As a hardened mercenary pilot frequently swapping loyalties across contracts, I‘ve had first-hand exposure spearheading sorties for all the major factions struggling over Rubicon‘s precious coral reserves in Armored Core 6. From cockpit view, each wields unique tactics and tech for an edge on their rivals in this mineral space race fueling the escalating conflicts tearing Rubicon apart. This dossier profiles the key powers bidding for dominance and serves as an essential primer for any freelance dogs of wars contemplating throwing their lot in for influence and credits.
Balam Industries: All Brawn, Few Brains
Founder: Juro Balam (Deceased – succeeded by son Archer Balam)
Headquarters: New Cairo, Earth
Personnel: ~209,000 employees systemwide
Key Technologies: Ballistics/Explosives/Heavy Armor Materials
Balam Industries cemented their position as the largest private military corporation in the system by aggressively seizing Rubicon land plots for strip mining operations under the mandate of overwhelming force. They field thousands of mercenaries armed with bleeding edge weaponry churned out from factories on a dozen colonies they control.
Backroom political bribes and coercion greases the wheels for Balam‘s burgeoning autonomous territory on Rubicon, let alone extracting valuable coral off world. Their jackbooted mech regiments running on instinct rather than tactical savvy either get the job done violently or die trying. All Balam understands is force and more force.
Perspective: "The Ravens have more guns than brains! Great pay if you avoid their reckless headfirst deployments."
Arquebus Corp: Ruthlessly Efficient Science Minds
Founder: Lady Heloise Aucoin
Headquarters: Phoenix Station, Cartes System
Personnel: ~126,000 employees systemwide
Key Technologies: Automation/AI/Swarm Robotics
Arquebus Corp rose rapidly from a small robotics startup into a sprawling R&D enterprise and starship construction conglomerate before setting sights on the Rubicon end game. They‘re calculating versus brash, leveraging automated systems and algorithmic precision to seize tracts of land for the least expense necessary rather than through pure muscle.
Squads of insect like savant drones in place of manpower both claim territory and harvest resources at exponential rates compared to human-piloted rigs. Detached from humanitarian considerations, Arquebus does what the data models and simulations recommend for optimal margins. Their clinical ethos rattles more impassioned opponents.
Perspective: "Never fun tangling with those creepy swarm bot detachments…but their bleeding edge tech keeps deployment interesting!"
Rubicon Liberation Front: Diehard Guerilla Outfit
Founder: No defined leader, evolved organically
Headquarters: Dispersed across native settlements
Personnel: ~1000+ volunteer militiamen systemwide
Key Technologies: Explosives/Sabotage/Hit and Run Tactics
The RLF emerged not long after Balam and Arquebus boots hit the ground. Made up of tribal settler kinsfolk and jaded vets, they knew every canyon and cave to stage piercing strikes sabotaging gear. For them, Rubicon‘s their sacred home, not just real estate for hostile takeover. With gear scarcer than guts, RLF kids hurl stones alongside elders manning mech busters side by side. They‘ll bankrupt themselves bribing turncoat mercs for inside intel on mining ops to raid.
Perspective: "Got a weak spot for the RLF‘s diehard resolve. Crazy resourceful despite the long odds."
Coral Tweakers Syndicate: Vice Peddling Opportunists
Founder: Elazar "Twitch" Kadir
Headquarters: Unknown, decentralized
Personnel: ~500+ systemwide in cells
Key Technologies: Biochemistry/Hacking/Covert Distribution Networks
As Balam, Arquebus and the RLF bloodied each other‘s noses, this enigmatic crime upstart seized opportunity. The Tweakers began leveraging Rubicon‘s bottlenecks and broken supply chains to peddle addictive coral derived narcotics to scores of dependent faction troops. They raked record profits smuggling banned contraband mechs and munitions too while policing their networks with roving decimated mercs seeking a lethal high.
Ruthlessly exploiting every wartime vice and service gaps, the Tweakers‘ flexible amoral opportunism makes them unpredictable chaos agents thriving off disorder.
Perspective: "Tweakers pay well if you avoid sampling the merchandise…and watch your back."
Concluding Thoughts On The State of Play Among The Factions
Rubicon finds itself riven by external corporate forces seeking to strip mine its natural blessings without regard for the populace while opportunists thrive in the chaos. The planet‘s native defenders find themselves overwhelmed and outgunned. I‘ve run operations for all major factions, attracted by their tech, tenacity and paydays even if misgivings gnaw about their ruinous impacts on Rubicon‘s future.
In my experience, each faction carries distinct material advantages into the fray detailed above. But spiritually the scrappy RLF resistance, for all their desperation, seem the only group with any righteous imperative and their hearts fully invested in Rubicon beyond credits and coral deposits. They fight for their very homes. That makes them unpredictable and fiery.
Mercenaries like myself selling skills just glimpse the intricate dynamic between these competing power centers from our cockpits. But appreciate Rubicon‘s a decisive frontline in a grander struggle over humanity‘s future trajectory. The planet and its people deserved better than becoming pawns in that corporatist endgame. Those are my sober thoughts…anyway, my weapons don‘t fire themselves – time to weigh potential contracts and bonuses!
