YouTube | Born and raised beside a game controller, he's been playing video games for much of his life. Mecha games, especially Armored Core, are his favorites.
So it’s not just us doing a retrospective on Armored Core’s rich PvP history. It turns out, the Japanese AC community were thinking of the same thing. On 20 August, a mere 5 days before AC6’s launch, renowned Armored Core PvP players from all over Japan, spanning all generations of Armored Core, were interviewed to talk about their stories and experiences.
These include the famous YOU of Gen1, Mr. Light who was famous for participating in the Japan vs Korea AC special, Mr. Saikawa, semi-finalist in Battle Arena, and many others. They also point out which parts were overpowered/restricted from competitions, giving a historical perspective on how Armored Core PvP evolved through the generations.
Give this almost 8 hour program a watch:
Thanks to Val and Rascal over at ACD for sharing this gem of a historical piece.
We continue with A True and Accurate History of the Raven Republic. In this edition, we look at what RR was up to during the days of Armored Core V, Verdict Day, and the long lull until the announcement of Armored Core VI.
Raven Republic in the Fifth Generation
When Armored Core V arrived, Raven Republic finally had its chance to shine on the global stage. Despite the relatively small ACV/VD player base worldwide, the tradition of playing Armored Core purely for the joy of it continued.
Initially, Raven Republic consisted of seasoned members, friends, and active participants from our real-life gatherings. On Armored Core V’s release, RR held a launch party on March of 2012 at DT’s house, the site of PACT 1, where we brought in our PS3s to start taking our first territories.
Over time, and with our name on the conquest map, the community attracted new members from both inside and outside the Philippines who shared RR’s core values – that is, having fun with Armored Core while maintaining a touch of competitiveness. Though some earlier members weren’t into gen 5, many enthusiastic newcomers made a lasting impression on fellow members and the AC community at large.
Raven Republic in ACV and VD
Accounts from our members, including NiX, Etherstrife, AcesZeph, Arrui, Zefyr, Gradlein, Ravenflau, JienFury, and Goat, highlight their experiences as they infused their MMO guild management expertise and passion for giant robots into the clan-focused gameplay of ACV and VD.
RR’s activities made the group quite well-known in ACV’s online community. The goal of putting our emblems on the map (punctuated by our own mascot of course) not only became our driving force to play but also led to notoriety and in-game rivalries. Notably, one member initially belonged to a rival group, but he was won over by RR’s conversations and eventually switched sides. To this day he’s still a cherished and integral part of the gang.
Waifus on mechs, before it was cool
The growth of RR’s numbers led to the creation of Raven Republic 2 within the game’s team function to accommodate the active players, while RR1 remained a space for legacy pilots to relax, play, and hang out. The two groups alternated as they placed their distinct emblems across the map. Overall, recruitment was a simple process, where signing up for the forums was the only mandatory requirement for official RR membership.
During the VD era, while RR took conquest seriously, the freebattle environment was much more relaxed. Still, the community prided itself on its emblems, out-of-meta builds, and clutch victories, where RR members prevailed despite being outnumbered and overwhelmed.
A generally realistic portrayal of what the map might have looked at the height of activity
A notable lesson learned during the fifth generation was that practice and dedication breed improvement. Members also discovered the importance of finding like-minded individuals, diversifying their builds, and aiming to complement each other’s strengths within the team. Unlike the one-on-one dynamics of the older titles, the fifth generation largely emphasized teamwork.
But despite the serious approach, we were no strangers to having fun. Among RR’s amusing antics were tank drag races, head transformation recordings, and Overed Weapon demonstrations.
For us, the best memories were simply the hours spent playing together – small moments like goofing off on the map, or giving each other’s ACs love taps (AKA kicking/pile driving) at the end of a sortie. These lighthearted interactions elevated friendships and strengthened the bonds that endure until today, where things go beyond just playing Armored Core.
The Decade Without a New Armored Core
The ties within the RR crew extended beyond the game, marking milestones in each other’s lives. These connections led to invitations to weddings, anniversaries, send-offs, birthday celebrations, as well as the odd burger raid here and there. Some even became extended family members.
Commemorating our 2nd Anniversary
During this time, RR continued returning to the game that united them, equipped with fading PS2s and CRT monitors, ready to relive the experience. We’d occasionally engage in gimmick matches like Godzilla (1v3) or blind attack (guided by handlers/operators) to keep things fresh. Eventually, RR meets became more of a gathering of friends united by a common love for Armored Core.
We managed to maintain an unbroken streak of annual meetups (usually every August) and Christmas parties from our founding until the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. With it, in-person gatherings ceased, and Discord became the primary means of communication. Online movie viewings served as a coping mechanism for the isolation, but it didn’t have the same effect as meeting in person. We had a small gathering in 2022, but obviously with limited participation due to ongoing pandemic concerns.
The Month We Almost Died
On November 2022, a crucial announcement quietly shook the community:
While the decision was understandable given the community’s shift to Discord, Facebook, and real-life interactions, the forums held a wealth of information accumulated over 15+ years – including AC designs, emblems, tournament records, research, photos, and most importantly, memories. This article, for example, greatly benefited from the rich history in the forums.
As of this article’s posting, Raven Republic as well as the entire Armored Core community has experienced a revival unlike any before. The past few months have felt like those halcyon days in 2006 when assembling six Ravens under one roof was like a dream come true, with excitement and anticipation running high. The hype surrounding Armored Core 6 pretty much broke all previous high water marks for the series, and it’s only just begun.
