10. Wooden Club (Best for beginners)
The Woden Club is probably one of the first melee weapons to get your hands on. It becomes available for crafting at level 8 and it can be effectively used to knock out small creatures. It inflicts 20 Torpor, a useful property if you want to tame, not kill a little creature. It also causes 5 melee damage, so it’s not the best from this category. Another important use is harvesting the bodies of Kairuku for getting incredible amounts of Organic Polymer.
Why is the Wooden Club great:
- It can inflict decent torpor - 20
- Perfect for beginners can be crafted at level 8
- Best at harvesting the corpses of Kairukus for Organic Polymer
- It can knock out Dilos
Woden Club details: https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Wooden_Club
How to get the Woden Club:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qggWtHAt0Bg&ab_channel=Brad%27sAnimations
9. Spear (Best for both close combat and distant targets)
The Spear is an amazing weapon with double use. It is the first available weapon you will craft at level 2. The Spear can be used in close combat with low-level creatures, as it causes decent melee damage of 24. Considering the level, it’s more than enough. It can be thrown and then recollected from the ground. It has a 5% chance of breaking when thrown and a 3.5% chance when landing a close attack.
Why is the Spear great:
- It can be used in two ways
- After throwing it, it can be recollected from the ground
- This weapon has decent melee damage of 24
- Available from level 2
Spear details: https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Spear
How to get the Spear:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gms13P5M_qs&ab_channel=UNCLEARPIXELS
8. Pitchfork (Best for Early-Game on Aberration)
The Pitchfork is available on the Primitive Plus DLC. It resembles the Spear, as it can be used in close combat and it can also be thrown, but it is better through its higher melee damage: 40, compared to 24. Also, it causes ranged damage of 40-50 and it’s available from level 5, making it the perfect weapon for Early-Game. This weapon is perfect for the Aberration DLC, as it doesn’t require stone for crafting. In fact, it only requires 15 x Wood and it can even defeat ravagers.
Why is the Pitchfork great:
- It becomes available at level 5
- Only needs 15 x Wood to be crafted
- It has considerable melee damage for its level (40 damage)
- Both close attacks and long-distance throws can be initiated with this weapon
Pitchfork details: https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Pitchfork_(Primitive_Plus)
How to get the Pitchfork:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91PekeRYGRQ&ab_channel=RYANT1UM
7. Pike(Best for attacking from a safe range)
The Pike becomes available at level 25 and requires 10 Experience points to be unblocked. However, with a higher level comes higher melee damage and attack speed. This weapon can be crafted using a Smithy and it’s essentially the advanced version of the Spear. It even has a better range and knockback than the Sword. Luckily, all it requires is 10x Metal Ingot, 10x Wood, and 20x Hide. However, as nothing can be perfect, it must be mentioned that this is a double-handed weapon that locks your ability to carry a shield in battle.
Why is the Pike great:
- Comes with higher melee damage (50 melee damage)
- Has a rate of fire of 1.5 per second
- It can be used from a safe range in battle
- Has a DPS of 75
Pike details: https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Pike
How to get the Pike:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBoJWlQh5rA&ab_channel=StephenGames
6. Sword (Best for short-range combat & amazing melee damage)
The highlight of the Sword is its powerful melee damage. It causes 90 melee damage with an attack speed of about 1.9 per second. That gives it an incredible DPS of 171, making the Sword one of the best weapons to have in the game. Because of its high damage, the Sword works best in hand-to-hand combat. It also allows you to hold a shield and increases the chances of survival. Other important uses of this weapon are collecting Organic Polymer from corpses with the best efficiency out there and harvesting raw meat from defeated creatures.
Why is the Sword great:
- Incredible melee damage
- Allows you to hold a shield in battle
- It can be used to harvest Organic Polymer
- High DPS: 171, because of the fast attacks rate
Sword details: https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Sword
How to get the Sword: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POMPfWvS_1I&ab_channel=DieselPlays
5. Electric Prod (Best for stunning both creatures & other players)
If other players around you don’t wear Riot Armor, then I have good news. This amazing weapon can instantly knock them out, along with other small creatures. The Electric Prod inflicts 266 Torpor with just one hi. However, it’s the weapon of choice if you are looking to cause melee damage, as it can only deal 1 per hit. Also, it can only be used one time before it needs to be recharged, but if that one time is thoroughly calculated, it can work wonders. Because of its properties, it is a weapon used by more advanced players, becoming available at level 95 and requiring many resources.
