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In Fallout 4, a melee build offers a dynamic, high-damage approach to gameplay that eliminates the need for ammunition, a valuable commodity in the harsh Wasteland.
As melee combat necessitates proximity to foes, an effective build emphasizes the need for specific stats, Perks, weapons, and armor. It’s crucial to minimize damage by strategically using the environment to your advantage and equipping durable gear suited for close-up confrontations.
Perks are critical in enhancing melee effectiveness, as they significantly improve weapon capabilities. Even the best weapons require upgrades to reach their full potential.
Investing in Perks that enhance damage and durability allows you to transform your character into a formidable melee combatant capable of handling the toughest enemies without depleting valuable resources.
Best S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Stats For A Melee Build
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Stats are crucial for any build you opt for in your Fallout 4 journey. However, some stats are more important to prioritize than others, especially if you focus on close-range combat. For a melee build, Strength and Endurance are vital, as they primarily enhance your capacity to deliver powerful blows and sustain damage resistance when engaging enemies directly in combat.
At the start of Fallout 4, players are given 21 points to assign across their character’s S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Stats during the initial character creation phase. As you advance and gain levels, you can allocate more points to each fundamental stat, progressively improving your character’s abilities to match the ideal levels for your selected build.
Below is an optimized allocation of stat points for a powerful melee build in your gameplay, combining attributes that maximize damage output and durability:
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Stats | Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
Strength | 10 | Influences your carrying capacity (+10 per level), and raises melee damage by 10%. |
Endurance | 10 | Affects your maximum health, radiation resistance, and ability to withstand environmental hazards. |
Agility | 3 | It affects your overall movement speed and performance in V.A.T.S. and lets you choose between a tanky build or a more stealth-based melee build. |
Luck | 2 | Increases Critical Hit chance, the likelihood of finding valuable items, and the outcome of random events. |
Intelligence | 1 | Affects the amount of XP earned, the quality of crafted items, and your effectiveness with high-tech weapons. |
Charisma | 1 | Influences your success in dialogue options, ability to negotiate prices with vendors, and effectiveness in leading companions. |
You may choose to go with a slight variation on this build; for example, investing a couple of extra points in Agility will create a speedier melee build. That said, since your Strength is your main damage stat, and you’ll need lots of HP to withstand the heat of battle, you should keep both stats at an 8 or above.
Best Melee Weapons In Fallout 4
As an overall recommendation, Grognak’s Axe is probably the best melee weapon in Fallout 4. It can both stagger and bleed enemies, leading to additional damage over time while also opening them up to more attacks.
You can grab this weapon at Hubris Comics, which is located in the Back Bay region. Since it’s locked in an expert-level display case, you’ll need to get your lockpicking skill up, or bring a companion with an equivalent skill (like Cait). Just upstairs, you can grab the Grognak Costume (see below), which gives you +2 Strength and 25% melee weapon damage to pack an even bigger punch.
Shishkebab
The Shishkebab is a favored melee weapon renowned for its effectiveness against single targets, as each strike inflicts extra fire damage. However, its limited range makes it less suitable for group engagements. This weapon is easily obtained early in the game as a reward from Fallout 4‘s Minutemen side quest “Out of Fire,” requiring only 2 Strength to wield.
At the Weapon Workbench, players can enhance the Shishkebab further by adding the Flaming Sword mod, which boosts the fire damage already dealt by the weapon.
Super Sledge
The Super Sledge has a unique ability to knock back enemies, propelling them away from the player. This attribute makes it an outstanding choice for handling groups of enemies in melee combat.
This blunt and bulky weapon requires 8 Strength to wield. It can be acquired from the Forged at Saugus Ironworks, whom players encounter during the “Out of Fire” side quest, and is occasionally used by super mutants.
Pickman’s Blade
For those who want to deal quick hits with a knife skillfully, Pickman’s Blade is a standout melee weapon in Fallout 4, and obtaining it involves an engaging quest in Pickman’s Gallery. Known for its brutal and stealthy attributes, it includes a Wounding effect that causes targets to bleed, inflicting an additional 25 points of damage.
Moreover, it comes with a stealth blade mod that boosts the damage multiplier on Sneak Attacks by 0.5 and causes 10 more points of bleed damage over 5 seconds. This combination renders Pickman’s Blade exceptionally effective for sustained damage, making it a valuable weapon for stealth-oriented melee fighters.
Deathclaw Gauntlet
The Deathclaw Gauntlet is as menacing as it looks and can be obtained in front of the Deathclaw nest during ‘The Devil’s Due’ side quest in Fallout 4. It features an armor-piercing effect, allowing some of the damage inflicted to bypass the target’s armor. This effect is enhanced by acquiring the Iron Fist Perk from the Strength Perk tree.
To maximize its effectiveness, consider equipping the Extra Claw mod, which increases the attack speed and the total damage output of this formidable weapon.
Grognak’s Axe
Grognak’s Axe is a distinctive weapon with a medieval aesthetic, modeled after the axe wielded by Grognak the Barbarian in the comic series bearing the same name. This unique axe is secured within an Advanced-lock display case inside Hubris Comics.
