History Main / LongRangeFighter

* Several ships in the ''VideoGame/StarControl'' games are this, but none so much as the Earthling Cruiser. The Cruiser has a very weak short range attack, but if an enemy can close, the Cruiser is probably toast. If the Cruiser can stay away, however, it can pretty much kill anything with its MX Peacekeeper missiles, which can cross the bulk of the screen and have excellent (they're called fire-and-forget for a reason) tracking. The Chenjesu Broodhome is also very much one of these. The Mmrnmhrm X-Form could transform from a long-range fighter to a short-range one, making it one of the deadliest ships in the game. On the Hierarchy side, the Spathi Discriminator could fire a long-range tracking missile from the rear of the ship, meaning it could shoot while running away.

* Hunters started as 'Fights exclusively at range' in VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''; they were able to use melee weapons but did ScratchDamage with them. [[note]]Hunters who used their melee weapons did exist, often without pets as a self-imposed challenge were derided as Huntards since they did MUCH less damage.[[/note]]. But with the ''Mists of Pandaria'' expansion, they've lost their deadzone and can use their abilities and ranged weapons in melee range.

* Hunters started as 'Fights exclusively at range' in VideoGame/WorldOfWarcrafts''; they were able to use melee weapons but did ScratchDamage with them. [[note]]Hunters who used their melee weapons did exist, often without pets as a self-imposed challenge were derided as Huntards since they did MUCH less damage.[[/note]]. But with the ''Mists of Pandaria'' expansion, they've lost their deadzone and can use their abilities and ranged weapons in melee range.

* Hunters started as 'Fights exclusively at range' in [=WoW=]; they were able to use melee weapons but did ScratchDamage with them. [[note]]Hunters who used their melee weapons did exist, often without pets as a self-imposed challenge were derided as Huntards since they did MUCH less damage.[[/note]]. But with the ''Mists of Pandaria'' expansion, they've lost their deadzone and can use their abilities and ranged weapons in melee range.

* Usopp in ''Manga/OnePiece'', from all of the weapons he's invented, he has a few different hammers for different occasions for close-range and that's about it.

** Both Kidomaru and Tayuya specialize in long-range combat, using arrows and genjutsu against their enemies respectively but are vulnerable against a close-range assault Tayuya doesn't even carry a knife on her person, while Kidomaru ''does'' have the option of forming weapons and armor out of his spider silk, but notes that going close-range with the likes of [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Neji]] and his Gentle Fist style is suicide. Likewise, their partners Jirobo as well as Sakon & Ukon specialize in close-ranged combat.

* Lady in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4: Special Edition'' has this as her preferred fighting style after being PromotedToPlayable. It's also her primary fighting style in the cinemas of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening''. Although this is justified - the other playable characters are {{half|HumanHybrid}}-demon, so can take much more punishment than her.

* ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'': The Rogue character class, and the Amazon character class from ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}} 2'', along with the Rogues you can hire in Act I. Both specialize in bows, crossbows, and javelins.

* Lady in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4: Special Edition'' has this as her preferred fighting style after being PromotedToPlayable. It's also her primary fighting style in the cinemas of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3''. Although this is justified - the other playable characters are {{half|HumanHybrid}}-demon, so can take much more punishment than her.

Another common version, more well known in Fantasy settings, doesn't do that much more damage than anyone else, have the ability to take it in turn, nor is particularly agile. What it instead specializes in, is [[SquishyWizard utility and control]], summoning allies, and disorienting foes with StatusEffects to wear down enemies from afar while disabling their ability to get in close to begin with, or debilitating foes while they're already in melee with your own frontline, yet if caught up close, have difficulty gathering the energy to cast a spell while an assassin is at their throat or barbarian is bearing down on them.

*** The entire Tau race in have this as their hat, to the point where they employ another race entirely as mercenaries to deal with hand to hand combat. Only the Imperial Guard and the Orks can put out more shots per turn than the Tau, but the Tau can pump out more powerful shots, and more accurately too, thanks to [[LaserSight Markerlights]].
*** The Imperial Guard is made up of PunyEarthlings that rely on shooting from afar to stop their usually much more imposing opponents from getting close. Infantry rely on DeathByAThousandCuts from their weak small arms and [[ZergRush vast numbers]], and support from TankGoodness and/or [[DeathFromAbove artillery]]. Even ''they'' can expect to beat up the Tau in a melee, though.

** E-123 Omega is this in ''VideoGame/SonictheHedgehog2006''. His wide array of guns and rockets give him hundreds of ways to snipe opponents from distance, but he completely lacks any physical combat moves. This is in contrast to other playable depictions of him where he more uses [[MightyGlacier crushing physical blows and heavy weapons to dish out pain in close-to-mid-range.]]
** Shadow The Hedgehog tends to fall into this thanks to his access to Chaos Energy attacks and [[VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog firearms]].
** Silver the Hedgehog is another example of this. He's able to use his Psychokinesis to assault his enemies at range and in [[VideoGame/SonicGenerations some instances]] his usage of his powers can get VERY creative. Unfortunately, he tends to fall apart in close quarters, [[GlassCannon not having very many hand-to-hand abilities and withstanding hits like a wet napkin.]]

** [=SSB4=] DLC grants us [[VideoGame/FireEmblemFates Corrin]], who is practically to this game what Dhalsim is to Street Fighter. While he does have a sword, most of his damage will come from his [[LovecraftianSuperpower Dragon Fang]] attacks, especially if they hit at the tip.
** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' introduces [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} Simon and Richter Belmont]], whose smash and special moves are all long-range or projectile based. Their vampire killers manage to be ''even longer'' then Corrin's Dragon Fang attacks.

