Melee | PoE2 Mechanic · WikiHere PoE2

What Melee does

Current rules

Check whether the component is a Strike or Slam, which weapon or Unarmed base it requires, and whether the effect line says Melee Damage. Then apply Accuracy, Attack Speed, range, AoE, and damage modifiers only where their predicates match.

Strike or Slam: A Strike directly hits with a weapon or body part. A Slam is a Melee Attack that deals damage through an area instead of directly Striking the target.
Weapon or Unarmed base: Melee Attacks usually use the equipped compatible Martial Weapon or an Unarmed base for damage, attack speed, and base Critical Hit Chance unless the skill specifies another base or total attack time.
Accuracy: Melee Attacks normally make the same Accuracy check as other Attacks. Being in melee range does not make the Hit automatic unless the skill says it cannot be Evaded or always Hits.
Melee Damage: Melee is a component predicate, not Physical damage. A Melee component can deal Physical, Fire, Cold, Lightning, or Chaos damage, and each modifier must still match the source and damage type it names.
Melee Strike Range: Melee Strike Range affects the reach of Strike targeting. It does not enlarge Slam areas, Projectile travel, or every effect created by the Attack.
Created Projectiles: A Projectile created by a Melee Attack does not count as Melee damage. Projectile and Melee modifiers must be applied to their matching components separately.

How Melee components differ

5 cases

01

Strike

Directly hits a selected enemy with a weapon or body part and can use Melee Strike Range.

Related: Strike, Hit

02

Slam

Deals Melee damage through an area. AoE and Slam predicates can apply in addition to Melee and Attack predicates.

Related: Slam, AoE

03

Unarmed Melee Attack

Uses the skill's permitted Unarmed base and explicit rules rather than inheriting a weapon's inherent combat values.

04

Projectile created by Melee

Remains part of the Attack but its Projectile damage is not Melee damage.

Related: Projectile

05

Converted Melee Damage

Conversion can change the damage type without removing the Melee, Attack, Strike, or Slam predicates of the component.

Related: Attack, Elemental, Chaos

Limits and exceptions

5 rules

Melee does not mean Physical. Converted and added elemental or Chaos damage can still be dealt by a Melee component.
Not every close-range skill is Melee. Use the skill tags and component wording rather than screen distance alone.
Projectiles, triggered spells, ground effects, and other secondary components created by a Melee Attack do not automatically inherit Melee Damage scaling.
Melee Strike Range affects Strikes, not Slam radius. Area of Effect controls the relevant Slam area.
A Melee Attack still needs Accuracy unless an explicit rule bypasses Evasion.

Related pages

10 connections

mechanicAttack

An Attack is a skill with the Attack tag. It normally takes its base damage, attack speed, and base Critical Hit Chance from an equipped Martial Weapon, unless the skill states a different rule.

mechanicHit

A Hit is an instantaneous damage event. Any damage that is not damage over time is Hit damage, whether it comes from an Attack, a Spell, Thorns, or another effect.

mechanicStrike

A Strike is a Melee Attack that directly hits with a weapon or body part. Strike and Slam are mutually exclusive classifications, and Melee Strike Range affects how far a Strike can directly reach.

mechanicSlam

A Slam is a Melee Attack that deals damage through an area instead of directly Striking an enemy. Slams always have the AoE tag, remain Melee damage, and do not count as Strikes.

mechanicAoE

Area of Effect, usually shortened to AoE, describes a skill component that applies to targets inside an area instead of selecting only one target. The area can be a circle, cone, line, ring, or another shape defined by the skill.

mechanicProjectile

A Projectile is a moving entity created by an Attack or Spell. Projectile describes delivery, not the source type or damage type, so the Projectile can still be an Attack or Spell and can deal any supported damage type.

mechanicAccuracy

Accuracy Rating determines whether an Attack Hits by being compared with the target's Evasion. Player Attacks also lose Accuracy with distance, while Spells do not use Accuracy.

mechanicPhysical

Physical damage is one of the five Damage Types. It is the most common and the only one reduced by Armour, rather than by a Resistance.

mechanicElemental

Elemental Damage is the collective name for Fire, Cold, and Lightning Damage. A modifier to Elemental Damage can scale all three types, but each part is still mitigated by its matching Resistance and keeps its own ailment rules.

mechanicChaos

Chaos is one of the five damage types. Chaos Resistance reduces it, and ordinary Chaos damage removes twice its damage value from Energy Shield instead of bypassing Energy Shield by default.

Items and gems using this mechanic

24 connections

Direct relationAncestral Cry

Perform a Warcry using Glory gained by Igniting enemies to turn you into an embodiment of Kaom. While embodying Kaom, you Trigger Volcanic Steps while travelling, Melee Strikes and Slams are Ancestrally Boosted, and your Melee Strikes Trigger Volcanic Eruption.

Direct relationAncestral Warrior Totem

Consume 3 Endurance Charges to Raise a Totem that conjures spirit warriors. Each warrior uses a socketed Mace Skill once, then disappears. Cannot use Channelling Skills or Skills with Cooldowns.

Direct relationArmour Breaker

Strike with a forceful blow, knocking enemies back and weakening their Armour.

