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{{MovementTabs|Heavy Melee|Heavy Melee Cancel, Heavy Melee Cancel Extension, Hidden Melee}}
{{TechCard
|name=Heavy Melee
|file=heavymelee.mp4
|tech_type=Universal Tech
|difficulty=Basic Mechanics
|stamina=0
|character_dependent=No
|inputs={{Tooltip|Hold Melee|By default,<code>Q</code>}}
}}
By pressing the melee key, you can execute a Light Melee. By holding the melee key, you can continue winding up your punch to execute a ''Heavy Melee''. A full Heavy Melee lasts for <code>1.25</code> seconds and has a cooldown of <code>1.0</code> seconds when hit and <code>1.3</code> seconds when missed<ref><code>abilities.data</code>, <code>EAttackType_Heavy</code>; <code>m_flCooldownOnHit</code>, <code>m_flCooldownOnMiss</code></ref>. 

A Heavy Melee costs no [[stamina]].

Heavy Melees are available both on the ground and in the air. There are three phases to a Heavy Melee: ''windup'', ''lunge'' and ''recovery''.<ref>Another way to think about it is like a standard move in a standard fighting game. A standard button has startup, active, and recovery frames</ref>

===== Windup =====

Upon initiating a Heavy Melee, you enter the first phase: ''windup''. During windup, you pull back and "windup" your punch. If you were on the ground upon initiation, you are instantly stopped while you windup.

During this phase, you are fully vulnerable and do not yet have a hitbox. While in windup, yellow and orange particle effects will be emitted from your fist and a noticeable sound effect will be played for all players. If you are in the air, you will continue in your current velocity, and be locked out of moving using the standard movement keys.

The windup phase takes <code>0.36</code> seconds.

===== Lunge =====

After the windup phase is the ''lunge'' phase. During the lunge phase, you start lunging forwards and are able to damage other players. The peak speed at which you lunge is <code>750</code> u/s on the ground and <code>797</code> u/s in the air. With the {{ItemType|Weapon}} {{ItemIcon|Melee Charge}}, the peak speed is <code>1125</code> u/s on the ground and <code>1195</code> u/s while stationary in the air. With the upgrade, {{ItemIcon|Crushing Fists}}, the peak speed is <code>1200</code> u/s on the ground and <code>1275</code> u/s while stationary in the air.

During this phase, you have a hitbox attached to you. While you are moving, a small spherical hitbox is attached to your player which can damage opponents. Since you have a melee hitbox applied on your character, you are susceptible to being parried. If any enemy player is hit (including neutral creeps), the rest of the lunge phase is cancelled, the final hitbox will not appear and you immediately enter the recovery phase.

[[File:heavymeleedraw.png|200px|thumb|Visualisation of Heavy Melee using commands; the dense cluster is hitboxes while in the middle of lunge, the large cone and sphere are the final hitboxes.]]

While in lunge phase, turning is slightly restricted<ref><code>abilities.vdata</code>, <code>m_flHeavyMeleeMaxTurnRate</code>. Implemented in [[Update:July_29,_2025|29 July, 2025 Update]]</ref>, with the maximum turn being ~300 degrees. Even with the restriction, you can still fake out opponents and take very sharp turns.

At the end of the lunge phase is a "final hit". This hitbox is much larger and is able to be aimed in any direction. This final hitbox consists of two checks:

* The game checks in a <code>192</code> unit sphere around you to check for enemy players (includes Neutral creeps and minions).
* The game checks in a conical frustum (<code>200</code> units in length and <code>100</code> units in final radius) in front of your current position to check for enemy players (includes Neutral creeps and minions).
* If an enemies hurtbox is in both, they are hit and damaged.

While in the air, you are able to change your direction by ~5° upwards or downwards.

The damage that a Heavy Melee deals depends on the character; the normal damage amount is 116. {{HeroIcon|Ivy}} and {{HeroIcon|Yamato}} deal {{#invoke:HeroData|get_hero_var|Ivy|HeavyMeleeDamage}} and {{#invoke:HeroData|get_hero_var|Yamato|HeavyMeleeDamage}} melee damage, respectively, and {{HeroIcon|Paige}} deals {{#invoke:HeroData|get_hero_var|Paige|HeavyMeleeDamage}} with {{#invoke:HeroData|get_hero_scalar|Paige|Spirit|HeavyMeleeDamage}} Spirit scaling. This damage can be increased by buying items that have the ''+Melee Damage'' stat or by buying items that increase Weapon Damage<ref>Melee attack damage benefits from 50% of all Weapon Damage buffs. </ref>

The lunge phase takes a maximum of <code>0.6</code> seconds.

===== Recovery =====

After the lunge phase is the ''recovery'' phase. In this phase, you no longer have any active hitboxes and stand still. All previous momentum is cancelled and you stop at a standstill, both on the ground and in the air. If you are in the air, all momentum (both the x-axis and the y-axis) is cancelled for a moment.

The recovery phase takes <code>0.2833</code> seconds.

==== Items that increase Heavy Melee Distance ====
Items with the ''+Heavy Melee Distance'' statistic increase the distance of a Heavy Melee. Examples include:
{{Item stat table|Heavy Melee Distance}}