A build to find out if you would want to play melee [Voruna]: [Equilibrium] is the key. And without any energy maximum boost, Zenuric Focus School is a must too (especially for the free first ability cast - 75 energy would be too expensive)

First Hold 2 (Fangs of Raksh) to get yourself the status immunity. (knockdown is a status)
Once you are ready to fight, press 3 (Lycath's Hunt) to get the other necessary perk (this usually needs activating just once in a smooth mission - its duration is enhanced with every status-heavy kill)
...now, every melee hit gives you a health orb, the Equilibrium converts it to energy - and you are ready to [Rage].

Pressing 1 (Shroud of Dynar) will cloak you for repositioning and set your Critical and Status Chance to 100% (if you are below this number)
Pressing 2 (Fangs of Raksh) will teleport you to the enemy (who wants to walk) and will apply 5 random statuses (exactly what you need to prolong Lycath's Hunt)
What dies, leaves a health orb behind - and you have the [Equilibrium].
...
Just smack them! The good extermination practice is: 1, 2, kill, 1. That will leave you invisible while thinking about what to do next.

If you have a good weapon, with a little bit of practice, this build, pure melee, can carry you even in the Steel Path. It really is down to the weapon, as you will be standing on tons of health orbs and you have all the necessary tools at your disposal. (well, some assassination missions are not exactly melee-friendly, so beware)

As for the weapon: Ability 1 gives you 100% to Crit and Status Chance. Ability 2 Gives the target ton of statuses. ...so, you need a weapon with a high Critical Damage Multiplier - and preferably modded with further Critical Damage Multipliers, Condition Overload, (and Boreal's Contempt). For starters, Vaykor Sydon fits the bill perfectly, but well, nothing beats Innodem - as it is a dagger and offers a running speed bonus.

Btw: Those Arcanes are there to help the absolute basic Voruna initiate. There are better picks once you solve the energy max or duration issues - and learn the routine.

And now imagine a build with an Orokin Reactor and some Forma - or an Archon Shard...
(The natural extension of this build is: Primed Flow, Primed Continuity, Stretch, Arcane Primary Charger, and ramping up the Critical Damage Multiplier by Archon Shards - 1 Tau Azure to push energy max past 500 and 4 Violets for the actual multiplier. As for Helminth, 4th ability is a clear choice, because it is useless with such a low Ability Strenght. Unfortunately, most Helminth abilities are useless with low Strength as well. That leaves us Perspicacity, if you want to hack consoles, or Silence, to strip all units of dangerous abilities.)