It has been a while since the previous Armored Core game, and FromSoftware has become much more famous for the studio's Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring. Naturally, there are many new Armored Core players coming to this series for the first time. While it may be easy to assume that Armored Core will borrow the gameplay style and mechanics of FromSoft's other games like Dark Souls, that couldn't be further from the truth. Armored Core is a mech game that excels at combat and has unparalleled mech customization. However, it does share one big similarity to the Souls series.
In true FromSoftware fashion, there are several difficult bosses in Armored Core VI. It is clear that FromSoftware borrowed some inspiration for bosses from the Souls series because Armored Core VI features some bosses that are massive with long-reaching attacks. One of the first imposing boss fights is the EC-0840 Smart Cleaner in the first mission of Chapter 2. It is a massive machine that has a magma-spewing stack on its back and giant chainsaw-like arms. Plus, this mission immediately follows another major mission in the game that ends with a slightly more challenging boss fight. Fortunately, the Smart Cleaner has a few key weaknesses that a good AC build can take advantage of.
What is the Best Build for the Smart Cleaner?
Unit:
- R-Arm: VP-66LS
- L-Arm: DF-GR-07 GOU-CHEN
- R-Back: BML-G3/P04ACT-01
- L-Back: BML-G1/P03VTC-09
This weapon build for your Armored Core focuses on making a mech that deals massive amounts of damage with heavy ammunition and helps to increase the Smart Cleaner's Impact meter. The VP-66LS (Laser Shotgun) is great for helping to build and break the Cleaner's Impact meter and stagger it. Naturally, the DF-GR-07 (Canon) is great for doing massive amounts of damage, and it can also contribute a lot to staggering the Cleaner. The two shoulder missile launchers work to deal damage and keep the Impact meter from depleting between attacks. For this boss, the weapons are a bit more flexible to preference than others, especially when it comes to the shoulder weapons. However, melee weaponry isn't super effective against the Cleaner, and heavier weaponry does help. In addition, the Laser Shotgun has a small ammo count, so it is important to monitor ammo supplies and avoid wasting shots if possible.
Frame and Inner:
- Head: HD-011 MELANDER
- Core: DF-BD-08 TIAN-QIANG
- Arms: DF-AR-08 TIAN-QIANG
- Legs: VP-424
- Boosters: BST-G2/P04
- FCS: FCS-G2/P05
- Generator: VP-20S
For this fight, the Frame and Inner components are more important than the Unit weapons. Often, Armored Core players will need to adjust several AC parts to create an effective build. The VP-424 legs are imperative for the fight. They are tetrapod legs, which come with two major benefits. They allow you to support heavier weapons and attacks, and, more importantly, they allow you to hover in the air instead of just booting. This makes the fight much more manageable as you will be able to stay above the Cleaner and out of reach of its attacks for most of the fight. The FCS helps improve medium- and long-range assist, making it easier to target and hit the Cleaner with the missiles. The Arms and Core of the AC are designed to increase defense and health while also allowing you to carry heavier weapons. For boosters, you should prioritize thrust, which will allow you to quickly ascend above the Cleaner, and the Generator should help boost your EN load to manage energy consumption.
What Is the Best Strategy to Beat the Smart Cleaner?
The Smart Cleaner is an imposing and intimidating opponent. It starts the fight by charging at you with its massive, chainsaw-like arms, and it attempts to close you in a pincer attack with them. After that initial attack, it will continue to swing its arms at you. Due to their size, the arms can be difficult to dodge because they have a wide swing arch and the cleaner attacks in succession. In addition to its arms, there is a stack on its back that will spew lava, and the Cleaner itself will occasionally spit fire and lava that can cover the ground. Naturally, this can heavily damage your AC if you are caught by it. Those attacks intensify after you deplete half of the Cleaner's health. On top of that, the Cleaner's armor is resistant to most weapons, so it is hard to damage.
Fortunately, like many large Dark Souls bosses, the Cleaner is quite slow, so it is easy to stay out of range and dodge most of its attacks. However, if it corners you, it can kill you quickly because the size of its weapons makes it difficult to escape. The tetrapod legs help prevent this. Fly up above the Cleaner, and then activate the hover mode. This will allow you to avoid most of the Cleaner's attacks, and it will put you in a perfect position to rain missiles and bullets at it. By staying in the air and out of range, you will be able to handle most of the Cleaner's attacks. At the second phase of the fight (when you get its health lower than 50%), the Cleaner will shoot lava rocks from its stack and spew lava on the ground. Again, hovering high enough in the air will still allow you to avoid most of these attacks.
The Smart Cleaner Has Two Clear Weak Points
While the Cleaner's armor is resistant to most attacks, there are two weak points. One is the top of the lava stack on its back, and the other is a small opening in the front of its head. You can do damage to the machine by attacking either spot, but it is much better to aim for the opening in front of its head. Naturally, because of its arms, this is the harder area to target and attack, but attacks there build its impact meter faster. It takes more damage from this area, especially after it's staggered. The stack is a good alternative, but it becomes almost impossible to attack effectively after the second phase of the battle starts. When you are out of range, focus on launching your shoulder missiles and fire your shotgun at the Cleaner's head. That, combined with the canon, will build the Impact meter, but you want to make sure you have it available when the Cleaner gets staggered to inflict maximum damage.
The tetrapod legs alone should make the boss much more manageable, but there is still flexibility with the AC build. The most important thing to remember is to pay attention to your energy consumption and stay off the ground and out of range as much as possible. With consecutive hits to its face, you should be able to deal a lot of damage and stagger it quickly. This should help give you the upper hand against the lava-spewing Smart Cleaner. With a little strategy and perseverance, this and every other Armored Core VI boss can be defeated.