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Tier list · Melee
Best melee weapons in DayZ
Forty-three melee weapons that actually spawn, ranked by what a heavy hit does to health and shock, how often it makes the target bleed, and what it costs you to carry. A tier list is an opinion; the numbers under it are from our item pages.
How we rank
Damage, shock, bleed, weight
Each weapon’s score is built from its heavy hit (health damage first, shock second), its light hit, and its bleed chance, then we looked at the result and moved a few by hand for reach and weight. Shock matters because it is what knocks a player out; bleed matters because an infected that bleeds dies on its own. Weight matters because a 5 kg sledgehammer on your back is stamina you do not have when you need to run. How hits work is explained in the combat guide.
The tiers
S to D at a glance
SCarry one of these
Mace, Sledgehammer, Pipe Wrench, Firefighter Axe, Hand Saw. The blunt three stack enough shock to drop a player in two heavy hits; the axe and saw do the most health damage and bleed almost every time.
AAs good as you need
Splitting Axe, Pickaxe, Pitchfork, Combat Knife, Hunting Knife, Improvised Spear, Sword, Nailed Bat, Baseball Bat, Brass Knuckles, Shovel, Field Shovel. The Hunting Knife is the best value in the game: 200 g, common, and it skins animals.
BFine until you find better
Machetes and the Kukri, Hatchet, Hammer, Cleaver, Sickle, Farming Hoe, Ice Axe, Kitchen Knife, Stone Knife, Steak Knife, Bone Knife, Hacksaw, Barbed Bat. Most of your first-hour weapons live here.
CTools that can hit
Crowbar, Pipe, Tire Iron, Meat Tenderizer, Pliers. Carry the crowbar for the doors, not the fights.
DBetter than fists, barely
Screwdriver, Wrench, Broom, Birch Broom. A screwdriver still opens cans, which is its real job.
Every weapon
The full table
Sorted by our score. Click a name for the full item page with where it spawns and what it repairs with.
| Weapon | Type | Heavy hit health / shock | Light hit health / shock | Bleed | Reach | Weight | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMace | Blunt | 30 / 75 | 15 / 30 | High | 1 m | 1.2 kg | Rare |
| SSledgehammer | Blunt | 30 / 75 | 15 / 30 | High | 1 m | 5 kg | Common |
| SPipe Wrench | Blunt | 25 / 60 | 15 / 25 | High | 1 m | 4.4 kg | Common |
| SFirefighter Axe | Blade | 45 / 20 | 22 / 14 | High | 1 m | 2.6 kg | Very Rare |
| SHand Saw | Tools | 45 / 20 | 22 / 14 | High | 1 m | 800 g | Uncommon |
| AImprovised Spear | Blade | 30 / 40 | 20 / 30 | High | 1 m | 500 g | – |
| ACombat Knife | Blade | 38 / 18 | 22 / 12 | High | 1 m | 312 g | Rare |
| AHunting Knife | Blade | 38 / 18 | 22 / 12 | High | 1 m | 200 g | Common |
| APickaxe | Blade | 38 / 18 | 22 / 12 | High | 1 m | 2.5 kg | Common |
| APitchfork | Melee | 38 / 18 | 22 / 12 | High | 2 m | 1.5 kg | Common |
| ASplitting Axe | Blade | 38 / 18 | 22 / 12 | High | 1 m | 1.4 kg | Common |
| ASword | Blade | 38 / 18 | 22 / 12 | High | 1 m | 1.5 kg | Rare |
| ANailed Bat | Blunt | 25 / 45 | 13 / 20 | High | 1 m | 600 g | – |
| ABaseball Bat | Blunt | 25 / 40 | 13 / 18 | High | 1 m | 566 g | Common |
| ABrass Knuckles | Blunt | 25 / 40 | 13 / 18 | High | 1 m | 142 g | Common |
| AField Shovel | Blunt | 25 / 40 | 13 / 18 | High | 1 m | 1.8 kg | Uncommon |
| AShovel | Blunt | 25 / 40 | 13 / 18 | High | 1 m | 3 kg | Common |
| BCrude Machete | Blade | 32 / 16 | 20 / 10 | High | 1 m | 500 g | – |
| BFange | Blade | 32 / 16 | 20 / 10 | High | 1 m | 200 g | Rare |
| BIce Axe | Blade | 32 / 16 | 20 / 10 | High | 1 m | 550 g | Rare |
| BKukri | Blade | 32 / 16 | 20 / 10 | High | 1 m | 250 g | Rare |
| BMachete | Blade | 32 / 16 | 20 / 10 | High | 1 m | 500 g | Common |