** E-123 Omega is this in ''Videogame/SonictheHedgehog2006''. His wide array of guns and rockets give him hundreds of ways to snipe opponents from distance, but he completely lacks any physical combat moves. This is in contrast to other playable depictions of him where he more uses [[MightyGlacier crushing physical blows and heavy weapons to dish out pain in close-to-mid-range.]]
** Shadow The Hedgehog tends to fall into this thanks to his access to Chaos Energy attacks and [[Videogame/ShadowTheHedgehog firearms]].
** Silver the Hedgehog is another example of this. He's able to use his Psychokinesis to assault his enemies at range and in [[Videogame/SonicGenerations some instances]] his usage of his powers can get VERY creative. Unfortunately he tends to fall apart in close quarters, [[GlassCannon not having very many hand-to-hand abilities and withstanding hits like a wet napkin.]]
* Mycale, Anonym and Perfecti from ''VideoGame/AkatsukiBlitzkampf'' all fit here, in one way or another. Mycale is an expert in SummonMagic and has MagicalGirl-like abilities, Anonym is a practitioner of GunKata who's at her best when she shoots her foes away, and while Perfecti has a [[BayonetYa bayonet]] as her weapon her speciality is attacking with her quite nice array of projectiles.
* Lady in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry 4: Special Edition'' has this as her preferred fighting style after being PromotedToPlayable. It's also her primary fighting style in the cinemas of ''Devil May Cry 3''. Although this is justified - the other playable characters are [[HalfHumanHybrid Half-Demon]] so can take much more punishment than her.

* In ''VideoGame/MordheimCityOfTheDamned'', this is the entire schtick of the Human Mercenaries faction. They have an entire range of various ranged weapons with their own strengths and weaknesses: longbows are low-damage but can shoot multiple times a turn, handguns are great at defeating enemies in heavy armour, long rifles have a better critical hit chance and longer range, blunderbusses can hit multiple enemies (and also allies!) in a cone but only at close range. Even their dedicated melee specialists can pack pistols and crossbows along with their close combat weapons. They're not ''helpless'' in close combat but the other factions will outclass them: the Skaven ({{Ninja}} [[YouDirtyRat rat-people]]) are faster and can dodge more, the Sisters of Sigmar (effectively a squad of [[AmazonBrigade female]] [[ThePaladin paladins]]) have better armour, better melee weapons and support spells, and the Chaos Cultists ([[ReligionOfEvil demon-worshipping cultists]], fairly self-explanatory) have better melee weapons and [[BodyHorror mutations]] which also give them an edge. However the Skaven and Cultists have limited ranged ability and the Sisters of Sigmar have '''none''' on top of being {{Mighty Glacier}}s.

Another common version, more well known in Fantasy settings, doesn't do that much more damage than anyone else, have the ability to take it in turn, nor is particularly agile. What it instead specializes in, is [[SquishyWizard utility and control]], summoning allies, and disorienting foes with StandardStatusEffects to wear down enemies from afar while disabling their ability to get in close to begin with, or debilitating foes while they're already in melee with your own frontline, yet if caught up close, have difficulty gathering the energy to cast a spell while an assassin is at their throat or barbarian is bearing down on them.

** The Shadow Peashooter fires weak shadowy peas if unpowered, and powerful, slowing OneHitPolykill beams of darkness if powered by a Moonflower. However, it will retreat into the ground if a zombie gets close by on its lane, preventing it from attacking. It's slightly subverted in that if it's hidden, it'll [[BuriedAlive drag a zombie that steps on it into the ground]] for a OneHitKill, but it disappears immediately if not powered and can only do this up to three times if powered, making it have a much better role at a long-distance attacker than a close-range trap.

* Before anything else, in fighting games, the vast majority of characters in the "Zoner" or "Keep-Away" archetypes qualify as such.

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'', Trowa's "Heavyarms" Gundam was equipped almost exclusively with long-range weapons (with a single pop-out physical knife as an EmergencyWeapon), where the other Gundams relied more often on Beam Sabres or other close-range weapons. ''Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz'' upped the ante with "Heavyarms Custom" being equipped with even MoreDakka. Its appearance in ''Gundam Battle Assault 2'' reflects this, with almost its entire repertoire of attacks being of some manner of projectile or shot.

[[caption-width-right:"Yoga Fi—ARRRGH!"]]

* Although this trope generally doesn't come into play for first-person shooters for reasons mentioned above, the Sniper of ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' still qualifies for this trope because his sniper rifle is perfectly accurate and its damage is largely unaffected by range, whereas pretty much every combat-oriented class is encourage to [[ShortRangeLongRangeWeapon fight at fairly close range]] by inaccuracy of {{hitscan}} weapons, [[PainfullySlowProjectile slow movement speed of projectiles]], and/or severe damage penalties for attacking from far away. Sniper is thus favored to attack from a distance because the damage loss to all other classes' attacks makes up for his [[GlassCannon low health]] and [[ChargedAttack slow attack speed.]] His Huntsman bow is the closest he gets to mid range attacks and his Jarate is best used for supporting teammates on fire or finding Spies rather than direct attacks with the Bushwacka (which does a guaranteed CriticalHit every time against piss-soaked foes but causes Sniper to take a ''20%'' damage increase).