players have access to a huge number of different weapons. Whether it’s long-range Fallout 76 Items sniper rifles or powerful shotguns, there is no shortage of toys to cause some good old-fashioned mayhem with. One such weapon type is melee weapons. Melee weapons — not to be confused with unarmed weapons — are a type of hand-held weapon that allows you to bash and slice your enemies into fine pieces. Today, we’re listing the 10 best melee weapons in Fallout 76.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the best melee weapons in Fallout 76, we should first give a brief overview of how melee builds work and which perks you should get. Melee builds are very up-close-and-personal, requiring you to get very close to your target in order to deal damage. Their biggest drawback is that they prevent you from dealing damage from a distance. But melee builds do some of the highest damage in the game, so it makes up for it.

I highly recommend putting your SPECIAL attributes into Strength and Agility, as these are the best stats for melee users. Strength increases damage with melee weapons, and Agility increases action points (which affects how much you can swing before getting tired).

Some must-get perk cards for a melee weapon build include the following:

Gladiator: Increases damage with one-handed melee weapons.
Slugger: Increases damage with two-handed melee weapons.
Incisor: Some of your enemies’ armor is ignored when using melee weapons.
Martial Artist: All melee weapons weigh last and have a faster swing speed.
Ninja: When attacking an enemy with any melee weapon in stealth, you do more damage.
Of course, there are plenty of other great perk cards to pick up, but these are worth considering if you’re just starting out and don’t know where to begin.

10 Best Melee Weapons in Fallout 76, Ranked from Good to Best.
Of course, good perk cards don’t mean much without good weapons. Speaking of which, let’s Fallout 76 Bottle Caps get right into our ranking!

First up, let’s take a look at the Meteoritic Sword. This is a one-handed melee weapon made from metal harvested from a meteor. It is a unique weapon and the only one of its kind, and it cannot be purchased. You can only get this weapon by completing the in-game event Breach and Clear. It’s also not a guaranteed item, so you may have to complete the event multiple times.

Most one-handed melee weapons feature a moderate swing speed, and this weapon is no different. It makes up for it with better damage, sitting at 36 per hit when it is at its max level of 50. The weapon’s DPS is a bit lower than some of the other weapons on this list, but it has some unique bonuses that allow it to compete with other melee weapons. For example, it has 50% more durability, significantly reduced weight, and does an additional +10% damage to all human enemies!