Armored Core 6: The BEST Head Armor [Top 5]

Like in-game armor pieces, the best Armored Core 6 head helps your mech in defense, mobility, and versatility. These heads vary in requirements, stats, and overall benefits, accommodating specific playstyles and builds. As such, given their importance as one of the four armor components, an optimal headpiece can give you that extra advantage to beat stronger foes.

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Best Head Armor In Armored Core 6

Here’s a quick breakdown of all the best Armored Core 6 head armor pieces, detailing their prices and benefits to your mech:

5. AH-J-124 BASHO

If all you’re looking for is high AP to raise your mech’s maximum HP, this is your top choice. As a tank-like build, I used the BASHO throughout my Armored Core 6 experience, and with other AP-focused Frame parts, my AP was well over 20000 by the end. You can obtain this helmet relatively early in your playthrough after defeating the Sea Spider at Ocean Crossing, the final mission of Chapter 2.

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Pros And Cons

• As highlighted earlier, the AH-J-124 BASHO has the highest AP out of any head armor, making it suitable for tank builds that demand the best defense and can tolerate almost any Weight Load.
• To further show its defense, this helmet comes with the best Anti-Kinetic and Anti-Explosive Defense, making it the optimal choice against grenade launchers and close-range enemies, including several in-game bosses.
• Of course, these stats come with the obvious drawback that the BASHO has the highest Weight Load requirement, 4600, so it’s nearly unusable for lightweight builds like a Reverse-Jointed AC.
• You’ll also notice the extremely weak System Recovery as this component makes you much more susceptible to detecting and recovering from system abnormalities like Electric Discharge.
• As such, players and AI can equip Stun Guns and Stun Needles as a direct counter to the AH-J-124 BASHO.

4. IA-CO1-H: Ephemera

The Ephemera is easily the best Armored Core 6 head armor in terms of balance across all stats. It has no significant weaknesses and even stands at the top in specific categories, so it’s the ideal choice for players who constantly change their builds and test different variations. 

Unlike other parts on this list, the Ephemera is a hidden piece that you can find in Mission 28: Underground Exploration – Depth 1 with the following procedure:

1. At the start of the mission, access the elevator to head down to the bottom of the site.

2. As you head down, the elevator will eventually stop, after which you’ll need to drop down to the nearest platforms while avoiding the enemy lasers attacking below.
3. After some traversing, you’ll be ambushed by a few enemy MTs, after which Ayre will direct you to your objective marker atop a window.

4. At the far end of the window, you’ll spot a chest that you can access to get the IA-CO1-H Ephemera.

Pros And Cons

• In terms of defense, the Ephemera has great AP and resistance against different attack types, and it’s got the best Anti-Energy Defense, making it the ideal choice for most AI ACs in the Arena.
• It’s also got phenomenal Attitude Stability, trailing just behind the VP-44D and the KASUAR/44Z, so again, it encourages both ACS-focused offense and AP-based defense playstyles.
• Unfortunately, the Ephemera falls into the “Jack of all trades, Master of none” trope since it doesn’t excel in any notable category, and most helmets in AC6 usually beat this component in one or two stats.
• More specifically, the Scan Effect Duration leaves much to be desired as the Ephemera has the third shortest scan duration in the game.

3. VP-44D

If you constantly find yourself getting staggered against bosses and hordes of enemies, then this armor can undoubtedly help prevent that. The VP-44D, obtainable for 231,000 COAM after clearing Mission 35, is an excellent choice for an aggressive playstyle, favoring players who engage in close-range combat.

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Pros And Cons

• The VP-44D has the best Attitude Stability out of any head armor in AC6, and it leads with a significant margin over the runner-up in this category, the KASUAR/44Z.
• Attitude Stability is perhaps the most important stat for a helmet since it not only prevents you from getting an ACS Overload and becoming vulnerable but also encourages you to keep constant pressure on the enemy.
• As such, if you want to equip yourself with offense-based gear to fill up the enemy’s ACS meter quickly, you can pick this as your main head component.
• Besides this, the VP-44D also comes with solid figures in System Recovery and Scan abilities, but unfortunately, it suffers in the defense department.
• The 880 AP from this helmet is generally considered a subpar stat, and the Anti-Kinetic, Anti-Explosive, and Anti-Energy Defense numbers aren’t great either, weakening the 44D’s versatility.

2. VE-44A

Just shy of the top spot, the VE-44A is another excellent all-rounder part suitable for most playstyles and mechs with its high defense and excellent mobility. You can get this component for 275,000 COAM from the Shop after completing Mission 27: Destroy the Ice Worm at the end of Chapter 3.

Pros And Cons

• With 1060 AP, the VE-44A has among the top 3 highest raw HP for a headpiece, and this bonus comes at a modest Weight load, so you don’t have to reserve too much Weight to use it.
• Despite the great stats in Scan Distance and Scan Duration, there’s also a low EN Load on equipping this unit.
• However, the best thing about the VE-44A is its unparalleled balance between the Defense stats, as its Anti-Energy Defense is 1 point lower than the aforementioned Ephemera but has much better Anti-Kinetic Defense.
• Unfortunately, the Attitude Stability could be better since it’s overshadowed by even mediocre helmets in AC6.

1. VE-44B

The VE-44B is undoubtedly the best head armor in AC6, given the fact that most head components aren’t even close in some stats. It’s the ideal part for almost any in-game build, but like the VE-44A, its high requirements make it a late-game item.

Upon clearing Mission 35: Escape at the start of Chapter 5, you can grab the VE-44B for 306,000 COAM. Of course, this is the exact mission after which you can get the VP-44D, too, so choose wisely which part you want to get.

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Pros And Cons

• The VE-44B’s most vital selling point is its improvements to your Scan ability since its 700 Scan Distance coupled with an 18.0 duration puts it leagues above the competition in both stats.
• It’s also got the quickest System Recovery for a head part in AC6, maximizing your ACS and lowering your mech’s chance of getting stunned.
• For defense-based stats, the VE-44B has one of the highest AP figures, being just over 1000 and relative to other tank-like heads.
• However, this piece has some of the highest requirements out of any head armor in-game in terms of both Weight and EN Load, so you’ll need some legs and an optimal Core and Generator to support it.
• Also, the Anti-Kinetic, Anti-Energy, and Anti-Explosives are worse than its counterpart, the VE-44A, although the difference isn’t that noticeable.

That wraps up this guide on the best Armored Core 6 head components, covering their unlocking procedures, benefits, and drawbacks. As seen, these helmets have several distinguishing factors, either being the best in one category or respectable in all of them. Thus, it’s better to try out every one of them to see which one suits you the most. To gain some insight, you can visit this Subreddit Post to see the mech parts the community thinks need buffs or nerfs.

Alongside heads, you can learn about Firearm Specialization in Armored Core 6 to optimize ranged combat. You can also test your newly acquired parts against several bosses, like Balteus, at the end of Chapter 1. And be sure to look for the in-game Decision Missions in AC6 that heavily impact your narrative and ending.

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