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{{trope}}
[[File:
''For a swashbuckler character see [[Swashbuckler]]''
A gun and a sword (or other melee weapon) combo...''when not used at the same time.'' 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. The gun can be a pistol or a rifle just as well - in fact, the musket itself (which the musketeer is named for) is a long two-handed gun. This sort of a warrior tend toward the [[Wooden Ships and Iron Men]] -- [[
One important thing: these weapons aren't reserve weapons. This trope is for fighters who are proficient in using both the gun and the melee weapon. Someone who is just picking up a [[Pipe Pain|lead pipe]] because their gun is out of ammo isn't an example. The character is good with both weapons and will use them as the situation fits.
[[Bayonet Ya|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 rifles.
Not to be confused with [[Sword and Gun]], which is when this trope meets [[Dual
{{examples
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* Guts of ''[[Berserk]]'' has a [[Arm Cannon|gunpowder cannon built into his arm]] as a surprise weapon for enemies who think they have him beat. He also fits [[Bow and Sword
* Setsuna F. Seiei from [[Mobile Suit Gundam 00]] pilots a Gundam that specializes in close quarters combat; Exia and 00 are armed with massive swords that also have integrated beam rifles. The GN Sword on the Exia and the GN Sword III wielded by 00 Raiser are essentially massive switchblade-type broad sword that can rapidly cycle between rifle mode and sword mode. The GN Sword II is used in conjunction with another sword II and also doubles as rifle with a range of firing modes. Setsuna was less proficient with the rifle mode earlier in his career, but eventually becomes a better marksman (to the point where Graham Aker notes that Setsuna's ranged attacks are far more accurate than they were).
** [[Humongous Mecha]] often follow this trope, and ''[[Gundam]]'' is no exception. Most of the Gundams piloted by the various protagonists, starting with the original series, have historically been armed with a highly effective ranged weapon (typically an energy-based rifle) and a highly effective close-combat weapon (typically a beam saber). For that matter, a substantial number of the [[Mecha
== [[Comic Books]] ==
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== [[Literature]] ==
* In [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]]' ''[[Barsoom]]'' stories, John Carter often carried (and used) both his long sword and a radium pistol (the bullets of which had explosive warheads).
* ''[[The Three Musketeers (
* In the ''[[Old Kingdom]]'' books, military stationed in the Perimeter are armed with guns, swords, and sometimes bows and arrows. The guns are their normal weapon of choice; the swords are for when technology fails due to the proximity of magic. The most experienced soldiers become proficient with both.
* [[Solomon Kane]]'s usual tactic when confronting multiple attackers is to discharge both his pstols, then draw his rapier and dagger.
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* ''[[Deadliest Warrior]]'' features a French Musketeer in the second season.
** There have been other warriors that also fit the trope in style if not in name, such as Season 1's Pirate and Season 2's Vlad the Impaler.
* Richard [[Sharpe]] carries a Baker rifle and a 1796 pattern cavalry sabre, i.e. an extremely accurate long gun and and a BFS.
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* An honourable mention goes to the [[Sword and Gun|pistol and close-combat weapon combo]] that is very common in ''[[Warhammer
* In any game of [[Dungeons
== [[Video Games]] ==
* [[Badass Longcoat|Dante]] from [[Devil May Cry]] who always fights with his [[Guns Akimbo|dual]] [[The Gunslinger|handguns]] [[Named Weapons|Ebony & Ivory]] and his sword [[BFS|Rebellion]]
** Nero of the fourth game, not to be outdone, uses his own sword Red Queen, his [[Revolvers Are Just Better|double-barreled revolver]] Blue Rose, and the [[Evil Hand|Devil Bringer]].
* The hero in the second ''[[Fable]]'' has a sword and a gun, which can be a pistol or a rifle. He/she can also wield a [[Bow and Sword
** The third one has completely gotten rid of crossbows, as they're just not as powerful anymore. It ''is'' the Industrial Revolution.
* Possible in ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]]'' with a blaster and a melee weapon. There's not always a lot of point to it though, unless you're far enough away from the enemy to get in two shots before melee begins.
* From the second ''[[Halo]]'' game on, both Master Chief and the Arbiter were capable of wielding the plasma sword and later gravity hammer in addition to their ranged weapon.
* ''[[Ratchet and Clank]]'' is mostly known for its bigger weapons, but the wrench is not to be lightly discarded, especially in the early game. There's also the plasma whip, basically a vamped up, longer ranged version of the wrench.
* While not a gun per se, Link of ''[[
* ''[[Left 4 Dead]]'' 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.
* In the first two ''[[Fallout]]'' games, it was possible to switch quickly between two weapons without AP costs if equipped for that. Too close? [[Drop the Hammer|Drop The Sledgehammer]]. It's still possible, but not as intuitive, in the [[Fallout 3|third]] and [[Fallout: New Vegas|fourth]] games (you have to assign weapons to number keys, like in traditional FPS games, and ''New Vegas'' takes away one possible slot to use its key for an entirely different mechanic instead).
* ''[[Arcanum]]'' permits this combination.
* The Hunter class of [[World of Warcraft]] is mostly made for using their ranged weapons and pets, but are the most effective ranged-based class in melee ranged due to mail armour and some weapon abilities; they also have some abilities that can help them get out of melee for a bit, such as Wing Clip (a melee attack that deals no damage but slows the target), Frost Trap (basically the area version that has its own upgrades), and Disengage (causing the Hunter to jump backwards quickly, further if s/he jumped first).
* ''[[Warhammer
** A number of units in the ''Dawn of War'' series are like this, in fact, armed with both a long-range firearm and some form of melee weapon, with the player given the choice to make them use one or the other depending on the situation.