The Road Goes Ever On
The common thread that united us was the simple joy of playing Armored Core and other games. The near-death experience of the previous year highlighted the importance of preserving the tales of the past, and that’s exactly what we’ve tried to do with this little series of articles. As RR embarks on a new journey with Armored Core VI, looking back provides a roadmap for moving forward – a way to avoid past mistakes or to find inspiration and hope. It demonstrates that even the smallest of common interests can blossom into enduring connections that stand the test of time.
Both old and new members are coming together, and while the future remains uncertain, the shared passion for giant robots, games, and friendship will undoubtedly carry us forward. Ultimately, we are all united by the sheer happiness of being part of this journey.
Thank you for taking the time to delve into the extensive and authentic history of The Raven Republic.
***END OF TRANSMISION***
Personal Thoughts from the Author
To all our new and upcoming members, we’re excited to have you on board. You’ll be part of a long and very proud tradition that spans almost two decades, and counting. And if you haven’t joined yet, what are you waiting for? If you’re from the Philippines, sali na! To the rest of the world, we’d love to have you with us. Our socials are on top of the page.
To Grim – Thank you for bringing Raven Republic out into this world. I’m sure you never imagined your little project to reach the heights that it has today. Thank you for keeping it running smoothly, for preserving the memories, and for starting the culture that allowed RR to soar. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. On a personal note, thank you for being an Ace of a friend, and I always wish for success in your life.
To Nix – I am forever honored you chose me to be the godfather of your kid, to me you’re the GOAT Raven. What you’ve done for the RR community is nothing short of impactful, instrumental to how it lasted this long, and continues to grow. From the the early 2000s till today; thank you, rival, ally, and very good friend.
To AEA1, DT, and Cabs – You marvelous guys, you kept the fire burning in the early days of Gen1, and are still up for AC in this upcoming 6th gen. Thank you for letting us use your place in the early days, that allowed our grassroots community to grow to what it has become today, establishing the Armored Core community in the Philippines.
To Sforza – There’s a reason why people call you the benefactor, thank you for taking care of us whenever we visited your place (numerous times). It was never easy for you to host, but you did it anyway, all for the love of the community and AC.
To our GEN5 crew (Etherstrife, AcesZeph, Arrui, Zefyr, Gradlein, Ravenflau, JienFury, and Goat) – Thank you for keeping the fires burning. Without you guys, our group would be less than what it is right now. Thank you for being that new (and some old) blood that allows communities to grow, evolve, and flourish. I’m so happy to hear you’re all back to play in AC6 with everyone, and I’m looking forward to playing AC with you guys.
Trace-02 – Thank you for bringing our Sophie to life, your art forever awakened something in us that will never die. It’s been a while, but we’re always hoping to hear from you again.
To Fox, Serene, Raff, Super Ting Bros – I love you all, you’re the meme makers in our community, and really cemented the personal identity of the group. You guys are a freaking riot during RR meets it’d be so hard to think of what we’d be without you. Looking forward to our meetups to chill, talk about mecha, etc. See you in AC6.
Special shout-outs to the guys at Armored Core Universe, AC Discord, r/armoredcore, Raven’s Haven, ACL, Zealous (thanks for the shout-out during your AC6 presentation BTW), FromCheng, JinX, Penguin Deus, TMRaven, many others I’ve missed, and you reading this long article. You’re all truly wonderful, and we’ll see you at planetfall on Rubicon 3.
Months after the previous tournament, Raven Republic members were itching for an excuse to gather and compete again. So, on the 7th of June 2008, the Raven Republic held its fourth PACT tournament, again graciously hosted by Sforza.
Unfinished PACT 4 Promotional by Trace-02
The rules this time were still based on PACT 3 but modified to be less restrictive.
Two (2) ACs with no repeating parts (except for optional parts) shall be allowed per person. The AC can use the same leg type, but not the same exact part (i.e. you can use tank legs for both of your units, but not the exact same tank leg part model) per AC, including internals and weapons.
A participant shall use one (1) AC against the opponent’s other AC. The second round will force players to swap their ACs with the one in reserve. The 3rd round shall allow both participants to choose which ever AC they wish to use.
The scoring system using the AP score format will be retained. This format computes the total amount of AP left for the three (3) bouts for each pair of participants. The participant with the higher total sum AP after the three (3) rounds shall be declared the winner.
By now, the process was familiar for everyone, from organizing in the forums, to transportation and logistics, and borrowing TVs and PlayStation 2s.
The brackets may have been lost to time, but Ethermaster and Moonlight_Raven were the ones to make it to the finals. Moonlight_Raven was Ethermaster’s Armored Core mentor prior to finding the Raven Republic. But now, there was a championship at stake. And in the end, Ethermaster came out with the win to become the new PACT champion.
PACT 4 Results (Wins/Losses/Matches/Win %):
Ethermaster 5/0/5 100%
Moonlight_Raven 4/2/6 67%
atdsutm 3/2/5 60%
Sforza 3/2/5 60%
Archangel (Mjting) 2/2/4 50%
Grim 2/1/3 67%
AEA1 1/2/3 33%
Mikeberserkr 1/2/3 33%
Fox 1/2/3 33%
Azuriel 0/2/2 0%
Grimweld 0/2/2 0%
Serene 0/2/2 0%
Championship match (Volume Warning):
And finally, as was tradition, we all went out for dinner afterwards:
After tourney dinner
PACT 5 – Grab a Friend, TOTAL (Two-On-Two-Action-League) Fun
In another experimental attempt to shake things up for an aged Armored Core title, it was decided that PACT 5 would be a two-on-two tournament.
On tournament day, August 1, 2009, the random selection of partners began at 1:00 PM, with the restriction that previous PACT placers would be seeded into the brackets, and they could not be paired with each other.
