Here's how I built my melee character. He used a modified pool cue as a Halberd as I roleplayed him as a Chinese General (Lu Bu) who was fond of halberds.
SPECIAL
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"You're Special" goes into STR (Giving 9)
Level 1: Idiot Savant
Level 2: AGI +1
Level 3: AGI +1
Level 4: AGI +1
Level 5: AGI +1
Level 6: Moving Target
Level 7: Toughness
Level 8: Blitz
Level 9: Big Leagues
Level 10: Weapon Mod
Level 11: Idiot Savant
Level 12: Action Boy
I think you see where this is going. My usual strategy is to initiate fights with sprinting and doing the swinging hit when coming out of it on the target then using VATS for the rest of a group. I would suggest Chem Resistant as well.
Tougness Level 5: +50 Armor vs. Ballistics
Moving Target Level 2/3: +50 Armor vs. Energy and Ballistics (sprinting costs 50%)
Life Giver Level 3: +60 HP and health regen
Rooted Level 5: +50 Armor vs. Ballistics
Adamantium Skeleton Level 3: Immune to Limb Crippling
So as you can see
Sprinting you have a natural armor of +100 vs. Ballistics and +50 vs. Energy
Standing Still +100 vs. Ballistics
plus all the other benefits they all have. Now put on some nice modded armor and you will be a tank without PA