Best Beginner-Friendly Sword Skills In Echoes Of Aincrad

As you work to master the various elements of combat in a game like Echoes of Aincrad, the Sword Art Online universe gives you plenty to take in off the top! You'll need to master how to use your weapon, its pros and cons, and you'll work to unlock new Sword Skills with each proficiency level along the way.

If you're looking for the best start to learning new Sword Skills for your favorite weapon type in Echoes of Aincrad, look no further! Our list of the best Sword Skills will help you find a good move for every weapon.

Vertical Slash

You'll likely get this level two Sword Proficiency skill before you're even out of the tutorial segment, depending on how much you go exploring with Iori on your way out, but that gives you ample time to master using Vertical Slash to slice up your enemies from there on out.

Severing Attacks in Echoes of Aincrad are pretty powerful, since foes without a Shield equipped will have a much harder time defending against it. Additionally, having the attack do 200 percent of your current Attack stat for that weapon (with your ACV factored in) is one of the higher early-game percentage totals for damage calculation, so there's little not to love about it.

Fierce Shock

The very first Sword Skill attack you'll have access to when you're using a Two-Handed Axe in Echoes of Aincrad is unlocked at level one Two-Handed Axe Proficiency and is called Fierce Shock, and it's shocking how fierce it can be in battle for sure! Though these heavy weapons will get a better boost later on, 200 percent of your current Attack is great for so early on!

You'll have had some time to improve your ACV a bit before you swap into using Two-Handed Axes, so be sure to put as much power into your fun new Two-Handed Axe with that and your Ex-Mods as you can before venturing into the second main mission. These are great AoE moves that help clear out mobs, of which you'll face several in the wilderness areas ahead.

Brave Leap

What's better than one powerful attack when you use a Sword Skill in Echoes of Aincrad? Automatically performing two additional powerful attacks right after, which you can do when you've equipped Brave Leap after unlocking it at level two Two-Handed Sword Proficiency.

Your first of three total attacks in this move launches your foe into the air, the second follows through a second time to slam them hard back down into the ground again, and the third move comes from any enemy being hit by this move directly, instead of dealing with the AoE fallout like most mobs will, will take an additional bout of damage before your single attack has finished.

Slanted Edge

Slanted Edge might actually be your technical introduction to Sword Skills, since it's unlocked by default at only level one Sword Proficiency, which you'll have by default at the beginning of the game as your character uses a Sword until you make it to the Town of Beginnings and can swap out for something else if you'd prefer.​​​​​​

And it's a good way to start off, too, introducing you to a truly impressive Crush Attack that can hit multiple enemies in a mob if needed, with its wide arc covering quite a lot of space as your character swings it down onto enemies. Use this one to get through the tutorial dungeon with ease!

Lateral Lunge

You won't see many Sword Skills in Echoes of Aincrad that swap a good defense more directly for a good offense, but Lateral Lunge, which unlocks at level two Rapier Proficiency, is one of the few.

You'll still do some damage getting yourself into this defensive stance even if you don't get hit while you're in it, but having an enemy land an attack while you're in the Lateral Lunge position will not only repel the incoming attack, but it'll switch things up and deal damage instead of just avoiding it. Your enemy will hardly know what hit them before they're facing 250 percent of your Attack with Lateral Lunge.

Rapid Bite

Rapid Bite just barely squeaks into what qualifies as a beginner Sword Skill in Echoes of Aincrad, arriving once you've reached level three Dagger proficiency after you've gotten the hang of fighting with these tiny but mighty blades. And with so much emphasis on XX, it's no wonder your character is quick with their knife.

This Rapier Sword Skill deftly moves you behind the enemy, which is not only a good way to sneak up on them and do some impressive damage at 250 percent of your Attack, but it's also helpful for getting you out of the way of incoming attacks as well.

Beatdown

Though Maces in Echoes of Aincrad aren't technically classified as heavy weapons, you do seem to move slower with them than you do with weapons that have less physical heft behind them, but that just means you can make every blow count - and that's just where Beatdown comes in after you reach level two Mace Proficiency.

Your first Mace Sword Skill helps familiarize you with your stellar Crush Attack output, but don't forget about how mighty your Sword Strikes can be! Beatdown uses 200 percent of your Mace's Attack in a move that closes distance between you and an enemy to help you clear the fight out even faster.

Single Stab

If you play as a rogue in any other class-based game like Echoes of Aincrad, then you're likely looking for a good way to lob your weapons across the battlefield to provide a good ranged Dagger attack, and thankfully, that's just where Single Stab comes in once you've hit level two Dagger Proficiency.

Take aim at any enemy from wherever you are on the battlefield and lob one of your Daggers at them, potentially taking them by surprise and starting the fight before they even see what's coming. It's a good one for Death Game Mode, since it keeps you safely away from most threats in a way that gives you one shot at having the upper hand going into the fight.

Volcano Slam

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If you're someone who loves using their slew of powerful area of attack moves when playing as tank characters in a game like Echoes of Aincrad, then Volcano Slam is just what you're looking for, and it unlocks early on into your character progression at level three Two-Handed Axe Proficiency.

Your character will rake their battleaxe through the ground beneath them and fling foes up into the air with the move. Not only are they effectively interrupted from whatever attack they were in the process of lobbing your way, but they also take a staggering 270 percent of your already sky-high Attack stat for your Two-Handed Axe.

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Pyre Dance

One of the best parts of playing Echoes of Aincrad with a Rapier as your main weapon is just how quick you get to be with all of your attacks, and one of the fastest of them all unlocks at level three Rapier Proficiency to set you off on the right path for the rest of the game.

If you're familiar at all with fencing as a sport, knowing when to advance and when to step out of the way are critical skills, and that's just what Pyre Dance brings to your Rapier characters. They'll step in quickly to launch a Severing Attack at their foes before moving back to their original position before the enemy even really knows what hit them. It's not quite a ranged attack, but it's as close as you'll get with a melee weapon in Echoes of Aincrad!

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