Armored Core 6 (VI) All S-Ranks Guide (2024)

Obtaining S-Ranks on all 59 missions in Armored Core VIunlocks“The Perfect Mercenary” trophy and achievement. They don’t give any other rewards or bonuses, only the trophy when you get S Rank on all 59 missions. This guide shows how to get the S Rank on each mission.

First, you need to unlock all 59 missions! Don’t even worry about attempting S Ranks before this. It’s best to keep S Ranks for last after you did everything else, by then you will know the game inside out.

How to Unlock All Missions

It takes a minimum of 3 full playthroughs to unlock all missions: New Game with Ending #1 > New Game+ with Ending #2 > New Game++ with Ending #3.

This is for two reasons: there are so-called “Decision Missions” that cancel out each other. Picking one makes the other mission unavailable for this playthrough,so must pick the other on the next playthrough. The decision missions lead to different ending missions. The second reason is that many missions are exclusive to New Game+ (2nd playthrough) and New Game++ (3rd playthrough). There are also “Alternative Missions” which are unlocked during the 2nd and 3rd playthrough. These Alternative Missions are the same as the first playthrough but with different objectives and they have their own S Rank.

By getting all 3 Endings you will unlock all Missions. Follow this guide first and pick the exact decisions outlined there: Armored Core VI Endings Guide.

This willget you everything in 3 playthroughs which is the fastest way possible (if you makeotherchoices you might need a 4th playthrough). Missions that you got in previous playthroughs stay unlocked permanently in Mission Replay. So if you picked option “A” on first playthrough, then pick option “B” in second playthrough you will have both available in Mission Replay.

You will know you unlocked all missions when you earn the trophy / achievement “Stargazer”. You will also get the Stargazer Emblem. It’s also highly recommended to first unlock all Parts – see Armored Core VI All Parts Unlock Requirements. This will allow for greater tactical freedom with your builds and can make S-Ranks vastly easier when you have the best endgame gear.

How to Get S-Ranks?

The game only once gives a popup about S-Ranks and then never explains it again:

• No Checkpoints: Don’t restart checkpoints, they void S-Rank. Must finish the mission in one life. You are allowed to use “Restart Mission” without quitting out of the mission.
• Speed: Finish Mission in fastest time possible. This is the most important ranking factor! For example, in Mission 4 I did S-Rank by flying past all enemies and just doing all objectives. Then I ran the same mission again and waited 5 minutes at the start and proceeded to finish the mission with even better payout in the results screen but only got C-Rank. The conclusion is that time alone can lower the rank from S to C even if you do everything else perfectly without taking any damage.
• Damage Taken: This is shown as the “Repair Costs” in the results screen. The lower your repair cost the better. In most missions this seems to have little to no impact on the rank and is far outweighed by getting a faster time. Since you aren’t allowed to restart checkpoints you can’t take much damage anyway to finish it in one life (using repair kits is fine).
• Ammunition Consumed: This is shown as the “Ammunition Costs” in the results screen. This has little to no impact in most missions and is far outweighed by getting a faster time. It doesn’t count how many shots you fired but rather how much the expended ammo costs. You can see the ammo cost for each weapon in the Assembly Menu > open the detailed Arm/Back menu > press / to “Toggle Display” > look for “Ammunition Cost” on each weapon. You can also filter weapons by ammo cost per shot used: in the detailed Arm/Back menu press / to “Sort” and select the bottom option “Ammunition Cost”. This will show the cheapest per shot at the top. Generally, the ammo cost will come out to about the same regardless of what weapons you use, because weapons with higher cost per shot deal more damage, and weapons with lower cost per shot (such as Gatling Gun) require a lot of ammo for one kill. So it evens out regardless. Just use whatever has the fastest kill speed. Melee weapons don’t consume ammo and have no cost associated with them, however they have a cooldown and would increase the time taken to finish the mission. It’s generally better to pick whatever has the fastest kill speed (dual-wielding gatling guns is good) and get a faster time to make up for the ammo cost.
• Killing Specific Enemies / other special Conditions: The game doesn’t tell you this, but some missions can only be S-ranked if you do optional objectives or kill specific optional enemies that hold Combat Logs. For example, in “Mission 6: Attack the Dam Complex” I ran the mission perfectly and got 183,000 COAM in payout screen but only ever got A-Rank. Then I killed the optional Combat Log enemies but got S-Rank with only 120,000 COAM payout. The conclusion is that some missions cannot be S-Ranked unless you do the “hidden” requirement. Generally, if the mission description says there is bonus pay for certain actions they can be mandatory for S-Rank.

