History Main / ChoiceOfTwoWeapons

* ''Left4Dead'' allows you to swap between a small weapon and a large one. Its sequel allows you to make this selection to be between a melee weapon and a large gun instead.
* ''{{Oni}}'' gives us the option of a ranged weapon and GoodOldFisticuffs.
** As does ''FirstEncounterAssaultRecon''.

* It's a fairly good idea to have this set up in ''{{Diablo}}'', at least in the first game. Warriors occasionally find themselves needing to shoot at something (or, in the case of enemies trapped on the opposite sides of portcullises, want to pick enemies off at a distance.) A rogue often finds herself needing to resort to hand-to-hand if fast enemies are encroaching, so having a sword and shield and the strength to use both available helps. Straying out of BowAndSwordInAccord and into MagicKnight, magic is helpful to the rogue as well, though the warriors maximum magic is so low that its barely worth his while. The sorcerer is pretty damn awful with both bow and sword, but its worth giving him a bit of strength and a light sword and shield in case he runs out of mana (True, you might be screwed if this is the case, but its better than nothing).

* Warriors from several East-African tribes including the Samburu and the Maasai carry a range of throwing weapons. When an animal attacks they first thrown their stick (also used for herding cattle as well as ritual fights with other warriors), then their spear (also their preferred weapon for hunting) and then their rungu (a short club that also has ceremonial uses). Their last weapon is a short sword for melee combat. (During wartime other weapons saw use, including bows and shields.)

* In ''{{Bastion}}'' The Kid can bring two weapons with him into the field. While this makes him something of a master of many weapons, whenever you first leave the armory with a given weapon combination, The Stranger will provide a commentary on the advantages of the combo, and the versatility it would provide.

* The first two ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' games (and ''VideoGame/{{Fallout Tactics|BrotherhoodOfSteel}}'') let you carry two weapons in your hands and switch between them without the penalty associated with digging into your inventory during combat. Most players would just carry two guns, say a long-range sniper rifle and a close-range bullet sprayer. You also had the option of carrying a gun and a [[DropTheHammer Super Sledgehammer]] or two melee weapons. And then there's the HyperspaceArsenal you're carrying around in your pants that costs a few AP to access. Finally, if you left either (or both) slots open, you had access to two different sets of hand-to-hand attacks.

A great many characters [[WeaponOfChoice take one weapon and stick with it]]. This makes a lot of sense, seeing as you often need a lifetime of practice to be fully proficient with a weapon. Training with more than one would [[MasterOfNone just leave you weak in both areas.]] That said, some heroes decide that flexibility is better than specialisation, realising that however skilled they are in their current field, a sword is still going to lose to a bow at long range, so it's a good idea to have a bow in reserve. This makes them something of [[TheRedMage a Red Mage]] when it comes to fighting, as they can do two things at once, making them very flexible fighters.

[[RuleOfCool It's also damn cool to be able to wield two completely different styles of weapons at will.]]

These come in various combinations, but a bow and a sword is the most common, as it balances range with close-quarters protection.

Subtrope is the MagicKnight, who wields just one weapon but backs it up with magic rather than another weapon.

Historically this was common. Knights rode into battle on horses with lances, several lances in fact, in case one broke, but you wouldn't catch them dead without their signature swords. (Later on this gave way to maces.) Archers would wield swords if they could afford and use them, and daggers if they couldn't. Spearmen often had swords and daggers in reserve, but the absolute king of this trope in reality was the Vikings. A bow for long range, then a light throwing spear, followed by a long-handled axe, a shorter axe, and then the sword, a last desperate defence when fighting got really close.

Common combinations (and possible tropes) include:

* '''TheMusketeer:''' A gun and a sword (or other melee weapon) combo. Typical combination for characters and armies on the advent of gunpowder, the ranged weapon in this case is often more of a throw-away weapon used to down an opponent before closing to meet with the rest. Bayonets are a special case, a type of multi-purpose weapon that originally functioned as a spear which happened to fire something before you used it, until the gun part of the weapon became more important with the advent of accurate and fast-firing rifles.
* '''MultiMeleeMaster:''' A character who carries more than one melee weapon. Frequently, carries a short ranged and a long reach weapon. That or a weapon that is good for offense and defence. They tend to have trouble changing between them though as it means they have to draw the new weapon and dispose of the old one somehow.
* '''MultiRangedMaster:''' A character who carries more than one ranged weapon. Frequently, carries a short ranged weapon and a long ranged weapon. That or a bullet-hose coupled with a precise weapon. Faces the same challenge as a multi-melee wielder in that they have to quickly get rid of their current weapon if they want to use their other option.
* '''EmergencyWeapon:''' In more modern times, a first-person-shooter protagonist is likely to wield some kind of back-up melee weapon just in case the main blaster runs out of juice. The traditional example is a crowbar or some other ImprovisedWeapon. Professional soldiers usually carry knives. And of course, there are the futuristic weapons like [[StarWars lightsabres]] and [[Warhammer40K chainswords.]] Desperate FPS protagonists may show [[GoodOldFisticuffs some rather startling boxing skills.]]
* '''InWorkingOrder:''' A character in a war between two different intelligent species who both use radically different weapons to each other, who is able to pick up the other side's apparently "alien" weaponry and use it themselves.