* ''[[
* ''[[Call of Duty]]: [[Modern Warfare]] 2'' has the Commando perk that make your knife attack from farther away at no cost to your ability to shoot down range, and the 'Tactical Knife' attachment for [[Handguns]] that allow you to hold your knife while using a handgun to make your knife hit faster, also at no cost to your ability to shoot with it. ''World at War'' allows for bayonets with most rifles, and the trench gun.
** These are actually part of the reason for some players' dislike of ''Modern Warfare 2'', where the knife has an infamous reputation for being ''[[Guns Are Worthless|better]]'' than firearms, due to the knife's instant-kill property no matter where it hits on an opposing player's body, whereas almost all firearms take multiple hits to kill unless they hit the head, which is rather difficult to do intentionally.
* In ''Sid Meier's Pirates,'' your character can have a flintlock pistol to fire at the opponent before a sword fight, having them start out pushed back.
* [[Raidou Kuzunoha VS King Abaddon|Raidou Kuzunoha XIV]] uses both Sword and Pistol when going against demons, and while generally the sword does better damage, but guns are very useful in both Kuzunoha games due to their secondary properties (ability to load elemental bullets in first, the ability to stun foes in the second).
* [[Mega Man Zero|Zero]] is capable of using his [[Arm Cannon]] and his Zero Saber in tandem, depending on your control set-up.
* [[Final Fantasy XIII|Lightning]] is an interesting case because her sword and gun are combined into [[Swiss Army Weapon|one weapon]] that changes between the two.
* Many, many combat games have dual weapon sets that can be quickly switched between, and many players have melee gear in one set and ranged weapons in the other.
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* When gunpowder was first invented, pikemen were supposed to support the gunpowder units, which were separate from them. Later on, with the advent of decent bayonets, the pike element became less important until it was dropped entirely, as what both sides were holding were basically short spears that fired stuff.
* All modern real life examples should include a caveat. This trope is about characters who are both swordsmen and riflemen, not guys who "swing a lead pipe because they're out of ammo." It is quickly becoming a [[Dead Horse Trope]] in the real world because modern weapons make hand to hand fighting extremely rare. Thus, in almost all cases, the use of any hand weapon is a case of either extremely strange circumstances or simple desperation. Elite commando units may occasionally train in using entrenching tools, knives, and tomahawks, but this is very secondary to shooting. Infantrymen practice bayonet drills in basic training/boot camp because it teaches aggression, confidence, and that "I'm gonna gut you" mentality that an infantryman's life may depend on. After initial training, bayonet drills are far, far less common than time at the shooting range or battle drills with rifles and heavy arms. Most close quarters battle training focuses learning to clear rooms quickly, on shooting quickly and accurately, prioritizing targets and controlling fields of fire, and on responding to a chaotic urban environment where targets can pop up at any range from two feet to two hundred yards or more. There ''usually'' is no time and no reason to switch to a hand weapon in this kind of environment. Unarmed combat training is more common, but the goal is usually to get an enemy off a soldier so the soldier can just shoot them.
* A number of bayonet charges have worked in the modern day conflicts against insurgents and terrorists not expecting their enemies to charge at them yelling. Needless to say, those soldiers who performed them probably fit this trope.
** Oddly enough, one of the units that did a bayonet charge on Iraqi insurgents is a military descendant of the entry below.
* The Highland Charge was developed to give Scottish armies an edge against better equipped and better trained armies in this way. The enemy line could be broken up and their morale shattered while the Scots were just getting started with their new one-handed claymores. Against armies who held ranks they tended to get massacred though.
** In fact, the dreaded Highland Charge helped lead to the development of the socket bayonet, which unlike the previous plug bayonet, fit over the barrel of the musket and allowed it to shoot and stab all at once. Therefore, the British units were able to enter the battle with already fixed bayonets instead of having to equip them while a horde of screaming Scotsman with BFS bore down on them.
*** The swords of this period were one-handed light swords similar to a later broadsword. It was certainly not the claymore most people envision when they hear the word. By the 17th Century, gunpowder had completely dominated the battlefield and any heavy infantry with armor and a BFS was a relic waiting to be slaughtered. The charge relied on a light targe, a broadsword or dirk, momentum, and a movement which left the British infantry helpless just long enough for them to be cut down.
** The Highland Charge was a [[Awesome Yet Practical]] shock tactic of closing to roughly twenty yards, firing a volley, then dropping one's firearm. The follow-through then followed up with sword/dirk and targe. The attacker would drop to a knee or stoop just outside the range of the bayonet, use the targe to come up and knock the musket off to his left, and with the same motion spring forward and kill his defenseless target with his sword or dirk. The man with the musket had absolutely no time to bring his musket back around to stop his attacker. If he had a hand weapon (which he usually didn't), he had no time to draw it. He could not retreat to make space, since he was part of a battle line and someone was right behind him. The British were fed several devastating defeats in this manner. The British eventually created a defense which shut down the charge for good and was even more [[Badass]] than the charge itself. First, the above-mentioned socket bayonet meant a unit could always have its bayonets mounted. There was no time to fiddle around with plug bayonets. Each man, finding his bayonet knocked to the right (the charger's left), would forgo his own defense and instead stab the exposed side of the man to his front-right, similar to how pawns in chess attack. He would then be helpless to defend himself and would have to rely on the man to his left to protect him, just as he protected the man to his right. The discipline a formation of soldiers would need to have each man forgo personal defense and put his life in someone else's courage is simply mind-boggling.
* Early Russian riflemen would use a ''two-handed battleaxe'' as their melee reserve weapon, and as a gun rest to steady their aim.
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[[Category:Military and Warfare Tropes]]
[[Category:Choice of Two Weapons]]
[[Category:Weapons and Wielding Tropes]]
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