Overall, the game is very intransparent about how it calculates S-Ranks. It doesn’t give you any feedback on your time and doesn’t show the exact requirements anywhere. It also applies ranks very inconsistently from one mission to the next. Which requirement it puts more weight on changes from mission to mission. Some missions you could run 50 times perfectly but always get A-Rank because you didn’t kill one specific enemy somewhere. Another issue is that Combat Log enemies are no longer marked once you’ve killed them once on a previous playthrough. For this see Armored Core VI Combat Log Locations. These enemies aren’t always mandatory for S-Ranks but in some missions you will never the S unless you defeat them.

The biggest ranking factor by far is time taken. The payout at the end of the mission generally doesn’t seem to have huge impact. I often got S Ranks with vastly lower payout (e.g. 120k got me S-Rank but 180k would get me A-Rank), but just being faster or doing optional objectives and killing all enemies.Each mission is a case of trial and error. See the next point below.

Best Approach to get S-Ranks

1. Finish the mission as fast as possible. Use a fast build (lightweight tank legs “EL-TL-11 Fortaleza” are fast and let you carry any weapons). If you don’t get S-Rank rerun it once more and try to take as little damage as possible and do it even faster. You can rush past all enemies, only defeat mandatory enemies to save time and ammo.
2. If you repeatedly only get A-Rank you are likely missing the hidden requirement (e.g. in Mission 06: must defeat the optional Combat Log enemies). If the mission description says there is bonus pay then do all optional things for bonus pay and finish as fast as possible.
3. Try running the mission while defeating all enemies as fast as possible.

One of these options will lead to S-Rank. Each mission applies more weight to one ranking factor over another so it’s a case of trial and error. See the mission walkthroughs below for details on each mission.

Useful Resources:

• All Parts Unlock Requirements– specific builds/parts will be mentioned below and shown in the video walkthroughs, refer to this to see each unlock requirement. It’s highly recommended to unlock all Parts before starting with S-Ranks
• Endings Guide – do this first to unlock all missions
• Collectible Guide – if it always give A-Rank, try defeating the Combat Log enemies. It’s also good to find all Parts Containers before attempting S-Ranks to have all Parts unlocked for customizing your build.

Quick Select:

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5

Note: The mission order below is the same as in the Mission Replay screen AFTER having unlocked all missions. This includes NG+ / NG++ missionswhich would not be visible during the first playthrough. Decision Missions, NG+, NG++, and Alt Missions aresub-numbered as “A / B / C / + / ++” variants. For example, 07-A is the mission of first playthrough and 07++would be the 7th mission in NG++.

Work-in-Progress: The mission list is 100% complete, remaining S-Rank strategiesare still being added.

CHAPTER 1

Mission 01: Illegal Entry
You have a premade build for this, can’t use your own. Ignore all enemies until the mission boss, don’t shoot anyone. Just fly past everyone from one objective to the next, try not to take damage. At the main boss fly towards him head-on and use melee (left hand weapon L2/LT). Keep firing your other weapons at it while the melee blade recharges. Using 2 Repair Kits is fine.

Mission 02: Destroy Artillery Installations
Use a very fast lightweight build for this to get from one Artillery to the next quickly. Use Zimmerman shotguns, they fire quickly and a single shot will destroy an Artillery Gun, and the ammo is low-cost.

