In one of the later Chapter 3 missions in Armored Core 6, you're tasked with defending a recently captured base from being retaken by a small fleet of PCA warships. You're told that you'll be fighting it off alongside allied Arquebus MTs, but when you arrive, both the PCA and Arquebus forces there are all dead. When you investigate further, you find the culprit: an Armored Core pilot named...Raven.
That's right — the owner of the mercenary license you stole at the start of the game has returned, and they're pissed. They're also extremely difficult to beat, but with the right combination of loadout and strategy, you'll be able to prove why that title deserves to be yours. Here's everything you need to know about this boss fight, including what the best build for it is, all of Raven's attacks and how to avoid them, and more.
Armored Core 6 Raven: Best build, weapons, and loadout
Raven is undoubtedly one of the hardest if not the hardest boss in all of Armored Core 6, and the main reason why is because they're capable of putting non-stop offensive pressure on you. While most of their attacks aren't individually difficult to avoid, the fact they never stop coming means that it's crucial to maximize your airtime, speed, and evasive maneuverability so that you don't get too worn down over time. With that in mind, we strongly recommend using a lightweight Armored Core with reverse-jointed legs. The lightweight design will ensure you're nimble enough to dodge Raven's relentless offense, and the jump boost provided by reverse-jointed legs will make it very easy to get back into the air after you briefly land to regain EN.
We've tried a number of different weapon combinations out in this fight, and have found that you'll be best off using dual rifles in the hands and dual missile launchers on the shoulders. You can be successful using a melee weapon or a shotgun, but in our view, getting close to Raven is a bad idea due to the devastating attacks they can perform at close range (more on those below). Also, rifles and missile launchers have lots of ammo, which you'll need since this battle is a long one.
Either Pulse Armor or Assault Armor will work excellently for your Expansion in this boss fight. The former creates an energy shield when activated and is a great way to reduce your overall damage taken, while the latter can be used whenever Raven aggressively flies up close to you to hit them with a damaging blast of energy. Just be aware that Raven will often try to use their own Assault Armor at this range.
Armored Core 6 boss guide: How to beat Raven
Raven is an extremely deadly opponent, and no matter what you do, your battle against them is going to be long and taxing. However, with the right tactics, you can avoid the worst of their damage while wearing them down and eventually landing the killing blow.
- From range, Raven mainly attacks with consistent volleys of bullets and missiles. The bullets can be avoided with simple hover strafing for the most part, but to fully dodge the missiles, you'll want to Quick Boost in the direction they're coming from just before they hit you.
- When your warning indicator goes off, it means Raven is about to fire a volley of explosive cannon shells. You can avoid these by Quick Boosting laterally, though if you're on the ground, their explosive radius may still clip you and deal damage. Try and stay airborne.
- When Raven starts Quick Boosting towards you erratically, use your own Quick Boosts to get away. You'll want some space to avoid one of the three possible attacks they're about to do.
- Up close, Raven will either activate their Assault Armor, shoot cannon shells, or go for a devastating melee strike with their pile bunker. These can all be avoided by not allowing Raven to get close in the first place, giving you the space you need to Quick Boost dodge effectively.
- It's imperative that you don't allow yourself to be staggered by cannon shots or Raven's Assault Armor. If this happens, Raven will deliver a charged pile bunker strike while you're immobilized that will instantly kill you outright or put you in critical health. This is Raven's deadliest attack.
- In general, you should stay a good distance away from Raven and continuously pepper them with your rifles and missiles. Try and make sure both rifles are fully loaded when they stagger so you can inflict lots of damage during this window of opportunity.
- At around 50% health, Raven will use a Repair Kit to heal back up. Like you, they can do this three times, which is the main reason that this fight takes such a long time.
- When Raven's companion mentions over the COM that "this mercenary has potential," it means that they no longer have any Repair Kits to use. Keep this in mind so that you can track your progress in the fight.
- Try to save your own Repair Kits until your Armored Core is at 50% health. This is a long fight, so you need to make the absolute most out of your three Repair Kits.
- Note that this fight doesn't have any distinct phases. It's simply a war of attrition, patience and endurance.
By successfully dodging most of what Raven throws at you while keeping up constant pressure of your own with your rifles and missiles, you'll eventually take them down just as your missile launchers are starting to run dry. Once you do, it's time to celebrate — you just beat what many would consider the hardest boss in the entire game, and you can move forward knowing that you're skilled enough to push on through to the end of the game.
Also, since Raven was kind enough to take care of the stranded PCA fleet you were supposed to be fighting in this mission, all that's left to do in Chapter 3 is coordinate with your allies to take down the massive Ice Worm that emerged a few levels earlier. Happy hunting.
Armored Core 6 is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PS5, and PS4. It's one of the best Xbox games and best PC games of 2023, and we can't recommend it enough.
