Melee Weapons

Melee Weapons

Many of the melee weapons in Left 4 Dead 2 do essentially the same damage, but they can be analysed based on speed and reach (in terms of width – so how many Infected they can kill with one swing) to find the best. There are obvious downsides to melee weapons, the most important include their unsuitability against Spitters and Boomers and obviously limited range, but they are vital against hordes due to the ability to kill many Common Infected (and indeed Special Infected) at once and cleave a path through the level.

Chainsaw

The headline grabbing chainsaw is undoubtedly the best melee weapon in the game. You can slice through the horde like water, but it only has about a minute of fuel and cannot be recharged (once it runs out, you get a pistol to use). The key with the Chainsaw is that it can deal a possible 1,000 damage per second. It must be revved up prior to use, so allow a few seconds before the horde arrives. Watch out for friendly fire, however.

TIP: While great on the Common Infected, the Chainsaw is also great against the Witch (when slicing her from behind), Tanks (when its attention is elsewhere) and Special Infected in general. Even Boomers can be dealt with – you want the horde to be called so you can slice them up!

TIP: The Chainsaw is also a good defensive weapon, as it hinders the ability of Jockeys, Hunters and Smokers to grab or pin you.

Axe

The axe has a wide swing and its sharp blade allows deadly one-hit kill decapitations with every swipe. As a result it can really help out during a horde attack, taking out many Infected each time. It is also fast, allowing many swings per second.

Machete

Much like the axe, but with a slightly shorter range, the machete is brilliant against a horde and immensely satisfying. It is faster than the axe, however, in fact it is the fastest melee weapon.

Katana

The katana has long range, but a slower attack time than the Machete. The Axe, Machete and Katana are all relatively evenly matched.

TIP: While dealing high damage, the melee weapons (apart from the Chainsaw) should only be used against the Tank and Witch when desperate. Their attack time is too slow and the player will be incapacitated or pushed away too early.

Crowbar

The classic Half-Life 2 weapon, the crowbar is a high damage but slow attack time melee weapon. It also will not take out such a wide array of Common Infected in front of the player as some other melee weapons.

Baseball Bat

This was available with preorders of the game or can be used on a multiplayer server where someone else has it. It is fairly average, but can get some satisfying home-run style head decapitations.

Cricket Bat

Much like the Baseball Bat, the Cricket Bat can feel inferior due to its blunt edges, but still kills Common Infected in one hit.

Nightstick

The Nightstick is only found in The Parish campaign where players have to contend with the Riot Police Uncommon Common Infected. It has an incredibly fast attack speed (the fastest), but a narrower reach than the likes of the Axe and Machete. It also cannot cause decapitations, which makes it slightly less satisfying (but reduces the amount of blood impeding the screen).

TIP: This is a good choice for a last-ditch attack on the Tank as it can (in theory) take it down it quicker than any other melee weapon.

Guitar

The guitar is great fun, with every swing of this melee weapon that connects with an object striking a chord. As you would expect, it's slow to use, but deals the same damage as all the other melee weapons.

TIP: The end of the Dark Carnival campaign has tonnes of these guitars on the main stage. It's worth making use of if only to get into the mood of the campaign!

Frying Pan

The Frying Pan was a well publicised melee weapon which makes a humorous 'clung' noise when it hits a member of the Infected. It has a wide angle of attack, making it able to knock down and kill many Common Infected at once – great for the horde. It has a slow attack time, however. It is usually found in kitchens or houses during the various campaigns.