Five-Man Band/Tabletop Games
The typical RPG classes often work this way.
| The Hero | The Battleship (Game named after it, decently sized) |
| The Lancer | The Cruiser (Similar to the Battleship, but smaller) |
| The Big Guy | The Aircraft Carrier (Biggest ship in the game) |
| The Smart Guy | The Submarine (Submarines go underwater, tactical?) |
| The Chick | The Destroyer (Smallest ship in the game) |
The more recent genre books from Hero Games like using this trope for the sample good-guy team.
Champions (4th edition)
| The Hero | Defender |
| The Lancer | Quantum |
| The Big Guy | Obsidian |
| The Smart Guy | Solitaire |
| Kid Appeal Character | Seeker |
| The Sixth Ranger | Jaguar (overlaps with The Smart Guy in his human form) |
Champions (5th edition)
| The Hero | Defender |
| The Lancer | Nighthawk |
| The Big Guy | Ironclad |
| The Smart Guy | Witchcraft |
| The Chick | Sapphire (fan description: J-Lo with superpowers) |
| The Hero | Queen |
| The Lancer | Knight |
| The Big Guy | Rook |
| The Smart Guy | Bishop |
| The Chick | King |
| Redshirt Army | Pawns |
Dark Champions (5th edition)
| The Hero | Sarge |
| The Lancer | Knockout |
| The Big Guy | Hammer |
| The Smart Guy | Shadow |
| Kid Appeal Character | Blade (lethal with his chosen weapons, but a knife fighter in a team of people packing Desert Eagles and grenade launchers?) |
Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Character Roles
| The Hero | Defender, Leader or Melee Striker (see below) |
| The Lancer | Striker (Ranger, Rogue, Warlock, Sorcerer, Barbarian, Avenger, Assassin, Monk) |
| The Big Guy | Defender (Fighter, Paladin, Warden, Swordmage, Battlemind) |
| The Smart Guy | Controller (Wizard, Druid, Invoker, Psion, Seeker) |
| The Chick / The Heart | Leader (Cleric, Warlord, Bard, Shaman, Artificer, Ardent, Runepriest), especially those in healer roles |
| Sixth Ranger | Hybrid class |
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition Iconic Characters
| The Hero | Alhandra or Regdar |
| The Lancer | Jozan, Lidda, or Hennet |
| The Big Guy | Krusk, Eberk, or Tordek |
| The Smart Guy | Mialee or Ember |
| The Chick | Naull or Vadania |
| Sixth Ranger | Soveliss, Eberk, Gimble, or Devis |
Exalted - First Age roles
| The Hero | Solar Exalted (the glorious leaders, until they fell...) |
| The Lancer | Lunar Exalted (second most glorious after the Solars, and their friendly foils and fated partners) |
| The Big Guy | Terrestrial Exalted/Dragon-Blooded (big numbers, that is; they were the army) |
| The Smart Guy | Sidereal Exalted (advisors, noticed when things started going wrong) |
| The Chick | To some extent, the Lunar Exalted again (each is magically bound to develop an imperishable attachment toward a particular Solar upon first sight; the exact nature of that bond is up to the two of them, but this is what ensures the "fated partner" thing. They also have a double role as the Stewards of Creation, with parental undertones. On top of this, there's their apparent fate to always end up dismissed and ignored by just about everyone, even outside the context of the setting.) |
Exalted - Solar castes
| The Hero | Zenith Caste |
| The Lancer | Night Caste |
| The Big Guy | Dawn Caste |
| The Smart Guy | Twilight Caste |
* With the Eclipse Caste completing the team but not really equivalent to The Chick.
