Discover everything you need to know about the Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76, including the best perk cards and weapons.

Ghouls in Fallout 76 are humans who have survived a nuclear holocaust, and they exhibit a zombie-like appearance. They are resistant to radiation damage and have enhanced regeneration. With the arrival of a recent update, Ghoul received 28 new Perk cards and 2 legendary Perk cards. A Melee Ghoul Build is a powerful and unique playstyle that allows you to deal heavy crit damage while fighting enemies in close-range combat. Heavy armor is ideal for a Melee ghoul build, offering high protection against incoming damage. Managing your survivability is crucial while running this build, as enemies can be brutal in close-range combat. Choose the perk cards that increase the effectiveness of this build, as gameplay is mostly centered around them. In this guide, we’ll discuss the best Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76, including some useful tips and tricks and the best perks to use.
Everything About Melee Ghoul Build in Fallout 76
A Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76 offers high melee damage and powerful melee attacks. This build focuses on close combat, where you rely on powerful melee attacks while using your regeneration to eliminate enemies. Our Melee Ghoul build includes Power Fist, Plasma Cutter, and Super Sledge to deal massive damage while fighting enemies. Civil Engineer Armor is the best armor to equip because it provides maximum protection against several threats in the area.
Ninja, Blocker, Iron Fist, Martial Artist, Gladiator, Incisor, Ghoulish, and Bloody Mess are the best skills to unlock for the Melee Ghoul build. Strength, Endurance, and Agility are the best attributes to focus on as they increase your effectiveness in combat and exploration as well. However, this build is vulnerable in long-range combat as you don’t have any ranged weapon to deal damage. Melee weapons and armor require regular repairs, so keep a keen eye on their durability.
Melee Ghoul Build Pros | Melee Ghoul Build Cons |
---|---|
Strong Melee Combat | Vulnerable in Long-Range Combat |
Sustained Combat Durability | Lack Heavy Hits |
Health Regen |
Best Strategy For Melee Ghoul Build in Fallout 76
Focus on Strength, Endurance, and Agility to enhance your combat effectiveness, especially in late-game battles. Investing points in Strength allows you to increase melee damage and carrying capacity. Endurance, on the other hand, increases your health and radiation resistance. Focus on Agility for dodging and quick attacks while battling the enemies in close-range combat. Unlock perks like Radioactive Strength, Brick Wall, Slugger, Incisor, Iron First, and Block to boost the effectiveness of your build. Use the Power Fist weapon to deal massive damage in melee range. You can swap to the Plasma Cutter if your primary weapon isn’t bringing any positive outcomes.
If you’re looking to deal heavy damage, then equip the Super Sledge along with a perk like Gladiator. Ensure you’re equipping the best armor to get maximum protection while fighting the enemies in melee range. Use toxic goo to quickly raise your “Glow” meter. Use power attacks as often as possible to take advantage of the “Radioactive Strength” perk. The Melee build is more effective while fighting the enemies in close range, so use the movement speed to close the gap between the enemies and yourself. You must drink plenty of water to stay healthy and avoid dehydration.
Best Weapons For Melee Ghoul Build in Fallout 76

Here are the best weapons for the Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76.
Power Fist
- Damage: 74
- Level 50
- Speed: Medium
- AP Cost: 35
- Weight: 4.0
Power Fist is the best melee weapon for a Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76. It offers high base damage and a fast attack speed. This is ideal for dishing out enemies in close-range combat with a good balance of speed and power. The Power Fist cannot be used in conjunction with power armor. It requires level 30 to first equip and is available in two more grades at levels 40 and 50. You can craft the Power Fist at a weapons workbench once the associated plan is learned. There will be a unique commentary from the hunter if you have Power Fist equipped during the Radstag Hunter random encounter. This weapon is designed for builds relying on melee damage. You can pair it with perk cards to make it more effective, enhancing the damage output in combat.
Plasma Cutter
- Damage: 74
- Level: 50
- Speed: Medium
- AP Cost: 35
- Weight: 3.0
A Plasma Cutter is the best melee weapon to include in your Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76. This weapon can have elemental effects like fire, cryo, and shock to deal more damage. You can pair it with the perks like Hack and Slash to tag enemies. It can deal high damage, especially when paired with the right legendary effects and mods. It has high swing speed, allowing for quick attacks. You can customize the Plasma Cutter with different skins like Samurai Katana skin. This weapon is used in stealth melee builds, especially when paired with perks like Chinese Stealth and Ninja.
Super Sledge
- Damage: 85
- Speed: Slow
- AP Cost: 45
- Value: 70
- Weight: 20.0
Super Sledge is the best two-handed melee weapon allowing you to deal massive damage in close range combat. You can invest in perks like Gladiator and Incisor to enhance the effectiveness of this weapon. Super Sledge has a slow speed but has huge damage output. Your main goal is to deal massive damage in combat, and this melee weapon is your best pick. Super Sledge’s massive hit damage makes it perfect for this purpose. This weapon also has a long reach, meaning you can deal damage from a distance as well while keeping the enemy away. However, the slower speed can cause the player character to get stuck if faced with a faster-hitting melee opponent.
Best Armor For Melee Ghoul Build in Fallout 76

