From what I noticed, armor looms (+3 armor & +3 gloves) and good ping (under 20 or 30) can make an average melee player into a good player.
good ping is still the key. i noticed on RuCRPG (where russians ping from 3 to 10ms) that those fibercable players with this "better than LAN" ping, usually swings their 1h axes + shield faster than a ninja with a katana.
about +3 armor and +3 gauntlets, it's true. a +14 armor bonus can transform a light armor set into a medium one (retaining the light weight AND light upkeep), a medium set into a heavy one (retaining the medium weight AND medium upkeep), a heavy set into a M1A1 abrams. A +3 black armor with +3 heavy gauntlets, sum a total of 67+19=86 body armor.
example taken from the damage calculator against 86 body armor:
-------------------------------------------
Strength: 18
Powerstrike: 6
Profiency: 120 (effective)
Weapon: 1h
Damage: 33
Type: cut
Minimum: 0 (bounce)
Average: 5.5
Maximum: 11 (with speed bonus 100%)
-------------------------------------------
Lets see with a danish
Strength: 18
Powerstrike: 6
Profiency: 120 (effective)
Weapon: 1h
Damage: 40
Type: cut
Minimum: 0 (still bounce)
Average: 8.5
Maximum: 17
-------------------------------------------
Let's see with a 24/15 build
Strength: 24
Powerstrike: 8
Profiency: 130 (effective)
Weapon: 2h
Damage: 40
Type: cut
Minimum: 1 (almost bounce.. ps8 still not enough with negative speed bonus)
Average: 11.5 (average damage from PS8 + danish... 8 hits to take down someone like goretooth with 0 speed bonus)
Maximum: 22 (22hp at full speed bonus)
------------------------------------------
Let's see with a bec on a usual euro build. 21/18
Strength: 21
Powerstrike: 7
Profiency: 135 (effective)
Weapon: polearm
Damage: 36
Type: pierce
Minimum: 4 (oh not a glance!)
Average: 16 (nice damage. near 6 average hits at 0 speed bonus)
Maximum: 28 (quite good. 3 full hits this time)
------------------------------------------
My +3 great maul build would do this:
Strength: 21
Powerstrike: 7
Profiency: 110ish (effective)
Weapon: 2h
Damage: 47
Type: blunt
Minimum: 13
Average: 26 (4 average hits. 3 of em leaving the STR build + 86 armor with some HP left
Maximum: 39 (still 3 hits.. 2 of em leaving the 86 armor target with some HP left. assuming that heavy tank is a STR 36/3 build with 93hp)
---------------------------------------------
While another STR build with a +3 morningstar would do:
Strength: 36
Powerstrike: 12
Profiency: 90ish (effective)
Weapon: 2h
Damage: 41
Type: pierce
Minimum: 17
Average: 31 (it's a good DPS without speed bonus. a STR build with 12PS will have a very low speed bonus from his slow running speed. still 3 hits against a 86 armor 93hp target)
Maximum: 45