AGE OF AXES & ÆTHILLU: ECHOES OF WAR GUIDE

Cycle II of Echoes of War went live on July 23, 2026, and it is a completely different puzzle from the opening cycle. The rotation swapped out the kill-order fight and the beast boss, kept the infliction-stacking stage in the middle, and dropped in two brand-new challenges: a finisher-driven skirmish and a raw one-minute execution test. If you already banked a strong rating in Cycle I, none of this is mandatory, because your season Final Rating is your single best cycle. But the new stages carry their own first-clear rewards, and the two fresh mechanics are worth learning before Cycle III arrives. This guide is the stage-by-stage clear plan for the current rotation. For how the mode itself is structured, our full Echoes of War Season of Recalling overview explains the seasons, cycles, and rating math from scratch.

TL;DR - Key Points

• Cycle II runs July 23 to July 30, 2026 and features Skirmisher’s Æthillu (Stage 1), Silver Watercutter (Stage 2, returning), and Age of Axes (Stage 3).
• Skirmisher’s Æthillu is a finisher puzzle. Enemies cannot move but resist interruption, and the clear condition is defeating all Bonekrusher Ambushers. The finisher-only Æthillu are optional tools, not targets.
• Silver Watercutter rewards fast Arts Infliction. Apply Arts Infliction 20 times and your whole team gains +50% Final DMG Dealt, so multi-element spread teams ramp hardest.
• Age of Axes is a speed check. One Elite Executioner, buffed enemy stats, and a Brutal bonus that asks you to clear inside one minute. This is the tightest timer in the cycle.
• The tactical restriction is back. Every stage limits you to HP Treatment tacticals and consumables, so plan survival through roster and positioning.
• Star math is unchanged. Normal (Lv 60) is 1 star, Hard (Lv 75) is 2, Brutal (Lv 90) is 3, for a maximum of 9 stars a cycle, and clearing Brutal plus the bonus challenge earns the Lustrous boost.
• Nothing is missable. Echoes of War is permanent and first-clear rewards do not expire, so sweep what your roster can handle now and come back for Lustrous later.

What Changed From Cycle I

Season of Recalling is built to rotate. Each cycle keeps one stage, retires two, and introduces new ones, so the season stays fresh across its three-week run without ever going offline. Cycle II is the middle rotation, and it keeps Silver Watercutter as the anchor while replacing everything around it.

If you cleared Silver Watercutter last week, the strategy carries over directly, so that is a free rating you can re-bank quickly. The two new stages are where your attention should go. One rewards precision and burst timing, the other rewards flat, fast damage under a punishing clock. Cycle III lands July 30 and is expected to bring Pulverizing Ammunition alongside a rotated return, closing out the season on August 9.

How Cycle Ratings Work (Quick Recap)

If you are jumping in cold, here is the short version. Every stage offers three difficulties, and each one you clear banks stars: Normal at recommended Level 60 for 1 star, Hard at Level 75 for 2 stars, and Brutal at Level 90 for 3 stars. Because you can only claim the highest tier you clear on each stage, a full Brutal sweep of all three stages is worth 9 stars, the cycle maximum.

Your Total Rating resets at the start of each cycle, but your season Final Rating is the highest Total Rating you reached in any single cycle. One clean cycle defines your title for the whole season, and a weak cycle cannot drag it down. The titles ladder up with your star count.

Clearing a stage on Brutal earns the three stars on its own. The Lustrous boost is the extra layer: you get it by clearing Brutal while also completing that stage’s bonus challenge, and earning Lustrous on all three stages in a cycle upgrades your entire season rating and title to Lustrous. For the deeper mechanics of Brutal scaling and how Lustrous behaves as a speed race, our Brutal and Lustrous clear guide breaks down the layered difficulty in full. To even enter, you need Authority Level 40 and completion of the Chapter I main mission Paving the Way.

Stage 1: Skirmisher’s Æthillu Mechanics

Skirmisher’s Æthillu is the most interesting new fight in the cycle because it inverts your usual instincts. The stage modifier does two things at once. First, enemies cannot move, which sounds like a gift until you realize the second half: they are much harder to interrupt. You cannot rely on stagger and knockdowns to babysit the fight the way you might elsewhere, so incoming damage is more constant and you need to solve it through healing and positioning rather than crowd control.