After the team-ups were determined, participants were given an hour to strategize and coordinate their ACs with their partners. During this time, each pair was allocated a maximum of 15 minutes on a PS2 to adjust their ACs. The pair then declared their ACs for use, and a marshal ensured PACT compliance using standard rules.
The other rules were the usual ones – banned maps as before, a random map selection for each round, a best-of-3 format for regular matches, and best-of-5 for the finals, with a 5-minute time limit.
The teams:
Leperman and Beaskiller
Nix and Goat
Maitreya and Ardjin
TwinSkies and Azuriel
Atdsutm and Arch_Angel
Clonezero and Serene
Grimweld and AEA1
Once all ACs were declared, the tournament began at 2:30 PM, putting part knowledge and team coordination to the test.
PACT 5 brought a refreshing change to the congested Last Raven scene, introducing an entirely different metagame with the 2-on-2 format. Kudos to NiX and Goat for their victory and their excellent attack combo. They proved that firepower and defense weren’t the only paths to success in a 2-on-2 match.
A salute to the Ting brothers, who performed splendidly and even managed to take down a formidable opponent. Jokes aside, their teamwork was commendable.
Ardjin deserved credit for being an outstanding partner, showcasing impressive skills and the famed Jetstream attack.
Considering the stats, it seems the Tings deserved second place, as Jin and I lucked out with byes. A lighthearted observation, of course.
The results were as follows:
NiX + Goat (11-1)
Maitreya + Ardjin (5-6)
Andrew + Mark (9-6)
AEA1 + Grimweld (3-4)
Leperman + Beastkiller (1-4)
Twin-Skies + Azuriel (0-4)
Clone + Nerese (0-4)
PACT 5 Brackets
Fortunately, PACT 5 was the first tournament to have actual match footage.
PACT 5 Match Video Playlist:
The two-on-two format highlighted the importance of synergy and teamwork rather than just individual skill. This showed in NiX and Goat’s focus-firing tactics that won them the championship.
PACT 5 worked to keep the competition alive a bit longer while being more laid back than previous tournaments. But after so many years of playing Last Raven, interest in it had naturally started waning.
Talk about another tournament was quickly floated right after PACT 5 without gaining much traction. But two and a half years later, with the impending release of the English version of Armored Core V, there was finally enough push for a last goodbye to competitive Last Raven.
Going back to basics, a classic 1-on-1 tournament was decided. The rules were mostly the same as PACT 1, but in a double-elimination format.
Unlike previous tournaments, this one was actually held in a public venue. And on February 11, 2012, the tournament commenced.
PACT VI Match Video Playlist:
Fifteen players registered for the tournament. Knowing that this might be the last one, some players were highly motivated to compete. Mjting, a relatively newer member at the time, was particularly fired up. He had practiced heavily during the time leading up to the tournament, and he took every opportunity to consult and play with previous PACT podium placers.
His efforts paid off. In the third round, he sent tournament-favorite Lord Leperman to the losers’ bracket. But he was sent to the losers bracket himself by NiX in the round after, where he had to claw his way through to face an equally determined Fox.
Coming out of the winners’ bracket with a twice-to-beat advantage was NiX. And with a hard-fought place out of the losers’ bracket was Mjting. In what seemed to be a recurring theme since PACT 3, teacher against protege faced off in the finals, yet again.
Learning and adapting from their earlier fourth-round encounter, Mjting and his RL midweight took the first two rounds in convincing fashion. But NiX, in his GL quad, made his own adjustments to take back momentum. NiX won the next three close rounds to finally take his first 1-on-1 tournament title.
With the conclusion of PACT VI, the members of Raven Republic didn’t say it out loud, but they understood that it was a farewell to Last Raven. And what a farewell it was.
In the days to follow, Raven Republic eagerly awaited Armored Core V, where there would be more adventures (and notoriety) to come. Stay tuned for our recounting of that!
Welcome back to Raven Republic’s ongoing series about Armored Core’s competitive history. In this edition, the focus is on Raven Republic itself and its own Philippine Armored Core Tournament (PACT) series. But first, a little historical context:
Armored Core in the Philippines
The Armored Core games for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 were quite easy to find in the Philippines (because of unofficial distribution that we don’t need to talk about here). Because of this, most gamers at the time would have at least heard of Armored Core. But the game was still obscure enough that only a handful of people in any given area took the game seriously, if there were any at all. Internet penetration was low, and transportation infrastructure was (and still is) limited, so finding and meeting like-minded Armored Core players was difficult.
During Armored Core 3 was when the internet was becoming more readily accessible in the Philippines. So, it was around this time when some Filipino Ravens thought to look online for others like them. But since most English-language forums and message boards for Armored Core were based in the USA, these Filipinos joined but only blended in, not knowing that they had compatriots among them. It took until 2006, around the time of Armored Core: Last Raven, for a few Filipino members of the prominent Armored Core Online forums to find each other, and for one of them to decide to create his own site for Armored Core fans, particularly those in the Philippines.
Banner from the cjb.net site
On August 13, 2006, Grim finally launched Raven Republic with the goal of serving as a hub for Filipino Ravens. V1 of the message boards was found on one of those free create-a-forum sites (InvisionFree), complete with a free domain name hosted on cjb.net. Slowly but surely, the target audience found their way to the site by searching for “Armored Core Philippines” or by word of mouth from their own contacts and small AC playgroups. Activity in the budding community kept growing, and eventually, Grim floated the idea of meeting up in person.
The First Congregation
A shitposter in the Armored Core: Last Raven board of GameFAQs turned out to be from Manila. An RR member who also posted there was incited enough to challenge this troll in person, with other RR members in tow. From there, RR’s first official meet was organized.