[[folder: TabletopGames]]

* A pistol and (power/chain)sword-combo is very common in ''{{Warhammer40000}}''. In addition, Chaos Space Marines and Space Wolves carry a gun, a pistol and a sword, so they can both shoot effectively and fight in close combat. In older codexes where the characters are allowed to pick a certain points worth of items from the wargear list it was possible (but not very practical) to buy multiple ranged or close combat weapons. In the newer codexes characters can only pick certain items listed on their profile and the choices tend to be mutually exclusive (so one on range weapon from the list of available options etc). However there are some exceptions; for example Huron Blackheart has a power weapon and a powerfist (he can't use them both at the same time, though).

[[folder: VideoGames]]

* Your hero from ''VideoGame/{{Fable I}}'' is both {{Bow And Sword|InAccord}} wielder and a MagicKnight. The second game swaps the bow and sword combo for TheMusketeer, the hero wielding a pistol or rifle.

** Actually, Yeager's Scythe had 4 or 5 settings to it; Scythe, Crossbow, Sword, Rifle, and a Sheild-looking one that may have just been the crossbow mode used for defence instead of attacking making it more of a SwissArmyWeapon, and if you pay attention durring the fight you'll notice the "Rifle" setting only appears durring his [[{{LimitBreak}} Mystic Arte]] in battle. In the actual story, he uses it [[spoiler: on the Heracles to shoot Zagi out the window]]. Yeager's two lackies, Gauche and Droite, had swords that turned into guns for some of their special attacks. Sadly said swords lose that ability when the player gets ahold of them (via stealing them during the fight with Gauche and Driote) as Estelle is the only character who can use them.

* In the ''EtrianOdyssey'' series, most of the combat-oriented classes have two different weapons they can equip, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. ''[=EOIII=]'' adds the ability to Subclass, making it possible to master ''more'' weapons (if that class has a 'Mastery' skill they can train in). It's up to the player whether any given guildmember focuses on one weapon profenciency over the other or learns how to wield ''both'' effectively.

[[folder: WesternAnimation]]

[[folder: RealLife]]

* The first two ''{{Fallout}}'' games (and ''Fallout Tactics'') let you carry two weapons in your hands and switch between them without the penalty associated with digging into your inventory during combat. Most players would just carry two guns, say a long-range sniper rifle and a close-range bullet sprayer. You also had the option of carrying a gun and a [[DropTheHammer Super Sledgehammer]] or two melee weapons. And then there's the HyperspaceArsenal you're carrying around in your pants that costs a few AP to access. Finally, if you left either (or both) slots open, you had access to two different sets of hand-to-hand attacks.
** ''Fallout 3'' works in a different way: you can hotkey items from your inventory, but as the game is not turn-based there's no penalty for digging into your backpack in combat. It still uses the trope, though: you could place your skills to be specialized in two (or more) types of guns, or a gun and one of the other types of weapon. You're limited, however, by how much weight you can carry. Assuming you have good armor (read, heavy), you're not likely to be able to carry around too many different weapons unless you pump a lot of points into your strength rating and get a few different perks at level selection. FalloutNewVegas ups the ante with hardcore mode, where even ''ammunition'' has weight! So in that case, you're really hard-pressed to specialize!

* In ''TalesOfVesperia'', Yeager, one of the antagonists, wield a rather unique weapon, in that it is a scythe that can transform into a rifle. One of the party characters, Raven, also has a transforming weapon, his being a bow that transforms into a short sword. This is interesting to note given that they also have a more notable thing in common in that [[spoiler:both men were brought back to life and subsequently manipulated by Alexei. They also both have blastia hearts, and, most likely, loved the same woman.]]

* In ''AgeOfEmpires 3'', all non-artillery or vehicle units have a melee weapon to defend themselves close-up. Most are only competent in one area, aside from; the musketeers who have a ranged attack to help soften up melee units and a bayonet melee attack to beat cavalry and to use against ranged units, longbowmen who use swords that make then better in melee against most other ranged infantry.

* In ''Tales of Graces'', Hubert uses a weapon that is a two-ended swordlike weapon, that he can seperate to wield as either twin swords or twin guns. In his second hi-ougi and Accel Mode (in F), he can use it as a bow as well. Even characters in game comment on how odd his weapon is.

* ''LegendOfZelda'' gives us Link, who wields a sword as his primary weapon, but also carries a bow, a boomerang, bombs, a whip-like weapon, and various other weapons, occasionally including magic. Justified in that Link has had no prior training in any of these weapons, meaning he hasn't had time to specialise. Of course, this just [[InstantExpert brings up another trope...]]
** Link best fits BowAndSwordInAccord with a Batman utility belt added in. This fits particularly well in ''TwilightPrincess'' where Link is shown training with the sword and bow, and can learn sword techniques throughout the game.

