The PCA Heavy Combat Helicopter, or simply the HC Helicopter, is the first boss fight in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon and has proved to be quite the first hurdle for players to get over in FromSoftware’s latest entry in their popular mech franchise. This flying fortress which is the boss found at the very end of the game’s first mission, Illegal Entry, is heavily armored and just as heavily armed and will quickly send would-be pilots to the scrap heap. This guide will tell players how to defeat the HC Helicopter Boss Fight in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon.
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How To Beat The HC Helicopter Boss Fight In Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
Since this is the boss of the very first mission, this battle isn’t about builds or the right weapons since players are forced to use a pre-selected build and a limited collection of weapons. This means players will need to rely on what they have learned in this first mission and truly apply it to overcome the boss The main mechanic that players will need to utilize is the Attitude Control System, or ACS. This is the yellow bar found above both an enemy’s health bar and the player’s health bar. This meter represents how close someone is to becoming staggered, stunning them and leaving them open to Direct Hit Damage, which acts as this game’s Critical Hits and provides massive damage. Players will need to really understand how to fill this meter up in order to take down the HC Helicopter.
This boss utilizes machine guns and multiple types of missiles. The bullets will quickly cut through your ACS meter and working in tandem with the missiles can quickly stagger the player’s AC and can take a fully healed mech to death’s door in a single flurry. The main game plan here is to get close to the HC Helicopter and stay underneath it since it makes the player much more difficult to hit. The boss is quick and will move around, however, so players will need to be able to avoid the boss’s attacks as they attempt to get up close and personal with the enemy.
This boss will force players to learn how to manage their Energy meter as the Quick Boost dodge mechanic and Ascend feature are extremely important here. When the missiles are coming towards you, use the Ascend and Quick Boost mechanics to dodge out of the way of them and use the opening as a chance to get close to the boss. The key to avoiding these attacks is to use the buildings and debris found around the arena as cover as well as using the dodge both on the ground and in the air. While doing this, make sure to be using your ranged weapons, which on a first playthrough will be the RF-024 Turner Rifle in the Right Arm Unit slot and the BML-G1/P20MLT-04 Missile System in the Right Back Unit slot.
This will allow you to keep pressure on the ACS since the bar will start to reset if damage stops being dealt to the boss. Remember that the boss will move quickly and often, so some of the shots will ricochet and not deal damage, so take those moments when the ship is stationary to get a few hits in. Utilize the Targe Assist lock-on feature to help make sure your shots land on the vessel.
When the ship is staying still, this is when you should attempt to get in close by using the Assault Boost. Continue to dodge and shoot as you fly in by focusing on getting under the Helicopter to make it harder to be hit.
Once close to the boss, utilize the Left Arm Unit, which is the HI-32: BU-TT/A pulse blade. While the gun and rockets will do good damage to the ACS, the pulse blade absolutely cuts through the stagger meter quickly. Repeat this process of getting in close and using the pulse blade until the ACS meter is filled and the HC Helicopter is staggered. At this point, dump all of your weapons into the boss and do as much damage as possible. Repeat this process until the boss is defeated.
Once the boss is defeated, players will complete Mission 1: Illegal Entry and receive their official callsign for the rest of the game: Raven. This also unlocks the Illegal Entry Achievement and Trophy and grants access to the Garage where players will be able to customize their AC.
Stay tuned to Gameranx for future news, updates, and guides for Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon.
