Echoes of Aincrad Weapon Tier List: All Weapons

The Two-Handed Axe and the Sword and Shield sit at the top of the Echoes of Aincrad weapon tier list. Pick the Axe if you want the fastest clear speed and can pour points into Strength, or pick the Sword and Shield if you want a forgiving all-rounder that holds up at any skill level.

Echoes of Aincrad ships with six weapon types in the full release, and every one of them can carry you through the game. The gap shows up in how much practice each weapon demands and how much room it leaves for mistakes. This tier list ranks all six by damage output, attack speed, shield support, and how forgiving they feel in a real fight.

Full Echoes of Aincrad Weapon Tier List

Six weapon types made it into the full release, and this is where each one lands once damage, speed, and shield access are weighed together.

Tier	Weapon Types
S	Two-Handed Axe, Sword and Shield
A	Mace, Rapier, Dagger
B	Two-Handed Sword

S-Tier Picks: Two-Handed Axe and Sword and Shield

Both S-tier weapons win for different reasons: one clears rooms fast, the other rarely lets you down.

Two-Handed Axe

No other weapon in the game clears a room faster than the Two-Handed Axe once you’ve put in the work to unlock it. Every swing is slow but hits a wide arc, and equipping it means giving up your shield entirely, leaving you with a roll for evasion instead of a block. That sacrifice starts to make sense once you reach the midgame and pick up the Iron Scythe variant. Its MOD pushes your Sprint Attacks into a real damage source and gives your Sprint Speed a boost on top of that, and layering more sprint-related MODs on it lets you close ground on a group and start swinging before most enemies get a chance to respond. The timing takes real practice to learn, but no other weapon clears crowds this efficiently once you have it down.

Sword and Shield

The Sword doesn’t have a single flashy gimmick, and that’s exactly why it works. You get medium swing speed, steady damage per hit, and the option to keep a shield up for blocks and parries. That combination makes it the safest weapon for beginners and a reliable pick at every stage of the game. It scales with Dexterity, so leveling that stat sharpens your combos over time. If you’re not sure which weapon to commit to first, this is the one that won’t punish you for guessing wrong.

A-Tier Picks: Mace, Rapier, and Dagger

A-tier weapons ask for more stat investment or tighter positioning, but they reward you well once you commit.

Mace

The Mace is simple to swing and hits hard once you build around it. It moves at a decent pace and specializes in breaking enemy guards, staggering foes, and knocking them down, which makes it strong against tougher, shielded enemies. It leans on Strength to hit its full numbers, and you can still carry a shield with it, which covers you when your parry timing is off.

Rapier

The Rapier suits players who want speed and mobility over raw power. It has solid reach for its class, chains attacks smoothly, and lets you slip around telegraphed attacks to punish openings. You can pair it with a sword for extra flexibility, but you need heavy Agility investment before it starts to shine.

Dagger

The Dagger fits a full Agility build. It attacks fast and deals strong damage in short windows when you don’t miss, and it can even throw blades for ranged hits in a pinch. The catch is real: its range is extremely short, so you have to get in close, and it can’t equip a shield at all, which leaves you exposed and dependent on dodging cleanly.

B-Tier Pick: Two-Handed Sword

The Two-Handed Sword deals massive damage with charged attacks and has long reach, but it’s heavy and slow, and it can’t use a shield, so your dodge becomes a roll here too. Damage was never the issue with this weapon. The wind-up before each swing is long enough that missing costs you dearly, which demands precise timing against every enemy pattern. It can feel satisfying once you get into that rhythm, but out of all six weapon types, this one leaves the least room for error while you’re learning it.

Shield Compatibility and Main Stat

Shield access matters for survivability, and only certain weapon types allow it.

Weapon	Shield	Main Stat
Sword and Shield	Yes	Dexterity
Mace	Yes	Strength
Rapier	Yes (can pair with a sword)	Agility
Dagger	No	Agility
Two-Handed Sword	No (dodge becomes a roll)	Dexterity
Two-Handed Axe	No (dodge becomes a roll)	Strength

How to Get More Out of Any Weapon

A few systems apply no matter which weapon type you settle on.

Fighting with a weapon type earns you Weapon EXP, and that EXP unlocks more Sword Skills for that weapon over time. You can equip up to three Sword Skills at once, so you still have room to customize a loadout even within a single weapon type. Leveling the weapon’s matching attribute with your Growth Points raises your damage further on top of that.

At a Smithy, combining multiple weapons of the same type onto one lets you stack as many as four EX-Mods on it, unlocking perks like reduced Stamina cost or a boost to attack damage. You can also increase a weapon’s base damage on its own by spending materials, which works independently of your Weapon Proficiency. There’s one restriction worth knowing before you head out: weapon type swaps only happen while you’re in the Town of Beginnings, not once a quest is underway, so decide on your loadout before you leave. Play Now!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best weapon in Echoes of Aincrad?

The Two-Handed Axe and the Sword and Shield are both S-tier and considered the best overall. The Axe wins on raw clear speed once you unlock the Iron Scythe variant, while the Sword and Shield wins on consistency and safety across every fight.

Which weapon is best for beginners?

The Sword and Shield. It has no steep learning curve, deals steady damage, and lets you block or parry with a shield while you get comfortable with combat timing.

Is the Two-Handed Sword worth using?

It’s a B-tier pick that rewards patient, precise players. It hits harder than most other weapons, but the slow wind-up before each swing punishes any mistimed attack, and it can’t be paired with a shield.

Can I switch weapon types mid-game?

Yes, but only between quests while you’re in the Town of Beginnings. You can’t swap weapon types once you’re already inside a dungeon.

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Echoes of Aincrad Weapon Tier List: Every Weapon Ranked