A thought just occurred to me about the different types of alchemy that all the characters in FMA do. Because the Elrics can pretty much do all sorts of things with their alchemy and they don't have any big restrictions, whereas Roy pretty much only does flame alchemy and is even deemed useless in rain because he can't use it. So does that mean that he can't use any other type of alchemy? If he can why doesn't he, in the rain in example? Why does he have this limitation when the brothers don't?
Ooooo this is a fun topic bless bless.
I don’t remember where I first read it, but I think it describes the Elrics well. I remember someone saying both Ed and Al embody the jack of all trades. They don’t seem to be profound experts in any one alchemical field, but they know key information here and there about multiple fields. So, following from that, I think where Ed’s greatest strength is his ingenious application of alchemy; it’s his creativity that gets him out of binds (sometimes), and it’s his out-of-the-box thinking that makes him realize he can trade his alchemy abilities to bring back his brother’s body.
What makes the brothers shine more than anything, though, is clap transmutation. As you say, the Elrics can do all sorts of things with their alchemy, and it does make them appear less “limited” in some senses. They’re at least more diverse and creative in what they do with alchemy. They’ve got the advantage because they’re not restricted by having to draw transmutation circles. I’m not sure if they need to have the circles memorized in their heads, or what sorts of scientific information their minds need to process prior to clap transmutation, but that form of transmutation has obvious advantages: they don’t have to draw or carry around “prepared” circles. They can just do whatever they need to, with whatever they need to, on the fly.
All other State Alchemists are “limited” to their specialty and what transmutation circles they carry/wear on them as part of that specialty. Part of this limitation is the natural thing that happens when you become a specialist. The more specialized you get, the more information you know about an increasingly smaller scope. Of course, these guys all would have had to start with alchemy’s basics (we see this referenced when young Mustang visits Berthold) before moving to advanced topics.
Background basic knowledge solidified, they then would have been able to go into more complicated forms of the science, specialize, and attune their focuses. Shou Tucker is going to keep all his concentration on chimera research. He’ll know a lot about those things, but probably only the basics of other forms he doesn’t really use. And especially for actively fighting State Alchemists in the military, they’re going to focus on their special alchemical attacks. Soon enough, all of what they easily recall and can do, will be their area of specialty.
Each State Alchemist seems to hone one particular alchemy attack and that’s about it. They have their circle pre-formed by wearing gloves, gauntlets, or tattooing it on their body. Solf Kimblee, Alex Armstrong, Basque Grand, Roy Mustang… I see all of them on the same “par” for how they handle their alchemy. They perfect the attacks they can do with that one transmutation circle they wear on them. Maybe they could’ve been more resourceful and carried other pre-drawn circles for secondary attacks, but welp. 1). The State Alchemy program is new. 2). Well-educated adults often specialize into narrow interests. 3). Most day-to-day alchemists don’t need to have their transmutation circles prepared ahead of time. 4). Because of their unique abilities, State Alchemists are probably pretty confident on winning their fights with their one prepared attack form. 5). And maybe there’s something to be said about holding to their own “brand recognition” and sticking to the alchemy they’re famous for. ;)
It’s not that they don’t know other transmutation circles and alchemical information, but it’s the practicality of being an active fighter that we see people like Mustang be so “limited”. Roy won’t have time to grab chalk and start scribbling circles on the ground when an enemy rushes him. He’s going to rely on Flame Alchemy because that’s the alchemy he has available with that transmutation circle on his gloves. Unfortunately, that comes at the cost that, when he’s wet, he can’t light sparks with his gloves and use his one prepared transmutation circle. Ergo, he becomes useless in the rain for any average fight.
There are many indications Roy knows more forms of alchemy. We could talk about the 2003 show, where we see his notes of complicated formulas for human transmutation research, but I’m going to stick with Arakawa’s intended chronology only. There are multiple instances I recall in FMAB / the manga where Roy uses alchemy that isn’t Flame Alchemy.
First, he makes a “body” to fake Maria’s death. He knows the needed “ingredients” off the top of his head; while they’re not complicated, he’s not looking anything up for what he knows he’ll need. He quickly jots his list down inside a phone booth and hands the note straight to Breda. Roy knows he’ll be able to form those into a fake corpse. It shows some non-Flame Alchemy knowledge here. It’s possible he then did some reading before making the “corpse” with alchemy, of course, but books or no, he regardless does non-Flame Alchemy. He even matches Ross’ tooth record for his crafted dummy.
And he knows ahead of time what the teeth will need to be made of.
Second, Mustang transmutes the sign on a truck into a different logo. We’ll get more to this instance of alchemy later. I like this instance.
