Armored Core 6 OS Tuning Guide

In the game Armored Core 6, you have the ability to make numerous adjustments in order to enhance your AC, but most of these improvements come at a cost. Undoubtedly, you may wish to enhance your long-range targeting accuracy by modifying your FCS, yet in doing so, you significantly diminish your accuracy at short distances. However, OS chips constitute an exception to this rule as they enhance your AC without any accompanying drawbacks.

How Do I Unlock OS Tuning?

The OS tuning menu is unlocked once you have completed the mission "Restore Combat Protocols" towards the end of the first chapter.

Where Do I Get OST Chips?

OST chips serve as the currency used to acquire OS upgrades. You can obtain them by completing arena battles. Once you unlock the OS tuning option for the first time, you can only participate in F-rank arena battles. However, as you progress further in the game, higher ranks will become available. The higher the rank of the AC you battle in the arena, the more OST chips you will receive.

OS System Unlock

These OS unlocks grant you an ability. It is not necessary to select or decide. Once you unlock an ability, you will always have access to it.

Name Of OS Chip	OST Cost
Boost Kick	1
Weapon Bay	2
Weight Control	3
Manual Aiming	2
Quick Turn	1

Boost Kick

The "Boost Kick" ability allows you to perform a close-quarters attack from your attack boost. You execute this attack by pressing the attack boost button during an attack boost. The kick inflicts a moderate amount of damage but is more effective in terms of posture damage, which means it can be useful for destabilizing opponents. You can combine specific attacks with the Boost Kick, making it a helpful, though not necessarily essential, ability that you can have access to.

Weapon Bay

This will allow you to convert your shoulder weapon slot into an additional primary weapon, which you can switch to in an instant. This provides you with a bit more flexibility in designing your AC, but at the same time, it limits your ability to fire all four weapons simultaneously.

Weight Control

The weight control ability is extremely intriguing. Once you have unlocked the weight control ability, you can surpass the weight limit, resulting in your AC moving slightly slower, but only marginally slower than it would otherwise. So, if the legs of your AC are intended for a lightweight build, and you utilize this ability to equip a heavy shoulder cannon, your AC will remain relatively swift due to its still relatively low weight. What's even better is that if you wish to increase your speed, you can discard that cannon in the midst of battle!

Manual Aiming

The manual targeting is precisely what it promises. Instead of locking onto your enemies, you have full control over the crosshair. This can be useful during missions where there are enemies you cannot lock onto, mixed with enemies you can target. Thus, you can freely choose your targets without the game forcing you to focus on an enemy that is targetable. However, this is quite a niche scenario. All in all, this is an option that most players will likely forgo, but some players will probably find it suits them well.

Quick Turn

Even though it may not be spectacular, the quick turn ability allows your AC to swiftly spin around, which can be invaluable when fighting agile opponents that pass by you directly. This ability only costs a single OST chip and is a no-brainer.

OS Core Expansions

If you've ever wondered what this expansion slot is intended for, here is your answer. You can equip one of these tank systems that will activate a temporary force field in some form. However, unlike other OS upgrades, you can only have one of these systems active at a time.

Name Of OS Chip	OST Cost - Level 1	OST Cost - Level 2	OST Cost - Level 3
Assault Armor	1	3	5
Pulse Protection	2	5	N/A
Pulse Armor	3	5	N/A
Terminal Armor	5	N/A	N/A

Assault Armor

This transforms your impulse into an attack. The field generated by this armor destroys projectiles, but its primary function is to create a force field that inflicts continuous damage on your opponent upon contact.

Pulse Protection

This accomplishes the same as the attack armor, but instead of continuous damage from the force field, it protects you from enemy attacks. This means that you can activate your pulse defense armor and then fire at your enemies while your pulse defense shield blocks all incoming projectiles. The effectiveness of this enhancement for long-range combat builds is hard to dispute.

Pulse Armor

Pulse Armor is similar to Pulse Defense, but instead of having to stay in the same spot, the armor moves with you. It also mitigates any damage, including melee attack damage, making it a better option for close-quarters combat. However, it doesn't last as long and doesn't mitigate as much damage.

Terminal Armor

Terminal Armor grants you the ability to survive a fatal blow. While this may initially sound impressive, it will reduce your AP to 1. Ultimately, this is likely to only help you if you and your opponent deliver fatal blows to each other simultaneously. We believe that the other three armor options are better choices at the end of the day.

OS Attack Control

These OS upgrades couldn't be simpler. The higher your level in each upgrade, the more damage you will inflict with the respective weapon type.

Name Of OS Chip	OST Cost - Level 1	OST Cost - Level 2	OST Cost - Level 3	OST Cost - Level 4	OST Cost - Level 5
Kinetic Weapons - Fire Control Tuning	2	3	5	7	10
Explosive Weapons - Fuse Control Tuning	2	3	5	7	10
Energy Weapons - Output Control Tuning	2	3	5	7	10
Melee Weapons - Drive Control Tuning	3	5	7	N/A	N/A

Kinetic Weapons - Fire Control Tuning

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5
3%	6%	9%	12%	15%

This will enhance your standard ammunition, such as most shotguns and assault rifles.

Explosive Weapons - Fuse Control Tuning

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5
3%	6%	9%	12%	15%

This will enhance your bazookas, rockets, and flamethrowers.

Energy Weapons - Output Control Tuning

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5
3%	6%	9%	12%	15%

This will enhance your plasma and laser-based weapons.

This OS upgrade does not affect energy-based melee weapons.

Melee Weapons - Drive Control Tuning

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
5%	10%	15%

This will enhance your swords, chainsaws, whips, and batons.

OS Damage Control

Name Of OS Chip	OST Cost - Level 1	OST Cost - Level 2	OST Cost - Level 3	OST Cost - Level 4	OST Cost - Level 5
Direct Hit Modifier - Damage Tuning	4	6	8	N/A	N/A
Access Speed - Optimization	2	4	N/A	N/A	N/A
ACS - Dynamic Deflection Control Tuning	2	3	5	7	10
Repair Kits - Optimization	3	5	8	10	N/A

Aside from the access speed OS upgrade, these are the upgrades to which you want to pay the most attention, as they enhance your overall performance in all areas. It's hard to overstate how much more resilient an AC becomes when it suffers 15% less damage and additionally heals 2000 AP whenever it uses a repair kit.

Direct Hit Modifier - Damage Tuning

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
5%	10%	15%

The more you invest in this OS, the more damage you will inflict on a staggering opponent. Since a significant portion of the damage you cause in Armored Core 6 is dealt to a staggering enemy, this is an incredibly powerful upgrade.

Access Speed - Optimization

Level 1	Level 2
+50%	+100%

This OS reduces the time needed to scan a downed AC, open a door, or interact with a terminal. It doesn't hurt to have it, but it truly is an essential upgrade.

ACS - Dynamic Deflection Control Tuning

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5
3%	6%	9%	12%	15%

The more you invest in this OS, the less damage you will suffer. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most effective upgrades in the game.

Repair Kits - Optimization

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
+500 AP	+1000 AP	+1500 AP	+2000 AP

Each level increases the amount of HP your repair kits heal. This is incredibly effective!