So you want to make your very own Armored Core, but don't know which leg to use? You're at the right place, Raven. Here's our guide on the various leg parts that players can equip in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon Leg Parts Guide

The aim of this guide is to give players an overview of what each leg type in Armored Core 6 does. This is especially helpful for first-time Armored Core players who are still new to the game's systems and features. After all, customizing your mech is one of the most, if not the most, important parts of the game. Now, without further ado, let's dive into our guide.

Armored Core 6 Leg Parts Guide Overview

When creating your AC, you don't just think about your weapons. You also have to think about your AC's head, core, hands, and legs. The legs are arguably one of the most important parts of your AC. This is because it decides just how much you can equip. All of the parts in Armored Core have a weight, and your legs need to be able to support everything you equip. From the weapons to your head and core, your equip load limit is limited by your legs.

Of course, it's not just your AC's weight the the legs dictate, but your  AC's strongest playstyle as well. Different leg types are good for different playstyles. As such, the player should make sure to play to their AC's strength when choosing which leg to equip. There are four leg types that players can equip in total: Bipedal, Reverse-Joint, Tetrapod, and Treads. We will be going through each of these leg parts strengths and weaknesses, as well as which playstyle they suit. Let's start with Bipedal.

Armored Core 6 Bipedal Legs

Bipedal legs are the “default” legs for ACs and the ones you have access to early in the game. These legs are the most balanced, as they can do a little bit of everything. They have good jump height and relatively low weight, which helps in terms of mobility. In terms of Armor Points (AP), they're also pretty average. In other words, the strength of the Bipedal legs lies in their versatility.

Equipping Bipedal legs on your AC allows you to switch up your playstyle depending on the situation, making it very versatile. It allows you to stay on the ground and glide around the battlefield. It also allows you to stay in the air for a good amount of time with the help of your boosters. Finally, because of your somewhat small frame, it also makes it easier to dodge incoming projectiles.

The downside of the Bipedal legs is, ironically, also its versatility. Because it does a lot of things, it doesn't do any one thing particularly well. Its jump height isn't as high as those for Reverse-Joints, or it can't stay in the air as long as Tetrapods. It also suffers from having to stand still when firing heavy weaponry, something that Treads don't have to worry about. As such, players have to take that into consideration when it comes to weapon choice. Bipedal ACs can still fire heavy weapons, but it leaves them open to attack.

The ideal playstyle for Bipedal ACs is one that changes depending on the situation. As mentioned above, Bipedal legs are very versatile. Players can decide on the spot if they want to stay on the ground or glide around in the sky with their AC. If the player wants speed, they can choose to equip lighter legs. If they want to equip heavier weapons, they can go for the heavier legs. As long as the player takes into account the versatility of the Biped legs, they will be able to dominate in their missions.

Armored Core 6 Reverse-Joint Legs

Reverse-Jointed legs, or chicken/bird legs as some people call them, is a more specialized leg type in the game. While it has around the same weight and AP as the Bipedal legs, their design makes them excel in one thing: jumping.

Thanks to the nature of Reverse-Joint Legs, ACs that have them equipped have a higher initial jump height compared to other legs. Thanks to this, they can go to a higher altitude without using up a lot of energy. This allows Reverse-Joint ACs to easily dodge ground attacks, or easily reach high ledges and enemies. Not only that, but the high initial jump allows Reverse-Joint ACs to claim air superiority easily.

The downside of the bipedal legs lies in their comparatively low AP, as well as their relatively low load capacity. It's around the same as a Bipedal at best, but can't compare to the heavier Bipedal legs. It also shares the same weakness as the Bipedal legs in that the player's AC will stand still when firing heavy weapons. Even while in the air, the player will not be able to move their AC for a bit after firing heavy weapons.

