How to melee?

djf021 · July 2017

Hello,
I have never used melee much in five years, but I'm ready to really give it a good try. I've just started a new Nausicann Tactical KDF character and leveling quickly to 10 so I can get the new bat'leth from the Brushfires mission.

Any tips on how to effectively play with a bat'leth? So far I've got the primary and secondary attacks on auto, for less clicking, while the third knockback move is set to manual so I can choose to use it when it would be most effective.

Any other advice? Are there any button combinations I should be learning (I'm on PC)? Any especially good weapon? Considering he is Nausicaan, I don't hate the idea of using a Tegolar sword, but is that as good a weapon as a bat'leth?

Thanks for your help or tips, any and all are appreciated.

bejaymac · July 2017

If you are going to leave them on auto then you might as well go back to using guns.

The whole point of melee is combo's, and for that you need to press buttons to get the combo's to work.

djf021 · July 2017

bejaymac wrote: »

If you are going to leave them on auto then you might as well go back to using guns.

The whole point of melee is combo's, and for that you need to press buttons to get the combo's to work.

Thanks! I've used melee so little that I truly wasn't sure how auto would work. I'll try it. I'll check next time I log in, but are there specific keyboard buttons for the attacks, or do I just manually click them?

smokebailey · July 2017

All I can say is take the pointy end and stick into the fleshy things, until they scream and bleed. o.o

theraven2378 · July 2017

smokebailey wrote: »

All I can say is take the pointy end and stick into the fleshy things, until they scream and bleed. o.o

Pretty much this, grab ya choppaz and stomp em good

gilion · July 2017

All melee combos are 3 attacks in a specific order, using only the "primary" and "secondary" attacks, not the knock-back, so there arent that many. Just try playing around with different combos. I cant remember what each one does but I do remember if you do left-right-left using the Nanopulse weapons you can deflect certain attacks.

chemistryset · July 2017

I´ve found this list of combos, hope that helps:

https://sto.gamepedia.com/Klingon_Bat'leth#Combos

Just try them out. Defera ground battle zone would be a great testing ground, btw. And of course you can click the combos (just deactivate autofire again). I prefer pressing keys in ground combat (not using the mouse at all), though.

redvenge · July 2017

You have a Primary attack, Secondary attack and a Tertiary "smash" attack that knocks down an opponent. For the Bat'leh (which has different combo attacks than a one handed weapon), you want to use two Primary attacks followed by a Secondary or two Secondary attacks followed by a Primary. This sets up 2 Expose attacks and a "finisher" Exploit attack that also does bonus damage. Prior to season 13, you could perform alternating Primary and Secondary attacks in order to set up an AoE attack. Now, all your melee attacks are AoE so this combo is a little less efficient, since you have to chain 3 attacks and it holds you in place.

The biggest problem with melee is that most NPCs will strike you with a weapon (knocking you down) then run away. Chasing them can get fairly frustrating. You will want powers that slow or root your foes and you will want Knockback resistance. The freezing grenade from the Winter Event is a good choice. Increasing your movement speed will also help you close the gap. Motion Accelerator will help you run down fleeing Tal'shiar (they have to be the most annoying foes to fight with a melee weapon).

A secondary concern is that NPCs will surround you as you concentrate on one target. I would recommend getting flank resistance and have heals. Biotech Siphon and Motivation are good options for healing.

I have a Tactical melee character and a Science melee character. After the Season 13 changes, I feel that Science is the better choice for a melee character (more options to immobilize opponents) but Tactical is very satisfying.

djf021 · July 2017

chemistryset wrote: »

I´ve found this list of combos, hope that helps:

https://sto.gamepedia.com/Klingon_Bat'leth#Combos

Just try them out. Defera ground battle zone would be a great testing ground, btw. And of course you can click the combos (just deactivate autofire again). I prefer pressing keys in ground combat (not using the mouse at all), though.

Thank you! I actually googled "Star trek online how to use melee", etc, and never saw that page!

dracounguis · July 2017

djf021 wrote: »

How to melee?

