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A strong arm, a key asset in the melee attack.

Melee is the act of physically attacking an enemy by hitting them with a weapon. In the Halo series, the majority of melee attacks involve using a ranged weapon as a bludgeon, while there are a few weapons that are melee-only. The melee action can be executed by pressing the B button on the default controller layout for the Xbox/Xbox 360 version of Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo 3: ODST, by pressing the F key on the PC version of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, or by pressing the RB button on Halo: Reach with the default control setting.

Overview

Melee attacks are stealthy and conserve ammunition. The close-range attack causes damage to the target's bones and tissues, allowing an attacker to injure a target without using ammunition. A melee from behind functions by breaking the target's neck or spine, and is sufficient to kill virtually any enemy in the games, regardless of how much shielding or armor they happen to be wearing (with the exception of Hunters and Flood forms). Also, one melee against a sleeping Unggoy, regardless of difficulty or their rank, will kill them instantly.

In Halo: Reach, a new melee feature, called an assassination, is presented. They must hold the melee trigger while being behind the enemy, initially stabbing the opponent from behind to break their opponents' necks.

In Campaign, melees are classified as "silent", thus, without having the need to alert everyone.

Melee attacks are commonly used in multiplayer matches, where only a few blows are needed to kill an opponent; they allow one player to kill another without the sound of gunfire revealing their location or the weapons they are carrying. Melees are more efficient when used from behind.

Occasionally, two players with depleted or near-depleted shields will hit each other at around the same time, resulting in both players dying. While seldom, this can be annoying.

Lunging

When wielding a melee weapon, it is possible to lunge at a distant enemy. If a target is close enough that aiming at them turns an attacker's reticule red, then the attacker can aim at them and press RT. This will cause the attacker to lunge forward before striking.

A lunge delays a melee. If an attacker is wielding the Gravity Hammer, they may find a target and approach them. If the attacker aims away from the target, they can swing the hammer the moment their target gets within the "blast radius", killing the victim almost instantly. If, however, the attacker aims at the target, then the attacker will lunge before striking, even if the target is already within range when RT is pressed. The lunge delays the swing, giving the target more time to react, and creating extra risk for the attacker.

By contrast, lunging is extremely helpful when using the Energy Sword, as it lacks splash damage.

Melee System

Halo 2

Halo 2's melee system was based on three levels of player movement, with a stationary melee doing the least damage, a running melee taking down roughly half of the target's shields, and a jumping melee almost completely removing the target's shields.^{[citation needed]}This does not apply to multiplayer. With the introduction of dual-wielding, a new feature was added: if a player performs a melee attack while dual-wielding, they will drop their left weapon.

In Halo 2, melee attacks had the added benefit of canceling various animations and delays. This trait was shared by various other actions, and was exploited in the form of special button combinations. A common combination is the Double Melee, a rapid repetition of the button sequence B + X.

The range of the melee attack was decreased in Halo 2 from Halo: Combat Evolved, but the distance at which a lunge can be attempted was increased.^{[citation needed]}

Halo 3

In Halo 3, the attack's power increased, such that two blows to a normally-shielded opponent's body were sufficient to kill them. The attack also became more effective against some Campaign enemies, with fewer hits required to kill a Flood Combat Form. A Halo 3 title update balanced melees; if two unshielded players melee each other, both will die, and both will receive a point.

The increased power of Halo 3's melee attack has led to various new tactics and techniques regarding its usage. A common tactic is to charge an opponent using an Assault Rifle; the attacker drains their opponent's shields with the rifle, and then uses a melee to finish them off. Melees are also used in Noob Combos, with a common combo being the usage of a Mauler to drain an opponent's shields, followed by a melee.

A new feature is the ability to perform a normal melee attack while using melee weapons. Such weapons have both an RT attack and a B attack; the former attack is powerful, whereas the latter is faster. The Energy Sword's B attack is a rapid swipe; when pressing B with the Gravity Hammer, a player's character will jab the butt of the hammer forward. It should be noted that this attack causes much less damage than the gravity shockwave, but costs no energy.

