Fortnite is not all about SMGs, snipers, or shotguns, sometimes, the right close combat tool can be the difference between elimination and a Victory Royale.
Epic Games does a fantastic job at keeping Fortnite fresh by constantly rotating what kind of arsenal players have at their disposal. For obvious reasons, certain archetypes are more utilized than others; this doesn't mean that you should dismiss things like melee weapons.
Close-combat weapons are double-edged swords. On one hand, they are (for the most part) extremely deadly at close range as you might expect. Some like the iconic Star Wars lightsabers can out-DPS Epic and Legendary rated shotguns (sadly, they're not currently available!). Of course, you'll be at a massive disadvantage in long-range firefights. In Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 2 there are some interesting melee weapons, although if you're looking to live your Jedi power fantasy, you might have been a tad too late!
Still, if you want to take a look at all the melee weaponry available in the battle royale, we're here to help. At any point during a season, Epic Games will probably make some quests available regarding melee weapons, so better stay up to date with the tools you can use.
What Is A Melee Weapon In Fortnite?
It might be surprising to hear, but the trusty pickaxe is considered one, so technically, you always have a melee weapon at your disposal! It only deals 20HP of damage per swing, so it's not exactly a reliable one, although it's good enough to help you complete the challenge.
With that said, take a look at all melee weapons that can become available in Fortnite standard playlists (Battle Royale and Zero Build):
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- Pickaxe: Used to harvest materials. Deals low damage to enemy players.
- Infinity Blade: Mythic sword which deals high damage and gives increased HP.
- Sideways Scythe: Weapon with a leap, swing and dash attack.
- Lightsaber: Mythic weapon which can block damage and hurt enemies.
- Darth Vader's Lightsaber: Mythic weapon which can block damage and hurt enemies. Can be thrown.
- Kingsman: Weapon which can block damage and hurt enemies. Allows temporary glider redeploy.
- Wolverine's Claws: Superpower that allows the player to melee opponents and structures with single repeated swipes, as well as dash forward mid-air.
- She-Hulk's Fists: Superpower that allow the player to repeatedly melee opponents and build up a combo, which increases damage per hit. Also has a built-in double-jump and slam.
- Amban Sniper Rifle: A sniper rifle with a melee attack.
- Shockwave Hammer: A massive hammer that primarely functions as a traversal tool but can deal serious damage to enemies as well as knock them away from you
- Kinetic Blade: A powerful katana (and personally my favorite melee weapon of the bunch) introduced with Chapter 4 Season 2. It can do massive damage as you slice enemies, push them back, and has three charged moves that allow you to move swiftly across the map!
At the moment of writing, on top of your trusty pickaxe, only the Kinetic Blade is available as a melee weapon in Chapter 4 Season 2.
So there you have it. Mastering all types of weapons in Fortnite is key to victory so we hope this list helps keep you on your toes for future weapon rotations and updates.
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