When bullets just won’t do, or you enjoy being soaked in zombie blood, get into Melee Combat.
The following lists advantages of the Melee Strike/Shove and how a blade in the hand is well worth wielding.
Shove Off!
Push foes back so you’re not gnawed on, can finish reloading, or want a second to aim at the head.
The Melee Strike (AKA the Melee Shove) is a key part of your offensive maneuvers and sometimes the only thing standing between you and becoming completely swarmed by foes.
Used at melee range, this strike knocks back a human-sized foe, which allows you to finish reloading, or to aim easily at an enemy that just charged you.
Prevent a mauling by shoving back and then aiming your firearm at the foe’s head. This is useful when used in conjunction with a ranged weapon follow-up attack, as the Melee Shove only lightly damages the foe.
Use Melee Shoves if you’re being pestering during a long weapon reload, when you’re knocking a Special Infected off a pinned teammate, or if you’re trying to kill a Boomer without being sprayed by its innards.
Guns for Show. Knives for a Pro.
See the mess you can make using a MeleeWeapon on a group of Common Infected?
Melee Weapons are slotted on your back and provide incredibly potent tools for fighting foes in close quarters.
You can push back and then slice, bludgeon, hack, or pummel, depending on the type of Melee Weapon you’ve picked up.
These take the place of your Pistol weapon, although you still employ the Pistol when incapacitated. Play around with both items, and choose the one that makes sense for you.
Usually Melee Weapons are preferred for more “well-rounded” fighting (use a ranged weapon for enemies that are incoming and Melee Weapons to easily cut down foes swarming you).
However, it’s still a good idea for at least one of your team to carry Pistols.