While much of NEXUS is focused on gunplay,
Melee combat is a fundamental aspect. Melee attacks are high risk, high reward maneuver as players will need to move into close quarters with their
enemies. However, successful Melee strikes can be
devastating.
If a player has a non-Melee weapon equipped, activating the Melee attack
input will execute an unarmed punch which is rarely effective for much. To use the equipped close quarters weapon, it must be swapped to and readied.
All Melee weapons have an unlimited use standard attack. Additionally, many have a limited use alternate Melee Skill that varies from item to item. Melee weapons can also be used to Block incoming damage.
Blocking and Melee skills require Charge energy to activate.
Standard Melee
Unarmed punch attacks deal damage solely based on
Strength.
Standard Melee attacks are performed by pressing the Melee button while the Melee weapon is currently equipped and ready. Melee attacks deal damage based on the specific
weapon and the Strength of the player. Standard Melee attacks are relatively quick, dealing moderate damage. They are most effective at close range, however some weapons have further effective ranges than others.
Charges
Instead of ammunition, Melee weapons use Charges. Charge energy is used to Block with a Melee weapon or use its alternate Melee Skill. A single Charge is broken into 100 energy points. Charges regenerate automatically at 2 energy per second. The base maximum capacity of Charges is two. These amounts can be modified with
Gear,
Skills,
Abilities, and
Consumables.
A Melee Skill or Block attempted without enough Charge will cause the Charge meter to flash red, and a subtle audio cue will play to indicate a lack of Charge energy.
Melee Skill
Alternate Melee Skills are activated with the separate Melee Skill button. These can be attacks or other actions that can deal additional damage and have additional effects, such as causing
damage over time or
debuffing enemies. Unless otherwise stated, Melee Skills consume one full Charge per use.
Blocking
All Melee weapons have the ability to mitigate damage by holding the Block button and facing the incoming attack. The amount of damage reduced varies based on
Weapon Class. Shields are particularly effective at blocking to reduce damage.
Activating a Block begins to slowly consume Charge energy over time. The amount consumed is based on the weapon type as well as the specific piece of gear. The average amount of Charge drain is 6 per second.
If a player has no Charge energy, Block can no longer be activated. The amount of Charge energy used varies and can be modified as well.