On September 9, 2006, in Neo One LAN Shop at Marikina Riverbanks Mall, five RR members, many hailing from other online AC communities, gathered in person for the first time to challenge JV from GameFAQs. The RR members that came were Grim (Armored Core Online), Lord_Leperman (Raven’s Haven), NiX (Armored Core Garage), AEA1 (GameFAQs), and Cabs. Few as they were, that was already more Ravens in one place than any of them had been around.
This meeting was significant, not only because it was the first, but because it was there, over pizza after the games, that the idea of organizing a local Armored Core tournament was first discussed. And over the succeeding weeks, more and more Ravens found their way to the community.
Doom Trigger (DT), who had previously hosted a few small fighting game tournaments, generously offered his home as the venue.
The basic format was adapted from Master of California, while the list of AC parts to ban were refined from existing lists from Western forums. AC designs were to be submitted beforehand to a non-participant to check for regulation compliance. Specific rules were as follows:
Game: Armored Core: Last Raven
Single elimination. Random pairings on tournament day.
One AC entry per contestant.
Best of three rounds, 5 minutes per round.
Best of five rounds, 5 minutes per round for the finals.
Round loser can choose the next map.
Match Rules:
A ring out counts as a loss.
A double KO is a draw. The round will be considered null and will be repeated.
When both ACs are out of ammo and any other means of lowering their opponent’s AP, the AC with the higher AP automatically gets the win, whether time has run out or not.
Conceding rounds is allowed.
Map Pool:
Advanced Base
AC Garage
Crest Base
Military District
Marine Base
Born City
Banned Parts:
UA core with hangers
Lemur2 arms + left arm gun or shield (including hangered left guns)
Loris arms + left arm gun or shield (including hangered left guns)
TP boosters
Pegasus back part
all ECM pods
ROE2 ammo extensions
H3 handgun
HP handgun in the hangers
ROC4 pulse rifle in the hangers
Any GameSharked or Action Replayed files (or hacked files of any kind)
On October 28, 2006, participants came from all over the metro and nearby provinces to make the trip to Quezon City. A few had to carpool or rendezvous at designated locations. Eager volunteers had already arrived early to help with preparations. And when everyone had arrived, the tournament finally began.
The event lasted the entire day, with DT even sponsoring the food for both guests and participants. And as the matches continued to be played, four semi-finalists emerged: NiX in a midweight sniper, Twin-Skies in a heavy GL quad, Lord_Leperman in a heavy biped, and Beastkiller in a heavy tank. NiX eliminated Twin-Skies in a close series, and Lord_Leperman eliminated Beastkiller. Finally, it was down to NiX and Lord_Leperman for the championship.
After the dust had settled, Lord_Leperman came out on top and was the champion of the very first PACT.
PACT 1 BracketsPACT 1 Rankers
PACK 2 – PalPACT! You don’t need power to have fun
Before we start, a little Filipino lesson for everyone: palpak (păl′păk″) – a colloquial Filipino word meaning failure, badly done, thwarted effort. Don’t worry, it will make sense after a while.
After a few months, and a Christmas party thrown in between, members couldn’t get enough AC battles and friendship. Almost every holiday since PACT 1 was spent hanging out with RR members for a round of AC, or just to chill. Eventually another rumbling of PACT was being talked about among members.
After a long discussion and plenty of adjustments, PACT II was settled to take place on 19 May 2007, a little more than 6 months from the first tournament, and again at DT’s place.
Around 18 people signed up, and after tons of organizing, carpool planning, and equipment checks, the day finally arrived. Everyone had been practicing hard, hyped for potential runbacks. Plenty of new faces showed up too. Most notably, a crew from the Cavite province south of Manila made plans to attend and participate after hearing about the success of the first tournament.
On the day itself, everything was smooth and on schedule. TVs, chairs, and tables were set up immediately. And finally, the Playstation 2s were plugged in. Then there was a very loud pop, and DT’s house lost power. Something smelled burnt.
All the excitement disappeared. Plugging in the second PS2 not only overloaded the house’s power supply, it also caused a blackout for the whole block.
But it wasn’t a total loss. The participants instead used the time to laugh about the situation and bond over common hobbies aside from Armored Core. There was talk of making a doujin AC manga, or what if AC was set in the Philippines, and other wild tangents. People stayed until after having pizza for dinner, which was a long time considering it wasn’t spent playing video games.
RR going delulu, pretending to play AC without any electricity
PACT 2.1 – The Redemption
Right after the unfortunate circumstances of the previous event, the group was highly motivated to organize another real tournament. After numerous forum posts and planning, PACT 2.1 was set for June 16, 2007 at NiX’s home.
The spot at NiX’s
Though there were fewer attendees than the previous gatherings, this allowed for a more intimate event. DT entrusted his equipment even though he couldn’t attend, and AEA1 was still dying to compete despite coming from a 36-hour shift. New participant Sforza, who was also relatively new to Armored Core, spent the month prior training with the defending PACT champion. A few others who missed the first tournament also joined.
Rules were mostly the same as the previous tournament.
NiX and Lord_Leperman faced off in the finals again. And again, Lord_Leperman took it all the way with his aerial lightweight AC.
And what was the prize for making it back to the mountaintop? A McChicken sandwich.
NiX presents The McPrize.
PACT 3 – Battle Arena Style
For the third PACT, the consensus was to spice things up with a new format. Taking inspiration from FromSoft’s Battle Arena 2004, the rule was to use 3 designs without repeating parts (including internals), and without repeating leg types. The hope was to force creativity in designing, and to shake up the metagame. The discussion for the tournament was largely set in this forum thread.
