There are 15 different abilities to unlock under the Melee skill tree in Days Gone. From being able to stun nearby enemies with a rock to stealthily attacking larger Freaks.
These skills focus on enhancing Deacon's effectiveness with various melee weapons and boost the durability of each item. This list will guide new Freaker hunters to which abilities they should focus on unlocking first.
10 Field Repairs
By far, this level 1 ability is one of the most significant skills in the game and should absolutely be one of the first skills unlocked. The Field Repairs skill gives Deacon the ability to repair each melee weapon with scrap and costs one skill point.
The player's arsenal of crafted bats and won't last forever so being able to fix one of these busted weapons in the middle of a fight could decide the Drifter's survival.
9 Busted Up
Like most open-world, survival games, stamina will play a big factor when it comes to surviving the Freaker-infested areas of Oregon making it easier to perform more dodge rolls and keeping Deacon alive.
The Busted Up skill is a level 2 skill and will regenerate the player's stamina each time they slice down an enemy with any melee weapon making it less likely that Deacon will be gasping for air as a hoard of flesh-eating monsters closes in.
8 Hard Hitter
These next two skills are nearly as crucial to unlocking early on as the Field Repairs ability. The Hard Hitter skill focuses on the effectiveness of each melee weapon and will make Deacon even more dangerous when carrying around any melee weapon.
This level 2 skill will increase the damage of both crafted and melee weapons found throughout the game giving the player a better chance to slash their way through any situation.
7 Home Run
Mirroring the Hard Hitter ability, the Home Run skill will further increase the damage of any crafted and found melee weapons. As mentioned above, these skills will work best when paired together as a duo and will make each swinging hit even more deadly while extending a weapon's life span as it takes longer to decrease its efficiency.
6 Escape Artist
The chances that Deacon will find himself in the arms of a nearby Freaker is incredibly likely and happen more times than he would probably like. An ability that can be unlocked early on, the Escape Artist skill will prompt a simple mini-game where utilization of the skill will result in eliminating smaller enemies after successfully escaping from their warm embrace.
5 Talk Shit, Get Hit
This skill focuses on giving the backward hat-wearing protagonist the ability to chain together longer combos with each melee weapon. The level 2 skill will make it easier to attack multiple enemies in a row while and it will cost the player just two skill points.
4 Just Roll With It
Like the Busted Up skill previously mentioned, this level 4 ability focuses on improving the player's stamina while rolling, which is a move that should be utilized early and often.
Just Roll With It will drastically reduce the cost of stamina from rolling. This scenario will happen more frequently as each hoard grows in size matching Deacon's fear level as he is being chased by hundreds of Freaks.
3 The Reckoning
The Reckoning skill requires four skill points to unlock and is a level 3 ability. It will give each baseball bat, fire axe, and every other melee weapon around a higher chance to land a critical takedown on various enemies including humans, Swarmers, and Newts making it easier to clear our nests or a group of Rippers.
2 Bull Rush
Occasionally, the player may find themselves frantically sprinting away from a dangerous situation while a swarmer or another enemy type may appear in front of them waiting to attack. This level 3 ability will help take care of those oblivious Freakers.
With the Bull Rush skill equipped, Deacon will be able to perform a drive-by attack on the enemy standing in front of him with any swingable weapon as he drifts past them.
1 Switch It Up
While the boot knife probably won't be used too often, the player may find themselves with a broken weapon, no ammo, and a small knife may be their only defense against an attacker.
With the Switch It Up skill unlocked, the level 5 ability will make the compact blade twice as dangerous and will give Deacon twice the opportunity to escape any scenario.