Armored Core 6 Smart Cleaner boss guide – how to beat Smart Cleaner in AC 6

Want to beat Smart Cleaner in Armored Core 6? The Smart Cleaner is a pretty tough boss, heralding back to the power and spectacle of the likes of Yhorm the Conqueror.

Here, we’ll cover our best strategies and advice to beat Smart Cleaner in Armored Core 6. If you’re struggling with the basics, make sure you’ve unlocked parts that’ll be useful for you, and that you’ve sharpened your skills in the arena.

How to defeat the Smart Cleaner in Fires of Rubicon.

Here are our top tips for beating the Smart Cleaner in Armored Core 6.

• Stay above the boss.
• Exploit his weak points.
• Use high damage precision weapons.
• Be aware of your spacing.

We’ll go over each of these points in a little more detail.

Stay above the boss

The Smart Cleaner is a dangerous opponent, able to deal massive damage with its attacks. But most of these attacks are centred closer to the ground. Keep above it with sustained or consistent flight, and you’ll be able to avoid the majority of its moves entirely.

While you’ll still need to avoid one aerial attack, the fair warning given and proper positioning, it isn’t a serious issue. You’ll also be able to access a weak point from here.

Exploit his weak points

Smart Cleaner is almost indestructible to damage from conventional angles. The key here is targeting his weak points. Without these, it’s nearly impossible to beat Smart Cleaner in Armored Core 6. He has two you can exploit.

The first is directly on his ‘face’ – an open furnace door panel glowing red and orange, through which it’ll periodically attack with molten slag. The second is the open crucible on his back – aiming down the top of the funnel and hitting the molten metal within can deal significant damage to it.

The weak point on top is the easiest to consistently hit, but certain moves will provide great openings to hit the front panel one too. Pay close attention to his moves and you’ll be able to make the most of exploiting both areas throughout the fight.

Use high damage precision weapons

Smart Cleaner has a massive health pool, so much so that this fight isn’t really about speed or precision, but endurance. This means that shortening the time you spend in the fight gives you a significant advantage.

One of the best ways to accomplish this is through the use of precise high damage weapons. The weak points can be difficult to hit, but landing powerful blows makes the Smart Cleaner’s foreboding health bar manageable.

Choices like plasma cannons and shoulder-mounted lasers are great options for this – but be aware of their limited ammunition and take care to ensure your shots count.

Be aware of your spacing

Though enormous, the Smart Cleaner is surprisingly fast. If it gets in close, dodging its wide sweeping attacks can be difficult. Similarly, being too close when flying above it brings substantial risk from its molten eruption attack.

Your best option here is to keep a middle distance, closing in where necessary to land hits, and backing further away when it deploys dangerous AOE attacks. Learning this balance of spacing will greatly improve your survivability in the fight, allowing you to last long enough to beat it.

Who is the Smart Cleaner?

EC 0804 Smart Cleaner is an automated industrial robot. It was likely originally used for recycling and dismantling heavy machinery, equipment and other metals. When you encounter it, it has fallen under the control of the RaD, a hostile faction of arms dealers led by ‘Cinder’ Clara. It’s treated as a champion and gatekeeper of sorts, serving as their final line of defence against interlopers.

That’s everything you should need to know to help you beat Smart Cleaner in Armored Core 6. They’re not the only boss in the game though. If you need some advice for dealing with the Sea Spider or Balteus, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Where is the Smart Cleaner located?

The Smart Cleaner boss in Armored Core 6 can be found after fighting your way through the defences of the RaD faction in your first mission to penetrate Grid 086.

Is the Smart Cleaner indestructible?

The Smart Cleaner is coated in super-heavy steel plating across most of its chassis, meaning that most of its body aside from its weak points is virtually indestructible.