Melee weapons and punching weapons share many similarities. They’re only effective at short range, they deal damage without consuming ammo, and they leave you free to block enemy strikes. Their damage is affected by your Strength, and they all benefit from any investment in the Rooted perk. The primary difference between these two weapon categories is that only melee weapons benefit from the Big Leagues perk, while only punching weapons benefit from the Iron Fist perk.