Armored Core Lore : Rusty

The man. the legend, the war buddy everyone loves this is the history of v4 rusty or just rusty to his friends.

Thanks to Absurd for the ac talks, it nice to bounce mad ideas about with fellow ac fans.

[pro_]

Rusty : "Buddy"
Entire crowd : **incessant agressive cheering **

[meeirudayo]

I like when Rusty said "hey, buddy"

[goliathxanatos]

*Rusty aims his shot at the like and subscribe buttons*

_"I won't miss"_

[beijingmagician]

One of the speculation indicates that Rusty knew we r not the "old" raven who brought Corps to rubicon, but the rookie raven the first time he met us is because he is the one who secretly sniped down the old raven(maybe just the AC. pilot survived to face us later). Clue No.1 rusty is probabbly the only figure mentioned in the game to have prominent skill in sharp shooting from undetectable distance. No.2 old raven's dead AC was found IN THE OPEN on an ezly snipable platform in a city occupied by RLA. No.3 old raven's AC Nightfall was found in a crater right next to his carrier helicopter which may indicates the helicopter got sniped while in transport mid-air or just about to take-off. No.4 Rusty has many reasons to kill Raven for the RLA, yet he couldn't do it fairly in combat since Aquebus hires THE BRANCH to suppress RLA territories. So rusty saw the opportunity to secretly sniped Nightfall in an RLA occupied area which Rusty know where to hide for the snipe shot.

[chillzaa]

Rusty is a guy that you would look up on him as a role model.

[Blizzardfire]

There's a big hint of Rusty's true allegiance if the player takes the "Ambush the Vespers" mission. Once the missions is over, Middle Flatwell will tell 621: "we are war buddies now". The same thing Rusty says after the Wall.

[doommarine]

I heard Rusty's favorite gundam series is 00

[sebastianedwards]

8:47 Not even armored core anymore, just core

[MarleyjrX]

After getting shot down in a Strange Real world a certain pilot made his way to Rubicon.

[dumbsterdives]

Id argue Rusty's weapon choices are more telling of him being an RLF member than you gave credit, particularly his choice of assault rifle- the Ransetsu. A BAWS manufactured rifle that's noted as being used commonly by the RLF, notably being wielded by Flatwell too.

[FoxeyeValkyrie]

Devs watched that one Buddy clip from Darkplace and based an entire character around it.

[C-Master]

I love how Rusty serves as a sort of White Glint equivalent in this game, something that is rather evident with that tragic, yet respectable, and heroic last stand of his as the last hope of his true faction. Wish he was confirmed to survive like Anatolia's Mercenary does past the events of AC4: Answer even if everyone's favorite buddy only does so in the timelines we do not clash against him with for a second time. However, as seen in your retelling, it is rather unlikely Rusty would manage to pull a Nightfall, or White Glint once more, and survived to pilot another day for a second time. Not impossible, but until we get more lore that proves otherwise, we just have to assume he perished in battle fighting for what he believes on all routes.

Another thing I found very interesting which others have pointed out is how Rusty not only carries some thematic resemblance to White Glint, but also to Nineball. Something that can be seen in how he is ranked 09 in the arena (just like the Second White Glint was), and his Vesper ranking of V.IV (5+4 = 9), how even his Armored Core's name "Steal Haze" is spelled with nine letter, and that he has a fakeout death before the climax of the game with multiple options for the finale. However, something I have not seen anyone mention is that... technically we are also another Nineball equivalent ourselves. Our character not only takes the mantle of "Raven" at the start of the game (a name that represents the Armored Core player base, and franchise as a whole), but our true identification number is "621" which also adds up to, you guessed it, nine. There are very interesting parallels between Nineball, and White Glint (one of my favorites being the presence of N-WGIX/v or "Black Glint" in ACVD), and I feel there might be something more being implied by this sort of numerical, and symbolic link established via Rusty, and Raven as well, yet I do not know enough about the lore to figure out what it is.

