How to beat the Smart Cleaner in Armored Core 6

It was a trap the whole time, obviously. Ciders were never going to be a trustworthy ally at the beginning, and now look at you, fighting a glorified Roomba. The fire-spewing, hammer-handed death machine is more than a formidable opponent and will not hesitate to sweep you up and out of existence. This fight can be a frustrating one because although it has two weak points, that is all it has, and they’re tough to get to. Beating the Smart Cleaner in Armored Core 6 may have you stuck, but here’s the technique to get it done.

Best Armored Core 6 build to beat Smart Cleaner

This is the key to beating the Smart Cleaner in Armored Core 6. The two weak points are either right on the front or right on the top of the Smart Cleaner. However, getting to the one on the front is a pipe dream until it is staggered, so you’re going to have to fly. Get yourself some tetrapod legs on your Armored Core and a formidable generator because hovering is your friend.

As for weapons, top-down attacks are the answer, similar to the Juggernaut fight. The funnel at the top of the Smart Cleaner is where you want to empty your ammo, so get rockets on your shoulders. I also used the Armored Core grenade launcher to fire down into the funnel, but a rocket launcher or similar one-shot, high-stagger weapon will also suffice. Forget about a sword in this one; you want to keep your distance from the Smart Cleaner at all times.

Note: If you’re struggling to understand your stats in Armored Core 6, check out our guide.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Smart Cleaner technique

The Smart Cleaner has two stages, but they’re similar in nature. Charge attacks with the huge sweepers on the front will smash your Armored Core and trap it. The funnel on the top will fire lava, which can not only damage you on contact but also create large areas of denial on the ground.

Simply stay off the ground. That’s the core of this whole thing. Keep your Armored Core flying above the top of the funnel. Then, empty your weapons right down the Smart Cleaners pipe. This will cause a stagger quickly. Once it has been staggered, use this opportunity to drop down in front of it. This is where the second weak point comes into play.

Use your weapons while in front of the Smart Cleaner to hammer the front weak point. This is also a great time to get back your Armored Cores EN. However, if you find yourself almost out of EN before the Smart Cleaner is staggered, get yourself as far from the enemy as possible. Dropping your Armored Core down in front of the Smart Cleaner is a terrible idea.

Resource management is the name of the game here. Make sure your heavy-hitting weapons are reloaded just before they get staggered, and keep an eye on that EN meter.