How to Beat The Smart Cleaner (Boss Fight)

A demolition mech called the Smart Cleaner is one of the many boss fights your mech will face in Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon as a challenging enemy to beat at the end of a mission. A mobile fortress wielding two grinder arms powered by flames, this opponent can be quite intimidating. However, this autonomous heavy unit has clear weaknesses that you can exploit with the right build.

The EC-0804 Smart Cleaner shows up at the end of Mission 12, “Infiltrate Grid 086”, which sees your mech travel through a facility with small rooms and limited space. These restrictions make it challenging to use high-mobility mech builds, so consider using Tetrapod or Tank Leg parts. These boost your Armor Points (AP) in the evolved mech warfare of Armored Core 6, increasing your overall health in exchange for slower movement.

How To Defeat The Smart Cleaner Boss In Armored Core 6

Staying in the air for as long as possible while firing down at the Smart Cleaner can be the most effective way of taking the boss down since it doesn’t have any guns to shoot at you from long range. For the first portion of the fight, all the Smart Cleaner will do is charge at your mech and swing its fiery arms at you to deal massive damage. Avoiding these attacks could depend on your mech’s Energy meter in Armored Core 6.

Fight the boss from a distance when you can, and avoid getting trapped in a corner of the arena while trying to get away. The space here is limited, making it extremely important to keep track of your Energy so that your mech can fly, boost dodge, and recharge this resource at the right times. One of the fun aspects is the delicate balance of Energy in Armored Core 6 determined by the exact build you design.

When the Smart Cleaner reaches around 50% of its health, it will start shooting balls of fire from its central furnace on top of the machine. These shots will make it harder to approach from the air, with lingering fire staying on the spots where they land on the ground. Moving your mech through burning metal sections will damage it, making long-range weapons the best to equip for this battle.

Learning to beat the Smart Cleaner in Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon may take some trial and error, but thankfully, you can always adjust your mech build through the mission Checkpoint if you fail.