Official Starter Guide: Your First Hours in Aincrad
What Is the Official Starter Guide?
Bandai Namco published the Echoes of Aincrad Starter Guide on July 2, 2026 — one week before the July 10 worldwide launch. It walks new players through core systems without spoiling every discovery: weapons as your class, Growth Points at the inn, Cardinal Rank scaling, map checkpoints, and partner combat.
The retail game is live with Floors 1 and 2 playable. Pair this summary with the July 10 Guide to Aincrad developer tips, apply Patch 1.0.3 for save transfer and balance fixes, then branch into our Floor 1 Main Quest skeleton.
Weapons Are Your Class
Magic does not exist in Aincrad. Your build is defined by weapon type, Sword Skills (up to three equipped), and EX-MOD synthesis at the smithy. Weapon Exp grows as you defeat enemies with a type — unlocking more technics over time. You can only change weapons in the Town of Beginnings between quests.
Six types are available: Sword and Shield (balanced tutorial starter), Two-Handed Axe (slow AoE, no shield), Dagger (fast throws, no shield), Rapier (reach and counters, shield-compatible), Two-Handed Sword (charged heavies, roll dodge), and Mace (shield stagger specialist). Compare animations on the Sword Skills Showcase and viability on the weapon tier list.
Smithy, EX-MODs, and Weapon Level
The Town of Beginnings smithy unlocks after reserving your inn room. EX-MODs customize weapons — reduced Stamina cost, stronger normal attacks, and more. Synthesize duplicate weapons of the same type to stack up to four EX-MODs on one blade.
Separate from Weapon Exp, the smithy raises base weapon parameters using materials or sacrificed duplicate weapons. Cardinal Rank gates recipes and merchant stock — full loops in the Smithy & EX-MOD guide and EX-MOD setups page.
Growth Points and Cardinal Rank
Rest at your inn room to spend Growth Points on Strength, Dexterity, Agility, Intelligence (weapon skill damage), Vitality (HP), Endurance (Stamina), and Mind (SP effectiveness). Level-ups from defeating monsters award new points.
Cardinal Rank reflects overall proficiency. Higher rank unlocks merchant and smithy inventory while scaling enemy difficulty regionally. Partners grow with your rank. Rank increases through main quest milestones and discovering new towns — details in the Growth Points guide and Growth Point Advisor tool.
Combat Basics and Boss Preparation
Every weapon uses light attacks, heavy attacks, special attacks, parries, and evasion — all consuming Stamina or SP. Learn enemy reach before committing. Monsters respawn in growing numbers if ignored; efficient clears prevent overwhelm.
Bosses sit behind barriers until you engage — fights run to the death with no retreat. Stock restoratives, configure EX-MODs, and pick a partner matching your style before entering. Demo boss tactics on the Boss Fights walkthrough; retail extended content on Floor 1 Main Quest.
Exploration and Map Discovery
Each new quest or dungeon starts with a blank minimap. Activate Safety Areas and checkpoints to reveal regional geography, treasure chests, Arks, and sealed shortcuts unlocked by defeating Ark bosses.
The July 10 Guide to Aincrad adds map pins and Return to Checkpoint for field quests. Geographic context: Town of Beginnings, Floor 1 Areas, and Floor 2 Areas.
Partners, Combination Skills, and Switch Mode
One partner joins each quest. Customize their weapons and skills from your inn room. Combination Skills trigger after dealing enough damage together — assign them on the action wheel for boss breakpoints. Support Skills heal, buff, or debuff on command.
Switch Mode draws enemy focus to your partner for breathing room; Free Mode sends them after separate targets for efficient pack clears. Prolonged Free Mode fatigues partners. Full tactics: Partner System guide and partner tier list.
Items, Crafting, and Launch-Week Rewards
Harvest field materials and collect enemy drops. The Town of Beginnings merchant sells consumables for Col and helps craft healing potions, mines, and environmental tools that reveal hidden paths.
Patch 1.0.3 grants a Support Item Set after "Iori's Request" becomes playable — Spark TaStone, talismans, and mines from the Inn Chest once per save. See Patch 1.0.3 notes and the consumables index.
Related Pages in This Section
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I read the Starter Guide or Guide to Aincrad first?
Starter Guide covers foundational systems (weapons, stats, partners). Guide to Aincrad adds July 10 retail tips (map pins, difficulty, town shortcuts). New players benefit from both — start here, then read Guide to Aincrad.
Can I change weapons during a quest?
No. Weapon swaps only happen in the Town of Beginnings between quests, as confirmed in the official Starter Guide.
Does the Starter Guide cover Floors 1 and 2?
Systems apply to the full retail game (Floors 1–2). Story-specific routing lives on the Floor 1 and Floor 2 main quest walkthrough pages.
Is the Starter Guide different from the demo guide?
The demo guide covers the same core systems within the June trial scope. This page summarizes the July 2 retail Starter Guide for the full launch experience.
Where do Growth Points come from?
Character level-ups from defeating monsters. Spend them at the inn Chest Orb on stats tied to your equipped weapon type.
Video Guide
Watch the companion video for this guide: Echoes of Aincrad | Official System Trailer