Fernand

Weapon: Flowing Lance (+DEF) / Candy Cane (+DEF) / Gilt Fork+ (+DEF) / Slaying Lance (+DEF) / Vanguard+ (+DEF)

Assist: Positional Assist / Flexible

Special: Bonfire / Sol / Noontime / Ignis

Passive A: Sturdy Stance / Atk/Def Solo / Atk/Def Catch

Passive B: Quick Riposte / Lull Atk/Def

Passive C: Atk Smoke / Def Smoke / Flexible

Sacred Seal: Mystic Boost / Quick Riposte / Atk/Def Solo / Sturdy Stance

• This build is centered around Fernand’s performance as a reliable tank against incoming physical damage, capitalizing on the innate features of his statline. Taking his four-point Attack Asset is highly recommended to maximize his own damage potential (which also pairs well with more OHKO-oriented sets and/or healing Specials), but a +DEF IV may be worthwhile if reducing how much damage he takes is preferred; his weapon and skills should typically be enough to safeguard him for the most part, though.
• Fernand has several weapon choices to pick from here, with each varying in the utility they bring and availability. The decision of which to inherit and equip is ultimately up to player preference, though a +DEF refinement should always be taken regardless. 
  • Flowing Lance works excellently to improve both Fernand’s damage and his overall durability, inflicting a considerable -5 Atk/Def in-combat debuff on his foes; this also does a little to improve his magical bulk. Additionally, Flowing Lance frees up his B slot from Lull Atk/Def as it already lets him break through enemy Attack and Defense bonuses. 
  • Candy Cane and Gilt Fork both provide Fernand an appreciable +5 Attack and Defense boost during combat, differing mainly in their secondary benefits. 
    • Candy Cane provides a Guard effect to slow down enemy Specials, which is greatly useful given both his susceptibility to doubles and his inability to stop foes with automatic doubles; however, this is unnecessary if equipped with a Stance 4 skill. 
    • Alternatively, Gilt Fork helps Fernand essentially negate any penalties on his Attack and Defense; the value of this depends on how frequently you actually run into debuffs, but it’s always a nice option to have just in case.
  • These aforementioned options are only available on seasonal units, though, so for more readily available choices, one may consider Slaying Lance for faster Special activations or Vanguard to strictly enhance Fernand’s physical bulk. 
• Sturdy Stance is a standout A skill that enhances both of Fernand’s key stats in his preferred phase, with the third-tier version imparting an appreciated Guard effect for further effective bulk by stopping enemy Specials. If pure stats are desired, Atk/Def Solo is a stronger choice that boasts dual phase functionality — and for the truly dedicated Fernand fans, Atk/Def Catch may be considered, but please bear in mind that this is a very scarce skill. 
• If not using Flowing Lance, Lull Atk/Def becomes Fernand’s B skill of choice; the two can be used together since the in-combat debuffs do stack, but the buff nullification effect becomes redundant. Quick Riposte is another option to guarantee Fernand’s follow-up during the Enemy Phase since he is far too slow to perform them naturally, though there is always the option of using it as a Sacred Seal instead to keep his B slot open.
• Smoke skills pair well with defensive playstyles such as this one, with Atk Smoke and Def Smoke being among Fernand’s best choices from those available here. For his Sacred Seal, Mystic Boost works wonderfully to supplement his tanking with constant post-combat healing; this also does somewhat mitigate his magical weakness by shutting down Wrathful Staff effects from healers. Other than this and Quick Riposte, simple stat-boosting skills like Atk/Def Solo work well too.

Weapon: Brave Lance+ / Instant Lance+ (+ATK) 

Assist: Positional Assist  / Flexible

Special: Bonfire / Moonbow / Glimmer

Passive A: Death Blow 

Passive B: Lull Atk/Def / A/D Near Trace / Chill Def

Passive C: Rouse Atk/Def / Def Smoke / Joint Drive Atk / Flexible

Sacred Seal: Death Blow / Atk/Def Solo / Sturdy Blow

• Fernand also has the option of focusing on his stellar base Attack and effective four-tile range to adopt a purely offensive playstyle instead, frontloading as much damage as possible. Thus, his four-point +ATK IV is the Asset of choice here. 
• Since the Traitorous Knight lacks the sufficient Speed to double foes naturally, the Brave Lance works phenomenally to immediately grant him two attacks upon initiating before his foe can even react — and thanks to the strength of his base Attack, its low Mt is largely negligible. 
  • One may also use an Attack-refined version of his default weapon to go for OHKOs, with its follow-up denial effect being appreciated in case Fernand fails to defeat his foe with one strike. This isn’t quite as consistent or effective as simply using a Brave Lance, but certainly remains an option all the same. 
• The rest of this kit is fairly simple: augment Fernand’s Attack as much as possible and then send him on his way to dispel the rabble. Death Blow is naturally his ideal A skill to consistently enhance his Attack each time upon initiation, and this combined with a complementary Sacred Seal like another Death Blow or Atk/Def Solo (to also enhance the power of Defense-scaling Specials) grants a respectable baseline to shred through foes. 
• For his B slot, A/D Near Trace and Lull Atk/Def both shine to solidify his offensive prowess; the former grants exceptional mobility via its Canto effect while the latter helps him fully maximize his damage by taking enemy buffs out of the occasion, so it’s hard to go wrong with either. That being said, both are also fairly high-investment skills (especially A/D Near Trace) so Chill Def is another alternative that helps boost his performance without being nearly as costly.
• Self-buffing C skills that target Fernand’s Attack (such as Rouse Atk/Def and Odd Atk Wave) help further solidify his prowess while helping him remain relatively self-sufficient.  For those willing to invest heavily, Joint Drive Atk is an exceptional choice that works similarly while having the benefit of providing an in-combat boost (meaning that it is unaffected by buff nullification, Panic, and other factors that could potentially interfere). Def Smoke also works well when provided refresher support.