| BOriental Machete | Blade | 32 / 16 | 20 / 10 | High | 1 m | 500 g | – |
| BBarbed Baseball Bat | Blunt | 22 / 35 | 13 / 18 | High | 1 m | 600 g | – |
| BHammer | Blunt | 30 / 35 | 15 / 20 | None | 1 m | 940 g | Common |
| BCleaver | Blade | 28 / 14 | 18 / 8 | High | 1 m | 500 g | Common |
| BFarming Hoe | Blade | 28 / 14 | 18 / 8 | High | 1 m | 1.6 kg | Uncommon |
| BHatchet | Blade | 28 / 14 | 18 / 8 | High | 1 m | 1 kg | Common |
| BKitchen Knife | Blade | 28 / 14 | 18 / 8 | High | 1 m | 170 g | Common |
| BSickle | Blade | 28 / 14 | 18 / 8 | High | 1 m | 350 g | Rare |
| BBone Knife | Blade | 25 / 12 | 18 / 8 | High | 1 m | 50 g | – |
| BHacksaw | Tools | 25 / 12 | 18 / 5 | High | 1 m | 800 g | Uncommon |
| BSteak Knife | Blade | 25 / 12 | 18 / 5 | High | 1 m | 90 g | Common |
| BStone Knife | Blade | 18 / 25 | 12 / 17 | High | 1 m | 200 g | Common |
| CCrowbar | Blunt | 15 / 25 | 10 / 15 | High | 1 m | 4.4 kg | Common |
| CMeat Tenderizer | Blunt | 15 / 25 | 10 / 15 | High | 1 m | 350 g | – |
| CPipe | Blunt | 15 / 25 | 10 / 15 | High | 1 m | 3.2 kg | Common |
| CTire Iron | Blunt | 15 / 25 | 10 / 15 | High | 1 m | 1.6 kg | Common |
| CPliers | Blunt | 12 / 17 | 10 / 15 | High | 1 m | 240 g | Rare |
| DScrewdriver | Blade | 15 / 18 | 10 / 12 | None | 1 m | 150 g | Common |
| DWrench | Blunt | 15 / 18 | 10 / 12 | None | 1 m | 340 g | Common |
| DBirch Broom | Blunt | 10 / 15 | 5 / 10 | None | 1 m | 670 g | Uncommon |
| DBroom | Blunt | 10 / 15 | 5 / 10 | None | 1 m | 450 g | Uncommon |
Our picks
What to actually carry
- Fresh spawn: any knife, then a Hatchet or Splitting Axe from a shed, because they also cut wood and open cans.
- Quiet infected clearing: Firefighter Axe if you find one, otherwise the Hand Saw, which does the same heavy hit at a third of the weight.
- Against players: a blunt S-tier weapon for the shock, and then a pistol, because melee against a gun is a bad bet whatever the tier.
- Long trips: Hunting Knife on the belt and nothing heavier than a hatchet on the back. Weight is life on Sakhal and Nasdara.
See the weight planner for what a kit costs in stamina.
Unranked
Not ranked, and why
These are in the game files or in our wiki but either do not spawn on official servers in 1.30, or do not have complete hit stats on their item pages yet: Stun Baton, Chainsaw, Telescopic Baton, Fire Extinguisher, Hay Hook, Ice Hockey Stick, Old Hockey Stick, Canoe Paddle, Electric Cattle Prod, Police Baton, Akina, Doner Knife, Jambiya, Scimitar. We will rank the new Badlands blades once their numbers are confirmed.
Quick answers
Questions people ask
What is the best melee weapon in DayZ?
By heavy-hit damage and shock, the Mace, Sledgehammer and Pipe Wrench top the blunt weapons and the Firefighter Axe and Hand Saw top the blades. For most players the Hand Saw or a Splitting Axe is the best practical choice.
Is the sledgehammer good in DayZ?
Yes. 30 health and 75 shock per heavy hit, enough to knock a player down in two, but it weighs 5 kg and is slow.
What is the best knife in DayZ?
The Combat Knife and the Hunting Knife share the best knife stats (38 health, 18 shock per heavy hit, high bleed). The Hunting Knife is common and weighs 200 g.
Do melee weapons make you bleed in DayZ?
Blades have a high bleed chance; blunt weapons a lower one. A bleeding infected dies on its own, and a bleeding player must bandage.
Why is the Stun Baton not ranked?
It does not spawn on official servers in 1.30 and does shock damage only.
Keep going
More guides and tools
Built 1 November 2026 from the item stats in our wiki, checked against DayZ 1.30 (PC 1.30.164200, console 1.87). Tier placement is our opinion.