Melee Skill Tree
The Melee skill tree has 22 skills with 72 levels in total. Levels are learned with Red Dose. Active skills: Grapple.
Skill tree
Strength Boost
Permanently +1 Strength. Improves melee damage, carry weight and door/window breaking.
Muscle strengthening
Increases the melee attack damage by 10%
Speed increase
Increases the attack rate of melee weapons by 10%
Stamina consumption
Reduces stamina cost of melee attacks by 10%
Weapon Maintenance
Reduce durability cost of melee weapons by 30%
Deadly Strike
5% chance for melee attacks to cause critical damage
Ground Slam
Increases the knockback force of melee attacks by 20%
Polearm Mastery
Skilled with spears. Increases melee attack range by 15%.
Blade Mastery
Skilled with bladed weapons. Increases melee attack rate by 12%.
Heavy Strike I
With a melee weapon, hold the attack button for 0.6s+ and release to deliver a heavy strike: damage +60%, knockback +50%, stamina cost +50%. Stamina does not regenerate while the weapon is raised.
Stagger
Monsters hit by a melee critical are stunned for 0.8s. Stunned low-health monsters can be executed.
Grapple
Use the grapple for quick maneuvers or to grab enemies. Need to equip a grappling hook.
Combo Strike
Swing again within 1.5x your attack interval to chain. The 3rd hit is a finisher with 35% more damage.
Heavy Strike II
Hold the attack button for 1.5s+ and release to deliver a stage II heavy strike: damage +140%, knockback doubled, stamina cost doubled. Zombies hit suffer broken bones and are stunned for 1s.
Executioner
Raises the health threshold for executions by 50%.
Grapple-range increase
Increased range of grappling hook
Grapple-lightweight
25% reduced stamina consumption when using a grapple
Roll Counter
Your first melee attack within 1.5s after a roll is a guaranteed critical and costs no stamina.
Ambush
Melee damage +100% against monsters that have not noticed you, and the hit does not alert others.
Second Wind
Restores 10 stamina on each melee kill.
Bloodlust
Melee kills grant Bloodlust for 6s: melee damage +15%, move speed +8%. Further kills refresh the duration.
Bloodthirst
While in Bloodlust, melee kills restore 15 HP
Levels, costs and unlocks
| Skill | Level | Effect | Cost | Requires | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength Boost | 1 to 20 | Permanently +1 Strength. Improves melee damage, carry weight and door/window breaking. | 2 to 40 Red Dose per level | ||
| Muscle strengthening | I | Increases the melee attack damage by 10% | 1 Red Dose | ||
| II | Increases the melee attack damage by 15% | 2 Red Dose | |||
| III | Increases the melee attack damage by 20% | 3 Red Dose | |||
| IV | Increases the melee attack damage by 25% | 4 Red Dose | |||
| V | Increases the melee attack damage by 30% | 5 Red Dose | |||
| Speed increase | I | Increases the attack rate of melee weapons by 10% | 1 Red Dose | ||
| II | Increases the attack rate of melee weapons by 15% | 2 Red Dose | |||
| III | Increases the attack rate of melee weapons by 20% | 3 Red Dose | |||
| IV | Increases the attack rate of melee weapons by 25% | 4 Red Dose | |||
| V | Increases the attack rate of melee weapons by 30% | 5 Red Dose | |||
| Stamina consumption | I | Reduces stamina cost of melee attacks by 10% | 1 Red Dose | ||
| II | Reduces stamina cost of melee attacks by 20% | 2 Red Dose | |||
| III | Reduces stamina cost of melee attacks by 25% | 3 Red Dose | |||
| IV | Reduces stamina cost of melee attacks by 30% | 4 Red Dose | |||
| V | Reduces stamina cost of melee attacks by 50% | 5 Red Dose | |||
| Weapon Maintenance | Reduce durability cost of melee weapons by 30% | 2 Red Dose | |||
| Deadly Strike | I | 5% chance for melee attacks to cause critical damage | 1 Red Dose | ||