Mission 03: Grid 135 Cleanup
Kill all enemies as quickly as possible. A very fast lightweight build with Zimmerman shotgunswill work fine.

Mission 04: Destroy the Transport Helicopters
Use a very fast lightweight build with Zimmerman shotguns. A single shot from up close will destroy a helicopter. Quickly fly from one to the next, ignore all enemies.

Mission 05: Destroy the Tester AC
Use a heavy tank build with high impact shoulder weapons such as the Songbirds or the Stun Needles to stagger the enemy fast, then get up close and fire dual gatling guns such as the Hu_bento kill the enemy in a single stagger phase.

Mission 06: Attack the Dam Complex
To get S-Rank on this mission you have to defeat both Combat Log enemies in the mission in the same run. One is after the second generator on the upper frozen lake on the right. The other is the optional group of enemies on the last frozen lake before the 4th generator. Time and payout don’t seem to matter here at all (I got A-Rank when getting 183,000 payout and doing it fast without killing the Log enemies, but S-Rank with 123,000 payout doing it slow and killing the Combat Log Targets specifically). Ammo cost and damage taken also don’t seem to matter much if at all here. If you skip the two Log enemies you will only get A-Rank at best.

Mission 07: Attack the Dam Complex[ALT MISSION][NEW GAME+ EXCLUSIVE]
Use a build that deals a lot of damage fast. Dual-Wielding gatling guns (DF-GA-08 HU-BEN) + Dual Stun Needle Launcher on back (VE-60SNA) is the way to go. Kill enemies at the first two generators as fast as possible with the Dual Gatling Gun. After that you will be given the decision to REFUSE or ACCEPT toattack your teammates. Choose ACCEPT and defeat both of them which pretty much guarantees S-Rank. Just get up close to them and constantly shoot all guns to destroy them fast. The two Stun Needle Launchers will stagger them on a direct hit, and then get up close with dual miniguns for extreme damage. Can destroy them in 20-30 seconds each with this.

Mission 08: Destroy the Weaponized Mining Ship
Use a fast build here with dual Zimmerman shotguns, ignore all enemies and just go for the main objectives. Destroy the objectives on the ship as fast as possible to get S-Rank.

Mission 09: Escort the Weaponized Mining Ship[NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE][DECISION]
You need a nimble a fast build that can fly and stai in the air for as long as possible. When the mission starts, head for the clouds of smoke and wait for the LPs to appear for a surprise attack. For this mission, you must equip Honing Missile weapons such as the ones shown in the video to be able to damage the LPs and the rolling blades. You won’t stand a chance with a heavier build and these weapons.

Mission 10: Operation Wallclimber
Use a fast build here, destroy the turrets after the bridge and the enemy before the gate. Ignore all enemies inside the hangars and make your way to the boss. During the boss fight against the Juggernaut, land on top of his back and try to land as many hits as possible while your ally is with you.

Mission 11: Retrieve Combat Logs
You must retrieve all combat logs, all easily seen because of fire: 2 are in the starting compound, 2 in the snow, 1 near a bigger destroyed AC, 2 in the pit, 1 at the top of the giant destroyed pillar in the pit.

Mission 12: Prisoner Rescue[NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE]
Use a light build with two Stun Needles and the Haldeman or Zimmerman shotguns equipped. You must memorizewhere all enemies are and spawn. Doing so won’t result in the helicopter getting damaged. In fact, you don’t even have to escort it. You can just fly directly to the enemy locations and fire away. During the final boss battle, try not to suffer too much damage and don’t forget to regularly check the helicopter’s health bar.

