⚔️ Melee Combat

“Never bring a gun to a knife fight. Especially if the knife is attached to a three-meter-tall ‘borg.”

This covers close quarters combat — melee weapons, brawling, grappling, martial arts, and human shields. Melee combat is BRUTAL in Cyberpunk RED because it ignores half your armor.

🌍 Lore: Why Knives Still Kill in 2045

In a city bristling with firearms, you’d think blades would be obsolete. You’d be wrong. Night City’s cramped megabuilding corridors, stairwells, and cargo containers make close quarters the default. A sword or mantis blade doesn’t alert every ganger on the floor. And with cyberware like Wolvers (retractable claws), Mantis Blades, and Big Knucks, the human body itself becomes a weapon factory.

Street fighters train in underground gyms and dojo basements — Karate in Watson, Aikido in Japantown, and whatever the Maelstrom call their augmented flailing. The Tyger Claws are infamous for their katana-wielding enforcers, and more than one corporate bodyguard practices Judo to disarm would-be assassins without making a mess on the executive carpet.

Then there’s the noise problem. Guns draw NCPD, MAX-TAC, or worse. A knife in the ribs? That’s just Tuesday in the Combat Zone.

---

⚡ Quick Reference

Melee Combat At A Glance

Attack Roll: DEX + Melee Skill + 1d10 vs. DEX + Evasion + 1d10

🔥 MELEE WEAPONS & MARTIAL ARTS IGNORE HALF ARMOR! (Round up. Brawling does NOT.)

Weapon Type	Damage	ROF	Concealable?
Light (knife)	1d6	2	Yes
Medium (machete)	2d6	2	No
Heavy (sword)	3d6	2	No
Very Heavy (chainsaw)	4d6	1	No

---

🥊 The Attack Roll

Melee is an opposed roll — both attacker and defender roll dice.

Attacker’s DEX + Melee Skill + 1d10

vs.

Defender’s DEX + Evasion + 1d10

Result	Outcome
Attacker higher	Hit! Deal damage
Tie	Defender wins — attack blocked/dodged
Defender higher	Attack dodged/blocked

Unlike Ranged Combat

In melee, the defender ALWAYS rolls. There’s no “static DV” — it’s always an opposed check.

Example: Melee Attack

Attacker: DEX 7 + Melee 4 + 1d10 (6) = 17 Defender: DEX 5 + Evasion 3 + 1d10 (7) = 15

Attacker wins! The machete connects.

---

🔥 The Armor-Piercing Truth

Melee Ignores HALF Armor!

Melee weapon attacks and Martial Arts attacks only count half the defender’s SP (round up). Brawling does NOT get this benefit — punches face full armor.

This is why melee fighters are TERRIFYING. That SP 11 Light Armorjack? It’s only SP 6 against a sword.

Example: Armor Reduction

Target: SP 11 Light Armorjack Your weapon: Heavy Melee (3d6 = 14 damage)

Effective SP: 11 ÷ 2 = 5.5 → 6 (rounded up) Damage: 14 - 6 = 8 HP damage

Against a pistol doing the same 14 damage, they’d only take 3 HP.

---

🗡️ Melee Weapons

Weapons Table

Type	Examples	Hands	Damage	ROF	Conceal?	Cost
Light	Combat Knife, Tomahawk	1	1d6	2	Yes	50eb
Medium	Baseball Bat, Crowbar, Machete	1	2d6	2	No	50eb
Heavy	Lead Pipe, Sword, Spiked Bat	2	3d6	2	No	100eb
Very Heavy	Chainsaw, Sledgehammer, Naginata	2	4d6	1	No	500eb

ROF (Rate of Fire)

• ROF 2 = Can attack twice per Action
• ROF 1 = Can attack once per Action (only Very Heavy)

BODY 8+ Exception

Characters with BODY 8 or higher can wield a two-handed melee weapon in one hand. This means a BODY 8 Solo can swing a sword while holding a pistol!

---

🥋 Brawling (Unarmed Combat)

No weapon? No problem. Punch, kick, headbutt, bite — whatever works.

Skill: Brawling (DEX)
ROF: 2 (attack twice per Action)
Armor: Does NOT ignore half armor (unlike melee weapons)

Brawling Damage by BODY

BODY	Damage
4 or less	1d6
5-6	2d6
7-10	3d6
11+	4d6

Cyberarm Bonus

If you have a Cyberarm, your Brawling damage is at least 2d6, even if your BODY is 4 or less.

Example: Bar Fight

You have BODY 7 (3d6 Brawling damage) and DEX 6 + Brawling 3.

Attack 1: Roll 16 vs. opponent’s 12 → Hit! 3d6 = 11 damage Target has SP 7, so: 11 - 7 = 4 HP damage

Attack 2: Roll 14 vs. opponent’s 18 → Miss!

One punch lands, one doesn’t.

---

🥋 Martial Arts

Trained combat that ignores half armor like melee weapons.

Skill: Martial Arts ×2 (DEX) — costs double IP
ROF: 2
Damage: Same as Brawling table (based on BODY)
Special: Ignores half armor!

Martial Arts Forms

Each form has unique Special Moves. You need at least 1 point in that Form to use its moves.

