A melee weapon is your first real tool and your quietest one. It kills infected without the gunshot that brings more running, and a knife doubles as your most useful survival tool.
What to swing
- Fists — a last resort; slow and weak, but free.
- Knife — fast and the best all-rounder: fights, skinning animals and crafting.
- Bats, pipes, crowbars — common, decent damage, forgiving durability.
- Axe, machete, sledgehammer — heavy hitters; a strong (charged) hit can drop an infected fast, at the cost of speed and stamina.
How to fight with melee
Use a heavy/charged attack to put an infected down quickly, and fight them in doorways or around corners so you face one at a time. Watch your stamina — swinging drains it. Weapons wear out and can ruin, so carry a backup and repair blades with a sharpening stone.