Fantasy Hero (5th edition)
| The Hero | Drudaryon |
| The Lancer | Valerius the Harper |
| The Big Guy | Halfreda (a dwarf, but tougher than the paladin Drudaryon) |
| The Smart Guy | Drago |
| The Chick | Tarina (more competent than a classic Chick, though) |
Magic: The Gathering colors (albeit in their most stereotypical interpretations)
| The Hero | White (peace, or else) |
| The Lancer | Red (freely passionate) |
| The Big Guy/The Chick | Green (bigger is better, works best at getting mana of other colors on the field) |
| The Smart Guy | Blue (trickery and manipulation) |
| Token Evil Teammate | Black (power at any cost) |
| Sixth Ranger | Colorless/Multicolored/Purple? |
Magic: The Gathering, Gideon's planeswalker team
| The Hero | Gideon Jura |
| The Lancer | Sorin Markov |
| The Big Guy | Garruk Wildspeaker |
| The Smart Guy | Jace Beleren |
| The Chick | Chandra Nalaar |
G.U.A.R.D
| The Hero | Defender X |
| The Lancer | Legionnaire |
| The Big Guy | Laser Knight |
| The Smart Guy | Sky Sentinel |
| The Chick | Nova ESR |
Shadow Sun Industries
| The Hero | Zor-Raiden |
| The Lancer | Zor-Macross |
| The Big Guy | Zor-Maxim |
| The Smart Guy | Zor- |
| The Chick | Zor-Magna |
Terrasaurs
| The Hero | Terra Khan |
| The Lancer | Pterdax |
| The Big Guy | Armodax |
| The Smart Guy | Rakadon |
| The Chick | Tyrannix |
Elemental Champions
| The Hero | the Heavens element Metamorph |
| The Lancer | Incinerus |
| The Big Guy | Tectomoc |
| The Smart Guy | Aquiosa |
| The Chick | Hurricanus |
Uber Corp International
| The Hero | Cyber Khan |
| The Lancer | Robo Kondo |
| The Big Guy | Gorghadratron |
| The Smart Guy | Mechacthugrosh |
| The Chick | the Collaborator-bot Metamorph |
Empire Of The Apes
| The Hero | King Kondo |
| The Lancer | White Dajan |
| The Big Guy | the cyborg Metamorph |
| The Smart Guy | General Hondo |
| The Chick | Gakura |
Star Hero (5th edition)
| The Hero | Robert Avilla |
| The Lancer | Jennifer DeGraff |
| The Big Guy | Jason Grigori |
| The Smart Guy | shared between Kiritha Tal and Segaro Krez’shul |
Player Archetypes as once defined by "The Five Gamers" (link defunct):
| The Hero | What The Munchkin thinks he is, the real answer is closer to any of them |
| The Lancer | The Loonie (though often requiring a few traits of The Smart Guy to really work) |
| The Big Guy | The Real Man |
| The Smart Guy | The "Brains" side of The Roleplayer |
| The Chick | The "Thespian" side of The Roleplayer |
| Tagalong Kid (or possibly even Token Evil Teammate) | What The Munchkin really is |
| Mission Control | The Game Master |
Warhammer 40,000 Factions
| The Hero | The Imperium of Man (By far the most focused-on, often painted in the most moral light, Jack OF All Ststs) |
| The Lancer | Chaos (The eternal enemies of the Imperium, the cause of most of its problems, contains many Evil Counterpart units) |
| The Smart Guy | The Eldar (Distant, immortal, scheming.) |
| The Big Guy | The Orks (WAAAAAAAGH!) |
| The Chick | The Tau (Considered by most to be the "friendliest" faction, as well as the smallest) |
| Sixth Ranger | The Necrons (Relatively recent additions, only opposed by Chaos in sheer Grimdarkness) |
| Team Pet | The Tyranids (The most bestial and alien of the bunch) |
Warhammer 40,000 Space Marines
| The Hero | Tactical Marines (Jack of All Stats, the core of your force, can do anything well)) |
| The Lancer | Assault Marines (commonly seen in numbers approaching Tactical Marine scale, especially among the Blood Angels and Raven Guard, the stabby counterpart to Tactical Marines' dakka) |
| The Smart Guy | Veterans (Older and have a lot more experience than the rest) |
| The Big Guy | Devastators (Really frakking big guns), Terminators (bigger armor) |
| The Chick | Scouts (The little guys) |
| The Mentor | Command characters |
Warhammer 40,000 Chaos Gods
| The Hero | The Emperor |
| The Lancer | Khorne |
| The Smart Guy | Tzeentch |
| The Big Guy | Nurgle |
| The Chick | Slaanesh |
| Sixth Ranger | Malal |
Warhammer Fantasy Battle Factions (Not really heros so much as anti-chaos factions)
| The Hero | The Empire (Most focused on, Jack of All Stats, the game is named after its founder's weapon) |
| The Lancer | Bretonnia (Long standing rival of The Empire, only other human nation playable, uses very different tactics) |
| The Smart Guy | High Elves (Immortal wizards) |
| The Big Guy | Dwarfs (Their Dwarfs) |
| The Chick | Wood Elves (Most naturey of the factions, doesn't seem to care about the other factions though, smallest, may be manipulating Bretonnia) |
| Sixth Ranger | Ogre Kingdoms (Not really a part of anything but will act as mercenaries for the other groups) |
| The Mentor | Lizardmen (oldest and most personel connection to chaos, wants to put the world back to the way it was for the "betterment" of everyone) |
Werewolf: The Apocalypse / Forsaken (The auspices are about the same in both games)
| The Hero | Philodox/Half-Moon (judge) |
| The Lancer | Ragabash/New Moon (trickster/spy) |
| The Big Guy | Ahrouns/Full Moon (warrior) |
| The Smart Guy | Galliards/Gibbous Moon (bard) |
| The Chick | Theurges/Crescent Moon (mystic) |
Alternate Werewolf: The Apocalypse / Forsaken (I see it totally different):
| The Hero | Galliards/Gibbous Moon (Lover of the Ways) |
| The Lancer | Ragabash/New Moon (Questioner of the Ways) |
| The Big Guy | Ahrouns/Full Moon (Protector of the Ways) |
| The Smart Guy | Theurges/Crescent Moon (Searcher of the Ways) |
| The Chick | Philodox/Half Moon (Keeper of the Ways) |
Hero Quest classes
| The Hero/The Big Guy | Barbarian (is depicted in the center of the box, has best physical stats) |
| The Lancer | Dwarf (slightly worse physically) |
| The Smart Guy | Wizard |
| The Chick | Elf |