Fallout 4: The Best Melee Weapons for Hand to Hand Combat

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A hand to hand beast mode beating is definitely one of the most fun parts of any FPS, and that certainly includes Fallout. The Fallout franchise is a fan favorite because of its anything-goes apocalyptic theme and avid playability. The series boats an incredible amount of diverse and unique weaponry to help you defeat the perils of the Wasteland. While many veterans of the games would love to discuss their favorite firearms or plasma weaponry, today we’re going to be looking at what is perhaps the most underrated category of weapons in Fallout 4: the melee weapons.

Why Melee Weapons?

Everyone knows that what made Fallout so famous in the first place was its unique gunplay and VATS ability originating from Fallout 3. The ability to use a wide array of guns and ammo with the targeting system was an addictive and thrilling experience.

However, as good as firearms are, melee weapons are fun to use too and offer their own set of advantages. It is always a good idea to have at least one or two decent melee weapons on you. You’ll inevitably run into a situation where close range combat will be preferred and you may not always have some shotgun shells on hand.

Melee weapons in Fallout 4 also offer stealth opportunities as they make a lot less noise than firearms. Players that tend to do a lot of sneaking around are going to have to rely on a lot more than just silencers.

Never forget that in the world of Fallout, there are melee weapons that have astonishing power that easily rivals some of the best guns. It’s easy to rely on your shotgun or other guns as old faithful for close encounters, but don’t sleep on hand-held weapons that don’t require ammo. We’re talking high DPS and even some side effects to help do passive damage. Many of the weapons we’ll be looking at will do just that.

Now let’s take a look at the top eight best melee weapons in Fallout 4 for up close action.

1. The Furious Power Glove

Players of previous Fallout games will remember this as being the most iconic melee weapon of the series, except it’s been remodeled. The Furious Power Glove is a mechanical and industrial power house that makes brass knuckles look like a baby’s plaything.

This is a classic weapon that fits perfectly within the Fallout universe. Everything from how it sounds to how it looks makes it feel like something that is simultaneously rustic yet also a technological marvel.

Even at its default specs, this weapon is impressive. It has medium level DPS and has a base damage of 28. It’s not as fast as a katana or a switchblade but it’s still effective. Plus you’ll be pulverizing enemies in classic Fallout style.

Obtaining this weapon isn’t easy as you’ll have to defeat the Swan, who can be located at the Boston Common Pool. It’s a challenging ordeal but the prize is absolutely worth it.

2. The Super Sledge

Here’s another classic returning in Fallout 4. The Super Sledge is slow but extremely powerful. It’s by far one of the most powerful melee weapons in the game, but that’s only half the story.

The Super Sledge is not just a great melee weapon in Fallout 4 but it’s also a great way to have defense when going into melee combat. This weapon can be upgraded with super useful modifications to incapacitate your enemies. And because it has such good range you can do this from a solid distance to keep yourself protected.

With a base damage of 56 and the fact that it can be easily purchased from Diamond City or Goodneighbor, this is a solid choice for anyone looking for a quick fix to their melee combat.

3. The Deathclaw Gauntlets

Next on our list for the best Fallout 4 melee weapons is yet another returning classic, the Deathclaw gauntlets.

Like many of the best weapons in this game, it starts out good but becomes absolutely deadly after upgrades. The base damage is 35 but it already has an impressive DPS of 30. Despite being made out of the bones and claws of some of the most ferocious enemies in the game, they are surprisingly fast. They’re even more impressive once they receive the third claw upgrade.

Obtaining them isn’t too difficult either. Once you’re level 20 you can receive them from the merchants or simply complete the Devil’s Due side quest.

4. Grognak’s Axe

Does the name sound familiar? It should be as this is the axe that belongs to the legendary Grognak the Barbarian from the fictitious comic books within the Fallout universe.

This weapon is more than just a subtle homage though. Being one of Fallout 4’s best melee weapons, it has a great base damage of 35 and surprisingly good DPS of 30, making it faster than what initially meets the eye.

It’s also a phenomenal choice to use in VATS as its action points requirements are lowered in this mode. Feel free to reign absolute destruction with this Fallout 4 melee weapon if you’re a big VATS user.

The axe can be found inside Hubris Comics as long as you can get past the Advanced-level lock.

5. General Chao’s Revenge

If you prefer to bring a bladed weapon into a fight then this is probably going to end up being your top choice. General Chao’s Revenge is one of the best swords in Fallout 4.

Both the base damage and the DPS are 40, making this a fast and powerful Fallout 4 melee weapon. But the fun doesn’t stop there. This weapon deals an extra 50% damage bonus against all robot enemies. This is a phenomenal choice of weaponry if you’re about to do a quest that involves dealing with a lot of synthetic enemies.

This weapon is excellent, but as expected it is hard to obtain. You will have to finish Wolfgang’s side quest, and then you will have to buy it for a hefty price from Trudy the merchant.

6. Pickman’s Blade

If speed is your game then you will want to consider getting Pickman’s Blade—definitely one of the fastest melee weapons in Fallout 4.

The base damage is around 30 but the DPS is 60, meaning you’re averaging out about 2 powerful hits per second with this thing. It may look like an unassuming knife but looks can be deceiving.

Additionally, this Fallout 4 melee weapon has bleed damage and a stealth bonus upgrade. Each one adds an additional 25 points of damage.

We don’t know why such an average looking blade is so fast and so powerful but it is what it is and we’re certainly not complaining. It may not have the threatening aura of the Super Sledge but this knife is no joke.

Complete the Pickman’s Gift quest and you’ll be able to retrieve this knife as one of your prizes.

7. Zao’s Sword

While this may not be the strongest Fallout 4 melee weapon, Zao’s Sword is a great choice for the part of the early game due to how soon it can be obtained. All you’ve got to do is complete the Here There Be Monsters quest while successfully convincing Zao three times.

It has great stats for the beginning of the game, with base damage of 32 and a DSP of 22. You’ll want to eventually upgrade it once you get farther into the game but it’s still a very reliable starter blade. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better option this early.

8. Kremvh’s Tooth

The final Fallout 4 melee weapon we’ll be looking at is Kremvh’s Tooth, a deformed yet destructive machete type blade.

Kremvh’s Tooth has a high default base damage of 59 and has a fairly high DPS of 50.2 with above average attack speed.

It deals additional poison damage, so as long as you keep on attacking your foes, they’ll be afflicted with all that extra passive damage.

Finding the weapon can be a bit of a pain. First you will need to dive into the Dunwich Borers caves. These can be found near the Salem Witch Museum in a chamber at the bottom of the building. You’ll find a pool there. Simply dive underwater and the Tooth will be resting right there.

Closing Remarks

We hope you’ve found our list of the best Fallout 4 melee weapons to be helpful. They can be just as tactical and just as deadly as any firearm while up close, so it’s always wise to keep a few on hand. Whether you’re going for stun, bleed, poison damage or just high DPS, this list will surely show you what you’re looking for in some form or another.