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The AH12: HC Helicopter isthe first bossyou’ll fight inArmored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. Ambushing you almost immediately after the game’s tutorial section, the Heavy Combat Helicopter can be a frustrating foe,especially for players who are brand newto mech games or the Armored Core series.
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If you’re struggling with this boss, then you’ve come to the right place. This guide will go over the best ways to bring this helicopter down.
Stay Mobile
After you scan the last suit for its ID,pick a direction and start moving.
There are two reasons to start moving immediately when you see the Helicopter. First,the Helicopter will attempt to put a spotlight on you and fire its machine guns.If the spotlight lands on you, the light will obscure what the rest of the Helicopter is doing,making it impossible to figure out what gun is firing and when to time your dodge. Second, once you’re in the Helicopter’s sights, its machine guns will start firing, andif you aren’t already moving, you will lose life at the start of the fight.
The Helicopter’s Weapons
Here’s the Helicopter’s weapons and how to dodge each one:
Description
How to Dodge
Machine guns
Side Missiles
Direct Missiles
Best Strategy Against The AH12 BC Helicopter
Ideally,you want to hit the AH12 BC Helicopter with your Pulse Blade as often as possible.This builds up stagger, deals good damage, and once you’re that close, you’re in a safe zone where none of this boss' weapons are able to hit you.
You’ll take a boat load of damage if you just recklessly boost into the helicopter’s face while its machine guns are blasting at you.
Continually circle strafe around the gunship and wait for your opportunity to use Assault Boost.The best time to Assault Boost in is when the Helicopter stands still, and you’re either directly underneath it or off to its side.Just make sure you have enough boost to cover the distance needed and always keep firing your guns and missiles to continually build up stagger (and to keep it from dropping back down).
While you’re Assault Boosting toward an enemy,you can move to the left and right without interrupting the Assault Boost, effectively reducing the amount of damage you would take from the Helicopter shooting at you.
Try to position yourself either to the aircraft’s backside ordirectly underneath it. Its back side is a blind spot, and if you’re directly below it, it’s much easier to Assault Boost into its face where nothing can hit you.
Once you’ve built up Stagger, the Helicopter will pause in the air, andany attacks you deal during this time will also deal additional damage.Hit it with everything you’ve got during this time, and once it starts moving again, attempt to stay close to it or maneuver yourself toward its side and prepare for another Assault Boost.
If your Pulse Blade is available during this time, this is when it will deal the most damage.
Dodging & Weaving Through The Helicopter’s Attacks
While you’re maneuvering to its sides, be sure to also fly up and down.Staying in the air will keep you safe from any direct missile attacks, while moving to the sides will keep you safe from the machine gun fire.Touching the ground at times ensures you can recover more boost before you leap into the air again. If your boost gauge is severely depleted, don’t be afraid to stay on the ground for a while to give it time to recharge;just be ready to dodge or take off again when it fires its missiles.
If you’re too close, moving to the sides won’t let you avoid the boss' machine gun fire. In scenarios like those, either use your dodge to create more distance oruse the surrounding buildings for cover.Hiding behind the buildings is alsothe best way to avoid direct missile and machine gun fire, but be aware that it will not save you from the side missiles. If you see those side missiles fire, you can take that as your opportunity to move toward one of its blind spots.
Now that you know how to get in close against the Helicopter and how to weave through its attacks, take what you’ve learned and tear that Helicopter from the skies.