Assassinating an opponent in multiplayer earns the player an Assassin Medal, while a normal melee kill yields a Beat Down Medal.

Halo 3: ODST

In Halo 3: ODST, the power of the melee attack has been drastically reduced, because the player characters, ODSTs, are ordinary humans, much weaker than the playable SPARTAN-IIs and Elites from previous titles. Although attacking from the rear is still lethal, it can take several hits from other angles to take down even the lowly Jackal, and trying to take on a Brute in hand-to-hand combat is risky, though 3-4 hits on normal difficulty is still lethal. However, it's still possible to board a tank and destroy it with a few melees, possibly for gameplay reasons, or it may simply have been an oversight on Bungie's part. If you use the Brute Spikers/Brute Shot's "knife" melee however, you would get the same result as a Spartan's melee because of the blades underneath.

Halo: Reach

In Halo: Reach, the melee is weaker then in previous games. So one melee attack completely depletes shields, no matter how much is left. Additionally, a new melee feature called "Assassination" is added to the game where players will be pulled into third-person view and watch an animation of their player model executing the enemy, with many of the Assassinations featuring UNSC combat knives (or Sangheili wrist blades if the player is an Elite). The feature is accessible to players by holding down the melee button while behind the enemy. There are more than 40 different animations that change depending on the position, weapon, gametype, and Armor Ability used.[1] Melee attacks are also able to "clang", where if two melee hits connect, instead of both players receiving damage they bounce off of each other instead. This can be used to counter the Energy Sword's "Lunge" attack, which, in previous games, was an instant kill.[2] In addition, if an enemy is in the act of being assassinated my a member of your team, you can in turn steal their kill by quickly killing the individual being assassinated. If you can manage to do so, such an act rewards you with the "Yoink!" medal, and an immediate voice announcing so. It also important to note that when being assassinated an ally can kill the opponent attempting to kill you giving them the medal Showstopper!.

Trivia

In Halo: Combat Evolved, a melee attack in the back can kill a Marine instantly. This was changed in Halo 2 and Halo 3.
If a player gets too close, Hunters will use their shields as melee weapons. A common tactic in Halo: Combat Evolved was to get close to a Hunter, then duck behind them while they swing to get an unobstructed shot at the weak point on their back. In Halo 2, Hunters were given rearward attacks specifically to counter this tactic.
In Halo 2's campaign, one melee from a Elite on Normal difficulty can instantly kill the player, Rarely, the player doesn't die; the player should not have taken any damage, and the melee was delivered in the front.
In the pre-beta (Bungie employees and staff only) versions of Halo 3 Multiplayer, the melee was less powerful, with a single melee failing to significantly deplete a player's shields.^{[citation needed]}
In the Halo 3 Campaign, the Arbiter can melee while dual-wielding Plasma Rifles without dropping them. Similarly, Brute Chieftains who carry Plasma Cannons can still melee the player with it, most likely due to their colossal strength. The player, who takes control of a Spartan-II, the Arbiter, or Elites in Campaign and multiplayer have the strength needed to perform such feats, however allowing this would affect game balance.
In Halo 3, it is possible to assassinate a player through thin glass, such as that found in the bases on Valhalla and Snowbound. Also, a melee on the right shoulder will grant an Assassination Medal, the left shoulder will not.^{[citation needed]}
In Halo Wars, the Spartans will often "drop" their weapon to start meleeing a close enemy.
If the player melees during the right time in Halo: Reach when an enemy lunges with the energy sword, the player can survive. However, the damage performed leaves behind very little health and the next lunge will kill.
Strangely in Halo: Reach, the Energy Sword does not consume its energy when an assassination is performed.
Marines can melee in Halo 2, but the attack is weak, and is only seen when the marine is sneaking up on an unaware enemy. Their melee attacks aren't enough to kill most enemies even from behind.
The melee description in Halo: Reach from bungie.net is "Not The Face!" possibly quoting a Red vs. Blue line in which Grif cries "Not the face!" when Tex threatens to punch him.
In Halo: Reach it is possible to "yoink" an extended assassination from a player by shooting or meleeing the player being assassinated.
In Halo: Reach you can save a teammate by killing his assassanator befor the first half of the annimation is done. This gets you the multiplayer medal "showstopper".
The melee animations of Halo: Reach have been changed from Halo 3 to more closely resemble the animations from Halo: Combat Evolved. An example is that the melee with the Magnum is you hitting an enemy with the bottom of the grip while holding the gun by the barrel.
Unlike the games of the Halo trilogy where only the Plasma Pistol melee involves a punch, in Halo: Reach a punch will be used 50 percent of the time.

