One thing worth pointing out for melee or close-ranged builds: Assault Boost thrust/efficiency is very important for getting in close. While your melee boost is still very important to, Assault Boost is largely what will get you close to your enemy, especially in PvE. In PvP (where melee builds likely shine brighter anyways) it's more reasonable to expect that you can reliably get close to your opponent without a great assault boost, but it still helps.
Good tip. Another thing to note for new players reading this is that the double melee build used by Cowboy in this video requires purchasing the Weapons Bay OS tuning upgrade (for 2 points). It's the only way you can get two melee weapons on a build.
You guys are going to LOVE it!!! I guarantee it. Armored Core has been awesome since the beginning but I won't fault you at all for this being your 1st AC experience. This game is From software MAGIC and there's no doubt in my mind you will be engaged and wrecking shop in no time!! 👍😁
@@duragchirag1899 it's not as complicated as it looks. Just make sure your generator can support your energy output which corresponds mostly with boosters. Energy weapons will cost energy as well. Leg type will be a big factor. Fast reverse joint legs are great for getting in the air quick and quick jolts. Quad legs will hover. Tank treads are tanky. The heavier your mech the more Upward Thrust and Thrust you'll need in general. The rest of the body you can pretty much find which parts work best easily by just seeing the outright stat differences. Enemies will determine your weapons. If you're fighting something that's super tanky, hit him with explosives and don't stop. If you have someone who uses energy shields, hit em with a energy gun cuz it cancels the shield out. Otherwise kinetic guns, bullets, are great for keeping DMG and stagger up. Melee wpns can be OP as well don't be afraid to try and get in close and smash some fools. Other than that if you get stuck somewhere just allow your mech to explode and in the menu you can adjust your load out and head back into whatever fight without having to re do the whole mission. When I got stuck on a few Bosses all I simply had to do was change my approach and I got them in NO time 👍 lmk if you'd like anymore info
Only one correction, for the generators: EN Capacity indicates how much energy you'll have for energy consuming actions, such as quick boosts. It is NOT the energy used for your equipment - that is EN Output, a stat you can see down below on the list, beneath the weight.
One of my favorite things to do in ac4 was going online and trading designs. I'm so glad I'll be able to do that again. I can't wait to see what people come up with.
This was really helpful I was a bit overwhelmed at the beginning just looking at all the stats that can effect a build but this video definitely made it clearer thanks Cowboy 🤠
Great video; Another tip is you can sort the parts by almost any value you can think of. So for example if you have legs that are overburdened, you can sort by load limit and flip through the next closest load limit legs.
This is helpful. It’s tricky in early game tho, with limited generator and other EN options -I keep building more than I can power and then paring back. But I can imagine that this is a viable approach once you’ve bought every item in the shop!
Super informative, thank you for a simple to understand breakdown. This is my first AC game (it looked neat so I thought why not) and this helped understand a ton of the mechanics I was missing.
This game is such a blast from the past for me. Last time I played it was on the demo disc that came with my ps1. Not even sure what armored core that was but I was HOOKED as a kid and there was only 1 level on the demo disc. I'm gonna enjoy this game to the very last bit for SURE.
Very cool video, just wanted to point out a small misconception. Ideal range just points the range threshold at which the weapon will deal it's full damage without ricocheting. This means that you can still use a 400 ideal range weapon at close range, tge only drawbacks being how slow they are to fire, the reload times, ammo pools and how well they track (if you are insane you could use manual aim to offset that though). Usually close range weapons do have the best damage potential, but they are also inherently more risky. So it may pay off to have a medium-ish range option in your build in case you have to back off for a bit. It can be useful to bait strong attacks that you can then dodge and punish while they reload in PvP. Or use them to poke and keep stagger up while you wait for an opening in PvE
This video is so incredibly helpful, this is my first AC game and there was just so many stats. Havent been able to find a good explanation video but this one is a lifesaver man
This was a wonderful video just getting a feel for the garage even tho I won't remember everything you said it still solidified the feel of stats so I won't be completely overwhelmed
Thank you for taking the time and effort to help out with understanding this stuff, cant tell how bad I suffered playing this game for the first time, dying over and over again cause I didn't understand a lot of the build mechanics.
I think my favorite thing about this is even starting weapons are useful, they all have their own ups and downs, no weapon is objectively META as far as I have seen (except the stun needle, but that's my own personal bias of just adoring every thing about it)
The game is still young, eventually a meta will be recognized. It's just a matter of time before at least one or two optimum loadouts start dominating PVP and\or speed runs. That's not an indictment, it's just the nature of any game with customization.
My guy already released a guide 🫡 Tips and Tricks magazine had a section devoted to Core builds, and that’s what got me into the game. I can’t wait for the community to return!
What an excellent video! I'm on my second playthrough and just equipped what worked through trial and error. Understanding these stats is going to be so useful!
ayy dawg you came in clutch, especially the step by step analysis with the in depth screen. i’m already feeling the differences in my diff builds. You helped set the tone, thank you
Hell yeah, just the man i wanted to see when I hit search . Without a little help for your channel i probably would have had so much more trouble with sekiro, and may have even given up on ds3 and ER. love u cowboy ! Super happy to be experiencing this game along with u. This my first time playing a game on release
For my melee build I actually like having long-range missiles that I can take out groups of weak targets out with, and I switch it up with the slow-tracking missiles for PvP/bosses because they are being pressured by me by the time I reach them for close-range.
It's awesome man. I only played the first one when I was like 5. This is definitely worth the money. Super in depth. And the level designs and action game play is outstanding. From Software has done it again
Just having someone basically verbalize their inner monologue did wonders for my understanding of core assembly! Damn good, damn good vid! Instant like and sub, brother!
