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Halloween Rolf

Analysis by UmbraCorvus
Halloween Rolf - Tricky Archer

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
157
HP 40
ATK 30
SPD 36
DEF 28
RES 23

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low
Middle 18 6 10 6 4
High

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low
Middle 40 30 36 28 23
High

IV Sets

Key stats worth increasing through nature if possible.
Complementary stats that matter, but not to the point of picking them over key stats for nature increase.
Relatively worthless stat that can safely be decreased through nature.
HPATKSPDDEFRES

Skill Sets

Will-O-Wisp (Firesweep Offense)

Build by
Recommended
Firesweep Bow+ A Swift Sparrow (2 or 3)
Alternate: Death Blow (3 or 4)
Reposition B Lull Spd/Def 3
Alternate: Chill Spd 3
Luna
Alternate: Moonbow
C Odd Spd Wave 3
Alternate: Hone Cavalry
IVs

+SPD or +ATK / -DEF or -RES or -HP

SDarting Blow 3
Alternate: Atk/Spd 2

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Firesweep Bow+

  • The Firesweep Bow gives Rolf a safe means of initiating combat against all foes besides those with effects granted such as through Null C-Disrupt. It also frees up his B Passive for alternative Skill options.

Assist: Reposition / Player Preference

Special: Luna / Moonbow

  • Luna gives Rolf a means of bypassing some of his opponent’s Defense when it activates, helping to punch through physically durable opponents that can easily withstand his average Attack.

  • Moonbow can be run with the Heavy Blade Sacred Seal so that Rolf can achieve one round Special activations provided he meets the Attack check. Due to Rolf’s somewhat average base Attack, additional support will often be necessary to help Rolf achieve this.

Passive A: Swift Sparrow (2 or 3) / Death Blow (3 or 4) / Atk/Spd Solo / Life and Death

  • Swift Sparrow works purely in the Player Phase, pairing nicely with Firesweep Bow and granting Rolf a substantial boost to his Attack and Speed.

  • Death Blow can be run as an alternative to Swift Sparrow, as it results in a larger Attack boost at the cost of not helping his Speed. Rolf’s Speed can be aided through alternative means such as the Darting Blow Sacred Seal.

  • Atk/Spd Solo can be taken, though it is a weaker option compared to Swift Sparrow 3. It is stronger than Swift Sparrow 2 however, making it a worthwhile Skill if availability is a concern.

  • If lacking expensive Skills that boost Attack and Speed, Life and Death is a viable option as it is fairly common and accessible.

Passive B: Lull Spd/Def / Lull Atk/Def / Lull Atk/Spd / Chill Spd / Chill Def

  • Lull Spd/Def is Rolf’s best B Passive for a Firesweep Bow build, as the Firesweep Bow renders running Desperation pointless. Lull Spd/Def not only provides Rolf with additional follow-up potential and damage, but he can also bypass displayed Speed and Defense bonuses that the opponent may have applied on them.

  • Lull Atk/Def does not help Rolf’s Speed potential, but the fact that Rolf can lower his opponent’s Attack as well as ignore their displayed Attack bonuses can make the Heavy Blade Sacred Seal much more justified of an option than before.

  • Lull Atk/Spd does not address the Defense stat of the opponent which is what gives Rolf extra damage potential to work with, but the combination of the Speed and Attack debuffs alongside the ability to ignore displayed bonuses to these stats allow for Rolf to have an easier time landing follow-up attacks and triggering the Heavy Blade Sacred Seal.

  • Chill Spd and Chill Def are both more accessible than Lull Skills by comparison, targeting the opponent with the highest Speed or Defense on the enemy team and applying a -7 debuff to their stats depending on which Chill is being used.

Passive C: Odd Spd Wave / Hone Cavalry / Player Preference

  • Rolf comes with Odd Spd Wave by default, and it proves to be a potent B Passive as it boosts Rolf’s own Speed by 6 every odd numbered turn, as well as any allies who start the turn next to him.

  • A class-exclusive buff such as Hone Cavalry can be used if Rolf finds himself on a cavalry team.

Sacred Seal: Darting Blow / Atk/Spd 2 / Heavy Blade

  • The Darting Blow Sacred Seal is an extremely efficient way to boost Rolf’s Speed on initiation, allowing his already amazing Speed stat to certainly give his opponents a fright.

  • The Atk/Spd 2 Sacred Seal does not give as much of a Speed Boost, but it also bolster’s Rolf’s Attack a bit.

  • The Heavy Blade Sacred Seal can be difficult to justify on Rolf without substantial Attack support, but when it does come into play it can let Rolf’s Special uptime grow dramatically such as through activating Moonbow almost every round of combat.

