History Main / MultiRangedMaster

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/MarvelsAvengersAlliance https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/punisher_png_clipart.png]]]]

** This is not to say that they don't have rifles as well. But those are usually reserved for [[MoreDakka SWAT]] [[BigDamnHeroes teams]] and situations where they're dealing with shooters with body armor. In the aftermath of the 1997 North Hollywood shootout, it ''has' become more common for patrol cars to have a rifle stored in the trunk just in case, especially in larger cities that can afford to issue so many weapons to each officer.

* Scottish Highlanders often carried both a longbow and a Musket-so they'd have both a fast firing long ranged weapon for lightly armoured troops and a slower firing mid ranged one for heavy infantry.

* Let's get the obvious out of the way first: 90+% of all FirstPersonShooter protagonists, ever.
** Though he's not the first FPS character to use [[GunsAkimbo two guns at once]], Franchise/JamesBond was likely the first to wield two ''very different'' weapons at the same time, wielding an [[AKA47 RCP90]] in one hand and a grenade launcher in the other in ''[[VideoGame/GoldenEye1997 GoldenEye 007]]''.

* Let's get the obvious out of the way first: 90+% of all {{FPS}} protagonists, ever.
** Franchise/JamesBond was likely the first to [[GunsAkimbo wield two very different weapons at the same time]], wielding an [[AKA47 AR33]] in one hand and a grenade launcher in the other in ''[[VideoGame/GoldenEye1997 GoldenEye 007]]''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fable}}'' allows the protagonist to operate both a longbow and crossbow with equal competence, despite the two weapons being very different in function and requiring a lifetime of practice with the longbow. (Crossbows are easier to pick up and learn to fire, and don't require the same insane levels of strength.) The sequel does away with the longbow but adds rifles, blunderbusses and pistols into the mix, which are different from crossbows again. The third game does away with crossbows altogether
* The Soldier class in ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'' excels at using rifle and another ranged weapon. Males favor [[GatlingGood gatling guns]] while females are proficient with [[VideogameFlamethrowersSuck flamethrowers]].

* Ezio Auditore from ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' is this ''and'' MultiMeleeMaster. While his ancestor Altaïr only used throwing knives - the crossbow was CutscenePowerToTheMax and doesn't count - Ezio eventually gains a [[ArmCannon Hidden Gun]] and, in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'', a crossbow.

* Mana Tatsumiya, resident gunslinger of Manga/MahouSenseiNegima, changes between rifle, submachine gun and handcannons easily.
* [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Team Guy's]] Tenten is this, specifically for throwing weapons. If she can hurl it she will.

** Comicbook/{{Hawkeye}} of [[Comicbook/TheAvengers Avengers]] fame, especially in his Ultimates version, where he can shoot, throw, flick, spit, and otherwise glance at you with deadly results.
** [[Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} Bullseye]] is an equally extreme example, if not moreso. Pretty telling that Bullseye impersonated Hawkeye in the Comicbook/DarkAvengers.
* Miho in ''Comicbook/SinCity'' can use normal shuriken, her bladed manji, throwing knives, or arrows.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'':

* Many a character in TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons 3.0 or later or TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}} is automatically proficient with a stunning array of ranged weapons and may carry two or three of them at will. A typical fighter may be roughly as competent with a thrown dagger, thrown hammer, javelin, longbow, crossbow, shortbow, sling, darts, a blowgun, and a chakram at first level. The list of melee weapons such a character knows how to use is far longer. When you realize human first level characters created by the rules are often about 16 years old, one can only wonder when they found time to learn it all. This is generally considered an AcceptableBreakFromReality. Earlier D&D characters also could fit this trope, but the player had very limited slots for characters to learn to use weapons and it would be based on player choice.

** Taken [[UpToEleven a bit further]] in the [[{{VideoGame/Borderlands2}} sequel]] with Gunzerker character class, which is capable of [[GunsAkimbo dual-wielding]] ''any'' pair of weapons, no matter the type.

* In ''Videogame/MechWarrior'', most [[HumongousMecha BattleMechs]] by default carry a mix of {{hitscan}} lasers, MissileLockOn, and ballistic weaponry, though players often minmax their loadouts in [[CharacterCustomization the Mechlab]] to a specific subtype. In ''[=MechWarrior Living Legends=]'', the popular Warhammer "Prime" variant carries a pair of particle projector cannons with travel time, quadruple hitscan pulse lasers, and a short-range dumbfire missile launcher, allowing it to engage at multiple ranges and unleash withering firepower at close range.

* In ''Videogame/MechWarrior'', most [[HumongousMecha BattleMechs]] by default carry a mix of HitScan lasers, MissileLockOn, and ballistic weaponry, though players often minmax their loadouts in [[CharacterCustomization the Mechlab]] to a specific subtype. In ''[=MechWarrior Living Legends=]'', the popular Warhammer "Prime" variant carries a pair of particle projector cannons with travel time, quadruple hitscan pulse lasers, and a short-range dumbfire missile launcher, allowing it to engage at multiple ranges and unleash withering firepower at close range.

* Link (in his various incarnations) from ''Francise/TheLegendOfZelda'' has used a bow, a boomerang, a slingshot, a hookshot/clawshot (a hook or claw on a spring-powered chain), a grappling hook, various magical staves and wands, a whip, a wrecking ball on a chain, a sword that shoots laser beams, bombs that can be thrown or rolled, and a remote-controlled robotic beetle. Oh, and a fishing rod. Although no single game contains all of these, he almost always has at least three of them. (The mechanically different 2D sidescrolling platformer aspect of the second game eliminates almost all ranged capabilities and tools, leaving only a default weak sword beam and its magical fireball counterpart.)

