Kurohyō 1: which fighting style to use, and when to switch

Kurohyō 1: which fighting style to use, and when to switch Unlocking every style is one goal. Having something useful for the fight in front of you is another. This is the companion to the full unlock tree: what each of the 20 styles is built to do, and the upgrades worth working toward. The six basic styles reach level 5. The seven combination styles reach level 3. The six Extreme styles reach level 2. Extreme Man is the final style rather than another long leveling branch. BASIC STYLES Street Fighting/Brawling: the starting all-rounder. Level 2 adds a Heat damage bonus, level 3 adds a weapon bonus, and level 5 improves Heat charging. It's also required across several branches, so getting it to 3 early is useful even if you intend to switch. Boxing: fast punching with weak kicks and grabs at the beginning. Punch damage rises from +20% to +30% at level 3. Auto-Step improves as you level, and level 5 replaces the grab penalty with a +20% stamina bonus. Good for short attacks followed by movement instead of standing there trading hits. Ancient Martial Arts: a route toward catching attacks and quicker grabs. Early levels penalize punching, so don't judge it purely by punch damage. Level 5 removes that early punching penalty and adds a grab-damage bonus. Its unlock also opens the Chinese Kenpo and Bajiquan branches. Karate: kicking, stronger individual hits and faster Heat buildup. The early catch penalty disappears at level 5, when you get +20% maximum health alongside +30% kick damage and improved Heat charging. Pro Wrestling: powerful grabs and better injury resistance, with a movement drawback at lower levels. Level 5 trades the Auto-Step penalty for a grab-speed bonus. Try it when you want a throw to do more of the work, rather than expecting long, fast striking combinations. Jujutsu: grappling and targeted limb damage. Its early punch and kick penalties ease as it levels. By level 3, grab damage is +30%; level 4 further improves grab speed and catching. Level 5 adds a chance for joint attacks to inflict maximum injury on the targeted body part. COMBINATION STYLES Muay Thai: strong, quick kicks without sacrificing punching. At level 3, both punch and kick damage have +30% bonuses and stamina gets +30%. Lucha: quicker grabs and flashy kicks. Level 2 improves kick damage and grab speed; level 3 adds a Heat damage bonus. Its animations are different enough that it's worth practicing their reach before a difficult fight. Fighting Kenpo: fast combinations using both hands and feet, supported by Auto-Step. It opens from Boxing and Karate. Pick it for sustained striking rather than grab damage. MMA: dependable grappling. It starts with +30% grab damage and increased grab speed, then improves that speed further. At its final level, injury resistance is another reason to use it for longer fights. Bajiquan: a broader mix of punches, grabs and catching. At level 3 it has +30% punch and grab damage, plus improved catch ability. Useful if you don't want your whole plan tied to one attack type. Weapon Mania: +30% weapon damage from the start, then better Heat charging and a weapon-related injury effect at level 3. Before choosing it, check whether the arena actually gives you something to pick up. Chinese Kenpo: kick damage plus evasive and catch-related bonuses. At level 3 it has +30% kick damage, Auto-Step +2 and catch ability +2. Another option for players who prefer striking but still want defensive tools. EXTREME STYLES Hard Arm: +50% punch damage and protection against severe arm injury. Level 2 adds a punch-related maximum-injury chance. Even the kick input uses punches in this style. God Leg: the kicking counterpart, with +50% kick damage and leg-injury protection. Level 2 adds a kick-related maximum-injury chance. The punch input also produces kicks. Softness/Soft and Hard: grab speed +4 and catch ability +4. Level 2 adds a maximum-injury chance to grabs. This is worth trying when getting hold of the opponent quickly matters more than a long striking combo. Awakening: +50% Heat and weapon damage. Level 2 adds a low-health attack boost. Don't deliberately wreck a clean run just to activate it; the bonus is useful when you're already in trouble. Fortitude: +50% grab damage and maximum health. Level 2 reduces injury accumulation while guarding. A good alternative when you're getting worn down rather than failing to deal damage. Wild Dance: Auto-Step +4 and Heat charging +4. Level 2 adds Guard Breaker, increasing the injury you inflict on a guarding opponent. It's built around sustained combinations and pressure. THE FINAL STYLE Extreme Man/Extreme Being: +50% damage across punches, kicks, grabs, Heat Actions and weapons. It also avoids fatigue animations and resists ordinary striking knockdowns. That isn't total invulnerability: grabs, catches and special attacks can still put you on the floor. LEVEL WITH A PURPOSE If the next unlock needs Boxing 3, check the style's level, not Tatsuya's character level or his paid punch training. Those are different systems. Keep a second style in mind for fights where your usual one struggles. A quick punch style won't solve every grab-heavy opponent, and Weapon Mania loses much of its appeal in an empty arena. Switching for the actual fight is more useful than insisting that the newest unlock must be best. For full completion, remember that Heat Actions also change with styles and, in a few cases, style levels. Record the early Pro Wrestling and Awakening actions before leveling past their versions. The Heat guide lists those exceptions.