Ranulf

Weapon: Covert Cat Fang (+EFF)

Assist: Positional Assist

Special: Moonbow / Bonfire / Luna

Passive A: Surge Sparrow / Atk/Spd Catch / Swift Sparrow / Atk/Spd Push

Passive B: S/D Near Trace / Lull Atk/Spd / Lull Spd/Def / Lull Atk/Def

Passive C: Atk/Spd Menace / Atk/Def Menace / Joint Drives / Smoke Skills / Flexible

Sacred Seal: Atk/Spd Form / Swift Sparrow / Blade Session / Flexible

• Ranulf’s arsenal of strengths meld perfectly with a Player Phase approach, with his transformation’s Impact-esque effect and naturally padded physical bulk helping him maintain reliably healthy against most melee threats. This build focuses on these qualities while also placing an emphasis on his damage; either a +ATK or +SPD IV are recommended.
• Moonbow is generally Ranulf’s best Special choice for its relatively short cooldown and usefulness against bulkier foes, particularly in instances where he is unable to wield the full extent of Covert Cat Fang’s bonus damage. Alternatively, Bonfire and Luna can be considered if a slightly higher ceiling is preferred, though their trigger rates are more infrequent compared to Moonbow. 
• Surge Sparrow is a natural complement to Ranulf’s Spd and bulk-focused statline, maximizing his offensive prowess through its +7 Atk/Spd boost while also granting substantial healing upon each Special activation; this makes him even more durable in practice, especially if acceleration support is provided.
  • It is pretty scarce, though, so if unavailable (or you simply wish to keep it for someone else), standard offensive skills like Atk/Spd Catch, Swift Sparrow, and Atk/Spd Push work well — just make sure it enhances both Atk and Spd, since Ranulf is reliant on both for his damage. 
• S/D Near Trace is by far Ranulf’s best B skill as its 【Canto (Rem. +1)】effect enables full optimization of his already fantastic cavalry movement, most notably allowing him to actually retreat without needing to be rescued if amid a group of further enemies (a la “hit-and-run” tactics). Lull skills may also be considered if pure stat advantages are preferred (and they are generally more accessible), with Lull Spd/Def offering the most damage potential of those available. 
• Ranulf isn’t particularly attached to any specific C skill here so the slot is flexible, though those that offer anything in the form of damage enhancements (e.g. Atk/Spd Menace, Joint Drive Atk, Def Smoke, etc.) are welcome — he could use all the help he can get. 
• The same applies for his Sacred Seal selection, making Atk/Spd boosters the prime way to go. Atk/Spd Form is recommended primarily due to the fact that Ranulf already requires relative proximity to his allies for the true damage aspect of his PRF, so the two go hand-in-hand; however, if seeking to make him less reliant on such formations, skills like Swift Sparrow, Blade Session, and Atk/Spd Solo may be the better way to go.

Weapon: Covert Cat Fang (+EFF)

Assist: Positional Assist / Flexible

Special:  Galeforce

Passive A: Heavy Blade / Atk/Spd Catch / Atk/Spd Push / Swift Sparrow 

Passive B: Wings of Mercy / S/D Near Trace

Passive C: Joint Drive Atk / Atk/Spd Menace / Atk Smoke / Flexible

Sacred Seal: Quickened Pulse / Atk/Spd Form / Swift Sparrow / Heavy Blade

• This build once again presents an offense-geared approach to Ranulf’s playstyle, but pays attention moreso to the laguz’s usage within Aether Raids Offense as a Galeforce unit. He can perform surprisingly well in this context due to the nature of such sweeps requiring some level of proximity to most of his team (which ensures maximal use of his PRF), and also grants his team a welcome +4 Atk/Def by simply existing near them.
• Although he does rely on both Atk and Spd to function here as well, a +ATK IV should receive greater priority if using Heavy Blade — otherwise, +SPD takes precedence.
• First and foremost, it’s worth noting that due to Galeforce’s hefty five-turn cooldown, he needs some form of Special acceleration to actually trigger it fast enough without deterring his team’s capabilities. This means either using him alongside Thórr to benefit from her Worldbreaker ability, or use Heavy Blade (as either his A skill or Sacred Seal). The latter, however, brings with it some further considerations:
  • His Atk, even with ample investment, is far beyond being considered high, which may lead to issues in even activating Heavy Blade to begin with. This holds particularly true if he goes the preferred route using Heavy Blade as an A skill + Quickened Pulse Seal to minimize the amount of initiations required, as he won’t be able to rely on supplemental combat boosts from his skills like normal.
  • This makes it prudent that Ranulf is able to 1) reliably maintain all the effects of Covert Cat Fang and his transformation and 2) reliably receive support without  inhibiting said transformation. 
  • Naturally, this makes it especially advisable that Ranulf is run alongside fellow beast and dragon allies for minimal complication; this imposes rather heavy limitations on his team selection, but it’s generally worth it for those seeking to optimize the laguz’s consistency. 
• For Galeforce teams that rely on low HP beacons to gain quick access to the enemy team, Ranulf’s ideal B skill accordingly becomes Wings of Mercy for synergy with these strategies; keep in mind he can’t really afford the resources to operate as a beacon himself. However, S/D Near Trace also makes for an especially compelling candidate when using him in a mixed composition, as the【Canto (Rem. +1)】effect makes it easier to position him after participating in the Galeforce chain in a way that doesn’t impede his transformation; it also opens up wiggle room for hit-and-run tactics.