Melee combat requires the following:
  * You must be in the front row, or be wielding a polearm or
    whip in the middle row.
  * You must have the attack skill.
  * You should have a weapon skill in the melee weapon 

The following are the valid types of melee weapons available
for use.  You should have the skill of the same name in order
to use the weapon effectively, as well as the attack skill.
The skill to fight without a weapon is called 'brawling.'
  * (weapon type / skill)
  * Ancients (Scythes, Sickles)
  * Axes (Greataxes, Battleaxes, Hatchets)
  * Bludgeons (Maces, Clubs, Flails)
  * Broad Blades (Broadswords, Greatswords)
  * Daggers (Stilettos, Dirks, Knives)
  * Polearms (Halberds, Spears, Glaives)
  * Shields (Paladin Shields, Tower Shields)
  * Staves (Quarterstaves, Bo Staves)
  * Thin Blades (Rapiers, Sabres)
  * Unarmed
  * Weapon Breakers (Claws, Notched Weapons)
  * Whips (Bullwhips, Chainwhips)

Keep in mind that while fighting unarmed, replace the words
'while using chosen weapon' to 'while fighting unarmed.'
For further information about monks, abjurers, and their
martial arts check 'help martial arts'.  Note that
martial arts and pugilist bonuses (including brawling) do
not stack with each other.

In addition to having the two basic skills trained, the
weapon skill and the attack skill, you must also have
the weapon wielded.

There are several commands which are basic to anyone
who uses melee combat.

kill (target)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  You will now engage in combat with the target.
  You will continue to engage in melee combat with
  the target with your weapon until your weapon breaks,
  the target dies, or you die.  Note that you cannot
  choose which target in which you are engaged in melee.
  Also note that if you die, your opponent will still
  try to kill you if you appear in front of him again
  before boot occurs and Armagg-Odhin clears his
  mind.

defense (dodge/parry/maneuver)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Another thing to keep in mind is that in melee
  combat, while you're bashing on your opponent, the
  opponent is bashing on you.  This is where defense
  comes in handy to avoid blows.  For further
  information, check 'help defense'.

To become a supreme combatant with your weapon, it is
advised to follow the path of guilds which will
increase your prowess with your chosen weapon.  These
must be joined in order, and there is a path of guilds
for each weapon type.

Most guild paths give the following
powers in this respective order:
  * Chance to offset multiple attack penalty
    while using chosen weapon
  * Additional damage while using chosen weapon
  * Bonus to parrying while using chosen weapon
  * Additional chance to critically hit or stun,
    depending on nature of weapon
    (Bashing weapons stun, cutting weapons crit)
  * Extra right attack with chosen weapon
  * Extra left attack with chosen weapon

The following guild paths bestow these additional
abilities.  Remember that to actually get the
ability the skill in the 9th level of the guild,
also listed, must be trained.

Bludgeon
~~~~~~~~
  * Brute squad private (change-up)
  * Brute squad sergeant (bludgeon mastery)
  * Brute squad lieutenant (intercept)
  * Brute squad major (crushing)
  * Brute squad colonel (beat)
  * Brute squad general (whack)

Dagger
~~~~~~
  * Cutthroat grunt (thrust)
  * Cutthroat novice (dagger mastery)
  * Cutthroat soldier (turn)
  * Cutthroat veteran (stabbing)
  * Cutthroat master (lunge)
  * Cutthroat grandmaster (poke)

Thin Blade
~~~~~~~~~~
  * Fencer cadet (balestra)
  * Fencer junior (thin blade mastery)
  * Fencer senior (mal-pare)
  * Fencer veteran (piercing)
  * Fencer elite (direct)
  * Fencer master (coupe)

Broad Blade
~~~~~~~~~~~
  * Myrmidon private (slice)
  * Myrmidon sergeant (broad blade mastery)
  * Myrmidon lieutenant (blade deflect)
  * Myrmidon major (slashing)
  * Myrmidon colonel (blade fury)
  * Myrmidon general (blade frenzy)

Unarmed
~~~~~~~
  * Pugilist flyweight (positioning)
  * Pugilist bantamweight (boxing)
  * Pugilist featherweight (read attack)
  * Pugilist welterweight (fisticuffs)
  * Pugilist cruiserweight (right flurry)
  * Pugilist heavyweight (left flurry)

Ancient
~~~~~~~
  * Sikh apprentice (hargobind ji)
  * Sikh cadet (bidhi chand)
  * Sikh novice (teghbahandur ji)
  * Sikh veteran (gobind singh ji)
  * Sikh elite (ajit singh)
  * Sikh master (jhujhar sir)

Axe
~~~
  * Warlord private (aimed blow)
  * Warlord sergeant (axe mastery)
  * Warlord lieutenant (haft block)
  * Warlord major (hacking)
  * Warlord colonel (point attack)
  * Warlord general (curving slice)

The following guild paths bestow nonstandard
abilities where specified.

Polearm
~~~~~~~
  * Halberdier private (swipe)
  * Halberdier sergeant (polearm mastery)
  * Halberdier lieutenant (pole block)
  * Halberdier major (impaling)
  * Halberdier colonel (pole smash) - Extra attack
  * Halberdier general (pivot attack) - Chance to riposte

Shield
~~~~~~
  * Hoplite private (shield frenzy) - Extra attack
  * Hoplite sergeant (shield mastery) - Extra damage
  * Hoplite lieutenant (defend) - Parry bonus
  * Hoplite major (smacking) - Stun bonus
  * Hoplite colonel (shield opportunity) - Chance to riposte
  * Hoplite general (shield parry master) - Parry bonus

Staff
~~~~~
  * Kon white (fake)
  * Kon yellow (staff mastery)
  * Kon blue (spinning staff)
  * Kon purple (smashing)
  * Kon brown (staff charge)
  * Kon black (return attack) - Chance to riposte

Whip
~~~~
  * Whipster (whipping)
  * Whipmaster (whip mastery)
  * Whiplasher (lashing) - Chance to critically hit
  * Whipsnapper (snapping) - Extra right attack
  * Whipcracker (cracking) - Extra left attack

All this information can be confusing, so here is an
example.

Example
~~~~~~~
To put this into practice, let's exemplify a broad blade
user, and call him Dragonrider (DR for short).  DR would
need to train attack and broad blade to use a broad blade
effectively.  DR may add the skills enhance criticals and
broad blade mastery to increase the power of his critical
hits and his base damage dealt.  DR may also add slice
to offset multiple hit penalties and blade deflect to
increase his parrying ability.  Slashing would increase
his chance to critically hit.  Finally, blade fury and
blade frenzy would let DR have an additional right and
left attack, respectively.

The only thing Dragonrider would then need after all that
is a broad blade or two with which to hit his target!

[This help created by Dragonrider].