History Main / FantasticRaceWeaponAffinity

* '''[[OurMermaidsAreDifferent Mermen and other Aquatic Races]]''': Mermen are almost always associated with [[ProngsOfPoseidon tridents as a nod to Poseidon]].

** The Khajiit, a race of CatPeople, will fight with weapons, but also produce some of the finest {{Bare Fisted Monk}}s in Tamriel, as their claws give them an edge over the over races when fighting bare-handed. They have many forms of {{Fantastic Fighting Style}}s as a result.

* '''[[OurDemonsAreDifferent Demons and other Evil Races]]''': The traditional associated weapon of demons is the pitchfork or maybe [[SpikesOfVillainy evil-looking]] blades, but in several cases, they often don't need one, since their monstrous forms already give them enough natural weaponry to use and abuse.

** Vulcans prefer the lirpa as a weapon during ceremonial combat. It's a [[BladeOnAStick staff with a fan-shaped blade]] on one end and a hefty counter-weight on the other, good for slashing or bludgeoning enemies.

* '''[[OurHumansAreDifferent Humans]]''': Humans are more varied, usually because speculative fiction tends to portray humans as the most diverse and generic race in a setting, but will tend to gravitate towards whatever is considered the "default", usually meaning swords in the medieval European style.

** The Zora favor elegant polearms like spears and tridents. They also avoid any ShockAndAwe magic weapons because of their inherent weakness to them.

** Necron infantry is armed with Gauss rifles that flay the target alive molecule by molecule.

** [[HornyVikings Nords]] have [[AnAxeToGrind axes]] as a major element of their culture. If a Nord sends you an axe, it means they have business to discuss with you.

Compare WeaponSpecialization. Contrast WeaponOfXSlaying, where weapons may do extra damage to specific races. Individuals who avert this and use weapons not typically associated with their race may be an example of SquareRaceRoundClass.

There's a widespread tendency in fiction for certain races to [[WeaponOfChoice use certain weapons]]. This is especially common in fantasy works but can show up in any setting where multiple invented species or cultures exist.

Compare WeaponOfChoice. Contrast WeaponOfXSlaying, where weapons may do extra damage to specific races. Individuals who avert this and use weapons not typically associated with their race may be an example of SquareRaceRoundClass.

** [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Redguards]], a FantasyCounterpartCulture to Arabs and North African Moors [[CultureChopSuey with Samurai elements]], are noted for their use of scimitars.

** Elites, the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy high-caste warriors of the Covenant]], wield elegant and deadly weapons like plasma rifles and energy swords. However, Heretic Elites almost exclusively wield carbines.

** Salamandastron hares use sabres (as befitting their OfficerAndAGentleman image), slings and javelins.

** Dwarves are typically associated with hammers and axes. In the 1E ''Monster Manual'', for instance, 45% of NPC dwarves are armed with axes and several illustrations in the 1E Player's Handbook show dwarves with axes.

** Elves are strongly associated with bows. Their Fighter and Scout lines use bow in addition of sword while the dedicated archer line are better with their bows compared to non-elves counterparts, both in-lore and in-gameplya, especially if they have the elves-only "dextrous" trait that gives them extra ranged damage.
** Although their units have variety of weapons from spear to thunderstick, the main meat of dwarves side is the Dwarvish Fighter line, which only uses axe and hammer before adding a hatchet at their highest level. Axe is also used by the Scout and Ulfserker line.

* ''VideoGame/{{Drakensang}}'': Dwarves are associated with axes and hammers (they count as the same weapon type in-game) but also spears and crossbows. Curiously enough, the Goblins use distinctive axes most of the time. The Elves unique weapons are bows, daggers, and spears, while the guardians of Tie'Shanna have khopesh-like swords and elegant glaives.

There's a widespread tendency in fiction for certain races to [[WeaponOfChoice use certain weapons]]. This is especially common in fantasy works, but can show up in any setting where multiple invented species or cultures exist.