Direct relationBlood Hunt

Lunge at a target and skewers them. Hitting an enemy that has suffered Blood Loss will cause a blood explosion and also Consume Bleeding. This skill cannot be Ancestrally Boosted.

Direct relationBoneshatter

Attack enemies with a melee Strike. The Strike will cause a Heavy Stun on enemies that are Primed for Stun. Upon causing a Heavy Stun it will also create a Shockwave, dealing a large amount of damage in an area.

Direct relationDisengage

Jump back as you rupture the earth in front of you with spearpoints, damaging enemies. Consumes the Parried Debuff on Hitting enemies to release a shockwave and grant you a Frenzy Charge. This skill can be used while using other skills, and causes Strikes and Projectiles to miss you while jumping. This skill cannot be Ancestrally Boosted.

Direct relationEarthquake

Smash the ground, dealing damage in an area and leaving behind Jagged Ground that slows enemies. The Jagged Ground erupts in a powerful Aftershock after a duration. Cannot create Jagged Ground on top of an existing patch, or if you already have the maximum number of active patches.

Direct relationEarthshatter

Slam the ground, sending out a fissure that deals area damage to enemies it passes under and thrusts a spike from the ground when it ends. Warcries performed near the spike will cause it to shatter, damaging surrounding enemies.

Direct relationForge Hammer

Hurl a fiery hammer that Slams into the ground and lodges there. While the hammer is lodged in the ground, reusing this Skill recalls the hammer and resets the Skill's cooldown. Alternatively, using a Warcry near the lodged hammer causes it to shatter, releasing a number of Molten Fissures in a spiral.

Direct relationFortifying Cry

Perform a Warcry that grants Guard and Triggers Shield Wave when subsequent Shield Attacks deal damage. This Skill's cooldown can be bypassed by expending an Endurance Charge.

Direct relationHammer of the Gods

Build Glory by Heavy Stunning enemies. When you have maximum Glory you may entreat the Ancestors to crush your enemies, manifesting a massive hammer that falls from the sky onto your target, Slamming into the ground after a short duration and dealing immense damage based on your weapon.

Direct relationLeap Slam

Jump into the air, damaging and Knocking Back enemies with your mace where you land. Enemies you would land on are pushed out of the way.

Direct relationMagma Barrier

While active, increases your Block Chance passively and imbues your Shield with lava over time. When fully imbued, your next Block with your Shield raised will expend the lava to Trigger the Magma Spray skill and grant you an Endurance Charge.

Direct relationPerfect Strike

Channel to charge up your weapon with Fire. Releasing with Perfect Timing will create a damaging wave of intense Fire.

Direct relationRapid Assault

Perform a series of six rapid stabs. The final stab inflicts Bleeding and leaves a spearhead stuck in the target, Maiming them for a duration. Detonator Skills will cause the stuck spearheads to explode, dealing further damage to the target and other nearby enemies.

Direct relationResonating Shield

Repeatedly hammer your Shield with your weapon causing damaging shockwaves in an area around you. Enemies hit by the shockwave lose Armour for a duration. While Channelling Resonating Shield, your Shield is raised and you will Block all incoming Blockable hits.

Direct relationRolling Slam

Slam the ground to Stun enemies and knock them away, then continue forward and perform a devastating second Slam.

Direct relationShield Charge

Channel to charge in the target direction. You will crash into enemies on your path, stopping your charge and dealing damage to enemies in an area, and extra damage to the enemies you collided with. While charging, your Shield is raised and you will Block all incoming Blockable hits.

Direct relationShield Wall

Ram your Shield into the ground, throwing up a wall of earth. Enemies can attack your wall segments, and your Slams, Warcries, and Shield Charge will instantly shatter them all. The segments explode when shattered, damaging enemies in front of and around them.

Direct relationShockwave Totem

Raise a Totem that Slams the ground around it, repeatedly damaging nearby enemies. Jagged Ground erupts when hit by this Slam, damaging enemies standing on it. The Totem cannot create Jagged Ground. This Skill can be used while Shapeshifted.

Direct relationStampede

Charges forward, cracking the earth and leaving a patch of Jagged Ground with every footstep. At the end of your charge, a massive leaping Slam damages enemies and causes all nearby patches of Jagged Ground to explode, damaging enemies standing on them. Once you begin your charge, the use speed of this Skill is affected by movement speed instead of Attack speed.

Direct relationSunder

Slam the ground, creating a roiling fissure that damages enemies in a sequence of areas in front of you. A number of enemies hit by the wave will release a shockwave, damaging other enemies. Hitting an enemy with Fully Broken Armour applies Sundered Armour, making it take additional increased Physical damage.

Direct relationSupercharged Slam

Channel to charge up a heavy swing, drawing earth from the ground to enlarge your mace. Release to Slam the ground, dealing damage in an area around the impact, followed by Aftershocks dealing damage in a larger area. This Skill has its own Attack time, which is not affected by your weapon's attack speed and cannot be modified.

Direct relationVolcanic Fissure

Slam the ground, creating a branching Molten Fissure that deals damage as it travels and remains for a duration. Using a different Slam on a Molten Fissure creates a spreading Aftershock.