Mission 13: Investigate BAWS Arsenal No. 2
This mission is insanely difficult. You can do a perfect run and still rank A. Use a medium-weight build with Stun Needles and Hu-Ben gatling guns and duringthe first part of the missionhead directly to the locations of the invisible enemies. If any of the invisible enemies scampers away, just restart ascatching up to them takes too long. During the second part of the mission, you need to get rid of all enemies as quickly as possible, especially the ones perching on the walls. Use the ray beams they shoot to determine where they are, but make sure you use the Stun Needle on them because if they run away, you mayas well restart the entire mission.

Mission 14: Obstruct the Mandatory Inspection[NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE]
Same mission as before, only in reverse. Clear each area as quickly as possibleand focus on the smaller APs during the final boss fight.

Mission 15: Attack the Watchpoint
Here you can use either a medium-weight build or the tank build with Stun Needles and Hu-Ben gatling guns. Clear each area of all enemies as quickly as possible, making sure you’re not in the trajectory of the beams. Defeat the first boss at the wall and then Balteus, making sure you take as little damage as possible.

Mission 16: Attack the Watchpoint [ALT MISSION][NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE]
Use a medium weight build here and run through the first part of the mission just like before. When you reach the wall, immediatelyturn around after the cutscene and go back to the wall to destroy the beam-emitting LPs. Then, take care ofthe next two bosses.

CHAPTER 2

Mission 17: Infiltrate Grid 086
Use a medium weight build here and get past the first groups of enemies, making sure you take cover behind the freight trains to recover some energy. Try to get rid of Rummy as quickly as you can and then continue on. When you reach a door you need to open, turn around and destroy the shell enemies behind you. When you get inside, kill what you can and you’ll eventually reach a group fo read targets. Be careful here because theshielded enemyshoots down a pipe from above that can damage you. If you play it smart, the damage can even kill the other targets, leaving you and the shielded enemy on one-on-one. Continue on, resupplying if necessary, and then try to defeat the Smart Cleaner boss as quickly as possible, making all go your shots counts, especially to his belly.

Mission 18: Eliminate the Doser Faction
A fast build wielding double Zimmerman shotguns is enough here. Simply work your way through the first area and then over to the makers. As usual, try to take as little damage as possible and to complete the mission as quickly as possible.

Mission 19: Stop the Secret Data Breach[NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE]
Use a medium weight build here, you need it for the final bosses. During the first part of the mission, youmust memorizewhere all the hacking dronesare. Then, quickly destroy one after the next until you can leave the area. Then, defeat the bosses, prioritizingthe beam-shooting enemies first.

Mission 20: Ocean Crossing
Use the secret underground path and hide behind the wagons when you reach the bridge. You want to avoid getting damaged by the targeting beam if possible, but it’s fine if you get hit once. When you reach the boss arena, destroy the drones first, then replenish your ammo and health if needed. Interact with the freight train and then step away to reveal the boss. Try to land as much damage as possible while the boss is on theground, constantly being on the move. During the second phase, fly up to him and repeat as needed.

CHAPTER 3

Mission 21: Steal the Survey Data
Use a medium weight build here. Fly to all objective markers, destroying enemies if it comes natural, otherwise don’t. Afterdestroy the second drone, headback to destroy a heavy MT for a considerable amount of points. Then, continue with the objectives. After the fourth drone, continue to the next area of the level and kill everyone in sight until you’re able to jump and fly towards the warship. Destroy the warship and flu back to the ground. Nothing too complicated about this mission, just be quick.

Mission 22: Attack the Refueling Base
Use a medium weight build here with Stun Needles and Hu-Ben gatling guns. Unfortunately, there’s not much room for error in this mission. Ignore the first compoundand head for the fuel storages. Next, destroy the big MT and fly by the side of the bridge to avoid the turrets’ fire. Then, destroy the fuel storages and proceed to the marker. Destroy the main objective and prepare for a boss fight. During the boss fight, you want to avoid getting staggered if possible, otherwise you’ll beopen for massive sword damage.

Mission 23: Eliminate V.VII
A lighter build with the same equipmentas before here works just fine. Stick to the left of the area, destroying the camera drones you find in your path. Head for the marker and then immediately head for the wall you just flew by. Kill the boss as quickly as possible.

