How to beat the Juggernaught in Armored Core 6

Nothing feels better to me in a FromSoftware game than finally getting the hang of the game’s mechanics, controls, and tempo. People used to tell me about it before I delved into my first souls-like: “It just clicks one day, bro, I swear”. Well, one day, after many painful tries, it did, and it does, and keeps clicking. The Juggernaught fight in Armored Core 6 was the moment the game finally fell into place for me, and beating it felt fantastic.

How to beat the Juggernaught in Armored Core 6

This is not really a hard fight in retrospect. It is the finale of the first chapter and poses somewhat of a challenge to a new player in the game. It comes in two stages, but not in the way you would initially expect.

Build

I would recommend something with some decent jump and hover capabilities. There are some nasty charge attacks, and you’re going to want to be behind the Juggernuaght with your Armored Core in this fight.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

As for weapons, take something long-range, and preferably some rockets and missiles on your shoulders. Frontal attacks are useless, so opt for weapons that have a top-down attack. With your hands, again, go for something you can quickly unload with huge damage, such as rocket launchers or even a sword if you can dash in from behind.

Technique

The beginning of this fight pairs you with an ally. Use them as a distraction, and once the Juggernaught has charged their Armored Core, hammer it from behind. The front of the Juggernaught has impenetrable armor, so there is absolutely no point in even attacking from there. This is the easy part of the fight.

Once the Juggernaughts’ health is below half, your ally will leave. Now it is up to you to avoid the Juggernaut’s charge attacks. It is a slow-moving vehicle, but getting hit by these is devastating. As it charges, jump or dash out of the way and immediately get behind the enemy. Unload everything you have with your Armored Core into the top and rear of the vehicle.

As the fight goes on, it will eventually drop landmines. Keep an eye out for these, as they can stagger and then leave you open to the charge. The best tactic is to get distance from the Juggernaught and bait it with your Armored Core. Once it charges, jump or dash, unload, and repeat.