Gallery

Reach 5709786 Medium.jpg

A melee in Halo: Reach
Reach 9327073 Medium.jpg

An assassin melee in progress
Reach 12410067 Medium.jpg

The Energy Sword is an excellent melee weapon
Reach 15709855 Medium.jpg

A melee in first person

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 {{references}}
 [[File:Melee Render.gif|right|thumb|A strong arm, a key asset in the melee attack.]]
-'''Melee''' is the act of physically attacking an enemy by hitting them with a weapon or an arm. In the ''Halo'' series, the majority of melee attacks involve using a ranged weapon as a bludgeon, while there are a few weapons that are melee-only. By default, a melee attack can be executed by pressing the '''B''' button on the [[Xbox]]/[[Xbox 360]] version of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', ''[[Halo 2]]'', ''[[Halo 3]]'', and ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'',by pressing the '''F''' key on the PC version of ''[[Halo PC|Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' and ''[[Halo 2 Vista|Halo 2]]'', or by pressing the '''RB''' button on ''[[Halo: Reach]]''.
+'''Melee''' is the act of physically attacking an enemy by hitting them with a weapon. In the ''Halo'' series, the majority of melee attacks involve using a ranged weapon as a bludgeon, while there are a few weapons that are melee-only. The melee action can be executed by pressing the '''B''' button on the default controller layout for the [[Xbox]]/[[Xbox 360]] version of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', ''[[Halo 2]]'', ''[[Halo 3]]'', and ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'', by pressing the '''F''' key on the PC version of ''[[Halo PC|Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' and ''[[Halo 2 Vista|Halo 2]]'', or by pressing the '''RB''' button on ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' with the default control setting.
 == Overview ==
-Melee attacks are stealthy and conserve ammunition. The close-range attack causes damage to the target's bones and tissues, allowing an attacker to injure a target without expending ammunition. A melee from behind functions by breaking the target's neck or spine, and is sufficient to kill almost any enemy in the games, regardless of how much shielding or armor they happen to be wearing. Also, one melee against a sleeping [[Unggoy]], regardless of difficulty or their rank, will kill them instantly.
+Melee attacks are stealthy and conserve ammunition. The close-range attack causes damage to the target's bones and tissues, allowing an attacker to injure a target without using ammunition. A melee from behind functions by breaking the target's neck or spine, and is sufficient to kill virtually any enemy in the games, regardless of how much shielding or armor they happen to be wearing (with the exception of Hunters and Flood forms). Also, one melee against a sleeping [[Unggoy]], regardless of difficulty or their rank, will kill them instantly.
-In ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', a new melee gameplay mechanic, called an '''[[assassination]]''', is presented. Holding the melee button while behind the target will result in a complex animation viewed from a third person viewpoint, ranging from stabbing the opponent to breaking necks.
+In ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', a new melee feature, called an '''''[[assassination]]''''', is presented. They must hold the melee trigger while being behind the enemy, initially stabbing the opponent from behind to break their opponents' necks.
-In Campaign, melees are classified as "silent", thus, meleeing an enemy will not alert any other enemies who have not already noticed you. However, assassinations are not "silent' and will alert nearby enemies.
+In Campaign, melees are classified as "silent", thus, without having the need to alert everyone.
-Melee attacks are commonly used in multiplayer matches, where only a few blows are needed to kill an opponent; they allow one player to kill another without the sound of gunfire revealing their location or the weapons they are carrying.
+Melee attacks are commonly used in multiplayer matches, where only a few blows are needed to kill an opponent; they allow one player to kill another without the sound of gunfire revealing their location or the weapons they are carrying. Melees are more efficient when used from behind.
-Occasionally, two players with depleted or near-depleted shields will hit each other at around the same time, resulting in both players dying simultaneously. While rare, this can be annoying.
