Starfield is set in the distant future when humans have managed to settle in faraway galaxies. As science has greatly progressed, you will find several powerful weapons, advanced armor suits, and even high-end spaceships. However, no matter how far humanity progresses, nothing beats the effectiveness of melee weapons in close-range encounters.
Unlike the Fallout series, you won’t find many options to choose from for your Starfield builds. Furthermore, even the available weapon arsenal comes with its set of pros and cons. So, players who wish to create the Skyrim experience in the new Bethesda title may find it hard to choose the right options. Therefore, this article provides the top 5 best melee weapons in Starfield and how to acquire them.
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Top 5 Best Melee Weapons in Starfield:
Even though there are only nine melee weapons in Starfield, you can only pick two of them for your build. Moreover, each weapon will drastically change your playing style and battle strategies. So, it would be best to choose the right option for your stealth build and gradually upgrade to a better weapon.
Obviously, you can’t expect to defend your outposts with swords or even survive against the best ships. Still, you will need at least one such weapon when the best sniper rifles aren’t operative. To make this easier for you, we have tested all Starfield melee weapons and shortlisted the best 5 options for your build.
Va’Ruun Painblade: Most Powerful Melee Weapons
Damage: 62
Mass: 1.4
Mod Slots: 7
Va’Ruun Painblade is undoubtedly the most powerful melee weapon in Starfield. You can easily kill almost any enemy within your range with just a single blow. In fact, it is the only blade with a whopping 62 physical damage and a mass count similar to any other dagger.
Furthermore, you can attach up to 7 weapon mods to this blade, making it effective in several scenarios. The only problem is that the Va’Ruun Painblade can be pretty hard to acquire.
The good news is that you can find it instantly if you know the right place. In this regard, you can either purchase it from Zuri Abara after joining Crimson Fleet, or you can increase your odds by siding with the Va’Ruun religious background.
Osmium Dagger: Fastest Melee Weapons
Damage: 28
Mass: 2.7
Coming at number 2 is our all-time favorite weapon, the Osmium Dagger. Yes, it doesn’t deal as much physical damage as the Painblade, but its speed, combined with the rapid strike capability, certainly makes it a worthy option. So, you can expect to succeed in your stealth maneuvers even before the enemy gets the chance to react.
Secondly, this weapon comes with a built-in Exterminator boon with the rare versions. So, you can deal an additional 30% damage against alien life forms. Lastly, what makes this dagger so desirable is its elegant look: it goes well with any armor suit. You can acquire the Osmium Dagger by looting Va’Ruun fleet ships, as it doesn’t show up in the vendor stocks.
UC Naval Cutlass: Best Early-Game Sword
Damage: 25
Mass: 1.4
The UC Naval Cutlass is usually worn as an ornament rather than a weapon. However, it is, in fact, one of the deadliest early-game melee weapons in Starfield. Firstly, it is the only sword / machete that scales with the dueling skill. Secondly, it isn’t as burdening for your inventory as other weapons.
However, you must combine it with a powerful, quick-firing weapon and then bring out the cutlass to lay the finishing blow. Lastly, the fact that it is readily available after joining the UC Vanguard makes it all more desirable than other options.
The easiest way to acquire the UC Naval Cutlass is to loot spacer corpses. Alternatively, you can also purchase it from UC vendors and even find it in random chests within the UC headquarters.
Tanto: Lightest Melee Weapons
Damage: 40
Mass: 0.45
Tanto isn’t a proper katana, but its distinct attack animations make it a worthy opponent to the Wakizashi sword. This small, lightweight, and powerful dagger is certainly the best upgrade from the UC Naval Cutlass. You can expect to defeat most early to mid-game foes with just two blows.
Similarly, it is the lightest melee weapon in Starfield. So, you won’t even feel its burden even if you carry a couple of Tantos in your inventory. Lastly, the 40 physical damage stats in the unmodified version combined with the best powers will certainly complement your build.
You can purchase the Tanto Dagger from Rowland Arms in Akila City or loot it from random corpses and chests.
Wakizashi: Starfield Katana
Damage: 49
Mass: 1.3
Wakizashi is a proper Katana in Starfield that will definitely complete your space samurai build. This Japanese weapon proves to be invaluable against heavily weaponized foes as it can incapacitate any enemy with a single strike. Secondly, this deadly sword offers a better range than other melee weapons in the game.
So, feel free to carry out your stealth maneuvers or just bring it out on random occasions to surprise your enemies. Lastly, you can easily stun your foes if not kill them with a single blow, making it an excellent option for close-range combat.
Acquiring the Wakizashi isn’t that hard if you know where to look for it. You can either purchase it from Rowland Arms in Akila City or loot it from random corpses and chests.
Conclusion:
Melee may not be the most effective option in Starfield, but it can prove to be invaluable in certain scenarios. For instance, if you are playing with a sniper-only playthrough, you can use melee weapons to kill a couple of foes in close combat. However, not every option is suitable for all play styles in the game. Therefore, this article provides the top 5 best melee weapons in Starfield and how to obtain them.
