Melee Weapons

Melee Weapons is a skill in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout Tactics.

This skill determines combat effectiveness with any melee weapon. In Fallout: New Vegas, it also determines combat effectiveness with non-explosive throwing weapons.

Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics

 * Fallout:
 * $$\text{Initial level}\%=55+(\text{Agility}+\text{Strength})/2$$


 * Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics:
 * $$\text{Initial level}\%=20+(\text{Agility}+\text{Strength})\times2$$

In Fallout 2, the Chosen One starts out with only a spear, making melee Weapons an important skill at early stages of the game. Most melee weapons can be either swung or thrust. Thrust attacks are limited to certain melee weapons, and they typically deal more damage than swung attacks, occasionally at the expense of an additional action point depending on the weapon. Some melee weapons can also be thrown.

Affected weapons

 * Fallout

Fallout Melee Weapons skill weapons, 2


 * Fallout 2

Fallout 2 Melee Weapons skill weapons, 2


 * Fallout Tactics

Fallout Tactics Melee Weapons skill weapons, 2

Fallout 3

 * $$\text{Initial level}=2+(2\times\text{Strength})+\left\lceil\frac{\text{Luck}}{2}\right\rceil$$

Example: A starting Strength of 5 and Luck of 5.
 * $$2+(2\times5)+\left\lceil\frac{5}{2}\right\rceil=15$$

As this skill increases, so does the damage inflicted with all of these weapons, both in and out of V.A.T.S. mode. The Melee Weapons skill also allows using a melee weapon to block an attack; the higher the skill, the more damage is absorbed.

Note that a fast weapon like a combat knife or Ripper can make more attacks in a given length of time than a heavy sledgehammer, potentially generating more damage in a shorter amount of time. More attacks also mean more chances to stagger an opponent when their torso is crippled. However, as one begins to fight enemies with strong armor, weapons that deal more damage per hit tend to be more effective. The Shishkebab is generally considered the best melee weapon available, as it is swung as fast as knives and lead pipes, and it deals only just slightly less damage than a super sledge per hit. Along with both these fast and powerful traits, its damage can further be increased with the Pyromaniac perk. The unique ripper Jack can, depending on critical rate, Luck, and selection of perks, allow to deal an astounding amount of damage far superior to that of the Shishkebab in a damage-per-second sense. Jack is especially effective when performing a Sneak Attack Critical hit.

Ways to increase Melee Weapons

 * Permanent
 * Leveling up (10+INT, +3 with Educated perk)
 * Bobblehead - Melee Weapons (+10)
 * Grognak the Barbarian (+1 or +2 with Comprehension)
 * Little Leaguer (+5 with each rank)
 * Tag! (+15)
 * Temporary
 * Note: Only items adding +5 or more are included.


 * Buffout & alcohol (+2-6 depending on Strength, a perfect Strength of 10 will see no benefit)
 * Vault 77 jumpsuit (+5)
 * Tunnel Snake outfit (+5)
 * Takoma Park Little Leaguer cap (+5)
 * Kid's baseball cap (+5)
 * Samurai armor (+10)
 * Tribal power armor (+5)
 * Pint-Sized Slasher mask (+5)

Affected weapons
Fallout 3 Melee Weapons skill weapons, 2

Fallout: New Vegas

 * $$\text{Initial level}=2+(2\times\text{Strength})+\left\lceil\frac{\text{Luck}}{2}\right\rceil$$

Example: A starting Strength of 5 and Luck of 5.
 * $$2+(2\times5)+\left\lceil\frac{5}{2}\right\rceil=15$$

As this skill increases, so does the damage inflicted with all of these weapons, both in and out of V.A.T.S. mode.

Special Attacks
When the player character has 50 Melee skill points, they have access to special melee moves which consume a certain amount of AP for a variety of effects in V.A.T.S.
 * Most one-handed edged weapons (such as combat knives) have the Back Slash special attack.
 * Most one-handed blunt weapons (such as the lead pipe) have the Lights Out special attack.
 * Most two-handed melee weapons (such as the sledgehammer) have the Mauler special attack.
 * Staff-like weapons (such as baseball bats) have the Grand Slam special attack.
 * There are a variety of other attacks, some unique. Only thrown melee weapons and the broad machete have no special attack.

V.A.T.S. vs. real-time
It is possible to execute all special melee moves outside of V.A.T.S., although the animation can look different in first-person view than in third-person view. It is not required to have 50 points of the skill to perform the moves. To perform any special move described above, initiate a power attack (hold attack button) while moving forward. However, executed outside of V.A.T.S. they don't have any special properties but have a benefit of a standard power attack: doubling weapon base damage.

Unlike in Fallout 3, a potentially significant amount of damage can be taken in V.A.T.S., heightening the danger of meleeing in it, as one cannot dodge or block while in V.A.T.S. However, all melee weapons, except thrown, do twice as much base damage.

Ways to increase Melee Weapons

 * Permanent
 * Leveling up (up to +15 or +17 with Educated)
 * Grognak the Barbarian (+3 or 4 with Comprehension)
 * Tag! (+15)
 * Skilled (+5)
 * Temporary
 * Note: Only items adding +5 or more are included.


 * Motor-Runner's helmet
 * Tæles of Chivalrie (+10 or 20 with Comprehension)

Affected weapons
Fallout: New Vegas Melee Weapons skill weapons, 2

Fallout

 * Lasher, high elder of the Children of the Cathedral.

Fallout 2

 * Frank Horrigan, secret service agent of the Enclave and presidential bodyguard.
 * Lil' Jesus Mordino, son and right hand of Big Jesus Mordino.
 * Sulik, tribal warrior of the Primitive Tribe and a possible companion of the Chosen One.

Fallout 3

 * Fawkes, an intelligent Vault 87 super mutant and possible companion of the Lone Wanderer.
 * Jackson, founder and leader of the Point Lookout tribals.
 * Jingwei, Chinese Army general who commanded the Chinese troops during the Invasion of Alaska.
 * Toshiro Kago, an old samurai of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
 * Vance, leader of the Family.

Fallout: New Vegas

 * Aurelius of Phoenix, a centurion of the Caesar's Legion and commander of Cottonwood Cove.
 * Davison, leader of Davison's nightkin.
 * Joshua Graham, co-founder of Caesar's Legion and ex-legate.
 * Legate Lanius, legate of Caesar's Legion.
 * Lily Bowen, 203-year old nightkin and a possible companion of the Courier.
 * Neil, spy sent by Marcus to watch Black Mountain.
 * Tabitha, leader of the State of Utobitha.
 * Vulpes Inculta, frumentarii leader of Caesar's Legion.
 * Cato Hostilius, a frumentarius in Caesar's Legion stationed around Hoover Dam.
 * Liza O'Malley, the receptionist at the NCR Embassy.
 * Orion Moreno, a retired Enclave soldier living in the outskirts of New Vegas.

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel

 * Attis, a former commander in the Master's army and founder and general of the Attis Army.
 * Blake, founder and high priest of the Church of the Lost.