- Primary Weapon System: In Echoes of Aincrad, echoes of aincrad weapons act as your class. There are no magic classes; your equipped weapon dictates your entire combat moveset, stats, and Sword Skills.
- Shield Access: Only three weapon types can equip a shield: Sword and Shield, Rapier, and Mace.
- Weapon Progression: Fight with a weapon type to earn Weapon Exp, which unlocks up to three active Sword Skills to equip at any Inn.
- Best Beginner Pick: The Sword and Shield offers the safest, most balanced entry point for learning enemy attack patterns.
- Pre-Order Reward: Pre-ordering any digital edition grants the Proto-Elucidator Series Weapon Pack, giving you early-game blueprints for all six weapon types.
Echoes of Aincrad Weapons Overview
Unlike traditional JRPGs, Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad features a classless progression system where your active weapon determines your role, mobility, and skill options. There is no magic in the floating castle of Aincrad; combat is entirely physical, relying on melee timing, stamina management, and powerful Sword Skills.
As you defeat monsters using a specific weapon type, you accumulate Weapon Exp, unlocking specialized active skills. You can equip up to three Sword Skills at a time, allowing you to customize your active loadout. Note that weapon swaps are restricted during active exploration; you can only change your equipped gear at the Inn inside the Town of Beginnings.
| Weapon Class | Shield Compatible | Core Combat Focus | Playstyle Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sword and Shield | Yes | Balanced offense, high defense, versatile combos | Low (Beginner-Friendly) |
| Rapier | Yes | High-speed thrusts, counterattacks, long reach | Medium to High |
| Mace | Yes | Defense breaking, high stagger, stamina depletion | Medium |
| Dagger | No | Hit-and-run, high attack speed, thrown blades | Medium |
| Two-Handed Sword | No | Charged heavy damage, slow single-target pressure | High |
| Two-Handed Axe | No | Slower swings, heavy area-of-effect (AoE) damage | High |
Always plan your build and configure your partner's active weapon in your room at the Inn before embarking on a quest. Once you step foot into Aincrad's dungeons, your loadout is locked until you return to town.
Weapons Tier List & Rankings
Selecting the best tool for survival depends on your comfort with enemy timing, dodging, and stamina management. Below is our official tier list ranking all six weapon types based on beginner safety, defensive options, and utility during high-stakes boss encounters [00首页信息-1.md].
S-Tier: Sword and Shield
- Unmatched Safety: The absolute best option for learning boss attack mechanics [00首页信息-1.md].
- Flexible Offense: Unequip the shield at any time to transition into a faster, high-risk offensive style.
- High Utility: Great all-around performance in both solo and partner play.
A-Tier: Rapier & Mace
- Rapier: Combines long-reach thrusts with shield defense and high-skill counter mechanics.
- Mace: Specializes in breaking enemy guards and draining impact bars to knock bosses down.
- Balanced Risk: Both weapons offer shield compatibility to mitigate mistakes.
B-Tier: Dagger, 2H Sword, 2H Axe
- High Risk: None of these weapons can be paired with a shield, requiring perfect dodge timing.
- Dagger: Fast hit-and-run pressure with thrown blade options but low single-hit damage.
- 2H Sword & Axe: Massive damage potential, but slow animations leave you highly vulnerable to counters.
If you are playing in Death Game Mode, where a single defeat permanently erases your character save data, we highly recommend sticking to shield-compatible weapons like the Sword and Shield or Mace [00首页信息-2.md]. The inability to block with two-handed weapons dramatically increases your risk of a sudden game over.
In-Depth Weapon Class Analysis
1. Sword and Shield (S-Tier)
The ultimate balanced starter weapon [00首页信息-1.md]. It is the default weapon you hold during the game's tutorial and beta phase. It allows you to block incoming damage to preserve your health bar, or drop the shield entirely to increase your movement speed and swing velocity. It is highly forgiving and fits any partner synergy [00首页信息-1.md, 00首页信息-2.md].
2. Rapier (A-Tier)
A high-skill, high-reward weapon that excels at rapid-fire thrust attacks and counters. It boasts exceptional forward reach, allowing you to poke at enemies from a relatively safe distance. Because it is shield-compatible, it offers an incredible blend of rapid offensive chains and instant defensive recovery.
3. Mace (A-Tier)
An essential utility weapon for breaking through heavily armored targets and blocking bosses. The Mace deals massive posture damage, targeting the enemy's stamina bar rather than just their health. Depleting this gauge knocks the enemy flat on the ground, opening them up to high-damage Combination Skills from you and your partner.
4. Dagger (B-Tier)
Designed for agile, fast-paced playstyles. Daggers hit rapidly but deal low individual damage per strike. Its unique mechanic is the ability to throw spectral blades via specific Sword Skills, giving you a reliable ranged attack option to chip away at enemies safely. However, the lack of a shield makes positioning critical.
