Through Hermetic Magic, how much more better at something resembling physical combat could a magus make an otherwise mundane human or animal, through any combination of spells and enchantments (regardless of how much the subject would be Warped over time), but within reasonable Arts constraints (obviously, anything can happen if you assume a magus with 60 in every Art)? When I say "resembling physical combat," this includes anything that could be fluffed as amazing physical power or combat prowess (so immunities are game, as well as anything you can fluff as physical such as a wind blast Auram effect fluffed as the person swinging their arm so hard that it sends hurricane-force winds out, but not including stuff that's obviously magic rather than physical power, like being able to shoot fire out of the mouth or growing wings).
The less exorbitant the vis costs, also, the better.
Tough skin can in fact go to +5. But yeah, I want other stuff, though those things are obviously big. It's interesting that it looks like this is an exception to the normal power gap, where Hermetic Magic is approximately equal to other traditions at their specializations and significantly superior at everything else. In this case, several traditions seem to do combatant enhancement better, even though it's not the focus for any of them. Pretty cool, methinks. Though I can't be sure that's true until everybody has a chance to point out the cool stuff Hermetic Magic can actually do.
Defensively you got the InHe +9 defense vs arrows/wooden weapons spell, which is easily upped to include a Te req and thus work against metal weapons.
Stack that with something simple as Wizards Sidestep for another +9 and a mere mortal will have tremendous troubles hitting the fracking magus.
Downsides: If your hearing metal you might have trouble if the opponent is dressed in metal And your grog that tries to run to your side to protect your wizard sidestepped image bumps straight into your actual position, accidently, with his swordtip
aaa comic relief.
Theres plenty of thoose little boosts to be had.
MuCo(An) Gift of the Bears Paw ...whatever level it was.
Your right arm takes on the properties of a bear, your not so dextrous manipulating things with your thumbs and fingers but you'll pack a hell of a punch +5dmg; Till your shoulder disclocates because it couldnt take the stress... oh right: Its magic nw!
If you don't mind using items you can enchant gift of the frog legs, some defensive magic that wards off normal wood and metal, a sword enchanted with touch range peco can cause much greater wounds than an unenchanted one.
also keep in mind that depending on the weapon their corporum, terram and herbem arts add to their soak. A magus with 20 in all 3 can be a very tough customer...
Excepting the CrCo rituals, most of this is 25th level or below, even lower if R: Personal. I'm also ignoring all the Imaginem spells (invisibility, side-stepping, etc.) and MuCo(Xx) (turning into a dragon, etc.) that would be so handy because of the obvious magic.
InXx - As mentioned before, +9 to Defense by sensing incoming attacks.
InAu + MuAu or CrAu - Make lots of fog and see through it, essentially pulling off invisibility.
InAu - Bat's sense (ArM5) for fighting in the dark and noticing invisible opponents.
CrCo - All physics Characteristics at +5.
MuCo - Increased Soak, limit based on the level but probably in the +3 to +7 region.
MuCo (maybe MuCo(Te)) - Increase density to increase Size (this has precedent in the books), which isn't as obvious as increasing size to increase Size.
ReXx - Personal wards to protect you from most possible incoming attacks.
ReCo - Ignore Wound and Fatigue penalties (ArM5).
ReCo - Move faster (not a Quickness bonus, but actually running faster), as per ReAn in RoP:M.
ReCo - Improved jumping as per the frogs' legs spell (ArM5).
ReCo - Improved balance.
ReMe - Guernicas spell to go unnoticed (HoH:TL), essentially being invisible unless actively engaged with an opponent.
MuTe (or MuTe(He) for a shield) - Hardness of Adamantine (HoH:S) (weapon and armor) and the spell to make the blade sharper (ArM5).
PeTe (or PeTe(He) for a shield) - Lightweight armor and shield (HoH:S).
The Verditius Minor Mystery 'Items of Quality' seems an excellent way of gaining a combat boost that is not that obvious. It gives the item an appropriate Shape and Material bonus to rolls (capped by the creator's Philosophiae).
Sword: +4 to Attack rolls against humans or animals (the specific example given in HoH: MC) OR +3 to Defense rolls when fighting a single opponent.
Armor: +7 Soak (Soak I think covers "protect wearer" better than Defense, since it could protect against things besides combat).
Shield: +5 to Defense rolls (Defense covers "protection" better than Soak in this case because of how shields work mechanically and how they don't help much against most non-combat damage).
Lion's Mane (worked into a cloak or symbolized on a breastplate): +5 to Str rolls and Damage.
Bow: +5 to Attack rolls.
Arrow: +2 to Attack rolls.
Belt: +3 to Str rolls and Damage.
Hourglass (symbolized on an item): +3 Initiative.
Ruby: +4 to Leadership ability for calculating Trained Group combat bonus.
Topaz: +4 to Leadership ability for calculating Trained Group combat bonus OR +4 to Str rolls and Damage.
Now these are just an interpretation of bonuses I made based on the Shape and Material bonuses on page 100, so they are hardly authoritative.
But your OP also said to disregard warping, and all of the effects mentioned can be cast on others pretty easily, especially if warping isn't an issue. Callen forgot one TeGo combo, MuAn (Doublet of Impenetrable Silk).
I've long held that there's no reason that Doublet of Impenetrable Silk can't stack with other defensive magics, because the gambeson beneath a mail shirt can be further strengthened...
And your grog that tries to run to your side to protect your wizard sidestepped image bumps straight into your actual position, accidently, with his swordtip