** Many ranged [[SwordAndGun (and melee)]] units have pistols to fire before charging in an assault. That is generally not a good idea since most ranged units will never go as much damage as any unit made for melee face-to-face, and most standard ranged weapons are rapid-fire meaning they fire two shots instead of one when in range to assault as opposed to firing one shot with their pistols and charging in. Utilizing rapid-fire is generally prefered for most units. It can work for the {{Space Marine}}s, being TheMario, though.

* Link (in his various incarnations) from ''Francise/TheLegendOfZelda'' has used a bow, a boomerang, a slingshot, a hookshot/clawshot (a hook or claw on a spring-powered chain), a grappling hook, various magical staves and wands, a whip, a wrecking ball on a chain, a sword that shoots laser beams, bombs that can be thrown or rolled, and a remote-controlled robotic beetle. Oh, and a fishing rod. Although no single game contains all of these, he definitely always has at least three of them.

* [[{{Naruto}} Team Guy's]] Tenten is this, specifically for throwing weapons. If she can hurl it she will.

* In ''Literature/DancesWithWolves,'' Lt. Dunbar arms the bow-and-arrow/tomahawk-using Indians with ''Winchester rifles;'' despite having absolutely ''no'' training, they succeed in wiping out the enemy tribe in a one-sided victory.

* USAF Security Forces maintain qualifications with the M9 handgun and M4 carbine at all times they can also become qualified on the M249, M240, M203, [=MK19=], and M2 and in a few rare cases the M24 and Barrett .50 cal.

Wielding a rifle is very different to aiming a pistol, and using heavy weapons like bazookas and grenade launchers even more radically different. And as for those protagonists who use bows... or [[InWorkingOrder alien weapons.]] Basically, if a character carries two distinct types of ranged weapon, both of which would require a lot of practice to use without necessarily giving competence with the other, you have this trope.

* The Ranger job tree in ''{{Dragonica}}'' uses a different type of firearm (plus multiple types of grenades and a remote drone or two) for nearly every attack skill, with their actual equipped weapon being a crossbow.

* [[Series/KamenRiderRyuki Kamen Rider Zolda]] (and his [[Series/KamenRiderDragonKnight American counterpart Kamen Rider Torque]]) have, besides the handgun-sized machine gun Magna Visor, a pair of shoulder-mounted cannons and a handheld artillery gun.

* In ''GuildWars2'', Warriors, Engineers, Rangers, and Thieves can all use at least 2 nonmagical ranged weapons. All except the engineer can switch between 2 weapon sets in combat as well, and the engineer gets skills that open up an array of other weapons.

* In ''WorldInConflict'', Rifleman squads have a medic, a rifleman, an AT soldier, an AA soldier and a machinegunner, with the first two having grenade launchers mounted on their rifles. Anti-tank squads have mostly AT soldiers with a medic and some riflemen, lacking grenade launchers.

** Taken [[{{UpToEleven}} a bit further]] in the [[{{VideoGame/Borderlands2}} sequel]] with Gunzerker character class, which is capable of [[{{GunsAkimbo}} dual-wielding]] ''any'' pair of weapons, no matter the type.
* Laguna in ''DissidiaFinalFantasy'' doesn't need swords or sorcery, nor even significant athletic ability. While others are trading barrages of Holy and a lifetime's martial training with each other, Laguna just shoots things. With a machine gun, a sniper rifle, a shotgun, a bazooka, a multi-rocket launcher, grenades, sticky bombs and electro-shield bombs. Oh, and a laser cannon. Also, Vaan, to a lesser extent, as he can use a rifle and crossbow and Firion who can uses a longbow and throwing knives.

* Mana Tatsumiya, resident gunslinger of MahouSenseiNegima, changes between rifle, submachine gun and handcannons easily.

[[folder:Manga And Anime]]
* Mana Tatsumiya, resident gunslinger of MahouSenseiNegima, changes between rifle, submachine gun and handcannons easily.
* [[{{Naruto}} Team Guy's]] Tenten is this, specifically for throwing weapons. If she can hurl it she will.
* Teana Lanster of the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise, who starts off trained on MagiTek pistols in ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikerS'', learns Nanoha's {{Signature|Move}} WaveMotionGun technique in ''AudioPlay/StrikersSoundStageX'' and masters it by ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid'', and later gains a non-magical assault rifle that could fire [[EnergyWeapons energy]] and [[KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter physical]] bolts for use against the {{Mage Killer}}s of ''Manga/MagicalRecordLyricalNanohaForce''.
* ''Anime/SenkiZesshouSymphogear'': Chris Yukine's Ichi-Val gear gives her AutomaticCrossbows by default, but can also produce anything from [[MacrossMissileMassacre missile packs]] to [[GatlingGood Gatling guns]] to ''[[NoKillLikeOverkill freaking ICBMs]]'', and she's very capable of kicking ass with all of them. Her DangerousForbiddenTechnique produces either a WaveMotionTuningFork {{BFG}} that looks like a combination between the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Double Buster Rifle]] and the [[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Satellite Cannon]] (with a [[Anime/TurnAGundam Moonlight Butterfly]] thrown in for good measure), or an absolutely '''gigantic''' missile rack with literally hundreds of missiles.
* Gene Starwind of ''Manga/OutlawStar'' primarily wields a pistol most of the time, a short double barreled shotgun for tougher opponents, and his hand cannon sized magic Caster Gun for powerful magic using opponents. He has also used bazookas, rocket launchers, and a multi-missle launcher to various effect.
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