* '''[[OurElvesAreDifferent Elves]]''': Elves are associated with bows, often being master archers, and with elegant and stylish weapons such as sabers. Dark elves maintain most of these associations, but may replace some for more sinister or pragmatic versions such as crossbows or scimitars.

* '''[[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orcs and other Barbarian Races]]''': Orcs, human barbarians and other primitive and hostile races are often seen using axes, generally much cruder and more imposing ones than the kinds used by dwarves. [[PrimitiveClubs Especially primitive races almost always use big, wooden or stone clubs]] -- [[AllCavemenWereNeanderthals Hollywood cavemen]] and {{Frazetta M|an}}en are rarely seen wielding anything else.

Works don't always give a specific reason for why this occurs, but certain justifications tend to crop up. This may be a result of a culture who makes repeated use of certain tools adapting them for use in war. Alternatively, a given species may prefer to use weapons that capitalize on their strengths -- for instance, very physically strong species may favor the use of clubs, axes, or other weapons that do most of their damage through the force of the swing. A group's mindset and approach to war may also factor into things -- an aggressive and honor-obsessed ProudWarriorRace will likely embrace melee weaponry while consciously eschewing the ranged kind, while a more cowardly or pragmatic group may specialize in using weapons meant to be used at a distance or from cover. It may also be a part of a system of symbolism that the race believes in -- their god or high leader likes spears, so they use spears.

Of note is that this sort of specialization will typically create significant tactical weaknesses -- for instance, a group who almost always uses bows will be great from range but in serious trouble if the enemy closes into melee range, while one that favors a melee weapon will have the opposite problem. This may be resolved by explaining that the race, culture or species in question has developed tactics to ensure that martial encounters happen on their preferred terms, or by presenting it as reasoning that its specialized approach to combat is effective enough that they don't need to worry about the gaps. This aspect, however, may also be be consciously intended to serve as a deliberate tactical weakness to keep clashes between different groups uneven and dynamic.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Atlanteans typically use [[ProngsOfPoseidon tridents and bidents]]. They're mostly ApparentlyHumanMerfolk as the fish tailed merfolk she interacts with most commonly are her friends who live just off of Paradise Island.

** Dwarves traditionally use axes. In-universe, this because they're miners who traditionally used dual-purpose picks (a pick on one side for prospecting and an axe on the other in case someone disputes your claim) and they're important to the point that Vimes (a textbook KnightInSourArmour) feels guilty about asking a group of them to leave them outside his office after some dwarves had just tried to kill his family. The traditional bodyguards for religious figures also wield [[spoiler:flamethrowers, derived from mining equipment intended to clear away flammable gas]]. {{Averted}} by the dwarf Casanunda, who deliberately [[SquareRaceRoundClass consciously acts the opposite of the stereotypical dwarf]] by being a dashing LovableRogue who fights with a RoyalRapier rather than an axe.

** Dwarves are typically associated with hammers and axes. In the 1E ''Monster Manual'', for instance, 45% of NPC dwarves are armed with axes, and several illustrations in the 1E Player's Handbook show dwarves with axes.

** The chainsword is the iconic weapon of the Ecclesiarchy, and is wielded by most members of its ChurchMilitant. SpaceMarines wield slightly shorter versions.

** Similarly, Ripper shotguns are specially designed to be used as clubs, and are entrusted to the moronic but incredibly resilient ogryns.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Avernum}}'', several non-human races have distinctive weapons: [[LizardFolk Slithzerikai]] have large two-bladed spears as their ethnic weapon, [[CatFolk Nephilim and Nephar]] relies on bows and shortswords, [[TheGrays Vanhatai]] use the flambart-like waveblades and the shuriken-like razordisks. Other examples include the Giants (stone clubs and well-crafted boulders) and Troglodites (bronze falchions and spears).

