Armored Core 6 players say this early boss fight “filters” new players out

FromSoftware is no stranger to filling its games with intense and difficult boss fights, but for some players, one of the earlier fights in Armored Core 6 is proving too tough to handle.

Armored Core 6 revives the mech franchise after FromSoft spent a decade focusing on fantasy games, most notably the Dark Souls series, and last year’s hit Elden Ring.

The impact of these games is clear in the revamped Armored Core- target locking and dodging are core parts of combat that any SoulsBourne veteran will recognise instantly.

Something else that’s carried over are the insanely difficult boss encounters, and while the first fight with the AH12 HC Helicopter is proving to be very difficult, it’s the third boss, Balteus, which has been branded as the true “filter” of Armored Core 6.

Armored Core 6 Balteus boss described as “skill check” fight

It’s not the first time a roadblock boss has acted as a skill check for new players. When Elden Ring first dropped last year, Margit the Fell Omen had a similar role in the early stages of the game, where his unpredictable and high-damage moveset made him a massive issue for players unfamiliar with the series.

Balteus is a similarly difficult fight. With high-damage AOE attacks and a beefy shield, he’s there to teach players that they have to switch things up and try new builds.

Most notably, several players noticed that adding the Pulse Gun to thier AC made the fight significantly easier, because of how useful it is in taking down Balteus’s shield. One player even suggested that: “Balteus isn’t a skill check, it’s a build check.”

“The pulse guns are huge and the game even tells you about Pulse weapons prior to the fight, but lots of people ignore that point entirely.”

For a full breakdown of every other boss in Armored Core 6, check out our complete guide to the boss fights here.