What is a Melee weapon in Fortnite? Advantages explained

A melee weapon in Fortnite Battle Royale is a crucial aspect of gameplay and players are unlikely to succeed without it. Unlike other weapons, the primary function of a melee weapon in Fortnite is not to deal damage, but to harvest resources.

While they can be used to harvest building materials, melee weapons also deal damage to enemies and structures. Due to their lack of range, melee weapons don't consume any ammo and their structural damage is relatively high compared to other weapons.

This article will explain everything you need to know about melee weapons in Fortnite. It will also list all melee weapons, besides harvesting tools, that were available at some point in the game.

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Melee weapons in Fortnite are used to harvest resources

Melee weapons in Fortnite are also called harvesting tools. These are primarily cosmetic items that players can use to obtain building resources. However, each hit of the harvesting tool can still deal 20 damage to players.

Harvesting tools are also amazing for destroying structures, dealing 50 to 100 damage and are a great utility during a build fight. When hitting structures with a harvesting tool, it is important to hit weak spots that are marked with blue circles. A weak spot hit deals 100 damage, twice as much as a regular hit.

Melee weapons in the game are further customizable. Instead of the default pickaxe, players can buy one of the many harvesting tools available in the Item Shop or in the Battle Pass.

However, it's important to note that these are purely cosmetic items. Every melee weapon in Fortnite, which is a harvesting tool, deals the same amount of damage to both players and structures. Item Shop purchases simply change the way they look and have no effect on gameplay.

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Special melee weapons

Every player starts a match with a melee weapon in Fortnite. However, aside from being used merely as harvesting tools, Epic Games has released several special melee weapons that can be used to eliminate opponents.

The first such melee weapon in Fortnite was the Infinity Blade, which was released in Chapter 1 of Season 7. Despite its lack of range, the first-ever Mythic weapon in the popular video game was considered overpowered and Epic Games ended up removing it from the video game.

In Chapter 3 of Season 3, Fortnite players had a chance to use Darth Vader's lightsaber, another melee weapon that wasn't, however, as powerful as the Season 7 blade.

Here is a list of all the special melee weapons Epic Games has released for Fortnite Battle Royale in the past:

• Infinity Blade
• Sideways Scythe
• Lightsaber
• Kingsman Umbrella
• She-Hulk's Fists
• Wolverine's Claws
• Amban Sniper Rifle

Infinity Blade was the most overpowered melee weapon in Fortnite Battle Royale history (Image via Epic Games)

The Amban Sniper Rifle was obtainable in Chapter 2 of Season 5 and was both a ranged and melee weapon. The rifle could deal massive damage to enemies from a distance, although it could also be used for close-range combat.

She-Hulk's Fists and Wolverine's Claws were superpowers that were released in Chapter 2 of Season 4. They were also effective melee weapons that dealt massive damage to opponents.