In my review of Armored Core 6, I mentioned that Fires of Rubicon was my first encounter with FromSoftware’s long-running mech series. As they eagerly try FromSoftware’s new game, I think many modern fans who only know the studio from Dark Souls, Sekiro, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring will be in a similar camp. Armored Core 6 feels and plays very differently from a Souls game, despite FromSoftware doing similar tricks under the hood. Although sustained range combat is a big change, the breakneck mobility is perhaps the steepest learning curve, and Armored Core 6’s dodge-roll is a big part of that. It doesn’t have one because, well, it doesn’t have one.

You have a quick boost that allows you to reposition your mech and dodge attacks like tracking missiles, but without the lenient invincibility frames of Souls. In a stubborn effort to make the most agile mech possible, I slapped the dodge button like it insulted my mother at first. I have beaten the game twice, perfected the art of the quick boost, and have returned to share my findings. The following quick build guide will help you build the best dodge you can get for a true-blue Mechiro run if heavy tank builds aren’t your thing.

In Armored Core 6, you have lots of stats to tune, but if you also believe in dodge-rolls, you only need to focus on a few. The legs, booster, and generator are the most important components here, but your overall weight and energy load are also important, as better dodge requires a lighter build, like in the Souls games. Despite the wiggle room, don’t expect to carry four bazookas and move like a butterfly. The following is a quick-and-dirty primer on each part’s keywords.

The best dodge is provided by a humanoid-type mech with bipedal legs. Legs that are lightweight are usually the fastest, but mid-range legs can be effective late in the game as well. While you can dodge with heavy tank or tetrapod legs, your quick boost won’t be as fast or as readily available. It is important to note that double-jointed lightweight legs can actually add a slight delay to rapid dodging, so these are better suited to aerial builds, although you may prefer the longer dodge distance. Feel things out starting with standard bipedal legs.

A generator’s EN capacity is the size of the energy (or stamina) bar. You can perform more quick boosts back-to-back the higher your capacity.

The EN Recharge and Supply Recovery stats determine how fast your bar regenerates after you spend energy. You must balance recovery with capacity, or you may end up hobbling around wide open for several seconds and getting a mouthful of missiles.

Your thrust reflects your overall movement speed, while your quick boost thrust affects how fast you get to point B when you hit the dodge button. With some exceptions, higher is generally better.

In Armored Core 6, you can’t always rely on stats alone, and this extends to more than just dodging. The part info descriptions for your components will often indicate how they should be used and what they’re good at. For example, the best booster I’ve found for dodging actually has relatively low QB thrust, but it has no limit on spamming quick boosts, allowing me to chain them together quickly. You should also test new parts on the Armored Core test field like you would when seasoning a dish at home. Practice may reveal surprisingly agile legs despite their heavier appearance.

A fast dodge starts with good baseline parts

Your best possible quick boost setup will evolve and fluctuate over time as you balance different parameters with your favorite weapons as you progress through Armored Core 6. You can experiment with a variety of parts without sacrificing your beloved quick boost if you keep an eye on the aforementioned stats. I’ve listed some beginner parts you should look out for to get you started.

The Nachtreiher/42E has good agility on its legs. The weight of your bipedal legs will increase as you unlock more generators and boosters.

DF-GN-02 Ling-Tai generator has a lower capacity but extremely high recharge rates, which allow for high DPS (dodges per second).

Over half of the game was played with the Alula/21E. It is available from the very beginning and comes with a high base thrust and a high QB thrust. In later levels, you should keep an eye out for IA-C01B: Gills, which are excellent at rapid dodging.

Obtaining these parts early on will serve you well until the shop opens up enough to allow for more precise weight tuning. The goal is to give you the knowledge you need to come up with your own loadout, rather than giving you a specific loadout. You can assemble an agile mech as long as you keep these principles in mind. All are welcome at the dodge-roll church.