1.) Get close to target.
2.) Hit '3' on your keyboard.
3.) Repeat as needed.

nightken · July 2017

minor suggest on gear use some version of the counter command and terrran two pieces. the cc armour has a melee boost and terran has a bat'leth which opens up alot of choices, now that I think about it so does the cc kit. this give you room for a non set item, in this case sense your a nausicaan, I suggest the nausicaan energy lance.

hungering · July 2017

On my Klingon Science Melee, I use the CC armor, Terran 2 piece with shield and rifle, and the Nukara rep crystal sword. The advantage swords have over bat'leths and lirpas is that swords have a charge attack that quickly brings you into contact with the enemy.

Klingons as a captain species have both an innate melee physical damage bonus in the species trait and access to the physical strength trait for even more.

protoneous · August 2017

If on a science toon give Hypospray - Dylovene a try. A mark 14 vr kit module giving a rank 4 of this ability is showing +100.8% physical dmg and 40.3% extra hp for 30 sec on my sci toon on ESD (1 min recharge) as well as removing all debuffs. It's often used in conjunction with Hypospray - Melorazine which is showing a +75 damage resistance rating for 45 seconds (10 second recharge) as well as removing all expose effects and debuffs, again at rank 4 Mk 14 very rare. These two old abilities sometimes get overlooked. Throw on a heal like medical tricorder kit and you're a super tanky killing machine.

I also prefer swords as per @hungering as they have the "auto-lunge" effect that quickly closes the gap between you and the bad guy.

risian4 · August 2017

The passive module 'Dylovene drip' is also a nice one to have. And you can use it in combination with regular Dylovene.

OP, if you are a tac, I would suggest using Biotech siphon. It greatly helps with restoring health. Other gear I use on my melee toon includes the Undine reputation rifle + armour for it's 2-piece bonus. Even if you don't use the weapon, it's still a nice passive bonus. For me, it's also useful to have an energy weapon as secondary weapon because it can help if enemies move away and you're low on health. Makes it easier to kill a distant target if it's absolutely necessary.

Besides that, traits like Berserker, Brawler, Vicious, the reputation traits (for when you reach level 50) Neural Network Overload, Close Quarters Combatant, Omega Weapon Proficiency, Deadly Aim and Lethality are very useful.
Since melee is a lot about being fast and freely able to move, building in heavy resistance against stun, slow, root and knockback effects can be a real life saver. I use the aforementioned Undine armour and also the shield for this, and also the following trait: Blissful Agony. You can also consider using the kit module Psionic Command Aura for this.

There are also Security Doffs that greatly boost critical chance and severity for melee attacks. I'm a bit surprised those haven't been mentioned yet. They can be expensive, but you can use up to three of them and they make a significant difference.

I also suggest not using the auto-fire stuff. Like others have said: combo's are very important - and not just for melee weapons btw.
I simply use the 1 and 2 keys, never use shooter mode. Definitely not for melee.

risian4 · August 2017

Great, it finally works. This Forum can be really weird sometimes. I only had to try a thousand times to re-post my comment after editing a spelling mistake...

tunebreaker · August 2017

Nausicaan Tegolar is better than Bat'Leth for sure, if you can afford it. Also, a kit module worth considering is Site-to-site Ensnare (Intel module), to get enemies quickly at melee range.

risian4 · August 2017

tunebreaker wrote: »

Nausicaan Tegolar is better than Bat'Leth for sure, if you can afford it. Also, a kit module worth considering is Site-to-site Ensnare (Intel module), to get enemies quickly at melee range.

This, or maybe even better since it's more readily available on a new toon: Stabilised Folded-space transporter. It has an added placate effect, plus critical severity and chance bonuses. Shouldn't be too expensive on the Exchange.

tunebreaker · August 2017

risian4 wrote: »

tunebreaker wrote: »

Nausicaan Tegolar is better than Bat'Leth for sure, if you can afford it. Also, a kit module worth considering is Site-to-site Ensnare (Intel module), to get enemies quickly at melee range.

This, or maybe even better since it's more readily available on a new toon: Stabilised Folded-space transporter. It has an added placate effect, plus critical severity and chance bonuses. Shouldn't be too expensive on the Exchange.

Yes, totally forgot that module. Another good suggestion.

djf021 · August 2017

Thanks for the help guys!

shinku · August 2017

Who uses melee anyway?

legendarylycan · August 2017

obviously the guy who posted the thread

djf021 · August 2017

> @shinku#4469 said:
> Who uses melee anyway?

