True melee

An in-game example of Keybrand listing its damage type as "true melee" in the Calamity Mod.

The Calamity Mod introduces a new damage type called true melee. This damage type is applied to melee weapons (and tools) that either do not create any projectiles or require direct hits to do so.

Dealing damage with a true melee weapon is sometimes referred to as a "true melee strike", but a true melee strike is different from dealing true melee damage. Only the true melee weapon itself does true melee damage, not any spawned projectiles. However, weapons that technically use a projectile within a short range as their main attack (like the Dragon Rage, Night's Edge, or Gilded Proboscis) are affected by true melee damage boosts. Melee weapons that are not classified with the "true melee" damage type cannot deal true melee damage in any way, even when striking enemies with the weapon directly.

True melee strikes are dealt by weapons that have a non-projectile broadsword or are a true melee spear, as well as some true melee weapons with a projectile as their main way of attacking, like the Murasama but not the Phosphorescent Gauntlet. This means that some non-true melee weapons can activate effects that are dependent on true melee strikes.

True melee weapons can receive stat boosts and effects for regular melee damage (such as from the Warrior Emblem), but any stat boosts or effects specific to true melee damage will only apply to true melee weapons.

In the Calamity Mod, the true melee classification becomes relevant in several ways:

Many melee weapons with lifesteal effects will only heal the player on true melee strikes.
True melee broadswords and shortswords are not affected by Luxor's Gift.
The Soaring Potion causes true melee strikes to restore a fraction of the player's wing time. The amount of wing time restored scales with the player's melee stats and weapon's swing speed.
Adrenaline and Rage are half as powerful while wielding a true melee weapon, preventing the player from combining the two to destroy bosses within seconds.
True melee weapons are incapable of getting the Tainted enchantment from the Brimstone Witch.
Various bosses that are susceptible to true melee weapons (either because they are very easy to stay close to or have multiple segments) have increased resistance to true melee damage, preventing the player from using true melee weapons' high damage and infinite piercing to very quickly defeat them. These include:
- All worm bosses (except The Devourer of Gods)
- Crabulon
- Ravager
- Ceaseless Void's Dark Energies
- Brain of Cthulhu's Creepers
- XF-09 Ares

True melee boosts

Item		Effect
	Bloodflare armor (Ram Mask)	Causes true melee hits to heal 4 health and true melee projectiles to heal 2 health on hit After 15 true melee hits, +25% increased melee damage and critical strike chance, and -50% contact damage taken, with a 30 second cooldown
	Auric Tesla armor (Royal Helm)
	Counter Scarf	+10% true melee damage
	Elemental Gauntlet	+20% true melee damage
	Evasion Scarf	+15% true melee damage
	Gem Tech armor	Gem shards are released upon a true melee hit.
	Hide of Astrum Deus	Taking damage or dealing true melee damage causes an explosion and releases 12 astral stars from the sky that damage nearby enemies After taking damage, +30% true melee damage. The duration of the boost is proportional to the damage the enemy dealt, up to 10 seconds.
	Molten armor	+10% true melee damage
	Titan Glove	+10% true melee damage

True melee weapons

	DMG	UT	KB	Crit	Sell
Aegis Blade	152	16 (Average)	4.25 (Average)	4%	12
Aftershock	65	28 (Slow)	9 (Very Strong)	4%	4 80
Anarchy Blade	150	18 (Average)	7.5 (Very Strong)	4%	12
Astral Blade	142	8 (Very Fast)	6 (Average)	29%	16
Astral Pike	90	13 (Fast)	8.5 (Very Strong)	29%	16
Avalanche	100	35 (Very Slow)	7.25 (Very Strong)	4%	4 80
Baleful Harvester	105	22 (Average)	8 (Very Strong)	4%	20
Basher	50	40 (Extremely Slow)	7 (Strong)	4%	20
Brimlance	50	19 (Average)	7.5 (Very Strong)	4%	4 80
Burnt Sienna	32	20 (Average)	5.5 (Average)	4%	20
Carnage	130	21 (Average)	5.25 (Average)	4%	2 40
Comet Quasher	160	22 (Average)	7.75 (Very Strong)	4%	12
Diseased Pike	65	20 (Average)	8.5 (Very Strong)	4%	12
Dragon Rage	1075	25 (Slow)	7.5 (Very Strong)	4%	48
Earth	170	15 (Average)	9.5 (Extremely Strong)	4%	56
Evil Smasher	120	37 (Very Slow)	6 (Average)	4%	2 40
Feralthorn Claymore	109	13 (Fast)	7.25 (Very Strong)	4%	9 60
Gauss Dagger	25	24 (Slow)	7 (Strong)	4%	80
Gilded Proboscis	315	19 (Average)	8.75 (Very Strong)	4%	24
Grand Guardian	150	22 (Average)	8.5 (Very Strong)	4%	20
Greentide	87	31 (Very Slow)	7 (Strong)	4%	9 60
Hellkite	180	30 (Very Slow)	8 (Very Strong)	4%	9 60
Holy Collider	270	21 (Average)	7.75 (Very Strong)	4%	30
Hydraulic Volt Crasher	75	16 (Average)	12 (Insane)	4%	4 80
Lion Heart	960	14 (Fast)	5.5 (Average)	4%	35
Majestic Guard	70	21 (Average)	7.5 (Very Strong)	4%	4 80
Mantis Claws	144	8 (Very Fast)	7 (Strong)	4%	9 60
Murasama	2222	25 (Slow)	6.5 (Strong)	65%	40
Mycelial Claws	28	7 (Very Fast)	3.75 (Weak)	4%	40
Old Lord Claymore	60	34 (Very Slow)	7 (Strong)	4%	80
Omniblade	100	9 (Very Fast)	6 (Average)	49%	12
Phosphorescent Gauntlet	2705	39 (Extremely Slow)	9 (Very Strong)	14%	35
Sahara Slicers	23	18 (Average)	6 (Average)	4%	40
Sausage Maker	36	20 (Average)	6.25 (Strong)	4%	80
Stellar Striker	450	25 (Slow)	7.75 (Very Strong)	4%	24
Submarine Shocker	90	10 (Fast)	7 (Strong)	4%	4 80
Tainted Blade	60	26 (Slow)	5 (Average)	4%	40
Teardrop Cleaver	38	24 (Slow)	5.5 (Average)	4%	40
The Enforcer	890	17 (Average)	9 (Very Strong)	4%	40
The Last Mourning	550	19 (Average)	8.5 (Very Strong)	4%	35
The Mutilator	483	17 (Average)	8 (Very Strong)	4%	30
Titan Arm	69	12 (Fast)	80 (Insane)	100%	9 60
Ultimus Cleaver	130	19 (Average)	8 (Very Strong)	4%	12
Vulcanite Lance	90	22 (Average)	6.75 (Strong)	4%	12
Yateveo Bloom	30	22 (Average)	5 (Average)	4%	40