+Occasionally, two players with depleted or near-depleted shields will hit each other at around the same time, resulting in both players dying. While seldom, this can be annoying.
 == Lunging ==
-When a player melees, it is possible to lunge forward at an enemy who may be some distance away.
+When wielding a melee weapon, it is possible to lunge at a distant enemy. If a target is close enough that aiming at them turns an attacker's [[reticule]] red, then the attacker can aim at them and press '''RT'''. This will cause the attacker to lunge forward before striking.
-For melee weapons, when a target is close enough that an attacker's [[reticule]] turns red, the attacker can press '''RT''' and lunge forward towards the enemy to get in range before striking. The lunge distance for the Energy Sword is considerably longer than that of the Gravity Hammer.
+A lunge delays a melee. If an attacker is wielding the Gravity Hammer, they may find a target and approach them. If the attacker aims away from the target, they can swing the hammer the moment their target gets within the "blast radius", killing the victim almost instantly. If, however, the attacker aims ''at'' the target, then the attacker will lunge before striking, even if the target is already within range when '''RT''' is pressed. The lunge delays the swing, giving the target more time to react, and creating extra risk for the attacker.
-Lunging is also possible without a melee weapon, however the enemy must be very close to the player, as the lunge distance is much less than that of a melee weapon. This also applies if a player is using '''B''' to attack with a melee weapon, instead of '''RT'''.
+By contrast, lunging is extremely helpful when using the Energy Sword, as it lacks splash damage.
 == Melee System ==
@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 The increased power of ''Halo 3'''s melee attack has led to various new tactics and techniques regarding its usage. A common tactic is to charge an opponent using an [[MA5C Assault Rifle|Assault Rifle]]; the attacker drains their opponent's shields with the rifle, and then uses a melee to finish them off. Melees are also used in [[Noob Combo]]s, with a common combo being the usage of a [[Mauler]] to drain an opponent's shields, followed by a melee.
-A new feature is the ability to perform a normal melee attack while using melee weapons. Such weapons have both an '''RT''' attack and a '''B''' attack. The Energy Sword's '''B''' attack is a rapid swipe that is faster but with a reduced lunge range; The Gravity Hammer's '''B''' attack is a jab with the butt of the hammer. This does the same amount of damage as a regular melee attack with a ranged weapon, but does not expend any battery units.
+A new feature is the ability to perform a normal melee attack while using melee weapons. Such weapons have both an '''RT''' attack and a '''B''' attack; the former attack is powerful, whereas the latter is faster. The Energy Sword's '''B''' attack is a rapid swipe; when pressing '''B''' with the Gravity Hammer, a player's character will jab the butt of the hammer forward. It should be noted that this attack causes much less damage than the gravity shockwave, but costs no energy.
 Assassinating an opponent in multiplayer earns the player an [[Assassin Medal]], while a normal melee kill yields a [[Beat Down Medal]].
 === Halo 3: ODST ===
-In ''Halo 3: ODST'', the power of the melee attack has been ''drastically'' reduced, because the player characters, ODSTs, are ordinary humans, much weaker than the playable SPARTAN-IIs and Elites from previous titles. Although attacking from the rear is still lethal, it can take several hits from other angles to take down even the lowly [[Jackal]], and trying to take on a [[Brute]] in hand-to-hand combat is risky, though 3-4 hits on normal difficulty is still lethal. However, it's still possible to board a tank and destroy it with a few melees, likely for gameplay. If you use Brute weapons to melee however, you would get a much higher damage rate because of the blades attached to the weapon.
+In ''Halo 3: ODST'', the power of the melee attack has been ''drastically'' reduced, because the player characters, ODSTs, are ordinary humans, much weaker than the playable SPARTAN-IIs and Elites from previous titles. Although attacking from the rear is still lethal, it can take several hits from other angles to take down even the lowly [[Jackal]], and trying to take on a [[Brute]] in hand-to-hand combat is risky, though 3-4 hits on normal difficulty is still lethal. However, it's still possible to board a tank and destroy it with a few melees, possibly for gameplay reasons, or it may simply have been an oversight on Bungie's part. If you use the Brute Spikers/Brute Shot's "knife" melee however, you would get the same result as a Spartan's melee because of the blades underneath.
