Catherine Hu
Quick Answer: How to Beat Illfang the Kobold Lord in Echoes of Aincrad (Easy Kill)
If you want to secure an easy kill against Illfang the Kobold Lord in Echoes of Aincrad, follow this exact battle blueprint to counter his mechanics:
Editor’s Note
When I first challenged Illfang during my initial playthrough of Echoes of Aincrad, his Phase 2 Nodachi transition completely caught me off guard. My AI partner was dead, my Sword Skills were on cooldown, and I was panic-rolling. After testing multiple weapon synergies and partner tactical setups, I found a definitive, repeatable loop that turns this chaotic raid into a highly controlled, easy kill. Here is exactly how you dismantle the Floor 1 boss.
Getting wiped by the very first major raid boss is a rite of passage, but watching your custom avatar get cleaved in half by Illfang the Kobold Lord in Echoes of Aincrad is a uniquely punishing experience. You’ve mastered the basic real-time combat against dire wolves and frenzy boars, but the Floor 1 Labyrinth boss introduces a massive difficulty spike. Between managing his sweeping AoE attacks, coordinating with your AI partner, and dealing with the endless waves of Ruin Kobold Sentinels, it is incredibly easy to burn through your healing potions and get sent back to the Town of Beginnings—or worse, lose your character entirely if you are playing on the hardcore Death Game Mode.
Pre-Raid Preparation: Gear, Stats, and Partner Synergy
You cannot simply walk into the boss room and expect to button-mash your way to victory. Echoes of Aincrad heavily penalizes reckless stamina management and poor preparation.
Optimize Your Weapon and Sword Skills
Before stepping into the Labyrinth boss room, ensure you have completed the “Secret Medicine of the Forest” quest to obtain the Anneal Blade, or have upgraded your starting weapon to at least +2 at the blacksmith in the Town of Beginnings. For your Sword Skills, equip skills that offer high stagger potential. If you are using a one-handed sword, “Slant” and “Horizontal Square” are your best friends. “Horizontal Square” is an excellent AoE skill that can simultaneously damage Illfang while clearing out any minion Kobolds that get too close.
If you find yourself under-leveled and your attacks are just bouncing off his guard, you need to grind a bit before the raid. Check out our comprehensive Echoes of Aincrad Fast XP & Leveling Guide to get your stats up to par in record time.
Configure Your AI Partner
The partner synergy system in Echoes of Aincrad is what makes or breaks this fight. Open your companion menu and adjust their tactical behavior.
Phase 1 Breakdown: Bone Axe and Leather Shield
When the fight begins, Illfang will be wielding a massive Bone Axe and a Leather Buckler. He has four health bars. During the first three bars, his attacks are slow, telegraphed, but hit like an absolute truck.
Attack Patterns and Counters
The Leaping Smash: Illfang will roar, crouch, and leap across the room to bring his axe down. Counter: Do not try to block this. The impact will drain 100% of your stamina and leave you stunned. Roll diagonally forward and to the right. He has a 2-second recovery window after this slam—this is your primary window to unleash a heavy Sword Skill.
Shield Bash: A quick, close-range bash. If it connects, you will be staggered. Counter: Watch his left shoulder. When it dips, perform a quick backstep.
Sweeping Cleave: A 180-degree horizontal swing. Counter: This is the best attack to Perfect Parry. Time your block just as the axe begins its forward momentum. A successful parry will drastically fill his stagger bar.
Executing the “Switch” Mechanic
The most efficient way to drain his first three health bars is by abusing the Switch mechanic. Engage Illfang head-on until he targets you with a heavy combo. Block or dodge the first hit, then immediately press the Switch command. Your AI partner will dash in, drawing his aggro and interrupting his combo with a heavy strike, while you reposition to his flank. Hit him from behind for guaranteed critical damage.
Crowd Control: Handling the Ruin Kobold Sentinels
Illfang does not fight alone. At the start of the fight, and every time he loses a full health bar, he will summon three Ruin Kobold Sentinels. These heavily armored minions wield maces and are designed to interrupt your combos and trap you in stunlocks.
The Kiting Strategy
Never lock onto the Sentinels unless you absolutely have to. If you focus on the minions, Illfang will blindside you. Instead, use your AI partner to keep them occupied. Command your partner to use wide-sweeping attacks. If the Sentinels swarm you, unlock your camera, sprint to the opposite side of the boss arena, and let them bottleneck as they chase you. Turn around and unleash an AoE Sword Skill like “Horizontal Square” or “Cyclone” to wipe them out simultaneously.
Phase 2 Breakdown: The Nodachi Enrage
When Illfang reaches his final health bar (the red bar), the fight completely changes. He will throw away his Bone Axe and Shield, pull out a massive Nodachi (Katana), and his attack speed will essentially double. This is where most players die in Echoes of Aincrad.
