Exalted 3e style weapons

[Ultra4Life]

Simple question. Say I'm using white reaper style, would I need to the melee ability to use a scythe or would I use my martial arts - white reaper style ability? Raw it seems melee is used. Just need a confirmation or contradiction, with page numbers please. This has been bugging me for days.

[Grod_The_Giant]

It is Martial Arts. I remember getting confused by this too, because it's not obvious. Uh... you can infer it from the prescriptions on mixing martial arts with other abilities on 426... and from the text on style weapons at the start of each entry-- "It can also be used armed with..." Sorry. I swear there was an exact reference somewhere, but I can't remember where apart from "somewhere I'd never have looked."

EDIT: Doesn't seem like it. See the discussion here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?437730-General-Exalted-Discussion-XVII-Edition-of-Cascading-Years/page35)-- lots of hints, but the closest is probably "you decide what combat Ability your character is attacking with—Archery, Brawl, Martial Arts, Melee, or Thrown" on 191, combined with the style restrictions.

[TheCountAlucard]

You use your Martial Arts Ability.

[Tyrrell]

I'm certain that the others are correct and you use your MA ability. I'm less certain that I can find an unambiguous statement in the rules.

Here's page 154

Martial Arts also
facilitates the use of certain exotic weapons, such as the
staff, the rope dart, sais, and hook swords. Like Brawl, it
can be used to calculate a character’s Parry Defense.
that's not really conclusive

page 426


Unlike the more universal Charms of the Exalted, each martial arts style is limited in the range of weapons it can be used with. For example, Tiger style can only be used with unarmed attacks and tiger claws, while Black Claw style may only be used unarmed. Whenever a Martial Arts Charm refers to enhancing or creating an “attack,” it always means an attack made with one of that style’s weapons. Similarly, Martial Arts Charms that enhance a character’s Parry only apply when they block with a style weapon. Artifact weapons are always compatible with any style that uses their mundane equivalents (Tiger stylists are equally adept with tiger claws and razor claws, and so on). In addition, some styles allow characters to deal lethal damage with their unarmed attacks, as long as the attack benefits from a Charm of the style. This is also noted under the description of the style’s weaponry.
This seems clear to me.