Mission 24: Tunnel Sabotage
A simple mission to take a breather. A fast and light build works perfectly here. Simply make your way to the bottom of the facility and destroy the target. Then, head back to the start as quickly as possible to avoid Coral damage. Healing once is fine.

Mission 25: Prevent Corporate Salvage of New Tech[NEW GAME+ EXCLUSIVE][DECISION]
Same build as before works just fine here. At the start, stick to the right of the area to cut corners and reach the targets quickly. Defeat them and then the next two.

Mission 26: Survey the Uninhabited Floating City
Go for a medium weight build with Stun Needles and Hu-Ben gatling guns. Follow the red track lights to reach the drones ignoring all enemies along the way. When reaching the destroyed data log, be ready to fight three whiplash-wielding enemies. Try to contain damage. Once you’re done, fly in the direction you came from and you’ll soon see the next marker. Be ready to fight a chopper and four laser wielding enemies. Take care of these first, so you can focus no the chopper without too much hassle.

Mission 27: Survey the Uninhabited Floating City[ALT MISSION][NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE]
Same build and mission as before, with the exception that you have to fight Thumb Dolmayan instead of the chopper at the end.

Mission 28: Heavy Missile Launch Support
Go for a light build with Stun Needles and Hu-Ben gatling guns. To score S here, you must know the spawn location of all incoming enemies by heart and none of the missiles must be damaged for more than half their health bars.

Mission 29: Eliminate the Enforcement Squads [DECISION]
*Mission 21/22 cancel out each other. Can only unlock 1 per playthrough (pick the other in New Game+).
Go for a medium weight build with the usual load out. Destroy all enemies in the first areas, including the two bosses. Then, proceed inside the wall and repeat the same. Be careful of the final boss as it wields a shield that it’s hard to pierce through and a melee weapon dealing insane damage.

Mission 30: Destroy the Special Forces Craft [DECISION]
*Mission 21/22 cancel out each other. Can only unlock 1 per playthrough (pick the other in New Game+).
This is just a boss fight against another tank, so, as such, do the same., Equip your tank build and aim for the front of the tank. That’s its weak spot.

Mission 31: Attack the Old Spaceport
Light build here sporting Stun Needles and Hu-Ben gatling guns. Aim for the objective in the hangar first and sas you do, destroy as many robots as possible, especially and including the big LC. After destroying the first warship, continue to the next ones, making sure you kill thePCs in your way between warship 2 and 3, 4 and 5. Then, resupply as per quest marker and continue on to the next objective via the jump pad. When you have to land on the warship to destroy it, do so when it’s roughly at 4,000 meters away to make sure you can land on it without exhausting your energy levels. Use the Stun Needles on both and then get ready to fight two bosses at the same time, one of which wields a high DPS melee weapon. When the Ice Worm appears, stand in the corner as shown in the video below and you’re done.

Mission 32: Eliminate “Honest” Brute
Same build as before works just fine here. Ignore everyone and fly downward from marker to marker. Once you reach the bottom, kill the boss as quickly as possible.

Mission 33: Defend the Old Spaceport
Medium-weight build is the way to go here for AP health and mobility. Simply kill the boss as quickly as possible.

Mission 34: Defend the Dam Complex[NEW GAME+ EXCLUSIVE]
Same build as before here. Fly through each marker and kill the two bosses at the end of the ice lake. Then, fly towards the next target to save on time and defeat this as well.

Mission 35: Historic Data Recovery
Light build with the usual equipment for this mission. Fly through the wrecked facility, gathering data, including the optional ones which is needed for S rank. Defeat anyone in your path, but only if it happens naturally, otherwise don’t.