The tournament was set for October 27, 2007, a day removed from the anniversary of the first tournament. This time, it was held in Sforza’s house, which was to be the site of numerous RR gatherings to come.
Specific rules:
Each player must bring 3 unique ACs (up to 5 ACs, depending on whatever is decided upon for a particular tournament). Players who fail to present a complete garage will be DISQUALIFIED.
The ACs in a particular garage MUST be of varying leg types (Humanoid, RJ, Quad, Tank, Hover). Players can only have one AC per leg type (ex. Only one humanoid AC is allowed per garage). A different weight class (light, mid, heavy) does not count as a different leg type (ex. Having a light humanoid and a mid humanoid in the same garage is not allowed).
The ACs in your garage should have NO, as in ZERO, common parts EXCEPT for optional parts.
However, a particular AC may be equipped with a pair of the same weapon (ex. A KARURA for each back slot/ An R3 for each arm, etc.). BUT if one AC in a particular garage has, let’s say, a KARURA on the left back slot, other ACs in that garage can no longer equip a KARURA even for the right back slot. This still applies to hand-mounted and hangered weapons.
Players MUST switch to another AC after every round/match – For the first round of a match, the players may opt to use any AC in their respective garages. ACs that have already been used in a certain round of a particular match may no longer be used in the succeeding rounds of that match.
In the event of a fourth round in a FINALS match, the players may reuse any AC in their respective garages.
In the event of a fifth round in a FINALS match, the players may opt to use any AC that was NOT USED in the fourth round of that match.
Participants included most of the mainstays and a few newcomers. Because of the newly implemented losers’ bracket, this tournament was more drawn out than the previous two. A second meeting on November 10, 2007 had to be held to resolve the remaining matches, forcing some players to forfeit due to logistical reasons.
The results were as follows:
PACT 3 Brackets
For the finals, it was Lord_Leperman versus Sforza in a duel between master and protege. Yet again, Lord_Leperman took the championship to complete the hat trick, cementing himself as the greatest Armored Core player in the country.
PACT 3 Rankers
But aside from Armored Core, the group also held a casual Tekken 5 tournament, some retro gaming on the SNES and PlayStation, and other shenanigans.
Retro gaming when it was retro
And now, exactly 17 years later since its founding, Raven Republic looks back fondly on these past events that had become a regular part of the members’ lives.
Editor’s note: There’s still more to this story leading up to present day and Armored Core 6, but as you can see this post has run rather long… so stay tuned for PACT IV and beyond in the next one!
It’s the year 2004. Armored Core: Nexus just came out, and the stage is set for a series of tournaments known as Battle Arena, one of the prime examples of FromSoftware’s commitment to supporting its players through Armored Core competitions. FromSoft is no stranger to organizing Armored Core tournaments at this point, having organized plenty during the days of Armored Core and on Armored Core 3.
To facilitate this grand event, FromSoftware developed a dedicated website named Raven’s Central Office (RCO), where participants could register for the tournament.
Upon registration, contestants received an official “Armored Core Ignition-ID” card with a unique serial number. This card stood as evidence of their involvement in the Battle Arena tournament, a coveted emblem of participation, and promised potential benefits related to undisclosed FromSoft projects in the future.
AC Ignition-ID Registration form
A Nation Ablaze in Competition
Battle Arena was set to span eight prefectures across Japan: Sapporo, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Nigata, Sendai, and Tokyo. Tokyo was further divided into subdivisions, namely Tokyo proper, Saitama, East Tokyo, and Yokohama, due to the gargantuan number of participants in each of those districts.
Following registration, each participant was assigned a rank, determining their eligibility for engaging in the Battle Arena tournaments. These tournaments unfolded in three distinct phases across all the aforementioned cities with the following schedule:
Battle Arena Vol.1: May 15 to May 30, 2004
Battle Arena Vol.2: July 31 to August 8, 2004
Battle Arena Vol.3: September 11 to September 20, 2004
Battle Arena Championship Tournament: October 24, 2004
Operating on a national scale, the tournament implemented a point accumulation system. Competing and winning in each Battle Arena event earned participants a specific number of points. The top 32, or those amassing 1600 points or more by the conclusion of Battle Arena Vol.3, became qualified to partake in the Battle Arena Championship Tournament.
BA TokyoBA SendaiBA YokohamaBA NagoyaBA OsakaBA Fukuoka
For every city, numerous tournament sets, or blocks, were instituted to accommodate the volume of participants in the area. For instance, Sapporo featured two tournament blocks in one city location, with 16 and 17 participants respectively. More populous cities like Osaka had as many as four blocks in a single location, each containing 16 participants, as well as two more blocks with 16 participants each in a different location within the same city, all to accommodate the number of participants. Notably, one of Tokyo’s tournaments unfolded on the first floor of FromSoftware’s HQ, featuring nine blocks and totaling over 100 participants throughout a two-day period.
Winners for each block in every Battle Arena event, in each city, were commemorated on a webpage that showcased their AC and included commentary from the pilot/designer, along with their emblem.
Block Winner: Imori
The regulations were straightforward: preliminaries consisted of standard 3-minute matches, utilizing Military District as the first map and Dune for the second round. Semifinals extended the time to 5 minutes, with battles occurring in Limestone Cave. The finals were comprised of a best-of-three match, lasting 5 minutes each, set in Marine Base.
Conventional to the series, Enemy data display was set to off, and unintentionally dropping weapons didn’t entitle a rematch.
