Template:Melee Mechanics

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Melee Mechanics
Melee weapons replace Pistols in the secondary weapon slot. Unlike Pistols, the close combat weapons never need to be reloaded and cannot run out of ammo (excluding the Chainsaw). The drawback is that they do not reach very far, and cannot be relied on entirely. They also (with a few exceptions) have relatively long cooldown periods, which can leave you vulnerable. Close combat weapons cause minimal friendly fire damage to the Survivors, even on Advanced and Expert difficulty levels.

Damage-wise, these weapons are extremely effective. All melee weapons, on all difficulties, kill Common Infected and all Special Infected in one hit, aside from the Charger (which takes two), the Witch (which takes four), and the Tank (which takes twenty, excluding the Chainsaw). However, due to their death effects, it is generally advised not to melee the Boomer (unless you have no choice) or the Spitter (unless you immediately move away from the resulting acid splash).

The melee weapons appear to do more damage if the head of an Infected is targeted. With the correct timing, it is possible to kill a Charger with one hit while it is charging, allowing a Survivor to "level" a charge without first dealing damage to the Charger; gaining the achievement LEVEL A CHARGE.