Then there are the Æthillu themselves. These are special enemies that spawn on the field and can only be damaged by finishers. Regular attacks, skills, and Arts do nothing to them. That makes them look like a wall, but they are not the objective at all.

The actual clear condition is straightforward: defeat all the Bonekrusher Ambushers. The Æthillu are optional. You can finish the entire stage without touching a single one, which is the key insight most players miss on their first run.

Clearing Æthillu: Finishers as a Tool, Not a Chore

So why engage the Æthillu at all? Because defeating one is a burst button with three payoffs stacked together. When you land the finisher that kills an Æthillu, it pulls all nearby enemies toward it, restores some SP, and increases your controlled operator’s damage dealt for a duration. In a stage full of immobile, spread-out Bonekrusher Ambushers, that pull is enormously valuable, because it clusters your targets into one spot where a single burst rotation can hit everything.

The play is to treat each Æthillu as a setup move rather than a kill on your checklist.

• Build finisher pressure while the Ambushers are alive. You want a carry that generates finisher opportunities reliably so the Æthillu are available when you need the pull.
• Trigger the finisher when enemies are scattered. The pull is wasted if everything is already grouped, so save it for the moment your targets are spread across the arena.
• Ride the damage buff into your Ambusher burst. The moment the pull lands, the enemies are clustered and your damage is elevated, which is your window to delete the Bonekrusher Ambushers that actually end the stage.
• Skip the Æthillu entirely if you are ahead. If your team is already melting the Ambushers, do not waste time chasing optional finishers. The clear condition does not care.

Because the enemies do not move, this stage is unusually kind to melee carries who would otherwise chase targets around. Plant yourself, let the pull do the repositioning, and clean up.

Stage 2: Silver Watercutter Mechanics

Silver Watercutter returns from Cycle I unchanged, so if you cleared it last week you already know the drill. The field is a mix of common enemies (roughly eleven Mudflow units and six Hedron units) built around a single Tidewalker as the elite anchor. On its own that is a manageable crowd, but the stage mechanic is what turns it into a damage race.

Here is the rule: after your team applies Arts Infliction 20 times, every operator gains a flat +50% Final DMG Dealt. That is a massive multiplier, and it fundamentally changes which teams clear cleanly. A single-target physical squad can technically beat the stage, but it leaves that +50% buff sitting untriggered the entire fight and then wonders why the timer felt so tight.

The tactical restriction applies here too, so only HP Treatment tacticals and consumables are allowed. On Brutal, the bonus challenge for Lustrous is a speed condition: clear the stage within roughly three minutes, leaving seven or more minutes on the timer. That is a comfortable window if your infliction ramp is fast, and a brutal one if it is not.

Silver Watercutter: Infliction-Stacking Teams

The whole game on this stage is crossing the 20-infliction threshold as early as possible, then riding the buff. Twenty applications sounds like a lot, but it accumulates shockingly fast when your team applies inflictions in ticks and area-of-effect pulses rather than single big hits.

Lean into operators who spread Arts Inflictions quickly. The infliction-heavy cores that shine in the rest of the mode, built around dealers like Laevatain and paired with fast enablers, ramp the buff inside the opening seconds and then dump a supercharged rotation into the Tidewalker. The rewards here are worth the effort: the first Normal clear pays 100 Oroberyl and T-Creds, Hard adds Advanced Cognitive Carriers, and Brutal hands over a Mark of Perseverance plus progression crates. Front-load your inflictions, cross the threshold, then burst.

Stage 3: Age of Axes Mechanics

Age of Axes is the cycle’s execution test, and it is the simplest stage to describe and the hardest to Lustrous. The field is a single Elite Executioner, with the standard Brutal treatment layered on: enemies arrive with noticeably inflated stats, and you are once again limited to HP Treatment tacticals and consumables.

There is no clever infliction gimmick or finisher puzzle here. This is a boss check, plain and simple. Your job is to survive the Executioner’s hits with only healing tools available and to out-damage a health pool that has been padded well beyond the story version of the same enemy.

Then comes the timer. The Brutal bonus challenge for Age of Axes is the tightest in the cycle: clear within roughly one minute, leaving three or more minutes on the clock. Where Silver Watercutter gives you three minutes of breathing room, Age of Axes asks for a near-instant kill. This is a pure damage-per-second wall, and it will expose any team that is built for safety over speed.

