Trench Decay Melee Tier List

Melee weapons in TRENCH: DECAY decide whether your squad survives when ammo vanishes during a gas rotate or final extract sprint. This Melee Tier List uses community-informed early-beta guidance — studio rook. can rebalance light swing, heavy swing, block absorption, and Enlisted Melee Crate pools without warning. Cross-check the Weapons Tier List and Loadouts Tier List after every major patch, especially the Big Bertha update.

Melee drops from Enlisted Melee Crates (gameplay, Codes like MeleeCrateFreebie1, or bundled promos). Medals sometimes unlock specific tools. Rankings ignore cosmetic reskins.

Controls that define melee value

Before tiers matter, bind the basics from Preferences Menu:

• LMB — Light melee swing (fast, lower damage)
• RMB — Heavy melee swing (slow, higher damage)
• B — Block to absorb damage
• T — Kick for space creation

Players who block while a teammate reloads turn B-tier melee into A-tier squad utility. Read Squad Roles for who should hold block duty.

Ranking criteria

Factor	Why it matters
Heavy swing DPS vs safety	Heavy hits win in trenches but expose you
Light swing cleanup speed	Clears weak enemies during extract timers
Block stability	Big Bertha artillery phases punish whiffed blocks
Reach and hitbox feel	Community tests vary by beta build
Crate rarity vs medals cost	ROI for F2P players

S Tier — Must-have archetypes

Balanced trench blade (medium speed / medium damage)
The default “soldier’s blade” archetype from early Enlisted Melee Crates ranks S tier because light swings clean weak targets and heavy swings finish elites in chokepoints. Most extract clutches use this class.

High-block utility melee
Any melee variant with strong block windows sits S tier for squad play — not solo DPS. While one player blocks, others reload rifles from the Weapons Tier List. Big Bertha shell phases made block timing more valuable than raw swing damage in community tests.

Fast light-swing tool
Speed-focused melees rank S tier for players assigned melee cleanup in Squad Roles. You trade heavy one-shot potential for never getting stuck in wind-up animation during gas.

A Tier — Strong second picks

Heavy trench club / slow hard hitter
Slow heavy hitters land A tier in static defense when you know enemy pathing. They drop to B tier during mobile extract rushes — bring a primary you can afford to empty.

Reach-extended pole or shovel archetype
Extra reach helps in wider craters opened post-Big Bertha. A tier for open lanes; B tier in narrow latrine trenches where quick swings win.

Kick-combo friendly sidearm melee hybrid
Some crate rolls emphasize kick follow-ups. A tier if you practice T-kick into light swing; C tier if you forget kick exists.

B Tier — Situational

Novelty melee with slow wind-up
Flashy animations without stat edges sit B tier for fun loadouts. Redeem Codes for free crate rolls before spending medals here.

Duplicate archetype drops
Second copy of a blade you already mastered = B tier stash item until trading or future systems arrive.

Melee you only use because cosmetics match
Fashion loadouts are valid — just call them B tier for serious Live War Map pushes.

C Tier — Niche or outpaced

Low-damage fast swinger without block tools
If light swings tickle elites and you cannot block artillery chip, C tier for endgame sectors.

Heavy melee on a squad with no cover
Any heavy archetype becomes C tier when your public squad sprint-leaves you during wind-up — coordination issue, but common.

D / F Tier — Skip for meta runs

Meme melees with joke hitboxes
Community clips love them; extract rates hate them. D tier until a buff patch.

Melee-only gimmick without pistol backup
Running melee primary with no firearm is F tier for PvE extract reliability — use Loadouts Tier List instead.

Crate and medals progression

1. Redeem MeleeCrateFreebie1 and FRONTPAGEREWARD-style bundles on Codes.
2. Open Enlisted Melee Crates until you own one S-tier archetype (balanced blade or block tool).
3. Spend medals on a block-strong variant if crates refuse to cooperate.
4. Stop opening melee crates once coverage is solved unless you collect cosmetics.

Medals from milestones and codes accelerate step three — do not grind blindly while free crates exist.

Big Bertha impact on melee

Artillery phases from the Big Bertha update forced squads through craters with mixed spacing. Melee notes from community runs:

• Block tools outperformed raw DPS melees during shell telegraphs.
• Fast light swingers secured extract doors while primaries reloaded in cover.
• Kick usage rose in open craters — practice T before you queue ranked-style squads.

Track future tuning on the Updates Hub.

Pairing melee with squad habits

Melee tier alone does not win online co-op extracts. Habits from Beginner Squad Tips:

• Call out when you switch to melee so teammates stop blocking your lane shots.
• Block facing gas side while others interact with objectives.
• Do not heavy-swing into friendly fire angles — trenches are tight.

Assign one melee-focused role per four-stack; two melee mains step on each other’s kicks.

Related pages

• Weapons Tier List — Primary firearms for before melee range
• Loadouts Tier List — Integrated kits
• Getting Started — Full control reference

Melee meta moves slower than firearms but still shifts in early beta. Revisit this list after patch notes and adjust your Enlisted Melee Crate openings accordingly.