Melee Accuracy
Melee accuracy affects a soldier's ability to hit their target with a close combat, or melee, attack. This statistic is not shown in any displays, but is still tracked by the game. Some players call this skill Melee Accuracy and some call it Close Combat Accuracy. (The OSG talks about a CCA, but since it didn't wind up being shown anywhere in the game and it's not 100% clear that the OSG meant this skill as opposed to e.g. HTH, the shorter term is also used.)
Starting Values
New recruits always begin with a value from 20 to 40.
Improvement
Melee Accuracy will only increase by the use of the Stun Rod in the original XCOM. This may be different for other XCOM games, especially TFTD. You can try to exploit the use of other items as melee weapons in the original XCOM if you're feeling adventurous, though - see this.
You are awarded an average of 2 skill points (range 1-3) per combat mission if you use the stun rod at least 3 times. This point award does not depend on your current skill level, only on the number of stun-rod uses. For more particulars on skill-point increases, see Experience.
Note: I don't know if it is possible to "miss" with the stun rod, and not have your melee experience counter increase - the SR says it's 100% accurate, but then again it can take 2-6 SRs to put a Muton down! Maybe somebody like Zombie or NKF can answer this better? - MikeTheRed
Maximum Caps
An X-COM soldier's Melee Accuracy is capped at 120. However, because you can get a +6 roll when at 119, a soldier can have up to 125 Melee Accuracy (if they're really lucky!). For more info, see Regarding Caps.
Hidden Value
Melee or Close Combat Accuracy is not shown in any display, but it clearly "works" when you look under the hood. Possibly the XCOM programmers once hoped to emphasize melee much more in general, but then downplayed it to focus on other things. In any event, here are technical details for anyone interested. These specifics are for the original XCOM.
Like other primary stats, Melee Accuracy:
- Has an initial [50] and an increase [61] byte in SOLDIER.DAT, in line with other primaries there
- Has an experience byte in UNITREF.DAT (offset 82), in line with other primary counters
- Also has its value pasted from geoscape into Unitref (offset 56), as do other primaries
- Has a cap of 120 (composed of an initial and increase), the same as firing and throwing accuracy
- Has the same rule as other primaries for skill point increases
- Triggers secondary stats to increase, just like other primaries
So it seems to be quite functional. However, the only way you can see its value is by hex editing SOLDIER.DAT or UNITREF.DAT.
Soldier Usage
It is not known precisely how Melee Accuracy affects stun rod use - whether it causes more stunning to occur, or less misses (if they are possible), or what. Perhaps NKF or Zombie know more?
Unless someone wants to have fun with close combat, however, melee isn't a particularly viable skill. If you were thinking of stunning aliens and then reviving them (so you can stun them again and/or shoot them to death - the pathetic slobs), note that the stun-rod can deliver up to 65 stun points. Aliens can become so unconscious that you use up all your Medi-Kits trying to revive them after only a few stuns (plus that's a real hassle). Most players would much rather increase their Firing Accuracy and Reactions than melee.
Of course, the stun rod remains vital for capturing some aliens and unlocking research, even if you don't care about developing its accuracy.
In case anyone was confused: The Small Launcher does not use Melee Accuracy. Stun bombing actually counts as "hits" toward the Firing Accuracy stat (and Reaction too, if applicable).
Alien Usage
Because Aliens have no Stun Rod equivalent, the only species to utilise Melee Accuracy are the Silacoid, Chryssalid, Reaper, and Zombie, each of which have an accuracy of 80%. The Melee attack's damage is equal to the unit's strength.
Influencing Factors
Melle Accuracy might be affected by the same factors as firing and throwing accuracies:
- +15% when kneeling.
- -20% when holding a two-handed weapon with one hand.
- -10% per wound to the head or hitting arm.
- -25% x (max health-current health)/max health)