Mission 36: Coral Export Denial[NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE][DECISION]
Light build wielding two high DPS shotguns such as the Zimmerman or the VP-66LS. This weapon is key to rank S in this mission as they destroy each helicopter in one hit. At the start, kill the helicopter in front of you, then veer right to destroy two more that will later be marked as targets anyway. Destroy the next few ones, including the enemies shooting beams to avoid getting staggered. Proceed to the next area and do the same. In the final bridge area, dispose of the enemies shooting beams first and then stand as close to or where either one of them was. You want to intercept as many helicopters as early as possible. To rank S, you must have 0 on EscapedTransports.

Mission 37: Destroy the Ice Worm
Just like during the story, you want to equip at least one Stun Needle to destroy his shield in one hit. There are two key takeaways to rank S in this mission. First, if you spend too long on each phase and don’t hit the Ice Worm relatively quickly, just restart. You’ll just know when you’ve spent too long on a phase. Second, you can skip the entire second phase where the Ice Worm summons drones by locking onto him instead of the drones. There’s a small window you can use to hit him.The third phase plays exactly as the first, so just be quick and time your shot. As usual, try to get very little damage.

CHAPTER 4

Mission 38: Underground Exploration – Depth 1
Light build here,with the usual logout. Activate the elevator, then immediatelystep off it. Fall usingthe ladder platforms below as covers, then kill the enemies at the bottom, taking extra precaution not to get hit by their swords. During the second part of the mission, use the same strategy as before, i.e. the ladder platforms as shield against the beams.

Mission 39: Underground Exploration – Depth 2
Same build as before here. Destroy all enemies in yourway, including the boss. When you leave the bunker, fly towards the bottom and continue on until you reach the control room. Here, defeat the ambushers, then the boss.

Mission 40: Underground Exploration – Depth 2[ALT MISSION][NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE]
Same mission and build as before, with the sole difference that you’re fighting two tankier bosses halfway through and at the end of the mission.

Mission 41: Underground Exploration – Depth 3
Same build as before, head towards the marker, doing your best to avoid the lasers. It’s fine if you lose 3/4 of your health. Head through the door and destroy the sword-wielding targets. Then, dispose of the main target and kill the boss as quicklyas possible. Lastly, continue on to the final marker.

Mission 42: Intercept the Redguns [DECISION]
*Mission 31/32 cancel out each other. Can only unlock 1 per playthrough (pick the other in New Game+).
You want to switch to the tank here because this mission is an insane barrage of enemies. Additionally, equip the Bad Cook flamethrowers to kill multiple enemies in one hit. The great thing about this weapon is that it uses very little ammo for insane damage. Any other weapon just won’t do as you’re most likely to run out of ammo before the mission ends. For this mission, you must kill every single enemy in the map, so refer to the bottom of the screen if needed. When exclamation mark enemies appear, stay as close to them as possible for fire damage and finished them off with your Stun Needles.

Mission 43: Ambush the Vespers [DECISION]
*Mission 31/32 cancel out each other. Can only unlock 1 per playthrough (pick the other in New Game+).
Light or medium weight build works here, with the usual equipment. Head down to the door and get ready to fight two bosses at the same time. If you’re lucky, you can even get ahead on damage by landing two Stun Needles on either one. Then, it’s a matter of surviving while dealing as much damage as quickly as possible Consider luring them into the room they cam from to corner them more easily and try to deal with either one first. Taking both of them at the same time can result in defeat.

Mission 44: Eliminate V.III[NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE][DECISION]
Same build as before here, the only real challenge of this boss fight is that he flies in mid-air for most of his second phase, so ideally try to land as much damage as you can while he’s still above platforms. You don’t want to fight him mid-air as you will run out of energy eventually. He is not tacky, the challenge here is managing your energy reserves.

Mission 45: Unknown Territory Survey
Same build as before works just fine. Head to the bottom and through the tunnels, ignoring all worms. At the end, defeat the boss. Nothing too challenging for once.

Mission 46: Unknown Territory Survey[ALT MISSION][NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE]
Samemission and build as before, with the sole difference that you’re fighting two bosses at once. If you’re fast, you can even whittle down half of the first boss’s health before the second one appears.