Here is the best armor for a Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76.
Civil Engineer Armor
- Damage Resistance: 144
- Energy Resistance: 287
- Radiation Resistance: 181
Civil Engineer is the best medium armor in Melee Ghoul build because it provides excellent protection to your character in the game. A complete set of this armor adds a 10% chance to deal 150 Fire damage over 3 seconds to melee attackers. You can find the plans of the Civil Engineer by completing quests like All the World’s a Stage, Honor Bound, and Sins of the Father. However, the armor type doesn’t really matter for a Ghoul. What matters are the mods that you put on your armor for your playstyle. You can have chameleon as your one star, strength as your two stars, and three-star burning. If you don’t have a flaming sword or another fire-dealing weapon, you don’t need to invest in the burning mod.
T-65 Power Armor
- Damage Resistance: 400
- Energy Resistance: 370
- Radiation Resistance: 415
T-60 Power Armor is also a good choice to gain maximum protection, and it can also boost your damage resistance. Use this armor to gain a massive boost in survivability and armor protection. This is perfect for tanking damage in close combat, especially with the Onslaught perk card. It provides good radiation protection, stronger than the T-45, T-51, and Ultracite. Use it with effective mods to make this armor even more powerful, increasing your survivability in the game. T-60 excels at protecting against radiation damage, making it a valuable choice in irradiated areas. T-60 is easier to find and acquire, making it a good choice for players who are still leveling up.
Best Perks Melee Ghoul Build in Fallout 76
Incisor is the best perk for the Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76 because it allows your weapons to deal massive damage by ignoring the target’s armor. You can transform into ghouls with the recent The Ghoul Within update. This build allows you to deal massive damage with melee weapons that increase combat effectiveness. Here are the best perks for the Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76.
- Grim Reaper’s Sprint- Any kill in V.A.T.S. has a 35% chance to restore all Action Points.
- Incisor- Your melee and unarmed weapons ignore 75% of your target’s armor.
- Ninja- Sneak attacks with melee weapons do an additional 90% sneak attack damage.
- Ghoulish- Radiation now regenerates even more of your lost Health.
- Slugger- Our two-handed melee weapons now do +20% damage.
- Expert Slugger: Your two-handed melee weapons now do +20% damage.
Best Perks Beginner Build in Fallout 76
Dodge is the best perk for a beginner build because it allows you to avoid the incoming damage for action points. At the game’s early stages, you need to increase your survivability to progress smoothly, so choose the perk that lets you live longer. Selecting the right perk for the beginner Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76 allows you to increase your character’s abilities and survivability. Here are some of the best perks to consider for your beginner build.
- Action Boy/Girl- Action Points regenerate 45% faster.
- Dodgy- Avoid 30% of incoming damage at the cost of 30 Action Points per hit.
- Bloody Mess- 15% bonus damage means enemies may explode into a gory red paste.
- Grim Reaper’s Sprint- It provides you a chance to regain Action Points (AP) on kills.
- Strong Back- Gain more carry weight based on your Strength.
- Life Giver- Gain more max HP per point in Endurance.
Best Main Stats Perks for Melee Ghoul Build in Fallout 76

