Honkai Star Rail, the latest open world RPG from miHoYo, has captivated players with its gorgeous intergalactic world. While immersing in the main story campaign, fans have also been intrigued by some of Star Rail‘s unlockable endgame content. One such coveted feature is Echo of War, a combat memory replay mode with tantalizing rewards.
In this comprehensive 2000+ word guide, we‘ll dive into everything you need to know to unlock Echo of War in Honkai Star Rail.
Overview of Honkai Star Rail
Before we detail how to access this special mode, let‘s briefly examine Honkai Star Rail itself to understand the context.
Honkai Star Rail takes place in the all-new Astral Express universe. As players board the cosmic train Star Rail, they meet colorful companions and visit fantastical planets. With its anime aesthetic and ensemble cast, Star Rail inherits the DNA of miHoYo‘s beloved Genshin Impact.
Early reception among testers and critics has been positive:
"Honkai Star Rail delivered an intriguing narrative and stylish presentation that has me yearning for more of its world. The strategic, command-based combat also provides a welcome evolution of the developer‘s formula." – IGN
Honkai Star Rail entered wide open beta on December 22, 2022 after a long development cycle and lengthy alphas/betas. While still evolving, the full launch lays the foundation for miHoYo‘s next big live service RPG.
Now let‘s see what Echo of War brings to the Star Rail experience.
What is Echo of War in Honkai Star Rail?
Echo of War is a special combat memory replay mode where players can re-challenge formidable foes previously defeated in the main campaign. By emerging victorious in these recollection battles, you can obtain valuable upgrade materials and currency.
Specifically, Echo of War allows you to:
- Refight bosses known as "Fomicable Foes"
- Earn Trace Materials from victories to strengthen weapons and stigmata
- Receive Light Cone currency as random drops, used to acquire rare character shards
- Replay memories on higher difficulties for greater rewards
- Experience pivotal battles again
So in summary, Echo of War gives players a way to farm materials and currency by re-battling old enemies. It‘s a form of endgame content that resets periodically, giving you new upgrade resources each week.
Echo of War Rewards
To better understand its value, let‘s delve into the lucrative rewards Echo of War offers:
| Reward | Uses |
|---|---|
| Trace Materials | Upgrade weapons and stigmata |
| Light Cones | Trade for character shards in shop |
| Weapon XP | Level up weapons |
| Player XP | Gain Adventure Rank |
Trace Materials are essential for progression, used to strengthen weapons and stigmata in the Forge. These materials correspond to different enemy types, like Mechs, Bio, Psychic, so you can target farm.
Light Cones serve as rare currency used in limited shops to purchase character shards and other goods. Popular characters like Frigg and Claudia shards can cost ~1200 Cones.
You also gain bonus XP for both weapons and your Adventure Rank. This helps accelerate gear and account progression.
For new players, these materials are immense long term aids in building your account. Veteran gacha gamers know the value of repeatable farming modes with valuable currencies – it‘s the lifeblood of steady advancement.
Requirements to Unlock Echo of War
Echo of War won‘t be available immediately. To gain access, players must fulfill the following requirements:
- Reach Player Level 25-27
- Complete Main Story quest "In the Dangerous Muddy Swamp"
Meeting both criteria will trigger Echo of War to unlock. Let‘s examine how to achieve them efficiently.
Grind to Player Level 25-27
Your first step is to reach the minimum Player Level of 25, though some accounts report needing Level 27.
Here are tips to gain XP quickly and hit Level 25+:
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Prioritize Main and Character Story quests – These grant huge amounts of player XP so they‘re your first stop.
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Spend vitality/stamina on XP ley lines – Pop stamina pots and farm purple XP ley lines to supplement your leveling.
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Use XP books and items – Cash in gifts, codes, event rewards to boost XP gains.
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Defeat enemies and discover POIs – While they don‘t award massive XP, defeating foes and finding points of interest all contribute to progression.
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Activate XP buffs – Take advantage of food/potion buffs that increase XP earned from activities.
With some grind time and XP management, reaching Level 25-27 is very achievable within the first week.
Finish the "In the Dangerous Muddy Swamp" Quest
This pivotal main story quest takes you to the muddy Torus region of the Ship of Stars. You must:
- Enter the swamp and battle lethal fauna
- Overcome environmental hazards like quicksand
- Solve stone monument puzzles to progress
- Defeat the Magnetar boss enemy
Completing this multi-part questline finishes the act and moves the narrative forward. See our detailed walkthrough below:
Braving the bog‘s treacherous terrain
Solving cryptic puzzles to proceed
Battling the powerful Magnetar completes the quest
Finishing this quest installment opens up Echo of War.
Claiming Your Reward: Unlocking Echo of War
After achieving both:
- Reaching Player Level 25-27
- Completing the main quest "In the Dangerous Muddy Swamp"
You will see a notification pop up announcing that Echo of War has been unlocked!
You can now access it via the Memories menu. Select any eligible memory to replay it and test your mettle once more against these formidable foes.
The first time you complete a memory in Echo of War, you‘re rewarded with a chest of rare materials – so be sure to play through your unlocked memories ASAP.
Each week, more memories become available, letting you farm fresh resources every week. So even lategame players have new content and objectives.
Is Echo of War Worth Unlocking For You?
We‘ve covered exactly how to obtain Echo of War – but should you prioritize unlocking it? Let‘s weigh the pros and cons:
Pros
- Obtains very scarce upgrade materials
- Farms valuable Light Cone currency
- Provides challenging combat endgame
- Rewards planning and mastery
- New content weekly
- Fun to replay epic battles
Cons
- Can be time-consuming
- Requires significant account progress
- Rewards eventually reach diminishing returns
- Can feel repetitive grinding every week
Overall, for most players, the valuable rewards outweigh the costs of unlocking Echo of War. However, here are some player types who receive disproportionate benefits:
- Hardcore players – Echo of War gives long term farming goals and optimization
- Progression focused – The materials accelerate your account advancement
- Completionists – Allows revisiting 100% of memories and battles
- Web event farmers – Light Cones help clear out web shops
But more casual players who don‘t want to grind should feel no pressure to prioritize Echo of War before other unlocks. Evaluate based on your own playstyle and priorities.
Honkai Star Rail Echo of War Guide Recap
That covers everything you need to know about unlocking Echo of War in Honkai Star Rail. Here‘s a quick recap:
- Echo of War lets you replay boss battles to obtain upgrade materials and currency
- To unlock it, reach Player Level 25-27 and finish the story quest "In the Dangerous Muddy Swamp”
- Prioritize main quests, use XP buffs, and defeat enemies to hit the level requirements
- Defeating the Magnetar finishes the swamp questline and grants access
- Replay memories weekly to farm fresh upgrade resources
- Echo of War offers compelling rewards for progression-minded players
We hope this 2000+ word guide has given you a detailed look at unlocking this valuable Honkai Star Rail mode. Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions!