I haven't in five years, but would really like to try!

nightken · August 2017

shinku#4469 wrote: »

Who uses melee anyway?

what you don't sword fight voth made super dinos and q created gaint snowmen than you are just doing it wrong.

djf021 · August 2017

Now for sets: For end game, I'm thinking Adapted KHG armor+rifle and Terran Task Force Shield+Bat'leth. This would seem to give me the best of both sets: Armor with excellent physical damage resistance, boost to hit points, and chance to heal shields (I'm always getting blasted by my enemy's teammates), rifle with long-distance ability if needed, and Emergency Shield Capacitor 2 piece. On the Terran side, a shield with good knockback and root resistance, excellent damage resistance, and chance to reflect disruptor damage, and bat'leth with added electrokinetic damage and the Interference Algorithm 2 piece set, giving +8% disruptor AND physical damage and a damage boost when knocked down.

On paper, this looks like an awesome setup for a melee character. Or am I way off?

heliostar · August 2017

Don't forget a melee active duty doff. At very rare quality: +8% Crit Chance and 25% Crit Severity when using Melee Attacks.

Unknown · August 2017

This content has been removed.

postinggum · August 2017

Also get delegated devestation for stfs - so as you chop your teammates get their shooters boosted. For a tac a combo like having TR116b with graviton spike will put an opponent on the deck, giving you time to approach without being shot and do shield bypassing damage, hit delegated devestation, other boosts and go to town.

Those combo button presses are shown in a help popup when levelling a kdf toon, might be the only useful help popup a vet needs and we've all turned it off.

shadowslasher410 · August 2017

Playing a Tac who has dabbled in melee (as a Vulcan, though), I recommend the following as possible candidates for abilities (note that many of these are geared towards utilizing flanking damage. If that's not your thing, just ignore those):

Tactical:
Lunge
Ambush
Motion Accelerator
Stealth Module
Sweeping Strikes

Intelligence:
Feign Disintegration
Site-to-Site Ensnare

Command:
Hammer and Anvil
Timely Intervention

Universal:
Subspace Fold Transporter (seriously, its like 2k on the exchange)
Chroniton Jolt
Plasma Feedback Cascade

markhawkman · August 2017

One thing I've found to be great for melee is the Kligat. Yes, yes, they nerfed it.... it's gone from op to "useful in certain builds". Well, it's a REALLY short cooldown attack that has pretty good range. And it penetrates shields. It's kinda like throwing giant shurikens actually.

The real trick with melee is divide and conquer. Start by giving your enemies reasons to pay attention to something else. grenades, mortars, endothermic induction field, it's a long list. Frictionless particle grenade seems to work nicely too.

Oh and ever play Soul Calibre? Melee combat button sequences are a lot like that, but simpler.

One thing I've found to be generally useless is sweeping strikes. Use it OR a melee weapon, it just doesn't work together.

djf021 · August 2017

> @markhawkman said:
> One thing I've found to be great for melee is the Kligat. Yes, yes, they nerfed it.... it's gone from op to "useful in certain builds". Well, it's a REALLY short cooldown attack that has pretty good range. And it penetrates shields. It's kinda like throwing giant shurikens actually.
>
> The real trick with melee is divide and conquer. Start by giving your enemies reasons to pay attention to something else. grenades, mortars, endothermic induction field, it's a long list. Frictionless particle grenade seems to work nicely too.
>
> Oh and ever play Soul Calibre? Melee combat button sequences are a lot like that, but simpler.
>
> One thing I've found to be generally useless is sweeping strikes. Use it OR a melee weapon, it just doesn't work together.

I use the kligat on my Andorian AOY toon, he loves it!
Thanks for the suggestions.

redvenge · August 2017

protoneous wrote: »

...It's often used in conjunction with Hypospray - Melorazine which is showing a +75 damage resistance rating for 45 seconds (10 second recharge) as well as removing all expose effects and debuffs, again at rank 4 Mk 14 very rare...

Too bad it is painfully eclipsed by Vascular Regenerator. Especially since VR can proc Doctor DOFFs. I wish Melorazine had been part of the painfully short "epic ground revamp".

How to melee?

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