| II | 8% chance for melee attacks to cause critical damage | 2 Red Dose | |||
| III | 12% chance for melee attacks to cause critical damage | 3 Red Dose | |||
| IIII | 16% chance for melee attacks to cause critical damage | 4 Red Dose | |||
| V | 25% chance for melee attacks to cause critical damage | 5 Red Dose | |||
| Ground Slam | I | Increases the knockback force of melee attacks by 20% | 1 Red Dose | ||
| II | Increases the knockback force of melee attacks by 40% | 2 Red Dose | |||
| III | Increases the knockback force of melee attacks by 60% | 3 Red Dose | |||
| Polearm Mastery | Skilled with spears. Increases melee attack range by 15%. | 2 Red Dose | |||
| Blade Mastery | Skilled with bladed weapons. Increases melee attack rate by 12%. | 2 Red Dose | |||
| Heavy Strike I | With a melee weapon, hold the attack button for 0.6s+ and release to deliver a heavy strike: damage +60%, knockback +50%, stamina cost +50%. Stamina does not regenerate while the weapon is raised. | 3 Red Dose | |||
| Stagger | I | Monsters hit by a melee critical are stunned for 0.8s. Stunned low-health monsters can be executed. | 2 Red Dose | Deadly Strike | |
| II | Monsters hit by a melee critical are stunned for 1.2s. Stunned low-health monsters can be executed. | 3 Red Dose | |||
| Grapple | Use the grapple for quick maneuvers or to grab enemies. Need to equip a grappling hook. | ||||
| Combo Strike | I | Swing again within 1.5x your attack interval to chain. The 3rd hit is a finisher with 35% more damage. | 2 Red Dose | ||
| II | Finisher damage increased by 60% and its knockback is doubled. | 3 Red Dose | |||
| Heavy Strike II | Hold the attack button for 1.5s+ and release to deliver a stage II heavy strike: damage +140%, knockback doubled, stamina cost doubled. Zombies hit suffer broken bones and are stunned for 1s. | 6 Red Dose | Heavy Strike I | ||
| Executioner | I | Raises the health threshold for executions by 50%. | 2 Red Dose | Stagger | |
| II | Raises the health threshold for executions by 100% and reduces execution stamina cost by 50%. | 3 Red Dose | |||
| Grapple-range increase | I to III | Increased range of grappling hook | 1 Red Dose, 1 Rope to 3 Red Dose, 3 Rope | Grapple | |
| Grapple-lightweight | I | 25% reduced stamina consumption when using a grapple | 1 Red Dose | Grapple | |
| II | 40% reduced stamina consumption when using a grapple | 2 Red Dose | |||
| III | 65% reduced stamina consumption when using a grapple | 3 Red Dose | |||
| Roll Counter | Your first melee attack within 1.5s after a roll is a guaranteed critical and costs no stamina. | 3 Red Dose | |||
| Ambush | I | Melee damage +100% against monsters that have not noticed you, and the hit does not alert others. | 2 Red Dose | ||
| II | Melee damage +200% against monsters that have not noticed you, and the hit does not alert others. | 3 Red Dose | |||
| Second Wind | I | Restores 10 stamina on each melee kill. | 2 Red Dose | ||
| II | Restores 20 stamina on each melee kill. | 3 Red Dose | |||
| III | Restores 30 stamina on each melee kill and keeps regenerating stamina for 10s. | 4 Red Dose | |||
| Bloodlust | I | Melee kills grant Bloodlust for 6s: melee damage +15%, move speed +8%. Further kills refresh the duration. | 3 Red Dose | Second Wind | |
| II | Bloodlust lasts 8s: melee damage +30%, move speed +12%. | 4 Red Dose | |||
| Bloodthirst | I | While in Bloodlust, melee kills restore 15 HP | 3 Red Dose | Bloodlust | |
| II | While in Bloodlust, melee kills restore 25 HP | 4 Red Dose | |||
| III | While in Bloodlust, melee kills restore 35 HP | 5 Red Dose | |||
Other skill trees
Values from the ZED ZONE update of 7 November 2026.