How to Beat the HA-T-102 JUGGERNAUT in Armored Core 6

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon doesn’t pull punches, not even in the early hours of the game. The HA-T-102 JUGGERNAUT is one of several bosses that will test your mettle within the very first chapter. After a quick climb of the wall, you will find yourself confronted with the JUGGERNAUT, which can become something of a roadblock in Armored Core VI for the inexperienced.

How to Beat the HA-T-102 JUGGERNAUT in Armored Core VI

Armored Core VI doesn’t throw you into the HA-T-102 JUGGERNAUT fight right away. First, you will need to get through the slew of enemies leading up to the wall. You can boost past the enemies that stand in the way of your objective, which is a series of canons on the ground. These are easy to find and will be marked with the red objective marker. Once you’ve taken these out, head to the wall and fight the Core that stands in your way. If you are having issues with this fight, clear out the turrets on the wall with your rockets, and rush in the destroy the core with your Pulse Blade.

From here you can scale the wall and fight the JUGGERNAUT. However, before doing so make sure to stop by the station near the door to replenish any repair kits you may have used previously. Now, this is where the real fight begins. My advice is to use the SG-026 HALDEMAN shotgun, preferably dual wielding them. This means that you’ll need to play aggressive and stick close to the JUGGERNAUT, but that is honestly the best course of action.

Screenshot via Siliconera

The first phase is relatively easy, as you will have another Armored Core pilot assisting you. Once that pilot is called away, that’s when the fight gets hard, and this will be right before the second phase transition. Staying close to the JUGGERNAUT means that you can avoid a bulk of its missile attacks, and the landmines it will drop, which are the real problem. If the dual shotguns aren’t working for you, you’ll want to rely on the Pulse Blade. Just keep in mind that if you use the Pulse Blade too close to either side of the JUGGERNAUT, the damage may not take. You want to make sure you are either above or behind it at all times.

I generally do not recommend using any of the rifles you unlocked through the Tutorial missions. However, you can absolutely take down the JUGGERNAUT with any weapon in Armored Core VI. It just may be harder to take down this monstrosity of a tank with ranged weapons, and this is something I know firsthand because that’s how I did the fight the first time. Ultimately, roll with whatever weapons you want, but if you feel like you’re struggling, just go in with some shotguns, or the SG-026 HALDEMAN shotgun and the Pulse Blade, then let the JUGGERNAUT have it.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.