Regarding tournament designs, no parts were prohibited as Armored Core: Nexus arrived just two months before Battle Arena 2004’s commencement. Nevertheless, a detrimental bug that disrupted competitive game equilibrium existed within the Japanese release of Nexus. This bug involved equipping the left arm NICHIRIN flamethrower.
The Nichirin Controversy
The Most OP Weapon Ever
Following the dual trigger/wielding design experiment in Silent Line, FromSoftware aimed at bringing balance by amalgamating the lockbox of the perpetually active left arm weapon with the equipped right arm weapon. This meant that if a left arm weapon had a Wide and Shallow lock, and the right arm weapon had a Narrow and Deep lock, the resulting lockbox would be smaller than the average of the two. Equipping two Wide and Shallow weapons also resulted in a smaller lock box compared to using only one.
However, an oversight during the game’s development resulted in the left arm NICHIRIN flamethrower lacking a lock value. Equipping this bugged part furnished any right arm weapon with an independent Wide and Shallow lock, producing the largest conceivable lockbox while retaining the range of the equipped weapon. It is important to note that this glitch is only present in the initial Japanese release of Armored Core Nexus. Subsequent releases, including international releases, have fixed the glitch.
Combined with the MIROKU FCS, this configuration enabled weapons like grenade launchers and sniper rifles to perform as exceptionally precise close-range armaments. Consequently, a prevalence of LHT-92 tank legs, single or dual-wielded GLL grenade launchers, JIREN extensions, WYRM sniper rifle, and NICHIRIN designs emerged in the early phases of the Battle Arena tournament before flamethrowers were banned in subsequent Battle Arena events.
Apart from this, designs frequently featured the SELENA core, MG weapon arms, and single or dual-wielded M2 machine guns, as they were strong for the game’s heat/cooling meta.
As battles raged throughout the course of Battle Arena Vol. 1, 2, and 3, clear champions began to emerge, accruing as much as 2400 points. The comprehensive list of arena rankers can be accessed here.
End of Vol. 3 Rankings
Battle Arena Championship
From the nationwide ranking roster, the top 32 participants, each with 1600 points or more, were invited to the Championship Tournament scheduled for October 24, 2004.
The championship tournament introduced slight variations to the regular tournament rules:
Each participant could use 3 AC designs.
AC designs were prohibited from sharing the same head, core, arms, legs, extensions, left and right back mounts, left and right arm weapons, and hangers across designs – each of those parts could only be utilized once per the 3 AC designs.
All designs could incorporate the same boosters, generators, radiators, FCS, inside, and optional parts.
Assembly, tuning, or design alterations were prohibited during the tournament.
Enemy data display should be turned off.
Unintentional weapon drops didn’t justify a rematch.
The GLL back mounted grenade launcher, GACHIRIN flamethrower, and NICHIRIN flamethrower were banned.
Any of the 3 designs could be used once per opponent.
Preliminary rounds constituted a best-of-3 format, with a 3-minute time limit per round. The initial map was consistently Military District, followed by Structure, and, if necessary, Crest Base.
Semifinal rounds adhered to the same best-of-3 principle, but extended each round to 5 minutes. The sole map for this stage was Training Space.
In the finals, the regulations mirrored those of the semifinals, except that maps were drawn at random from the following pool: Born City, Marine Base, Arena, Military District, and Structure.
Every participant in the Battle Arena Championship was bestowed with a pair of commemorative Battle Arena t-shirts, certificates of tournament entry, and a set of “Raven Cards” resembling pilot business cards, engraved with participants’ names.
Commemorative shirtsCertificate of ParticipationPersonalized Raven Cards
Representatives from Dengeki Magazine and Famitsu covered the event.
Mr. Otokojuku from Dengeki Playstation Magazine (center), Bon Saito from Famitsu Magazine (on the right)
According to RCO’s coverage of the finals, the preliminary battles of the championship tournament showcased numerous one-sided contests, highlighting variations in each participant’s skill level. Observers noted a restrained level of aggression among participants, who appeared to prioritize careful assessment of their odds of winning. As each pilot’s expertise and abilities were on full display, the audience’s reactions ranged from impressed inquiries like “How did you manage that movement?” to frequent exclamations of “Wow.”
Event setup Audience and participants
Halfway through the tournament, the atmosphere was laden with tension due to the fierce competition. A break was aptly called for, during which participants and audience members took a pause from the action. In a display of camaraderie and respect, participants utilized this interlude to exchange Raven Cards, swap AC designs, and engage in conversations with fellow Ravens from all corners of Japan.
Honor in full display of a witnessCamaraderie through exchanging Raven Cards
The Final Four
As the break concluded, the tournament entered its climactic stage, with the Final Four of Battle Arena emerging: Mr. Tomu Tomu from Sapporo, Mr. Hepchin (Imori/Newt) from Saitama, Mr. Saikawa from Fukuoka, and finally, Mr. Mitsutsuki (Mangetsu/Full Moon) from Tokyo. These four participants all achieved high rankings, so the atmosphere was intense. Silence filled the air as the competitors focused on mentally preparing themselves for the tournament’s ultimate phase—the moment that would determine the most exceptional Raven in Japan.
Tomu TomuHepchin (Imori/Newt)SaikawaMitsutsuki (Mangetsu/Full Moon)
The final brackets pitted Saikawa against Hepchin, and Tomu Tomu against Mitsutsuki. Following the semifinals, Saikawa and Tomu Tomu were eliminated, leaving Hepchin to face off against Mitsutsuki in the finals.
