HUNGER melee combat can feel pretty unforgiving when you’re starting out. One moment you’re swinging your sword, and the next you’re out of Energy while your opponent is still ready to fight. If you’ve been holding block until your meter runs dry, you’ve probably noticed that it doesn’t end well.
The trick is learning when to attack, when to defend, and when to give yourself a moment to recover. The October 2026 Closed Beta also introduced a new Parry system, making good timing more important than ever. Here’s how the game’s melee combat works and what you can do to win more HUNGER PvP fights.
This guide covers the October 2026 Closed Beta. Some mechanics may change in future updates and the article will also be updated respectively.
Satiate your preferred HUNGER:
How HUNGER Melee Combat Works
The good news is that unlike other hardcore medieval slashers, HUNGER’s melee system is easy to pick up. However, it punishes button-mashing heavily. You can attack from the left or right, swing diagonally, strike overhead, or use a thrust. Your crosshair determines the direction of your attack, and different weapons perform better with different attack angles. There is also Block, Parry, Feint, Dodge, and Lunge. But these are more advanced. In general though, every close-quarters fight comes down to two main types of attacks:
Light Attacks, Thrusts, and Overheads
Light Attacks are your bread and butter in melee. They’re useful for applying pressure without committing to a long attack animation. You can continue using them when exhausted, although they’ll become slower and less effective. When you swing with a light attack, you control the angle of your strike. Regardless of which melee weapon you equip, you have dedicated inputs for a forward Thrust (Poke) and an Overhead strike. Aim up for Thrusting and aim down for an Overhead.
Be warned: not every weapon scales equally across all three attack types. A blunt weapon like a Mace deals heavy damage on side swings and overheads, but its forward thrust deals minimal damage. On the other hand, piercing weapons like the Spear and Rapier naturally deal massive damage when thrusting forward. So keep your weapon type in mind at all times.
Charged Heavy Attacks
Heavy Attacks require charging and have attack patterns specific to each weapon. They hit harder but cost more Energy, especially if you hold the charge for too long. Missing one can leave you in a pretty bad position. Holding your attack button charges a Heavy Attack. Unlike light swings, you can’t manually control the direction of a heavy attack. When I was testing the weapons, I learned that each weapon type has its own fixed heavy attack animation:
- Longswords and Zweihanders: Execute a wide horizontal side cleave that can hit multiple targets at once.
- Spears: Launch a deep, high-damage forward impaling thrust.
- Axes and Maces: Deliver concentrated single-target crushing blows built to crack enemy armor bars.
How to Block and Parry in HUNGER
I can’t emphasize this move enough. Blocking is an insanely important part of HUNGER melee combat. However, holding block constantly is one of the easiest ways to exhaust yourself. Every block consumes Energy, and keeping your weapon raised drains even more. Once you’re exhausted, your defense becomes weaker, and some damage can get through your block.
The better approach is to raise your weapon only when an attack is about to connect. That’s the new Parry mechanic that’s been added. Don’t confuse parrying with holding block. If you raise your guard too early and keep it there, you’ll start draining Energy instead of taking advantage of the precise timing.
How to Perform a Parry
The trick to Parry is tapping the block button right as the enemy’s melee strike is about to connect. Now personally, I also let go of block as soon as I saw my sword’s spark. I’m not sure if you NEED to let go after you see the spark, but I recommend doing so. If you do manage to perform a perfect Parry, you’ll see a green shield icon in the middle of your screen instead of the typical grayed out shield you see while blocking.
Landing a timed parry stuns your attacker, interrupting their combo and giving you a guaranteed window to land a full-Energy heavy attack or headshot. It works against both aggressive PvP players and hard-hitting PvE enemies in dungeons. Just REMEMBER: even a perfect parry costs a slight amount of Energy. Also, your block coverage also depends on your weapon and positioning. Larger weapons generally provide broader coverage, while smaller weapons demand more accurate defense.
How to Feint and Trick Your Opponent
Feinting lets you pretend to attack without following through. It’s particularly useful against defensive opponents who immediately raise their guard whenever they see you start swinging. To perform a feint, begin an attack and press R during the early part of the animation. If you cancel it within the correct window, you’ll return to your normal stance without spending Energy.
You’re trying to make your opponent waste Energy by blocking something that never lands. If they keep blocking, their Energy will drain while you’ve spent nothing on your successful feint. Once they lower their guard or run low on Energy, you can look for an opening to land a real attack.
Feints aren’t guaranteed to work against aggressive opponents, though. Someone who keeps attacking instead of reacting to your animation may simply hit you while you’re pretending to swing. That’s why I wouldn’t spam feints. Use them when you notice your opponent is playing defensively.
