Armored Core 6: Best OS Tuning [20+ Hours]

There are four categories of OS Tuning: System Unlocks, Core Expansions, Attack Control, and Damage Control. Each category’s perks may enhance your AC’s offensive or defensive abilities. I learned that some of these perks can only be used once during a mission. If they are used, they will be placed on a cooldown.

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Key Takeaways

OS Tuning is a vital upgrading mechanic in Armored Core 6. There can be many different OS settings for your Mech. However, here I will list some of our best picks for OS tuning. 

1. Boost Kick:
   • Effect: Unlocks a powerful kick for your AC.
   • Application: Effective for staggering enemies and closing gaps.
   • Versatility: Works well for both lightweight and heavyweight builds.
2. Quick Turn:
   • Effect: Unlocks snappy side movements for your AC.
   • Application: Enhances mobility, especially useful in boss fights.
   • Comparison: It resembles AC4’s movement for veteran players.
3. Repair Kits:
   • Effect: Increases healing from AC’s repair kits.
   • Application: Crucial for lightweight and tanky builds.
   • Significance: Important for sustaining tanky builds with higher health.
4. Direct Hit Modifier – Damage Tuning:
   • Effect: Improves precision against staggered enemies.
   • Application: Increases damage during opportune moments in boss fights.
   • Strategic Value: Enhances accuracy and damage simultaneously.

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Author’s Trust

Shahzar has been a big fan of all titles produced by From Software. After investing over 20 hours in this game, these are his top choices for some of the best OS settings. However, if you have any queries or questions, reach out without hesitation.

Boost Kick

The Boost Kick OS Tuning makes your AC do a powerful kick with the impact assisted by the speed and weight of your AC. This OS Tuning is one of the best, as it can work for both lightweight and heavyweight builds, as both speed and weight contribute to the force. Plus, it can be constructive when you have staggered the enemy.

I mostly used this attack right after I used the combat boost thrusters to close the gap between me and the Stunned enemy.

Quick Turn

During my run, this perk became one of my favorite and the best OS Tunings in Armored Core 6. The Quick Turn makes your side movements snappy, resulting in better mobility.

This helps out a lot in boss fights. Moreover, if you are a veteran Armored Core player, this is the closest you will get to AC4’s movement in this game. This was especially handy during my fight with small and quick enemies as I could instantly turn around to counterattack.

Repair Kits

This OS Tuning is a must in this game as it increases the healing done by your repair kits. With every upgrade, the healing increases by 500 AP.

This can be useful if you have a lightweight build and is especially necessary if you plan on going for a tanky build, as the default repair kit won’t make a significant difference to your AP bar.

Assault Armor

This OS Tuning saved me from the enemy’s fire and did some AOE damage around, which can be helpful when you get swarmed during a mission.

Direct Hit Modifier – Damage Tuning

Stagger plays a big part in Armored Core 6, so it only made sense to put this OS Tuning here. The best chance you have in boss fights is when the boss gets staggered, as you can damage it, but it can’t hit back.

This is the best opportunity to dish out much damage. Furthermore, the Direct Hit Modifier uses this opportunity by increasing your accuracy and damage simultaneously, giving you a higher chance to hit the enemy and strike them.

Unlocking OS Tuning

You will need OST chips to unlock the different perks in the OS Tuning section. I was able to earn these OST chips in the Arena.

The Arena is a PvE mode where players can fight against AI ACs and gain OST chips after defeating them. Moreover, you will start from F Rank, and as you do more missions and unlock the Arena battles, you will rank up and get matched up against harder enemy ACs.

You can return your OST Chips if I did not like the upgrade. However, getting the OST Chips back costs COAM, so choose wisely, or you will see yourself running out of cash quickly.

There are a total of 17 OS Tuning options.

System Unlocks

There are a total of 5 System Unlocks OS Tuning.

Name	Description	Cost (OST Chips)
Boost Kick	Unlocks the ability to perform a Boost Kick. Boost Kicks hit with heavy impact by combining the speed of an Assault Boost with the sheer weight of the AC.	1
Weapon Bay	Unlocks the Weapon Bay feature for AC shoulders, allowing shoulder weapons to be replaced with additional hand weapons.	2
Weight Control	Unlocks the ability to sortie when AC is overburdened, and to manually purge weapons. Purging weapons reduces weight load and improves speed.	3
Manual Aiming	Unlocks the ability to perform manual aiming. Allows for manual reticle control, but practical usage calls for experienced technique.	2
Quick Turn	Unlocks the Quick Turn feature, allowing the AC to perform snap turns to side or rear directions.	1

Core Expansions

There are a total of 4 Core Expansions OS Tuning.

Name	Description	Cost (OST Chips)
Assault Armor	Unlocks Core Expansion: Assault Armor and allows it to be installed. Assault Armor creates a pulse explosion centered on the AC, cancelling out incoming enemy fire and creating a damaging area-of-effect shockwave.	1
Pulse Protection	Unlocks Core Expansion: Pulse Protection and allows it to be installed. Pulse Protection creates a pulse barrier in a fixed position, providing cover from enemy fire until the barrier reaches its durability or time limit.	2
Pulse Armor	Unlocks Core Expansion: Pulse Armor and allows it to be installed. Pulse Armor creates a pulse barrier that trails the AC, dramatically increasing defensive performance until it exceeds its durability or time limit.	3
Terminal Armor	Unlocks Core Expansions: Terminal Armor and allows it to be installed. Terminal Armor automatically triggers a pulse barrier when the AC's AP reaches its limit, greatly enhancing defense until the barrier reaches its durability or time limit.	2

Attack Control

There are a total of 6 Attack Control OS Tuning.

Name	Description	Cost (OST Chips)
Kinetic Weapons - Fire Control Tuning	Optimizes fire control of AC and weapons to enhance all sources of kinetic damage, excluding melee weapons.	2
Explosive Weapons - Fuse Control Tuning	Optimizes fuse control of AC and weapons to enhance all sources of explosive damage, excluding melee weapons.	2
Energy Weapons - Output Control Tuning	Optimizes power output of AC and weapons to enhance all sources of energy damage, excluding melee weapons.	2
Melee Weapons - Drive Control Tuning	Optimizes drive control of AC and weapons to enhance all sources of melee damage.	3
Direct Hit Modifier - Damage Tuning	Improves the precision of attacks against staggered enemies, increasing damage dealt by direct hits.	4
Access Speed - Optimization	Improves object access speed by optimizing hacking and override functionality.	2

Damage Control

There are a total of 2 Damage Control OS Tuning.

Name	Description	Cost (OST Chips)
ACS - Dynamic Deflection Control Tuning	Improves the precision of ACS-based bracing posture control, reducing damage received from enemy attacks.	2
Repair Kits - Optimization	Improves the AC's ability to scan for damage, boosting the effectiveness of Repair Kits.	3

My Thoughts

The OS Tuning is another exciting feature available in this game. It enables players to add perks to Mech, which adds so much variety to the gameplay. Perks like Quick Turn were a godsend, especially fighting against smaller and quicker Mechs. Similarly, having Boost Kick so I can kick the bolts of a Mech is equally satisfying.

Moreover, I think the game makes an intelligent choice by not introducing this feature immediately and waiting for the player to get used to the rest of the mechanics. Therefore, these are some of our favorite picks. Still, I recommend adding anything of your preference to your Mech and adjusting it to your play style. 

Check out similar guides:

• Armored Core 6 Best Early Game Parts.
• Armored Core 6 Moonlight Sword.
• Armored Core 6 Best Armor Parts.