game, and players will find that it’s one of the more effective ranged weapons for staggering tougher enemies. Its rate of fire is startlingly quick and meshes very nicely with its equally surprising accuracy. Even if the initial shot misses, the resulting explosion should still deal damage.

The Gou-Chen truly excels when combined with a set of Tetrapod legs like the VP-424s. The ability to hover in the air for long periods and rain down fire from the Gou-Chen is truly special, and a few of the game’s bosses, such as the Smart Cleaner in Chapter 2, aren’t equipped to handle it.

10

VP-66LH (Laser Handgun)

Trigger Happy

Not every player will be able to make full use of the Laser Handgun, but for anyone who is playing a dual-wield build, there aren’t any better Handguns options available. One of these bad boys in each hand of an AC allows for a relatively lightweight build that still deals crazy damage and rapidly builds up stagger.

The Laser Handguns have a charge shot available, but players won’t make much use of it. Their rate of fire is already so high that hampering it by charging up a shot is actually a detriment. Add to that their fantastic impact damage and excellent range and accuracy, and these handguns are nothing to scoff at. Just be ready for the muscles in that left trigger finger to get a bit of a workout during boss fights.

9

IA-C01W6: NB-REDSHIFT (Coral Rifle)

Hard To Get But Worth Every Effort

This weapon can’t even be unlocked until players reach NG++ and complete the late-game Arena battles, and for that much effort, it’s no wonder this is one of the game’s stronger weapons. Powered by Coral energy, this rifle is the best of both worlds for range and damage, which makes it hard to beat.

The NB-REDSHIFT operates on two levels. First off, it acts as a plasma rifle that fires long-range shots with solid impact damage. What elevates this weapon above its peers is that those shots then branch out on impact, causing a series of chain explosions that deal Coral damage. The number of explosions can be increased by charging the shot ahead of time. While it’s not the best against fast-moving bosses, when dealing with groups of enemies—especially when they’re clumped together—there are few better weapons for taking out multiple targets with a single shot.

8

VP-60LCS (Laser Cannon)

What Futuristic Battle Mech Is Complete Without A Massive Laser Cannon (Or Three)?

One of the earliest high-powered shoulder weapons players will gain access to in Armored Core 6, the Laser Cannon fires a deadly-accurate beam of energy at its target. It has fantastic range, is accurate against all but the quickest enemies, and will deal a ton of damage when it connects.

The best part about this weapon is that, much like its handheld laser counterparts, it doesn’t need to reload. While it doesn’t have a noticeably quick rate of fire, players need not wait for their Laser Cannon to cool down before firing again. It’s not always advantageous to do so, but this weapon will fire as frequently as its user desires, making it one of the quickest shoulder weapons in the game.

7

VP-67EB (Stun Baton)

Only Useful In Boss Battles, But It’s Very Useful In Boss Battles

The Stun Baton is not the best melee weapon in Armored Core 6. In fact, in most builds and in most fights, it’s not very useful at all. There is exactly one reason why this weapon ranks so high on this list: it absolutely demolishes the game’s bosses.

The Stun Baton does this by allowing players to essentially stun lock any boss that has the misfortune of being struck with it. Its attacks recharge quickly and deal an absurd amount of stagger buildup that all but guarantees staggering even the freshest bosses. As YouTuber Oyff discovered, even Armored Core 6‘s hardest boss is reduced to a meme by this weapon.

6

LR-036 CURTIS (Linear Rifle)

Keep Things Straightforward

These rifles are pretty build-specific, but on the right setup, they’re devastating. The CURTIS Linear Rifle boasts an almost unfathomably strong charged shot that, when it connects, deals massive impact damage to almost any enemy in the game. The added bonus is that, for whatever reason, many of the bosses in Armored Core 6 have trouble evading these charged shots, making them that much more effective.

The tricky part is that, without the right AC body, these charged shots will also slow players’ movement to a crawl. Tank treads or tetrapod legs are the way to go here, but if players couple those with dual Linear Rifles, most bosses will crumble in the face of these guns.