Mission 47: Reach the Coral Convergence
This is one of the most difficult mission to get S-Rank on. Use a medium heavy build here, with Stun Needles and Hu-Ben gatling guns. Aim for the red targets and dispose of them as quickly as possible. Try not to get staggered or suffer considerable damage here. Then, continue towards the bridge, killing or ignoring the rolling blade. Finally, head for the boss, making sure you kill the LP near the resupply station. As for the boss, the key to coming out of it alive andgetting an S-Rank is not speed but patience. You must play defensively and wait for the window inwhich he charges either his beam attack or he is stationary mid air. When playing defensively, focus on reorienting towards and locking on to the boss again. Only then land your Stun Needles to stagger him. Then, get close for massive gatling gun damage. Repeat for the second phase.

Mission 48: Reach the Coral Convergence[ALT MISSION][NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE]
Same mission and build as before, but luckily you won’t have to deal with Cel 240 a second time. For the first half of the mission, do the same as before. Then, head for the sewers and kill the two bosses there.

CHAPTER 5

Mission 49: Escape
This is a guaranteed S-Rank as long as you’re quick about it. You can get damaged and use as much ammo as you want. The important thing is to go through the objectives as quickly as possible. The result screen will show 0 on all stats. That’s normal and you will still get an S Rank.

Mission 50: Take the Uninhabited Floating City
Use a fast build here sporting Stun Needles and Hu-Ben gatling guns. This mission plays very similarly to Heavy Missile Launch Support, in the sense that you must know when and where all enemies spawn to kill them the moment they do.A moment before the snipers spawn, activate one of the turrets to aid you in battle, but not more than one. Then, it’s just a matter of killing everyone as quickly as possible before the get too close to the tower. For S-Rank it’s okay if the Tower Shield getsdamaged. The important thing is that it doesn’t get destroyed completely or the Tower doesn’t get damaged.

Mission 51: Intercept the Corporate Forces[DECISION AFFECTS ENDING]
*Mission 37-A/37-B cancel out each other. Can only unlock 1 per playthrough (pick the other in New Game+)
Same build as before. Quickly fly through the objectives and kill the bosses. No need to kill anybody else.

Mission 52: Breach the Kármán Line[WHICH MISSION YOU GET HERE DEPENDS ON PREVIOUS DECISION]
*You get this Mission if you choose Decision Mission 37-A: Intercept the Corporate Forces.
For this mission, use a medium-weight build. You get infinite boss here, so that’s one thing less to worry about. Destroy the warships as you go, using a combination of Stun Needles and gatling guns. When you go forthe final three warships, make sure to dodge away to avoid getting hit by the lasers. For the final part of the mission, defeat the boss, making sure that you don’t get staggered. If you do, you’ll be caught in his flurry of sword attacks which deal insane amounts of damage. It’s okay if this happens once though, you’ll still get S-Rank.

Mission 53: Shut Down the Closure Satellites[WHICH MISSION YOU GET HERE DEPENDS ON PREVIOUS DECISION]
*You get this Mission if you got Mission 38-A: Breach the Kármán Line.
Use the same build as before, but equip the Zimmerman shotguns. This is the boss fight against Ayre. The idea here is to use pretty much the same strategy as against Cel 240. Play defensively and wait for opportunity windows to land your shotgun shots. These will deal noticeable damage. Save your Stun Needles for when she’s staggered. Unfortunately, just like in the fight against Cel, you must reorient your camera and lock-on on the boss againas she moves way too fast for the camera. This is one of the reasons why this boss fight is so challenging. Sometimes, you just lose her given how fast she moves. Thankfully though, as most other bosses in this game, you can still get an S rank even if you sustain considerable damage.

