The arms of your mech in Armored Core 6 are far more important than they may initially seem. Sure, they’re responsible for holding your weapons, but they also bolster your total Equip Load, enabling you to take heavier weapons into battle and giving you more wiggle room in building your mech when taking encumbrance (and therefore speed) into account.
Each arm attachment provides varying bonuses, but keep in mind that there’s almost always a drawback to your selection. Building for mobility will cost you resilience in battle while opting for tougher armor means a heavier AC as a whole.
Every Arm part in the Armored Core 6 parts shop
Here are all the Arm parts you can pick up from the Parts Shop in AC6, as well as a little bit about their benefits and drawbacks to help you decide which ones to make a part of your very own AC.
AC-2000 Tool Arm
The AC-2000 Tool Arm, as the name implies, is built for utility rather than combat. As such, its usefulness in the constant war zone that is Rubicon 3 is limited, and the Melander specifically is a step up in terms of midweight options. That’s not to say it’s awful—particularly cash-strapped players can still get some play out of the starting kit in Chapter 1, but the default parts are quickly outclassed by the Parts Shop’s other offerings.
Related: How to beat the first boss, the PCA Heavy Combat Helicopter, in AC6
Nachtreiher/46E
The Nachtreiher/46E doesn’t allow for excessively heavy weapons, but chances are if you’re using these arms you don’t want a rocket launcher weighing you down anyway. Speed is the name of the game here, and the Nachtreiher is still perfectly capable of wielding a variety of effective close-range weapons.
DF-AR-08 TIAN-QIANG
With the DF-AR-08 TIAN-QIANG arms equipped, you can pretend your AC’s gone to the gym. Meant to be used with slow but hard-hitting heavyweight builds, these arms are made to wield weapons of mass destruction, and as a bonus, they look very funny on smaller builds.
VP-46S
When using the VP-46S, take a hint from its manufacturer’s name—Arquebus—and go for precise, long-range weapons like linear rifles. It’s somewhat of a middle ground between the Nactreiher and Melander frames, allowing mobility without entirely sacrificing defense.
Related: How to get more money in AC6
AR-011 Melander
The AR-011 Melander, as with the rest of its frame, puts versatility first. These arms allow for a wide range of weapons to be equipped, and their comparatively low EN cost means you’ll have plenty of space left over with which to do so. Sometimes, it pays to be prepared for anything.
AR-012 Melander C3
The AR-012 Melander C3 arms are, generally, an upgrade over their predecessor, featuring more health but, at the same time, more weight. Still, a Melander build, versatile as it is, will likely be able to afford the slight hit to speed and make up for it with power.
The Arms, of course, are just one aspect of building an AC. You’ll want to pair your choice of Arms with the rest of your AC building, as well as get your OS tunings in order, to complete your mech and make sure you stay the deadliest thing on the battlefield.
This guide will be updated as more parts are discovered in AC6.
