Fist combat in VV Ultimatum runs through the Hakuda skill tree, the melee route built to stay close, force blocks, and finish openings with throws and heavy strikes. It sits in the top tier of build-around picks because the pressure it creates works against players who try to space you out. If you want a character that wins in someone’s face, this is the route to commit Skill Points to.
Quick answer: Invest into the Hakuda tree, grab Death Fist as your finisher, take the Deadly Claws trait on a Hollow, and reroll into a clan like Shihoin or Jaegerjaquez that boosts melee pressure.
What the Hakuda fist route is and what it costs
Hakuda is the dedicated melee and fist combat tree. It is one of the two S-tier build-around cores, and it scales hardest when your race and stat plan back it up instead of spreading points into unrelated trees. Fully filling it is a heavy commitment, so plan your leveling around it from early on.
- Total cost: 328 Skill Points across 58 skills.
- Role: aggressive melee combo pressure, best in PvP duels.
- Strength: extending combos, forcing blocks, and punishing openings with throws and fist finishers.
Hakuda priority picks
These are the picks to grab first as you climb the tree. They cover the early foundation, mobility into range, combo extenders, a throw, and the heavy fist finisher.
| Skill | Role in the build |
|---|---|
| Hakuda Basics | Foundation for the melee tree |
| Surge Fist | Pressure strike |
| Burst Rush | Gap closer into range |
| Jaguar Rush | Rushdown extender |
| Suplex | Throw to punish blocks |
| Dragon Lash | Combo extension |
| Death Fist | Heavy fist finisher |
Best trait for a fist build: Deadly Claws
On a Hollow, Deadly Claws is the trait that rewards melee play. It gives a +3% damage increase to Hakuda and turns your blunt attacks sharp as your fists become claws. It also feeds your AP bar, which builds during a fight.
- +3% Hakuda damage and a +0.1 boost to your AP bar.
- Build AP by landing light and heavy attacks on an opponent.
- You also gain AP from parrying or performing a perfect dash.
- The bar empties if you deal no damage for nearly 15 seconds, so keep applying pressure.
Note: Because the AP bar drains when you stop dealing damage, Deadly Claws favors players who keep contact rather than trading from a distance.
Best clans for fist pressure
Clan Rerolls shape your route, so treat them as a resource. For a melee fist build, prioritize clans that directly add Hakuda pressure or aggressive close-range play.
| Clan | Faction | Why it fits a fist build |
|---|---|---|
| Shihoin | Shinigami | S-tier keep with Shunpo stamina, speed, lightning damage, and Hakuda pressure |
| Jaegerjaquez | Hollow | Supports aggressive Hakuda play |
| Cifer | Hollow | Premium keep adding Reiatsu, Kido pressure, mobility, and longer Resurrección uptime |
Tip: Hold your Clan Rerolls until your faction plan is settled. Spending them before you know whether you want the Hollow or Shinigami route wastes the resource.
Pair Hakuda with Speed
Speed is the other S-tier route and the strongest support for any fist build. Movement decides when fights start, reset, and finish, so it lets you close the gap to land your Hakuda combos and escape when you need to recover. It costs 229 Skill Points across 40 skills, with Aerial Ace, Clone Strike, Flash, Surprise, Rapid Recovery, Hyperspeed, Afterimage Slash, and Light Feet as the picks worth prioritizing.
How to start the fist build correctly
day1, and submit it to claim 3x Clan Reroll, 1x Token Booster, and 1x Focus Elixir.How to know the build is working
You will see the route come together once your AP bar starts filling from landed light and heavy attacks, parries, and perfect dashes, and once your fists visibly turn to claws with Deadly Claws active. In duels, the build is paying off when you can chain Jaguar Rush and Dragon Lash into a Suplex, then close with Death Fist while keeping pressure long enough that your AP bar never drains. If the bar keeps emptying, you are spending too long out of range, which is the main thing to correct.
