| |
| "Destroy the Ice Worm" | |
| General information | |
| Client | Balam Industries and Arquebus Corporation |
| Stage | Unobservable Area |
| Reward | AC Part, COAM |
| Music | "Destroy The Ice Worm" |
| Real world information | |
| Game | ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON |
"Destroy the Ice Worm" is a Chapter 3 mission in ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON. It is the final mission of Chapter 3.
In-game information[]
Combat zone: Central Ice Field - Unobservable Area Objective: Destroy Target
Shoulder Weapon: VE-60SNA ("Stun Needle Launcher") |
Objectives[]
- Destroy the C-Weapon ICE WORM
Walkthrough[]
Before the mission is given, the game will give players a copy of the VE-60SNA Stun Needle Launcher, which can be mounted on an AC's right shoulder. It is highly recommended that players equip this weapon going into the mission.
The mission starts out with the player in the middle of an ice field. Several allied AC's will also be present in the mission, including V.II Snail, G5 Iguazu, and "Chatty" Stick, which can provide support. V.IV Rusty, while not physically present, mans the Overed Rail Cannon (ORC) that will be instrumental in taking down the boss. It is possible for the allied AC's to fall in battle, reducing the amount of firepower available and also increasing the chances of the ICE WORM focusing its attacks on the player.
The primary target of the mission is the IA-02: ICE WORM, a gigantic snaking machine that burrows into the ground and then breaks out from underneath to attack. The ICE WORM's mass is such that any physical contact with it will deal damage to the player's AC, and thus contact must be avoided while the ICE WORM is active. As with all enemies the ICE WORM appears on the compass below the player's screen as a red dot, which can be used to determine the direction it is in, and anticipate when and where it will break out from the ground, which is usually preceded by dust being kicked up from the ground along with an attack warning alarm.
The general flow of the mission involves taking down the Ice Worm's primary shield by shooting it directly at its face, i.e. the part with the three exposed drills; using the Stun Needle Launcher allows the player to take down the shield in a single hit. Breaking the primary shield will force the ICE WORM to hide underground while Rusty charges up the Overed Rail Cannon, and then once the ICE WORM reemerges the Overed Rail Cannon will destroy its secondary shield, immobilizing the Ice Worm and making it vulnerable to attack for a few seconds. It is at this point when the ICE WORM's weakpoint is exposed and immobile that the player alongside their allies must attempt to deal as much damage against the ICE WORM as possible, enough to trigger its next phase. If players are successful at reducing enough of its health, new dialogue will be made by the allied AC pilots, and the ICE WORM's attack pattern will change; on the other hand if insufficient damage is dealt players the ICE WORM will simply continue its previous behavior, and the player will need to break through the primary shield again in order to get another opportunity at dealing damage.
The ICE WORM's three phases are as follows:
- The first phase of the fight simply involves the ICE WORM burrowing and reemerging from the ground to try and smash into its enemies. It will also occasionally fire missile salvos to fend off attackers.
- When the second phase is triggered, the ICE WORM will reappear from a distance and begin launching aerial drones and also ground-hopping missile swarms. While these drones are not threatening on their own, they can still deal damage using their weapons, and their extra radar signatures can obfuscate the ICE WORM's position. Allied AC's will attempt to clear out the drones, allowing players to concentrate on finding the ICE WORM.
- If the third phase is successfully triggered (around when the ICE WORM's health has been reduced to around its last 40%) the ICE WORM will introduce new attacks to its repertoire, including releasing a massive burst of electricity in a large radius upon emerging. The ICE WORM's shield at this point also doubles in effectiveness, requiring two hits from the Stun Needle Launcher in order to destroy.
Successfully taking down the ICE WORM's primary shield in its third phase will result in Rusty overcharging the Rail Cannon in order to deliver once last shot at the ICE WORM to disable it. It is imperative that the player deal enough damage to the ICE WORM at this point to completely deplete its remaining health, since if the ICE WORM recovers the Overed Rail Cannon will no longer be able to fire, resulting in mission failure. Otherwise, successfully depleting the ICE WORM's health at this point will make it explode, leading into a cutscene that completes the mission.
Collectibles[]
- AC Parts:
- VE-60SNA (On mission unlock)
Notes[]
- While it is possible to destroy the ICE WORM's primary shield without using the Stun Needle Launcher, the primary shield possesses lots of health, and players will need lots of firepower to break through the shield in the limited time that the ICE WORM exposes its head.