Mission 54: Eliminate “Cinder” Carla[DECISION AFFECTS ENDING]
*Mission 37-A/37-Bcancel out each other. Can only unlock 1 per playthrough (pick the other in New Game+).
Use the same buildas before. If it happens naturally, kill any MPs or LPs you find in your path, otherwise ignore them and go right for the markers. The first marker is a boss wieldinga shield and a high DPS melee weapon. You don’t want to get staggered by it. It’s highly recommended to dispose of the laser-shooting enemies in the surroundings first to make this a little easier. It’s okay to use one repair kit during this boss fight. Next, proceed to the next area using your shotguns to kill most enemies in one hit. Try to stay away from the electricity on the ground to the best of your ability. Next, proceed to the final room where you have to fight against Cinder Carla and Chatty. Deal with Chatty first or you’ll be the target of his missiles, then deal with Carla.

Mission 55: Destroy the Drive Block[WHICH MISSION YOU GET HERE DEPENDS ON PREVIOUS DECISION]
*You get this Mission if you choose the Decision Mission 37-B: Eliminate “Cinder” Carla.
Use the same build as before, but replace the Zimmerman shotguns with the Hu-Ben gatling guns. Aim for the first two generators, making sure to avoid the purple laser. You can ignore all enemies as you do this. Then, destroy the laser and proceed to the next area. Here, you have to fight the Smart Cleaner again. Aim for its top exhaust and when he’s staggered, switch to its “mouth” and unload everything you’ve got. Once he’s dead, proceed to the door and destroy the next two generators. To avoid wasting time, memorize where they are by watching the video below first. Then, get ready to a rematch against a tank version of Balteus.

Mission 56: Bring Down theXylem[WHICH MISSION YOU GET HERE DEPENDS ON PREVIOUS DECISION]
*You get this Mission if you got Mission 38-B: Destroy the Drive Block
Same build as before. First, destroy the motors and then get ready to fight against Handler Walter. He hits hard and has a similar moves to Ayre’s. As per drill in this game, try to not lose track of him and if you do, quickly reorient your camera to lock on him again. Try to also anticipate his moves if possible and use your Stun Needles only when he’s staggered.

Mission 57: MIA[NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE]
*You get this Mission in New Game++ instead of “Escape”.
After a hurricane of very difficult mission, a very easy mission to S-rank. Use a fast build with the usual loadout and go from one marker to the next, killing everyone in your path. Int he final room, kill the boss. Nothing too difficult given that you’ve just faced some bosses who are objectively harder.

Mission 58: Regain Control of the Xylem[NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE]
*You get this Mission in New Game++after “MIA”.
Same build as before. First, have a look at the video below to memorize the location of the targets. You don’t want to waste time searching for them. You want to know when you’re headed. Ideally, you want to destroy them all before the second minute starts. Then, proceed to the door. Open it when prompted and drop down. Here, you want to head from one target to the next, deactivating them all. Be careful though as there are lasers all across the room and a beam dealing quite a lot of damage if it lands on you. You can watch the video to memorize the sequence and replicate it before the laser activates to avoid getting damaged. It’s fine if you’re hit more than once and use repair kits.

Mission 59: Coral Release[NEW GAME++ EXCLUSIVE]
*You get this Mission in New Game++after “Coral Release”.
The final mission of the game and one of the hardest one to get an S-Rank. For this mission, use the same build as you used during the fight against Ayre, so dual Zimmerman shotguns and the usual Stun Needles. During the first phase, you want to focus on the main boss, the one wielding the white shield. You don’t want to waste your ammo on the adds as you will need most of it during the second and third phase. During the second phase, you need to destroy the two flying spider-looking drones to increase your odds of scoring an S. Leave the main boss for now and focus solely on them. Then, use the same strategy as phase one: shotguns and Stun Needles when staggered. Again, reorient your camera towards and lock on the boss when he moves too fast for it, making sure you dose one additional time in case he tries slashing you with his melee weapon.

For everything else needed to obtain 100% completion refer toArmored Core VI Strategy Guide.