How to Dodge and Lunge
Dodge using Left Alt + a movement direction. Dodging consumes Stamina, so repeatedly using it can leave you unable to escape when you really need to. You can use a dodge to avoid an incoming heavy attack, move out of your opponent’s weapon range, or reposition before striking again.
Lunging is different. It helps close the distance to an opponent while attacking and is tied to melee progression. The Fencing Mastery enables lunging, while other Arms Masteries can improve lunge speed.
During the October beta, players have described triggering a lunge through a sprinting light attack or scroll-wheel attack after unlocking the relevant Mastery. Check your current controls and weapon behavior, since the exact interaction hasn’t been verified for every weapon.
It’s also worth knowing that the October update removed the old technique “Lunge Tech” which allowed players to combine jumping or dodging with lunging for extra movement. If you saw an older HUNGER melee tutorial that relies on this trick, just know that it won’t work the same way in the current beta.
Energy vs. Stamina: How to Avoid Exhaustion
The biggest mistake I’ve seen beginners make in the closed beta is confusing Stamina with Energy:
- Stamina: used for movement actions like sprinting, jumping, and vaulting over obstacles.
- Energy: dedicated to combat actions, including light attacks, heavy attacks, lunges, and blocks.
When your Energy runs out, your attacks slow down, and your blocks become less effective. You can still fight, but you’re at a serious disadvantage against someone who has managed their Energy properly. Energy regenerates when you release combat pressure rather than constantly attacking or blocking. Stamina, on the other hand, regenerates when you’re staying still. Managing it gives you the ability to reposition or escape when a fight isn’t going your way.
The important thing is not to exhaust both resources at the same time, alright? Otherwise you can neither run nor fight.
Best HUNGER Melee Weapon: 1H vs. 2H Breakdown
Your loadout gives you two active weapon slots. You can set up a hybrid “gun & melee” setup or a “double melee” setup. Because swapping a weapon out of your backpack now costs 4 full seconds, you must keep your primary melee weapon in an active hand slot before entering buildings. Check the following table to learn every detail about the melee weapons (1H = one-handed and 2H = two-handed):
| Weapon Type | Hand Slot | Best Attack Style | Ideal Environment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapier | 1H | Fast Forward Thrusts | Pinpoint poke attacks never clip walls in tight hallways and punish slow 2H windups by other players |
| Short Sword | 1H | Directional Slashes & Thrusts | Buffed reach and attack alignment in the October 20 patch make it a reliable sidearm |
| Axe & Mace | 1H | Overhead & Side Swings | High blunt/chopping damage per swing, can pair with shields, but avoid using thrust attacks with the Mace |
| Dagger | 1H | Quick Stabs | Backup melee when out of gear; generally not recommended |
| Spear | 2H | Heavy Impale Thrust | Keeps PvE mobs and enemy players at bay without hitting narrow hallway walls |
| Longsword & Zweihander | 2H | Charged Horizontal Cleave | The Legendary Zweihander eats PvE elites and groups in open terrain, but it also struggles in cramped rooms |
| War Axe & Halberd | 2H | Heavy Sweeps & Overheads | Massive single hit damage to bypass 4-bar Epic or 5-bar Legendary armor |
Best Arms Masteries for Melee Combat
If you’re planning to specialize in melee, the Arms Mastery tree is the first place to look. HUNGER separates melee progression into Arms and ranged progression into Martial, so be sure you’re investing points in the right tree. You begin receiving Mastery Points at Level 10, with additional points earned as you level up.
1H Mastery
For a one-handed melee setup, Agile is worth considering because it increases movement speed while your weapon is drawn. Deft Thrusts also reduces the Energy cost of one-handed light attacks, allowing you to maintain pressure more efficiently.
2H Mastery
If you prefer two-handed weapons, Deft Strikes reduces the Energy cost of light attacks, while Expert Strikes does the same for heavy attacks. Overlander can improve your movement speed with a two-handed weapon drawn.
Bonus Mastery
Two other useful options are Momentum, which improves Energy recovery while sprinting, and Blitz, which reduces the Energy cost of melee attacks performed while sprinting. For lunge-focused builds, look into Fencing, followed by Limber for 1H weapons or Advanced Footwork for 2H weapons.
Best Character for Melee in HUNGER
Hugo. Go for Hugo. Why?
Hugo is built specifically to close the gap and win brawls. He gains bonus movement speed while holding a melee weapon and features Taste of Blood (Passive) and Zealot (Tactical), both freshly rebalanced for the October 20 closed beta. His damage absorption ability is so OP that it lets you tank a sniper’s opening rifle shot while charging in with your blade.