 === Halo: Reach ===
-In ''Halo: Reach'', one melee attack completely depletes shields, but cannot "spill over" and do damage to health in multiplayer unless the players shields are already down. Additionally, a new melee gameplay mechanic is added, [[Assassinations]]. Holding the melee button while behind the target will result in a complex animation viewed from a third person viewpoint, ranging from stabbing the opponent to breaking necks. Unfortunately the downsides of assassinations are that they leave a player vulnerable and take a relatively long time. While performing as assassination, other players can [[Yoink Medal|kill the opponent you are assassinating]], stealing your kill, or [[Showstopper Medal|kill you, saving your victim]]. However, assassination will give you an [[Assassination Medal]], additional credits and advance the [[Rear Admiral (commendation)]]. Additionally, if you are falling from a high height, performing an assassination on an opponent on the ground will negate any fall damage you would have received. There are more than 40 different animations that change depending on the species assassinating or being assassinated, as well as the position of the players, and the weapon used.<ref>http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_081310</ref>
+In ''Halo: Reach'', the melee is weaker then in previous games. So one melee attack completely depletes shields, no matter how much is left. Additionally, a new melee feature called''''' "Assassination" '''''is added to the game where players will be pulled into third-person view and watch an animation of their player model executing the enemy, with many of the Assassinations featuring UNSC [[Combat Knife|combat knives]] (or Sangheili [[wrist blade]]s if the player is an Elite). The feature is accessible to players by holding down the melee button while behind the enemy. There are more than 40 different animations that change depending on the position, weapon, gametype, and Armor Ability used.[http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_081310] Melee attacks are also able to "clang", where if two melee hits connect, instead of both players receiving damage they bounce off of each other instead. This can be used to counter the Energy Sword's "Lunge" attack, which, in previous games, was an instant kill.[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7H9_1f_KxM&feature=player_embedded#!] In addition, if an enemy is in the act of being assassinated my a member of your team, you can in turn steal their kill by quickly killing the individual being assassinated. If you can manage to do so, such an act rewards you with the "Yoink!" medal, and an immediate voice announcing so. It also important to note that when being assassinated an ally can kill the opponent attempting to kill you giving them the medal ''Showstopper!''.
 ==Trivia==
-*In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', a melee attack in the back can kill a Marine instantly. However, this is changed in ''Halo 2'' and ''Halo 3''.
+*In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', a melee attack in the back can kill a Marine instantly. This was changed in ''Halo 2'' and ''Halo 3''.
 *If a player gets too close, [[Hunters]] will use their shields as melee weapons. A common tactic in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' was to get close to a Hunter, then duck behind them while they swing to get an unobstructed shot at the weak point on their back. In ''Halo 2'', Hunters were given rearward attacks specifically to counter this tactic.
-*Another effective tactic was to shoot the Hunter in its unprotected waist area when it melees. With a sniper, shotgun, or (in Halo 1) M6D pistol, the Hunter could be killed in 1 shot. Hunters have extra armor from Halo 3 onwards specifically to render this tactic useless. In addition, sniper shots are also no longer guaranteed kills.
+*In ''Halo 2''<nowiki />'s campaign, one melee from a Elite on [[Normal]] difficulty can instantly kill the player, Rarely, the player doesn't die; the player should not have taken any damage, and the melee was delivered in the front.
