Weapons Comparisons Guide | Echoes of Aincrad ( SAO EoA )

Combat in Echoes of Aincrad

Combat in Echoes of Aincrad comes off as complicated as first with all the different terms thrown around during the tutorial, but once you are used to the scheme of things, it becomes easier to understand.

Our guide for beginners gives a run down of each term in combat and their usage but here, we will break it down to even simpler terms:

Light & Heavy Attacks - Normal Attacking, Differs in Strength and Stamina Consumption
Slash Attacks - Follow-up Attacks done with Partners, including Parries
Sword Skills - Specialized skills for each weapon

The Combat Attack is a large attack whose strength and targets depend on your partner while the Support Skill of your partner may vary from buffing you to debuffing your enemy to doing a large attack on their own.

This knowledge is enough to get a sense of the type of gameplay you would like to have, and in turn, which weapon you should pick for the best experience.

Introduction to each weapon

STR Rankings: 2H Axe > 2H Sword > Mace > Sword > Rapier > Dagger

Speed ATK Rankings: Dagger >Rapier > Sword > Mace > 2H Sword >> 2H Axe

What use is a shield?

Only three weapons use a shield alongside it: Sword, Rapier, and Mace. Is having a shield worth it?

A shield does not give any extra defense like in other games. Shields in this game provide two things:

• fast attacking after guarding (instead of using your weapon to guard, you use your shield, so it is easier to attack right after)
• an extra Unique MOD

Depending on your playstyle, you might like parrying or guarding more than dodging and rolling to avoid the enemy. You can certainly use both but the first two are easier with a shield in place.

An extra Unique MOD can also to be your advantage depending on the effects it gives. The shield may give you a bigger window to parry or give you a boost in ATK. Of course, not all unique MODs are necessary boons or come without consequences, but it will be up to you whether you think the exchange is worth it or not.

The question to ask mainly if you want to use a weapon with a shield is: Do I mainly want to guard or dodge?

Weapon and Stats

Sword

The sword is the standard versatile weapon that can allows offense with some defensive capabilities due to the ability to guard against attacks. While parrying/parry slash can be used often with it, the sword can also be made into more of a damage dealer through increased ATK or through the use of Sword Skills.

Stat Allocation: You can pour stat points into DEX and Mind to focus on Sword Skills OR You can pour stat points into STR and AGI to focus on doing hard and fast combos on your opponents. You can also do a balanced allocation. Your weapon might also be INT-based so you can add more points there, but that is more recommended once you obtain purple/gold weapons (weapons of the highest quality).

Use a sword if:

• You want to do fast combos but also want some more defensive capabilities
• You want some parrying abilities but not depend on it fully

Rapier

The rapier is the go-to weapon if you want to employ the parry/parry slash gameplay. It does rely on your timing and will want Ex-Mods that either increase the slash window or the slash damage percentage. It is good for fast and quick swordplay and is still able to use the defensive capabilities of a shield.

Stat Allocation: Most of the stat points go into DEX, and then some into STR and AGI. If you'd like to utilize a lot of Sword Skills, pour some into Mind as well.

Use a rapier if:

• You enjoy a parrying/slashing playstyle
• You still want some defensive capabilities

Dagger

A dagger is ideal for fast gameplay relying more on brute force than strategy. It focuses on doing multiple hits on a target in a short period of time. You can implement a hit and dodge gameplay, but you do have to be able to weigh whether getting more hits and damage is more optimal than running away for each attack you will do.

Stat Allocation: The dagger relies on doing multiple attacks to rack up damage instead of having strong damage per attack so pour the stat points into AGI. Using the weapon so many times though does also use up a lot of stamina so you will need sufficient END to keep up with your playstyle. And if you want to do more Sword Skills, it is better to focus on Mind rather than DEX.

Use a dagger if:

• You like very fast attacks
• You like to not think about defense too much
• You prefer dodging to guarding

Mace

The mace is another versatile weapon but can rely more on strength and its Sword Skills. While it is not as fast as the other weapons, its normal attack speed still allows a good number of combos on an enemy. It also has defensive capabilities with the use of the shield.

Stat Allocation:While a mace can be more balanced according to your gameplay, a lot of its weapons will depend on ATK. While not a priority, it will also need some END to be supplemented either through stat points or through Ex-Mods. DEX and Mind can be utilized if you want to use a lot of Sword Skills for your playstyle. Your weapon might also be INT-based so you can add more points there, but that is more recommended once you obtain purple/gold weapons (weapons of the highest quality).

Use a mace if:

• You want more power than what a sword can give but the more or less balanced playstyle
• You'd like your Sword Skills to down your enemies

Two-Handed Sword

A weapon that relies a lot on its Sword Skills as they do massive damage. While slower than all the other weapons, it is still sufficiently faster than an axe and can still do some combos. However, it is not efficient in guarding since it does not have a shield. Its main strength lies in being versatile enough to also stand alone with its strength.

Stat Allocation: Best to pour your stat points in DEX and Mind so that you can best utilize your Sword Skills. Your weapon might also be INT-based so you can add more points there, but that is more recommended once you obtain purple/gold weapons (weapons of the highest quality). You can also pour stat points into ATK instead, and some into END to have faster gameplay.

Use a two-handed sword if:

• You want more power but don't like the slowness of an axe
• You like to play soulslike games

Two-Handed Axe

A slow-moving weapon whose speed is inversely proportional to its strength. Axe gameplay requires little guarding and combos, and more about doing large damage every time you hit an enemy. You have to be mindful of the stamina you are using and dodging to avoid attacks as guarding is not as effective without a shield.

Stat Allocation: Pour into END and ATK. Put some into DEX and Mind if you would like to utilize Sword Skills a lot.

Use a two-handed axe if:

• You want to focus on power
• You don't mind a playstyle where you're more mindful of each attack and not focusing on combos

For an even further look into each weapon, check out the build guide in our list of each weapon type below!

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