With one victory apiece, their ultimate clash unfolded on the Structure map for what felt like an eternity. RCO recounted that, for the initial two and a half minutes, both participants’ AP (Armor Points) remained above 8000. Eventually, Hepchin decided to initiate an attack, descending from the upper part of the map to engage in close combat. However, he was met with precise machine gun fire from Mitsutsuki, yielding an AP advantage for the latter. As the match went on, the AP lead expanded further, and ultimately, victory landed in Mitsutsuki’s hands.
Regrettably, despite the presence of the final match’s video on FromSoftware’s website before, no archived footage is available today. Only two screenshots from the finals are accessible, leaving the unfolding of the match to the imagination.
Final Match, Round 2Final Match, Round 3
As the dust settled and Mitsutsuki emerged victorious, an award ceremony was held. The champion received a trophy and a windbreaker emblazoned with victory. RCO emphasized Mitsutsuki’s unwavering dedication to Armored Core, highlighting that through sheer effort and determination, he had secured the coveted title of Battle Arena champion.
Hepchin receiving awardMitsutsuki receiving awardTrophy and Shield awards Windbreaker prize
With the conclusion of the tournament, the atmosphere mellowed, fostering social interaction among pilots and continued exchange of Raven Cards. Moreover, a lottery bestowed a selection of participation prizes. Overall, the event ended in good spirits.
Thus concludes the saga of Battle Arena. Besides the NICHIRIN bug, the event was a testament to FromSoftware’s adeptness at orchestrating competitive events for Armored Core enthusiasts. One cannot help but speculate whether the forthcoming release of Armored Core 6 will prompt FromSoftware to embark on another Battle Arena-esque tournament, as the demand for competitive Armored Core gameplay inevitably resurfaces.
The Final Four Swagger
With that, our next article goes back to Armored Core’s competitive grassroots tournaments with the history of Raven Republic. Watch out for it – it’s gonna be a good one.
One month before the release of Armored Core 6, the community is now swamped with Armored Core content and news. FromCheng of ACL has nicely compiled an exhaustive list of articles and videos covering AC6’s launch and events through his biweekly newsletter. The whole list of content can be viewed in this thread. There’s plenty of material to go through, so enjoy.
In other news, older AC sites and communities are making a revival. Much like ACU, Eternal Core (AKA AC-X), one of the older English Armored Core communities is making a comeback. It’s founder, JinX, is an OG in the space participating in the very first Master of California Armored Core tournament, and made huge contributions to the community with his online AC builders back in the day.
That’s it for this short update on things, we’ll continue our coverage as more AC news comes up.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional anecdotes from a few OGs!
If the world of Armored Core collided with the world of Pro Wrestling, it would give birth to the legendary Master of California series of tournaments. With opera levels of drama, intense rivalries, and a cast of distinct personalities, this competition was a true spectacle of skill and showmanship. Drawing up to 50 participants, Master of California stood as the most prestigious tournament outside of Japan, captivating AC fans across the globe.
There have been a total of five MoC events, starting from Armored Core 2 and ending with Nexus. California has a flourishing fighting game community, so it was only natural that Armored Core’s competitive scene was alive here as well.
The Genesis of Master of California
Before organized grassroots tournaments, smaller AC gatherings organized by “Ravens’ Nest” popped up in various locations, including Japan. The birth of Master of California was sparked by the ingenious minds of three individuals from Southern California’s Ravens Nest in Irvine: The Watcher, Cable, and JinX. Little is known about the inaugural tournament, but its existence left an indelible mark on the competitive Armored Core scene.
August 25, 2001, 11:30AM, California State University, Fresno, University Student Union, Room 309 (funny how Armored Core 6 is going to be released 22 years later).
The first MoC tournament featured fierce battles and passionate duels. The rules for this initial tournament were relatively straightforward:
Platform: Armored Core 2
Linked play
Double elimination format
Legal cores only; no human PLUS and/or overweight designs allowed
5 minute time limit per match
Coin toss determined the first arena, with the loser picking the next map.
The same rules applied for the Contraband tournament, except allowing Human Plus and Overweight designs.
Oliver Maiquez emerged as the champion, with Dante Mapanao (Cable) securing second place and Alain Maiquez (The Watcher) claiming third. The separate Contraband tournament saw Angelo, Kurt, and Dante winning first, second, and third respectively. The event’s details have become somewhat obscured by time, but its impact on the Armored Core community was undeniable; it lit the competitive spirit of Ravens in the US.
According to sources, the winners were a sweep for the Southern California Ravens, largely due to the dominance of siblings Oliver and Alain who played against each other on a regular basis. Dante, their family friend, surely managed to catch in on those sessions as well.
NorCal vs. SoCal Rivalry
The introduction of the Ravens Nest of Northern California (RNNC) into the Master of California series elevated the tournament’s intensity. The clash of NorCal and SoCal Ravens fueled a fierce rivalry, accompanied by colorful trash talking and heated duels. While NorCal Ravens boasted creative and competent pilots, the SoCal Ravens had their own unique gift for combat, setting the stage for unforgettable confrontations.
Around May 2002, after MoC1, NorCal and Socal Ravens again got together in an event called the Southern California Royal Rumble. The rivalry between the two groups led to absolute gems such as this reply to a post after the event:
Listen to this fella… *RETRACTED*, I hate to break it to ya, but Nor. Cal. didn’t look as hot as you’re making it sound. I mean none of you are BAD players, but c’mon, The Watcher, CABLE, and Angelo were whippin you guys around like rag-dolls (as well as the rest of us of course). Fact is, Judging by what I saw, Nor. Cal. will be lucky to get in the top 5 AT ALL. I mean, Kannon is great, and Juju is good. Kobel ain’t bad, and you’re nothing to sneeze at, but c’mon. Donn eats guys like you for lunch, and Kurt slammed most of you without breakin’ a sweat. Besides, you’re run and hide tactic that you were so proud of did seem to backfire rather quickly, and though I did lose to you off and on, we all know I owned a better percent of my matches against Nor. Cal., than not.