5

DF-GA-08 Hu-Ben (Gatling Gun)

Spray And Pray Without The Religion

One of the most difficult (and often frustrating) aspects of Armored Core 6‘s boss fights is that the enemy often moves so quickly that maintaining stagger buildup becomes exceedingly difficult. If the enemy dashes too far away, by the time players get in close enough to start firing again, the boss’ stagger meter has recovered. Enter: the Hu-Ben Gatling Gun.

Despite being a ballistic weapon, the Gatling Gun doesn’t have a magazine, so reloading is never an issue. Players can just hold down the trigger and fire away; their only concern is the weapon overheating. This steady application of ballistic fire can stagger bosses all by itself, and if they’re already staggered, the Gatling Gun does excellent damage. Players who dual-wield these bad boys will only amplify these effects.

4

MA-J-200 RANSETSU-RF (Burst Rifle)

MIghty Fine Work For A Starter Weapon

At launch, the variety of default weapons in Armored Core 6 were nothing spectacular. Then, along came Patch 1.02, which nerfed some weapons and buffed others. One of those buffs went to the RANSETSU-RF Burst Rifle, and everything changed. One of the weapons that players could buy right from the game’s first mission became one of the most consistently reliable weapons in its extensive arsenal.

The RANSETSU-RF is not particularly effective at long range, but at close to medium range, it builds up stagger at an absurd rate. This is consistent across enemy types and AC builds. They require a strong shoulder weapon to take advantage of once the stagger build-up takes effect, but there are few weapons in the game more reliable than the RANSETSU-RF for consistent impact damage output.

3

SONGBIRDS (Grenade Cannon)

The Most Satisfying Close-Range Explosions

As far as explosive weapons go, there is no better option than the shoulder-mounted SONGBIRDS. This double-barrelled Grenade Cannon may have a painfully slow reload speed, but it more than makes up for it in pure, unrestricted damage.

The SONGBIRDS’ two barrels fire simultaneously, essentially making it a two-for-one version of the Gou-Chen. However, the explosive radius of each grenade is much larger, as is the stagger potential. If a player can get their AC in close and fire off the SONGBIRDS right in the enemy’s face, they’ll be hard-pressed to find a more efficient way to deal large amounts of damage.

2

SG-027 ZIMMERMAN (Shotgun)

The Ultimate Close-Range Weapon, Now With Long-Range Capabilities

There is pretty much one ubiquitous detail about shotguns that remains consistent throughout any video game that features them: they are a close-range weapon. Well, players should forget what they know because Armored Core 6 doesn’t play by the rules. The ZIMMERMAN is a long-range shotgun, and it’s as unfair as it sounds.

The addition of “range” to this shotgun’s toolkit makes it a stagger machine. No enemy is safe from its blast, which means it’s virtually effortless to melt through their defenses. The damage it can deal once those defenses are gone is equally impressive. The only downside to the ZIMMERMAN is its slow rate of fire, but a player who dual-wields these shotguns and has a good understanding of positioning won’t find a more powerful handheld weapon anywhere in the game. Even after their post-launch nerf, these are still some of the strongest weapons in the game. They just aren’t outright broken anymore.

1

VE-60SNA (Stun Needle Launcher)

The Best Things In Life Are Free

The strongest weapon in Armored Core 6 is also the only weapon on this list that is gifted to the player. During the final battle of Chapter 3, on a mission called “Destroy the Ice Worm,” players will be granted the Stun Needle Launcher to, believe it or not, destroy an Ice Worm.

While players will automatically have access to the Stun Needle Launcher for their right shoulder following that mission, they can purchase a left-shoulder version immediately afterward. Doubling up on this weapon is the most consistent way to stagger or damage bosses. It fires quickly, is deadly accurate, and reloads in no time. It’s essential for certain fights in the game’s later chapters and is equally a must-have in PVP. It is, simply put, the best weapon in Armored Core 6.