Form	Style	Unique Moves
Aikido	Soft — locks & throws	Disarming Combination, Iron Grip
Judo	Soft — grabs & throws	Armor Breaking Combo, Counter Throw
Karate	Hard — bone-breaking strikes	Bone Breaking Strike, Armor Breaking Blow
Taekwondo	Hard — high kicks	Pressure Point Strike, Flying Kick

Shared Special Move (All Forms)

• Recovery: When using Get Up Action, beat DV13 to stand up for free (no Action cost)

Example: Martial Arts vs. Brawling

Both fighters have BODY 7 (3d6 damage) and DEX 6. Target has SP 11 armor.

Brawler hits for 12:

• 12 - 11 (full SP) = 1 HP damage

Martial Artist hits for 12:

• Effective SP: 11 ÷ 2 = 6
• 12 - 6 = 6 HP damage

Martial Arts does 6× more damage against armored targets!

---

🤼 Grappling

Grabbing, choking, throwing — the dirty stuff.

Step 1: Initiate a Grab

Action: Grab
Requirement: You need a free hand
Roll: DEX + Brawling + 1d10 vs. Target's DEX + Brawling + 1d10

If you win, choose one:

1. Grab hold → Both enter a Grapple
2. Steal an item → Take something they’re holding

Step 2: While Grappled

Who	Effect
Both	-2 to all Actions
Defender	Cannot use Move Action (dragged by Attacker)
Both	Cannot use two-handed weapons
Attacker	Can end Grapple for free (no Action)
Defender/Others	Must succeed at a Grab to break free

Step 3: What Can You Do?

Once you’re grappling someone, you can:

Choke

• Action: Choke
• Effect: Deal your BODY stat directly to HP (ignores armor!)
• Special: Can’t reduce below 1 HP (they go Unconscious instead)
• Knockout: Choke for 3 successive Rounds → target goes Unconscious regardless of HP

Throw

• Action: Throw
• Effect: Deal your BODY stat directly to HP (ignores armor!)
• Result: Grapple ends, target is Prone

Human Shield

• Action: Equip as Human Shield
• Effect: You’re now in cover (see below)

Example: Choke Hold

You have BODY 7 and successfully Grapple a ganger.

Turn 1: Choke → 7 damage directly to HP (no armor!) Turn 2: Choke → 7 more damage Turn 3: Choke → Automatic knockout (3 rounds rule)

Total: Clean takedown, no weapons, no noise.

---

🛡️ Human Shields

Using a Person as Cover

This is Night City. Sometimes the only cover is the guy who was trying to kill you.

Using a Living Human Shield

Requirements:

1. You must be the Attacker in a Grapple
2. Not already wielding a shield

Action: Use an Action to “equip” them as a Human Shield

While Wielding:

• You are considered in cover against ranged attacks
• Can interpose shield against attacks you can see
• Your Human Shield cannot dodge (even with REF 8+)
• They take damage normally when shot
• You can attack your own Human Shield (it’s practically tradition)

Restrictions:

• ❌ Cannot block Melee Attacks
• ❌ Cannot block Aimed Shots at your head

Using a Corpse as a Shield

Situation	Result
Human Shield dies while equipped	Auto-becomes Corpse Shield
Picking up a fresh corpse	No Grapple needed!
Corpse Shield HP	Equal to corpse’s BODY when alive
Dropping corpse	Costs an Action

Tactical Corpse Usage

Kill someone, pick up their body, use them as cover. It’s dark, but effective.

---

😈 Dirty Melee Tricks

Things You Can Do That Players Forget

Tactic	How	Why
Grab their weapon	Win a Grab → choose to take held item	Disarm them with style
Throw then attack	Throw (Prone) → next turn attack with advantage	They’re -2 to get up
Choke silently	Choke deals BODY damage, ignores armor	Quiet takedown
Shield + attack	Human Shield, then attack THEM	Use them, then discard
Grapple the Netrunner	Drag them away from access point	Instant jack-out
Split attacks	ROF 2 = Attack, Move, Attack	Stab two people
BODY 8 one-hand	Wield 2-hand weapon in 1 hand	Sword + pistol combo

---

❓ Quick Answer Reference

Does melee always ignore half armor?

Melee weapons and Martial Arts ignore half armor. Brawling does NOT ignore half armor — you’re just punching.

Can I attack twice with a sword?

Yes! Most melee weapons are ROF 2. Only Very Heavy weapons (chainsaw, sledgehammer) are ROF 1.

How do I escape a Grapple?

Use the Grab Action and beat the Attacker’s DEX + Brawling + 1d10. If you win, the grapple ends.

Can I grapple someone with a gun?

Yes! But once grappled, neither of you can use two-handed weapons. Pistols still work.

Does Choke damage ablate armor?

No! Choke bypasses armor entirely. No damage to armor, no ablation.

Can I throw objects as weapons?

Yes! Use DEX + Athletics + 1d10 vs. DV (see Grenade Launcher range table). Thrown melee weapons deal their normal damage but DON’T ignore half armor.

What if I'm immune to grapples (like a 'borg)?

Some cyberware or abilities might grant grapple immunity. Check specific rules.

---

🔗 Related Topics

• Combat — All combat rules
• Ranged Combat — Shooting
• Damage and Wounds — Taking damage
• Armor and Cover — Protection

---

(Source: Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook, pp. 174-179, 183-184)