Probably come up before but I couldn't find it.

One of my players is creating a Troll Adept, is the limit on the Critical Strike power really their Magic Attribute? So a starting adept could have it at rating 6 for an additional 6 DV?

Also, could Critical Strike be combined with Distance Strike?

RAW say that Killing Hands can, but Elemental Strike cannot. Not sure what to rule on this one.

Yes, thats correct. Don't forget that melee is not very effective in shadowrun, compared to range combat. A melee attack is a complex action, while shooting is normaly a single action, so you can shoot twice. And you defend agaist melee with reaction+skill but against ranged attacks only with reaction, which makes it easier to hit.
And of course you have to run to your enemies first. During that time you can't attack them with melee, but they can attack you with shooting. And if you go down in melee, you are trapped between your enemies, and far away from other teammembers that could help you.
Considering all this disadvantages I think its ok for the Troll Adept, to rip his enemies apart, once he hits them.

I think that should be possible. Distance Strike is an unarmed attack, and Critical Strike improves unarmed
attacks, like more strenght does too. So RAW I dont see what would prevent it.

Distance Strike surely negates some of the disadvantages of melee, but with 2 points its very expensive, and its still a complex action, and the range isn't that big still.
But in my opinion the main disadvantage is that it isn't as stylish as normal melee.

Kung fu Magic never goes out of style!

A Full Burst is +9 DV and does not cost anything... ok, a couple ¥ for the extra bullets and a few dice for the recoil.

It is kinda funny, how you can have DV equal or exceeding that of an assault cannon with unarmed strikes, while it is not possible when using weapons. But that's how it is.

Ayuken!

Bye
Thanee

Melee is as melee does, keep in mind the active parry pool options are Melee (x2) + Reaction, Melee+Dodge+Reaction, Dodge(x2)+Reaction, or finally Dodge+Gymnastics+Reaction. So you can achieve some truly unbelievably high pools in Melee defense. (I'm not even gonna bring up the one hand attack one hand defend stuff which can be way more crazy). Melee kills. It what's it always done. Don't let the troll with the combat axe and a riot shield get near you unless your sure your parry pool is gonna beat his attack by a good margin.

Don't let any of the other guys near you either, unless your melee specialist or sure that they aren't killers at melee range.
Big Troll with a combat axe is atleast an obvious threat, unlike my elven hottie that does 13P with her bare fists

Also Distance Strike forces the target to defend against a ranged attack and not a melee as normal. So it might not be as cool looking, but the defender's dice pool just got a little smaller.

Nah, the troll with combat axe is harmless... the troll without a combat axe, however...

Bye
Thanee

All of these assume you are forcing the target to give up their turn and go on full defense. (Which is generally a good thing, ESPECIALLY if you can hit anyway.)