"Area Of Effect is definitely not something that is rarely in the hands of the protagonist."
The problem is...that's not what the trope is about.
The trope is not "powers good guys rarely get" — that's Bad Powers, Bad People. This trope is "powers which, in the hands of bad guys, are extremely difficult to defeat". That's why Rubber Man and Multi-Armed and Dangerous are listed under "Melee"; because most melee-fighting good guys have a hard time fighting against guys who can stretch or bounce back or who have extra limbs to attack/defend with.
Area of Effect, likewise, was under "Versus Mobility or Range" because if you're a Close-Range Combatant that needs get close, how do you do that against an AOE-user? Likewise, if you're a speedster who relies on dodging for defense, that becomes harder to do when an attack does not require precise aim.
In Jan 2021, Tropers.A Guy removed Area of Effect for the reasoning:
"Area Of Effect is definitely not something that is rarely in the hands of the protagonist."
The problem is...that's not what the trope is about.
The trope is not "powers good guys rarely get" — that's Bad Powers, Bad People. This trope is "powers which, in the hands of bad guys, are extremely difficult to defeat". That's why Rubber Man and Multi-Armed and Dangerous are listed under "Melee"; because most melee-fighting good guys have a hard time fighting against guys who can stretch or bounce back or who have extra limbs to attack/defend with.
Area of Effect, likewise, was under "Versus Mobility or Range" because if you're a Close-Range Combatant that needs get close, how do you do that against an AOE-user? Likewise, if you're a speedster who relies on dodging for defense, that becomes harder to do when an attack does not require precise aim.
Edited by NubianSatyress