#tonfa

Pollux

commission for Metroidmuncher

I needed to practice drawing tonfa so bad. They’re so simple, yet I keep messing them up.

Speaking of Akuma, his inclusion basically removes any possibility for the Tonfa to show up, at least in my eyes. The Tonfa, while honestly really goddamn cool, just don’t have a place in modern Monster Hunter. And it’s not a design thing, but rather a function thing; the Tonfa’s ability to invert damage zones (strong to impact>weak to impact, weak to slash>strong to slash) would be too problematic. Between that and how Akuma fills that “hand-to-hand” aesthetic, I just don’t see them adding it to the game, although if they did, it’d probably be a Gemma invention.

The Magnet Spike has a very similar issue to the Tonfa in that its functionality, while cool, just wouldn’t be balanced in modern Monster Hunter. Frontier was a completely different beast which allowed for the Magnet Spike to do way too much, but still give the illusion of being balanced. But between its rather uniquely effective form of mobility and its capability to deal both slash and impact damage, it can just accomplish too much. That being said, another weapon with the raw complexity of the Charge Blade would be nice, and of the three weapons I’m talking about here today, this is by far the one I want to be ported over the most. It just feels like something Werner would cook up.

And now, finally, the most realistic choice for a potential new weapon: the Accel Axe. Now, while this thing’s first and only appearance was in a mobile title, it’s got a lot going for it: It’s purely slash damage, it’s got a unique “burst damage” play style somewhere between the Greatsword, Hammer, SwAxe, and Charge Blade, and it’s a big friggin axe with a big friggin rocket booster on it. Aesthetically and functionally, it fits rather well into modern Monster Hunter, and with the raw advancement in tech we’ve seen in Wilds, I could totally see Gemma and Werner collaborating to make one of these.

Pinning stuff here so I can easily access it.

-

this is my oc.

he wields tonfa that are strapped to his forearms.

from the protruding end of the tonfa, there are sections of a staff adjoined by chains.

through use of a spring-loaded mechanism, the chains retract into the staff sections, forming a solid staff extending from the forward part of the tonfa. squeezing the grip handle acts against the spring, loosening the chain so the weapons flex.

when taught, these weapons act like wielding a pair of flexing staffs, or when lax, they act like a pair of whips.

by the way, i built these weapons in real life and they're actually kinda badass.

they're pretty comfortable to wear and don't get in the way of things, so i just wear them casually day to day.

i feel sorry for anyone who would try to melee me IRL, that would definitely be a shock to them.

aside from that, the character can also use magically generated flames, and utilise the weapons to project flaming material.

they have an extremely high level of agility and athleticism, including free-running skills, acrobatics and marathon running.

in combat he moves quickly and without hesitation, which can often catch his enemies off-guard, but it also means he doesn't think too deeply, and can be tricked sometimes or caught by traps.

i can parkour in real life, but i wouldn't say i'm that athletic. the real me however is a lot smarter than the character.

his (imitation) turtle-shell backpack, which is something i actually own myself, provides some level of protection to his back.

backstory

in the AF series the character was a DLC mod bonus mode for the game 13th Hour.

his girlfriend Jessica Mack, literally just my own girlfriend IRL, just as a fictional persona, was captured by a criminal gang, after she foolishly tried to take them down herself.

after causing a lot of damage to the gang she was captured and about to be killed when a gang member recognised her and remembered that her boyfriend, my persona, was rather wealthy, and so they kept her for ransom instead.

that was a terrible mistake of their part.

my persona charged into the gang's base and in the game you must kill everyone you see faster than they are able to sound the alarm so that you can rescue Jessica before they decide to kill her.

after freeing her, the pair of you slaughter through waves of enemies, killing the gang leader in a boss fight.

in the process, the character learns about the protagonists of the AF series and decides to try and help out from time to time.