Third, Mustang uses an oh-so-common combat alchemist tactic: reforming the ground before him into a shield. Clap transmutation moment for the win! Now that he’s not required to draw circles, he’s taking advantage of non-Flame Alchemy in combat.
Fourth, there’s the omake where Roy’s using Flame Alchemy techniques with the same transmutation circle, but in non-Flame Alchemy ways. We know for Flame Alchemy, Mustang manipulates oxygen concentration levels to direct his flames. Changing oxygen concentration levels can also… get people to pass out. Oh dear. Buddy. Buddy, we need to talk.
Last, Roy thinks he can use Lust’s Philosopher’s Stone to heal Havoc. Mustang says, “Medical field alchemy is outside of my expertise, but by using this to increase my abilities…” I don’t know how the Philosopher’s Stone exactly works since, again, you don’t need to draw a transmutation circle with it. How much are you still doing yourself with your own abilities and practice, and how much will the Philosopher’s Stone “fill in the gaps”? But the way that Roy is talking, he seems to at least think that the Philosopher’s Stone isn’t going to do the alchemy for him - it’s used to increase his abilities rather than give him new ones. I say that indicates that, while medical alchemy ain’t his specialty, he thinks he can do something with it. There’s still some questions I have about how working with a Philosopher’s Stone goes down, but regardless. Roy knows how to do some basic biological alchemy!
Honestly I’ve always found the ice cream truck moment most interesting when it comes to Roy’s non-Flame Alchemy. You see lots of alchemists do something like rearrange the earth to block attacks. Given he’s a soldier, knowing bits of medical alchemy is obviously practical. But changing the outside appearance of a truck is somewhat random - not necessarily complicated to do, but random and menial alchemy nevertheless.
We know Roy wouldn’t be carrying books on him to look up the transmutation circle for changing the truck logo. He would’ve used his memories to draw that transmutation circle. In FMAB he casually comments, “Changing the outer appearance of the vehicle is no trouble at all.” For whatever reason, Roy recalls what to do off the top of his head. It’s no trouble. And if he remembers some small random trick like this off the top of his head, what else does Roy actively recall about other forms of non-Flame Alchemy? I think this moment indicates Roy actually does carry around with him some decent memories of non-Flame Alchemy transmutation circles. Exactly because it’s some small random trick, it makes it all the more an indication Roy’s got a decent memory and practice for other forms of alchemy. Especially, I imagine he likes to remember some alchemy for deceptive stunts, since he has his fair share of tricks everywhere.
Honestly, even the fact that he decoded Berthold Hawkeye’s tattoo and learned Flame Alchemy shows that he’s got to have great understanding of alchemy as a whole. Prior to this, Roy knew nothing about how to do Flame Alchemy. At the same time, Berthold said that his alchemical notes (on Riza’s back) were “indecipherable to the average alchemist.” Either that means they were attuned specifically to Roy (which I find somewhat doubtful), or they were difficult to crack and understand - in which case Roy being able to learn this information is a feat to his prowess in alchemy as a whole. He’s no average alchemist; he’s a gifted and brilliant one able to learn a novel, new field.
He’s got his expertise, Flame Alchemy, and he’s damn amazing at it. He’s specialized, as we’d expect an advanced State Alchemist to do. Roy also shows that he has dabbled and remembers the information to some other forms of alchemy.
So I think that, in summation, to answer your question:
Roy (and other State Alchemists like Alex) narrow their alchemy to a specialty and almost exclusively practice that one form in combat. They’d enter more diverse research and application (though still circled around their expertise) in calmer scenarios. However, Mustang’s going to primarily use Flame Alchemy because that’s what he knows best, that’s where he can consistently do the most damage, and that’s what transmutation circle he has on his gloves to work with. In combat you only have the chance to use what you’ve prepared ahead of time in alchemy - unless, MAYBE, you’re a very fast drawer, have some time, or can clap transmute.
Roy’s useless in the rain and doesn’t use other forms of alchemy mostly from time constraints. He wouldn’t have time to scribble out new transmutation circles on rainy days in the middle of a fight. So… once his gloves get soaked, he can’t use Flame Alchemy. He’s done. He better shoot his gun or stay back. He’s also not going to be an expert in other alchemical forms. But time would be his biggest constraint making him “useless”.
Roy and the other alchemist’s “limitations” (compared to the Elrics) come from the fact they can’t clap transmute and they rely HEAVILY on their specialty with their pre-drawn circles. The Elrics, meanwhile, can clap transmute and are jacks of all trades.
That’s how I see it, anyway! Would be interested if you have any other thoughts, though, that I missed!
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