Can a shied/melee build compete

Okay so I have a Templar with max shield block, max tri res, and about 12k armor. Using a mace, I do about 30k damage with static strike. While not impressive, I figured this would be a cool build to try in PvP that can be somewhat all around build provided I change some skills/shield around depending on who I fight. If I'm fighting a spell cast, a quick shield swap grants me 75% spell block at the cost of 7k armor

I'm still new at this game, I believe it's been almost a month since I started it so my wealth ingame is limited as is my mechanics and knowledge of the game. With that said, it seems melee builds are at a huge disadvantage in this game. I find that I have to be the guy that needs to be more Tanky, still deal considerable damage if not similar damage to my opponent, must reach them to melee them, and have to put up with the most obnoxious defensive mechanics in the game
My problems
There seems to be attacks that despite blocking, you still take damage like explosive arrow and blast arrow
Defensive mechanics like frost wall means you can't continuously hit your target even if you reach them. Temporal chain slowing you, constant running, melee animation vs movement animation..etc
Damage discrepancies between ranged and melee, 75k blast arrow or blade fall hurts a lot more than 30k status strike.

With that said, I'm not comparing my built with a high tier build. I would say my built cost me about 6 exalts to make, even if I have an advantage, a 20exalt built will out perform me. In talking about similar cost builds or tier builds.

So in your opinion, are melee generally much harder to take wins in pvp or not? Also, do you have a strong melee build that uses mac block in pvp? If so can you link it for me?

You're doing nothing wrong, those are decent numbers for RT melee which I assume you are. It's just the way the game is balanced melee < ranged and rt < crit ...by a land slide. Add those layers of defense and it gets worse.

Investing 10 or even 100x more exalts into your melee will only get you marginally more success.

Yeah, good to know. Sorry, I'm still new to the game, what is RT? I'm not good with all the abbreviations just yet.

I remember playing D2, melee builds had all sorts of ways to beat others and vise versa.

Good to know though. I guess there is no point in trying to build this guy even more. I'll try to continue building my lighting arrow, I hear that's a strong build

Resolute Technique.

Yes Lightning Arrow is very strong.

By the way this part of the game needs quite a bit of work so things with natural strengths and advantages by design like range vs melee or crit vs non crit will out perform. Character cost/player skill can get you so far but those things will ultimately be what decides a match at this point in balance. So don't give up on your melee if you can afford to keep it. Swaps into a bow/staff/traps are pretty useful as melee but you're almost like a jack of all trades master of none at that point so you're overall weaker then someone spec'd specifically into something dominate from the start.

Oh and as a D2 player for 10+ years I know what you're talking about. You don't get the same reward in this game when you catch someone as melee. In D2 as melee you'd outplay the casters/other melee or trappers, catch them and pretty much be in control at melee range. In this game you've already noticed that's not the case. Getting into melee range as melee means you're just closer to whats going to kill you and more susceptible to their defense options. Casters/bow users are as tanky as you are and hit harder too. But don't talk D2 around here too much, people get butt hurt when you bring things like this up.

Use whirling blades as your main 6link! That's the only actually somewhat good melee skill for now. Namelock enemies and spam WB with an occasional flicker or some manual movement if you get stuck or are about the get hit by something nasty.

Dual wielding is recommended though cause shieldnt doesn't actually provide that much defense in pvp. DW gives a huge damage boost. Use a soultaker in offhand for an example.

RT 1h melee isn't completely out of the picture. With my own similar char I did fairly well against everything except the best EA. I would say it's even quite cheap to build one cause the only really expensive thing you need is a good weapon.

He's using a 1h mace atm though, so he'd have to consider swapping to a dif main hand weapon.

Would also be more beneficial for him to straight up respec to dagger.

Soul taker is a good offhand because you practically get free auras and don't need to run blood magic and you're right about dual wielding. It's more beneficial to dual wield and take acrobatics/phase acrobatics then invest into block and swap shields versus melee/spells.

On that note, Soul taker is legit regardless. People sleep on that weapon, for its price, speed, modest dps and unique utility it provides it's a great 1h or dw weapon choice. They should un-nerf it back to its legacy state like Bringer of Rain though imo.