It's not unheard of for some of the less focused characters to be successful with a different weapon type. Diala for example is very happy wielding a gun alongside her staff if Gaarkhan is on the team and she just focuses on her support abilities.

MHD has a few abilities that seem complimentary to a melee user, namely improper procedure, fuel injection, field surgeon and combat override. Improper procedure especially seems tailor made for a melee user.

Could a melee MHD be viable in a team lacking a dedicated melee user?

MHD is a little bit beefer than most as a support role hero. Add in his reward bonus and hes at 14 health, so he can def take a little more damage. I think his overall abilities dont really allow for him to attack much, or at least I feel like you shouldnt be relying on him to do damage. When you get Bacta Radiator, u need to stay within range of your group. If your group is mostly melee users than he should use a melee weapon. If most of group is ranged, it benefits him to be able to stay back as well. At least one of his actions per round should be benefiting your teammates, the other should be moving/resting to keep doing those abilities.

BUT the thing I love about games is you can customize and play your character however you want. So him going melee or ranged, doesnt matter. If you want to melee, go for it

~D

If you want to melee, go for it

~D

Well, I'm planning on writing a guide for MHD, and the rest of the heroes, so I'd love to have an alternate build for MHD but not if it's terrible and will handicap the rebel team.

Interesting analysis though, especially about MHD wanting to match his teammates. I was actually thinking the opposite, that you would only go melee if none of your other characters need any melee equipment. I think I was thinking of a more pure brawler role while you're thinking of a more offensive healer role, and I think both are super interesting.

I'm thinking how MHD could utilize Combat override to be really devastating. I'm thinking his then structure would be something like

1. A) run over to the enemy and B) grab a shock grenade, stun them, get focused.

2. A) grab another grenade or heal someone, then triple attack the closest enemies, first attack is focused.

3. A) rest off the strain/damage B) shock grenade the nearest enemies, get focused

And just repeat that over and over. Pretty suicidal, but also pretty unique and very different from how he usually gets played. It doesn't require a melee weapon, but if your other characters need ranged weapons MHD could take the unneeded melee weapons.

Speaking for myself, I'd (much) rather be healing or focusing my allies than using shock grenade and there's only the one copy of frag grenade.

I pretty much agree with hoodie that mhd is loosing leverage if he tries to output damage. OTOH I don't think weapon choice really affects your ability to stick with your group so grabbing the or some such BD1 if no-one else wants it is perfectly fine.

Funnily enough despite this, combat over-ride is the only one of the 'melee complimentary' cards you listed above that I wouldn't include in his regular build (improper procedure is great for picking off enemies on 1 health).