Welcome to Video Game Terms for Noobs, my series of helpful guides that explains video game lingo no one else cares to explain.

Today, we will be defining the term RANGED.

Ranged Definition:

RANGED defines a character, trait, weapon, ability, and so forth that is primarily used from a distance.

A variety of game related objects and situations can be defined as ranged. The word is pretty versatile.

• Characters in action role playing games–such as Archers–that use bow and arrows as their means of attacking are considered ranged characters.
• Fireballs shot out of the hands of characters in fighting games are called ranged special moves.
• Magic users and magic attacks in role playing games are considered ranged.
• Items that can be thrown in any genre of video game can be considered ranged items.
• And any weapon that fires from a distance are ranged weapons.

Ranged weapons are used in shooter games such as Fortnite, Overwatch, and Call of Duty as a primary means of attack.

For instance, here are some examples of ranged weapons you might find in shooting games:

• pistols
• shotguns
• flare guns
• sniper rifles
• bazookas
• throwing axes
• machine guns
• magical beams of energy
• and fireballs

These would all be considered ranged weapons.

Why? Because, the items listed are all weapons that are used from afar.

Ranged VS Melee

Ranged is often compared to the term melee.

You can think of melee as the opposite of ranged: Melee is closed ranged while ranged is long ranged.

Gamers will often have lively discussions about what type of weapon or character in a specific video game is better, ranged or melee. It really comes down to personal preference.

Why do players prefer ranged gameplay?

Because we are focusing on ranged in this guide, I can say with certainty that a ranged play style suits players who are looking to engage in gameplay but want to remain safe.

• Fighting from afar often can leave you feeling safer than if you were picking a weapon or character that must be used closer to an enemy.

Most games often offer a ranged play style along with melee for this very reason: to give casual, cautious, beginners, and players that simply prefer ranged gameplay an opportunity to play the game from a distance.

Now that you know what ranged means in a video game sense, let us take a look at examples of ranged characters in popular video games.

Video Game Examples of Ranged Explained:

Fortnite

Publisher: Epic Games

(Available on Nintendo Switch eShop)

The primary form of dealing damage in the online, multiplayer game Fortnite is via ranged gameplay.

Nearly every weapon is gun based and must be fired from afar.

Additionally, Fortnite gameplay and its overall foundation is predicated on ranged warfare.

Fortnite has

• Large, open areas to allow shootouts to occur
• Tall towers for players to climb on top of and snipe players down below
• Bushes, trees, and buildings to hide behind in order to peak-and-shoot

All of these design decisions support ranged play.

In contrast, Fortnite also gives player a pickaxe that is used at close distances. This weapon, however, is a last-resort selection for players as it deals minimal damage.

Any player can walk up to another opposing player and shoot them from close range, but that is way more dangerous than firing from a distant location.

By choosing ranged as its core gameplay style, Fortnite allows new player to jump into the game with a sense of safety knowing that the majority of their combat will be done far from threatening foes.

I know ranged gameplay has allowed me to fire, miss, and survive by hiding in Fortnite many times before. Hiding from a seasoned player is a lot harder to do when closer to an adversary.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Publisher: Nintendo

(Available on Nintendo Switch in both digital and physical versions)

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a party fighting game with a large roster of fighters with plenty of characters that rely on firing projectiles from afar.

Ranged characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate include

• Samus (from Metroid series)
• Simon Belmont (from Castlevania series)
• Mega Man (from Mega Man series)
• Mii Gunner (a Super Smash Bros. original)

Plenty of other characters also have a ranged ability or two although they are not considered a ranged character overall.

Why are Samus and the rest of the characters listed above considered ranged while others are not? These characters all primarily rely on attacking from a distance to do the most damage.

Mario can throw his trademark fireball as a special move, but it is one of his few ranged attacks. Thus, he would not be considered a ranged character.

Samus–on the other hand–has multiple blast attacks, missile launchers, homing missiles, bombs, and a grappling beam that are all best used when away from foes.

Ranged characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are great to play as because they allow you to deal damage, eliminate opponents at a safe distance, and to keep foes from approaching.

Paladins: Champions of the Realm

Publisher: Hi-Rez Studios

(Available on Nintendo Switch eShop)

Paladins is an online multiplayer game with a first person perspective with an ever growing roster of playable characters.

A majority of the characters in the game are considered ranged because they deal damage from a distance with guns, throwing axes, explosive projectiles, and a barrage of bullets.

Even though a majority of the roster can be considered ranged, they all play differently.

• Grover the living tree throws axes at a slow pace without the need to reload.
• Dredge the undead pirate lobs explosive shells onto the battlefield at a methodical pace.
• Vivian the stoic soldier fires bullets from her machinegun at fast speeds.
• Fernando the cocky knight shoots a stream of fire from his arm cannon until depletion.

There can be a lot of variance even within the singular definition of ranged.

All characters listed above fight from afar yet do so at differing speeds, methods, and in unique ways.

Mario Kart series

Publisher: Nintendo

(Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is available on Nintendo Switch in digital and physical versions)

The Mario Kart series is known for its superb and fun racing but also for its wide assortment of items racers can use during a match.

Some of these items are used instantaneously, others are dropped on the race course for adversaries to run into, while others are considered ranged weapons.

• Red Shell. A red homing shell that will target the driver in front of you when tossed (a ranged item).

Some items can even be considered both!

For instances, the banana peel item can be dropped or thrown.

Dropping the banana peel on the track is not a ranged attack but throwing it is considered a ranged attack.

Mario Kart is a game for everyone which is why it includes items that are great for strategic thinking, personal use, and of course for long distance combat.

Conclusion: Ranged Recap

Ranged, no matter the game or thing being described, always means playing from a distance.

Weapons, characters, abilities, and items can all be classified as ranged as long as their intended primary use is from afar. And multiple items or characters considered ranged in the same game can all behave differently to give users varying play styles of the same basic, ranged gameplay.

Congrats, curious reader! You are no longer a noob and now know what ranged means. The next time someone brings up the word in conversation when talking about their favorite game, you will surely be able to keep up.

By Wally

(Screenshots taken by me. Images sourced from product pages on the Nintendo website. Logos, characters, and images are owned by their respective owners)