Winter Ignatz

Weapon: Tannenbow+ (+Spd) / Springy Bow (+Spd) / Spendthrift Bow+ (+Def) / flexible

Assist: Positional Assist / flexible

Special: Moonbow / flexible

IVs: flexible

Passive A: Distant Def 4 / Kestrel Stance 3 / flexible

Passive B: Crafty Fighter / Slick Fighter / Special Fighter / flexible

Passive C: A/R Far Save / D/R Far Save 

Sacred Seal: Deflect Missile / Deflect Magic / Mystic Boost / Distant Def / flexible 

• Ignatz is a solid choice for a Far Save tank, as he has great Spd, good Atk, and solid defenses. In particular, he has much more Spd than other common choices like Brave Hector, which can be useful to avoid Windsweep as well as follow-up attacks from faster units. 
• The choice of bow, A skill, and B skill are highly flexible depending on team composition and what skills are available. Ignatz prefers to increase his Atk, Spd, and bulk against ranged units, so A skills like Kestrel Stance 3 are great for providing stats and slowing enemy Special charge, or Distant Def 4 for a hefty boost to Def and Res when attacked by a ranged unit, as well as nullifying that unit’s buffs. Skills like Atk/Def Unity or Atk/Spd Unity are also great choices. 
• Some type of Fighter skill is the best choice for Ignatz’s B skill, with the particular best option depending on his A skill and weapon of choice. Slick Fighter is a great option to nullify penalties and guarantee his follow-up attack when he is attacked on enemy phase and above 25% HP, but the penalty nullification disables the bonus stats that Tannenbow+ provides from penalties, so this is not the best combination. Likewise, it makes the Atk and Spd penalty neutralizing effect of Springy Bow+ redundant. Crafty Fighter provides the same guaranteed follow-up while slowing his foe’s Special charge, which is a useful effect, but redundant if using Kestrel Stance 3 or another Stance 3 that provides a similar Guard effect. Special Fighter is a good choice to give Ignatz extra Special charge while slowing his foe’s Special charge on all attacks so long as he is above 50% HP, but provides no guaranteed follow-up, rendering him more vulnerable to effects like Sturdy Impact. 
• A/R Far Save or D/R Far Save are the best C skills for this build, as they allow Ignatz to take the place of any of his allies within 2 tiles when they are attacked by an enemy wielding a ranged weapon. 
• The seal is flexible. Deflect Missile can be used to improve his matchups against physical ranged units that strike twice such as Ninja Lyn, Ninja Igrene, Legendary Leif, or any physical ranged unit under the effects of Bridal Catria’s Triangle Attack. Likewise, Deflect Magic is useful to cover magical ranged units like Ninja Corrin and Winter Lysithea. Distant Def is a more widely useful choice that boosts his Def and Res by 6 when initiated on by any ranged unit. Mystic Boost is another great choice that disables the Wrathful Staff effect, disables any effect that “targets the lower of foe’s Def or Res” against him, and heals him by 6 HP after combat. Other stat-boosting seals like Atk/Spd Bond or Atk/Def Form can also be good choices. 

Weapon: Slaying Bow+ (+Atk) / Slaying Bow+ (flexible)

Assist: flexible

Special: Deadeye

IVs: +Atk / -Spd or -Def or -Res 

Passive A: Atk/Def Unity / flexible

Passive B: Special Fighter / flexible

Passive C: A/R Far Save / Joint Drive Atk / flexible

Sacred Seal: Atk/Def Form / flexible

• The goal of this build is to allow Ignatz to take one attack and retaliate with a charged Deadeye to ideally obliterate his foe in a single hit, ignoring any damage reduction effects they may have. To this end, his Atk should be increased as much as possible while also keeping his bulk good enough to take hits. This build may be highly useful in Arena against foes such as Legendary Claude, or in other modes. Another Special like Blue Flame or Luna can be used instead, but doing so gives up Ignatz’s ability to pierce damage reduction. 
• Slaying Bow is essential to reduce Deadeye’s cooldown to 2, allowing Ignatz to charge it by 2 when attacked and immediately retaliate with Deadeye. +Atk is arguably the best refine to improve his damage slightly, but +Def or +Res may also be useful in order for him to better take the first hit. 
• The ideal A skill is one which improves Ignatz’s Atk and bulk. Atk/Def Unity is a great choice that boosts Atk and Def by 5 so long as Ignatz is within 2 spaces of an ally, while also providing an additional boost equal to twice any visible penalty he has in those stats from an enemy skill like Chill Atk, effectively reversing the penalty into an additional bonus. Many other choices of A skill can work depending on what the player has available. 
• Special Fighter is generally the best B skill, as it charges Ignatz’s Special by 2 when his foe attacks, thus allowing him to retaliate with a Deadeye immediately. If he is receiving Special charge from an ally such as Brave Lucina or Thorr, this can be replaced with another skill. 
• A/R Far Save and D/R Far Save are great C skills that allow Ignatz to shield his allies within 2 spaces when they are attacked by ranged foes. Other C skills like Joint Drive Atk can also work well. 
• The seal is flexible, with the ideal choice depending on what units Ignatz needs to counter. If he needs to take physical hits and wants more Atk, something like Atk/Def Form is a great choice, or Atk/Def Bond. If he needs to tank and counter units like Ninja Corrin or Ninja Lyn, then Deflect Magic or Deflect Missile, respectively, may be good choices. 

Weapon: Ninja Yumi+ / Instant Bow+ (+Atk) / Brave Bow+ / flexible

Assist: Positional Assist / flexible

Special: Moonbow / Deadeye / flexible

IVs: +Atk or +Spd / -HP or -Def or -Res

Passive A: Swift Sparrow 3 / Atk/Spd Boosting A skill

Passive B: Bold Fighter / flexible

Passive C: Joint Drive Atk / Armor March / flexible

Sacred Seal:  Blade Session / flexible

• This set aims to take advantage of Ignatz’s good Atk and Spd to deal high damage attacking on player phase. 
• Ignatz can strike twice when attacking using Ninja Yumi+ or Brave Bow+, allowing him to strike up to four times if he can follow-up attack, either via speed or from Bold Fighter. Ninja Yumi+ is the superior choice between the two, as it does not reduce Spd and deals additional damage based on Ignatz’s Spd if he is faster than his foe. Other bows can also work, with Instant Bow+ having the useful effect of denying follow-up attacks from his foe. 
• The choice of Special is flexible. With Bold Fighter, Ignatz gains +1 Special charge when he attacks, so he can potentially activate Moonbow on the second consecutive strike with Ninja Yumi+ or Brave Bow+. Alternatively, Deadeye can be used to allow him to ignore damage reduction effects when it activates, but its longer cooldown means he will not activate it until his third strike. 
• The A skill and seal are used to boost Atk and Spd to increase Ignatz’s damage and allow him to follow-up attack more easily. Swift Sparrow is a good choice of A skill and Blade Session a great seal. 
• Bold Fighter allows Ignatz to gain a guaranteed follow-up attack when initiating combat, as well as giving him +1 Special charge when he attacks, allowing him to activate Specials more quickly. Special Fighter could also be used, but means that he must rely purely on Spd to double, and making him unable to double foes with effects like Wary Fighter. 
• The C skill is flexible. Armor March may be highly useful on some teams to give Ignatz and other armors extra Mov. Joint Drive Atk is always a solid choice to boost his and his allies’ Atk by 4 so long as there is at least one ally within 2 spaces.