Age of Axes: Speed-Kill Setups

The one-minute bonus turns Age of Axes into a burst-window optimization problem. You are not playing for attrition, you are playing to unload your entire kit into a single target before the timer ticks past sixty seconds.

• Bring your highest single-target damage core. A hypercarry setup that funnels every buff into one dealer is the correct answer, since there is only one enemy to point it at.
• Physical scaling is attractive here. With a lone boss and inflated stats, you want reliable raw output rather than niche elemental tech, and physical carries sidestep any resistance guessing entirely.
• Pre-load your buffs before the fight starts moving. Open with your enablers so the buff windows are already live when your carry’s burst comes online, rather than spending the first fifteen seconds ramping.
• Practice the rotation on Normal first. Run the stage once on Normal to memorize the Executioner’s attack tells and your own damage sequence, then bring that muscle memory to the Brutal attempt where every second counts.

If your carry is not fully geared, take the Brutal three-star clear without stressing the one-minute bonus. The stars still count toward your rating even without Lustrous, and you can chase the timer once your damage grows.

Banking 9 Stars and [Lustrous]

Here is the full picture of what Cycle II asks for if you want the maximum rating. The three-star clears are a damage-and-survival check; the Lustrous boosts are a speed check on top.

Attempt them in the order that matches your account. If you are hunting the full Lustrous title, start with Silver Watercutter, since its three-minute window is the most forgiving and its infliction buff does a lot of the damage work for you. Skirmisher’s Æthillu is next, because the Æthillu pull lets you group and burst on your own terms. Save Age of Axes for last: its one-minute wall is where a hypercarry either has the numbers or does not, and there is little strategy to hide behind. Knock out all three Normal clears first for the guaranteed Oroberyls, then climb.

Team Building by Player Type

There is no single correct team for Cycle II, because the three stages reward different things. How hard you push should match your roster depth, and because the mode is permanent, there is no wrong pace.

• Roster-limited and returning players: Sweep all three stages on Normal for the full Oroberyl payout, then take Silver Watercutter to Hard since its mechanic makes it the friendliest of the three. Ignore Lustrous entirely until you have a built carry. You lose nothing by waiting.
• Mid-roster players: Target Brutal clears on the two stages that suit your best core (usually Silver Watercutter for infliction teams and Skirmisher’s Æthillu for finisher-capable melee), bank the stars, and grab Lustrous opportunistically wherever your team beats the timer. Remember your Final Rating is your best single cycle.
• Deep-roster players and completionists: Chase Lustrous on all three to turn the season title Lustrous. Build each stage around its rule rather than forcing one comp: a spread-infliction team for Silver Watercutter, a finisher carry for Æthillu, and a single-target burst core for the Age of Axes one-minute wall.

Homecoming added two new 6-star operators worth slotting where they fit: Arcane, a Nature Caster whose kit spreads Arts Inflictions, is a natural fit for Silver Watercutter, while Liino, an Electric Supporter, adds enabler value to burst teams. If you are still weighing where the mode sits in your routine, our Trial of Swordmancy permanent mode breakdown covers the other always-on combat activity you should be rotating through.

Common Mistakes

• Chasing every Æthillu. They are optional. Killing them all wastes time when the clear condition is only the Bonekrusher Ambushers. Use the pull, then move on.
• Bringing single-target physical to Silver Watercutter. A team that never triggers the 20-infliction buff throws away a +50% Final DMG multiplier and then blames the timer. Bring infliction spread.
• Playing Age of Axes for safety. A tanky team clears Brutal but misses the one-minute Lustrous bonus by a mile. If you want Lustrous, build for burst from the first attempt.
• Importing a utility-tactical plan. Only HP Treatment tacticals and consumables are allowed on every stage. Any clear plan that leans on a shield or control tactical simply does not exist here.
• Grinding Brutal before sweeping Normal. The guaranteed Oroberyls come from first Normal clears. Bank those before you burn attempts on the hardest tier.
• Ignoring the returning stage. Silver Watercutter carried over from Cycle I, so its clear is often a quick re-bank. Do not overthink a stage you already solved.

What Would Change This: Watch List

Echoes of War is a moving target by design, so treat this cycle’s plan as a snapshot.

