Here's an important tip on fighting monsters with melee weapons in
SH:0:
One-hit-surprise-attacks in the dark:
This works for Faceless Nurses, Straight-Jackets, Carrions and Remnants: If you enter a room with those enemies when you have your flashlight turned off, you'll notice that most of the time your enemies either walk in fixed patterns or stand still.
Get used to it and approach from behind or the side (the former is safer); if you manage to get close enough BEFORE they spot you (each enemy will make his unique noise when that happens), either attack them by holding and releasing X (recommended types: long-range like Drip Stand or medium-range like Jagged Wood) or by Forward+X (recommended types: medium-range like Hammer). If you manage to hit them, they will go down or - in case of the Remnants - die instantly.
The only requirement for this to work is, that they may not spot you before they get hit (as soon as they make a noise, even a split-second before you hit them, it won't work). Therefore, the safest way is to approach from behind - NEVER from the front - only from the side if distance is as big as possible for a hit.
From my personal experience, this always works against Faceless Nurses (sometimes even a regular Hammer swing suffices), Straight-Jackets and Carrions (at least always by attacking with Forward+X), almost always against Remnants (by attacking with Holding and Releasing X).
Against Ariels it's nearly impossible because they'll always spot you when you are within a certain distance. Against Twobacks it works, but unfortunately not with one hit. Against Big Carrions and myself (
) I haven't tried it yet - too much respect because of their size...
Fighting Remnants safely:
Use the Drip Stand (it can also be done with a Jagged Wood or Baton, but timing must be more exact) and memorize its attack range for holding and releasing X. Let the Remnant approach until it's only one step away from your attack range, or at least until it enters it - then attack - and immediately release R1, turn and walk away to build up some distance again - his swing will always miss you if your timing has been correct. Repeat this two or three times and the Remnant will go down.
If you should attack too early (when it's two or more steps away from your attack range), you'll miss and you're exposed to its swing. If you should attack too late (when it has already done one or two steps within your attack range), you may hit it, but unfortunately you'll be too close then for evading its swing.
Tips for meleeing the other monsters will follow, when I'll have time again!