Armored Core 5 Walkthrough Part 14: Chapter 00 Part 2

A cutscene will begin after you have killed the second escape helicopter. As HQ transmits your next route, your attack will be interrupted by an enemy general. The general will be piloting an AC called Vendetta, and he will turn out to be the leader of the escaping enemy troops. You will have to battle him, although you won’t have to worry about finishing him off for now.

Boss Battle: Vendetta

Charge forward until you can get a lock on Vendetta. This is a small AC with medium sized firepower. It will attack with rapid fire weapons and generally try to stay out of your line of fire by boosting back and forth around the streets. During this battle, it can be helpful to have a Rifle, Missiles, and Energy Blade equipped to your three weapons slots (if you are piloting a very small and agile AC and can’t equip three weapons without suffering a movement penalty, just go with the Rifle and the Energy Blade.) Hit Vendetta with homing Missiles when it tries to dodge the first from your rifle. When Vendetta gets close, hit it with your Energy Blade to deal significant damage. More limber ACs without as many weapons can boost in close, dodging left, right, up, and down to avoid Vendetta’s attacks, and lash out repeatedly with the Energy Blade instead of trying to use the Rifle at all.

When you have dealt a significant amount of damage to Vendetta, it will retreat behind one of the nearby buildings before beginning its attacks anew. Repeat the same strategy of closing the distance while firing to lash out with your Energy Blade. Deal just a little more damage to Vendetta to beat him for now and end the fight.

After you defeat Vendetta, a cutscene will play. The enemy leader will express his wish that you were on their side instead of the government’s before retreating to the tunnels beneath the city. Immediately begin to fire upon the two tanks and the Defense AC directly ahead of you after beating Vendetta and watching the cutscene. They can take you by surprise, for sure. After you have defeated the enemies, turn to the right to find a third tank by the square. The third escape helicopter will be hovering over the helipad in the square. Kill the tank, and then focus all of your attention on the escape helicopter. Bringing it down will initiate a tutorial on workshops. Workshops can refill your ammo, make repairs to your AC, and allow you to change equipment via an emergency helicopter that will be called in. You can find workshops on the map by using Scan Mode. Note that workshops cost AU to use, and the more you use them, the more expensive they will become. Finally, workshops can’t be accessed while enemies are in the area. Now that you have cleared out the area, and you have plenty of AU from completing side missions earlier, enter Scan Mode. Head over to the helipad directly under where the helicopter was trying to pick up the Resistance. Hit R2/RT to call a mobile workshop your way.

Use the workshop to heal up after your battle with Vendetta, and equip any new items that you think might help with the rest of the level. If you don’t have a Shotgun equipped to one of your arms, note that these weapons will prove very useful during the final boss encounter in this level, especially if you are going for a good time rating. Exit the workshop when you are done making changes to your AC. After you exit, you will be back at the helipad that you summoned the workshop from. Your AC will restart and re-enter Combat Mode.

Turn around and head down the street leading west, away from the helipad and deeper into the heart of the city. Keep heading straight when you reach the first four-way intersection. You will soon pass another four-way intersection with ruined buildings lining the sides. Pass straight through this one as well. You will come to an intersection where two tanks will lie in wait down the left-hand street. Shoot them quickly and head down the left road. Head under the bridge ahead. Watch out for two helicopters, which will be hovering overhead after you emerge from the bridge’s shadow. Turn to the right to find a Defense AC guarding the next escape helicopter. Kill the Defense AC first, and then bring the helicopter crashing to the ground.

This will be the final escape helicopter that you need to kill. HQ will radio you and congratulate you on a job well done. For a moment, it will seem as if you have successfully beaten the level. There is still more to go, however. Just as HQ is congratulating you, the Chief will come on the radio at last. He will tell you that the Resistance leader, Vendetta, has fled underground. Despite your injuries, he will command you to go after the enemy leader. Activate Scan Mode and follow the glowing blue trail back to the road and under the highway overpass. Follow the shadow of the highway down the street. An enemy tank will await you on the corner. Destroy the tank and turn the corner to the right to find a second tank. Destroy this one as well.

Zigzag around to the left and attack the Defense AC waiting for you around the corner. Keep boosting down the highway. Three helicopters will hover over the building to the upper left, while a tank will wait for you across the bridge and to the left. As you cross the bridge, a massive enemy ship will fly over you. When you get to the other side of the bridge, you will have to dodge missiles from the ship while you take out the helicopters and tank. After reaching the other side, the massive ship will attack you. HQ will command you to bring it down while it is close to the ground.

Boss Battle: B-44 Rokh

This is where a Shotgun comes in handy. This boss will fly over the streets and pepper you with homing missiles. Even while strafing, these missiles are very hard to avoid. The most efficient way to eliminate this enemy is at close range. Boost directly underneath of the B-44 Rokh so that its missiles can’t reach you. Then, attack with the Shotgun and Energy Blade to its underside to bring it crashing down in no time flat.