Echo Knight Fighter Guide for Beginners: Mastering the Echo Knight in D&D 5e

The Echo Knight Fighter is a warrior who wields time and space as a weapon, summoning a spectral echo of themselves to fight alongside them. Introduced in Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount, this subclass is perfect for players who want to bend reality, attack from multiple locations, and outmaneuver enemies with a shadowy duplicate of themselves.

Unlike other Fighters who focus purely on brute force or tactics, Echo Knights use their summoned echoes to attack enemies from a distance, teleport, and even take hits in their place. If you love the idea of a warrior who manipulates space and fights alongside a phantom clone of themselves, this subclass is for you!

Why Play an Echo Knight Fighter?

Key Benefits

• Summon an Echo to Attack for You – Echo Knight Fighter Guide for Beginners: Mastering the Echo Knight in D&D 5e
• Teleportation & Mobility – Swap places with your echo for instant movement.
• Unparalleled Melee Range – Strike enemies up to 30 feet away using your echo.
• Extra Attacks & Defense – Your echo can take hits for you and even make opportunity attacks.
• Excellent for Roleplay – Play as a time warrior, shadow assassin, or reality-breaking gladiator.

Compared to other Fighters, Echo Knights are the most mobile and versatile, allowing for highly tactical combat strategies and unique battlefield control.

Core Features

Key Mechanics and Abilities

Manifest Echo (Level 3)

• Summon a shadowy duplicate of yourself as a bonus action (lasts until destroyed or dismissed).
• The echo appears within 15 feet and moves independently.
• You can make attacks from its position instead of your own.
• Example: Stand 15 feet away from an enemy while your echo attacks from behind, giving you an advantage in positioning.

Unleash Incarnation (Level 3)

• When you take the Attack action, your echo can make one additional attack.
• Example: If you normally get two attacks, you now make three (one of them coming from your echo).

Echo Avatar (Level 7)

• You can see and hear through your echo for 10 minutes.
• Move your echo up to 1,000 feet away from you.
• Example: Send your echo ahead to scout, listen through doors, or check for traps.

Shadow Martyr (Level 10)

• Use your reaction to make your echo take an attack that was meant for an ally.
• Example: An enemy swings at your Wizard, but your echo intercepts, saving them from harm.

Reclaim Potential (Level 15)

• When your echo is destroyed, you regain temporary HP equal to your Fighter level.
• Example: Use your echo to absorb hits, gaining temporary HP every time it's destroyed.

Legion of One (Level 18)

• Summon two echoes instead of one.
• Regain one use of Unleash Incarnation when rolling initiative.
• Example: Now attack from multiple locations, teleport even more, and overwhelm enemies with your echoes.

These abilities make Echo Knights the most mobile and strategic Fighter subclass, excelling in positioning, battlefield control, and raw damage output.

Suggested Ability Scores

• Primary: Strength or Dexterity – Determines attack rolls and damage.
• Secondary: Constitution – Boosts HP and survivability.
• Tertiary: Wisdom or Intelligence – Useful for perception and roleplay-based abilities.

Recommended Races

Since Echo Knights focus on mobility and combat versatility, the best races include:

• Shadar-Kai Elf – Bonus teleportation and necrotic resistance.
• Goliath – Increases Strength and Constitution while giving damage reduction.
• Variant Human – Gain a free feat at level 1, such as Sentinel or Polearm Master.
• Tabaxi – Incredible movement speed for repositioning between echoes.

Playing as an Echo Knight Fighter

Role in a Party

• Melee Damage Dealer – Attack from multiple locations using your echo.
• Tactical Controller – Block paths, bait enemies, and force opportunity attacks with your echo.
• Scout & Utility Fighter – Use Echo Avatar to safely explore dangerous areas.

Compared to other Fighters, Echo Knights have the most versatile and dynamic combat style, allowing for unique movement and attack strategies.

Tips for New Players

• Keep your echo active at all times – It doesn’t cost resources, so use it every turn.
• Use teleportation to avoid movement penalties – Swap places with your echo instead of walking through difficult terrain.
• Bait enemies with your echo – Position it between you and enemies to waste their attacks.
• Use Unleash Incarnation wisely – It gives you extra attacks, but has limited uses per long rest.

Roleplay Suggestions

• The Shadow Gladiator – A warrior who fights alongside a ghostly remnant of themselves.
• The Time-Warped Knight – A fighter displaced in time, summoning echoes of their past selves.
• The Phantom Duelist – A mercenary who steps between planes to strike from unexpected angles.

Gear and Dice Recommendations

Suggested Equipment

Weapons

• Greatsword or Greataxe – Best for critical hit builds.
• Rapier or Longsword – Best for Dexterity-based duelists.

Armor

• Half Plate or Breastplate – For Dexterity-based Fighters.
• Plate Armor – Maximum AC for Strength-based Echo Knights.

Magic Items

• Cloak of Displacement – Makes you harder to hit, perfect for a mobile fighter.
• Sword of the Paruns – Boosts your extra attacks, working well with Unleash Incarnation.
• Ring of Evasion – Helps you avoid AoE attacks, which can target both you and your echo.

Dice Recommendations from Runic Dice

Enhance your phantom warrior aesthetic with these shadow-themed dice sets:

• Spectral Echo: For black and silver hues representing the ghostly echoes of the past, consider the Black Inked Lightning Cracked Glass DND Dice Set. This set features a striking cracked glass design with black inked numerals, capturing the essence of spectral reverberations.
• Shadowblade: To evoke the darkness of the void with dark purple and gray tones, the Purple Gemstone Amethyst DND Dice Set is an excellent choice. Handcrafted from genuine amethyst, these dice showcase deep purple hues, reflecting the enigmatic nature of a shadowy blade.
• Phantom Strike: For ethereal blue and black colors symbolizing a fighter striking from beyond reality, the Blue Sandstone Silver Font Gemstone DND Dice Set offers deep blue tones with shimmering silver inclusions, embodying the otherworldly precision of a phantom warrior.

Advanced Tips and Tricks

Optimization Strategies

• Feats:

  • Sentinel – Locks enemies in melee, punishing them for ignoring you or your echo.
  • Polearm Master – Combines with Sentinel for a brutal battlefield lockdown build.
  • Mobile – Lets you move freely after attacking, keeping you agile.

• Multiclassing:

  • Rogue (Phantom or Assassin) – Gains Sneak Attack, making your echo even deadlier.
  • Barbarian (Path of the Zealot or Totem Warrior) – Enhances survivability and combat aggression.
  • Wizard (Chronurgy Magic) – Enhances time manipulation, fitting thematically with your echo abilities.

• Echo Knight Advanced Build Ideas

  • The Phantom Duelist: Rapier, Mobile feat, high Dexterity for fast strikes and quick movement.
  • The Battlefield Trickster: Polearm Master + Sentinel for controlling the battlefield.
  • The Reality Breaker: Multiclass with Chronurgy Wizard for time-based effects.

The Echo Knight Fighter is one of the most dynamic and exciting martial subclasses in D&D 5e, excelling at tactical movement, battlefield control, and raw melee combat power. If you want to play as a warrior who bends time and space, striking from multiple places at once, this subclass is for you.