We are all used to airsoft guns and distance shooting, but what about the variety of melee weapon replicas such as knives that can be used in close combat scenarios when the MED prevents you from shooting someone.
Think about possible traps you can set on an enemy team by going melee or about the advantages of playing stealthy without a single BB being shot unnecessary.
All these scenarios are possible in airsoft if the field rules allow so, and as a matter of fact, the field rules are flexible enough for good use of melee weapons, but players are sometimes not creative enough.
Melee weapons such as knives and swords open a window of opportunities to new game styles, strategies, objectives, game mods, expand the entertainment and even save money at the end of the day. Just make sure the field rules agree with your melee and that no one gets hurt!
I like different things, challenges, and different tactics and playstyles, so I can guarantee that utilizing more melee weapon replicas in airsoft games will take your game experience to another level!
Types of melee weapon replicas you can bring
- Knives – The most usual airsoft melee weapon replicas made from rubber and plastics. Knives are a great addition to almost every airsoft loadout you can imagine, and I have not heard of a field that does not allow knives due to their small size. These classic weapons are cool, but I was always into unordinary stuff to make the action and the gameplay more entertaining.
- Tomahawks – Tomahawks can be used melee, but throwing them is so much fun. They are a truly scary weapon, but hopefully you will be using rubber tomahawks that will bend on the reach and no one will get hurt.
- Swords – When I think of swords, I first think of katanas and awesome loadout ideas I could pair it with. Imagine a samurai or a ninja assassin airsoft loadout with some flashy gear, lights and cosmetics. For purposes of Milsim or LARP events you may take on roll of a Japanese Kamikaze guy and charge at the foes. If you are into this stuff, you will understand. In case you are not you may still enjoy regular slicing and dicing through the field.
- Axes, hammers, spears – Okay, at this point you can organize entire LARP medieval airsoft event and play it this way, but if field rules allow replicas of mentioned weapons, it can be quite fun experience to spear someone down from a bush or to stomp an enemy with a big axe.
Rubber and plastic spears, axes, and hammers are not dangerous, but if you rock a big weapon that can be gripped with both hands, it might have some weight to it, and going full force could indeed hurt someone, so take care!
What field rules often state about melee weapons
Many fields do not have these exact rules, but it is worth checking what the field rules state and always play with common sense!
Only soft materials are allowed
The material must be soft so rubber, foam, cardboard, or softer plastic is the appropriate material, anything else thicker may not be suitable.
A weapon replica must bend on collision
Any rubber melee replica shall bend on collision, but some plastic melee replicas won’t. In case that the weapon must bend, some harder, non-flexible plastic weapons might not be allowed.
This greatly depends from field to field, so check out what they state on this issue.
From what I have heard, usually, when pressed, a melee weapon should be able to bend up to 30 degrees.
Limited use
You are definitely not supposed to aim for the head, but some fields may prevent you to use any force whatsoever. It means that you can only gently tap someone and avoid mimicking cutting and stabbing.
Why would you use a melee weapon in airsoft?
The bang-bang rule is boring
Traditionally you would either scream bang and point at the enemy when you are in close reach or you would get a secondary airsoft gun with lower FPS to handle things at close distances.
However, after some time it gets boring because in real life a melee weapon would be a choice for fighting people in the reach of hands, not necessarily a gun.
Sure, when soldiers got a gun in their hands they will shot at the enemy no matters the distance, but in many instances, a melee weapon may be of use, especially for stealth purposes or for combating a person with a sheeted or discharged gun.
If the field is fine with it and players agree, you can take airsoft gameplay to another level and incorporate melee weapons for better experience while you respect no hits to the head and use minimal force to achieve the action with a rubber or plastic melee weapon.
It opens a variety of new tactics and game designs
This is the number one reason why I like the idea behind using melee weapons in airsoft.
With melee weapons, you can organize LARP events, make creative objectives such as Zombie tag games, a big melee-only team against a small group of armed players, and so on.
Outside of cool game modes, in a normal match, you can use melee weapons to surprise enemies at the corners, from the grass and trees and if you are really creative you can even dive out from the lake and take down the foes in a classic guerilla-style.
Approaching a group of enemies from behind with a giant sword or a katana can mean 4 tagged players before they turn their guns around towards you to counter and throwing a tomahawk in the chest of the incoming enemy from the cover causes the serious adrenaline rush.
I really got excited writing about this, so I will have to organize some predator vs humans event in the local woods full of abandoned factories when I get some spare time.
It saves you money
BBs, gas, and gun maintenance can easily add up to the costs and when you utilize more melee tactics you will certainly save money. This is also true for more strategic airsoft game styles where the plan is not to act as a John Wick on steroids but either be more reserved and do things as necessary.
Best melee weapons for airsoft
I am going to recommend a couple of my favorite melee weapons from Amazon. I have used these weapons primarily for martial arts purposes, but they are also a great option for airsoft!
- 33.5 inch ninja sword you can buy on Amazon. This is more of a ninjato sword, which is a shorter version of a katana that ninjas used to wear for silent missions. What’s great about it is its appropriate size and weight which allows it to be easily carried and accessable for strikes.
2. Wuu Jau Co Tomahawk you can buy on Amazon. Tomahawks are usually thrown at enemies but can be used in a melee range too.
3. Rubber karambit knife you can check out on Amazon. There are a bunch of knives on Amazon that you can choose from, but I personally prefer the karambit knife for its extraordinary design and history. Swinging this bad boy around a finger before tapping someone is a magical feeling.
4. Rubber kunai, a throwing knife you can buy on Amazon. Kunai is technically a shuriken because shuriken means any throwable blade, however, kunai is a great option for melee combat too and you can even chain your keys on it.
5. Rubber shurikens you can check out on Amazon. Finally, the throwable ninja stars! These are made of rubber but they are super aerodynamic and throwing these little guys is an awesome feeling. Scoring hits with these in the airsoft field is a memorable moment, believe me! The only issue is that you might lose some on the field if you accidentally miss and throw it somewhere out of sight in the forest.
6. Lightsaber you can find on Amazon. Did you really think I won’t include a lightsaber on the list? These are great for special effects and can be used for dueling and if you avoid chopping the trees down they should not break easily. When you master this weapon you can also block the incoming BBs! Force be with you!
Final take on
Whether it is a classic knife, a karambit, a katana, a ninja sword, a spear, or a lightsaber, melee weapons are awesome and with some creativity, airsoft can become even cooler than it is. Bear in mind to respect the field rules if there are any, however, even if nothing is regulated avoid striking with force and do not incorporate Jason Statham moves because you may accidentally dislocate someone’s joint or two. Build your own loadout and make a story out of it!