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GINX TV > Guides & Tutorial > ARK Survival Ascended

ARK Survival Ascended Best Melee Weapon: What is the Best Melee Weapon in The Game?

Get your hands dirty as we discuss what the most powerful melee weapon is currently in ARK Survival Ascended.
By Shane Moosa | 
First Published January 9, 2024, 11:09
ARK Survival Ascended Best Melee Weapon: What is the Best Melee Weapon in The Game?
Studio Wildcard

On the island of ARK Survival Ascended, there are numerous strategies to counter the surrounding dangers. While ranged weapons are commonly preferred, the convenience and ease of use of melee weapons should not be underestimated. 

This guide aims to explore the best melee options available in the game, comparing their strengths to help players make an informed choice. Let's delve into the top melee weapon in ARK Survival Ascended without further ado.

What is the Best Melee Weapon in ARK Survival Ascended?

At the time of writing, three weapons hold the top spot as the best melee weapons in the game: the Pike, the Sickle, and the Sword. Among these three, quite unsurprisingly, the Sword takes the top spot as the most powerful melee weapon in ARK Survival Ascended. But why is this the case?

ARK Survival Ascended Best Melee Weapon The Sword
At the time of writing, the sword is the best melee weapon, outclassing the pike and sickle. (Picture: Shane / Studio Wildcard)

While the Pike and Sickle are powerful in their right (both sporting similar damage outputs, and the Sickle has quite a fast swing rate), the Sword trumps both in terms of damage dealt per swing, as well as the swing speed per hit.

The Sword deals just over 2k damage per swing, and with 1.9 swings per second output, it easily overtakes the other two in terms of both attack speed and damage output (with the Pike and Sickle dealing roughly 1.2k damage each and having a swing rate between 1.5 and 1.7 swings per second).

ARK Survival Ascended Best Melee Weapon Sword uses
The sword is not only the highest melee damage dealer, but also the fastest, allowing you to dish out tons of melee damage at a rapid pace. (Picture: Shane / Studio Wildcard)

Now, that isn't to say that the Pike or Sickle don't have their place, as the Pike gives you far more range than the Sword, and the Sickle can be a suitable substitute for the Sword if you're in a pinch and need a melee weapon to take care of some aggressive smaller dinos. But overall, the Sword will be your best friend for most close-range encounters in ARK Survival Ascended.

So there you have it; the most powerful melee weapon in ARK Survival Ascended is currently the Sword, thanks to its high damage output and fast rate of fire (or swings, in this case). We advise that all survivors have a Sword on hand when trekking through the island, and as always, good luck to all our fellow survivors on the island.

Shane Moosa

Written by Shane Moosa

Shane started his career as a freelance writer for Gamezo while working full-time as a software developer. You can often find Shane trying his hand at no-hit runs of Souls Games such as Elden Ring and Dark Souls 3 (and being quite unsuccessful). To relax, Shane will often boot up sessions of Overwatch 2 or Hunt: Showdown, but his interests are spread across various games, from AAA titles (He loved the Dead Space Remake and RE4 Remake) to indies such as Hollow Knight, Celeste, and Hades. Shane is always willing to try new games though, so feel free to drop him an email with what you think he should check out next.