Roderick

Preferred IV: +ATK or +SPD / -HP or -DEF or -RES

Roderick’s good offensive statline, access to class-exclusive buffs, and exceptional mobility combined with the power of Steady Lance enables him to excel when delegated to the role of an offensive nuke. Since his PRF’s unique weapon refine already grants him a rather substantial boost to his Speed upon initiation, a +ATK IV is ideal to maximize his damage output and let him make greater use of the Heavy Blade seal, but a +SPD IV can still be a decent option if the former is not available. 

Weapon: Steady Lance (+Eff)

• Steady Lance is a strong personal weapon that allows Roderick to possess quite formidable offensive capabilities. In addition to retaining the counterattack-negating property of his native Firesweep Lance, it can be refined further to grant him a significant +6 Speed boost upon initiation, bumping him up to an effective 31/40 offensive statline in the Player Phase. Overall, this makes him a very safe and solid source of damage output. 

Assist: Reposition / Flexible

Special: Moonbow / Luna / Galeforce 

• Since none of Roderick’s stats nor his damage output are consistently high enough to merit the use of Specials that scale off of them, those that are based off his opponent’s defensive stats instead will be his best options to let him pierce through particularly bulky foes. 

• Of those available to him, Moonbow is ideal if utilizing the Heavy Blade seal since combined with Steady Lance, Roderick will be able to activate it in every round of combat provided that he performs a follow-up attack and that Heavy Blade activates; it can also be paired with the Quickened Pulse seal to similarly ensure its activation in his first round of combat. Luna can be considered as well should one favor stronger Special activations over quicker ones and is preferred over Moonbow if using any other seal.

• Alternatively, Galeforce can make for a worthwhile consideration to grant him an exceptional amount of additional maneuverability, functioning essentially as a self-refreshing Special that allows him to take another turn after combat once per turn upon activation. However, in order to circumvent its long cooldown, Roderick must be equipped with the Heavy Blade seal, though this has its own issues of occasionally wasting Special charges. 

Passive A: Swift Sparrow / Atk/Spd Solo / Death Blow 

• Most offensive A slot skills will work here, with Swift Sparrow 3 and Atk/Spd Solo being by far the most effective candidates available to him. From a purely statistical standpoint, Swift Sparrow 3 is objectively better than Atk/Spd Solo (though admittedly not by much), granting a slightly higher Speed boost in addition to having no accompanying positioning requirement. 

• In contrast, Atk/Spd Solo has the advantage of not being restricted to a specific phase and can grant Roderick some much-needed survivability in the Enemy Phase if necessary, so ultimately the choice between which to utilize will be entirely up to personal preference. That being said, should either of them not be available, Swift Sparrow 2 can make for a suitable substitute. 

• Given the facility with which Roderick can bolster his Speed stat thanks to Steady Lance, it is entirely plausible to elevate it to high enough levels with outside support alone such that it may be unnecessary to utilize a standard Speed-boosting A slot skill to secure follow-up attacks. In such instances, Death Blow can prove to be a fantastic option to focus solely on maximizing his raw damage output. 

Passive B: Chill Def / Chill Spd 

• Chill skills are Roderick’s most notable options for his B slot, augmenting his combat prowess via their various debilitating debuffs. Chill Def and Chill Spd are two particular  standouts that serve to supplement his damage output through increased damage output and more reliable follow-up attacks respectively. Do keep in mind, however, that they can be somewhat inconsistent in that they may target an opponent who Roderick would not want to initiate combat against regardless, such as a green tank. 

Passive C: Odd Atk Wave / Def Smoke / Spd Smoke / Hone Cavalry / Flexible

• Odd Atk Wave and other offensive stat-boosting Wave skills are a standard choice of C slot skill to increase Roderick’s self-sufficiency and make him less reliant on team support. Smoke skills such as Def Smoke and Spd Smoke can fulfill a similar purpose, though they require the use of a refresher or Galeforce to truly be effective. 

• Otherwise, feel free to make use of any C slot skill that best compliments his chosen team composition. If using him alongside other cavalry allies, class-exclusive buffs like Hone Cavalry are wonderful options.

Sacred Seal: Heavy Blade / Quickened Pulse / Darting Blow 

• The Heavy Blade and Quickened Pulse seals are both highly recommended choices to heighten Roderick’s damage output through faster Special activations, pairing quite well with those that possess low cooldowns though the Heavy Blade seal can also be put to good use with Galeforce for improved mobility in the Player Phase if so desired.

• The Darting Blow seal can be considered also to build upon Steady Lance’s in-combat boosts and grant him a massive +12 Speed upon initiation collectively, allowing him to perform follow-up attacks against all but the fastest of foes. 

Preferred IV: +ATK or +SPD / -HP or -DEF or -RES

A budget-friendly set that aims to maximize Roderick’s offensive potential as much as possible with minimal investment. Given that the intended playstyle between this build and the first remain exactly the same, an Asset to either one of his offensive stats is recommended once again, with a +ATK IV being preferred if available. 

Weapon: Steady Lance (+Eff)

Assist: Reposition / Flexible

Special: Moonbow / Luna

• Specials that scale off of his defensive stats remain his best options, with the choice of which to utilize depending entirely on his seal. If making use of the Quickened Pulse seal, Moonbow will ideal as this combination allows Roderick to ensure its activation in his first round of combat, provided that he performs a follow-up attack against his opponent. Otherwise, however, Luna is preferred as the two will both activate in every other round of combat. 

Passive A: Life and Death / Fury 

• Life and Death’s +5 boost to both of his offensive stats combined with its relatively good availability makes it a prime choice for Roderick’s A slot. Although it does come at the cost of simultaneously lowering his defensive stats quite significantly, Steady Lance’s ability to negate his opponent’s counterattack renders this bulk reduction inconsequential. 

• Should one wish to preserve his bulk to grant him the flexibility of taking a hit in the Enemy Phase if necessary, Fury can be taken instead, offering a similar (albeit lesser) improvement to his offensive potential and overall bulk at the cost of incurring 6 chip damage after every round of combat. 

Passive B: Drag Back / Hit and Run 

• Roderick’s native Drag Back as well as Hit and Run are both fine choices of B slot skill to impart him with some defensive options and increase his likelihood of escaping his opponent’s reach after initiating combat, both of which being especially effective when utilizing him alongside a refresher. 

Passive C: Hone Cavalry / Drive Def / Flexible

Sacred Seal: Quickened Pulse / Atk/Spd 2 / Speed +3 / Attack +3

• Aside from the Quickened Pulse seal, the standard Atk/Spd 2, Speed +3, and Attack +3 seals (or any of their variants) can be used here to provide him with a solid bump to his offensive potential