Summary
Black Ops 6takes players into competitive Multiplayer action and fast-paced,challenging round-based Zombies, both of which are a wild ride for those jumping in. From slaying the undead on a roster of unique maps to taking on the competition in Team Deathmatch and a whole host of other Multiplayer modes, there is no shortage of fun to be had.
For both modes,players have a whole host of weapons to make use of, each fulfilling its own niche within the meta. While players may be focused on customizing their Primary weapons to create the best meta build,Black Ops 6also offers a dedicated melee slot in its loadouts. Butwhich melee weapon is the best?Here is a list ranking the top options available.
85
575 ms
250 ms
950 ms
2.2 meters / 2.1 meters for heavy attack
The Baseball Bat is one of the first weapons torequire two strikes to eliminate a player in Multiplayer, though it is a little more forgiving in Zombies with its damage. While this isn’t a unique trait, when compared to other weapons with the same two-hit kill potential, thedelay between each swing is on the slower side, which may not justify picking it over some of the faster options.
That begs the question—why choose the Baseball Bat? Itscharge time for its heavy attack is relatively fast, even though the kill time with it remains slow. However, its biggest perk is its effective lunge distance. For standard melee attacks, itranks as the second-best in its class for range.
65
475 ms
175 ms
625 ms
2.1 meters
On the surface, many players may drop the Power Drill altogether. In Multiplayer,the weapon is only a two-hit kill, which may throw some players out of their game when trying to go in for melee combat head-on with their opponents. However, the Power Drill does have a few perks that make it a decent melee weapon to consider.
For starters, the weaponboasts the second-fastest swing speedof all melee weapons currently available inBlack Ops 6, which allows players to land hits in quick succession. This is an excellent perk for Zombies. The Power Drill is also tied with a few other options for having the second-best lunge range, making it a little easier to secure melee kills for players who may be just out of range with other options.
90
330 ms
500 ms
1000 ms
1.7 meters / 2 meters for heavy attack
Following the Power Drill are the Kali Sticks, a weapon that made its debut duringthe Return to Verdansk Event inWarzone. Like the Power Drill, the Kali Sticksrequire two hits to eliminate players in Multiplayer, but they deal significantly more damage overall, making them a strong option for other modes.
The biggest draw of the Kali Sticksis their attack speed,ranking as the fastest among all melee weapons.This makes them excellent for landing quick consecutive hits across all modes and especially effective in Grief, where they can rapidly stagger opponents. However, their lunge range is lacking, and the time it takes to eliminate players with a heavy attack is relatively slow.
135
850 ms
150 ms
2.3 meters
The Bo Staff is one of the melee weaponsthat players might not initially consider to bea one-hit kill, but to balance out its relatively slow delay between swings, it is, therefore tying it with all other one-hit kill options for damage. Of course, its attack speed is nowhere near as fast as options like the Kali Sticks, but the Bo Staff does excel in one aspect in particular.
The Bo Staff ranks asthe best melee weapon for range, narrowly beating the Pickaxe and Baseball Bat in terms of effective lunge distance. The charge time on its heavy attack is also decently fast compared to other options, which could make it a solid consideration in Zombies.
350 ms
Following the Bo Staff are the Katanas, a dual-wield weapon that arrived alongside the Bo Staff duringBlack Ops 6’scollaboration withTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Just like the weapon before it, the Katanas take a single hit to kill in Multiplayer, but compared to the Bo Staff, they havea significantly reduced delay between strikes.
Of course,the Katanas' faster attack speedcomes at the cost of effective lunge distance, tying with the Kali Sticks as the second worst for range. Thecharge time for their heavy attacks is decent, however, and while they may not be the best pick for Multiplayer, they can be quite useful in Zombies.
N/A
1.8 meters
On the surface, the standard Knife is eerily similar to the Katanas in terms of stats. Just like them, it isa one-hit kill in Multiplayerand features the same delay between attacks. However, unlike the Katanas, or any other melee weapon, for that matter,the Knife does not have a heavy attack.
While the absence of a heavy attack might seem like a downside, it is not particularly useful in Multiplayer, so players can focus solely on the weapon’s standard melee attack. The Knife also hasa slight edge over the Katanas in terms of lunge distance, making it just a bit more reliable at range, though the difference is barely noticeable.
775 ms
100 ms
The Pickaxe is one of the more recent additions toBlack Ops 6, making its debutthrough the Beavis and Butt-head Event Pass. Right from the start, the Pickaxe isone of the many one-hit kill weaponsin its class for Multiplayer, though it is tied with the others in terms of damage per hit. However, it ison the slower side when it comes to attack speed, ranking as the third slowest for consecutive swings.
That said,the Pickaxe does have some great perks. The first is its lunge range, which is tied with the Power Drill forthe third-best range among melee weapons.The Pickaxe alsohas a relatively short charge time for its heavy attack.While the time it takes to kill players using the charge animation is quite long, it can be significantly effective in Zombies.
550 ms
400 ms
700 ms
1.6 meters
The Sai is yet another one-hit melee weaponthat players can make use of and definitely earns some style points, making it a cool-looking choice to run in a player’s loadout. Of course, it also has practical perks that may make it the best melee weapon in the game. First up, the delay between each attack, while not the fastest overall, isthe quickest among all the one-hit kill options.
The Sai’s sleight-of-hand attack speed makes it a strong option, both forlanding back-to-back one-hit kills in Multiplayerand for dishing out consecutive high-damage hits in Zombies. While its lunge range leaves something to be desired, players can easily adjust to this drawback by closing the distance before striking.
