How to Beat IA-02: Ice Worm in Armored Core 6 (AC6)

The IA-02 Ice Worm boss seems intimidating at first, but compared to the rest of the bosses in Armored Core 6, this one has one of the largest gimmicks. As long as you come prepared, this giant machine will fall down without having to break much of a sweat, and I’ll outline the full fight here.

How to Defeat the Ice Worm Boss in Armored Core 6

To beat the Ice Worm, you need to equip the VE-60SNA Stun Needle Launcher on your right shoulder. This weapon is designed specifically for the worm boss, and using it will tear through all the unique shields. The only catch is that the launcher is fairly slow and it has to make direct contact with the face of the Ice Worm.

Any time you hit the boss with a Stun Needle Launcher blast, its shields will go down and your ally will hit the worm with an incredibly large blast. After a few moments, the Alaskan Bull Worm will hit the ground, allowing you and your allies to dump as much damage as possible on the face.

Once you complete two rounds of this, your allies will be taken out and it will take two blasts to break the shield instead of one. On top of the extra blast, the Ice Worm will get a bit angrier. However, the gimmick remains the same. Stun the face and make sure you kill it on round three or else the mission is a failure.

How to Get the VE-60SNA Stun Needle Launcher in AC6

You can get the VE-60SNA Stun Needle Launcher by beating the second to last mission in Chapter 3 of Armored Core 6. The launcher is automatically placed in your AC Assembly for the right shoulder before the battle against the Ice Worm. Just head to the Assembly and apply the weapon to get started.

You can also head to the AC Parts Shop if you want a second Stun Needle Launcher. It can be purchased with COAM in the left shoulder category. So the option is there if you want two of them in AC6, but it’s definitely not required.

Related: How to Manually Reload in Armored Core 6 (AC6)

Best Build to Beat the Ice Worm in AC6

The best build needs to have the VE-60SNA Stun Needle Launcher, but the rest of your build should be purely based on high burst damage. You don’t need more than one needle, and you have limited time in between each stun on the IA-02 Ice Worm. Below you can find the build I used to tear through the machine.

Best Ice Worm Build in AC6:

• R-Arm Unit: DF-GA-08 HU-BEN
• L-Arm Unit: DF-GA-08 HU-BEN
• R-Back Unit: VE60SNA
• L-Back Unit: BML-G2/P05MLT-10
• Head: EL-TH-10 Firmeza
• Core: VP-40S
• Arms: AC-2000 Tool Arm
• Legs: LG-011 Melander
• Booster: BST-G2/P04
• FCS: FCS-G2/P10SLT
• Generator: DF-GN-06 Ming-Tang
• Expansion: Terminal Armor

Compared to other fights in Armored Core 6, the Ice Worm requires the least amount of fine-tuning for your parts. As long as you have the Stun Needle and some decent mobility, the Alaskan Bull Worm doesn’t stand a chance.

Now the next boss is a different story. Learn how you can easily beat the AA P03 Enforcer when the time comes in Armored Core 6.