Why is the Electric Prod great:
- Requires only one hit to instantly knock out creatures
- Inflicts 266 Torpor with one use
- Best for taming smaller creatures
- It can be recharged with 8 AnglerGel at the Fabricator and used again
Electric Prod details: https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Electric_Prod
How to get the Electric Prod:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40xgzMv-lDs&ab_channel=NerdParade
4. Viking Axe( Best for close combat on Primitive Plus DLC)
The Viking Axe is a melee weapon available in the Primitive Plus DLC. Feel like a powerful Viking and inflict incredible melee damage of 125 with one hit with this axe. It was specifically structured for combat, with a durability of 70 and only -0.3 peruse. The Viking Axe becomes available at level 59, requiring 20 experience points to be unlocked. It can be crafted in the Grindstone and the crafting cost is actually decent. It is more powerful than a Sword, but it still has a place for improvement, dealing less damage than the Battle Axe.
Why is the Viking Axe great:
- It causes unbelievable melee damage (125 melee damage per hit)
- Comes with decent durability of 70
- The crafting cost for this weapon is convenient: 25x Steel Ingot. 1 x Wood, 15 x Hide
- The ideal weapon for close combat
Viking Axe details: https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Viking_Axe_(Primitive_Plus)
How to get the Viking Axe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnfOGNV1d3I&ab_channel=GTJack3d
3. Sharpened Sword (Best for both safe range attacks and high damage)
The Sharpened Sword is an improved alternative to the classic Sword, combining the range of its initial model with the powerful melee damage of a Battle Axe. This results in a great short-range weapon that causes 130 damage per hit. Unfortunately, it is only available in the Primitive Plus DLC. It can be crafted in the Grindstone and it requires an already available Sword that will be sharpened. This weapon can’t be repaired, having decent durability of 70.
Why is the Sharpened Sword great:
- It has one of the highest melee damages out there (130 melee damage)
- This weapon offers the range of a Sword
- It has decent durability of 70
- It’s probably one of the most effective weapons in close combat
Sharpened Sword details: https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Sharpened_Sword_(Primitive_Plus)
How to get the Sharpened Sword:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsRybtggIbo&ab_channel=Geek0saurus
2. Battle Axe (Best for Mid-Game)
The Battle Axe is the most powerful weapon in the Primitive Plus DLC of Ark Survival Evolved. Its melee damage is 155, making it perfect for combats, as well as extremely effective on structures. This weapon becomes available at level 50 and requires 25 Experience Points to be unlocked. Despite all its advantages, it only requires 35 x Steel Ingot, 5 x Wood, and 10x Leather to be crafted. It is the perfect weapon for players who have advanced past the Early-Game and are ready to discover the real challenges of the game.
Why is the Battle Axe great:
- It has the highest melee damage
- Easy to craft and decent cost of crafting materials
- Can also harm structures made of thatch, wood, and even stone
- Incredible DPS and straight damage
Battle Axe details: https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/BattleAxe_(Primitive_Plus)
How to get the Battle Axe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99C0qoDHRdU&ab_channel=Syntac
1. Tek Sword (Best for the highest melee damage in the game)
The Tek Sword is by far the winner of this top. It can be found on Ragnarok, Extinction, and Genesis: Part 1, and it can deal 200 melee damage with one hit. Its properties are close to unbelievable. With the highest melee damage also comes great durability of 140. Also, the sword can damage stone tiers, metal tiers, wood, and of course, thatch. It can even damage Auto Turrets and Tek Turrets and it allows holding a shield in battles. This weapon can be crafted in a Tek Replicator and uses Element as ammo, so it’s perfect for advanced players.
Why is the Tek Sword great:
- Best melee weapon, inflicting 200 melee damage
- Great durability (140)
- It allows holding a shield in battle
- Comes with a powerful right-click charge attack
- It can damage both creatures and strong structures
Tek Sword details: https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Tek_Sword_(Ragnarok)
Hw to get the Tek Sword: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRvdiHTwvZs&ab_channel=Fresonis
You May Also Be Interested In:
- [Top 5] Ark Survival Best Character Builds
- [Top 10] Ark Survival Evolved Best Dinos
- [Top 10] Ark Survival Evolved Best Tames And Why They're Great
- [Top 10] Ark Survival Best Flying Dinos And Why They’re Great
- [Top 5] Ark Survival Evolved Best Armor and How To Get Them
- [Top 10] Ark Survival Best Base Locations And Why They're So Good
- [Top 15] Ark Survival Evolved Best Mods
- [Top 5] Ark Survival Evolved Best Fishing Baits
- 10 Best Weapons in Ark: Survival Evolved
- 25 Best Ark: Survival Evolved Settings That Give You An Advantage
- [Top 5] Ark Survival Best Berry Gatherers To Have