[hayek]

I know every spirit has a power it can use in combat to do damage, but asking for it to use a power costs an extra service. I assume a spirit can use a plain old unarmed attack if they're not using a power? I didn't find this mentioned in the rules anywhere, though. I assume it would be just like for everyone else - Unarmed Combat + AGI with damage = STR Stun. Seems like a Fire elemental's 'punch' would do fire damage, though, but are these details mentioned anywhere?

[Michael Chandra]

If you ask them for a Combat service, they will use their Powers as they desire and it won't cost you services.

[Namikaze]

Seems like a Fire elemental's 'punch' would do fire damage, though, but are these details mentioned anywhere?

The GM is certainly free to make elemental effects as desired, but in most cases the spirits that I've used haven't had any issue with using their powers to do the majority of their damage.  For a fire elemental for instance, it's often things like flame spouts and such (Elemental Attack power) or using a pulsing fire blast (Elemental Aura power).  In most cases the spirit would likely just use their various combat-oriented powers.

[Michael Chandra]

Just keep in mind that while Spirits generally will be willing to listen to suggestions, they're still basically NPCs and will act as such. Take, for example, me giving my brother a heart attack when his Spirit started a negotiation with potential hostiles with the words "Puny mortal!"

[ZeConster]

Of course, if you're doing Ashes, there's no rules against telling your spirit to beat the shit out of that annoying ork.

Anyway, all spirits have ranks in Unarmed Combat, so they can fight normally as part of a Combat service. If you want their melee attacks to be elemental, though, you'll need the Energy Aura power (available to Air, Fire and Water): their melee attacks will have a DV of (Magic + Strength), an AP of -(Magic) and may have an elemental type. Plus if someone hits them with a melee attack, they'll insta-deal (Magic x 2) damage with an AP of -(Magic) to the attacker, which cannot be avoided, only soaked.

[hayek]

Anyway, all spirits have ranks in Unarmed Combat, so they can fight normally as part of a Combat service. If you want their melee attacks to be elemental, though, you'll need the Energy Aura power (available to Air, Fire and Water): their melee attacks will have a DV of (Magic + Strength), an AP of -(Magic) and may have an elemental type. Plus if someone hits them with a melee attack, they'll insta-deal (Magic x 2) damage with an AP of -(Magic) to the attacker, which cannot be avoided, only soaked.

Of course, thanks for the reference!