Thanks for the video, still starting out so don't quite have enough part selection to start considering "specialising" an ac. But thankyou for putting the right mindset and questions to mind. The first and only AC game I played was AC2, at a time I didn't know how to read very well. Never beat the game but was a blast to customize and make cool looking mechs. Really the big take home for me was to choose a movement style or ideal range when considering the start of a build.
Beginner's 1st playthrough guide 1) build to complete missions 2) build to farm 3) build to collect logs 4) build to s rank 5) build for arena farm dam complex - use money to reset os tuning = depending on needs
Love this build! I'll probably use this as inspiration since it's similar to what I wanna do with my AC once I get the game tomorrow. I plan to go with the flamethrowers for mine and sticking close to the target while also being durable is gonna be VERY important to my strategy. I will say tho I would've loved if you could also do the tests against bosses in the game as a "final" step to see how good it really is
These are all superb tips. Know what you want to do and build around that to be the best it can be at that task. Jacks of all trades work better at general killing but specialists dispatch ACs and other hard targets much much quicker. Engagement range and how you want to control the flow of the battle are the most critical decisions. If you're not controlling the flow of the battle you're probably going to lose it. Control of pace and range is everything.
Would have loved an ending along the lines of "And then we go into the chapter boss and get blown up anyways." Great guide eitherway, thanks for clearing up some confusion around the AC parts.
Thank you so much for this video. I am enjoying this game but was struggling on where to even begin with assembly and be creative and confident with my designs.
Thank you SO much for elaborating in the building, very simple and easy breakdown regarding this game’s at times overwhelming build system. Very much appreciate it
interesting thing about tian qiang is that it’s literal translation would be “sky spear/lance/gun” but the unit itself looks bulky and clumsy despite the name invoking a dexterous image
My basic b&&&& take: Whenever you are making a new AC design, start with the Loader 4 (literal starter mech) and develop it from there. Start from the ground up and find out what must be changed to make it work. Keep the ranges of your weapons in mind, you dont have to specialize but it can surely help some builds. PVP is very forgiving when it comes ro using different weapon damage types, I actually dont really feel PVE defenses really matter that much (save for pulse weapons on shields).
I just want to say for those who find it daunting, sometimes red is good. For example I lose boost distance, but I want to because I want to micro dodge. Anime dash style, so for me the I am actually able to increase my build weight, because! I want short dashes and a lot of them. At the moment I'm in early game and I get 5 short dashes. I don't want my energy recharge to drop, so that's what I gun for. Red can be good
Thank you man for this video, i got into the armored core community like 2 weeks, so I'm still new but I play ACLR since I cant play AC4 or AC6 (Cus I need a controller for the rpcs3 emulator and I cant buy ac6). But this guide really does help get a grasp of what stats and how to build regardless of the release version.
See for me, coming from Tom Clancy’s Division 2, there’s a similar concept. You make a build and see if it works on various missions/tasks. If it works very well, you keep it. THAT ALONE has made me want to fully understand this game and fully dive in. I’ve beaten the game 3 times over already and gotten everything so now that the grind is over, it is time for perfecting my mechs. Man oh man, appreciate the video bro. Shit I’m new to the AC series and boy it’s gonna be a great time. But uhhhh WE NEED DLC lol
As a veteran AC player, literally having played every game in the franchise, I didn't find this info new. That said, new players need this. I would like to point out, speed and agility is the tradeoff for durability and stability. While everyone will eventually find a setup that works and they like, look at what other player who are doing what you want to do and how they do it. There is a reason why a large amount (and I do mean almost ALL) melee focused builds are lightweight builds, very few touch the middleweight category, and even then they are on the lighter side. Heavier builds, like the one made here, would have a rough time being a melee build. Instead, they are usually better suited to heavy hitting weapons that usually carry a higher weight which necessitates a more stable and durable platform. Heavy hitting weapons usually have a slower rate of fire and sometimes will cause you to become momentarily stationary. This weakness is commonly offset by stout defenses, and therefore heavier builds. All the info here is a good start for newer players, but look at the other builds that veteran players are using and give them try. There is a reason those particular builds are made the way they are. Melee builds are fast and agile to dodge attacks and close gaps. Heavy hitters are bulky and stable to offset the momentary gap in offensive power they can dish out.
something else i haven's noticed people talking too much about is that your boost speed takes a massive hit if your total weight goes above 75000 (up until 80000 weight), so for medium to close range builds, it is worth considering not going above the 75k mark if speed is something you value a lot.
Whenever i see armored core and the customization i just see EDF and the fencer class and a game where u are just fencers big brother and this brings me unbridled child like joy
Oh god I didnt bother looking at the exact details of the parts for my current AC!!! All I did was confirm how fast it could go. Welp time to properly optimize my builds!!
I typically use a Zimmerman, 2 laser canons, and the pile bunker if I want massive impact damage. Get up nice and close, fire the shotgun and the lasers to try and overwhelm their systems and then hit a charge pile bunker punch. If I could have giant shotguns on my back instead I'd use those but I can't so laser canons work for now
Im just starting chapter 2 & rebuild my mech 6 times & finally made it to checkpoint first chapter of 2 lol, had to put it down for a day to let my adrenaline come down, when i beat 1st boss i had a buddy from work wing by and he's 60 yrs old and i was like check this game out & beat boss with him watching, told him that it was my 10th try lol, im 45 btw lol. I remember playing 1st game on pc in my 20's
Even back in the day when I played armored core I didn’t have any clue how to put the core together. Hopefully this general idea of how things work helps