- The primary shield is considered Pulse-type shielding, and thus it is vulnerable to weapons with the PA Interference stat, such as Pulse Guns like the HI-16: GU-Q1, HI-18: GU-A2, and the KRANICH/60Z.
- While the ACs that accompany the player forfeit halfway through the fight, leaving the player to finish the boss alone, it is possible that all 3 can survive, although it’s tedious and not intended, so there won’t be any additional dialogue should they survive:
- G5 Iguazu retreats after taking a certain amount of damage. This means that he can retreat as soon as before the first ORC shot and, hypothetically if he's well protected throughout the fight, he could make it past the 2nd and 3rd ORC shots. It’s highly unlikely due to how squishy he is, but doable.
- Chatty retreats sometime after the primary shield is half depleted in the final phase, but it's also possible to kill the ICE WORM fast enough in the final phase that Chatty survives.
- V. II Snail can also survive with some luck. He’s tankier than Iguazu and, although he often dies to the Coral burst attack, can be kept alive with proper distancing. Snail and Chatty could be distracted with the drones, allowing the player to gain some distance from them so the worm can’t hurt them. Allowing the worm to recover once seems to somewhat contribute to Snail surviving.
- When the ICE WORM is downed, dealing around 4000 damage, such as through a charged Pile Bunker, will cause it to automatically blow up and transition to the next phase, which saves a lot in expenses.
- After depleting the primary shield, the ICE WORM will usually surface wherever the player's camera is, which is helpful if the player wanted the worm to appear in a desired spot, or if they, for example, want to witness the ORC firing and hitting the worm. The worm will always surface in front of the player so moving and dodging in this period is not necessary.
Dialogue[]
| Condition | English | Japanese | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Briefing | Handler Walter: Listen up, 621. This will be a joint operation led by Balam and Arquebus. The briefing's about to start. I want you to attend. V.II Snail: First, some background before we go into detail. The intercorporate ceasefire is now in effect, and we will be carrying out coordinated attacks against the PCA. The targets are the enemy-occupied bases, their heavy warship fleet, and the recently activated... G1 Michigan: I'll cut to the chase! This is an all-out war against the PCA in theaters across Rubicon. And y'all got the short end of the stick! You're here to take on the worst of our dirty work: hunting the beast of the Ice Field! G5 Iguazu: Sure thing, chief. Tell you what, I'll watch and let you know how badly that goes for us. G1 Michigan: G5! You just volunteered yourself for the front line. "Cinder" Carla: Moving on, let's talk about how we're going to neutralize the Ice Worm's Coral Shield. You'll be dealing with a layered barrier, made up of a primary and a secondary shield. V.II Snail: Arquebus will provide the means to break the first layer: the state-of-the-art Stun Needle Launcher. Aim for the face, and it will deliver results...I assure you. G1 Michigan: What about the second layer? "Cinder" Carla: RaD's cooked up just the thing—a neat little toy we call the Overed Rail Cannon. If we divert the spaceport's standby power to the ORC, it should hit hard enough...assuming we land the shot. V.IV Rusty: You can leave that to me. I know a thing or two about sharpshooting. V.II Snail: I'll oversee operations on the ground. A ragtag crew like this needs leadership. "Cinder" Carla: We could use some more suppressive fire. I'll send Chatty. V.IV Rusty: That just leaves the question of who'll be taking charge of the Stun Needle Launcher... G1 Michigan: I know just the volunteer to go poke that beast with a stick. G13! You get all that? Good! Time for another field trip! |
- | - |
| Sortie | Handler Walter: It's not every day you see competing forces working together like this. ...Now or never, 621. | - | - |
| Introductory cutscene | Handler Walter: It's time, 621. You ready? Ayre: This mission depends upon you, Raven. Let's go. I'll be here to offer support. |
- | - |
| Mission start | Handler Walter: Commence mission. Michigan will take command. G1 Michigan: Commencing operation with combined AC force as per the Balam-Arquebus agreement. Move out, maggots! Time to die! V.II Snail: Act like a professional outfit and you might live. G5 Iguazu: Who does that creep think he is? I ain't here because I want to be. |
