Armored Core 6 isn’t particularly long. It takes around 20 hours to complete all five chapters, but there are three different endings and a lot of missions to unlock—Fires of Raven, Liberator of Rubicon, and Alea lacta Est.
All Armored Core 6 endings
If you want to see them all, it will take roughly 50 hours because each one requires a separate playthrough in which players need to pick the right combination of Decision or Alt missions. Multiple playthroughs might not sound too appealing to some, but returning to old missions is a great chance to nab secret and hidden parts.
You can choose between Fires of Raven and Liberator of Rubicon in the first playthrough depending on choices, but it’s better to do Fires of Raven first and Liberator of Rubicon in New Game+ because you’ll need to finish New Game++ to see Alea lacta Est.
What are Decision missions in Armored Core 6?
Decision missions won’t crop up until you reach Chapter Three, but, when they do, you’ll have a clear indicator. When you go to select a mission, you’ll know you’ve got a decision to make when you see two missions that have a little branching path marker on the right side of the mission bars.
Before you embark on the mission you decide to complete, you’ll be able to give the mission dossiers a quick looking over to try and decide which one you’d like to take on. If that’s not enough for you to decide whether or not you want to take a mission on, you can even jump into the mission, fly and fight around a bit, and quit the mission. Then, you’ll be able to jump into the other mission to see how that one works.
Of course, you’ll have to complete specific decision missions in order to get specific endings. So, let’s jump into what you’ll have to do to see all the endings in Armored Core 6.
How to get the Fires of Raven ending in Armored Core 6
In order to see the Fires of Raven ending, you’ll need to pick the following Decision missions:
- Chapter Three — Mission 21: Eliminate the Enforcement Squads
- Chapter Four — Mission 31: Intercept the Redguns
- Chapter Five — Mission 37: Intercept the Corporate Forces
Once you’ve done them all, you’ll unlock the following ending missions and will need to complete them:
- Breach the Karman Line
- Shut Down the Closure Satellites
The final boss of the Fires of Raven ending, IB-07: SOL 644, likes to stay a bit further away from the player. Closing the gap yourself or waiting for SOL to zoom in with its large, telegraphed sword attacks is a great time to deal some damage. At least one weapon that can break pulse shields, such as a Plasma or Pulse gun, is also useful for this boss’s first phase.
While we won’t go into any spoilers here, the Fires of Raven ending is probably what some would consider to be the “Bad Ending” for Armored Core 6. This makes it an excellent choice for your first ending, because then your following playthroughs can wash the horrors from your mind.
How to get the Liberator of Rubicon ending in Armored Core 6
In order to see the Liberator of Rubicon ending, you’ll need to pick the following Decision missions:
- Chapter Three — Mission 22: Destroy the Special Forces Craft
- Chapter Four — Mission 32: Ambush the Vespers
- Chapter Five — Mission 38: Eliminate “Cinder” Carla
Once you’ve done them all, you’ll unlock the following ending missions and will need to complete them:
- Destroy the Drive Block
- Bring Down the Xylem
The final boss for the Liberator of Rubicon ending, IB-C03: HAL 826, is a fairly typical AC fight. There isn’t too much that’s special or different enough about the fight that you’ll have to be aware of. Whatever you find to be your best loadout for a tough AC fight should work great against HAL.
This ending is considered to be the “Good Ending” in Armored Core 6, and it’s easy to see why when you get it. It’ll definitely leave you with a more satisfied feeling than the Fires of Raven ending, so if you’re not interested in doing multiple playthroughs but want a happy ending, this is the choice for you.
How to get the Alea Iacta Est ending in Armored Core 6
In order to see the Alea lacta Est ending, you’ll need to pick the following missions in New Game++:
- Chapter One — Attack the Dam Complex
- Chapter One — Escort the Weaponized Mining Ship
- Chapter Three — Prevent Corporate Salvage of New Tech
- Chapter Three — Eliminate the Enforcement Squads
- Chapter Three — Coral Export Denial
- Chapter Four — Eliminate V.III
Once you’ve done them all, you’ll unlock the following Chapter Five missions and will need to complete them:
- MIA
- Regain Control of the Xylem
- Coral Release
ALLMIND is the final boss for the Alea Iacta Est ending, and it’s a super tough one. The boss will frequently call for enemy backup, and it’ll help your camera in the fight if you don’t lock on to anything when the reinforcements arrive. This will allow you to prioritize targets. ALLMIND also has two phases, and you’ll have a much easier time with each phase if you bring high-impact weaponry to stun the boss as much as possible.
This playthrough will have a completely different storyline in which you work for the opposing faction. It’s considered to be the “True Ending” for Armored Core 6, and it will be a lot harder than previous ones. With that in mind, having an optimal tanky build can go a long way.