Really, though, it WAS cool that you guys cruised down. I had really been concerned for So. Cal. representation, but now, I don’t think that there is much to worry about. MoC may not be an accurate title for the tournament, more likely it’ll be, ‘The Slaughterhouse.’
laetz yo.
You can find the entire archived trash talking thread here. This leads us nicely into…
Master of California 2: The Calling
A year after the inaugural tournament, Master of California 2 arrived on August 24, 2002. Players assembled once more at Fresno State, eager to showcase their skills. The rules for this edition of the tournament were similar to the first, with some slight modifications:
Platform: Armored Core 2 Another Age
Double elimination, best of three tree structure
5 minute time limit per match
Enemy data HUD is banned
Retzki Armament Laboratory was banned as a map of choice
Like in MoC1, coin toss to determine the starting arena. The difference being only Ocean Base, Old Avalon Area, and Ancient City are the only choices for the first arena, where the loser of the coin toss gets to eliminate one of the three for the starting map.
The loser of a match gets to pick the next map.
A lottery system was in place to determine who fought who in the brackets, done at random.
An addition to this were what the organizers called Challenge Matches, where anyone could challenge any player to a duel, and if the other party accepted, the organizer would facilitate a match between the two on the day of the tournament, with no effect on their tournament placement. No doubt this was spurred on by the rivalry between players in the community, some of whom may have had a grudge to settle.
Oliver continued his winning streak, securing another first place victory, while Angelo and Joust claimed second and third place, respectively. From a personal account of Penguin Deus, he recalled that Angelo was concerned that The Watcher was playing subpar, and that the former was annoyed with Joust‘s gimmicks (a quad running the STEALTH backmounts with the S/NIGHT sniper and a blade) leading him to tell Joust straight to his face: “a lock wouldn’t make a difference”. And it didn’t, as the results showed.
Joust, Oliver, and Angelo
The best part: a gang of Ravens on vacation from the east coast managed to record their participation in MoC2:
Sandman, Magus, and Ky Kiske
It’s as if you were there.
Some choice tournament vids of Joust playing in MoC2:
While not part of the Master of California series, this event took place on May 25, 2003, only a couple of months before MoC3 and was a litmus test of what was to come. This was the first tournament organized by the popular website Armored Core Online, and probably the first large-scale Armored Core 3 tournament in California, attracting over 20 participants.
The rules for this tournament were as follows:
Platform: Armored Core 3
Matches were best 3 out of 5
Players could only use one AC design throughout the tournament
A lottery system was in place to determine matchups
A separate after-party tournament allowed the use of OP-INTENSIFY/CROW designs
Once again, Oliver demonstrated his prowess, securing first place. The whole event was a prelude to the upcoming Master of California 3, generating excitement and anticipation.
Mentos: The Freshmaker
The most striking fact was that he wasn’t even using a competitive design; he didn’t even have a left arm weapon on his winning AC, Genocide. His brother Alain also participated, but no records show how well he fared in this event. Second place went to Joust.
Master of California 3
Finally, we have a much more well-documented event. Master of California 3 continued the tradition of annual Armored Core tournaments. Taking place a month after ACO’s tournament, MoC3 took place on June 25, 2003 in the same building as the previous two MoCs.
The rules for this tournament mirrored those of Armored Core Online’s tournament:
Platform: Armored Core 3
OP-INTENSIFY, CROW stealth extensions, and the RF/220 rifle were banned
HUESO legs were soft-banned
The East Coast trio documented the event once more:
We are very fortunate to have found an extensive collection of the tournament footage as well. We’ve organized all of it right here:
Before we get to the results of this tournament, which was by far the biggest at more than 30 participants, we’d like you to watch the final match of the tournament. Can you guess who will win?
That’s right, it was the brothers, Oliver and Alain, again fighting for the top spot. To no one’s suprise (anymore), Oliver got the first place victory. 3rd place went to Kobel, the founder of Raven’s Haven. As a member of RNNC, he netted a win for the Northern California Ravens.
There are few surviving records of Master of California 4, but thankfully we have a firsthand account coming from its second place winner, Penguin Deus, from an interview in The Raven’s Voice podcast:
MoC4 brought over 40 participants, and while records of the event are scarce, Penguin Deus‘ interview outlines what you would expect. There were a few interesting moments during the tourney which we’ll leave for you to discover in the interview, particularly the Red Shirt Guy incident. As a bonus, you’ll hear stories from the California group in the same podcast. We urge you to give it a listen.
In a surprising twist, Oliver did not win the championship! His brother Alain won first place.
We’ve also organized available tournament footage here:
Next to nothing was archived about the last MoC tournament, but a few choice anecdotes from TMRaven and Penguin Deus can give some insights on who won and what they used:
TMRaven: achilles won moc5 wtih 89e/fa frame using 81G/Golem as guns
TMRaven: rebelsoul took 2nd in moc5 using an lf71 ob quad using rs/gl, and GLL (Backmounts)
Penguin Deus (on the top 4 rankings): Achilles 1, Rebelsoulpk 2, Reuben 3, Booyaka 4
Beyond that, we’re spent on any MoC5 information.
Epilogue
And so we reach the end of Master of California’s known history. As we look to complete our coverage on Armored Core’s past, we will be exploring the AC scene in the Philippines through the tale of our very own Raven Republic.
Stay tuned for the next chapter in the saga of competitive mech combat!
Registration form
Event setup
Audience and participants
Windbreaker prize