The “Tsumujiguruma” Threat
Illfang now gains access to katana-specific Sword Skills, most notably a variation of “Tsumujiguruma” (Whirlwind). He will dash forward, spinning his blade in a massive 360-degree radius multiple times.
Why it kills you: If you try to block this, the multi-hit nature of the attack will break your guard on the second rotation, and the subsequent hits will chunk your health to zero.
How to survive: The moment he throws his axe away, create distance. When he lowers his stance and his blade glows red, sheath your weapon and sprint away. Do not dodge roll, just sprint.
The Hit-and-Run Tactic
In Phase 2, greed equals death. You cannot afford to stay in melee range for long combos. Wait for him to execute his leaping thrust attack. Dodge to the side, hit him with one or two basic light attacks, and immediately back away. Use your AI partner as bait. When Illfang targets your partner, run in, hit him with your strongest single-hit Sword Skill (like “Sonic Leap”), and retreat. Whittle down his final health bar through patience.
Death Game Mode: Hardcore Survival Tips
If you are playing Echoes of Aincrad on the notorious Death Game Mode, the stakes are permanent. If your avatar dies, your save file is deleted.
The Ultimate Shortcut: Using XMODhub
Let’s be real: mastering perfect dodges, grinding for the Anneal Blade, and babysitting an AI partner isn’t for everyone. Sometimes you just want to experience the story of Echoes of Aincrad without hitting a massive mechanical wall on the very first floor. If you are tired of getting one-shot by Illfang’s Phase 2 katana spins, you can bypass the frustration entirely with XMODhub.
XMODhub is the premier modding and trainer engine for PC single-player games, offering safe, undetectable, and highly customizable cheats that inject right into your game memory. For Echoes of Aincrad, XMODhub provides a dedicated suite of tools to turn you into a literal god of the death game.
How to Dominate Illfang with XMODhub:
Download Echoes of Aincrad Trainer Now
With XMODhub, you dictate the rules of Aincrad. No more grinding, no more frustrating deaths—just pure, uninterrupted anime action.
Optimal Weapon & Skill Loadout Matrix
To maximize your damage output and exploit Illfang’s attack recovery frames, your weapon and skill choices matter significantly. Below is a detailed breakdown of the best weapon classes to bring into the Floor 1 Labyrinth, tailored specifically for this boss encounter.
| Weapon Classification | Recommended Sword Skill | Optimal Use Case | Priority Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-Handed Sword | Horizontal Square | Rapidly clearing Ruin Kobold Sentinels and safe Phase 2 hit-and-runs. | High |
| Mace / Hammer | Armor Pierce | Breaking Illfang’s shield guard and dealing massive blunt stagger damage. | High |
| Two-Handed Axe | Whirlwind | Punishing Illfang during his 2-second recovery after the Leaping Smash. | Medium |
| Rapier | Linear | Executing safe, quick pokes from a distance when your AI partner holds aggro. | Low |
Essential Consumables Checklist
Running out of stamina or health mid-combo is a guaranteed death sentence against the Kobold Lord. Before initiating the raid, verify your quick-slots are stocked with the following essential items:
Frequently Asked Questions
A: For a comfortable experience on standard difficulty, Level 12 is recommended. This gives you enough base HP to survive at least one heavy attack if you miss a dodge. For Death Game Mode, do not enter the room below Level 15.
A: Yes! Just like in the original lore, whoever lands the “Last Attack” (the final blow that depletes his HP to zero) is rewarded with the Coat of Midnight, a powerful piece of torso armor that boosts evasion and agility. Ensure you land the killing blow, not your AI partner.
A: You cannot stop them from spawning; it is a hard-coded phase mechanic. They will spawn at the start of the fight and at the 75%, 50%, and 25% health thresholds. You must deal with them or kite them.
A: Yes. Unlike the anime, Echoes of Aincrad allows you to interact with the raid monument in the Town of Beginnings to replay defeated boss fights in “Memory Mode” to farm materials and weapon drops.
Final Verdict
Beating Illfang the Kobold Lord in Echoes of Aincrad is all about respecting his attack patterns and managing the chaos of the battlefield. By prioritizing your dodges during his brutal Phase 2 Nodachi enrage, effectively utilizing the Switch mechanic, and keeping the Kobold Sentinels distracted, you can systematically dismantle the Floor 1 boss and claim your Coat of Midnight.
However, if you want to skip the trial and error and get straight to exploring the higher floors of Aincrad, XMODhub is your ultimate trump card. Supporting over 5,000 single-player titles, XMODhub is the ultimate companion for modern JRPG players. Whether you are hacking your way through Echoes of Aincrad, unlocking infinite resources in Granblue Fantasy: Relink, or maxing out your artes in Tales of Arise, XMODhub gives you the power to play your games, exactly your way. Download it today and conquer the floating castle on your own terms.
I am a passionate gamer and writer at XMODhub, dedicated to bringing you the latest gaming news, tips, and insights.
Connect with me:
LinkedIn Profile ↗
Nancy Miller