- | - |
| Player brought the Stun Needle Launcher | G1 Michigan: We gotta deal with those pesky shields first. G13! Roll out that fancy gizmo that Arquebus paid the big bucks for! Ayre: You need to aim for the head. The rest of its body is covered in thick armor. |
- | - |
| Player did not bring the Stun Needle Launcher | G1 Michigan: We gotta deal with those pesky shields first. G13! Roll out that fancy gizmo that Arquebus paid the big bucks for! What?! You didn't bring it?! G13, your ability to ruin my field trips is uncanny! Ayre: ... You'll just have to focus your attacks on its head. The rest of its body is covered in thick armor. |
- | - |
| Mission start (continued) | V.IV Rusty: This is V.IV Rusty. The[sic] Rail Cannon is good to go. Don't die before I get a chance to fire, buddy. "Chatty" Stick: Tourist—got a message from the chief for you. "Enjoy the show—and don't forget to smile." |
- | - |
| - | G5 Iguazu: Oh no you don't... I ain't going down first! | - | - |
| - | V.II Snail: Reminder to all units. Do try to maintain space from one another... "Chatty" Stick: You heard him. Don't want to make for an easy target. G5 Iguazu: You don't gotta tell me. I ain't going down with you fools. |
- | - |
| - | G5 Iguazu: Tch... That ringing's getting worse... G1 Michigan: G5! Return fire! |
- | - |
| - | G1 Michigan: G5! How's the field trip?! G5 Iguazu: Got a freelancer to babysit and a Vesper on my back. Couldn't be happier. G1 Michigan: Cute, G5. You want me to haul your ass out of there? G5 Iguazu: Damn right I do. Is it too late? |
- | - |
| First direct hit on the ICE WORM (Phase 1) | Ayre: Primary shield disabled! V.IV Rusty: Shield loss confirmed. Initializing ORC firing sequence. Connecting EML modules. Opening energy turbines. Output at 80%. Sighting correction A-OK. 90... 95... I won't miss. Ayre: Secondary shield down! G1 Michigan: G13! The head's open for a direct hit! |
- | - |
| Failing to damage the ICE WORM (1) | Ayre: Enemy shields are back online! G1 Michigan: Back to square one, G13! |
- | - |
| Second direct hit on the ICE WORM (Phase 1; 1 failure) | Ayre: Primary shield disabled! V.IV Rusty: Preparing to fire ORC. Energy turbine output at 80%. Recalibrating sights. 90%. Output at 100%. Ayre: Secondary shield down! G1 Michigan: G13! That's your cue! Straight in the face! |
- | - |
| Failing to damage the ICE WORM (2) | G1 Michigan: G13! The beast's barrier is back online! | - | - |
| Third direct hit on the ICE WORM (Phase 1; 2 failures) | Ayre: Primary shield disabled! V.IV Rusty: Preparing to fire. Energy turbines A-OK. Output at 80%, 90%... Adjusting sights. Lock on. G1 Michigan: Nice shot, V.IV! Ayre: Raven, attack the head! |
- | - |
| Failing to damage the ICE WORM (3) | Ayre: Enemy shields restored! | - | - |
| Inflicting damage to the ICE WORM (Phase 1) | G5 Iguazu: That freak actually did it... V.II Snail: Did what, the bare minimum? This is just the first hurdle. "Chatty" Stick: The target's deployed drones, tourist. I'll handle them. |
- | - |
| - | G1 Michigan: V.IV! Load the next shell! V.IV Rusty: One step ahead of you, Commander. G1 Michigan: Finally, someone with their head screwed on straight. Ever thought about switching sides? V.IV Rusty: Sure is an honor to be praised by the Redguns' "Hell on Four Legs"...but I'll pass. |
- | - |
| - | V.II Snail: "Chatty" Stick. I heard you're one of RaD's toys. At least you won't have death to fear. "Chatty" Stick: ... Even "toys" have to face the music sooner or later. |
- | - |
| G5 Iguazu withdraws first (Prior to phase 3) | G5 Iguazu: Don't do this to me, HEAD BRINGER! I'm not going down first! V.II Snail: Pathetic. Is that all Balam's Redguns can muster? G1 Michigan: I see Arquebus sent a top Vesper to provide running commentary. G13! Show him how actions speak louder than words! |
- | - |
| Second direct hit on the ICE WORM (Phase 2; no failures) | Ayre: Primary shield disabled! V.IV Rusty: Shield loss confirmed. Preparing to fire Rail Cannon. Energy turbine output at 80%. Output 95%... 100%. Watch out for friendly fire! Ayre: Secondary shield down! V.IV Rusty: It's all yours now, buddy. |
- | - |