* ''VideoGame/{{Drakensang}}'': Dwarves are associated with axes and hammers (they count as the same weapon type in-game) but also spears and crossbows. Curiously enough, the Goblins use distinctive axes most of the time. The Elves unique weapons are bows, daggers and spears, while the guardians of Tie'Shanna have khopesh-like swords and elegant glaives.

** The Dwemer were famed for being the most technologically advanced race on Tamriel, and perfected the use of [[SteamPunk steam-powered]] {{Golem}}s as weapons, something no other race has been able to do. It is said that they [[RealityWarper altered the laws of nature and physics]] to [[RagnarokProofing ensure that their creations would last]]. Their race [[RiddleForTheAges mysteriously vanished]] thousands of years prior to the games taking place, yet their weapons and armor still possess the quality of the day they were crafted.

** Bosmer ([[ForestRanger Wood Elves]]) favor the bow, and are said to be the finest archers in all of Tamriel.
** Dunmer (Dark Elves) possess an entire array of fantasy crafting materials owing to their [[NewWeird unusual]] homeland of Morrowind. Insect chitin, molded bone, volcanic glass (just as sharp and light as in real life but without the brittleness), and [[FantasyMetals ebony]] (differing from the real life wood) are all used to craft weapons and armor.
* ''Videogame/FalloutNewVegas'': The White Legs tribe in ''Honest Hearts'' adopted the .45 Auto submachine gun as their signature weapon, after a courier named Ulysses helped them uncover a stockpile of the weapons from an abandoned armory at Spanish Fork. They refer to them as "storm-drums" due to they noise they make when fired.

** Grunts, the CannonFodder class of the Covenant, carry short range one-handed weapons like the plasma pistol and needler, which are weak one-on-one but carry more power in groups. Being SlaveMooks, they are typically restricted from more proficient weapons, but sometimes are armed with powerful fuel rod cannons. Additionally, Heretic Grunts always wield Needlers to distinguish them from Covenant Grunts.
** Jackals, a mercenary Covenant species who's only in it for the profit, wield long-distance weapons like carbines and sniper rifles, but will use one-handed weapons with the aid of a protective energy shield.

** The scientific and pacifist Engineer class do not use any weapons at all, but against their will they were forced to wear suicide bomb vests.

** Promethean Soldiers tend to favor long distance weapons like light rifles and sniper rifles, but will switch to Suppressors if fought at close range.

** Bokoblins usually favor wooden [[PrimitiveClubs clubs]] and shields, occasionally reinforced with bones. Sometimes they throw simple bows to the mix, and occasionally scavenge Hylian weapons. Their larger Moblin relatives instead favor either immense two-handed clubs or crude spears, both made by roughly carving tree branches into shape.

'''Kobold:''' I knew a a guy whose cousin was hit by a rock thrown by a halfling. Three months later, ''he was eaten by a tiger!''
* ''Webcomic/TableTitans'': Discussed. Ny'lia dislikes the Elven Archer archetype, but agrees to play one in the fourth season, since their party is down a ranged fighter, and her elven race gives her proficiency in archery.

* '''[[OurMermaidsAreDifferent Mermen and other Aquatic Races]]''': Mermen are almost always associated with tridents as a nod to Poseidon.

* '''[[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Dwarves]]''': Usually, dwarves are depicted as fighting with axes and hammers, usually highly decorated and masterfully crafted ones, and very little else. Lately however, they are starting to be associated more and more with firearms as well.

* '''[[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Dwarves]]''': Usually, dwarves are depicted as fighting with axes and hammers, usually highly decorated and masterfully crafted ones, and very little else.

** The only type of weapon that the Gorons have are giant metal clubs that can be used for mining as well as for smashing enemies into oblivion. While they lack cutting edges, they instead capitalize on the Gorons' immense physical strength ([[OneHandedZweihander they easily wield those once-handed, you cannot]]). They also make spear-like mining tools, but don't seem to consider those "weapons".