Melee

Dune: Awakening employs a system of combined arms, which means that combat will be divided in (at least) four different parts: melee, ranged, abilities/Great Schools and vehicular combat.

As with that, melee will be a big part of the game, as the world it is set in focuses mainly on melee.

Melee in game

UI - blue for water; green for stamina; red for health; yellow for energy

Melee is a term usually used for close-quarters fighting with weapons that are not used to shoot projectiles. And Dune: Awakening wont be any different.
Melee in Dune: Awakening will be based at fighting with melee weapons (swords, rapiers, daggers, crysknives etc.) and with shields. Shields will enforce melee fights, as shooting a shield with lasgun is impossible, as they cant be aimed at them, and other ranged weapons will stop upon shield contact. Shields will, however, require certain energy upkeep that has to be maintained for shields to work.
Blocking/Parrying seems to be a possibilty, stunning an enemy hitting the blocking player.
Melee is said to be viable late game, and even have its own abilities that set it apart and make it entirely different then without them.

Types of melee weapon

Not much has been confirmed, although rapiers, swords, knives and daggers have already been shown. Other probabilities point at pulse-swords, kinjals, crysknives and similar.

Abilites with melee

Ginaz Swordmaster?

Gallery

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  Knife

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  Rapier

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  A group of Harkonnen soldiers with blades

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  An Atreides armoured soldier with a sword

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  Getting hit through shield - health goes down

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  Blocking with shield on

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  Scrap Metal Knife