Shinon's Phantom (Setup Sweeper)

Build by UmbraCorvus
Candlewax Bow+ (+Spd) A Brazen Atk/Spd (3 or 4)
Alternate: Brazen Atk/Def 3
Reposition B Desperation 3
Luna
Alternate: Moonbow
C Odd Spd Wave 3
Alternate: Hone Cavalry
IVs

+ATK or +SPD / -RES or -HP

SBrazen Atk/Spd 3
Alternate: Darting Blow 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Candlewax Bow+ (+Spd)

  • Candlewax Bow is not only the weapon that Halloween Rolf comes with by default, but it plays well with the fact that the build is based around setting up low HP skills. The Fury 3 effect that Candlewax Bow provides will not only gradually inflict chip damage that sets up these skills, but also give an initial stat bonus to rely on.

Assist: Reposition

Special: Luna / Moonbow

  • Luna is useful for bypassing a good amount of Defense from physically durable opponents once it activates. Even if Rolf can reach a strong Attack ceiling with this build, Luna may come in handy against the bulkiest of foes.

  • Moonbow is an option if Rolf is running the Heavy Blade Sacred Seal, as he will be able to use it frequently in Desperation range.

Passive A: Brazen Atk/Spd (3 or 4) / Brazen Atk/Def / Fury (3 or 4) / Swift Sparrow (2 or 3)

  • Brazen Atk/Spd gives a massive boost to Rolf’s Attack and Speed once he has successfully set up himself at 80% HP or less. With the help of Candlewax Bow, this should not be too difficult to achieve.

  • Brazen Atk/Def is an alternative that gives Rolf some extra Defense compared to Speed. Speed will often prove to be more important of an increase in the long run, but the extra physical bulk could potentially save him in a trade of blows.

  • If desiring more of an initial performance, Fury ensures that a Brazen Sacred Seal will be set up almost immediately after Fury’s chip damage as well as Candlewax Bow’s chip damage.

  • As this build is purely Player Phase oriented, Swift Sparrow can be used if the player is not a fan of either the fact that Brazen Skills require set up, or running an additional Fury Skill alongside the Candlewax Bow seems like too much self chip damage.

Passive B: Desperation

  • While Rolf has reasonable Defense for duelling, Desperation’s merit of being able to attack twice in a row before the opponent can counter attack is a surefire way to ensure that if Rolf can defeat his opponent in two strikes, he will not have to worry about frequent trading of blows.

Passive C: Odd Spd Wave / Hone Cavalry / Player Preference

Sacred Seal: Brazen Atk/Spd / Darting Blow / Atk/Spd 2 / Heavy Blade

  • The Brazen Atk/Spd Sacred Seal will stack with any previously used Brazen Skills to give Rolf even larger of an offensive boost.

  • The Darting Blow Sacred Seal will address Rolf’s Speed stat on initiation of combat without the need for any kind of preemptive setting up.

  • The Atk/Spd 2 Sacred Seal is an alright option that boosts both Rolf’s Attack and Speed by a small but beneficial amount.

  • The Heavy Blade Sacred Seal can become quite reliable once Rolf has successfully set himself up, and will allow him to utilize Special activations frequently.

Ghostly Grudge (Aether Raids)

Build by UmbraCorvus
Candlewax Bow+ (+Res)
Alternate: Guard Bow+ (+Res)
A Close Counter
Reposition B Vantage 3
Alternate: Lull Atk/Def 3
Miracle
Alternate: Moonbow
C Savage Blow 3
Alternate: Hone Cavalry
IVs

+ATK / -HP

SFierce Stance 3
Alternate: Savage Blow 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Candlewax Bow+ (+Res) / Candlewax Bow+ (+Def) / Guard Bow+ (+Res) / Guard Bow+ (+Def)

  • A Candlewax Bow that is either Resistance or Defense refined makes a solid choice for this build, especially when running Vantage. The chip damage will gradually knock Rolf into the range to start using Vantage, and the additional Attack that is provided from Candlewax Bow will be important for ensuring that he can hit hard in one strike.

  • A Guard Bow can be taken instead in order to maximize Rolf’s durability against ranged opponents, but it comes at the cost of not providing a well rounded boost that Candlewax Bow offers.

Assist: Reposition / Player Preference

Special: Miracle / Moonbow / Noontime / Sol

  • Miracle is a strong insurance policy Special that can potentially save Rolf at 1 HP when charged, allowing him to edge his way out of situations that may otherwise have ended in his defeat.

  • Moonbow activates frequently thanks to its low Special cooldown, ensuring that Rolf will have a boost to his damage potential often.