-*In ''Halo 2''<nowiki />'s campaign, one melee from an Elite on [[Normal]] difficulty can instantly kill the player, Rarely, the player doesn't die; the player should not have taken any damage, and the melee was delivered in the front.
 *In the pre-beta ([[Bungie]] employees and staff only) versions of ''Halo 3'' Multiplayer, the melee was less powerful, with a single melee failing to significantly deplete a player's shields.{{Citation needed}}
-*In the ''Halo 3'' Campaign, the Arbiter can melee while dual-wielding Plasma Rifles without dropping them. Similarly, Brute Chieftains who carry [[Plasma Cannon]]s can still melee the player with it, most likely due to their colossal strength. The player, who takes control of a Spartan-II, the Arbiter, or Elites in Campaign and multiplayer canonically has the strength needed to perform such feats, however allowing this would affect game balance.
+*In the ''Halo 3'' Campaign, the Arbiter can melee while dual-wielding Plasma Rifles without dropping them. Similarly, Brute Chieftains who carry [[Plasma Cannon]]s can still melee the player with it, most likely due to their colossal strength. The player, who takes control of a Spartan-II, the Arbiter, or Elites in Campaign and multiplayer have the strength needed to perform such feats, however allowing this would affect game balance.
-*In ''Halo 3'', it is possible to assassinate a player through thin glass, such as that found in the bases on [[Valhalla (Level)|Valhalla]] and [[Snowbound (Level)|Snowbound]]. Also, a melee on the right shoulder will grant an Assassination Medal, the left shoulder will not.{{Citation needed}}
+*In ''Halo 3'', it is possible to assassinate a player through thin glass, such as that found in the bases on [[Valhalla]] and [[Snowbound]]. Also, a melee on the right shoulder will grant an Assassination Medal, the left shoulder will not.{{Citation needed}}
 *In ''Halo Wars'', the Spartans will often "drop" their weapon to start meleeing a close enemy.
-*If the player melees during the right time in ''Halo: Reach'' when an enemy lunges with the energy sword, the player can survive. However, the damage performed leaves behind very little health and the sword wielder can lunge a second time, killing you. However, it is possible that gives you enough time to flee or kill the sword wielder.
+*If the player melees during the right time in ''Halo: Reach'' when an enemy lunges with the energy sword, the player can survive. However, the damage performed leaves behind very little health and the next lunge will kill.
-*In ''Halo: Reach'', the [[Energy Sword]] does not consume it's energy when an assassination is performed. The sword specific assassination will also display even if the sword is out of energy.
+*Strangely in ''Halo: Reach'', the [[Energy Sword]] does not consume its energy when an assassination is performed.
 *Marines can melee in ''Halo 2'', but the attack is weak, and is only seen when the marine is sneaking up on an unaware enemy. Their melee attacks aren't enough to kill most enemies even from behind.
-*The description of a melee attack in ''Halo: Reach'' from Bungie.net is "Not The Face!" This is a quote from Red Vs Blue, specifically by Griff who said it while he was getting punched.
+*The melee description in'' Halo: Reach ''from bungie.net is "Not The Face!" possibly quoting a ''[[Red vs. Blue]]'' line in which Grif cries "Not the face!" when Tex threatens to punch him.
+*In ''Halo: Reach'' it is possible to "[[yoink]]" an extended assassination from a player by shooting or meleeing the player being assassinated.
+*In ''Halo: Reach ''you can save a teammate by killing his assassanator befor the first half of the annimation is done. This gets you the multiplayer medal "[[Showstopper (Medal)|showstopper]]".
+*The melee animations of Halo: Reach have been changed from Halo 3 to more closely resemble the animations from Halo: Combat Evolved. An example is that the melee with the Magnum is you hitting an enemy with the bottom of the grip while holding the gun by the barrel.
+*Unlike the games of the Halo trilogy where only the Plasma Pistol melee involves a punch, in Halo: Reach a punch will be used 50 percent of the time.
+==Gallery==
+<gallery captionalign="left">
+reach_5709786_Medium.jpg|A melee in [[Halo: Reach]]
+reach_9327073_Medium.jpg|An assassin melee in progress
+reach_12410067_Medium.jpg|The Energy Sword is an excellent melee weapon
+reach_15709855_Medium.jpg|A melee in first person
+</gallery>
 [[Category:Terms and Phrases]]
 [[Category:Multiplayer Lexicon]]
-==Refrences==
-<references/>