Every player in Minecraft Dungeons has a melee weapon and a ranged weapon. As you journey through the game you'll be able to choose from a huge range of options and upgrades. There are many different weapon categories and each one has unique features that are often useful for different purposes or fights.
Here we take a look at the different weapon types and assess the advantages and disadvantages of each one. We'll also take a look at the Unique variants which add extra buffs to your weapons and bring even more power to the weapon class.
Updated November 3, 2020, By Helen Ashcroft: As Minecraft Dungeons continues to be updated and expanded there are even more melee weapons to choose from, including the new whips introduced in the Jungle Awakens DLC. This means more options and more categories to rank.
Having a good melee weapon can truly make or break your game, especially since arrows can quickly run out as the difficulty ramps up, leaving you minus a functioning ranged weapon. All players will want at least one decent melee weapon and it can be useful to keep hold of a few, in order to better cope with the specific challenges of different areas.
With this in mind, we've expanded this list to cover all the current weapon categories in the game so you can ensure you find the best melee weapon for your needs.
15 Sickles: The Last Laugh
Sickles have some speed but are not a great choice for packs of mobs, making them weak in many situations. They pack more power than a gauntlet but their extra boosts are also less useful, making them weaker overall.
The Last Laugh is the unique sickle and will increase Emerald drops. If you enchant it with looting-based options then it can be a solid choice to farm singular mobs but generally, you'll want to find almost anything else for everyday use.
14 Mace: Flail
The Mace is a solid weapon but has nothing special about it that sets it apart from others. Its brute force style means it deals a decent amount of damage but is very slow and lacks the range benefit of a spear.
The Flail is the unique mace and will bind and chain enemies. While this is useful they still need to get very close for the effect to work due to the weapons limited range.
13 Gauntlets: Fighter's Bindings
Gauntlets are a reasonable choice due to their speed. However, they are best used heavily enchanted in order to trigger the benefits often and get the most out of their speed. You will find them in lower levels including Cacti Canyon and Soggy Cave but there are more solid choices for early gameplay.
Those who want to use Gauntlets should seek out the Fighter's Bindings which offer turbo punches and an attack speed boost. Once enchanted and leveled they can prove to be a solid and versatile choice.
12 Whip: Vine Whip (Jungle Awakens DLC)
The whip suffers by way of being a weapon exclusive to the Jungle Awakens DLC. However, if you have the pack it's worth the trip due it its incredible power. It may not be the fastest weapon but it packs a huge punch.
The Vine Whip also offers a longer melee reach and adds poison to your enemies. For a cool-looking weapon that can inflict a lot of harm this is a solid choice. Just make sure you aren't in a mob pack or you'll struggle.
11 Sword: Diamond Sword
Swords are a staple of Minecraft and the tradition is carried on here. While the basic starter sword you are given is pretty useless, there are some much stronger ones that can be acquired later on.
Just as in the sandbox game, the Diamond Sword is the one to look out for. This unique item deals extra damage and is a solid choice for melee lovers who want to feel like they are truly in the Minecraft world.
10 Daggers: Fangs Of Frost
Why have one blade when you can have two? Dual wield daggers are fast and powerful with some great enchants that help them reach their potential.
If you get your hands on the unique Fangs of Frost you'll also be able to slow enemies with your icy blades, giving you more survivability in battle.
9 Pickaxe: Diamond Pickaxe
It wouldn't be Minecraft without a pickaxe now, would it? While the basic pickaxe is a very average type of weapon, there is profit to be gained if you can find the unique Diamond Pickaxe.
This item not only helps you feel like you're in the Minecraft world but it will also give you extra emeralds. These are used to purchase items at camp and can help you upgrade your gear fast, making this a nice bonus.
8 Spear: Whispering Spear
One of the main advantages of the spear is that it can reach enemies at a distance. Since enemies including zombies and spiders need to be in close range to attack, a weapon with a long reach can be hugely advantageous in the early game especially. Since Spears can drop from Creeper Woods they are worth keeping an eye out for.
The unique Whispering Spear not only combines the solid power and large melee range but it extends that range and adds the ability to occasionally strike twice. As spears are slow this is a huge advantage for those who want to keep enemies at a distance.
7 Cutlass: Dancer's Sword
Cutlasses are a solid choice of weapon that includes a reliable combo buff right from the early levels upward. They are dropped from Fiery Forge, Cacti Canyon, and Redstone Mines and can also be acquired from the Blacksmith at camp.
The unique version of the weapon type is the Dancer's Sword which also increases your attack speed, making it a great choice for DPS lovers.
6 Great Hammer: Hammer Of Gravity
The great hammer is best used in the middle of a pack of mobs, thanks to its great splash effect. If you're lucky enough to get hold of the unique Hammer of Gravity it will also pull in enemies toward you, making it a neat tanking weapon.
The great hammer drops from the Fiery Forge and Obsidian Pinnacle as well as having a chance to be crafted by the camp Blacksmith.
5 Claymore: Heartstealer
The Claymore is a tanking weapon that deals solid damage and has a powerful pushback at all levels. You can grab one from Obsidian Pinnacle or the Blacksmith.
The Heartstealer is the unique for this weapon class and will also leech health from mobs, making it incredibly powerful when combined with tanking armor and artifacts.
4 Soul Scythe: Jailor's Scythe
The Soul Scythe will increase soul gathering for anyone looking to take advantage of harvested souls. It is a strong melee weapon and looks fantastic.
If you are fighting a large number of enemies then the Unique version, Jailor's Scythe, really comes into its own as its extra effect is to bind and chain enemies. This weapon is sure to boost your versatility.
3 Double Axe: Cursed Axe
The Double Axe proves that two blades are better than one. Not only is it a solid melee weapon but it also has a spin attack, which looks great and deals solid damage at all levels and rarities.
The unique version, Cursed Axe, will cause all defeated mobs to explode, dealing damage and making everything look chaotic. It also has some powerful enchants.
2 Soul Knife: Eternal Knife
Soul Knives can be found in the Soggy Swamp and Desert Temple as well as having a chance to be crafted by the Blacksmith. They are powerful and are a must for anyone with a soul collecting build.
The basic knives will gather souls and also have a thrust attack. The unique Eternal Knife will give a further boost to your soul collection, enhancing your overall power.
1 Glaive: Venom Glaive or Grave Bane
Glaives of all types make great melee weapons at every level thanks to their longer melee reach. Being able to melee mobs who like to keep a distance or hitting others before they get too close is powerful in all situations.
If you are lucky enough to get your hands on the Grave Bane you'll also notice that it deals extra damage to undead, making skeletons and zombies easy to defeat. The Venom Glaive is another unique and this one spawns poison clouds, dealing extra damage to close by enemies.