* In ''MountAndBlade'', you have four weapon (and shield) slots to fill as you please. BowAndSwordInAccord is the obvious combination (though heavy on the skill points for archers), but there's three types of melee weapon and three types of ranged, and among those subsets, ''many'' different tools for many different tasks; you may want a heavy damage-dealing two-hander, a one-handed weapon and shield for shieldfighting, a bludgeoning weapon for prisoner-taking, a polearm for lancework (which is likely to be different from the polearm you could use for two-handed damage or shieldfighting), a bow or crossbow and arrows or bolts if you're a primary ranged fighter, or a brace of thrown weapons (such as javelins) for a backup ranged weapon. Since you have only so many spaces (unless you return to the baggage train), you need to prioritize (fortunately, many weapons fill more than one role).

In FanFic/TheTaintedGrimoire, there is Cheney who as a Hunter uses both a hunting knife and a bow.

* Most of the classes in ''TeamFortress2'' have some combination of long(er) range weapon, mid-range weapon, and melee weapon in their slots. Given the variety in the unlockables, this makes for very interesting combinations.

* Warriors from several East-African tribes including the Samburu and the Maasai carry a range of throwing weapons. When an animal attacks they first thrown their stick (also used for herding cattle as well as ritual fights with other warriors), then their spear (also their preferred weapon for hunting) and then their rungu (a short club that also has ceremonial uses). Their last weapon is a short sword for melee combat. (During wartime other weapons see use, including bows and shields.)

* Your hero from {{Fable}} 1 is both {{Bow And Sword|InAccord}} wielder and a MagicKnight. The second game swaps the bow and sword combo for TheMusketeer, the hero wielding a pistol or rifle.

* In {{Bastion}} The Kid can bring two weapons with him into the field. While this makes him something of a master of many weapons, whenever you first leave the armory with a given weapon combination, The Stranger will provide a commentary on the advantages of the combo, and the versatility it would provide.
* In FateStayNight, Archer ([[spoiler: and by extension Shirou]]) laughs at your ChoiceOfTwoWeapons and raises you the ability to wield any weapon he has ever seen with [[InstantExpert nearly the same skill of the original user]], giving him the ability to wield spears as easily as swords as easily as bows [[OverlyLongGag as easily as axes as...]]

* While there are other occasions in the FinalFantasy series where characters can wield more than one weapon, it would appear that Noctis Lucis Caelum from FinalFantasyVersusXIII takes this trope UpToEleven. The first trailer showed him wielding swords, spears, axes, multiple types of firearms, magic, and a primary weapon consisting of a falchion with an engine built into the hilt.
* All characters in {{Gungnir}} are capable of wielding two types of weapon.

* Sokka in ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'' has his boomerang for long range, and a club (later replaced with a sword) for melee.

* '''TheMusketeer:''' A gun and a sword combo. Typical combination for characters and armies on the advent of gunpowder, the ranged weapon in this case is often more of a throw-away weapon used to down an opponent before closing to meet with the rest. Bayonets are a special case, a type of multi-purpose weapon that originally functioned as a spear which happened to fire something before you used it, until the gun part of the weapon became more important with the advent of accurate and fast-firing rifles.

* '''BowAndSwordInAccord.''' This is probably the most popular ancient cross. Usually these characters are [[JackOfAllTrades flexible souls]], and they usually wear light to medium armour. One character you won't find with a shield, as they need to be able to swap from bow to sword fast. This combo makes sense as it gives a character range and protection, though they tend to be lightly armoured.

* '''TheMusketeer:''' A gun and a sword combo. Typical combination for characters and armies on the advent of gunpowder, the ranged weapon in this case is often more of a throw-away weapon used to down an opponent before closing to meet with the rest. Bayonets are a special case, a type of multi-purpose weapon that originally functioned as a spear which happened to fire something before you used it, until the gun part of the weapon became more important with the advent of accurate and fast-firing rifles.

** ''Dynasty Warriors 7'' takes a page from ''Strikeforce'' in that all characters can equip two weapons, with the only real limitation being that male characters cannot equip chain whips, and female characters cannot equip great swords. Characters do have their preferred weapons, however, and will be able to execute a EX-attack if they have it equipped.

For characters who use two different weapons at the same time, see {{Guns Akimbo}}, {{Dual Wielding}} and {{Sword and Gun}}. Contrast {{Weapon Of Choice}}. When a character uses one of the above as their primary weapon and any randomly acquired instrument as their secondary, compare ImprovisedWeapon.

The below example space is for examples that cover more than one of the above combinations. (Like Guts of {{Berserk}}, who covers {{Bow And Sword In Accord}} and {{The Musketeer}}.)

* Guts of ''{{Berserk}}'' fits {{Bow And Sword In Accord}}, using a repeating crossbow and a set of throwing knives along with his {{BFS}}. He deviates from the general profile by being heavily armored (since he's a mercenary who mainly favors melee) and also comes under TheMusketeer by having a ''fourth'' weapon (a [[ArmCannon gunpowder cannon built into his arm]]) as a nasty surprise for any demons who think they have him beat.
* Vash the Stampede of the aptly named ''{{Trigun}}'' is a {{Multi Ranged Master}} who switches between three guns. He has his signature revolver for general purpose use,[[spoiler: a submachinegun built into his arm for close ranged combat, and an angel arm cannon for blowing holes in the moon.]]