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[[File:SevenMeleeAttack.jpg|300px|thumb|[[Seven]] performing a heavy melee attack.]]
Every hero can perform a '''melee attack''' to quickly finish off an enemy or do damage while reloading. [[Melee Damage | Melee damage]] scales with levels and with certain [[items]] like {{ItemIcon|Melee Lifesteal}} and {{ItemIcon|Lifestrike}}. A light melee attack can be charged up to a heavy melee attack to lunge forward without using up any of the player's [[Stamina]] and do more damage; however, the amount a player can turn is reduced during the attack animation. Compared to a normal [[Mechanics#Movement |dash]] using one Stamina bar, a heavy melee attack lunge travels the player approximately half of the distance. Charging the melee attack can also be done in the air. The default keybind for melee attacks is <code>Q</code>. Pressing <code>Q</code> triggers a light melee attack, while holding initiates a heavy melee attack.

The cooldown for a heavy melee is 1 second, if you miss your heavy melee it will increase to 1.3 seconds. 

== Overview ==
See [[Melee Damage]] for a list of all heroes' base melee damage and scaling.

Melee attack damage benefits from 50% of all [[Weapon Damage]] buffs.

Last hitting a Trooper with a melee attack will prevent its[[Souls | Soul]] Orb from appearing and give player the full amount of Souls they would have gotten if they shot the Trooper and its orb. Players can perform melee attacks to secure orbs, though they can only do so after a short delay when denying enemy Soul Orbs.

Melee attacks that hit a player climbing an object, such as a ledge or [[Ropes|rope]], will cause an 80% slowdown that ramps down to 20% over 2 seconds. Heavy melee attacks that hit a player carrying the [[Soul Urn]] will force them to drop the urn.

Melee attacks are the only way to interact with the [[Sinner's Sacrifice]] and will cause {{NpcData|neutral_sinners_sacrifice|RetaliateDamage}} retaliation damage (regardless of whether a Light or Heavy melee was used).

Heavy melee attack is the only way to get the [[Powerup|Buffs]], claim [[Rejuvenator]] or loot the bag of unsecured [[Souls]] dropped by a killed hero.

Performing a melee attack will decrease the player's speed shortly after. The amount of speed decreased varies between heroes, and additionally varies depending on if a light or heavy melee is used. The speed decrease can be mitigated through items that give resistance to [[Movement Slow|movement slow]] effects, such as {{ItemIcon|Fleetfoot}} and {{ItemIcon|Enduring Speed}}.

Melee attacks will interrupt [[Reload Time|reloading]] when performed. Light melee attacks (with the exception of {{HeroIcon|Billy}}'s) instantly freeze the reload timer on use, while heavy melee attacks will instead freeze the reload timer once the attacking hero begins lunging. Reloading resumes once the melee animation has completed.

== Parry ==
Parries (Default key: <code>F</code>) are a defensive move that is available to every Hero.

After performing a parry, a Hero briefly enters ''a parry state''. The parry animation lasts 1 second, during which any incoming melee attack will be parried for the first 0.75 seconds. During the ''parry state'', the player can fully absorb melee attacks and apply the following status effects to the melee attackers: stunning the attacker for 2.75 seconds (cannot be reduced by debuff resistance), preventing incoming melee damage, and making the attacker susceptible to increased damage in return (+25% to all damage sources, not just the individual who parried).

A successful parry has a brief 0.3 second window exiting the parry animation in which the player will not be able to perform anything, after which any action (including another parry) can be performed. Holding the parry key allows the player to parry multiple heroes. An unsuccessful parry has a cooldown of 4.5 seconds before another parry can be performed again.

Debuff Resist does not impact the duration of those status effects from being parried. However, {{ItemIcon|Unstoppable}} (and abilities that grant the same effect) does prevent being stunned by a successful parry. 

{{ItemIcon|Counterspell}} and {{ItemIcon|Rebuttal}} give additional effects to parries, with Rebuttal also decreasing parry cooldown to 2.5 seconds.

You can parry [[Troopers]] (blocks damage but doesn't stun them) and [[Guardians]] (blocks damage and prevents them from attacking for a short period; parried Guardian will not attempt another melee attack for a short while). You cannot normally parry [[Walker|Walkers]] or most abilities, with an exception of {{HeroIcon|Viscous}}' {{AbilityIcon|Puddle Punch}}.

== Heavy Melee Cancel ==
'''Heavy Melee Cancel''' is a technique that allows you to interrupt a Heavy Melee attack by using specific [[Active Items]] or [[Abilities]]. This is particularly useful for melee-focused builds, as it can bait enemies into wasting their [[Parry]].

[[File:Heavy_Melee_Cancel.mp4|center|800px]]<center>'''Baiting Heavy Melee by canceling it with {{ItemIcon|Fleetfoot}}.'''</center>

=== How to Perform ===
To execute a Heavy Melee Cancel, follow these steps:
# Buy an [[Active Items|Active Item]] or select a [[Hero]] with an ability that enables Heavy Melee cancellation.
# Initiate a Heavy Melee attack.
# During the '''lunge phase''', activate the item or ability to cancel the recovery animation while maintaining momentum.

==== Items that cancel Heavy Melee ====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+List of items
! Name
! {{Souls|}}Cost
! Category
|-
| {{ItemIcon|Fleetfoot}}
| 1,600
| {{ItemType|Weapon|Weapon}}
|-
| {{ItemIcon|Fury Trance}}
| 3,200
| {{ItemType|Armor|Vitality}}
|-
| {{ItemIcon|Vampiric Burst}}
| 6,400
| {{ItemType|Armor|Vitality}}
|-
| {{ItemIcon|Colossus}}
| 6,400
| {{ItemType|Armor|Vitality}}
|-
| {{ItemIcon|Unstoppable}}
| 6,400
| {{ItemType|Armor|VItality}}
|}

==== Abilities that cancel Heavy Melee ====
Some [[Hero|Heroes]] can perform Heavy Melee Cancel using their innate abilities, but they may be locked out of immediate follow-up attacks due to ability restrictions.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+List of abilities
! Hero
! Ability
|-
| {{HeroIcon|Dynamo}}
| {{AbilityIcon|Singularity}}
|-
| {{HeroIcon|Ivy}}
| {{AbilityIcon|Stone Form}}
|-
| {{HeroIcon|Kelvin}}
| {{AbilityIcon|Ice Path}}, {{AbilityIcon|Frozen Shelter}}
|}

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