Honestly, the most I can speculate about this idea is that Rusty is the Joshua'O Brien to 621's Anatolia's Mercenary. Someone who is a friend, and rival one does not wish to fight against, and whom may serve as an inspiration for the playable character later down the line. Additionally, the concept that the game is using Rusty as a way to drive in the idea that the player should choose what they wish to fight for instead of just mindlessly doing missions without a true sense of purpose, or for credits as 621 has mostly been doing across the game, and to go beyond living as a mere (yet ludicrously capable) mercenary that most AC pilots across the franchise (and much of the fanbase) are accustomed to via the way Rusty questions 621 about "who needs [Raven]" to keep living, and fighting before the clash starts, and then warns about the dangers of power without purpose. The game indirectly asking YOU, to actually consider the consequences of one's actions, (especially if one has not been doing so until that point), as well as to finally pick a path with a meaningful decision for once instead of just following orders. To actually choose which route we believe is best, and to stick to it. Using another character who symbolizes the number nine in Rusty to subtly show that as he represented the last hope of the Rubicon Liberation Front WE ourselves can, and *should* bring tangible hope to the future of the world least we lead Rubicon, and perhaps the rest of the universe down a path of despair. Perhaps even having him serve as a subtle guide for which path the game considers to be the optimal stance based on Rusty's stance:

We can fulfill the hope of Overseer for the rest of the universe to be free of the potential dangers that Coral's existence represents to the universe, and avoid the risk of humanity's further, and potentially disastrous misuse of its power, but at the cost of all life on Rubicon including our own (Fires of Raven path) being forfeit. Alternatively we can bring about the hopes of the Rubicon Liberation Front, and remove cooperate control from the planet whilst simultaneously working towards building a potential coexistence with the Coral on the future (Liberation of Rubicon). Otherwise we can instead carry out the hopes of Allmind, and the Coral by causing the Coral Release, starting a new age that will permanently change the course of life across the entire universe, and leading existence down a new terrifying, possibly horrific, or perhaps prosperous, but definitely uncertain future (Alea Iacta Est). During the first route Rusty dies trying to oppose us, and we lose everything including ourselves (and the implication might be that ultimately we are still just following Walter's orders instead of choosing for ourselves once more; acting as an obedient, but mindless hound to the very end). In the second route, Rusty fights along side us, yet sadly still likely perishes, but at least we manage to protect the planet which he died trying to defend; all the while finally finding something worth fighting for that matters to us personally which even Walter acknowledges, a waifu- *cough* a "friend" in Ayre (similar to how Rusty is/was our buddy and someone we care about) that we wish to protect. Lastly, in the final route Rusty's fate is uncertain, yet implied to be tragic whilst we do not even witness his story's conclusion. The player is the hope for change in Armored Core 6's universe, so what course will we write in the end, and will we make the right choice?

Ultimately though, who is to say if any of what I said is correct safe for Fromsoft themselves. Perhaps I am reading too much into some of these ideas, but... I do believe there is something being said even if I am failing to properly interprete it. Maybe another Raven can figure out the answer someday.

[aldraone-muyg]

He was an armoured core pilot called Steel Haze, he was a colleague of the man I seek.

[MarvinT]

I really hope STEEL HAZE ends up becoming the White Glint of AC6's expansion/sequel, with your character fighting 621 in a mission just like what happened to Anatolia's Merc.

[VictorIV]

The best buddy one can ask for in Rubicon 3.

[DLCJRpc]

I found it amusing that Rusty is the “9” of this game. Rank 9, v.iv = 5+4, Steel Haze has 9 letters.

[AuroraMercedesVT]

Heya, experienced PVPer here. Rusty's build is a Right-Arm switch mid-range ACS build with the plasma missle as a sustain. You punish on his frame using the dual slicers post stun.

The RANSETSU RF's on its own has a high ACS buildup, along with SAMPU for close range builds in fights.

ALBA frame on the other hand, focuses on in-pause missle tracking via TRUENO's post lock system, then pressuring the ACS with the orbit gun, and increasing the stun bar with the VIENTO. Same Dual Blade punish tech, but a lot more pressure on the TRUENO's on-hit 50% ACS buildup.

Up to you who to pilot, but the Nachtreiter frames seem to have the edge solely because it has more range punish than the other.

[ACFoxeye]

Elcano and Furlong's quiet support for the Liberation Front deserves its own dissection. What would you say is encouraging them to back Dolmayan and Flatwell's cause?

They're probably home-grown corps on Rubicon like BAWS is, but I imagine there's more to it than just this.

[SCF]

8:42 so Rusty was the real Armored Core this whole time

[azurespectrum]

@8:43 that bug happened to me aswell. All Rusty needs is his core!