WASD - Movement
F - Melee Attack
Left Mouse Click - Primary Attack (also used in melee)
R - Block
E - Choke Hold
Shift - Sprint

(despite these controls being for PC mouse and keyboard I will refer to these actions by name so you can apply this to your control scheme too)

I strongly suggest you to re-map controls for keyboard to be good in PvP. That is not only useful for melee but just for anything.

1 - left handgun
2 - right handgun
3 - dual wield handguns
4 - shoulder
5 - back
6 - melee
7 - fists
` (which is where tilde ~ key is, under esc before 1) - thrown weapons

That way you can access those guns without going through weapon wheel that is TAB by default.

I also suggest you to remove/remap somewhere on numpad the secondary access to weapon wheel and gun swapping that is achieved by scrolling scroll wheel up or down (mouse button 3), so that you don't accidentally scroll it up or down and enter this wheel mid combat unable to fight back.

1.Fighting Technique: Hogtie
Not even really a technique, one I really shun the most, something that players do when they are outmatched in gun/hand to hand combat. I shun the people who use it and it can be avoided by running away from them and shooting them or hogtying them first.

How to perform:
Press ` (tilde) for thrown weapons after remapping to pull out lasso instantly (make sure to only have dynamite and reinforced lasso as thrown weapons, so that you don't have to scroll through a lot of knives/molotves, just toss extra projectiles, by pressing tilde twice you can swap between dynamite and lasso or you can use tab) + F (melee attack)

Thrown weapon + F (melee attack), can also be combined with shift (sprint) to hogtie someone on the move while tackling them down, the scrub technique

Beware, people will often suicide when hogtied instead of waiting for you to finish them off, which results in "gave up the ghost" which doesn't count towards kill progress in competitions but counts as a kill if you did not plan on killing them, which can in turn increase your hostility.


2.Fighting Technique: Push

In order to push a person to the ground which will allow you to finish them off with melee or a few shots, or even push them off cliffs

How to perform:
SHIFT + LEFT MOUSE BUTTON, (Sprint + Primary Attack), works with any weapon from melee/fists to any gun.

One of the most useful attacks that lets me win against right about anyone who is either close to me, or camping/hiding behind a corner or inside of a house and being slow, when I need to stop and kill someone who is running in circles around me, or when I need to stop someone from shooting and they are close, my go to attack after I was pushed down myself and enemy is close.

After performing the attack enemy will be rendered stunned (getting up from the ground unable to attack) for a few seconds, you can either shoot them to death or cut them down or kick them or just toy with them. I usually do this and then switch to fists if I am fighting 1 v 1 to toy around.


3.Fighting Technique: Choke Out

How to perform:
Instant kill from behind, put yourself behind any player with your fists out and press F while being stationary. You cannot be running towards or sprinting.

You can't cancel this once you start it


4.Fighting Technique: Melee/Gun Melee executions

How to perform: You need to be stationary for this to work. You can run up to an enemy but you need to stand still before attacking, so stop pressing WASD, and stop pressing SHIFT.

MELEE WEAPONS
If holding a melee weapon press Primary Attack (Left Mouse Button) until enemy is dead. Can combine this with push technique and finish them on the ground. Can also use F several times while being stationary but I prefer Primary Attack, it seems to do more here.


GUN KATA
I suggest you to use Guns instead of melee weapons if you want to kill someone quickly up close. Any gun, (this also includes bow, so any ranged weapon really), deals insane amount of damage compared to any melee weapon including machetes and such, and briefly stuns your enemy.

Have your gun out, run up to a target and then stop moving, you need to be stationary. Press F to hit them. Usually 2 hits with any gun is enough to kill someone.

If you press LEFT MOUSE BUTTON (Primary Attack) then you will hit the enemy stunning them and line them up for execution. You now have a choice of pressing F (to execute with a hit) or pressing LEFT MOUSE BUTTON (Primary Attack) to fire off a shot from your weapon in form of a melee execution, those all play out with their designated animations.

Sometimes you can put enemies into executions states with F as well but I found primary mouse to be more consistent. You just need to toy around with it and get the feel for it yourself.


5.Fighting Technique: Clinch Standoff
Sometimes, when you and your opponent start to PUSH each other using SHIFT+LEFT CLICK (Primary Attack) you both end up clinching each other and push each other back. You and your opponent will naturally repeat it again thinking they can PUSH one another off your feet but will Clinch Standoff once again.

Now at this time my enemy will usually die because I am running around with guns and after the 2nd clinch I just start pressing LEFT CLICK (Primary Attack) button to fire off my ranged guns without aiming, fan fire if you like, at their body up close. It is really hard to miss and I usually start tapping left click many times right after the 2nd clinch when the enemy usually freezes not knowing how to proceed. If you have a melee weapon and the enemy has a gun, you are usually screwed at this point as you can't do anything and they can shoot you. I mean you can try to stand still and stationary attack them with F but you are better off switching to guns.

How to perform:
SHIFT + Left Click, once unclinched tap left click and try to hit the opponent with your gun fire
Sometimes mashing left click or primary attack also works if the opponent is already doing SHIFT + LEFT CLICK


6.Fighting Technique: Overpower
How to perform:
This one is basic, just press E on someone, can combine with Sprint. Then you have to mash F as fast as you can while running out of Stamina. Player with stamina left wins. This is stat dependent, also depends on whether person is using keyboard or controller (controllers have advantage here), can also be boosted via tonics, if you have no stamina you will instantly die.

Really annoying this thing. Controller boys love it though.


7.Fighting Technique: Disarming
Equip your fists and press F while stationary to knock a weapon out of someone's hands. Really useful when you have fists out and need to bring someone back to your level. Also, good for toying around.


8.Fighting Technique: Tackle Reversal
If you are being tackled with Shift + E, enemy trying to choke you to death on the ground via overpower, you have a short window of pressing Primary Attack (Left Mouse Button) to instantly kick them off and avoid struggle.

How to perform: Primary Attack (LMB) right after being tackled


In Defense Mode, no melee is possible. You can't lasso defense mode players but they can lasso you by aiming the lasso but not via melee hogtie attack. Melee in defense mode results in fist flex.


GUN is always a BETTER melee weapon than an actual melee weapon, in terms of melee damage TOO


9.Fighting Technique: A Little Gun Push

Aim your gun with Right Mouse Button at a person while being up close to them will enable you to push them without doing damage to them like so: