Melee weapons are a staple of Fortnite's loot pool and have featured from Chapter 1, all the way to the current meta of Chapter 6. While melee weapons lack the stopping power of a bullet, they certainly don't lack in the fun department. These melee weapons will not be ranked on nostalgia or the collab they come from, but simply based on the facts. The best melee weapons in Fortnite will be ranked on damage and mobility, and how they pair in a fight, as well as an escape method to ensure that players are always agile and ready for a scrap.
8 Grapple Blade
Grapple Towards Enemies and Strike Them Down
|
Damage |
|
|
Magazine Size |
4 |
|
Cooldown |
12 seconds |
- Featured in: Chapter 5, Season 1
The Grapple Blade was an even mixture of damage output and high-speed swings, allowing players to latch onto enemies and buildings with the grapple hook, only to then spam the blade slash combo on close-up enemies for damage that ranges from 30+ health with each hit. Being able to hook to most surfaces for mobility to get around fast was great, but the 12-second cooldown per charge and lacking overall damage means that this mobility-focused melee weapon wasn't the best to feature.
7 Typhoon Blade
A Speedy Katana With the Power of Wind Attacks
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Damage |
|
|
Fire Rate |
1.6 |
|
Durability |
200 |
|
Cooldown |
9 seconds |
- Featured in: Chapter 6, Season 1
Debuting in Chapter 6, Season 1, the Typhoon Blade would bless players with its placement on specific altars around the map, where players could become masters of the sword with this katana imbued with mystic winds. The Typhoon Blade granted faster sprint speeds and air time, making it essential for moving around the map to evade gunfire and get closer to the center of the storm circle with light feet and great stamina. Damage with the Typhoon Blade was also unrelenting, as players could spam the katana for a flurry of strikes. Alternatively, players could use the Cyclone Slash attack for not only 90 damage, but to send enemies flying backwards, making it a perfect choice for high-altitude battles and fights near cliffs.
6 Nitro Fists
A Deadly Brawl of Fists and Nitro Fuel
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Damage |
|
|
Magazine Size |
4 |
|
Cooldown |
11 seconds |
- Featured in: Chapter 5, Season 3
Chapter 5, Season 3 is perhaps the most controversial season of them all with its high-octane vehicular mayhem, but the Nitro Fists were something that everyone could agree on as a fun weapon. The Nitro Fists, in their earliest form, were absurdly powerful, with high damage from every attack and a reduced cooldown for uppercuts and other mobility options. Even after the nerf, the Nitro Fists were still incredible, allowing players to punch through the air to get to their targets (or run away), and then spam the punch button to slam through structures and other players as if they're tenderizing meat. The Nitro Fists are incredibly strong for brawlers who want to get close to their enemies and punch with a 3x combo.
5 Kinetic Blade
Move at Incredible Speeds on Ground or Air, and Strike Through Opponents
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Damage |
|
|
Magazine Size |
2 |
|
Cooldown |
10 seconds |
- Featured in: Chapter 4, Season 2
The Kinetic Blade will impress players with its Dash Attack, which allows players to cut through the air, launching themselves upwards and forwards to avoid a deadly fight so that they can have the high ground. Despite the animation delay, the Dash Attack provides great speeds so that players are always able to move, and if players happen to strike an opponent with this mobility method, then they're looking at a nice 60 damage. With a Dash Attack, players can get closer to opponents so that they can spam their slash attack for 35 damage per hit, allowing for a precise flurry of strikes that will cut any opponent down.
4 Lightsabers
The Force is With Anyone Who Wields These Laser Swords
|
Damage |
|
|
Attack Speed |
0.56 seconds |
- Featured in: Chapter 4, Season 2
Lightsabers get bonus points from being the creation of a galaxy far, far away, but they also get bonus points for how fun and versatile they are to use. Lightsabers come in all forms of colors and masters, meaning that players can pick up Darth Maul's lightsaber for unique effects, as opposed to Darth Sidious's lightsaber or Anakin Skywalker's. Each lightsaber has a unique Force ability to use, but the damage of the lightsaber itself remains consistent with a combo that features slashes, spins, and slams. They're fun to duel with, provide great stamina, and allow players to block and deflect bullets, but they lack in the mobility department despite their lengthy stamina increase.
3 Shockwave Hammer
A Powerful Weapon to Bounce Around and Blast Enemies Back
|
Damage |
75 |
|
Magazine Size |
3 |
|
Cooldown |
20 seconds |
- Featured in: Chapter 4, Season 1
The Shockwave Hammer is easily one of the most annoying weapons to use, but it certainly is memorable for that very reason. The Shockwave Hammer could be held in multiple slots in a loadout, meaning players could have an inventory filled with Shockwave Hammers to bounce around without end, avoiding fights or drawing closer to them. One hit with a Shockwave Hammer might deal a modest 75 damage, but it will send enemies flying backwards, which is the bane of everyone's existence when it comes to closing storm circles. The Shockwave Hammer can also easily destroy builds with one hit, meaning nobody is safe from this slamming hammer, as you quite literally cannot run or hide from it.
2 ODM Gear
Omni-Directional Mobility Gear to Glide Through Air and Cut Through Enemies
|
Damage |
70 |
|
Grapple Range |
45 meters |
|
Attack Range |
58 meters |
|
Durability |
100 |
- Featured in: Chapter 4, Season 2
In a collab with Attack on Titan, players were rewarded with the iconic ODM Gear that allowed them to fight through the air. While Chapter 4 Season 2 didn't exactly feature any Titans to slash, it did feature a plethora of hostiles that needed culling, which is why the ODM Gear was the perfect mobility item to get around with for an assault. Players could soar through the air, attaching from structures to walls as they bounce across the sky, and then hover with immense mobility to prepare for a slashing attack. The ODM Gear was hard to counter, with a strong focus on mobility over damage, but precise strikes were certainly rewarding.
1 Infinity Blade
The One Blade to Rule Them All
|
Damage |
75 |
|
Fire Rate |
1.5 |
|
Health/Shield |
1 per second 50 per elimination |
|
Speed Boost |
+30% |
- Featured in: Chapter 1, Season 7
There has been no weapon to surpass the might of the Infinity Blade, and one shudders at the thought of what could ever top this absurdly powerful weapon. The Infinity Blade is like no other, providing players with a bonus to health and speed so that they can tank any damage that comes their way. Each strike with the Infinity Blade is lethal, and players are further rewarded with more health/shield for an elimination to make them unstoppable. With high jumps and powerful swings, whoever controlled the Infinity Blade would control the outcome of the match, and there truly was no competition or counter for this mighty weapon.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- September 26, 2017
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
- Publisher(s)
- Epic Games
