Well, I’ve been playing the amazing Armored Core 6 for quite some time now and figured I’d share some knowledge about the S-Rank and how to achieve it. The S-Ranks in Armored Core 6 is the best rank you can get on a mission, but achieving it takes some time. This rank is hard to get, but it’s not worth beating yourself up if you don’t earn one on a stage. It is the most challenging rank to get for a reason.
Tips on getting S-Ranks in Armored Core 6
Below are some tips I’ve learned throughout my S-Rank journey in Armored Core 6. Hopefully, they’ll be helpful to you, as I’ve had my fair share of hard knocks figuring these out. Also, before going into these tips, remember that your first go at a mission doesn’t matter. It’s not until you retry a level that earning that S-Rank matters. Not unless you’re some maverick.
Try not to waste ammo
More than anything, you will get penalized if you waste/spam your weapons. Why? Because S-Rank is about doing things the best you can, and if you spam your weapons, you’ll be charged credits, and you want to earn as much money as you can instead. One way around this is using shotguns or melee weapons instead.
Complete levels as fast as you can
Pure and simple, get through levels as fast as you can. Don’t waste time, and head directly to your objectives. The quicker you complete a level, the more money you earn, and the more you earn helps towards the S-Rank.
Complete any objectives
You’ll notice that some missions will also include objectives that aren’t required to beat a level but will help you gain more money. These are helpful as they will help offset any ammo waste or, in general, give you more money. Again, the more money you earn helps towards the S-Rank.
Take as little damage as possible
One big tip for getting an S-Rank is to minimize any AC damage. The less damage you take during a mission, you’ll be penalized less and earn more money. It’s funny how that seems to be a big part of earning an S-Rank. So, try to get hit less. Picking up the Pulse Armor and Pulse Protection OS Tuning options will also go a long way to help negate damage.
Do not restart at checkpoints after dying
More than anything, if you are trying for an S-Rank, you can not use the checkpoints. Restarting a mission using the checkpoints will automatically lock you out of an S-Rank. Instead, you’ll have to restart the mission.
Don’t bash your head in
Simply put, trying to get an S-Rank early on when your AC isn’t fully optimized will be an exercise in frustration. Instead, you can retry a level at any time and attempt them once you have better weapons and armor. Upgrade your AC, then go back and dominate.
It’s all about the money
Lastly, if you haven’t picked it up, S-Rank is ultimately about earning as much money as possible. Taking less damage means you won’t have to repair, meaning you make more money. Wasting less ammo means you don’t get penalized for doing so. Doing optional objectives earns you more money. As Wu-Tang said once upon a time ago, it’s C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me). It’s all about the money, and I suppose that makes sense, given what the game is all about.
Is getting an S-Rank worth it?
At the end of it all, you have to ask yourself if getting a S-Rank on all the levels is worth it. I don’t think so, as there’s no reward, not useful rewards, I should say, for getting it. You’ll only get an achievement/trophy for your efforts. But if you’re one of those achievement/trophy hunters, I can see why you want an S-Rank. But if you want to beat the game and see everything it has, maybe not as much.