Expert Slugger is the best main stat perk for the Melee Ghoul build because it allows your two-handed melee weapon to deal more damage. Focus on increasing your survivability, damage output, and utility. You can allocate a total of 56 SPECIAL points to increase your character’s stats. You start with 1 point in each of the 7 SPECIAL attributes for a total of 7 points. And you gain 1 SPECIAL point every time you level up. You’ll have a total of 56 SPECIAL points to spend at level 50. Here are some of the best maintenance perks for the Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76.
- Serendipity- This perk allows you to reduce the chance of taking a critical hit from enemies, increasing your survivability.
- Sturdy Frame- Armor weighs 50% less than normal.
- Refractor- Gain Energy Resistance based on your PER.
- Expert Slugger- It increases your two-handed melee weapon damage.
- Radicool- The greater your Rads, the greater your Strength (max +5 STR)
- Ninja- increases your melee damage when sneaking.
Best Skill Perks for Melee Ghoul Build in Fallout 76
Slugger is the best skill perk for the Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76 because it increases your melee damage in close-range combat. Here are some of the best skill perks to consider for the Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76.
- Four Leaf Clover- Misses in V.A.T.S. now contribute to the Critical Meter based on your Luck.
- Scrapper- Obtain more components when you scrap weapons and armor.
- Slugger- It increases your melee damage significantly.
- Ghoulish- It increases your healing over time, even when you’re low on health.
- Rejuvenated- Benefits of being well-fed or Hydrated are further increased when you have less than 10% RADS.
- Born Survivor- Falling below 40% health will automatically use a Stimpak once every 20 seconds.
Best Combat Perks for Melee Ghoul Build in Fallout 76
Iron Fist is the best combat perk for a Melee Ghoul build because it allows you to deal additional damage in combat. These perks must synergize with the unique abilities and mechanics of the Melee Ghoul. Here are some of the best combat-focused perks for the Melee-Combat Ghoul build.
- Blocker- Take less damage from your opponents’ melee attacks.
- Ninja- It boosts your damage while sneaking, which can be devastating in combat
- Grim Reaper’s Sprint- Every time you kill an enemy, you restore AP.
- Iron Fist- Your punching attacks now do +20% damage.
- Martial Artist- Your melee weapons weigh 60% less, and you can swing them 30% faster.
- Dodgy- This is useful in melee combat, where you’re often up close to enemies, as it lets you spend AP to reduce damage from incoming attacks.
- Gladiator- It boosts your damage with one-handed melee weapons.
Best Potions For Melee Ghoul Build in Fallout 76

Here are the best potions for the Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76.
- Toxic Goo- Deals a high amount of radiation damage (125 rads) to the player but also provides a significant health restoration effect.
- Firecracker berry juice- Use this to increase critical damage up to +25%.
- Cranberry moonshine- This potion allows you to gain +1 Charisma, +1 Strength, -1 Intelligence, and HP max +25.
- Whiskey- Provides a +6 Strength boost, allowing you to increase melee damage.
- Nukashine- Grants a 100% melee damage increase.
Best Tips and Tricks for Melee Ghoul Build in Fallout 76
Here are the best tips and tricks for the Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76.
- Invest in Lone Wanderer to reduce damage taken and increase your damage output while playing solo.
- Make sure to stay close to your allies who can offer buffs. This allows you to increase your survivability.
- Keep your weapons upgraded to deal maximum damage with fast attack speed.
- Invest points in Agility to maximum combat effectiveness.
- Invest in Strength, Agility, and Luck to increase your potential while fighting the enemies.
- Maximize your melee damage, radiation resistance, and ghoul glow.
- Prefer the perks that boost unarmed damage, radiation resistance, and critical hit damage.
- Use Toxic Water or Toxic Goo to keep your ghoul’s glow as full as possible, providing you additional damage.
- Focus on taking down enemies that are weak to melee damage.
- Use VATS for critical hits and to maximize damage output.
FAQs about the Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76
What is Ghoul in Fallout 76?
Ghouls in Fallout 76 are humans that are mutated by the radiation of the nuclear wasteland. Becoming a ghoul is a permanent change unless you manually revert.
What are the best perks for the Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76?
Ninja, Blocker, Iron Fist, Martial Artist, Gladiator, Incisor, Ghoulish, and Bloody Mess are the best skills to unlock for the Melee Ghoul build.
Which is the best weapon for a Melee Ghoul build in Fallout 76?
Power Fist, Plasma Cutter, and Super Sledge are the best weapons for a Melee Ghoul build because they allow you to deal melee damage and eliminate enemies without making much noise.
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