| Inflicting damage to the ICE WORM (Phase 2) | Handler Walter: Wait. Something's wrong. Fall back, 621! V.II Snail: What?! We've underestimated this beast! (My AC's compromised... Withdrawing!) Ayre: The Coral—it's out of control! V.IV Rusty: Looks like things just took a nasty turn... I'll set the ORC to maximum output. We can't afford to lose control of the situation. This next shot'll be my last. |
- | - |
| - | G1 Michigan: G13! Looks like the beast goes on the defensive when it feels cornered. Just so happens, the Redguns have a saying for this... "You beg for your mother, we'll give you another!" | - | - |
| - | G1 Michigan: Someone forgot to feed the beast, G13! Go give it something to chew on! | - | - |
| "Chatty" Stick sustains damage | "Chatty" Stick: ...Taking significant damage. Might be checking out soon, tourist. | - | - |
| "Chatty" Stick withdraws | "Chatty" Stick: ...I'm out, tourist. You're on your own now. Withdrawing. | - | - |
| V.II Snail sustains damage | V.II Snail: ...You won't get rid of me that easily. I AM the Vespers. I AM Arquebus. | - | - |
| V.II Snail withdraws | V.II Snail: My AC's compromised... Withdrawing! | - | - |
| Player AP below ~30% | G5 Iguazu: Looking pretty beat up there, freelancer... Not so smug now, are you?! | - | - |
| Player AP below ~30% | "Chatty" Stick: Don't forget to smile, tourist. The chief always says the worst moments of your life could be your best. | - | - |
| Player AP below ~30% | V.II Snail: You seem to have been hit badly, independent mercenary. Your handler had led me to believe that I could expect more than...this. | - | - |
| Player AP below ~30% | V.IV Rusty: Don't die on us now, buddy. This operation will fail without you. | - | - |
| Player AC destroyed | G1 Michigan: G13! What are you doing?! The mission's a failure! All units, retreat! | - | - |
| Third direct hit on the ICE WORM (Phase 3; no failures) | Ayre: ...We're not through yet. Its primary shield is getting stronger! V.IV Rusty: Stay cool, buddy. |
- | - |
| Final direct hit on the ICE WORM (Phase 3; no failures) | Ayre: Primary shield down! V.IV Rusty: Good work, buddy. All EML modules connected. Energy turbines at full capacity. Output at 80, 90... All emergency valves closed. Disabling limiter...! 100, 110... 115... Rail Cannon at maximum output. All or nothing! Ayre: The target's Coral shield has been wiped out! V.IV Rusty: It's all on you now, buddy! Ayre: <gasp> The Coral response is getting stronger! Hurry! G1 Michigan: NOW, G13! |
- | - |
| Failing to destroy the ICE WORM | Ayre: The Coral Shield... It's back online. V.IV Rusty: The Rail Cannon's fried. We've got nothing left to break the shield with... G1 Michigan: Well, kids, that's the smell of lost glory. Mission failed! All units, retreat! |
- | - |
| Destroying the ICE WORM | V.IV Rusty: Is it over?! G1 Michigan: Get clear! It's gonna blow! G5 Iguazu: You shittin' me? The freelancer really did it... |
- | - |
| Cutscene following destroying the ICE WORM | Handler Walter: ...It's finally over. The blast will contaminate the area. Get out of— Ayre: ... Coral voices...lost again... Raven. There's...something I have to tell you. The Coral... It's my family. My brothers and sisters. I am but a single wave... ...born from the Coral tide. A Rubiconian without a body. No one even knew I was there... for such a long time. Raven, you're the only one who— Handler Walter: Go get your rest, 621. Things are going to get busy. You did good. |
- | - |
| Post-mission cinematic | The temporary alliance between the Arquebus and Balam groups turned the tide of war... devastating the Planetary Closure Administration forces, and exiling them from Rubicon. Though it was the Ice Worm mission, led by Balam, that dealt the decisive blow... Arquebus, through their own engagements with the PCA, augmented their strength with seized weaponry. The balance of power was broken, the scales tipped in Arquebus's favor... ...and the Rubicon Liberation Front's hopes of fighting an exhausted foe were dashed. With the loss of their common enemy, the rival factions' war for the Coral abruptly reignited... and their bitter conflict burned with renewed intensity. | - | - |