• Cycle III lands July 30. The final rotation of Season of Recalling is expected to introduce Pulverizing Ammunition alongside a rotated return, with its own mechanism trait to solve. If you are still short of your target title, Cycle III is your last swing before the season closes August 9.
• Bonus challenge timers may firm up. The three-minute and one-minute windows above come from community clears and stage data rather than a full datamine, so exact thresholds could vary slightly by region and patch. Verify against your in-game challenge text.
• Roster power creep. As new carries release, the cleanest Cycle II comps will shift, but the underlying logic (spread infliction for Watercutter, finisher burst for Æthillu, single-target burst for Axes) will hold.
• The next season. Season of Recalling gives way to a new season in August, bringing fresh stages, new traits, and another set of first-clear rewards to sweep. For the other headline fight this patch introduced, the Alleikhreos boss combat intel is worth a read alongside your Echoes of War grind.

Final Read

Cycle II is a cleaner teaching cycle than the opener. Silver Watercutter rewards the same instinct it always has, stack inflictions and ride the buff, so it is your fast re-bank. Skirmisher’s Æthillu is the thinking stage, where reading the clear condition correctly (Bonekrusher Ambushers, not Æthillu) and using the finisher pull as a grouping tool turns a confusing fight into a controlled one. Age of Axes is the wall, a one-minute burst test that simply asks whether your hypercarry has the numbers yet. Sweep Normal for the Oroberyls, take the Brutal stars your roster can manage, and chase Lustrous in the order of Watercutter, then Æthillu, then Axes. Because only your best cycle counts and nothing expires, there is zero pressure to force a clear before your gear is ready.

FAQ

When does Cycle II of Echoes of War end?

Cycle II runs from July 23 to July 30, 2026, after which Cycle III opens through the season’s close on August 9. Exact swap times vary by server region, so check the in-game timer.

Do I have to kill the Æthillu in Skirmisher’s Æthillu?

No. The clear condition is defeating all the Bonekrusher Ambushers. The Æthillu are optional, and you can finish the stage without touching them. They exist as a burst tool: killing one pulls in enemies, restores SP, and buffs your controlled operator.

Why can’t I damage the Æthillu with my skills?

Æthillu can only be damaged by finishers. Regular attacks, skills, and Arts do nothing to them, so you need to land a finisher to defeat one. This is intentional, and since they are optional targets, it is fine to ignore them entirely.

What is the fastest way to trigger the Silver Watercutter buff?

Apply Arts Infliction 20 times as quickly as possible using a multi-element or infliction-heavy team. Operators who tick inflictions across the crowd in area pulses hit the threshold far faster than a single big hitter, and once you cross it, the whole team gains +50% Final DMG Dealt.

How tight is the Age of Axes Brutal bonus?

Very. The bonus challenge asks you to clear within roughly one minute, leaving three or more minutes on the timer. It is the tightest Lustrous condition in the cycle and demands a genuine single-target burst carry rather than a survival team.

Can I reuse my Cycle I Silver Watercutter team?

Yes. Silver Watercutter returns unchanged in Cycle II, so if you cleared it last cycle, the same infliction-stacking team works and it is one of the quickest ratings to re-bank.

Do I need Brutal clears for the premium currency?

No. The Oroberyl payout comes from first-time Normal clears, so a modest roster can sweep every stage on Normal and claim the currency. Brutal and the Lustrous boost add other rewards and prestige, but the premium currency is not gated behind them.

What are the level requirements for each difficulty?

Normal recommends Level 60, Hard recommends Level 75, and Brutal recommends Level 90. These are guidance rather than hard locks, but Brutal’s inflated enemy stats punish undergeared, underleveled teams hard.

Is my rating lost when the cycle changes?

Your Total Rating resets at the start of each cycle, but your season Final Rating is the highest Total Rating you reached in any single cycle. So a strong Cycle II locks in your title even if you skip Cycle III entirely.

Which new operators help most in Cycle II?

Arcane, the Nature Caster from Homecoming, spreads Arts Inflictions and fits Silver Watercutter naturally. Liino, an Electric Supporter, adds enabler value to the burst teams you want for Age of Axes. Neither is required, and existing carries clear the cycle fine.

Note: All dates are server time and may vary by region. Stage mechanics and bonus challenge timers reflect community clears and stage data at the time of writing and may differ from your in-game version. Please refer to in-game information for specific details.