Best Melee Build
Most of your melee build hinges on the Masteries you pick. From level 10 to level 100, you earn 1 Mastery point per level (90 points total). Your first 15–20 points completely transform how melee plays. So go for these ones to pack a punch when hitting the mobs or other players in melee:
- Generate Energy While Sprinting & Sprint While Attacking: Unlock these immediately after level 10. Being able to regenerate your melee Energy bar while sprinting and swing without breaking stride stops gun users from killing you.
- Arms – Deft Strikes, Expert Strikes, and Limber: Cut the Energy cost of melee swings and boost your combat fluidity so you can chain combos without hitting zero Energy.
- Lunge Unlock, Momentum, and Blitz: The Lunge attack and extending its distance remains essential for snapping onto backpedaling shooters.
- +10% Movement Speed With a Melee Weapon Equipped: Stacks multiplicatively with Hugo’s innate melee speed passive, making you the fastest runner on the map.
- Block Projectiles With Melee Weapons vs. Physiology – Berzerker: You have two endgame routes against gunmen. Taking the Block Projectiles capstone lets you deflect incoming bullets simply by holding your melee block guard. Alternatively, Physiology – Berzerker cuts incoming projectile damage when you carry two melee weapons.
- Stamina Recovery & Vault Cost Reduction: Put 5 points into reduced sprint stamina drain (-30%), instant stamina recovery delay (100% sooner), jump/vault stamina reduction (which jumps from 20% at rank 4 to 40% at rank 5), and +50% faster stamina regen.
- 50% Faster Weapon Draw & Aim Warning: Grab the 50% weapon draw speed perk to counter the new 4-second swap delay, unlock the Leg Armor slot, and work toward the Sixth Sense aim-warning perk, which alerts you the instant a hidden enemy aims a gun at you so you can raise your bullet-blocking melee guard.
HUNGER PvP Melee Tips
These are things I picked up in my +100 hours long playthrough. Make sure you pay attention to each one so you don’t struggle with your melee character.
Fighting in Hallways
HUNGER uses strict physical collision on melee weapon models. If even the very tip of your blade clips a stone wall, doorframe, or pillar during a swing, your attack stops dead and leaves you wide open for a counterattack.
If you bring a Longsword or Zweihander into a tight cellar, staircase, or dungeon hallway, your cleave will (of course) constantly catch on the walls. Inside buildings and dungeons, stick to forward thrusts or better yet, equip a Rapier, Spear, or Short Sword.
How to Win More Melee PvP Fights
Yeah sure, learning the game’s controls is definitely hard, but the bigger challenge is predicting what your opponent is going to do and responding before they get ya.
Against Aggressive Players
Against a crazy swinger, don’t spam back your own attacks. Instead, watch their strikes and look for an opening to parry or dodge. If they’re spending Energy on every swing, they will exhaust themselves before you do. Once their attacks slow down or they leave themselves open, move in for a charged heavy attack. Otherwise, look for a moment to counterattack with a perfect Parry.
Against Defensive Players
If your opponent keeps blocking and waiting for you to attack, use feints to make them react. Start a swing, cancel it early, and watch whether they raise their guard. Repeating this occasionally can force them to spend Energy without you committing to a real strike. And try changing your attack direction rather than just repeatedly swinging into the same spot they keep blocking.
Against Players Using Firearms
Melee can be effective when you’ve already closed the distance, particularly if your opponent is dealing with a slow reload. However, running willy-nilly toward someone with a prepared gun is dumb.
Use cover to approach and avoid spending all your Stamina before reaching melee range. Once you’re close, pay attention to whether they’re trying to fire, switch weapons, or create distance. The October beta introduced a four-second delay when swapping an equipped weapon with one from the inventory. Keep that in mind when deciding whether to commit to a close-range attack.
Why Can’t I Jump or Dodge While Lunging Anymore?
The Lunge move was initially an exploit players used. So Good Fun Corporation removed this ability known among the players as “Lunge Tech” in the October 20, 2026 Closed Beta patch. This was done to balance melee gap-closing speeds. People even used it to jump over chasms.
Why Can’t I Equip Leg Armor on My Melee Build?
As of the October 20 patch, the Leg Armor slot is always visible in the inventory UI, but it stays locked until you spend a Mastery point on the Leg Armor unlock node inside the Survival Mastery tree.
Can You Block Bullets With a Melee Weapon in HUNGER?
Yes, you can go full Overwatch Hanzo. Once you unlock the Block Projectiles With Melee Weapons capstone node in the Mastery tree, holding your melee guard up allows you to deflect incoming bullets at the cost of Energy.
