: Tagging both of you since you seem to share quite similar strategy. I hope you don't mind.

I wouldn't personally use Swash with Trident, since they both block wind icons. You need only one of the two. If you have Trident, I would recommend leaving out Swash, since Trident has a blessing that, once activated, will protect you from his Magma icons for a short while.

His main icons are Dark, Fire, Magma and Wind. He doesn't do Wind every turn, so you should really have something to deal with one of his main icons above (Dark, Fire or Magma). Hence Natasha, Maniacal Essence and Cronus would make better second weapon choices than another Wind block. When he does Wind, he does big, that's why it wouldn't hurt to keep Trident in your set.

If you don't have access to a Cronus for magma block, the Unstable Sample Syringe that you can win from Mutent Scientist should make a good substitute at your defence (you both have higher defence than my pet when he beat Rouland for the first time).

As you both have low health and lean more toward an even build, I'd recommend switching to a more defensive strategy. The main aim is to keep you alive for as long as possible while dealing damage. That was my tactic too when I beat Rouland because I had low AP and didn't have many freezing scrolls. Here was my set when I beat him 10 times at 17,000 stats (so around where you are now):

Set: Reviver of the Lion, Recycle Blaster, Soma, Phoenix Quill, Mecha, Blessed Trident, Cronus, Natasha. (not in this particular order, I just listed them as I went along so these might need some rearranging to suit with the Autoselect feature now) Scrolls: Aftershocks, Shrieks x3, Psycho Smasher x1, Fatal Fires x10. (Total: 178 AP)

Please note that at that time I had only 4 freezing scrolls. If you have more than I did, I'd recommend equipping as many freezing scrolls as you can afford and as many as your AP allows. You can borrow scrolls from many battlers here if you're comfortable with that too.

Why did I use Fatal Fires? Because they block 75 icons each of Dark and Fire, so though I didn't own a ME at that time, I could still get wins in because whenever I was at low health, I'd use Trident + Cronus and Fatal Fire Scroll, which protected me against 4 of his big icons (Magma, Dark, Fire, and Wind), thus allowed me to heal up and last for longer.

I sacrificed the Helmet (the freezer) because I would use Cronus + Natasha + Shriek the first turn for a freeze chance and Shriek also blocks Wind so that was a three-icon protection for the first turn for me.

I know many battlers wouldn't recommend leaving the Intricate Energized Helmet out of your set. I wouldn't argue against their advice either, but it was just that at that time, I tried and I found that swapping it out for other weapons worked for my build and strategy and I got 10 wins thanks to that. You could try several strategies to see which works best with your build because your build is unique and at this point when you cannot yet overpower him strategy and luck matter and they are really unique to you and your battle. My only advice is that when you decide to go for a defensive strategy like I did, try to combine different icon blocks with your scrolls and weapons so that they can cover as many of his weapon in one turn as possible. This is especially helpful when you want to heal up (doesn't make sense to deplete your blocking options when you're at full health for example). If you're still doing Battle Quests, use all the EXP you've gained into health for now. You won't regret it, I promise.

Are Fatal Fires good to have? I have two...and could work them in somehow. I am still struggling to get these last two wins, and I think what I really need is more freezing/healing scrolls....

: That's a difficult question 😅 Normally they're left unused in my scroll library. I'd say I only remembered them because the need arose and I used them only for a limited number of challengers (actually, only Rouland) and only because I didn't have access to better scrolls. But when used correctly, they serve their purpose, and they did for my case.

You can take a short break and return fresh tomorrow. Sometimes luck changes depending on the day :P If you can make it this year, that's great, but if not, you have only to beat him twice more next time to win the Manifesting Weapon.

You don't have an even build but even with that I had admittedly 1,000 more HP than you when I first beat him, so I can't really predict whether you would get those last two wins this year. You might surprise yourself, you never know.

I don't have an even build because I used some tomes earlier...though my strength and health have always been the highest two stats, followed by defense and then speed (which is more or less how I want his final stats.) I do tend to try and keep the stats ending in '0'. I might need a break...the Healer is getting to much of my sP...

I reaaallllllly want those two wins like now (or before the event ends). It keeps ending up being really close, and I really think I could do it if I had more Shrieks or other freezing scrolls. That being said...I know I need some better scrolls in general

: Tips: Forfeit the battle when you're frozen and at low-ish health (like 2,000-3,000 because each of his hit without any defence on your part would likely amount to that much) then hit an Easy challenger (An attacker + Pquill or Reviver of the Lion) to heal back up to full health. Or Shinwas blessed water then hit an easy challenger (Buttwing bomber is my go-to healing-punching bag). Should save you a ton of sP!

I have used Buttwing to heal so many times his (her?) health is above 1000....lol. And yeah, I've been doing that, or if he gets his stupid little blessing....

This was the battle we just did...one of the many examples of his ending stats when he's beaten him....I have gotten it lower 9793 / 36000

Did y‘all remember to use Dark Potions? I feel like this made a difference for me when fighting Rouland? Also Negating Pylonic if I was very close to another win... (although my pet is dumb and can‘t use lots of scrolls, so the last might not be necessary for pets with healing scrolls) Edit: would be the best choice for Rouland (I think there's none for ice?)

: Then let Spider, Scary Chairy and Deathly Harbringer come to your rescue ;)

I know right, his blessing is annoying, his scroll is too, so it comes down to luck as well when we first try to get our 10 wins in. Who knows, maybe you'll have better luck later :)

Will they help somewhat?

I may go back to those spooky challengers...just for the loot...lol. I am sick of his blessing...stupid vampire

I would try, I think yes. You could check which icons would be best to use against him.

: I'd say yes, but they're a pain to equip if you haven't got them equipped already, so use them when you've processed to the latter half of the battle and feel like you stand a good chance at winning. They add 11 icons each so that's good. Just make sure you don't throw the icons Batboy blocks though ... Can't remember off the top of my head, but his scroll does block completely three icon types.

ETA https://ultimatefriend352-blog.tumblr.com/search/rouland Check this out. It might help.

Just got another win! (And yes they are a pain to equip...)

: I just eta to add a link to a guide above. If you find his healing annoying it might save your blood pressure from going up by trying to blast his Blood-Sucking Bites. Thankfully it's a weapon and not a blessing. I'm not sure how many copies of those he had though. Iirc he's got more than two, but blasting one or two can also help.

And congratz on the win! Only one more to go, so a break doesn't hurt ;)

Blasting is the second thing I do if we don't freeze each other in the first move (Where I use the mecha and helmet)

And thank you!

lol I know, I tend to equip them whenever I get them in battle quests so that I don't have to do it in batches ;P Congrats! I'm sure you can get the 10th win as well.

I need another break....lol

You still have enough time until the 2nd, so a break is the best thing to do now ^^

Indeed

It would really help if these challengers didn't get stronger with each win....

Just curious if anyone would know if nightlady has the possibility of dropping shrieks past 10 wins. I'm up to win 35 with my top 2 pets but no luck so far. Have gotten 3 tomes with 1 pet and 2 tomes with the other from wins 10 to 35 also a few amulets from each.

yes, she should still be dropping them (that being said, I have 76 wins and got no shriek at all, so there's a lot of luck involved too)