  • Noontime or Sol can provide frequent sustain for Rolf, though the chip damage will still occur if running Candlewax Bow. It is better to opt for Noontime or Sol if running Guard Bow instead, as there will be no chip damage to render the healing effect somewhat obsolete.

Passive A: Close Counter

  • Close Counter is a key component of this build, as it will allow Rolf to counter attack at close range and greatly expand his matchups. As a superunit for Aether Raids, Rolf is expected to be able to handle a broad horizon of opponents both melee and long range.

Passive B: Vantage / Lull Atk/Def / Lull Spd/Def / Lull Atk/Spd

  • Vantage will effectively hard counter glass cannon nuker units that do not run any form of Hardy Bearing effect. As Rolf is an archer, Vantage is very effective at dealing with fliers that try to attack him as Rolf will be able to abuse effective damage against them.

  • Lull Skills are strong alternative options that will give Rolf the ability to ignore specific displayed bonuses tied to whichever Lull Skill he is running, as well as inflict a debuff on his opponent during combat.

Passive C: Savage Blow / Player Preference

  • Savage Blow can be used on the Player Phase so that Rolf can better handle the Enemy Phase and thanks to the chip damage on nearby opponents he can potentially squeeze out a counter kill that he would have otherwise missed.

Sacred Seal: Fierce Stance / Savage Blow

  • The Fierce Stance Sacred Seal gives Rolf 6 Attack during the Enemy Phase, and pairs excellently with Vantage in order to maximize Rolf’s damage in a single strike.

  • As the Fierce Stance Sacred Seal can be quite competitive among Aether Raids superunits, the Savage Blow Sacred Seal is a fine alternative that can inflict chip damage in the Player Phase that Rolf can later exploit in the Enemy Phase.

Strengths

Good Speed and Tolerable Attack

Halloween Rolf sports a strong Speed stat of 36, though his Attack is somewhat on the weaker end by comparison sitting at 30. While his lower end Attack does make it more difficult for Rolf to achieve strong damage output without the help of Specials or other offensive Skills, his high Speed ensures that he can have little to no issues landing natural follow-up attacks.

Accessibility

Halloween Rolf is a free Tempest Trials unit, and additional copies can be earned through the Heroic Grails shop. Cavalry Archers are currently difficult to come by as they are all locked to five star rarity. This makes Rolf a strong option for those looking to merge a cavalry archer but do not have the resources to supermerge a five star exclusive one such as Brave Lyn or Claude.

Weaknesses

Free Unit Limitations

Because Halloween Rolf is a free unit, one must be willing to spend their Heroic Grails for him if desiring to secure merges for him.

Stuck in a Competitive Niche

Halloween Rolf may be an accessible cavalry archer, but Bridal Louise is another accessible cavalry archer that was run prior to Halloween Rolf. If players have already invested in Louise, Rolf may seem less appealing as he is more of a sidegrade to her than anything. If players have one of the five star locked cavalry archers, Rolf is much weaker by comparison to the likes of Claude and Brave Lyn who have superior stats and strong unique weapons of their own.

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Iron Bow

Effective against flying units.

Only Inheritable by Bow users.
50 2 4
Steel Bow

Effective against flying units.

Only Inheritable by Bow users.
100 2 6
Candlewax Bow

Effective against flying foes. Grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+3. After combat, deals 6 damage to unit.

Only Inheritable by Bow users.
200 2 8
Candlewax Bow+

Effective against flying foes. Grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+3. After combat, deals 6 damage to unit.

Only Inheritable by Bow users.
300 2 12
Weapon Evolution
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon Upgrades

Support Skills

Support Skills Rng. SP
Shove

Push adjacent ally 1 space farther away.

Learns by default at 4 ★
1 150

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Desperation 1

If unit’s HP ≤ 25% and unit initiates combat, unit can make a follow-up attack before foe can counterattack.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
50
B
Desperation 2

If unit’s HP ≤ 50% and unit initiates combat, unit can make a follow-up attack before foe can counterattack.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
100
B
Desperation 3

If unit’s HP ≤ 75% and unit initiates combat, unit can make a follow-up attack before foe can counterattack.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
200
B
Odd Spd Wave 1

At start of odd-numbered turns, grants Spd+2 to unit and adjacent allies for 1 turn.
(Bonus granted to unit even if no allies are adjacent.)

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 1 ★
60
C
Odd Spd Wave 2

At start of odd-numbered turns, grants Spd+4 to unit and adjacent allies for 1 turn.
(Bonus granted to unit even if no allies are adjacent.)

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 2 ★
120
C
Odd Spd Wave 3

At start of odd-numbered turns, grants Spd+6 to unit and adjacent allies for 1 turn.
(Bonus granted to unit even if no allies are adjacent.)

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
240
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

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