Ranged weapon

Weapons that are capable of striking their targets from far distances using physical projectiles such as arrows (in the case of bows and crossbows) or bullets (in the case of guns). Ranged weapons are the second most common kind of weapon in fiction, next to blade-based weapons. They can be seen in genres such as action (guns and rocket launchers), fantasy (bows, crossbows, and mortars), horror (guns), sci-fi (ray guns, lasers, and similar weapons), and Westerns (guns and bows).

Pros
As previously stated, ranged weapons are great options for fighting far-off enemies, especially if those enemies are using bladed or no weapons. Aerial fighters without their own counter options can be left defenseless against even a grounded enemy with a gun, cannon, mortar, rocket launcher, or bow. On top of this, craftier fighters will take advantage of their weapons' ability to interact with distanced objects to move them, cause a distraction, or use them in a strategic attack in battle.

Cons
Ranged weapons are typically depicted as poor options in battle against close-up enemies as they usually either miss their shots or require lengthy reloading that leave the offender wide open for a counterattack. This problem is made worse if the offender has a short-range weapon like a sword, lance, or axe that could not only defeat the defender, but also destroy their weapon. In addition, ranged weapons have a finite amount of ammunition that can run out on their users at the worst possible moment. The weapon most responsible for this inconvenience is the gun as it runs out of bullets. This is a greater issue for weapons whose ammo is too unwieldly to carry in great numbers, as well as those that require an electrical charge like a laser or ray gun.