The axe causes enemies to stagger while also dealing with a bleeding effect on targets. Moreover, it offers a slight chance of disarming melee opponents during combat. It only requires 2 Strength to wield, making it accessible early in gameplay, provided you have high enough skills in terminal hacking or lockpicking in Fallout 4 to retrieve it.
Best Armor For A Melee Build
Overall, the T-60 Power Armor is the best you can get. Because they’re constantly running towards the line of fire, melee builds can be vulnerable to damage. Most Power Armor will protect you from just about anything enemies send your way, and with the T-60’s top of the line defense, you’ll be golden.
That said, if you want a somewhat stealthier melee build, or just don’t want to deal with hoarding Fusion Cores, you can go with the Grognak Costume. This gives you bonuses to Strength and damage with melee weapons, and lets you equip other armor pieces so you’re not totally defenseless.
T-60 Power Armor
If you’re aiming for a tanky build designed to obliterate enemies with powerful blows, you’ll need a robust set of Power Armor in Fallout 4 paired with a durable melee weapon. The T-60 Power Armor has excellent overall stats and extensive customization options. You can find various modifiable pieces throughout The Commonwealth, and Proctor Teagan on The Prydwen offers several for purchase during a Brotherhood of Steel side quest.
Enhance your setup with the unique Exemplar’s T-60c torso piece, which reduces the AP cost by 20% when using V.A.T.S. To complete your ensemble, equip the Visionary’s T-60c helmet, which boosts AP regeneration and enhances damage and energy resistance.
Grognak Costume
Grognak’s Costume, which complements Grognak’s Axe mentioned in the weapons section, is also located in the same area (Hubris Comics in Back Bay), allowing you to acquire the entire set for an effective melee build. The costume provides a 25% temporary boost to melee weapon damage and increases strength by +2. It permits the equipping of leather armor on the legs and arms while foregoing a chest piece to retain these bonuses.
For additional protection, layer leather armor beneath your costume. Begin with road leathers and progress to sturdier and heavier versions as you level up in the game.
Devastator’s Armor
The Devastator’s Armor in Fallout 4 is especially ideal for melee players. It provides high damage resistance essential for close-range combat durability, and each piece of armor has unique buffs that enhance its effectiveness.
The central chest piece of the armor can reflect a portion of melee damage received back onto attackers, serving as a strong deterrent in combat. Additionally, the right leg piece offers a critical survival perk; it slows down time when the player’s health drops below 20%, giving you a chance to deliver Critical Hits or quickly heal up with a Stimpak.
Two pieces of the Devastator’s Armor can be purchased from an Assaultron named KL-E-0 in Goodneighbor.
Best Perks For A Melee Build
Perks in Fallout 4 are essential for enhancing your melee build, increasing combat effectiveness, and boosting overall performance. These special abilities and bonuses significantly improve your character’s combat skills and survival abilities.
Players can access Perks organized under the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes by allocating Perk points upon leveling up. This categorization allows for extensive customization, allowing players to tailor their characters to their specific playstyles — but for some general melee build recommendations, see the below:
Perk | Stat Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
Big Leagues | Strength Level 2 | Increases damage dealt by melee weapons by 20%. At Level 42, your character will now do double damage with melee weapons and have the chance to smash your enemy’s head clean off. |
Armorer | Strength Level 3 | Gives access to more advanced armor mods while using an armor workbench. As a melee fighter, you will need better protection if playing as a tank-based character. |
Sneak | Agility Level 3 | This is integral as a sneaky melee build, relying heavily on critical damage attacks and sneak attack bonuses with a stealth modifier. |
Lone Wonderer | Charisma Level 3 | By traveling without companions, except for Dogmeat in Fallout 4, you will have a massive boost to damage and damage reduction. Bringing the loyal canine makes you even more durable. |
Blacksmith | Strength Level 4 | Allows you to upgrade your melee weapons for extra damage. |
Ninja | Agility Level 7 | Increases melee stealth attacks by 4x, and at its peak (at level 33), it will do 10x normal stealth damage. This is arguably one of the best Perks for a melee build. |
Grim Reaper’s Sprint | Luck Level 8 | Allows you to chain together melee sneak kills, which perfectly compliments the Sneak perk for those aiming for a stealth melee build. |
Rooted | Strength Level 9 | Although it requires more skill, it is a must-have for a melee build. As long as you’re stationary, you receive significant boosts to attack damage and damage resistance. Try to run up on a target and stand still while attacking if possible. |
Blitz | Agility Level 9 | Increases the range of melee attacks when performed in V.A.T.S, meaning you can target enemies from a greater distance without using ranged weapons. |
Solar Powered | Endurance Level 10 | Grants +2 Strength and Endurance between 6 am and 6 pm in-game time. At Level 27, sunlight heals radiation damage, while at Level 50, sunlight regenerates any lost health. This is a great survival perk and increases damage output through the Strength modifier. |
These Perks combine to form a potent build that excels in strength, stealth, and damage output, making this Fallout 4 build capable of taking down formidable foes.
Fallout 4
- Released
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November 10, 2015
- ESRB
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M FOR MATURE: BLOOD AND GORE, INTENSE VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, USE OF DRUGS
