Armored Core 6: How to Destroy the Cleaner & Complete Infiltrate Grid 086 in AC6

The first mission in Chapter 2 of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon has taken the gloves off, burned them, and used the ash to create a grueling slog through tough enemies that leads to a brutal boss. This is the point in the game when players really need to know what they’re doing with their builds, and if they don’t, they’re going to suffer.

To complete Infiltrate Grid 086, players must climb a giant grid, one of the many they’ve seen in the skybox above previous missions, and make their way to the lowest level to confront the boss of the RaD faction that occupies it. If players are looking to see which build they should take into this mission or the boss fight, they should skip straight to that section below because nothing else is more important.

Related: Armored Core 6 Complete Guide: Combat Mechanics, Bosses & Story in AC6

Best Build for Infiltrate Grid 086 in Armored Core 6

The best build for the Infiltrate Grid 086 mission in Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon is shown above. This build allows for maximum damage on enemies, and the melee attack is incredibly important. So many enemies in this mission take more than a charged shot from the linear rifle to take down, so a volley of missiles or follow-up melee hit is imperative. See below for the exact list of parts in this Armored Core build.

• Right Arm Unit: LR-036 CURTIS
• Left Arm Unit: HI-32: BU-TT/A
• Right Back Unit: BML-G1/P20MLT-04
• Left Back Unit: BML-G1/P20MLT-04
• Head: HD-012 MELANDER C3
• Core: VP-40S
• Arms: AR-012 MELANDER C3
• Legs: EL-TL-10 FIRMEZA
• Booster: ALULA/21E
• FCS: FCS-G2/P10SLT
• Generator: VP-20S
• Expansion: TERMINAL ARMOR

Armored Core 6: Infiltrate Grid 086 Walkthrough

As soon as players start the Infiltrate Grid 086 mission in Armored Core 6, they’ll be face-to-face with enemies. The grid is a superstructure made up of multiple levels of various pieces of metal. None of it feels consistent, and that makes navigation pretty challenging. However, if players take it slow and attack enemies as they see them without attracting multiple groups, they should be able to progress pretty quickly.

It’s worth checking around every corner in this early section of the mission. There are a few enemies with combat logs that will count toward Loghunt progress as well as some combat logs on long-dead Armored Cores. As players approach the first objective, an Armored Core called “Invincible” Rummy will pop out and attack them.

This is the first mini-boss of the mission, and it can be quite tough. Avoid the melee attacks this Armored Core can perform because they pin players and hit them for ages. Maintaining distance and getting melee hits in where possible will quickly dispatch this enemy. Players can fly through the nearby opening once the mini-boss has been dealt with.

This next area is a maze of paths for players to take. While it’s possible to head straight for the objective if players want to progress through to the end, it’s well worth exploring. There are dozens of large enemies to take out for combat logs, including two Tetrapods and a host of rolling mechs that need to be dispatched with melee attacks and missiles before they ruin a player’s day.

While exploring the mission, players can come across chests containing a new set of AC Gear. We only found two pieces of this gear, but it’s powerful enough to justify the effort required to seek it out.

Just before players exit this second area, they need to interact with a door. They’ll be ambushed as soon as they do, so readying an attack for this will help negate damage. The next section is a small series of corridors filled with enemies, but it won’t challenge players more than what’s come before.

However, once players emerge, they’ll be in the largest region of the mission yet. There are quite a few enemies to take out in the corners of each path, but not nearly as many as in the branching paths of the previous area. It all culminates in a big pit, but players shouldn’t jump in and fight right away.

The pit is filled with tough enemies and another mini-boss, but it’s possible to shoot the canisters above the pit to destroy everything but that mini-boss and make the encounter so much easier. The Tetrapod mini-boss holds a shield and can be hard to take down. We found that flying above the enemy and pummeling it with missiles and melee attacks helped bring its health down and stagger it quickly.

With the second mini-boss down, players can progress to the final part of the mission. “Cinder” Carla will say that she’s been beaten and invites the protagonist into the central chamber of Grid 086 for a chat. We suggest picking up the Supply Sherpa before moving to the second door because there’s a very tough fight coming.

With supplies replenished, players can open the door to what is a very obvious boss fight with a colossal machine called Cleaner. It spews hot metal and has two giant grinders for arms that deal more than half of our Armored Core’s health in damage per hit. This is not an easy fight.

Best Armored Core Build for Beating the Cleaner in Armored Core 6

The best build for beating the Cleaner in Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon is shown above. We had to craft this build after getting pummeled to death by the boss about three or four times. We switched out a missile launcher on the shoulder for a big old laser cannon and reconfigured our main weapons. Instead of a linear rifle and melee weapon, we’re packing a machine gun for rapid fire and a beast of a grenade launcher. The sheer amount of damage this build can deal is what turns the Cleaner from a formidable boss into a minor inconvenience. See below for a list of all the exact AC Parts.

• Right Arm Unit: MG-014 LUDLOW
• Left Arm Unit: DF-GR-07 GOU-CHEN
• Right Back Unit: BML-G1/P20MLT-04
• Left Back Unit: VP-60LCS
• Head: HD-012 MELANDER C3
• Core: VP-40S
• Arms: AR-012 MELANDER C3
• Legs: EL-TL-10 FIRMEZA
• Booster: ALULA/21E
• FCS: FCS-G2/P10SLT
• Generator: VP-20S
• Expansion: TERMINAL ARMOR

How to Destroy the Cleaner in Armored Core 6

The Cleaner boss is a monster in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. The fight starts with the boss charging players and crushing them between its giant grinders. The best tactic here is to fly above it and dodge that attack, which will be a common theme throughout the fight.

The main issue with this boss fight is that hitting the boss in the face is almost impossible without taking damage. This makes staggering it a thing players can only dream of. But that’s just what the Cleaner wants you to think. In reality, it has a second point where players can attack it high up on its back.

We developed our build based around flying above the Cleaner and attacking its chimney, the weak point on its back, from above. Players must fly quite high to do this, but with one shot from the grenade launcher, shoulder laser, and a missile volley, the boss will be close to being staggered. We managed to stagger it five times in a single fight. Once it’s staggered, players need to fly above it again to keep up the damage.

Repeating the process of flying above the Cleaner and attacking it will eventually lead to players beating it. During the second phase of the fight, players need to watch out for an attack where the Cleaner pulls its grinders back and spews metal everywhere, deliberately attacking what’s above it.

This devastating move killed us when we didn’t expect it. If players see those grinders move up, they need to get away from the Cleaner until it’s finished, then fly above it to dodge its incoming charge attack.

After beating the Cleaner, the mission will end. Players can earn a decent new weapon if they’ve collected enough combat logs, as well as the AC Gear from chests around the mission. The next part of the story will play out when players return to base.