The ideal playstyle for Reverse-Joint ACs is one of air superiority. As you can quickly take to the skies with your jump, it makes it easier for you to reach a higher altitude. This makes it hard for enemies to hit you, especially with their melee attacks (with exceptions). Firing down on enemies is makes it harder for them to dodge, as they are stuck on the ground. You, on the other hand, have the entirety of the sky as your movement range, which makes dodging attacks easy. Equip a high-capacity generator with a very efficient booster, as well as missiles and high fire-rate guns, and you will be mowing down enemies easily.

Armored Core 6 Tetrapod Legs

Tetrapod legs, or Quads as the community sometimes calls them, are the first of the two heavy legs in the game. As the name implies, it gives the player's AC four legs. These four legs are not just for show, as it gives the player a variety of advantages compared to only having two legs.. Of course, it also has its weaknesses.

The most obvious of these advantages is the fact that Tetrapods have a bigger weight load compared to Bipedals and Reverse-Joints. That means players can much more easily equip a lot of heavy weapons on their AC. Players can still choose to equip heavy weapons on Bipedals and Reverse-Joints, but it impacts the other weapons they can equip, something that the Tetrapod rarely suffers from. Not only that, but Tetrapod legs give ACs the ability to hover. This allows the AC to stay at a fixed altitude, allowing them to focus on firing at the enemies below them using their heavy weapons.

The downside of Tetrapods, however, is their weight. Yes, you can equip heavier weapons, and you also get more AP. However, you won't enjoy the same speeds that two-legged ACs have. Smaller ACs will be able to outmaneuver you easily, so you have to always keep track of your enemies so that they won't be able to attack you from your blindside. The other weakness that Tetrapod ACs have is their size. By having a bigger frame, your hitbox is also bigger. This makes it harder to dodge enemy weaponry like missiles.

The ideal playstyle for Tetrapod ACs is a mix of heavy weaponry and air superiority. Bring in heavy weapons such as the VE-60SNA Stun Needle Launcher for your shoulders, or the Miniguns for your arms. You then jump into the air and activate your hover mode, which allows you to rain death on enemies from below without worrying too much about your Energy. Time your dodges well, however, as your dodges take up quite a bit of your energy.

Armored Core 6 Treads

Finally, there's the Treads, which literally turns your AC into a tank. If you've ever wondered what the child of a Tank and a Mech is, you will see it when you equip the game's Treads. Your upper body will still be visible, as well as your weapons, but your bottom half is literally tank.

The biggest strength of the Treads is that they have the biggest AP pool in the game, as well as the highest load limit. This allows players to bring the heaviest and hardest-hitting weapons they can to every mission. Not only that, but Tread ACs do not feel any of the recoil that heavy weapons have. This allows them to fire all of their weapons while moving. Speaking of moving, tank treads have some of the fastest movement speeds when it comes to forward movement. This is thanks to, well, them being tanks.

Of course, the treads have downsides. Although the Treads ACs have a high forward speed, they cannot easily change directions like their legged counterparts. They have to turn their Treads to the direction the player wants to go, which could make them sitting ducks. Not only that, but Tank ACs are the worst when it comes to aerial combat. This is thanks to players not being able to equip better boosters on treads (they have built-in ones), as well as their weight. This makes them grounded for most of the mission.

Being grounded, however, is precisely what you want as a Tread AC. Since you are a literal tank, you can soak up quite a bit of damage. As long as you stay relatively close to your enemies, you can easily fire off your heavy weapons at them. This allows you to deal huge bursts of damage to your enemies, while not taking much damage yourself. Just bring in your hardest-hitting weapons, and bide your time. Once the enemy gets closer, unleash a full volley of attacks, and whittle down their AC to nothing.

Which leg parts should you use in Armored Core 6?

There is no one objectively best part in the game (although I am very much in love with Tetrapod legs). Armored Core 6 rewards players for experimenting and changing their builds to match the mission. As such, the leg choice will depend on your mission. Of course, you can brute force your way and use only one kind of leg type (like I did with Tetrapod legs). In that case, it just becomes a question of whether you can easily match the playstyle of the legs you chose.

That's it for our guide to the various leg parts players can use in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. The game is available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and PC. Check out our gaming news articles for the latest in gaming news.