5. Two-Handed Sword (B-Tier)
The premier single-target heavy hitter. Equipped with slow but devastating animations, this weapon allows you to charge up your attacks to unleash massive damage bursts. When wielding this giant blade, your standard dodge step is replaced by a heavy roll, which uses more stamina and requires precise timing.
6. Two-Handed Axe (B-Tier)
Built for clearing crowds of monsters. The Two-Handed Axe trades away all defensive tools in exchange for sweeping, wide-angle area-of-effect (AoE) strikes. While highly effective at clearing out groups of smaller dungeon mobs, its long swing recovery windows make it highly dangerous to use against fast-moving bosses.
| Weapon Type | Primary Advantage | Primary Drawback | Best Partner Companion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sword & Shield | Balanced, highly forgiving | Lower burst damage | Argo (Fast Dagger pressure) [00首页信息-2.md] |
| Rapier | High attack speed, counters | Requires precise timing | Wyzeman (Mace crowd-control) [00首页信息-2.md] |
| Mace | Elite stagger, breaks guards | Slower attack recovery | Zash (Heavy 2H damage follow-up) [00首页信息-2.md] |
| Dagger | Ranged throws, high mobility | Short melee range, no shield | Iori (Shield-based tanking) [00首页信息-2.md] |
| 2H Sword | Charged single-target burst | Heavy roll replaces dodge | Iori (Keeps boss aggro) [00首页信息-2.md] |
| 2H Axe | Excellent AoE sweeps | Extremely long recovery times | Wyzeman (Groups enemies together) [00首页信息-2.md] |
When using heavy, slow-swinging weapons like the Two-Handed Sword or Two-Handed Axe, bring a defensive partner like Iori or Wyzeman [00首页信息-2.md]. Set them to Switch Mode so they draw the enemy's attention, giving you the necessary breathing room to charge up your heaviest attacks [00首页信息-2.md].
How to Upgrade Weapons at the Smithy
To keep your weapon competitive as your Cardinal Rank increases, you must regularly upgrade your gear at the Smithy located in the Town of Beginnings. Upgrading requires a mix of Col (gold), crafting materials found in dungeons, and duplicate weapons.
Gather Raw Materials
Explore dungeons thoroughly and activate checkpoints to mark resource deposits and treasure chests on your map [00首页信息-1.md]. Collect ore, monster drops, and Col.
Visit the Blacksmith
Return to the Town of Beginnings and approach the Smithy [00首页信息-1.md]. Select either the crafting menu to forge a new weapon from a recipe, or the upgrade menu to boost your current weapon's base stats [00首页信息-1.md].
Fuse Duplicate Weapons for EX-MODs
Combine two weapons of the exact same type to pool their unique passive traits. This process allows you to stack up to four EX-MOD effects on a single weapon.
Optimize EX-MOD Passives
Focus on unlocking EX-MODs that complement your playstyle, such as reduced Stamina consumption for heavy weapons, or increased critical hit rate for rapid-fire weapons like the Rapier [00首页信息-1.md].
Weapon Progression Goals
To ensure your character is fully prepared for the challenges of Aincrad's upper floors, use this checklist to guide your progression [00首页信息-1.md, 00首页信息-2.md].
Weapon & Build Milestones:
- Test all six weapon types during the demo or early-game missions to find your preferred playstyle [00首页信息-1.md].
- Earn enough Weapon Exp to unlock and equip three active Sword Skills for your main weapon.
- Acquire the Proto-Elucidator blueprints if you pre-ordered the game.
- Fuse duplicate weapons at the Smithy to build a weapon with four active EX-MOD passive slots.
- Reach a high Cardinal Rank to unlock top-tier crafting recipes at the blacksmith [00首页信息-1.md].
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I unlock more Sword Skills for my weapon?
Sword Skills are unlocked by earning Weapon Exp. To earn Weapon Exp, you simply need to equip that specific weapon type and defeat enemies during quests and dungeon runs.
Q: Can I use magic or spells in Echoes of Aincrad?
No, magic does not exist in the world of Aincrad. Combat is entirely physical and is defined by your choice of melee weapons, equipment upgrades, and Sword Skills.
Q: Is there a penalty for changing my weapon type?
There is no penalty, but your Weapon Exp is tracked individually for each weapon type. If you switch from a fully upgraded Sword to a level 1 Dagger, you will need to level up your Dagger proficiency from scratch to unlock its Sword Skills.
Q: What are EX-MODs and how do I get them?
EX-MODs are special passive bonuses on weapons, such as reduced Stamina costs or boosted attack damage. You can combine identical weapon types at the Smithy to pool and transfer up to four EX-MODs onto your favorite weapon.