| Debriefing | COM: Augmented human C4-621: Entering Standard Mode. Two new messages. Handler Walter: Doing okay, 621? I'd wanted to let you rest some more, but the corps are on the move already. With the PCA gone, it's back to work: getting to where the Coral's gathering. Do you remember the survey you carried out at Xylem? My friend analyzed the data—and learned about a massive facility under the Central Ice Field. Watchpoint Alpha. Turns out that the Ice Worm was defending the entrance to that place... It's time to let ourselves in. Ayre: ... Raven, there's something you need to know. That "friend" Walter mentioned... The comms database has no record of the conversation he just told you about. This isn't about just finding the Coral, Raven. He's after something more, and he's using you to do it... Here on Rubicon. ALLMIND: Registration number Rb23, callsign Raven. Your records have been updated. A-Rank virtual encounters are now available in the Arena. May these encounters further guide your technique. |
- | - |
| Debriefing (NG+ variant) | COM: Augmented human C4-621: Entering Standard Mode. Two new messages. Handler Walter: Doing okay, 621? I'd wanted to let you rest some more, but the corps are on the move already. With the PCA gone, it's back to work: getting to where the Coral's gathering. Do you remember the survey you carried out at Xylem? My friend analyzed the data—and learned about a massive facility under the Central Ice Field. Watchpoint Alpha. Turns out that the Ice Worm was defending the entrance to that place... It's time to let ourselves in. Ayre: ... Raven, there's something you need to know. That "friend" Walter mentioned... The comms database has no record of the conversation he just told you about. This isn't about just finding the Coral, Raven. He's after something more, and he's using you to do it... Here on Rubicon. ALLMIND: Registration number Rb23, callsign Raven. We have added new samples to the Integration Program. You may now test updates to MIND BETA and verify reproductions of special ACs. We look forward to your continued assistance in ALLMIND's drive toward perfection. |
- | - |
| Debriefing (NG++ variant) | COM: Augmented human C4-621: Entering Standard Mode. One new message. Handler Walter: Doing okay, 621? I'd wanted to let you rest some more, but the corps are on the move already. With the PCA gone, it's back to work: getting to where the Coral's gathering. Do you remember the survey you carried out at Xylem? My friend analyzed the data—and learned about a massive facility under the Central Ice Field. Watchpoint Alpha. Turns out that the Ice Worm was defending the entrance to that place... It's time to let ourselves in. Ayre: ...Raven. We're getting close to the Coral convergence. I expect...ALLMIND will be getting involved soon. |
- | - |
Gallery[]
Central Ice Field - Unobservable Area
Trivia[]
- If players does not have the Stun Needle Launcher equipped in the mission, G1 Michigan will have new dialogue calling the player out for their negligence, while Ayre will also react with disappointment.
- Drawing out the fight long enough will get Snail to reveal interesting bits of backstory about Iguazu and Chatty through banter.
- This mission is the latest in a line of missions in From Software's games where a player needs to use a unique weapon specifically designed to defeat a particular boss enemy, in this case the use of the Stun Needle Launcher against the ICE WORM. Examples of similar bosses in their catalogue include the fight versus Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy in Elden Ring, the Yhorm the Giant fight in Dark Souls 3, and the Storm King of Demon Souls, who is likely the originator of this tradition.
- Similar to the ICE WORM, the player can defeat these bosses without using the intended weapons.
- Likewise, the concept of the fight seems to be inspired by, or is just similar to, the Carthus Sand Worm of Dark Souls 3. The Carthus Sand Worm is a similarly gigantic worm that the player can defeat either by conventional means, which is extremely difficult, or baiting the faraway enemy ballista to fire at the worm, dealing massive damage to it.
- The setup for the mission takes inspiration from a particular battle in the anime series "Neon Genesis Evangelion", namely the battle against the Angel "Ramiel"; both fights involve fighting a giant monster that requires the use of an overpowered long-range sniping weapon manually operated by a gunner. In both cases, the special weapon is a large stationary gun that requires energy from an entire power grid in order to run.
- The worm has an active hitbox that hurts the player should they come into contact with it during movement, but when the worm is lying still and recovering, the player can ride this hitbox.