Beating the V.IV Rusty boss in Armored Core 6

You will have to face the V.IV Rusty boss in Armored Core 6 at one point during the game, but with our help you'll have the best mech build and everything you'll need to beat it.

Armored Core 6 is packed full of challenging bosses, and while a large number of them are big mechanical behemoths, there is also an abundance of nimble foes that mirror your own AC capabilities. V.IV Rusty is one such mech, and as someone you fought alongside earlier in the game, you could argue that he knows you better than most.

So, if you want to find out how to beat V.IV Rusty in Armored Core 6, or just want the best mech build to figure things out yourself, then keep on reading for all of the tips you'll need.

Tips and strategy to beat V.IV Rusty

If you've done a lot of the Arena fights in Armored Core 6, then V.IV Rusty will seem very similar, but you could argue that he is among the toughest AC battles in the entire game.

He possesses incredible speed and can output rapid burst damage that will take you by surprise if you're not careful. Therefore, having an equally fast build is essential, as that will help you keep up with his moments and come out on top in the end.

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This speed is not just limited to your body parts either, as we recommend picking up faster weapons and options that do reliable splash damage, as your heavier and harder-hitting guns will struggle to connect with Rusty's speed.

In terms of a general strategy, you should just approach this like any other AC fight and try and stay on the move while always outputting damage. As there aren't any attacks in particular that you have to watch out for, you can play a bit looser while dodging whenever you can.

While it can seem tempting to use your strongest attacks to stagger Rusty when fighting, you will want to save them for when he is staggered - as not only will they do more damage but this is one of the few moments that he remains stationary during the fight.

Like other AC fights, Rusty can use repair kits of his own up to three separate times, but you can prevent him from doing this and take him out faster by maximising your cooldowns and exploiting the direct damage.

Best mech build to beat Rusty

Here are our picks for the best parts you'll want to equip to beat V.IV Rusty in Armored Core 6:

Unit

Frame

Inner & Expansion

As mentioned, using fast weapons and body parts is essential here - as meta-favoured heavy weapons won't work due to Rusty's superior speed. 

The strength of the Zimmerman shotgun comes in its near-hitscan speed - where your shots have very little travel time before they meet the target. This makes it an excellent weapon for connecting with Rusty, and the wider spread also helps with this. However, its real prowess lies within the stagger phase - so make sure to get up close and drop as many shots as you can before Rusty regains his movement.

The VE-67LLA Laser Lance is also an ideal pick, as it can close the gap on his quick movements and can deal an insane amount of damage and stagger if used correctly. As mentioned, it is a good idea to save this for the stagger phase, but it can also be good to use when breaking the boss down.

While we have opted for the Spring Chicken legs due to their improved dodge distance and speed, you could also opt for the EL-TL-11 FORTALEZA tank legs as you won't need too much verticality in this small arena.

So, that wraps up everything you need to know to take down V.IV Rusty in Armored Core 6, showing you how to beat him and the best mech build you'll need to do so.

Check out our Armored Core 6 homepage for more tips and tricks, or take a look at all of the Armored Core 6 Loghunt locations with our complete list.