I have some ideas for new fighting styles/changes to current or planned fighting styles. Also, for all of these I’m assuming that each fighting style has a corresponding magic type (sailor fist = water, thermo fist = fire, boxing = wind, iron leg = metal, etc.)
First, I think boxing could be more interesting. Instead of wind effects, I think either lightning or earth would fit more. Boxers focus on fast footwork while attacking and blocking with their hands. Lightning would match this because boxing is, or at least should be, a very fast fighting style like Thermo Fist. One of Muhammad Ali’s most famous techniques is the shuffle where he slides his feet on the ground. Maybe this could be translated into sliding ones feet on the ground to generate static electricity, and the more static you have the faster and stronger your punches would be. If boxing becomes focused on electricity then Knocking fist would probably have to be changed. I think earth would fit this style as well because though it looks like they only use their fists to attack, boxers use their entire body for each punch. If your feet are not firmly on the ground, you would have no force to your punch. Also, maybe by surrounding your arms with earth, people with boxing style could have more effective blocking at higher levels. With wind no longer being the focus of this style, I would expect damage to be increased and knockback to be decreased if either of these magics become the new one used.
Next is Karate. Karate is a style that is planned but not yet added. I think that if a change is made to boxing, then karate could be the new style with a wind element. Alternatively, perhaps wood could be the magic associated with this style. Many martial artists train with wooden dummies, so maybe karate users in game would build experience slower than other styles, but could gain experience by attacking inanimate objects. Also, there is a cherry variation of wood magic and cherry trees are heavily associated with Japan, where karate was invented (it’s a stretch, I know.) Or, maybe instead of karate it could be changed to a different martial art such as Judo or Taekwondo, both of which have a heavier focus on stances, which could justify earth magic based attacks.
For the last of the canon fighting styles, Vampirism. Since there are lost magics and lost fighting styles, and each fighting style is based on a type of magic, maybe vampirism should be a parallel to a new lost magic, blood magic. Other magics like shadow could work, but I think it makes more sense for a lost fighting style to be based on a lost magic, and I think that blood would be a really cool magic type similar to ink in WoM.
Now for the original styles. My first idea would be based on acid magic and be called “Acid Reflux” Or “Heartburn Style” or something similar. Basically the user would eat food to fill up an acid bar. They could then coat their hands in stomach acid for increased damage and the melting status effect. At higher levels, the user could even barf up small projectile attacks that create puddles of acid. This one is kinda gross but I think its funny and actually works somewhat well.
Next is a fighting style based on poison magic, probably just called “Poison Hand”. At early stages, they would just use poison tipped needles or something, either for close range combat by stabbing or long range by throwing the needles. Maybe the needles could consume an ammo like arrows to make it more balanced. However, at more advanced levels, the user would no longer have need for a weapon, as their hands would become so used to fighting with poison that they will have absorbed the poison into their hands like Yanagi from Baki.
Last would be a style based on earth magic. This would only be added if my previous two earth style suggestions are not implemented, though. It would be called “Rock Stomach” or something (I would call it Iron stomach, but we already have iron leg) Basically the user would gather rocks by destroying terrain and could use them for close or long range combat by either punching with the rocks or throwing them. With training, the user learns how to eat rocks and then spit them out later as a fast, high damage projectile attack. This is inspired by animals that eat rocks in nature such as crocodiles, called gastroliths.
This is one of the less developed ideas, but basically a fighting style that uses sand to obscure opponents vision. Maybe users of this style could also use bandages to attack/restrain opponents. They don’t seem very connected but I think they fit well, and I think this style would be a perfect fit with Sameria.
This one is seriously underdeveloped and I’ve got basically no ideas for it, but I just think that a style that uses ice magic would be very cool.
Of course these are just ideas and if you have some of your own or changes to mine I’d love to hear them. And if an admin or even Vetex himself happens to see this, thanks in advance for your consideration.