How do you beat the IA-13 Sea Spider in Armored Core 6? The Armored Core 6 Sea Spider boss is one of the trickiest you’ll encounter in FromSoftware’s mech-filled extravaganza, and going into the fight unprepared will undoubtedly lead to hours of frustration – it’s probably why you’re here in the first place. Fortunately, we have the tech you need to beat the Sea Spider in Armored Core 6.
Though some may try to approach Armored Core 6 the same way as FromSoft’s RPG game offerings, one of 2023’s best games requires a much more aggressive playstyle when it comes to many of the Armored Core 6 bosses – the Sea Spider being one of them. Without further ado, let’s get into all the tips and tricks you’ll need to know to take down the mechanized arachnid, as well as the best build to roll with, courtesy of our own Armored Core 6 review playthrough.
How to beat the Sea Spider in Armored Core 6
To defeat the Sea Spider in Armored Core 6 you need to:
- Maintain permanent stagger pressure – The Sea Spider’s stagger bar fills and empties quickly, so weapons with high ammo capacity are crucial.
- Keep it moving – As with any major Armored Core encounter, remaining mobile will help you avoid the various chip abilities the Sea Spider peppers you with.
- Get underneath it – As you would dodge roll through many of the toughest Elden Ring bosses, avoid the leg crush and laser attacks by zipping underneath the Sea Spider.
- Manage your EN efficiently – When the Sea Spider enters its second phase, remaining airborne is necessary to avoid its aerial bombardment.
The Sea Spider more than puts its multiple legs to good use, rapidly zipping across the arena – be it to escape from your attacks, or to pounce on you with its powerful pins. In phase one, it also has powerful charged beam attacks that you have to be weary of. One will fire two consecutive bursts directly at you, while the other will beam a laser line either vertically or horizontally across your path. Both beam attacks have a short charge up, so try and acclimate yourself to their timings.
For the Sea Spider’s biggest attacks during this phase, try and get underneath it if you can. While you can’t dodge its missile salvo this way, it will prevent you from being hit by the crushing leg attack, as well as the lasers.
When it comes to actually melting the boss, we found great success equipping two DF-GA-08 HU BEN Gatling guns to the arms, as well as strapping on a couple of Songbirds to the shoulders. The constant peppering with the arm weaponry quickly staggers the boss, while the Songbirds deal unbelievable amounts of damage.
As for the main body of your AC, prioritize parts that will beef you up – hello LG-022T Bornemissza tank legs – and ensure your Arms Load Limit is sufficient for the heavy weaponry you’re looking to equip.
While you won’t quite get the airtime with a tank build that you would with Tetrapod legs, this won’t be an issue in phase two. When the boss launches itself into the air and enters its spinny spider mode, simply continue nuking it. You’ll need to ensure you’re airborne long enough to avoid the ground-wide laser attack the Sea Spider typically fires soon after the phase begins, so both weapon cooldown and energy management are going to be the keys to squishing the spider.
If you’re having trouble being caught out by the Sea Spider’s spinning laser attack during phase two, then the Terminal Armor Expansion will become your best friend. Not only will it keep you alive, but it will buy you the precious moments required to repair and continue fighting the good fight.
And that’s how to beat the Armored Core 6 Sea Spider. It’s certainly an intense encounter, and one which requires you to constantly keep on top of (or beneath) the attacking arthropod. If you want to track your progress after defeating the boss, be sure to check out the full list of Armored Core 6 missions. Meanwhile, if you’re planning to come back and retry the boss with an alternative strategy later on, then familiarize yourself with the Armored Core 6 weapons. Happy hunting.